in 
Literature 
and Art. 
255 
people's confciences. The left hand was that of a man, fignifying the 
worldly power of the pope, which grafped at univerfal empire over kings 
and princes. The right foot was that of an ox, fignifying the fpiritual 
minilters of the papacy, the doctors of the church, the preachers, con- 
feffors, and fcholattic theologians, and efpecially the monks and nuns, 
rhofe who aided and fupported the pope in opprefiing people's bodies 
and fouls. The left foot was that of a grillin, an animal which, when it 
once feizes its prey, never lets it efcape, and fignified the canonifts, the 
moniters of the pope's temporal power, who  
grafped people's temporal goods, and never  
returned them. The breaft and belly of Z 
this monfter were thofe of a woman, and {'27 
{ignified the papal body, the cardinals, bif-  
hops, prieits, monks, 8zc., who fpent their   X 
lives in eating, drinking, and incontinence;    
d this art of the bod 'Was naked, becaufe Wff  
an p ) '4  
the popith clergy were not afhamed to ex- 34  
pofe their vices to the public. The legs, 6   
arms, and neck, on the contrary, were clothed K  "If   
with fifhes' fcales; thefe fignihed the tem-   
poral princes and lords, who were moftly in aixpnv  
alliance with the papacy. The old man's 5' -44332 "ix it 
head behind the montler, meant that the M'148' HE Mmk_calf' 
papacy had become old, and was approaching its end; and the head of 
a dragon, vomiting flames, which ferved for a tail, was fignificative of the 
great threats, the venomous horrible bulls and blafphemous writings, 
which the pontitf and his miniiiers, enraged at feeing their end approach, 
were launching into the world againil all who oppofed them. Thefe 
explanations were fupported by apt quotations from the Scriptures, and 
were ['0 effective, and became fo popular, that the picture was publilhed 
in various fhapes, and was feen adorning the walls of the humblelt cottages. 
I believe it is {till to be met with in a fimilar pofition in fome parts of 
Germany. It was contidered at the time to be a maiterly piece of fatire. 
The picture of the Monk-calf, which is reprefented in our cut No. I48,-