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Cracow, and carved on a capital in the church or St. Pierre at Caen.

Side by side with the two compartments devoted to Aristotle, are two others apparently illustrating the favourite theme of the Fontaine de Jouvent,3 the fountain whose waters imparted youth to those fortunate enough to find them. This is a tradition of extreme antiquity, and has been the common heritage of many peoples not only in the eastern hemisphere but also in the new world, where the Spanish conquistadors heard tell of a mysterious island with wondrous streams wherein the vigour of youth might be renewed. The scene upon the casket was perhaps deliberately placed in juxtaposition with that relating to Aristotle, as a hint to lovers advanced in years that the famous 'hydropathic treatment' of the legend is their only chance if they would escape ridicule. But usually this farcical tone is absent, and the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe takes this place, to point the contrast between senile infatuation and the power of veritable love. back of the casket bears four scenes from two romances of Chrestien de Troyes, the 'Lancelot' and the 'Parcival le Gallois.' Guinevere has been carried off by Meleagans after a tournament at Arthur's court, and on one panel we see Lancelot painfully crossing the stream along the sharp edge of the sword-bridge in his quest for the unfortunate queen. The three other panels all refer to adventures of Gawain. The knight is seen now reclining upon the magic bed, unmoved by a shower of missiles launched from above whenever the bells upon the hangings are stirred, now slaying the lion which bars his path, now, again, greeting the imprisoned damsels of the enchanted castle, who advance to welcome their deliverer. At one end is Parcival receiving the talisman which is to make him proof against all perils; at the other are two panels with widely different

• Reproduced on page 303.

The

4 Reproduced on page 303.

Two Mediaeval Caskets

subjects. On one Tristan and Yseult, warned by a reflection in the water that King Mark is ambushed in the tree above their heads, converse of indifferent things and for a moment cheat their destiny; while on the other, the unicorn, symbol of purity, is caught as it rests its head in a virgin's lap. This capture of the unicorn, a very favourite subject in mediaeval art, is mentioned by many writers from Cosmas Indicopleustes to Brunetto Latini. Tradition said that the huntsman, having discovered the unicorn's lair, brought a virgin who seated herself in view of it, while he concealed himself hard by. Then, to quote the words of a rhymed bestiary of the twelfth century,

Quant l'unicorne est revenue, Et ad la pucèle véue, Dreit à lui vent demeintenant, Et somilie en son devant; Et la damoisèle le prent Come cil qui à lui se rent. The huntsman now emerges from his hidingplace, and the prey is finally secured.

It has been argued by Dr. Antoniewicz that in all these figured caskets of the fourteenth century a logical sequence of ideas may be clearly traced, and that the repeated juxtaposition of certain scenes did not originate in the chance arrangement of the workshop, but in a prescribed scheme of instruction in harmony with the didactic tendency of mediaeval art. For we have here translated into visible forms something of a homily upon love, the several 'heads of which are romantic or legendary episodes, familiar to every eye and pointing their moral with instantaneous effect. The taking of the castle we are to consider an exordium setting forth in general terms the nature of love, which is in its essence militant, winning its fairest victories in the open light of day, taking its wounds manfully, and following the laws of honour in victory and defeat. The panels upon the

• Reproduced on page 303.

Cracow, and carved on a capital in the church of St. Pierre at Caen.

The

Side by side with the two compartments devoted to Aristotle, are two others apparently illustrating the favourite theme of the Fontaine de Jouvent,3 the fountain whose waters imparted youth to those fortunate enough to find them. This is a tradition of extreme antiquity, and has been the common heritage of many peoples not only in the eastern hemisphere but also in the new world, where the Spanish conquistadors heard tell of a mysterious island with wondrous streams wherein the vigour of youth might be renewed. The scene upon the casket was perhaps deliberately placed in juxtaposition with that relating to Aristotle, as a hint to lovers advanced in years that the famous 'hydropathic treatment' of the legend is their only chance if they would escape ridicule. But usually this farcical tone is absent, and the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe takes this place, to point the contrast between senile infatuation and the power of veritable love. back of the casket bears four scenes from two romances of Chrestien de Troyes, the 'Lancelot' and the 'Parcival le Gallois.' Guinevere has been carried off by Meleagans after a tournament at Arthur's court, and on one panel we see Lancelot painfully crossing the stream along the sharp edge of the sword-bridge in his quest for the unfortunate queen. The three other panels all refer to adventures of Gawain. The knight is seen now reclining upon the magic bed, unmoved by a shower of missiles launched from above whenever the bells upon the hangings are stirred, now slaying the lion which bars his path, now, again, greeting the imprisoned damsels of the enchanted castle, who advance to welcome their deliverer. At one end is Parcival receiving the talisman which is to make him proof against all perils; at the other are two panels with widely different • Reproduced on page 303. • Reproduced on page 303.

