Chapter II: Preface: iii

CHAPTER

I.--ST. NICHOLAS, SANTA CLAUS, AND KRIS KRINGLE 1

II.--BIOGRAPHY AND LEGEND 28

III.--THE BOY ST. NICHOLAS AND ST. NICHOLAS THE
PATRON SAINT OF SCHOOLBOYS 37

IV.--ST. NICHOLAS AND THE DOWERLESS MAIDENS 53

V.--THE BOY BISHOP, OR NICHOLAS BISHOP 66

VI.--VARIED BENEFICENT ACTIVITY 79

VII.--ST. NICHOLAS PLAYS 89

VIII.--ST. NICHOLAS AS PATRON SAINT 112

IX.--PAGAN HERITAGE OF ST. NICHOLAS 125

X.--ST. NICHOLAS, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH 141

XI.--CONCLUSION 146

NOTES 149

ILLUSTRATIONS

ST. NICHOLAS AND OTHER SAINTS _Frontispiece_
Gentile da Fabriano. (Florence.)

FACING PAGE
ST. NICHOLAS IN EAST FRISIA 12
Reproduced from Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, _Das festliche Jahr_.

CHRISTKINDCHEN (KRIS KRINGLE) AND HANS TRAPP IN ALSACE 18
Reproduced from Reinsberg-Düringsfeld.

ST. NICHOLAS SCENES IN THE STAINED GLASS OF BOURGES CATHEDRAL 34
From P. Lacroix, _Science and Art in the Middle Ages_.

THREE SCENES FROM THE EARLY LIFE OF ST. NICHOLAS 38
Beato Angelico. (Rome.)

THE YOUNG CLERK STRANGLED BY THE DEVIL 42
A. Lorenzetti. (Florence.)

ST. NICHOLAS RESTORING A BOY TO HIS FATHER 46
Fresco at S. Croce, Florence.

ST. NICHOLAS AND THE MURDERED SCHOOLBOYS 48
L. di Bicci. (Metropolitan Museum, New York.)

ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE SAME SCENE 50
F. Pesellino. (Florence.)

ST. NICHOLAS AND THE THREE MAIDENS 52
A. Lorenzetti. (Florence.)

ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE SAME SCENE 54
Florentine School. (Louvre, Paris.)

ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE SAME SCENE 56
L. di Bicci (?). (Metropolitan Museum, New York.)

MADONNA AND CHILD AND VARIOUS SAINTS 60
L. di Bicci. (Florence.)

ST. NICHOLAS AND THE MONEY LENDER 64
Fresco at S. Croce, Florence.

THE BOY NICHOLAS ELECTED BISHOP 68
A. Lorenzetti. (Florence.)

ST. NICHOLAS SAVING THE CITY IN TIME OF FAMINE 80
A. Lorenzetti. (Florence.)

NORMAN BAPTISMAL FONT AT WINCHESTER 84

ST. NICHOLAS SAVES THE KNIGHTS ABOUT TO BE BEHEADED 86
F. Pesellino. (Florence.)

TRIUMPHAL CAR OF ST. LUCY AT SYRACUSE IN SICILY 112

IMAGES OF BRETON SAINTS 116

ST. NICHOLAS SAVES THE CITY FROM FAMINE 118
Beato Angelico. (Rome.)

ST. NICHOLAS RESCUES SEAMEN 122
L. Monaco. (Florence.)

ST. NICHOLAS IN THE MOSAICS OF ST. MARK’S IN VENICE 142

ST. NICHOLAS