,,saint ,,ursula    ,,story ,,of        
,,ursula     ,,dream ,,of ,,ursula      
,illustration3 ,dream of ,st4 ,ursula   
,,from ,,the ,,painting ,,by ,,carpaccio
          ,,saint ,,ursula    ,by ,john 
,ruskin      ,i  ,,the ,,story ,,of     
,,st4 ,,ursula    ,,ii  ,,the ,,dream   
,,of ,,st4 ,,ursula      ,illustration  
,new ,york  ,,the ,,devin-,,adair       
,,company  #aiab          ,copyright1   
#aiab1 by  ,,the ,,devin-,,adair        
,,company          ,,preface      ,fors 
,clavigera6--to the ignorant a          
stumbling-stone1 to the ,philistines  a 
laughing-stock1 but to the ,initiate a  
sweet remembrance of many a  happy hour 
passed in informal chat with the        
,master4    ,the real ,ruskin enthusiast
 has read every word of ,fors1 and      
reckons it  not least among the precious
 treasures of the ,master's pen4 ,but it
  remains a fact that to the vast       
majority of those who have heard of     
,fors ,clavigera1 it is but an excellent
 example of ,ruskin's eccentric  seeking

 after curious titles2 and the beauties 
of these letters are as  effectually    
buried as if they had appeared in a     
country journal4    ,it is in the desire
 of rescuing one of the choicest bits in
 all ,fors  that the present little     
booklet is offered to the clients of the
  ,celestial ,lily as ,mother ,church   
names the noble ,martyr1 ,st4 ,ursula4  
,though1 of course1 a life of this royal
 maiden has an interest for me  apart   
from its authorship by ,ruskin4    ,as  
one dedicated to the cause for which the
 little ,princess and her  legions lost 
their lives1 as one tenderly devoted to 
her and as  privileged to be sheltered  
beneath her protecting mantle1 ,i look  
upon  this story as one of the sweetest 
relics of the ,age of ,faith4 ,it  makes
 no difference to me1 as it made none to
 ,john ,ruskin 7and thank  ,god there   
are many like him71 what learned        
,bollandists and others tell  us of the 
legendary character of the ,princess of 
,over-sea4 ,the  essential thing1 as    

,ruskin remarked1 is that a great people
 chose so  to represent their highest   
aspirations4 ,it will remain eternally  
true1 to use his words1 that we see the 
,saints better through a  nimbus of     
religious enthusiasm than a fog of      
contemptuous  rationalism4    ,to all   
who1 like ,ursula1 love holy living and 
unselfish dedication to  a noble cause1 
greeting--        ,,an ,,ursuline ,,of  
,,new ,,orleans4          ,i    ,,the   
,,story ,,of ,,st4 ,,ursula             
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,st4 ,,ursula       
,there was once a just and most         
,christian ,king of ,britain1 called    
,maurus4 ,to him and to his wife ,daria 
was born a little girl1 the  fairest    
creature that this earth ever saw4 ,she 
came into the world  wrapped in a hairy 
mantle1 and all men wondered greatly    
what this  might mean4 ,then the ,king  
gathered together his wise men to       
inquire of  them4 ,but they could not   
make known the thing to him1 for only   
,god in  ,heaven knew how the rough robe

 signified that she should follow       
holiness and purity all her days1 and   
the wisdom of ,st4 ,john the  ,baptist4 
,and because of the mantle1 they called 
her ,ursula1 ',little  ,bear4'    ,now  
,ursula grew day by day in grace and    
loveliness1 and in such wisdom  that all
 men marvelled4 ,yet should they not    
have marvelled1 since  with ,god all    
things are possible4 ,and when she was  
fifteen years old  she was a light of   
all wisdom1 and a glass of all beauty1  
and a  fountain of ,scripture and of    
sweet ways4 ,lovelier woman there was   
not  alive4 ,her speech was so full of  
all delight that it seemed as though  an
 angel of ,paradise had taken human     
flesh4 ,and in all the kingdom no       
weighty thing was done without counsel  
of ,ursula4    ,so her fame was carried 
through the earth1 and a ,king of       
,england1 a  heathen of ,over-sea1      
hearing1 was taken with the love of her4
 ,and he  set all his heart on having   
her for wife to his son ther1 and for   