Two Mediaeval Caskets

subjects. On one Tristan and Yseult, warned by a reflection in the water that King Mark is ambushed in the tree above their heads, converse of indifferent things and for a moment cheat their destiny; while on the other, the unicorn, symbol of purity, is caught as it rests its head in a virgin's lap. This capture of the unicorn, a very favourite subject in mediaeval art, is mentioned by many writers from Cosmas Indicopleustes to Brunetto Latini. Tradition said that the huntsman, having discovered the unicorn's lair, brought a virgin who seated herself in view of it, while he concealed himself hard by. Then, to quote the words of a rhymed bestiary of the twelfth century,

Quant l'unicorne est revenue, Et ad la pucèle véue, Dreit à lui vent demeintenant, Et somilie en son devant; Et la damoisèle le prent Come cil qui à lui se rent. The huntsman now emerges from his hidingplace, and the prey is finally secured.

It has been argued by Dr. Antoniewicz that in all these figured caskets of the fourteenth century a logical sequence of ideas may be clearly traced, and that the repeated juxtaposition of certain scenes did not originate in the chance arrangement of the workshop, but in a prescribed scheme of instruction in harmony with the didactic tendency of mediaeval art. For we have here translated into visible forms something of a homily upon love, the several 'heads' of which are romantic or legendary episodes, familiar to every eye and pointing their moral with instantaneous effect. The taking of the castle we are to consider an exordium setting forth in general terms the nature of love, which is in its essence militant, winning its fairest victories in the open light of day, taking its wounds manfully, and following the laws of honour in victory and defeat. The panels upon the

• Reproduced on page 303.

front, which, next to the top, occupy the most conspicuous position, convey a warning, doubly impressive through the violence of the contrast which it presents. Here is set out the peril of that uncontrollable flame with which not even the wisest may safely play the sage of sages is ridden upon all fours like a palfrey, and a sharp bit controls the mouth which should only open to teach others wisdom. But though love may infatuate, it can also inspire to great deeds, and the scenes upon the back tell of the fine ardour of chivalry, which neither savage beasts nor the dark perils of enchantment can dismay. Once more the note is changed, and there is a second warning. It is not merely the bookworm unskilled in arms who may succumb to love's insidious power, but the very mirror of knighthood may himself be caught in the mesh. And his is the most pitiful case of all, for if he abandon himself too long, not even the sure foreknowledge of shame, here typified by the king's face in the water, will avail to turn him from the slippery path. The conclusion comes with the capture of the unicorn. Let all men keep before their eyes the ideal of a pure affection, for only purity apprehends the divine love and escapes the manifold perils by which earthly passion is beset. Thus interpreted, the whole would represent such a discourse as a mediaeval guest might have pronounced, if by some magician's aid he could have bridged the gulf of more than fifteen hundred years, and taken his part in the Symposium of Plato.

On page 307 is reproduced one of the bone caskets made in northern Italy at the close of the fourteenth century. In the nature of their subjects they belong as absolutely to the mediaeval world as the French caskets which preceded them, and were made, with mirror cases and other objects in the same style, as bridal gifts for the highborn ladies of the court and castle.

The whole valley of the Po was at this time still under the influence of French literature, and Provençal lyrics, with the romances of northern France, were as familiar to the gallicized courts of Lombardy and Venetia as they were in the land which gave them poetical form. Thus we meet once more with the old themes, although the treatment begins to show traces of that spirit of realism which was so soon to displace the conventions of gothic art. The scenes are no longer, as in the French caskets, isolated in an architectural framework suggested by the tracery of contemporary windows, nor are backgrounds and accessories regarded as of quite secondary importance. Here there is a distinct attempt to represent scenery, and to give every detail of the story its proper place; it is the clear-cut vision of the Italian novella, though marred by the stubborn medium in which it is expressed. There is an effort to understand and interpret the nude, so long neglected by mediaeval sentiment, which even in this very century had compelled the destruction of an antique statue of Venus at Siena. And both the form and material have changed. Instead of the larger ivory plaques used by French carvers, the Italians employ bone, and the narrow convex pieces cut from the shoulder bone of the horse or ox necessitate the use of a wooden âme susceptible of architectonic treatment. Hexagonal and octagonal caskets with pointed tops are frequent; pilasters are applied with effect; and in altarpieces executed in this style the details of north Italian gothic architecture are commonly reproduced. Colour and gilding are sparingly applied to the reliefs, and such parts of the woodwork as remain visible are embellished with intarsia of ivory, wood, bone, and horn, this style of work having been introduced from the east in mediaeval times. The seat of the industry which produced these caskets was Venice, where the workshops of the

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