Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/205

Rh metal, representing a figure in a mitre and episcopal vestments, kneeling before the Virgin Mary, who is seated, with the infant Saviour in her arms; behind the kneeling figure stands another bishop. The subject probably is, the presentation of the cardinal to the Virgin by St. Stanislaus. This relief is well designed, the heads have much character, and that of the Virgin much beauty, and the execution is very careful and finished. Over it is the inscription:—

"Hoc opus Federico Cardinali Cazimiri filio (qui quinque et triginta annis exactis MDIII. March XIII. obiit) fratri carissimo Divus Sigismundus Rex Poloniæ pientissimus posuit, ab incarnatione Domini MDX."

The engraved plate or "brass" is level with the pavement of the raised part of the choir, and as may be seen by the rubbing, is of large size, measuring about 9 feet 2 inches, by 5 feet 3 inches. It is drawn in a free and unconventional manner, and must have been the work of an artist of considerable ability; the execution also is very good, being delicate or bold as the nature of the various parts required. It is quite free from the coarseness of execution which is observable in the contemporaneous English brasses, and none of the Flemish ones, hitherto noticed, can be considered equal to it as a work of art. The face of the cardinal is evidently a portrait, and is finished with great delicacy; the figure is no doubt above life size, as it measures 6 feet 8 inches from the ground to the point where the top of the head may be supposed to be. Although he is recorded to have been of lofty stature, he was probably not of this gigantic height. From the ground to the top of the mitre is 7 feet 4 inches.

Near the top are escutcheons surmounted by crosses and cardinals' hats. The arms on these escutcheons are those of the kingdom of Poland—Gules, an eagle displayed argent, regally crowned or.

In niches on each side are figures of St. Stanislaus (written Stentzlaus) patron saint of Poland, bishop of Cracow, and murdered there in 1079, by Boleslaus; and of St. Albert, or Adalbert, the second archbishop of Gnesen, martyred in 997, on the coast of the Baltic by the heathen Prussians.

Near the base are two escutcheons, over the one of which, which is on the right side, is an archiepiscopal cross, surmounted by a mitre; over the other is a crozier, also surmounted by a mitre. The first escutcheon bears three fleur-de-lis, the second three crowns. It appears from Okolski (Orbis Polonus, art. Korony), that the chapter of Cracow used as arms—Argent, three regal crowns or. The other shield is for the archbishopric of Gnesen.

The inscription which runs round the plate is as follows:—

In this the rule "De mortuis nil nisi bonum," has been followed without much attention to that of "De mortuis nil nisi verum," for the character