 A Wedding Chest by Vernon Lee Number 428. A Panel, 5 feet by 2 feet 3 inches. Formerly the front of a cassone or coffer. Intended to contain the garments and jewels of a bride. Subject, The Triumph of Love. Umbrian School of the 15th Century. In the right hand corner is a half effaced inscription. Desider something, desivitate luck something, may something, esit. This valuable painting is unfortunately much damaged by damp and mineral corrosives, owing probably to its having contained at one time, buried treasure. Bequeathed in 1878 by the widow of the Reverend Lawson Stone, late fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Footnote. Catalog of the Smith Museum. Leads. By ascension day Desiderio of Castiglione de Lago had finished the front panel of the Wedding Chest, which Messer Troilo Baglioni had ordered of Serpiero Bontempi, whose shop was situated at the bottom of the steps of St. Maxentius, in that portion of the ancient city of Perugia, called by the Romans Augusta in recognition of its great glory, which takes its name from the Ivory Gate, built by Theodoric, King of the Goths. The said Desiderio had represented upon this panel the Triumph of Love, as described in his poem by Messer Francesco Petrarcha of Arezzo. Certainly with the exception of that Dante, who saw the vision of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, the only poet of recent times who can be compared to those D'Actissimi Viri, Professors of Life, P. Virgilius, Ovidius of Sulmona, and Statius. And the said Desiderio had betaken himself in this manner. He had divided the panel into four portions or regions, intended to represent the four phases of amorous passion. The first was a pleasant country, abundantly watered with twisting streams of great plenty and joyousness, in which were planted many hedges of fragrant roses, both red and blue, together with elms, poplars, and other pleasant and profitable trees. The second region was somewhat mountainous, but showing large store of lordly castles and thickets of pine and oak fit for hunting, which region, as being that of glorious love, was girt all round with groves of laurels. The third region, Aspera Akdura Redion, harsh and hard region, was barren of all vegetation, save huge thorns and ungrateful thistles, and in it, on rocks, was shown the pelican who tears his own entrails to feed his young, symbolical of the cruelty of love to true lovers. Finally the fourth region was a melancholy cypress wood, among which roosted owls and ravens and other birds of ill omen, in order to display the fact that all earthly love leads to death. Each of these regions was surrounded by a wreath of myrtles, marvelously drawn with great subtlety of invention and divided so as to meet the carved and gilded cornice likewise composed of myrtles which Serpiero executed with singular skill with his own hand. In the middle of the panel Desiderio had represented love, even as the poet has described, a naked youth with wings of wondrous changing colors enthroned upon a chariot, the axel and wheels of which were red gold, and covered with a cloth of gold of such subtle device that that whole chariot seemed really to be on fire. On his back hung a bow and a quiver full of dreadful arrows, and in his hands he held the reins of four snow-white corsairs, trapped with gold and breathing fire from their nostrils. Round his eyes was bound a kerchief fringed with gold to show that love strikes blindly, and from his shoulders floated a scroll inscribed with the words, Sivas Amor Hominum Deorum que delicia, Savage Love, the Darling of Men and Gods. Round his car, some before, some behind, some on horseback, some on foot, crowded those who have been famous for their love. Now you might see, on a bay horse with an eagle on his helmet Julius Caesar, who loved Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, Sophonisba and Massesina in rich and strange Arabian garments. Orpheus, seeking for Eurydice with his loot. Fidra, who died for love of Hippolytus, her stepson. Antony, Ronaldo of Montalbano, who loved the beautiful Angelica, Socrates, Tbilus, Virgilius, and other poets, with Messer Francesco Petrarcha and Messer Giovanni Boccaccio. Tristram, who drank the love potion, riding on a sorelle horse. And near him, Isota, wearing a turban of cloth of gold and these lovers of Rimini, and many more besides the naming of whom would be too long, even as the poet has described. And in the region of happy love among the laurels he had painted his own likeness, red-haired with a green hood falling on his shoulders. And this, because he was to wed, next St. John's Eve, Maddalena, the only daughter of his employer, Serpiero. And among the unhappy lovers he painted, at his request, Messer Troilo himself, for whom he was making this coffer. And Messer Troilo was depicted in the character of Troilus, the