f Jacob's Dream, in the ceiling of this
same Heliodorus Room, is the Liberation of Peter, painted above and on
each side of a window. The story is taken from the Acts of the
Apostles, Herod the king, as the narrative says, "stretched forth his
hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of
John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he
proceeded further to take Peter also." The story of the imprisonment
and liberation of Peter now follows:--

"And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and
delivered him to four quarternions of soldiers to keep him;
intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Peter therefore was kept in prison; but prayer was made
without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

"And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night
Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two
chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And
behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light
shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and
raised him up, saying, 'Arise up quickly.' And his chains
fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, 'Gird
thyself, and bind on thy sandals.' And so he did. And he
saith unto him, 'Cast thy garment about thee, and follow
me.' And he went out, and followed him, and wist not that it
was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a
vision."[6]

[Footnote 6: Acts of the Apostles, chapter xii., verses 4-9.]

There is a succession of scenes in this story, and as the window runs
up into the wall, it gave Raphael an opportunity to distribute the
successive incidents in the three divisions thus formed. Over the
window, accordingly, is the scene of the awakening of Peter. The
angel, surrounded by a blaze of light, comes and smites the sleeping
apostle on the side, but his action also indicates that he raises him
and points to the door. Peter is shown bound by two chains, each
fastening him to one of the soldiers, who are both asleep at their
posts. The bars through which we see the scene are the prison bars.

At the right of the window, the angel is shown leading Peter past the
guards, who are asleep on the steps. The prison is indicated by the
thick wall and solid masonry, by the side of which the two figures are
passing. The soldiers by their attitude show how sound asleep th