The Athenaeum, 1881, Part IJohn Francis (publisher)1The AthenaeumJohn FrancisE. J. Francis & Co.London1881 January - 1881 June1881, Part IAlderman Library, University of VirginiaAP4.A853
Commentary
Introduction
DGR's work appeared in issue number 2775 in this volume.
Textual History: Composition
Textual History: Revision
Printing History
Pictorial
Historical
Literary
Translation
Autobiographical
Bibliographic
Page containing “For the Holy Family by Michelangelo
(in the National Gallery)” is formatted in three columns.----------------------------------------------------------‘THE HOLY
FAMILY.’*(By Michael Angelo, in the National Gallery.)Turn not the prophet's page, O Son! He knewAll that thou hast to suffer, and hath writ.Not yet thine hour of knowledge. InfiniteThe sorrows that thy manhood's years must rueAnd dire acquaintance of thy grief. That clueThe spirits of thy mournful ministeringsSeek through yon scroll in silence. For
these thingsThe angels have desired to look into.Still before Eden waves the fiery sword,—Her Tree of Life unransomed; whose sad TreeOf Knowledge yet to growth of CalvaryMust yield its Tempter,—Hell the
earliest deadOf Earth resign,—and yet, O Son and Lord,The Seed o' the woman bruise the serpent's head.Dante G. Rossetti.------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* In this
picture the Virgin Mother is seen withholding
from the
Child-Saviour the prophetic book in which his sufferings are
foretold. Angelic figures behind examine a scroll.