son of Priam, Emperor of Troy. He was habited in armour, covered with a circote of white cloth of silver embroidered with roses. By his side was his lance, and on his head a scarlet cap. Behind him were those who carried his falcon and led his hack, and men at arms with his banner, dressed in green and yellow party-coloured, with a scorpion embroidered on their doublet. And from his lance floated a penan, inscribed, Troilus sum servus amoris. I am Troilus, the slave of love. But does Adario refused to paint, among the procession, Mono Maddalena, Piero's daughter, who was to be his wife? Because he declared it was not fit that modest damsels should lends their face to other folk. And this he said because Serpiero had begged him not to incense Messer Troilo, for in reality he had often portrayed Mono Maddalena, the which was marvelously lovely, though only it is true in the figure of Our Lady, the Mother of God. And the panel was ready by ascension day, and Serpiero had prepared the box, and the carvings and gildings, griffins and chimeras, and acanthus leaves and myrtles, with the arms of Messer Troilo Baglioni, a most beautiful work. And Mastro Cavana, of the Gate of St. Peter, had made a lock and key of marvellous workmanship for the same coffer. And Messer Troilo would come frequently, riding over from his castle of Fratta, and see the work while it was progressing, and entertain himself lengthily at the shop, speaking with benignity and wisdom wonderful and one so young, for he was only nineteen, which pleased the heart of Serpiero, but Desiderio did not relish, for which reason he was often gruff to Messer Troilo, and had many disputes with his future father-in-law. For Messer Troilo Baglioni, called Barbacane, to distinguish him from another Troilo, his uncle, who was Bishop of Spello, although a bastard, had cast his eyes on Maddalena di Serpiero Bontempi. He had seen the damsel for the first time on the occasion of the wedding festivities of his cousin, Grifone Baglioni, son of Ridolfo the Elder, with Dianera Dele Orsini, on each occasion marvelous things were done in the city of Perugia, both by the magnificent house of Baglioni and the citizens, such as banquets, jousts, horse races, balls in the square near the cathedral, bullfights, allegories both Latin and vulgar, presented with great learning and sweetness, among which was the fable of Perseus, how he freed Andromeda, written by Caster Gianotso, Belly rector venerabilis istae universitatis, rector of beauty at that venerable university, and triumphal arches and other similar devices, in which Sir Piero Bontempi made many beautiful inventions, in company with Benedetto Bonfigli, Messer Fiorenzo di Lorenzo and Piero di Castro Plebes, whom the holiness of our Lord Pope Perth afterwards summoned to work in his chapel in Rome. On this occasion I repeat Messer Troilo Baglioni of Fratta, who was unanimiter, unanimously, declared to be the most beautiful and courteous youth of singular learning and prowess, and well worthy of this magnificent Baglioni family, cast his eyes on Maddalena di Sir Piero, and sent her, through his squire, the knot of ribbons off the head of a ferocious bull, whom he had killed, singulare vi act vertute, single-handedly, with merit. Nor did Messer Troilo neglect other opportunities of seeing the damsel, such as at church and at her father's shop, riding over from his castle at Fratta on purpose, but always Honestis Valdemodibus, by extremely honorable methods, as the damsel showed herself very coy, and refused all presence which he sent her. Neither did Sir Piero prevent his honestly conversing with the damsel, fearing the anger of the magnificent family of Baglioni, but Desiderio De Sitta del Lago, the which was affianced to Mona Maddalena, often had words with Sir Piero on the subject, and one day well nigh broke the ribs of Messer Troilo's squire, whom he charged with carrying dishonest messages. Now it so happened that Messer Troilo, as he was the most beautiful, benign, and magnanimous of his magnificent family, was also the most cruel thereof, and incapable of brooking delay or obstacles. And being, as a most beautiful youth, he was only turned nineteen, and the first down had not come to his cheeks, and his skin was astonishingly white and fair, like a woman's, of a very amorous nature of which many tales went concerning the violence he had done to damsels and citizens' wives of Gubio and Spello, and evil deeds in the castle of Fratta in the Apennines, some of which it is more beautiful to pass in silence than to relate, being, as I say, of an amorous nature and greatly magnanimous and ferocious of spirit, Messer Troilo was determined to possess himself of this Maddalena di Sir Piero. So a week after, having fetched away the wedding-chest from Sir Piero's workshop, paying for it duly in Florentine lilies, he