daughter in his home4 ,so he sent a     
mighty and honourable embassy1 of  earls
 and marquesses1 with goodly company of 
knights and ladies and  philosophers2   
bidding them1 with all courtesy and     
discretion1 pray  ,king ,maurus to give 
,ursula in marriage to ther4    ,but1 he
 said1 if ,maurus will not hear your    
gentle words1 open to  him all my heart1
 and tell him that ,i will ravage his   
land with fire1  and slay his people1   
and make himself die a cruel death1 and 
will1  after1 lead ,ursula away with me4
 ,give him but three days to answer1    
for ,i am wasted with desire to finish  
the matter and hold ,ursula in my  ward4
    ,but when the ambassadors came to   
,king ,maurus1 he would not have his    
daughter wed a heathen2 so1 since       
prayers and gifts did not move him1     
they spoke out all the threats4 ,now the
 land of ,britain was little1  and its  
soldiers few1 while the heathen was a   
mighty king and a  conqueror2 so ,maurus
 and his ,queen and his councillors1 and

 all the  people1 were in sore distress4
    ,but on the evening of the second   
day ,ursula went into her chamber and   
shut close the doors1 and before the    
image of the ,father1 who is very       
pitiful1 prayed all night with tears1   
telling how she had vowed in  her heart 
to live a holy maiden all her days1     
having ,christ alone for  spouse4 ,but  
if ,his will were that she should wed   
the son of the  heathen ,king1 she      
prayed that wisdom might be given her to
 turn the  hearts of all that people who
 knew not faith or holiness1 and power  
to  comfort her father and mother1 and  
all the people of her fatherland4       
,and when the clear light of dawn was in
 the air she fell asleep4 ,and  the     
,angel of the ,lord appeared to her in a
 dream1 saying1 ,ursula1  your prayer is
 heard4 ,at the sun-rising you shall go 
boldly before the  ambassadors of the   
,king of ,over-sea1 for the ,god of     
,heaven shall give  you wisdom1 and     
teach your tongue what it should speak4 

,when it was day1 ,ursula rose to bless 
and glorify the name of ,god4 ,she  put 
on for covering and for beauty an       
enwrought mantle like the starry  sky1  
and was crowned with a coronet of gems4 
,then1 straightway passing  to her      
father's chamber1 she told him what     
grace had been done to her  that night1 
and all that now was in her heart to    
answer to the  ambassadors of ,over-sea4
 ,so1 though long he would not1 she     
persuaded  her father4    ,then ,maurus1
 and his lords and councillors1 and the 
ambassadors of the  heathen ,king1 were 
gathered in the ,hall of ,council4 ,and 
when ,ursula  entered the place where   
these lords were1 one said to the other1
 ,who  is this that comes from          
,paradise8 ,for she moved in all noble  
gentleness1 with eyes inclined to earth1
 learned and frank and fair1  delightful
 above all women upon earth4 ,behind her
 came a hundred  maidens1 clothed in    
white silk1 fair and lovely4 ,they shone
 brightly  as the stars1 but ,ursula    

shone as the moon and the evening star4 
,now this was the answer ,ursula made1  
which the ,king caused to be  written1  
and sealed with the royal seal1 and gave
 to the ambassadors  of the ,king of the
 ,over-sea4    ,i will take1 she said1  
for spouse1 ther1 the son of my lord1   
the  ,king of ,over-sea4 ,but ,i ask of 
my lord three graces1 and with heart    
and soul pray of him to grant them4     
,the first grace ,i ask is this1 that he
 and the ,queen and their son1  my      
spouse1 be baptized in the name of the  
,father1 and of the ,son1 and  of the   
,holy ,spirit4    ,the second grace is  
that three years may be given me1 before
 the  bridal1 in which to go to and fro 
upon the sea1 that ,i may visit the     
bodies of the ,saints in ,rome1 and the 
blessed places of the ,holy ,land4      
,and for the last grace1 ,i ask that he 
choose ten fair maidens of his  kingdom1
 and with each of these a thousand more1
 all of gentle blood1  who shall come to
 me here in ,britain1 and go with me in 

