Chapter II: Part 2

When Daniel found this out he made his first stand for what he believed was right. Feeling that it was wrong to eat this food, he persuaded three of the other boys to go with him and ask the king’s officers to give them plainer food. The officers consented to test this diet with the four boys, and at the end of three months found they had gained in strength more than the other pages, who had continued to eat the rich food; and so Daniel’s request was granted. All the pages had to study very hard, for they had to learn the language of the Babylonians besides many other things. When they were brought before the king to be examined three years later, Daniel and his three friends were found to be the brightest scholars of all. People began to look up to them, and to call them very wise.

Not long after this King Nebuchadnezzar had a very strange dream, but when he woke up in the morning he could not remember what it was. He called his wise men together, but none could tell him what he had dreamed. He became very angry and ordered them all put to death, even Daniel and his friends, whom he thought ought to be wise enough to tell him.

All that night Daniel and his friends prayed for help, until, utterly weary, they fell asleep. In a dream the Lord told Daniel what to tell the king. King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream had been about his kingdom, and who should rule after him, and he was amazed that one so young as Daniel should tell him what he had dreamed and what the dream meant. He gave Daniel many presents and made him a great ruler.

Daniel continued in favor with Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Darius. So much was he favored that the other officers of the king wished to destroy him. Appealing to his vanity, they persuaded Darius to set aside thirty days in which all his people should pray to him just as if he were a god. He made this dreadful law among his people, who were Medes and Persians. Of course we know how Daniel continued to pray to God, was watched, and reported to the king. Then King Darius saw the trap which his officers had set for Daniel. He was greatly distressed, but not even a king could change a law among the Medes and Persians. He had said that any one who disobeyed his law should perish in the den of lions.

But we know how Daniel was taken care of; how the king rejoiced to find him alive the next morning; and how all the people marveled and believed in the God who had saved him. At this time Daniel was eighty years old. God sent some wonderful dreams to him, and he was able to prophesy many things that should happen to the Jews. It was through him that they were delivered from their captivity.

JEREMIAH

At the right of Joshua we see Jeremiah, the prophet who so bitterly lamented the afflictions of his people. He is often called the “weeping prophet.” So Mr. Sargent has represented him in that attitude of grief and discouragement, standing there with his eyes cast down in sorrowful meditation. His whole life was spent in what seemed a fruitless strife against the evils of his time, for his warnings were disregarded, and his people were hurrying toward their destruction.

_Jeremiah, Jonah, Isaiah, Habakkuk. The Frieze of the Prophets_
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Mr. Sargent has made us feel the hopeless despair of this strong man who tried so hard to save his people from all the misery they so willfully brought upon themselves. He even went about the streets wearing a yoke on his neck, to symbolize the coming servitude of the nation which refused to heed his warnings and repent. His life was in constant danger; he was imprisoned, thrown into a damp, unwholesome cistern, and was often obliged to hide for months in caves among the rocks to escape the king’s anger.

Other prophets could declare God’s protection and hold out some hope for the good to come, but Jeremiah’s message spoke only of evil and sorrow. It took great courage to go about on so unpopular and sad a mission, without even a miracle to prove his words true, and always alone among people who were unfriendly and did not believe in him.

The first one of Jeremiah’s predictions to come true was when Daniel and the Israelites were taken captives to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Again he warned them not to go into Egypt, but they not only went but compelled him to go with them.

The last we hear of Jeremiah is in Egypt, urging his people to give up their idols and worship God. He is indeed, as Mr. Sargent has represented him, “the prophet of sorrow”; and yet the figure is one of strength. Neither in his face nor in his bearing is there any sign of indecision or turning back.

JONAH

Next, partly hidden from view, we see Jonah, the unwilling prophet, who tried to run away when the Lord told him to take his message of warning to Nineveh. The people in this city were known to be very wicked, and Jonah feared they might kill him, so he took a boat and started away in another direction. We all know of the fearful storm that arose and how the sailors prayed to their gods and urged Jonah to pray to his. But Jonah could not pray to God when he was disobeying Him. Then the sailors drew lots, as was the custom, to find out who had sinned and brought the fearful storm upon them. The lot fell to Jonah, who told them how he had run away from Nineveh. He urged the sailors to throw him overboard, saying the sea would then be still. The men did not want to do this, but, fearful lest all should be lost, they finally threw him overboard. At once the wind died down and the sea was still. We know how the whale was sent to swallow Jonah and to carry him safely to the shore, where he was left, now very willing to deliver his message to Nineveh.

He was to tell these wicked people that in forty days their city would be overthrown. He went about the streets dressed in a rough camel’s-hair cloak, very much like Elijah, and called out his prophecy in a loud voice. No wonder the people were frightened, and when he told them how he had not wanted to bring the message and had been forced to, they were more frightened than ever. All the people, and the king too, wept and prayed God for forgiveness, neither eating nor drinking. Then God heard their prayers and forgave them, and their city was not destroyed.