seized the opportunity of the festivities of St. John's Nativity, and it is the habit of the citizens to go to their gardens and vineyards to see how the country is prospering, and eat and drink in honest converse with their friends in order to satisfy his cruel wishes. For it so happened that the said Sir Piero, who was rich and prosperous, possessing an orchard in the valley of the Tibet near San Giovanni, was entertaining his friends there, it being the eve of his daughter's wedding, peaceful and unarmed. And a serving wench, a moor and a slave who had been bribed by Messer Troilo, proposed to Mono Maddalena and the damsels of her company to refresh themselves, after picking flowers, playing with hoops, asking riddles and similar girlish games, by bathing in the tiber which flowed at the bottom of the orchard. To this, the innocent virgin, full of joyousness, consented. Hardly had the damsels descended into the riverbed, the river being low and easy to ford on account of the summer, when, behold, there swept from the opposite bank a troop of horsemen, armed and masked, who seized the astonished Maddalena and hurried off with her, vainly screaming like another proserpina, to her companions who, surprised and ashamed at being seen with no garments, screamed in return, but in vain. The horsemen galloped off through Bastia and disappeared long before Sir Piero and his friends could come to the rescue. Thus was Mono Maddalena, cruelly taken from her father and bridegroom, through the amorous passion of Messer Troilo. Sir Piero fell upon the ground, fainting for grief, and remained for several days like one dead, and when he came to, he wept and cursed wickedly, and refused to take food and sleep and to shave his beard. But being old and prudent, and the father of other children, he conquered his grief, well knowing that it was useless to oppose providence or fight, being but a handicraftsman, with the magnificent family of Baglione, lords of Perugia since many years, and as rich and powerful as they were magnanimous and implacable. So that when people began to say that, after all, Mono Maddalena might have fled willingly with a lover, and that there was no proof that the masked horsemen came from Messer Troilo, although those of Bastia affirmed that they had seen the green and yellow colors of Frata, and the said Troilo came not near the town for many months after, he never contradicted such words out of prudence and fear. But Desiderio of Castiglione Del Lago, hearing these words, struck the old man on the mouth till he bled. And it came to pass, about a year after the disappearance of Mono Maddalena, and when, particularly as there had been a plague in the city, and many miracles had been performed by a holy nun of the convent of Santana, the witch fasted seventy days, and Messer Ascanio Baglione had raised a company of horse for the Florentine Signore in their war against those of Siena. People had ceased to talk of the matter, that certain armed men, masked but wearing the colors of Messer Troilo and the scorpion on their doublets, rode over from Frata, bringing with them a coffer wrapped in black bays, which they deposited overnight on Ser Piero Bantempi's doorstep. And Ser Piero, going at daybreak to his workshop, found that coffer, and recognizing it as the same which had been made, with a panel representing the triumph of love and many ingenious devices of sculpture and gilding for Messer Troilo, called Barbacane, he trembled in all his limbs, and went and called Desiderio, and with him privily carried the chest into a secret chamber in his house, saying not a word to any creature. The key, a subtle piece of work of the smith Kavana, was hanging to the lock by a green silk string, onto which was tied a piece of parchment containing these words, to Master Desiderio, a wedding gift from Troilo Baglioni of Frata. An illusion doubtless, ferox atque cruente facetia, by fierce and cruel joke, to the triumph of love, according to Messer Francesco Patrarcha, painted upon the front of the coffer. The lid being raised, they came to a piece of red cloth, such as is used for mules, etiam even so, a fold of common linen, and below it a coverlet of green silk, which, being raised, their eyes were met, heu infandum patri sclerotum che donos, o unspeakable father of a wicked gift, by the body of Mona Maddalena, naked as God had made it, dead, with two stabs in the neck, the long golden hair tied with pearls, but dabbed in blood, the witch Maddalena was cruelly squeezed into that coffer, having on her breast the body of an infant, recently born, dead, like herself. When he beheld this sight, Serpiero threw himself on the floor and wept, and uttered dreadful blasphemies, but Desiderio of Castelloni de Lago said nothing, but called a brother of Serpiero, a priest and prior of Saint Severus, and with his assistance