Page:Recollections of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1904).djvu/55

, was particularly gruesome. It represented a woman all forlorn in an oar-and-rudderless boat, with its sail flapping in the wind about her, alone on a wide expanse of water. In the distance was a city in flames, over which the artist had inscribed The City of Destruction, in the sky were numerous winged dragons and demons, whilst swarming around were horrible sea monsters, all intent upon upsetting the boat. It was not a bad picture as far as finish and colour went, but the subject was too dreadful.

On returning to the studio we found Rossetti engaged over some letters. Four little magazines called the Germ70 were lying on the table, and these I looked over with much interest. The Germ was a collection of prose and poetry published monthly, with an etching in each number contributed by one of the members of the brotherhood. Only four numbers made their appearance, the receipts arising from their sale not being sufficient to cover the cost of production. Rossetti contributed the poems the Blessed Damozel, and My Sister's Sleep, and a romance entitled Hand and Soul.71 My Sister's Sleep72 was afterwards included in his volume of Poems and Ballads73 that came out some time after. The etchings were by Holman Hunt, Ford Madox Brown, James Collinson,74 and Walter Howell Deverell.75