But Jonah felt very much hurt because his message had not proved true. He thought only of himself, and felt that he had been cheated. He went away by himself and built a small place of shelter just outside the walls of the city. Here he sat and waited, still hoping Nineveh would be destroyed. Suddenly a tree sprang up, its dense leaves protecting him from the hot sun. Jonah was greatly pleased and refreshed, but the tree as suddenly withered, and he was left grieving for it. God then spoke to him and asked him how he could grieve for the tree, yet harden his heart against the people of Nineveh, who had repented.

Jeremiah’s greatest grief was that the people would not heed his warnings, while Jonah felt aggrieved because his prophecy was not fulfilled.

In the picture we see Jonah reading a scroll bearing the one word “Jehovah.”

ISAIAH AND THE LESSER PROPHETS

Next to Jonah we see Isaiah, the enthusiast, prophesying the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Note how the light falls on the head and shoulders, and on the upraised arms of the prophet, and is echoed, so to speak, by the light on the lower folds of his robe. All lines and lights lead the eye upward, even as Isaiah sought to lift his people up into a higher, better world. He is the hopeful figure in this group of four.

Habakkuk stands next with his far-seeing eyes missing the heavenly visions which surround Isaiah, but seeing the sorrows and evils of the world and trying in vain to remedy them.

The next group to the right represents the three prophets of hope, Haggai, Malacchi, and Zechariah, all pointing toward the section of the wall where Mr. Sargent’s new painting, “The Sermon on the Mount,” will be placed when finished. The one doubtful figure, Micah, who is looking back, serves to hold this section of the picture to the other figures in the frieze.

EZEKIEL AND THE LESSER PROPHETS

At the left-hand side of the frieze and next to Daniel, stands Ezekiel. Ezekiel lived at the same time as Daniel and, like him, began his prophetic career after he was exiled to Babylon. During the twenty-seven years of his exile he kept his fellow exiles informed as to all dangers which were besetting and threatening their people at home in Jerusalem and Judah. His book abounds in visions and poetical images. Mr. Sargent has given him the absorbed expression of one who sees beyond the present and whose vision includes both evil and good.

_Micah, Haggai, Malacchi, Zechariah. The Frieze of the Prophets_
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Nahum, standing next to Ezekiel, seems to be predicting the wickedness and fall of Nineveh, of which he has given us such a powerful and vivid account; while Amos denounces idolatry and the sins of the nations, also predicting a brighter future for the people of Israel.

The four figures in the last panel to the left of Moses represent the prophets of despair. We cannot fail to notice that among the hopeful prophets there is one discouraged figure, while among the prophets of despair we find the hopeful figure of Hosea.

Obadiah, Joel, and Zephaniah urged their people to repentance of sin, and warned them of disaster to come, but their warnings were not heeded. In the picture Joel is attempting to shut out the sight of the fearful plague of locusts, of the famine, and of the drought which he knows must come to his people because they will not repent. The other two prophets seem crushed by a hopeless despair. But love is the keynote of Hosea’s pleadings. He speaks of the unquenchable love of Jehovah for his erring people.

It is interesting to know that Mr. Sargent’s favorite figure in the frieze is this young prophet in white, Hosea. Is it any wonder he should choose this one? The name Hosea means salvation. In him we see beauty, grace, and simplicity, and we feel the steady purpose, the earnest faith, of that calm, quiet face. There is no despair in that face or figure; the very folds of his robe give us a feeling of strength and stability; they suggest marble.

_Obadiah, Joel, Zephaniah, Hosea. The Frieze of the Prophets_
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We are interested in this great mural painting, “The Frieze of the Prophets,” not only for its intellectual and religious suggestiveness, but for its composition, its masses of dark and light, and its beauty of form. Each of the groups of figures is complete in itself, yet by the position of the figures and by the light upon them, the frieze is held together as one composition.

Mr. Sargent spent many years, and studied his Bible very thoughtfully, before he attempted to draw this great picture.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Who were the prophets? What had they to do with the development of religion? Who painted this picture? Where is the original? What can you say of the composition of this picture? of the light and shade? What do we call paintings on a wall? What is there unusual about this painting? For what do you admire it? Why was Moses given the most important place in this picture? Tell the story of his life. Why is he often represented with two little horns on his forehead? Tell something about each one of the prophets. Which one is Mr. Sargent’s favorite?

=To the Teacher=: Certain pupils may be selected to study and give orally a description of different portions of this picture.

SUBJECTS FOR COMPOSITION

1. How the Prophets Helped in the Development of Religion.
2. The Most Interesting Prophet.
3. The Most Pleasing Group of Prophets.
4. Life of the Artist.
5. Reasons Why This Painting Has Become Famous.
6. How Fresco or Mural Painting Is Done.

=The story of the artist.= We are especially interested in Mr. Sargent because he is one of the living American artists who has won fame both in his own country and abroad. Although John Singer Sargent was born in Florence, Italy, we claim him as an American because his parents were Americans and because he has always considered himself an American. His boyhood was spent in Florence, where it was his delight to wander in the art galleries. He showed an early talent for drawing, and when he was nineteen years old he went to Paris to become the pupil of some of the best artists.

