The Dying Message
Title
The Dying Message
Alt Text Description
Grayscale illustration of a dying monk. A young woman cries at his bedside and another monk stands near, arms crossed in prayer.
Description
In a quiet monastery room, Romola stands at Fra Luca’s deathbed while Savonarola prays nearby. When she takes the crucifix and sees her brother is gone, she collapses into sobs, and the first shock of death leaves her feeling permanently changed.
"'Take the crucifix, my daughter,’ said Fra Girolamo, after a few minutes. ‘His eyes behold it no more.’ Romola stretched out her hand to the crucifix, and this act appeared to relieve the tension of her mind. A great sob burst from her. She bowed her head by the side of her dead brother, and wept aloud. It seemed to her as if this first vision of death must alter the daylight for her for ever more" ("The Dying Message", Chapter 15).
"'Take the crucifix, my daughter,’ said Fra Girolamo, after a few minutes. ‘His eyes behold it no more.’ Romola stretched out her hand to the crucifix, and this act appeared to relieve the tension of her mind. A great sob burst from her. She bowed her head by the side of her dead brother, and wept aloud. It seemed to her as if this first vision of death must alter the daylight for her for ever more" ("The Dying Message", Chapter 15).
Illustrator
Leighton, Frederic (1830-1896)
Contributor
Swain, Joseph (1820-1909), engraver
Publisher
George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org
Date
1863, 1880
Rights
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Work Illustrated
Romola
Citation
Leighton, Frederic (1830-1896), The Dying Message, George Eliot Illustrations Gallery, George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/83599
Illustration
