sculpture. In some other early histories, the account of the Virgin's Presentation is differently rendered. In one, we are told that

"There were around the Temple on either side fifteen steps to ascend, according to the fifteen Psalms of degrees. For, the Temple being built on a mountain, they were obliged to ascend by steps to the altar of burnt-offering, which stood without. So the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary placed her on the lowest step, and whilst they were taking off the garments which they had worn on their journey, and clothing themselves according to custom, with others that were more neat and clean, the Virgin of the LORD ascended the steps one by one, without any one to lead her or to lift her; so that it seemed as if she were of full age; for from the earliest infancy of that holy child the LORD was with her, doing great works which showed forth the glory that she should possess thereafter."

The fifteen Psalms called Psalms of Degrees, beginning with the 120th, and ending with the 134th, are supposed to have been sung on solemn occasions, one upon each step, by the Priests and Levites ascending to the Temple. The Prophet Ezekiel (xl. 6, 22, 26,) speaks of stairs and steps ascending to three of the gates of the Temple. In describing the east gate, he says only stairs. The south and north gates are said each to have had "seven steps." The subject of the Virgin thus ascending the steps of the Temple, has been frequently treated by early painters and miniaturists. A beautiful missal of the 15th century in the Soane museum, has a picture of it in a vignette at the foot of a richly-illuminated title-page to the Psalms of Degrees. In the centre is a portrait of the Virgin, and in the vignette below she is seen ascending the steps, enriched, and with long golden hair. The hand of the Priest, and some portion of his figure are introduced at the top of the steps; and in the corner below is the head of a female, enriched, and with a green mantle covering her head: she is intended, of course, for S. Anne. Churches, too, have been erected in commemoration of this event. There is one at Cologne, called S. Marie des Degrès, or S. Margreten.

The Virgin, being thus left in the Temple of the LORD,

receives nourishment there from the hand of angels, till at length the Priests, it is said, think it advisable that she should be removed.

"Then the High Priest Zachariah (afterwards the father of S. John Baptist) took his tunic, on which were the twelve bells; that is, the ephod, made with a fringe of bells and pomegranates, and to which was attached the breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim (as described in the 28th chapter of Exodus) and went into the Holy of Holies to learn the will of the LORD concerning Mary. He was commanded to summon together all the widowers amongst the people, and told that one of them should be chosen as guardian and husband of the Blessed Virgin. Each widower was commanded to bring with him a rod, as had been the case when Aaron was chosen to be GOD'S High Priest, in opposition to the claims of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

Joseph the carpenter, throwing away his axe, came also with the others. And when all were assembled, they went to the High Priest, each man bearing his rod. And the High Priest took the rods from each, and went into the Temple, and prayed, and went forth again and distributed the rods: but no sign was shown, nor any miracle. But the last rod of all was taken by Joseph; and behold, a dove proceeded from the rod, and flew upwards, and rested upon Joseph's head."

it

In two other legendary Gospels, Joseph is said to have withheld his rod when the others presented theirs; which was the reason the sign did not immediately appear; is also added, that an angel had predicted that "out of whatsoever person's rod, after it was brought, a flower should bud forth, and on the top of it the SPIRIT of the LORD, in the appearance of a dove, should sit, to that man the Virgin should be given and betrothed."

The miraculous flowering of Joseph's rod, and the dove issuing from it, has been repeated a thousand times in sculpture, painting, and mosaic. Indeed, S. Joseph is rarely drawn without the rod-generally a branch of lilies -in his hand. He is thus represented in Raphael's beautiful picture of the Marriage of the Virgin.

Joseph was at first unwilling to receive the charge thus imposed upon him. He seeks to excuse himself by plead

ing his age and his family, but at length consents, and leaves the virgin in his own house while he departs to pursue his trade as a carpenter.

Three other histories describe the virgin as returning accompanied by five or seven other maidens to the house of her parents.

Origen is the only one of the fathers who mentions the family of Joseph circumstantially. Epiphanius names six; James, Joseph, Simon, Jude, and two daughters, Mary and Salome. Mrs. Jamieson, in her delightful volume on Legendary Art, gives a description of a beautiful painting, by Perugino, representing the family of Joseph in connexion with our SAVIOUR. It is in the Musée Marseilles. (Poetry of Legendary Art, vol. i.) Another example is also in the Louvre, signed, Laurentius, Lorenzo di Viterbo. Pavia.