Mr. Sargent is famous for his many portraits as well as for his mural decorations. He has traveled extensively and has visited the United States many times, painting and exhibiting his paintings here, but most of his life has been spent in London, where he is now living. In 1908 he was elected to the Royal Academy. He has won many medals of honor for his paintings, and is a member of the leading art societies of America and Europe.

Among the noted pictures by Mr. Sargent are: “Carnation Lily, Lily Rose,” “Fishing for Oysters at Cancale,” “Neapolitan Children Bathing,” “El Jaleo” (Spanish Dance), “Fumes of Ambergris,” “Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth,” and “La Carmençita.” As a portrait painter Mr. Sargent has been commissioned by men and women of high distinction in literary, political, social, and artistic life in America and Europe. Among his eminent sitters have been: Joseph Chamberlain, Carolus Duran, Theodore Roosevelt, Secretary Hay, and Octavia Hill.

=Questions about the artist.= Why do we feel an especial interest in Mr. Sargent? Where was he born? Why do we claim him as an American? Where did he study drawing and painting? For what kind of paintings is he famous? Where does he live?

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Copyright by Edwin A. Abbey; from a Copley Print
Copyright by Curtis & Cameron, Publishers, Boston
GALAHAD THE DELIVERER. THE HOLY GRAIL
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THE HOLY GRAIL

=Questions to arouse interest.= How many of you have read Tennyson’s _The Holy Grail_? What was the Holy Grail? Why did men seek it? Tell what you can of Sir Galahad and his adventures.

=Original Picture=: Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts.
=Artist=: Edwin Austin Abbey (ăb´ĭ).
=Birthplace=: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
=Dates=: Born, 1852; died, 1911.

=The story of the picture.= When asked to decorate the walls of the Delivery Room of the Boston Public Library Mr. Abbey planned to represent “The Sources of Modern Literature,” thinking this would be most appropriate, as Mr. Sargent had chosen “The Sources of the Christian Religion” for the subject of his pictures on the walls of a gallery on the third floor of the same building. But as Mr. Abbey read and studied the subject he became impressed with the story of the Holy Grail, which seemed to be woven in and out through all our literature. He realized also that he would be the first to represent this subject in a large decoration, and that it was altogether worthy of his best efforts.

The paintings occupy the wall space between the wainscot and the ceiling of this great room, where books of the library are given out and returned. The pictures are eight feet in height, but vary in length from the first, “The Vision,” which is six feet long, to the fifth, “The Castle of the Grail,” which is thirty-three feet long and extends the entire length of the north wall.

Mr. Abbey spent seven years in careful research work before he was able to complete these paintings. He received fifteen thousand dollars for his work.

According to an old legend, the Holy Grail was the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper. It was bought from Pilate by Joseph of Arimathæa, who caught in it the divine blood that fell from Christ’s wounds.

Joseph placed the cup in a castle, which he kept guarded night and day. It was passed on to his descendants, who received the charge in sacred trust and continued to guard it faithfully. The cup itself was most mysterious and wonderful. It could be seen only by those who were perfectly pure in word, thought, and deed. If an evil person came near, it was borne away as if by some invisible hand, completely disappearing from view.

The sight of it was as food to the one to whom it was revealed and enabled him “to live and to cause others to live indefinitely without food,” gave him “universal knowledge,” and made him invulnerable in battle. But there was one thing it did not do. No matter how perfect the knight, he could still be tempted. He must continue to resist temptation as long as he lived.

At length there came a king, keeper of the Grail, called Amfortas, the Fisher King, who was not strong enough to resist temptation. He yielded to an evil enchantment and was severely punished. Not only was the sight of the Grail denied him, but a spell was cast upon him and all his court so that they lived in a sort of trance, neither sleeping nor waking. Thus they must remain until a knight pure in body and soul should come to break the spell and set them free.

Little was known about the enchanted castle, where the king and his men were held in the power of the spell, but many a young man began to plan the quest of the Grail. He must so live that by his good thoughts and deeds he might reach the enchanted castle, see the Holy Grail, and so set free the unhappy knights. He must be perfect, indeed, if he would achieve this, and full of courage, perseverance, and patience.

In our picture we see Sir Galahad, the stainless knight, who succeeds in his quest of the Holy Grail.

Mr. Abbey has told the story in fifteen pictures, beginning with Sir Galahad as a child.

“THE INFANCY OF GALAHAD,” OR “THE VISION”

Galahad was the son of Launcelot and Elaine, for it was according to an old prophecy that these two should have a son who should become a great knight and find the Holy Grail.

They placed their small son in a convent to be brought up by the nuns. In the first picture we see the child attracted by a bright light visible to him alone. He laughs in great delight and reaches toward the Grail as he sees it gleaming fiery red through its veil-like covering. It is held in the hands of an angel radiant in white as the light from the Grail illumines her face and wings. She is supported by the wings of doves, upon which she seems to be borne along. These doves signify the Holy Spirit and are also represented as hovering near the Grail and acting as informants concerning good and evil. The odor of the incense from the Grail furnishes a mysterious sustenance to the child which causes him to grow in mind and body. He is held high in the arms of a sweet-faced young nun who does not see the vision but seems to feel vaguely that some unusual event is taking place. In the original painting the bluish black of her outer robe throws into greater prominence the creamy white of her draperies as they, too, are flooded with light from the Grail.

