Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/254

 of one of these gallants, she might have had him body and soul, for life and death; but it seems that for some reason or another she passed over all this gay silken company, and left them to content themselves with such divinities of lesser rank as they could propitiate and make look kindly on them. And after these fine gentlemen there were artists whom the duke entertained, namely artists in marble, and metal-work, and colour, some of them being young and proper men, and besides their craft-skill, of sharp wit and good address. There was for example Messer Belacqua the painter, who was limning Domesday above the altar of the chapel in fresco, and marshalling on the high space of wall all ancient prophets and patriarchs, apostles, elders, martyrs, and the virgins feeding amidst lilies, all in solemn order and degree by their companies, and the strong and most awful angels were flying forth from the throne under their captain St. Michael to set this last assize. But the glory of the colours it is impossible to describe, for they were of the sunlight and the blue sky of heaven, and the red clouds of the Northern Light. And the painter Belacqua was a sweet courteous gentleman, a lover of fair ladies, and would have been well content to serve the duchess in any fashion, but certainly would have most blithely assisted her in the way of making the duke jealous. Yet she passed him and his fellows by and made an odd choice, which proves her to have had a good heart, as some think, and as others declare, a mighty weak head. For she needs must pick out a little scholar and poet,