Angels in art; Christian art and symbolism; Painting -- Reproduction
In our illustration from the picture by Andrea del Sarto, in the
Belvedere, Vienna, Tobias carries the fish, and it appears to represent
the moment when Raphael is making his explanation of its purpose.
As they proceeded Raphael said: “Brother, to-day we shall lodge with
Raguel, who is thy cousin; he hath but one daughter, named Sara; I will
ask her as a wife for thee: she belongs to thee by law, and is fair and
wise, and you can marry her when we return.” Then Tobias, who knew the
fate of the seven husbands, was filled with fear lest he too should die,
and thus afflict his parents, who had no other child.
But Raphael assured Tobias that Sara
[Illustration: ANDREA DEL SARTO.--THE ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL CONDUCTING THE
YOUNG TOBIAS.]
was the wife that the Lord intended for him, and that when he entered
the marriage chamber the evil spirit would flee at the smoke he should
make with the liver of the fish, and would never return. When Tobias
heard this he loved the maiden, and his heart was effectually joined to
her.
When they came near Ecbatane, they met Sara, and she led them to her
parents, who rejoiced to see them, and wept when they heard of the
blindness of Tobit. While the servants of Raguel prepared a supper,
Tobias said to the angel, “Speak of those things of which thou didst
talk, and let this business be despatched.” Then Raphael asked Raguel to
give Sara to Tobias; but the father was sore distressed, and told of the
death of the seven who had already married her; but as Sara belonged to
Tobias by the law of Moses, his request could not be denied, and before
they did eat together, Raguel joined their hands, and blessed them.
Then the marriage chamber was prepared, and the maiden wept; but her
mother comforted her, and when Tobias entered and made the smoke as the
angel had directed, the evil spirit fled. Tobias and Sara knelt in
thankfulness, and Tobias prayed as Raphael had told him, and Sara said,
“Amen.”
In the morning Raguel dug a grave, for he wished to bury Tobias quickly,
that no one should know what had happened; but when he sent to see if he
were dead, it was found that the young husband was quietly sleeping.
Then there was great rejoicing, and a wedding feast was made, which
lasted fourteen days. Meanwhile, Raphael went to Gabael and received
from him the ten talents, and when the feast ended, the angel conducted
Tobias and Sara to Tobit, and Raguel bestowed on Sara half his wealth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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