ON ANCIENT CASKETS OP IVORY AND WOOD. 235 



of the Chevalier au Lion, also attributed to Percival li gallois. 

 In the first compartment is the attack of the lion, in which 

 the knight cuts off one of his paws. Then, the passing of the 

 pont d'epe^, under a shower of lances, two incidents also to 

 be found in the romance of Lancelot du lac, and sculptured on 

 the capital of a column in the church of St. Peter, at Caen, 

 in Normandy. Next appears the knight sleeping on his 

 enchanted bed, on wheels, with bells under it, amidst a storm 

 of lances, watched by the faithful lion. Last are seen three 

 damsels in conversation, but I am not certain of their history. 

 The front is divided into four compartments. The first and 

 second are from the lay of Aristotle. In the first the sage is 

 seen teaching Alexander, from a book, the impropriety of his 

 infatuation for the Indian Queen. Next, Her Majesty giving 

 proof to the hero of the all-powerful effect of love, by making 

 Aristotle carry her on his back, with a bridle on. This is also 

 to be found sculptured on the same capital in the church 

 of St. Peter, at Caen. The other two compartments may 

 refer to some additional incidents in this poem not contained 

 in most copies. The sage, followed by two old men, are 

 about to climb a rock in order to get to a castle, which, in the 

 upper part they appear to approach, and are received at the 

 gate by a young lad. In the fourth compartment are four 

 damsels bathing. At one end of the chest is the adventure of 

 Galaad, and the castle of damsels, where a hermit delivered to 

 him the keys, on his dismounting from his horse. See the 

 second part of the San Graal, in Royal Lib. Brit. Mus. 14, E. 

 III. At the other, a queen sitting with her lap-dog, and 

 viewing the head of a king which is pointed out to her by a 

 knight, while the transaction is witnessed by a king in a tree ; 

 and then a knight thrusting his lance through an unicorn, 

 on whose head a lady places one hand while the other holds a 

 circle or diadem. Adventures with an unicorn are often found 

 in the old romances, probably this is one of Sir Lancelot's, 

 but I do not feel competent to assign the transactions. 



IV. Another lady's casket of ivory, containing the same 

 subjects as the last, rather larger, but of which the front 

 is wanting, of the time of Edward II. The top very similar 

 to the last, except that the first compartment, a little varied 

 here, forms the fourth, and instead, we have knights climbing 

 up into the castle of the ladies, and one carrying off a female 

 before him on his horse, and then seen making love to her in 

 a boat, which the boatman is rowing by a bridge. The back 

 and one end are nearly the same, but on the other, besides 

 Lancelot receiving the key from the hermit,, he is previously 



