in height, is painted to represent a solid marble balcony, behind which a Doctor or Prophet is supposed to be standing. He is visible from rather below the waist upwards, and holds in his hand a scroll bearing an appropriate text. On each side of the figure in the smaller lunettes, resting on the balcony, is a large vase of flowers; and behind it a clear sky. Round the upper edge of the lunette is a broad band of oak-leaves, and fruits of various kinds. The figures, of which there were evidently twelve originally, are the following, beginning with the one at the north-east corner over the door leading into the Greek Library, and proceeding to the right:
| 1. | Hieronymus. Scientiam scripturarum ama, et vitia carnis non amabis. | |||
| 2. | Gregorius. Dei sapientiam sardonyco et zaphyro non confer. | |||
| 3. | Thomas. Text illegible. | |||
| 4. | Bonaventura. Fructus scripturæ est plenitudo æternæ felicitatis. | |||
| 5. | Aristoteles. |
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| 6. | Diogenes. | |||
| 7. | Cleobulus. | |||
| 8. | Antisthenes. | |||
| 9. | Socrates. | |||
| 10. | Plato. | |||
| 11. | Augustinus. Nihil beatius est quam semper aliquid legere aut scribere. | |||
| 12. | Ambrosius. Diligentiam circa scripturas sanctorum posui. | |||
Jerome and Gregory occupy the east wall; Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventura the first lunette on the south wall, over the door of entrance; Aristotle and Diogenes the next[1], succeeded by Cleobulus and Antisthenes on the west wall; on the first lunette on the north wall are Socrates and Plato; in the second Augustine and Ambrose, facing Aquinas and Bonaventura. Thus the east half of the library is presided over by doctors of the Christian Church, the western by pagan philosophers.
The space on the north wall (gh) nearly opposite to the door
- ↑ There was evidently a window in this wall before the frescoes were executed, corresponding to that over the door of entrance. This was blocked by the building which contained the Librarian's room. Its existence shews that the library-building is the older of the two.
