Two tapestry poems by Lydgate : the Life of St.George and the Falls of seven princes / [ed. Eleanor Prescott Hammond].

The modern student perceives no occasion for the re∣production of this entire text in the tapestry, were the re∣production of so long a poem possible; and it is difficult to see how a poem so devoid of dramatic emphasis could have furnished the illustrator with points of attachment for his pic∣tures. A similar question, so far as the length of the text is concerned, might be raised regarding the Bycorne and Chiche∣vache: the mode of illustration is there clearer, because Shirley, in his copy of the poem, has transcribed the instructions for the workman. It is possible that the weaver or painter in∣corporated such portions of the narrative as he could repro∣duce, and ignored the rest; and in the case of the poem here printed we might surmise that the verses were not enwrought

in the tapestry (or painted upon the wall), but read as the new mural decoration was uncovered during the "feest of St. George."

However, history gives us no ground for the suggestion. In the destruction which has overtaken nearly all medieval tapestries and frescoes, we are not in a position to affirm that the use of long or of unpictorial texts in decoration was im∣possible. Two inventories of this period, those of Charles VI of France and of Henry V of England, which still exist, enumerate masses of tapestries. In the French list [See Guiffrey in Bibliotheque de l'Ecole de Chartes, 48: 59ff.; see 90, 109.] we find descriptions of wallhangings à personnages, "ou il y a au dessoubz desdits personnages escriptures et leur noms escripz"; and again a tapestry of "plusieurs autres personnages" where "au dessoubz de elles a grans escriptures"; or "ung tappiz . . . ou y a plusieurs escripteaulx". The appraiser of the English king's possessions [Rolls of Parliament 1423, IV: 214-241.] gives the opening phrase of the "estorie" upon each piece of tapestry; and we find "Vessi amour sovient", "Cest estorie fait mention", "Comment Bevis de Hampton", "Cest ystorie fait a remembraunce de noble Vierge Plesance", "Par ma foy veisi bon destrer", "Si poez voier en memorie", "Ycy comence pur une message", "Vees Farman premier Roy de France", "Vessi Dames de noble affaire", "Vessi une turnement comenser", "Vessi amans en consolation", "Que voet avoir certain conusans", etc. One in especial should be noticed; it is described as "Une pece d'Arras d'or de St. George, que comense en l'escripture des lettres d'or "Geaus est Agles" ovec les armes de Monsr de Gloucestr". This may have been the St. George tapestry possessed by Thomas Duke of Gloucester [See the inventory of Gloucester's goods in Archaeological Journal 54: 275-330.] ; it is of similar size.

It might again be possible that beside a long romance, e. g. of Charlemagne, there existed one or many brief forms of the story adapted to wall-decoration; as at the close of the list above mentioned there appears "Sy vees le Roy Charle∣mayn." And a briefer form yet of the Emperor's story must have been used if he appeared modeled by the confectioner,

as was the custom to present a tableau, in pastry or sugar, at the close of each course in a medieval banquet. The coro∣nation feast of Henry VI, as recorded by Fabyan, catalogues the meats of the three courses, and then describes the "sotiltee" or subtlety, with its group of figures and its accompanying verse-legend or "reason [For example, the third course of that banquet:—"This folowing was the third cours that is for to sey first quinces in compost // Blaunde surre poudrit wt quaterfoylis gilt // veneson rostid // Egrettes // Curlewe // plover // Quaylis · snytes // Grete briddis larkes // Carpe · crabb // leche of thre colours // a cold bake mete like a sheld quaterly rede & white sette with losengis and gilt and flouris of borage // ffritoure crispes // A sotilte of our lady sittyng & hir child in hir lapp and she holding in hir hond a croun and seynt George knelyng on the toon syde & seynt Denyse on the tothir syde presentyng the kynge knelyng to our lady wt this reson folowing

O blessid lady cristis moder dere And þow seynt George þt callid art hir knyghte Holy seynt Denyse O martir most entere The sixt Henry her present in þer sighte Shedithe of grace on hym your hevenly lighte His tendir youthe with vertu doith avaunce Bore by discent and titill of righte Justly to regn in Englond & in ffraunce."

From the MS St. John's College Oxford LVII, which contains, in the same hand, a copy of Chaucer's Parlement of Foules.] ." The language of such a stanza, equally with that of the tapestry, required on the part of the versifier a mental attitude nowise differing from that necessary to the composition of a dumb-show or a mumming.

The opening phrases of the "estories" above mentioned, with their "Vessi", should be compared with the opening phrases of the following poem by Lydgate.