The background gives the effect of heavy tapestry and is made up of tones of blue and white embroidered in gold. The figures of lions and peacocks are used to signify the resurrection.

“THE OATH OF KNIGHTHOOD”

When the child had grown to manhood, Sir Launcelot was summoned to make him a knight. In this picture we see Galahad in the convent chapel, where he has just passed the night in prayer preparatory to his departure out into the world.

As he kneels at the altar, he is clad in the red robe which is worn by the hero throughout the series of pictures. Red is chosen as the color of spiritual purity and means the “spirit cleansed by fire.” “It stands for activity, conflict, human effort with the knowledge of good and evil that imparts the strength to achieve the good and resist the evil.”

The honor of knighthood is conferred upon Galahad by Sir Launcelot and Sir Bors, who can be seen in their heavy armor kneeling behind him. They fasten the spurs upon his feet as a signal that the moment of departure has arrived.

Copyright by Edwin A. Abbey; from a Copley Print
copyright by Curtis & Cameron, Publishers, Boston
_The Oath of Knighthood. The Holy Grail_
]

The time of day is shown by the two candles at the altar which have been burning all night and are now burned low in their sockets, and by the faint early light of dawn which comes stealing in through the small windows at the left of the picture. Just behind the knights stand a group of nuns, holding tall candles which light up the dark room and reflect on the white robes and shining armor. The interior decoration of the church is plainly shown. Our attention is drawn to the quaint crucifix just back of the kneeling knights, and the figures surrounding it.

The architecture is that of the Early Christian Romanesque. Sir Galahad’s face is partly in shadow, as if lost in deep thought. But the moment of departure has arrived. He will take up the helmet, which lies near him, and leave the convent for his first glimpse of the outside world. He must go to the wise teacher, Gurnemanz, to learn not only the rules of knighthood but the ways of the world, before he may start on his quest of the Holy Grail.

“THE ROUND TABLE OF KING ARTHUR”

Having been fully instructed in all the ways of the world by the good Gurnemanz, Sir Galahad starts out on his quest. First he goes to the Round Table of King Arthur and his knights in Camelot. He finds them holding a solemn meeting, their leader having just declared that this is the day when, according to prophecy, the stainless knight should come who should occupy the Siege Perilous. The Siege Perilous was a chair over which the magician, Merlin, had cast a spell, so that no man could sit in it without peril of death. Even Merlin himself was lost while sitting in his own chair. Only a blameless knight could hope for safety in this perilous seat. While Arthur and the knights are discussing the prophecy, there suddenly appears a strange old man clothed in white, whom none has seen before.

He comes toward the throne of King Arthur, leading Sir Galahad by the hand. The door and windows quietly and mysteriously close of themselves; the room is filled with a strange light. The Angel of the Grail appears before them, and gently lifts the red drapery from the chair. The encircling choir of angels look on silently as all read above the chair, in letters of fire, the flaming words, “This is Galahad’s seat.”

This picture shows them at that breathless moment when the letters of golden light appeared over the chair. King Arthur has risen from his seat to greet Sir Galahad; a small page kneels beside the king, while the jester half rises at the wondrous sight. Sir Galahad wears the same red robe, fastened with a golden brown girdle—a gift from the nuns when he was leaving the convent.

“THE DEPARTURE”

A wonderful rock of red marble has been discovered, protruding from the surface of a river. From its side projects a shining sword which none has been able to draw out. The king and his knights hasten to see this sword, but none succeeds in moving it. Now Sir Galahad arrives and draws the sword without the slightest difficulty, placing it in his empty scabbard, where it fits exactly. He also secures a shield which had been left for him by his ancestor, and, thus armed, he is ready to start out in search of the Grail. Most of the knights, persuaded by this series of strange events that Sir Galahad is to be the true knight, decide to join him in his search.

Before they start on their long and perilous journey they gather in the church for a final benediction. So here again we see the interior of a church. The bishop’s hands are raised in a parting benediction over the group of kneeling knights clad in shining armor and holding their lances erect. Many strange banners float above them. Sir Galahad alone has bared his head. His helmet is on the floor beside him. Other kneeling priests may be seen just behind the bishop. The scene is one of solemnity and dignity.

“THE CASTLE OF THE GRAIL AND THE FAILURE OF GALAHAD”

King Amfortas, keeper of the Grail, who yielded to temptation and so was denied the sight of the Grail, and his knights, upon whom was cast a fearful spell which was neither sleeping nor waking, anxiously await the arrival of Galahad. But, it is not enough that he should come; he must ask a certain question which alone can free them from their living death.

Here we see Sir Galahad in the enchanted castle, a puzzled onlooker. He looks silently about him at the feeble old king and his wretched company. He sees, too, the procession of the Grail, which, although the king and his court cannot see it, is constantly passing before them. This procession includes the Angel, bearer of the Grail, a damsel carrying a golden dish, two knights who carry seven-branched candlesticks, and a knight holding a bleeding spear.

