hat of the poet painter Rossetti in the lines on the
Annunciation in the poem "Ave:"--

"Then suddenly the awe grew deep As of a day to which all days Were
footsteps in God's secret ways; Until a folding sense, like prayer,
Which is, as God is, everywhere, Gathered about thee; and a voice
Spake to thee without any noise, Being of the silence:--'Hail,' it
said, 'Thou that art highly favoured; The Lord is with thee, here and
now; Blessed among all women thou.'"

Rossetti, it will be remembered, belonged to that circle of English
artists who some fifty years ago attempted to revive the simple
reverence of the Italian art previous to Raphael. Thus the
"Pre-Raphaelite" poet and the sculptor, though separated by so many
centuries, had the common aim of expressing "the sense of prayer"
which gathered about the Virgin in this moment. Rossetti also treated
the Annunciation in a picture which has interesting points of
comparison with our illustration.

The relief is made in the Della Robbia enamelled terra cotta ware. The
sculptor has here followed his uncle's example in the simplicity of
the draperies. The modelling of the hands also recalls the touch of
Luca. In choice of types, however, Andrea shows his individual taste.
The fragile figure of the Virgin is as different as possible from the
robust beauty of Luca's Madonna which we have studied. The angel too
is of a softer and less vigorous character than the older artist would
have designed.

The relief is surrounded by an elaborate frame of the same material.
At the sides decorated pillars with Ionic capitals support an
entablature, every section of which has its own distinctive design.
The patterns ornamenting frieze and pillars seem to be variations on
the lotus motive, and are very graceful. On the dado, or piece running
across the bottom of the frame, is printed the Latin inscription:
"Ecce Ancilla Domini. Fiat Mihi secundum verbum tuum" (Behold the
handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word). It is
interesting to notice that at this period the letters _n_ and _m_ were
written above the line or united with the vowels which they followed.

[Footnote 42: St. Luke, chapter i., verses 30-33.]

[Footnote 43: From the Magnificat in the Prayer Book version.]

[Footnote 44: St. Matthew, chapter iii., verse 16.]

XII

THE ASCENSION

BY LUCA DELLA ROBBIA

For forty days after the resurrection of Jesus the disciples enjoyed
the companionshi