Ciiap. II. THE LAST JUDGMENT, 65 benediction and holding the book. The symbols of the Evangelists were at his sides, and the hand of the Eternal appeared out of an opening surrounded by a fan-like or nament. Beneath the semidome, and on the wall of the apsis the three archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael separated the abbot Desiderius, standing with the model of the church in his hand, from a figure of a Benedictine now almost effaced. On the opposite wall and therefore above the chief portal, the Last Judgment was depicted. High up in an elliptical glory the Saviour sat enthroned, and distributed the blessing and the curse with his hands, the only part of the figure now remaining. Below him, an angel raised high above his head a long scroll of which the inscription has disappeared; whilst two angels at his sides held scrolls likewise inscribed with the words, “Venite Benedicti” and “Ite Maledicti”. Above the Saviour and between the upper windows, four angels sounded the last trump. Beneath, in two courses on each side of the Saviour, were twelve angels in adoration and twelve apostles on long benches. At the sides of the Angels, below the Saviour, were grouped the blessed saints, martyrs and confessors of both sexes on one hand, and devils pursuing condemned souls into the everlasting abyss on the other. On the lowest course to the left, groups of the just, plucking and wearing flowers were made to contrast with others on the right, tortured or carried by Demons to the foot of Lucifer, a vast monster, now unfortunately headless, sitting in chains with claws for hands, and holding under his arm the writhing form of Judas Iscariot. The action and terrible movement of this infernal picture showed the interest which was already taken in the eleventh cen tury in the delineation of the everlasting torments reserved for sinners; and the importance given to the size of Lucifer proved the desire of impressing spectators with dread of sin. The rude painters of S. Angelo in Formis indeed suc ceeded much better in representing the tortures of hell than the majesty or the joys of Paradise. Their idea of the Saviour, as it was exposed in the apsis, was inexpres sibly painful. It is difficult to discover a more unpleas ant type of Christ than they here depicted. A thin feeble figure with formless hands and feet was surmounted by a large grim head, of bony aspect inclosed by flat lank red hair, and lined out with dark contours. A wrinkled 5 VOL. I.