y to westward, a faint new moon half swathed
in mist above, and over all the north a huge towered thunder-cloud kept
flashing distant lightnings. The pallid primrose of the West, forced
down and reflected back from the vast bank of tempest, gave unearthly
beauty to the hues of church and palace--tender half-tones of violet and
russet paling into grays and yellows on what in daylight seemed but dull
red brick. Even the uncompromising facade of St. Francesco helped; and
the dukes were like statues of the "Gran Commendatore," waiting for Don
Giovanni's invitation.

MASOLINO AT CASTIGLIONE D'OLONA.

Through the loveliest Arcadian scenery of woods and fields and rushing
waters the road leads downward from Varese to Castiglione. The
Collegiate Church stands on a leafy hill above the town, with fair
prospect over groves and waterfalls and distant mountains. Here in the
choir is a series of frescos by Masolino da Panicale, the master of
Masaccio, who painted them about the year 1428. "Masolinus de Florentia
pinxit" decides their authorship. The histories of the Virgin, St.
Stephen, and St. Lawrence are represented; but the injuries of time and
neglect have been so great that it is difficult to judge them fairly.
All we feel for certain is that Masolino had not yet escaped from the
traditional Giottesque mannerism. Only a group of Jews stoning Stephen
and Lawrence before the tribunal remind us by dramatic energy of the
Brancacci chapel.

The baptistery frescos, dealing with the legend of St. John, show a
remarkable advance; and they are luckily in better preservation. A
soldier lifting his two-handed sword to strike off the Baptist's head is
a vigorous figure full of Florentine realism. Also in the Baptism in
Jordan we are reminded of Masaccio by an excellent group of bathers--one
man taking off his hose, another putting them on again, a third standing
naked with his back turned, and a fourth shivering half-dressed with a
look of curious sadness on his face. The nude has been carefully studied
and well realized. The finest composition of this series is a large
panel representing a double action--Salome at Herod's table begging for
the Baptist's head, and then presenting it to her mother Herodias. The
costumes are _quattrocento_ Florentine, exactly rendered. Salome is a
graceful, slender creature; the two women who regard her offering to
Herodias with mingled curiosity and horror are well conceived. The
background consists o