some Venetian merchants trading to Alexandria carried ofF the relics
(literally stole them, — " convey the wise it call !") and they were depo-
sited in the city of Venice, where the stately church of St. Mark was
built over them. Since that time, St. Mark has been honoured as the
patron saint of Venice, and his legendary history has supplied the
Venetian painters with many beautiful and picturesque subjects.
When St. Mark is represented as one of the four Evangelists, either
singly or grouped with the others, he is almost invariably accompanied
by the lion, winged or un winged, but generally winged, — which dis-
tinguishes him from St. Jerome, who is also accompanied by the lion,
but unwinged, as we shall see hereafter. •.
In devotional representations, St. Mark often wears the habit of
bishop, as first bishop of Alexandria. He is thus represented in the
colossal mosaic over the principal door of St. Mark's at Venice* in
the pontificals of a Greek bishop, no mitre, short grey hair and beard ;
one hand raised in benediction, the other holding the gospel.
Of the innumerable pictures in which St. Mark figures as patron of
Venice, I can aflFord to give a few examples only.