gladness upon  the sea1 following this  
my holy pilgrimage4    ,then spake one  
of the nobles of the land to ,maurus1   
saying1 ,my lord  the ,king1 this your  
daughter is the ,dove of ,peace come    
from ,paradise1  the same that in the   
days of the flood brought to the ,ark of
 ,noah the  olive-branch of good news4  
,and at the answer were the ambassadors 
so  full of joy that they well-nigh     
could not speak1 and with praise and    
triumph1 they went their way1 and told  
their master all the sweet  answer of   
,ursula4    ,then my lord the ,king     
said1 ,praised and blessed be the name  
of our  ,god ,malcometto1 who has given 
my soul for comfort that which it       
desired4 ,truly there is not a franker  
lady under the wheel of the sun2  and by
 the body of my mother ,i swear there is
 nothing she can ask that  ,i will not  
freely give4 ,first of the maidens she  
desires shall be my  daughter ,florence4
 ,then all his lords rose1 man by man1  
and gladly  named each his child4    ,so

 the will of ,ursula was done2 and that 
,king1 and all his folk1 were  baptized 
into the ,holy ,faith4 ,and ther1 with  
the ,english maidens1 in  number above  
ten thousand1 came to the land of       
,britain4    ,then ,ursula chose her own
 four sisters1 ,habila and ,julia and   
,victoria  and ,aurea1 and a thousand   
daughters of her people1 with certain   
holy  bishops and great lords and grave 
councillors1 and an abbot of the  order 
of ,st4 ,benedict1 men full of all      
wisdom and friends of ,god4    ,so all  
that company set sail in eleven ships1  
and passing this way and  that upon the 
sea1 rejoiced in it1 and in this their  
maiden  pilgrimage4 ,and those who dwelt
 by the shores of the sea came forth in 
multitudes to gaze upon them as they    
passed1 and to each man it  appeared a  
delightful vision4 ,for the ships sailed
 in fair order1 side  by side1 with     
sound of sweet psalms and murmur of the 
waters4 ,and the  maidens were clad1    
some in scarlet and some in pure samite1

 some in  rich silk of ,damascus1 some  
in cloth of gold1 and some in the purple
  robe that is woven in ,judea4 ,some   
wore crowns1 others garlands of         
flowers4 ,upon the shoulder of each was 
the visible cross1 in the hands  of each
 a pilgrim's staff by their sides were  
pilgrims' scrips1 and  each ship's      
company sailed under the gonfalon of the
 ,holy ,cross4  ,ursula in the midst was
 like a ray of sunlight1 and the ,angel 
of the  ,lord was ever with them for    
guide4    ,so in the holy time of ,lent 
they came to ,rome4 ,and when my ,lord  
the  ,pope came forth1 under the ,castle
 of ,st4 ,angelo1 with great state1 to  
greet them1 seeing their blessed        
assembly1 he put off the mantle of      
,peter1 and with many bishops1 priests1 
and brothers1 and certain  cardinals1   
set himself to go with them on their    
blessed pilgrimage4    ,at length they  
came to the land of ,slavonia1 whose    
ruler was friend  and liegeman to the   
,soldan of ,babylon4 ,then the ,lord of 

the ,saracens  sent straightway to the  
,soldan1 telling what a mighty company  
had come  to his land1 and how they were
 ,christian folk4 ,and the ,soldan      
gathered all his men of war1 and with   
great rage the host of the  heathen made
 against the company of ,ursula4    ,and
 when they were nigh1 the ,soldan cried 
and said1 ,what folk are  ye8 ,and      
,ursula spake in answer1 ,we are        
,christian folk2 our feet are  turned to
 the blessed tomb of our ,lord ,jesus   
,christ1 for the saving of  our souls1  
and that we may win grace to pass into  
eternal life1 in the  blessed ,paradise4
 ,and the ,soldan answered1 ,either deny
 your ,god1 or  ,i will slay you all    
with the sword4 ,so shall ye die a      
dolorous death1  and see your land no   
more4 ,and ,ursula answered1 ,even so we
 desire to  be sure witnesses for the   
name of ,god1 declaring and preaching   
the  glory of ,his name2 because ,he has
 made heaven and earth and the sea by   
,his ,word2 and afterward all living    