Sir Galahad must ask the meaning of what he sees and by his question remove the enchantment. But, over-confident in his own knowledge, he tries to solve the mystery by himself, and fails. The procession of the Grail is shown to the right of the throne upon which King Amfortas half sits, half reclines, while the rest of the weird company look solemnly on as Sir Galahad stands transfixed with amazement and perplexity because the spell is not removed as he expected. Because of his failure to ask the necessary question, these people must continue to suffer. Several years later he returns, a wiser man, and releases them. Personal purity alone was not enough; wisdom was necessary, and to secure this he must ask a certain question. He could not attain knowledge through himself alone, but must seek it from the experience and understanding of others.

“THE LOATHLY DAMSEL”

The next morning after his failure the castle seems deserted, but when Galahad starts out he finds his horse saddled and waiting for him. The drawbridge is down, so thinking perhaps the king and knights are in the forest, he rides across the bridge in search of them. Instantly the drawbridge closes with a crash, and there is a great sound of groaning and of voices reproaching him for having failed in his quest. The castle disappears from sight, and Galahad roams disconsolately in the woods. Finally he sits down to rest and think. He is aroused by the passing of three enchanted maidens, the Loathly Damsel and her two followers.

In the picture we see her riding a white mule richly caparisoned. Her form suggests beauty, yet the face is ugly and distorted, her head bald so that she must wear a hood. In her hands she carries the ghastly head of a king wearing a crown, and she seems depressed by her burden. Forced by the spell to go about harming mankind against her will, she is angry with Sir Galahad for having failed to release her. In her anger she reproaches him for not having asked the question while within the castle, and so here for the first time Sir Galahad learns why he failed.

Once a beautiful woman, the Loathly Damsel must ride about thus unhappily. The head and shoulders are all that is visible of the second damsel, apparently riding. The third, dressed as a boy, carries a scourge with which she forces the two mules onward.

Sir Galahad bows his head in silence at their reproaches, humbly feeling that he deserves them.

Many years of sorrow and suffering must pass before he can again find the Castle of the Grail.

“THE CONQUEST OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS”

Continually seeking the Castle of the Grail, Sir Galahad wanders about in this enchanted land. At length, catching a glimpse of a strange castle, he makes haste to reach it, and finds it to be the Castle of Imprisoned Maidens. These maidens represent the Virtues; and their jailers, the Seven Deadly Sins. Arriving at the gate of the castle, he finds it guarded by these seven knights. A fierce conflict ensues in which Sir Galahad is victorious. This is the only picture in the series in which he is represented in violent physical conflict; the others represent more of the inner spiritual conflict. The seven knights, wearing heavy armor and carrying immense shields, are represented in dull gray colors, while our hero, wearing his chain armor over his red robe, is easily distinguished by the shining gold of his helmet and the red of his shield.

“THE KEY TO THE CASTLE”

Sir Galahad defeats the seven knights but he does not slay them, and they turn and flee. This signifies that although the seven sins can no longer trouble the pure soul, yet they are still about in the world.

Passing the outer gate, Sir Galahad is greeted by the keeper of the inner gate, an aged man who blesses him and gives him the key to the castle. With helmet in hand, Sir Galahad kneels reverently before the saintly man who greets him kindly as he holds toward him the great key.

“GALAHAD DELIVERS THE CAPTIVE VIRTUES”

Sir Galahad enters the castle and is welcomed by the maidens, who have long been expecting him, for it was according to prophecy that a perfect knight should come to deliver them.

Mr. Abbey has represented these maidens as most beautiful in form and feature. They are dressed in pale colors such as blue, white, rose, and lilac, richly embroidered with gold. Our hero is turned away from us as he humbly receives the shyly offered gratitude of the fair maidens. His helmet and shield may be seen on the floor beside him. In size and importance this large picture is a sort of companion picture to the one on the opposite side of the room, “The Round Table of King Arthur.” Both are beautiful in color and symmetry.

“GALAHAD PARTS FROM HIS BRIDE, BLANCHEFLEUR”

Having released the imprisoned Virtues that they may go about in the world doing good, Sir Galahad returns to King Arthur’s court and marries the Lady Blanchefleur, to whom he had become betrothed while a pupil of Gurnemanz.

On his wedding morning the vision of the Grail appears to him many times, and the thought of poor old King Amfortas, awaiting the knight who is to release him, saddens Galahad. He is seized with a great desire to continue his quest, and finding his young bride in sympathy with his ambition, he decides to start out that day on his journey.

The picture represents the bride Blanchefleur seated in her wedding clothes, the wreath of roses still on her head and holding a bunch of roses in her hands. Sir Galahad waves his hand in parting, preparatory to donning his shield and sword, and goes forth to join the companion waiting for him at the gate. The bride shows no signs of grief, for she knows it is according to the prophecy that he should successfully accomplish his quest, and she feels the high purpose which calls him. And Galahad goes forth with renewed faith and inspiration to the final accomplishment of his great quest.

“AMFORTAS RELEASED BY GALAHAD”

After many days he again finds the Castle of the Grail. Upon entering, he sees the same procession passing before the unseeing eyes of the suffering King Amfortas and his unhappy knights. As before, he cannot understand it, but grown wiser by his hard-earned experience, he now knows that he must ask the question. His keen sympathy for the king brings the involuntary question to his lips, “What aileth thee, O King? And what mean these things?” At his words the spell is broken, and all is light and life again.

