Thomas Cahill's _How the Irish Saved Civilization_ (which should be
required reading for all non-Irish scholars :) ) includes a colour
reproduction of a page from the Book of Kells, Matthew's genealogy of
Jesus, with a small drawing of the scribe in the corner. Cahill writes,
"The scribe has left us a jaunty picture of himself -- with palette and
brush, and, as if to illustrate the theme of generation, his own modest
erection."
I am also reminded of the purported ceremony of the inspection of
candidates for the priesthood, during which the bishop checked to see if
they were "whole men". The following dialogue ensued:
BISHOP: "Duos habet."
CHOIR: "Deo gratias!"
BISHOP: "Unum habet."
CHOIR: "Sufficit."
BISHOP "Nullum habet."
CHOIR: "Ecclesia supplet!"
Barbara O'Cleirigh
M.A. Student, Religion and Culture
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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