things2 and afterward has willed1       
,himself1 to die for our salvation and  
glory4 ,and who follows ,him  shall go  
to rejoice in ,his ,fatherland and in   
,his ,kingdom4    ,then she turned to   
her people3 ,my sisters and my brothers1
 in this  place ,god has given us great 
grace4 ,embrace and make it sure1 for   
our  death in this place will be life   
perpetual1 and joy and sweetness        
never-ending4 ,and there1 above1 we     
shall be with the ,majesty and the      
angels of ,paradise4 ,then she called   
her spouse to comfort and teach  him4   
,and he answered her with these words3  
,to me it appears three  thousand years 
that death is a-coming1 so much have ,i 
already tasted  of the sweetness of     
,paradise4    ,then the ,soldan gave    
commandment that they should all be     
slain with  the sword4 ,and so was it   
done4    ,yet when he saw ,ursula       
standing in the midst of all that       
slaughter1  like the fairest stalk of   
corn in harvest1 and how she was        

exceeding  lovely1 beyond the tongues of
 this earth to tell1 he would have saved
  her alive1 and taken her for wife4    
,but when she would not1 and rebuked    
him1 he was moved with anger4 ,now there
 was a bow in his hand1 and he  set an  
arrow on the string1 and drew it with   
all his strength1 and it  pierced the   
heart of the glorious maiden4 ,so she   
went to ,god4    ,and one maiden only1  
whose name was ,corbula1 through fear   
hid herself  in the ship4 ,but ,god1 who
 had chosen all that company1 gave her  
heart1  and with the dawn of the next   
day she came forth willingly1 and       
received the martyr's crown4    ,thus   
all were slain1 and all are gone to     
,paradise1 and sing the glad  and sweet 
songs of ,paradise4           99        
99       99       99       99           
,whosoever reads this holy history1 let 
him not think it a great thing  to say  
an ,our ,father and a ,hail ,mary for   
the soul of him who has  written it4    
,,ii    ,,the ,,dream ,,of ,,st4        

,,ursula    7,,carpaccio7    ,,john     
,,ruskin          ,,the ,,dream ,,of    
,,st4 ,,ursula      ,in the year #ahfi1 
just before leaving ,venice1 ,i had been
 carefully  looking at a picture by     
,victor ,carpaccio1 representing the    
dream of a  young princess4 ,carpaccio  
has taken much pains to explain to us1  
as  far as he can1 the kind of life she 
leads1 by completely painting her       
little bedroom in the light of dawn1 so 
that you can see everything in  it4 ,it 
is lighted by two doubly-arched windows1
 the arches being  painted crimson round
 their edges1 and the capitals of the   
shafts that  bear them1 gilded4 ,they   
are filled at the top with small round  
panes  of glass2 but beneath1 are open  
to the blue morning sky1 with a low     
lattice across them2 and in the one at  
the back of the room are set  two       
beautiful white ,greek vases with a     
plant in each1 one having rich  dark and
 pointed green leaves1 the other crimson
 flowers1 but not of  any species known 

to me1 each at the end of a branch like 
a spray of  heath4    ,these flower-pots
 stand on a shelf which runs all round  
the room and  beneath the window1 at    
about the height of the elbow1 and      
serves to  put things on anywhere2      
beneath it1 down to the floor1 the walls
 are  covered with green cloth1 but     
above are bare and white4 ,the second   
window is nearly opposite the bed1 and  
in front of it is the  princess's       
reading-table1 some two feet and a half 
square1 covered by  a red cloth with a  
white border and dainty fringe2 and     
beside it her  seat1 not at all like a  
reading-chair in ,oxford1 but a very    
small  three-legged stool like a        
music-stool1 covered with crimson cloth4
 ,on  the table are a book1 set up at a 
slope fittest for reading1 and an       
hour-glass4 ,under the shelf near the   
table1 so as to be easily reached  by   
the outstretched arm1 is a press full of
 books4 ,the door of this  has been left
 open1 and the books1 ,i am grieved to  