But King Amfortas wishes for nothing more in life than to be permitted to die in peace. So in this picture we see Sir Galahad affectionately bending over the dying Amfortas as he lifts him up that he may see the vision of the Grail, at last made visible to him again. The Angel is carrying it away from the castle, and it is not seen again until Sir Galahad finally achieves it at Sarras.

“GALAHAD THE DELIVERER”

Not only has Sir Galahad released the inmates of the enchanted Castle of the Grail, but he has removed the spell that was upon all the country round, the Loathly Damsel, and all others. But he has not yet achieved the Grail itself. So he starts out once more on his noble white charger, surrounded by the grateful people, chief among them the Loathly Damsel who so bitterly upbraided him at his first failure. Now restored to beauty and virtue, she is kneeling in the foreground of the picture.

The hero rides erect, carrying his banner, and looking straight ahead. We see the houses of the people in the background, and catch a glimpse of the sea toward which Sir Galahad rides.

“THE VOYAGE TO SARRAS,” OR “SOLOMON’S SHIP”

According to the legend it was in the time of the wise King Solomon that a ship of mysterious and wonderful workmanship had been built. Just as King Solomon was about to go on board strange letters of fire, written in the air by an angel, warned him not to enter. As he stepped back, the ship suddenly started off by itself and disappeared out to sea. In some miraculous way it had been kept all these years to fulfill its destiny and bring Sir Galahad to Sarras, where he should achieve the Grail. And so, coming to the shore of the sea, he finds there the ship waiting for him. Little is known of the city of Sarras, except that it is supposed to have been in the Holy Land, and that this was the place where the Holy Grail was to be found.

In the picture is represented the voyage to Sarras on King Solomon’s ship. It is a frail-looking ship, guided by the Angel of the Grail, guarding her treasure. Two knights, Percival and Bors, have been permitted to go with Sir Galahad on this journey. They cannot see the Grail itself, having sinned once, yet their faith and persistent search have made it possible for them to go with him.

“THE CITY OF SARRAS”

When they arrived at the city of Sarras, Sir Galahad’s shield was at once recognized, and the voyagers were treated as holy men. The knights went about doing good, and through the power given them by their purity they were enabled to heal the sick and the crippled.

The news of their good works aroused the jealousy and anger of the wicked king of that country, who cast the three knights into prison. Here they were fed by the Holy Grail. The wicked king grew very ill and at last sent for them, begging their mercy. Scarcely had they granted it when the king died. The whole city proclaimed Galahad king.

So here in this picture we see Galahad’s sword and shield laid aside, his adventures over. Three ships are anchored in the bay of the quiet city, and the tall buildings with their stately towers are surrounded by a great red wall.

“THE GOLDEN TREE AND THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE GRAIL”

Galahad had been king of Sarras over a year when sailing one day, in his ship, he prayed that “when he might ask it, he should pass out of this world.” He is promised that his request will be granted and that then he shall see the Holy Grail unveiled.

In this picture the Golden Tree signifies his work on earth completed. As he kneels and makes his request, his sword and shield, now useless, fall from him and the Grail is revealed to his sight. Seven angels with wings of crimson surround him. The Grail is borne heavenward, never to be seen again on earth. Divine wisdom has been attained.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Where are the original paintings? Why did Mr. Abbey choose this subject? What preparation did he make before he painted these pictures? What was the legend of the Holy Grail? What power did the Holy Grail not have? What happened to King Amfortas? Why did Sir Galahad wish to find the Grail? What was required of the knight who should find it? What preparation did Sir Galahad make? What strange events made the other knights decide to follow Sir Galahad? Why did Sir Galahad fail when he reached the Castle of the Grail? How did his failure affect the people about him? Tell about the conquest of the Seven Deadly Sins. What became of the seven sins, and what does that signify? Tell about Sir Galahad’s final success.

=To the Teacher=: Pupils may be asked to prepare and give orally short descriptions of at least one picture; class discussions should be encouraged.

After the entire series has been studied, pupils may choose one of the pictures as a subject for English composition work. They will be interested in reading Tennyson’s _Sir Galahad_, _The Holy Grail_, or other selections from the _Idylls of the King_.

=The story of the artist.= Mr. Edwin Austin Abbey was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is one of the few great American artists who has won fame both at home and abroad. Living in Philadelphia, he attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, which he left at the age of nineteen to enter the art department of Harper and Brothers, New York City. His first success came as an illustrator for their publications. It was through the Harpers, too, that he went to England, for they sent him there to gather material for some poems which they wished him to illustrate. He was especially interested in literary subjects, and while in England prepared many of his best illustrations, among them those for Shakespeare’s comedies and for Goldsmith’s _She Stoops to Conquer_.

His water colors and pastels were also very popular. His most important work in oils—“The Holy Grail,” is in the United States. When this picture was almost finished he went, at the request of King Edward VII, to paint a picture of the coronation. The groups of figures, with their elaborate costumes and rich coloring, offered every inducement to one who so loved these things. Mr. Abbey became very popular in England. He received many medals, and all possible honors both at home and abroad.