carried the coffer into the garden. This garden, within the walls of the city, on the side of Porta Eburnia, was pleasantly situated, and abounding with flowers and trees, useful both for their fruit and their shade, and rich likewise in all such herbs as thyme, majorum, fennel, and many others, that prudent housewives desire for their kitchen, all watered by stone canals, ingeniously constructed by Serpiero, which were fed from a fountain, where you might see a mermaid squeezing the water from her breasts, a subtle device of the same Piero, and executed in a way such as would have done honor to Phidias or Praxiteles, on hard stone from Montecatria. In this place, Desiderio of Castelloni de Lago dug a deep grave under an almond tree, the which grave he carefully lined with stones and slabs of marble, which he tore up from the pavement, in order to diminish the damp, and then requested the priest, Serpiero's brother, who had helped him in the work, to fetch his sacred vestments and hooks and all necessary for consecrating that ground. This the priest immediately did, being a holy man and sore grieved for the case of his niece. Meanwhile, with the help of Serpiero, Desiderio tenderly lifted the body of Mona Maddalena out of the wedding-chest, washed it in odorous waters, and dressed it in fine linen and bridal garments, not without much weeping over the poor damsel's sad plight, and curses upon the cruelty of her ravisher. And having embraced her tenderly, they laid her once more in the box, painted with the triumph of love, upon folds of fine damask and brocade. Her hands folded, and her head decently placed upon a pillow of silver cloth, a wreath of roses, which Desiderio himself plated, on her hair, so that she looked like a holy saint, or the damsel Julia, daughter of the Emperor Augustus Caesar, who was discovered buried on the Appian Way, and incontinently fell into dust. A marvellous thing. They filled the chest with as many flowers as they could find. Also sweet-scented herbs, bay leaves, oryx powder, frankincense, ambergris, and a certain gum called insyrian fizellis, and by the Jews barach, in which they say that the body of King David was kept intact from earthly corruption, and which the priest, the brother of Serpiero, who was learned in all alchemy and astrology, had bought of certain moors. Then, with many alasses and tears, they covered the damsel's face with an embroidered veil and a fold of brocade, and closing the chest, buried it in the hole, among great store of hay and straw and sand, and closed it up, and smoothed the earth, and to mark the place Desiderio planted a tuft of fennel under the almond tree. But not before having embraced the damsel many times, and taken a handful of earth from her grave and eaten it, with many implications upon Messertroilo, which it were terrible to relate. Then the priest, the brother of Serpiero, said the service for the dead Desiderio serving him as acolyte, and they all went their way, grieving sorely. But the body of the child, the which had been found in the wedding-chest, they threw down a place near St. Herculanus, where the refuse and oafel of dead animals are thrown, called the Sardegna, because it was the bastard of Sertroilo, et infamy sclerisque partum, and the child of wicked infamy. Then, as this matter got abroad, and also Desiderio's implications against Sertroilo, Serpiero, who was an old man and prudent, caused him to depart privily from Perugia, for fear of the wrath of the magnificent Orasio Bagleone, uncle of Messertroilo, and lord of the town. Desiderio of Castiglione de Lago went to Rome, where he did wonderful things and beautiful, among others certain frescoes in St. Cosmos and Damien, for the cardinal of Ostia, and to Naples, where he entered the service of the Duke of Calabria, and followed his armies long, building fortresses and making machines and models for canon and other ingenious and useful things. And thus for seven years, until he heard that Serpiero was dead at Perugia of a surfeit of eels, and that Messertroilo was in the city raising a company of horse with his cousin Astore Bagleone for the Duke of Urbino. And this was before the plague, and the terrible coming to Umbria of the Spaniards and Renegade Moors under Caesar Borgia, Vicaria Sancte Ecclesia, Sue Flagellem Dei et Novesatela. The Vicar of the Holy Church, or the Whip of God and the new Attila the Hun. So Desiderio came back privily to Perugia, and put up his mule at a small inn, having dyed his hair black and grown his beard after the manner of Easterns, saying he was Greek coming from Ancona. And he went to the priest prior of St. Severus and the brother of Serpiero, and discovered himself to him, who, although old, had great joy in seeing him and hearing of his intent. And Desiderio confessed all his sins to the priest, and obtained absolution, and