Letter VI.

ENGLISH MSS.

171

P. 132 a, the Murder of the Innocents ; a black demon in the air
urging: Herod on to the deed is a new thought to me. A mother
in a grey robe, holding off the murderer, is an admirable motive.
The drawings on the border here and on the next page—combats
of men upon dragons and upon a unicorn, a rider without legs,
and with a goat's head—are splendid examples of the fantastic.
P. 138 b: the same may be said of a Mermaid piercing a Cen-
taur. P. 144 b, a cock-fight; illustrating the national love for
such scenes, and probably one of the oldest representations of such
a subject. P. 149 a : among the larger pictures the Presentation
of the Virgin is remarkable for dignity. P. 150 a, the Virgin
and Child surrounded by four angels. This is a specimen of
the delicacy with which the architectural and the pictorial feeling
are combined, a quality very prominent in the miniatures of
this manuscript. P. 151 a, the youthful Christ teaching in the
Temple, discovered by his mother and Joseph; very speaking
and dramatic. The falcon-chase with two ladies on the border is
also masterly. P. 157, a fox, with bishop's mitre and staff,
preaching to four birds. P. 160, two wrestlers, with a fowl held
up upon a pole as a prize, are very peculiar. P. 185 b, a tour-
nament ; one of the most successful of these representations.
P. 186 a, a combat of knights; very dramatic. P. 190 b, the
Nativity ; with the exception of the light-coloured drapery, treated
as a chiaroscuro drawing; the blue ground adorned with elegant
flowers ; below, the battle of the lion and the unicorn, which is
new to me. P. 191, the Temptation. Here the Temple of Solo-
mon is represented as a church in the circular style. On the
border are two mermaids playing on musical instruments, pro-
bably intended for syrens. Particularly attractive are the border
subjects, from p. 197 b to p. 201. x\ tournament of two females ;
a youth and a lady playing at draughts—this is highly graceful;
a repast; a conversation after the repast, and the entrance of four
youths ready to dance. The events appertaining to the legend of
a crowned saint, on the border, from p. 206 to p. 232 a, are also
full of dignity and grace. I unwillingly restrict myself to the
mention of a dying scene, where the patient, in terror at Satan,
who sits at the head of the bed, appeals to the beautiful female
saint at the foot. P. 211 a, the liaising of Lazarus ; unusually
dramatic and attractive. From p. 234 a occur, invariably below,