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS

_Idylls of the King_, Tennyson.
_The Vision of Sir Launfal_, Lowell.
_The Legend of the Holy Grail_, Baxter.
_The Quest and Achievement of the Holy Grail_, Henry James.
_Handbook_ of the Boston Public Library.

=Questions about the artist.= Who painted this picture? Where was he born? Where did he study? How did he achieve his first success? How did he happen to go to England? What is his most important work? Where was it painted?

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From a Copley Print copyright by
Curtis & Cameron, Publishers, Boston
]

THE WOLF CHARMER

=Questions to arouse interest.= What does this picture represent? What is the man doing? What effect does that have upon the wolves? Tell some of the general traits of a wolf. How many ever saw a tame wolf? Why do you suppose they have not become domesticated like other animals? On what is the man playing? Why do you suppose this picture is called “The Wolf Charmer”? What kind of a picture would you call it—realistic or imaginative?

=Artist=: John La Farge (lȧ färzh’).
=Birthplace=: New York City, New York.
=Dates=: Born, 1835; died, 1910.

=The story of the picture.= The weird charm of this picture lies in the strange, elfish sympathy which this man seems to have with the evil-looking wolves, and is increased by our knowledge of the nature and disposition of those fierce creatures. We have an instinctive fear of them. Perhaps this is due to the fact that very little good has ever been said or written about a wolf.

History tells us that packs of wolves once howled around the city of Paris all night and even tore people to pieces in the very streets of the city. Stories are told of travelers pursued by hungry packs of wolves and tales of horror are brought by the very few who have escaped with their lives. Legends, fables, myths, and traditions which describe the savage ferocity of the wolf are numerous. How often we hear the expressions,—“a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” and “keep the wolf from the door”!

Such a reputation, coming from so early a date, we may be sure has a foundation in fact. We have not been taught to fear these animals without reason. Wolves are among the wildest and fiercest of animals, and farther removed from human association than any others. Men have tried again and again to tame them, but have been successful only in rare instances.

Some authorities argue that the fact that wolves have occasionally been tamed goes to prove that the wild, ferocious disposition of the wolf is the result of circumstances. Very rare instances are known in which these creatures have been captured and tamed, following their masters like dogs, even making good watch dogs, and learning to bark almost like a dog. A merchant in Petrograd drove a pair in harness, having trained them when very young. But then we have the story of the Duke of Württemberg, who kept a tame wolf in his beautiful Castle of Louisburg. It had been trained like a dog, and had never been known to attack any one. But suddenly one day without any provocation whatever it flew at an officer and bit a piece out of his cheek.

Treachery, caution, and cunning are the qualities usually attributed to wolves. No one has ever accused them of stupidity, however. On the other hand, trappers have been amazed and chagrined by the shrewdness displayed by these animals. When traps have been placed to which a fuse of gunpowder was attached, they have frequently been known to gnaw the strings so as to prevent the explosion, and then make away with the bait, unharmed. Only extreme hunger, however, will ever drive them near a trap.

Wolves belong to the same family as dogs and look very much like them. We can see in our picture that they are about the same size as a large dog, only leaner and more gaunt, and with a wicked expression on their faces. This expression comes partly from the eyes, which are oblique or slanting, the pupils round; and partly from the muzzle, which is somewhat longer than that of most dogs and displays their cruel-looking teeth. The ears are rather small and are held erect.

Wolves are very powerful and very active, and their claws and teeth are formidable even to look at. All their senses seem unusually well developed, so that they can hear, smell, and see an object long before we could.

They travel with great speed. Hunters tell us of the tireless gallop with which they pursue their prey. A horse can outrun them, but only when the distance is not too great.

Wolves are born in dark caverns or in gloomy holes in trees or rocks. They are of many different kinds and colors—red, black, white, and gray. They are still to be found in many countries, and chiefly in the unfrequented and mountainous regions in the northern parts of Europe, Russia, and North America; but man has almost succeeded in exterminating them. We usually think and read of wolves in packs, but authorities tell us that they do not live in communities, and do not go about in groups or packs unless in search of prey.

Ernest Thompson Seton describes the three calls of the hunting wolf. The first is “the long-drawn, deep howl, the muster that tells of game discovered but too strong for the finder to manage alone”; the second call is higher, “that ringing and swelling is the cry of the pack on a hot scent”; the last is a sharp bark and short howl, which, “seeming least of all, is yet a gong of doom, for this is the cry, ‘Close in! This is the finish.’”

The “Charmer” in this picture does not impress us as a hunter who has been surrounded by wolves and is now turning his music to account in making his escape, but rather makes us feel that he has been far within the wilderness of rocks and woods calling these animals to him with the music of his bagpipe. He has a sort of wild, wolf-like look himself. One critic has suggested that he seems to be gnawing the pipes rather than playing upon them, and that his toes look like the claws of the wolves.

No doubt he sat on one of those great rocks and played in his most seductive way, until he was quite surrounded by the savage creatures.

