ial employed, so long
as the chief object is fulfilled--the significant expression of an
abstract dogma, appealing to the faith, not to the senses or the
understanding, of the observer.

To this class, then, belong all those church images and pictures of
the Annunciation, either confined to the two personages, with just
sufficient of attitude and expression to place them in relation to
each other, or with such accompaniments as served to carry out the
mystical idea, still keeping it as far as possible removed from the
region of earthly possibilities. In the fifteenth century--that age of
mysticism--we find the Annunciation, not merely treated as an abstract
religious emblem, but as a sort of divine allegory or poem, which
in old French and Flemish art is clothed in the quaintest, the most
curious forms. I recollect going into a church at Breslau, and
finding over one of the altars a most elaborate carving in wood of
the Annunciation. Mary is seated within a Gothic porch of open tracery
work; a unicorn takes refuge in her bosom: outside, a kneeling angel
winds a hunting horn; three or four dogs are crouching near him. I
looked and wondered. At first I could make nothing of this singular
allegory; but afterwards found the explanation, in a learned French
work on the "Stalles d'Amiens." I give the original passage, for it
will assist the reader to the comprehension of many curious works of
art; but I do not venture to translate it.

"On sait qu'an XVI siecle, le mystere de l'Incarnation etoit souvent
represente par une allegorie ainsi concue: Une licorne se refugiant
au sein d'une vierge pure, quatre levriers la pressant d'une course
rapide, un veneur aile sonnant de la trompette. La science de la
zoologie mystique du temps aide a en trouver l'explication; le
fabuleux animal dont l'unique corne ne blessait que pour purger de
tout venin l'endroit du corps qu'elle avoit touche, figuroit Jesus
Christ, medecin et sauveur des ames; on donnait aux levriers agiles
les noms de Misericordia, Veritas, Justitia, Pax, les quatre raisons
qui ont presse le Verbe eternel de sortir de son repos mais comme
c'etoit par la Vierge Marie qu'il avoit voulu descendre parmi les
hommes et se mettre en leur puissance, on croyoit ne pouvoir mieux
faire que de choisir dans la fable, le fait d'une pucelle pouvant
seule servir de piege a la licorne, en l'attirant par le charme
et le parfum de son sein virginal qu'elle lui presentoit; enfin
l'ange Ga