received the body of Christ with great fervor and compunction, and the priest placed his sword on the altar beside the Gospel as he said Mass and blessed it. And Desiderio knelt and made a vow never to touch food, save the body of Christ, till he could taste the blood of Messertroilo. And for three days and three nights he watched him and dogged him, but Messertroilo rarely went unaccompanied by his men, because he had offended so many honourable citizens by his amorous fury, and he knew that his kinsmen dreaded him and would gladly be rid of him on account of his ferocity and ambition, and their desire to unite the thief of Fratta to the other lands of the main line of the magnificent house of Baglione, famous in arms. But one day, toward dusk, Desiderio saw Messertroilo coming down a steep lane near St. Herculanus alone, for he was going to a woman of light fame called Flavia Bella, the witch who was very lovely. So Desiderio threw some ladders from a neighbouring house which was being built and sacks across the road and hid under an arch that spanned the lane, which was greatly steep and narrow. And Messertroilo came down on foot whistling and paring his nails with a small pair of scissors, and he was dressed in grey silk hose and a doublet of red cloth and gold brocade pleated about the skirts, and embroidered with seed pearl and laced with gold laces. And on his head he had a hat of scarlet cloth with many feathers, and his cloak and sword he carried under his left arm. And Messertroilo was twenty-six years old but seemed much younger, having no beard and a face like Hyacinthus or Ganymede, whom Jove stole to be his cup-bearer on account of his beauty. And he was tall and very ferocious and magnanimous of spirit, and as he went, going to Flavia the courtesan, he whistled. And when he came near the heaped-up ladders and the sacks, Desiderio sprang upon him and tried to run his sword through him. But although wounded, Messertroilo grappled with him long. But he could not get at his sword which was entangled in his cloak, and before he could free his hand and get at his dagger, Desiderio had him down and ran his sword three times through his chest, exclaiming, This is from Maddalena, in return for her wedding chest. And Messertroilo, seeing the blood flowing out of his chest, knew he must die, and merely said, Which Maddalena? I remember old Piero's daughter. She was always a cursed, difficult slut and died. And Desiderio stooped over his chest and lapped up the blood as it flowed, and it was the first food he tasted since taking the body of Christ, even as he had sworn. Then Desiderio went stealthily to the fountain under the arch of St. Proxidus, where the women wash linen in the daytime and cleansed himself a little from that blood. Then he fetched his mule and hid it in some trees near Messer Piero's garden, and at night he opened the door, the priest having given him the key, and went in, and with a spade and matuk he had brought dug up the wedding chest with the body of Mono Maddalena in it, the which, owing to the herbs and virtuous gums, had dried up and become much lighter. And he found the spot by looking for the fennel tuft under the almond tree, which was then in flower it being spring. He loaded the chest, which was moldy and decayed, on the mule and drove the mule before him till he got to Castelloni del Lago, where he hid. And meeting certain horsemen, who asked him what he carried in that box, for they took him to be a thief, he answered his sweetheart, so they laughed and let him pass. Thus he got safely on to the territory of Arezzo, an ancient city of Tuscany, where he stopped. Now when they found the body of Messer Troilo there was much astonishment and wonder, and his kinsmen were greatly wroth. But Messer Arezzo and Messer Ridolfo, his uncles, said, "'Tis as well, for indeed his courage and ferocity were too great, and he would have done some evil to us all had he lived.' But they ordered him a magnificent burial, and when he lay on the street dead many folk, particularly painters, came to look at him for his great beauty, and the women pitied him on account of his youth, and certain scholars compared him to Mars, God of War, so great was his strength and ferocity, even in death. And he was carried to the grave by eight minute arms, and twelve damsels and youths, dressed in white, walked behind, strewing flowers, and there was much splendor and lamentation on account of the great power of the magnificent house of Baglione. As regards Desiderio of Castiglione del Lago he remained at Arezzo till his death, preserving with him always the body of Mona Maddalena in the wedding chest painted with the triumph of love, because he considered she had died Odore Magni Sanctitatis, in a manner suggesting great holiness. End of A Wedding Chest, by Vernon Lee Read by Tisto, Tystio.com