Can you not imagine him seated thus, drawing the weird yet sweet notes from his pipe, as first one pair of shiny eyes peered through the leaves or around the rocks, then another, and another, until gradually the creatures surrounded him? That music has charms has never been disputed. From the earliest history we have read stories of its wonderful subduing effect upon animals. A familiar quotation is this of Congreve’s:

“Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast,
To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.”

You will remember in the poem by Robert Browning, _The Pied Piper of Hamelin_, how the old rat explained why he followed the piper: “At the first shrill notes.... I heard ... a moving away of pickle-tubboards, and a leaving ajar of conserve-cupboards.” He smelled the most delicious old cheese in the world, and saw sugar barrels ahead of him, and then, just as a great sugar-puncheon seemed to be saying, “Come, bore me,” he felt the Weser rolling o’er him. Perhaps it is in some such way as this that the music holds these wolves as they follow the narrow path between the rocks. Charmed they are no doubt, but not tamed. See how the first two fellows seem to be keeping step with the man and the music, as they move with that soft, cautious tread of the wild animal.

With the artist, La Farge, this picture was purely imaginative. He delighted in all subjects dealing with fairyland or witchcraft.

In this picture we are left to guess what sort of a man this is, and where he is going. Some critics speak of him as a sort of centaur, only instead of being half horse and half man, he is half wolf and half man. However that may be, he is able to control these animals through the power of music. He seems a strange, wild creature, indeed, and as we look at the picture it almost seems as if he were leaving the trees and the companionship of men to go with these wolves to their caves among the rocks.

The glimpse of the thick woods in the distance is interesting because of the variety in the arrangement and size of the tree trunks, the spots of light, and the suggestion of wildness. The picture is made up of curved lines which help give us the feeling of rhythm and music.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= What is there unusual about this picture? Describe it. Describe the wolves. Tell something of their characteristics; their habits. Why are they feared? To what extent should you judge this man has tamed them? Where do they usually live? Where can we find wolves now? Why are they such a terror to travelers there? In what ways are they stronger than a horse? Describe the man in the picture.

=To the Teacher=: Fairy tales which may be read in connection with the study of this picture are “The Pied Piper of Hamelin,” “The Sorceress,” “The Fisherman and the Genii,” and “The Siren’s Song.”

=Story of the artist.= In reading the life of John La Farge, the artist, we cannot fail to be interested also in the more adventurous one of his father before him. For it was in the days of Napoleon the Great that Jean La Farge, then a young officer under General Leclerc, was sent to the West Indies to suppress an insurrection in Santo Domingo, Haiti. Here he was offered the rank of lieutenant if he would remain with the land forces, and this he decided to do.

Hardly had the small force of men which he commanded reached the shore, when they were surrounded and captured by the natives. He endured the agony of looking on while every member of his company was put to death by slow torture. Expecting every moment that it would be his turn next, he was quite overcome when told that his life would be spared that he might teach the rebel leader how to speak and write French. But he was closely guarded and allowed very little liberty while the rebellion lasted. Then, although still under guard, he was given more freedom.

Most of the natives were of African blood, or a mixture of Spaniard, Indian, and negro; but after the rebellion many white men settled on the island on account of the advantages of commerce. About a year after La Farge was taken prisoner he learned that a general massacre of all the white people on the island had been planned. Feeling sure that he would be included this time, with two others he made his escape. They secured a small rowboat and rowed along the shore until they reached a part of the island that belonged to Spain. Here they were fortunate enough to find a ship just ready to sail to Philadelphia. All took passage at once.

Arrived in America, Jean La Farge became much interested in this country. He saw at once the great possibilities in this new land and decided to make it his home. He became a trader and for twenty-five years he went from place to place, growing very wealthy. Then he bought plantations in Louisiana and farm lands in northern New York.

A number of French aristocrats and others formed a French colony in New York City, and here Mr. La Farge finally came to live. He married the daughter of a former Santo Domingan planter who had joined the colony, and it was in New York that their boy, John La Farge, the artist, was born, March 31, 1835. The boy was named after his father, Jean Frédéric de La Farge, but the name was abbreviated and the English spelling used, so that it became John La Farge.

It was a very comfortable home, in some ways luxurious, and his boyhood was passed under most favorable circumstances. His grandfather was a miniature painter of some note and he gave La Farge his first drawing lessons. The boy, however, showed no especial interest or talent for drawing. After he had finished a classical course at school, he decided to become a lawyer. When he had completed the law course he was sent abroad to Paris, to visit his father’s relatives, who were very prominent people. Here he met many writers and artists of note, and finally began to study painting under Couture. He spent most of his time copying the famous paintings in the Louvre, and the etchings of Rembrandt. His idea at this time was not to become a painter by profession but only to use art as a pastime—he was to earn his living as a lawyer. He says, “No one ever struggled more against his destiny than I. Nor did I for many years fully acquiesce in being a painter, though I learned the methods and studied the problems of my art.”

It was about this time that he met the enthusiastic American painter, William Hunt, who so inspired La Farge that he left everything and followed him back to Newport, Rhode Island, where he began studying in earnest under his new master. The two men became close friends.