The story goes on to describe the priests calling an assembly to debate upon the propriety of making a new veil for the temple of the LORD, and all the virgin daughters of the house of David were summoned thither, and lots cast to determine the distribution of the different colours necessary for the work, which was to be performed by their hands.

The gold, and the blue, the fine linen and silk, the scarlet, and true purple were assigned by lot to each, and the weaving of the true purple fell to Mary's share.

There is something singular in the introduction of this circumstance :-the account of the weaving of a new veil for the temple so shortly before the awful moment in which it was to be rent in twain. The time at which it happened is indicated by the fact next recorded. "About this time it was that Zacharias the priest became dumb, and Samuel was placed in his room until he spoke again." (See S. Luke i. 20.) The history continues"Then Mary having received the purple and scarlet, went into her house, and began to spin. Then she took a waterpot, and went out to draw water, and as she went she heard a voice saying unto her, 'Hail thou that art full of grace: the LORD be with thee, thou blessed among women!' This moment is frequently depicted by the early German and Byzantine school of artists. In old

miniatures too it is very common, and the virgin is represented either with the waterpot in her hand or beside a fountain, according to another version of the same Legend.

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Then Mary looked round to the right and to the left to see whence the voice came, and she went trembling into her house, and took the purple, and sat down in her seat to spin it, and behold the angel of the LORD stood by her, and said, 'Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour in the sight of GOD.' And when she heard this, she reasoned within herself what manner of salutation this should be; then the angel announced to her that the living GoD should be born of her."

M. Scroux d'Agincourt, in his famous work, gives a curious engraving of the Annunciation from a carved ivory diptych of the Greco-Latin School, belonging to the seventh or eighth century. The Visitation and Nativity are also seen in different compartments of the same diptych. In the Annunciation the virgin and the angel are both standing; the former bearing a cross like that of S. John Baptist.

The celebrated bronze gates of S. Paolo, at Rome, furnish another example of an Annunciation. This great work was executed at Constantinople in the eleventh century, the angel with a lily in his right hand stands opposite to the virgin, who appears to have just quitted the house. A large vessel, intended probably for the waterpot, mentioned in the Legend, is behind her.

The waterpot is also introduced in some curious Greek miniatures of the twelfth century, adorning a collection of sermons for the festivals of the virgin. In one of these miniatures the virgin is rising from her seat with a kind of pitcher in her hand; in another the angel hovers over her as she stands by the fountain; and in the third he approaches her while seated, and holding in her hand some drapery intended probably for the purple.

On the tympanum over the west doorway of S. Katharine's church, at Oppenheim, is another curious representation of the Salutation, the Annunciation, and the Holy Trinity combined, in which the angel and virgin are both represented kneeling, while a stream of light de

scending upon the virgin bears downwards a dove, intended doubtless for the Holy Spirit, and a smaller figure which may represent the Divine Child to be born of Mary. The fears of Joseph, mentioned in S. Matthew, are in this legendary history made a reason for introducing an example of the ancient Jewish law, called the trial of jealousy, as appointed in the Book of Numbers v. 16, and the narrative then proceeds, in strict accordance with those of the evangelists, to relate the decree of Cæsar Augustus that all the world should be taxed, and the departure of Joseph for Bethlehem, the native city, both of himself and the virgin.

"So having saddled the ass, Joseph set her upon it, and they journeyed until they came within three miles of Bethlehem; Joseph and Simon following after him." Simon was one of the sons of Joseph, as has been already said.

"Then Joseph turning about saw Mary sometimes sorrowful, and sometimes rejoicing;" or, according to another version, Mary herself addressed Joseph, and said, "I see two people before mine eyes; the one weeping and mourning, the other laughing and rejoicing. And Joseph answered, "Be still, and sit quietly upon thy beast, and speak no vain words.' Then a beautiful child, clad in costly garments appeared before them, and said to Joseph, 'Why has thou treated what Mary said of these two nations as vain words? Know that she saw the nation of the Jews weeping because they are rejected by GOD, and the Gentiles rejoicing because they are drawn nigh unto the LORD, according to the promise made unto our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For the time is near when in the seed of Abraham all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.'

"And when the angel had spoken thus he commanded Joseph to stop the beast on which Mary was mounted, for the time of her delivery was come. And he desired Mary to descend from her beast, and to enter a subterranean cavern, which daylight had never visited, and the sun never warmed, but where thick darkness reigned always. And when Mary entered the cave immediately it was filled with splendour, as if the sun's rays were shin