say1 are rather in  disorder1 having    
been pulled about before the princess   
went to bed1  and one left standing on  
its side4    ,opposite this window1 on  
the white wall1 is a small shrine or    
picture  7,i can't see which1 for it is 
in sharp retiring perspective71 with a  
lamp before it1 and a silver vessel hung
 from the lamp1 looking like  one for   
holding incense4    ,the bed is a broad 
four-poster1 the posts being beautifully
 wrought  golden or gilded rods1        
variously wreathed and branched1        
carrying a  canopy of warm red4 ,the    
princess's shield is at the head of it1 
and  the feet are raised entirely above 
the floor of the room1 on a dais  which 
projects at the lower end so as to form 
a seat1 on which the  child has laid her
 crown4 ,her little blue slippers lie at
 the side of  the bed1 her white dog    
beside them2 the coverlid is scarlet1   
the white  sheet folded half way back   
over it2 the young girl lies straight1  
bending neither at waist nor knee1 the  

sheet rising and falling over  her in a 
narrow unbroken wave1 like the shape of 
the coverlid of the  last sleep1 when   
the turf scarcely rises4 ,she is some   
seventeen or  eighteen years old1 her   
head is turned towards us on the pillow1
 the  cheek resting on her hand1 as if  
she were thinking1 yet utterly calm  in 
sleep1 and almost colourless4 ,her hair 
is tied with a narrow  riband1 and      
divided into two wreaths1 which encircle
 her head like a  double crown4 ,the    
white nightgown hides the arm1 raised on
 the pillow1  down to the wrist4    ,at 
the door of the room an angel enters    
7the little dog1 though lying  awake1   
vigilant1 takes no notice74 ,he is a    
very small angel2 his head  just rises a
 little above the shelf round the room1 
and would only  reach as high as the    
princess's chin1 if she were standing   
up4 ,he has  soft grey wings1           
lustreless2 and his dress1 of subdued   
blue1 has  violet sleeves1 open above   
the elbow1 and showing white sleeves    

below4  ,he comes in without haste1 his 
body like a mortal one1 casting shadow  
from the light through the door behind1 
his face perfectly quiet1 a  palm-branch
 in his right hand1 a scroll in his     
left4    ,so dreams the princess1 with  
blessed eyes that need no earthly dawn4 
,it is very pretty of ,carpaccio to make
 her dream out the angel's dress  so    
particularly1 and notice the slashed    
sleeves2 and to dream so  little an     
angel--very nearly a doll               
angel--bringing her the branch of  palm 
and message4 ,but the lovely            
characteristic of all is the evident    
delight of her continual life4 ,royal   
power over herself1 and happiness  in   
her flowers1 her books1 her sleeping and
 waking1 her prayers1 her  dreams1 her  
earth1 her heaven4           99       99
       99       99       99    ,how do  
,i know the princess is industrious8    
,partly by the trim state of her        
room--by the hour-glass on the table1   
by the evident use of all the books she 

has 7well bound1 every one of  them1 in 
stoutest leather or velvet1 and with no 
dog's-ears71 but more  distinctly from  
another picture of her1 not asleep4 ,in 
that one a  prince of ,england has sent 
to ask her in marriage2 and her father1 
little liking to part with her1 sends   
for her to his room to ask her  what she
 would do4 ,he sits1 moody and          
sorrowful2 she1 standing before  him in 
a plain housewifely dress1 talks        
quietly1 going on with her  needle-work 
all the time4    ,a workwoman1 friends1 
she1 no less than a princess2 and       
princess most  in being so4 ,in like    
manner is a picture by a ,florentine1   
whose mind ,i  would fain have you know 
somewhat1 as well as                    
,carpaccio's--,sandro  ,botticelli4 ,the
 girl who is to be the wife of ,moses1  
when he first  sees her at the desert   
well1 has fruit in her left hand1 but a 
distaff  in her right4    ,to do good   
work1 whether you live or die--it is the
 entrance to all  ,princedoms2 and if   

not done1 the day will come1 and that   
infallibly1  when you must labour for   
evil instead of good4        ,,fors     
,,clavigera    ,sunnyside1 ,orpington1  
,kent1 #ahgb4           99       99     
99       99       99                    
,illustration           99       99     
99       99       99