Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/68

 60 THE CLASSICAL HERITAGE [chap. of papyrus and of linen, which are gathered up by the Virgin Artes and Disciplinae, Urania and Calliope helping. The bride now drains the goblet of immor- tality, and rises to heaven, where Juno Pronuba meets her with offerings. Under the guidance of Juno, she traverses the circles of the planets and reaches the Milky Way, where Jove's palace is. There all the gods and beings known to Latin mythology assemble, with here and there a deity from Egypt, besides the guards of the elements (elementorum praesides) and a most beauteous company of the angelic folk and souls of blessed ancients. Now the bride's prudent mother demands a reading of the tables of dower and the lex Papia Poppaeaque, regarding the property rights of married women. Thereupon Phoebus rises and leads forward, to place with the bridal gifts, seven maid-servants from his brother's household; these are the seven Artes — Ars Grammatica; Ars Dia- lectica, "a little paler;" Rhetorica; Geometria;^ Arithmetica; Astronomia; Harmonia. Each one, as Phoebus leads her forward, tells her parentage, and then expounds the substance of her art, most dryly, all virginal allegory laid aside. They have a book apiece, and make up the tale of the nine books of Capella. This work became the " standard " school book of the Middle Ages. Its form and character anticipates mediaeval taste, upon which it was to be so influential. It is written in prose and verse, the chantefable form ; ^ 1 Which includes geography. 2 As with Boethius' Be Consolatione Philosophiae. Properly speaking, the origin of this is the Roman Satura Menippea.