Page:Textile fabrics; a descriptive catalogue of the collection of church-vestments, dresses, silk stuffs, needle-work and tapestries, forming that section of the Museum (IA textilefabricsde00soutrich).pdf/583



other four men, two of them pilgrims, of whom one kneeling before another looks as if he were making his confession.

The broad border to this large piece is designed with elaborate care. At each of the two lower corners it is figured with the one same subject, which consists in a group of three naked winged boys or angels; of these one holds a short-stemmed cup or chalice, from out of which rises a host or large round altar bread, showing marked on it our Lord hanging upon the cross, between the B. V. Mary and St. John Evangelist; a second angel kneeling has in his hands an uplifted crown of thorns, while lying behind him are two books; and the third angel shows us a tablet written with the Greek letters [Greek: A Ô]. All the rest of this frame-work is filled in with flowers, fruits, birds, and snakes. Of the flowers the most frequent are the fritillary, the rose, the lily, the amaryllis, poppies, white campanulas, large daisies, fleurs-de-lis, and corn-flowers. Among the fruits we see the pomegranate, of which some are split, pears, Indian corn, apples, plums, and figs. The birds are mostly parrots, woodpeckers, storks, cocks, doves, and some other birds of the smaller kinds. In places may be discovered a knot of snakes coiled about a garland made of yellow leaves.

The allegory of the piece is read with ease. The progress of Avarice is headed by Wickedness, who carries aloft her blood-stained flag, emblazoned with the monkey, the emblem of moral ugliness and mischief. Hard upon the heels of Wickedness comes a lecherous potentate, the type of immorality. The crowned heads, whether mounted or on foot, that come next have for their brother-companion Midas, the emblem of the sensual miser's greed of gold, to remind us how kings, nay queens too, sometimes thirst for their subjects' wealth to gratify their evil wishes; and the gay young man behind them, coming by the chariot's side, personates those courtiers who are reckless of what they do to help their royal masters in their love for lucre. Next we are told what harpy-avarice will not waver to execute while led on by wicked sovereigns. Look at those about and beneath her chariot: from them we learn that she beggars the nobility, and leaves them to walk through the world in rags; she destroys churches, and, when lacking other means for her fell purpose, will shed innocent blood and behead her opponents. But here below, Avarice and those who lead her on, though they be kings and queens, will have their day: Time will bring them to a stand. The rifled altar will be ornamented again, the rites of worship restored, and hospitals reopened. While an angel from heaven stops the progress of Avarice, high up in the eastern sky a thunder-storm is gathering; and on earth a man, whilst pointing