Page:Textile fabrics; a descriptive catalogue of the collection of church-vestments, dresses, silk stuffs, needle-work and tapestries, forming that section of the Museum (IA textilefabricsde00soutrich).pdf/588



hand he holds a folded document—the note-of-hand signed by Gabael. Thinking that he must die in a short time, he has called to his side his well-beloved child the young Tobias, and after having given him the most wholesome counsel for his religious and moral behaviour through life, speaks of his own burial, and how he wishes that when his wife Sarah's days are done, the boy should lay his mother's body by his father's in the grave. As an ending to this discourse, the elder Tobias said, "'I signify this to thee, that I committed ten talents to Gabael—at Rages in Media. Seek thee a man which may go with thee, whiles I yet live—and go and receive the money."

Then Tobias going forth, found a beautiful young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk; and not knowing that he was an angel of God, he saluted him and said: "Canst thou go with me to Rages, and knowest thou those places well?" To whom the angel said: "I will go with thee, and I know the way well." Then Tobias going in told all these things to his father; and all things being ready, Tobias bade his father and his mother farewell, and he and the angel set out both together; and when they were departed, his mother began to weep; and Tobias went forward, and the dog followed him.—Book of Tobit, chapters iv. v.

Seated, and leaning his right hand upon his staff, the old man is out-*stretching with his left to his starting son the note-of-hand to Gabael, behind him stands his wife Sarah weeping; before him is his son, who, leaning his long travelling staff against his shoulder, with his left hand is about to take the important document from his father, at the same time that he turns himself half round and points with his right hand to the angel behind him, as if to comfort his father in the knowledge that he is to have such a good companion for his guide. The angel, who carries a traveller's staff in his left hand, holds out his right towards the young man, as telling his father and mother how carefully he would lead him to Rages, and bring him safely home again. Last of all, and standing beneath a tree we find a saddled ass with a large gaily ornamented pilgrim's wooden bottle for water hanging by its side, and the ass's head is turned round as if looking on the faithful dog that is lying on the ground ready to follow his young master on the way. Magnificent buildings arise as a background to the spot where we see old Tobit seated, and standing behind him his weeping wife Sarah. On the threshold of their own fine house behind them there stands in a niche the statue of Moses, who is figured with the two horns upon his forehead, as representing the light that shone about his face, and darted all around it in rays like horns, as he came from Sinai a second time with tables of the law: his left hand leans upon