Studio: international art (13.1898)

Charles Cojiders Paintings on Silk

From the blossom-ramparts of a high terrace the gossamer, of purple dye. And for themselves they
women look down, sentinels of "white lope, blithe are without bodies, impalpable and insubstantial: the
Helen, and the rest," to descry what hero or tra- form and figure of a body only they have, and so
veller has come. How these are received, and the appear; and being bodiless, none the less they have
feast that follows, I had better translate from the commerce one with another, and move and think and
report of the "True History." utter a voice. And it is all as though a naked soul
Going forward through the flowery meadow, we of them went about, that had put on a likeness of the
fell in with the guards and sentinels, and these, flesh. At least if one did not touch them he could
binding us in chains of roses—for this is the most not prove that it was no body he saw; for they are
formidable manacle in use among them—led us to the like shadows, not black, but proper coloured. And
governor: and we learned from them by the way none there grows old, but of what age he comes, so
that the island was called of the Blessed, and the he abides. Moreover, there is no night there, neither
governor was the Cretan Rhadamanthus. a quite broad dazzling daylight, for like the lucid
Rhadamanthus leaves their foolhardiness to be dawn when the sun is not yet risen, so is the light
judged after their death, and lets them pass. that broods upon that land. Moreover, they know
Thereafter our bonds falling from us of their own only one season, for it is ever spring with them, and
accord, we were loosed, and were led to the City and one tvind blows with them—the Zephyr. And their
to the banqueting-place of the Blessed. Now this City land is rich in all flowers and in all tame and shade-
is all of gold, and the wall that goes round it of giving plants. For their vines bear twelve times in
emerald. There are seven gates, each cut whole of the year, and bear their fruit once for every month,
one tree, a?id that cinnamon. But the foundation But the pomegranates and the apples and other
of the city and the street of it within the walls is orchard stuff they said bore thirteen times, for in one
ivory, and the temples of all the gods are built of month (that called after Minos) there is a second
beryl stone, and within them are very great altars crop. And ifistead of ears of wheat, the corn-stalks
each an amethyst, and on these they offer the victims, bear bread ready made like mushrooms. And there
And round about the city there runs a river of the are springs of water about the city in number three
finest myrrh, in breadth a hundred royal cubits, in hundred and sixty-five, and of honey as many again ;
depth fifty, so as to be pleasant for swimming. And and of myrrh five hundred, not, however, so large ;
they have baths, great houses of crystal heated with and rivers of milk seven, and eight of wine. And
cinnamon-wood, but instead of water in the basins their feast is spread without the city in the plain
there is warm dew. And they wear a dress, light as called Elysian. It is a very fair meadow, and round

A PAINTING ON SILK
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BY CHARLES CON 1>ER