430 MERCER — SURVIVAL OF ILLUMINATIVE WRITING. [Sept. 17. 



2. Conventional bird, the pelican (a mediaeval church symbol emblematic of the 

 Redemption), standing upon bracket protruding from urn-shaped nest, tears its 

 breast with its beak (see Plate VIII). Three dotted red lines lead from the 

 wound to the outstretched mouths of three eel-shaped young birds uplifting their 

 bodies from the nest. Colors, red, yellow, green and black. No writing. In pos" 

 session of Henry K. Gross, of Plumsteadville. Date, about 1830. 



3. Leaflet, 7^ inches long by 6^ inches broad. No writing. Two tulips with 

 other flowers sprout from heavy red stalks. Illuminated borders. Colors, red, 

 yellow, brown, green, blue and black. Date, 1820. Made by Isaac Gross, died 

 1895. ^^ possession of Henry K. Gross, of Plumsteadville. 



4. Small leaflet, 4 inches long by 2 inches wide. Stalk bearing large tulip. 

 Flower rises from centre of the heart. Name, Susanna Fretzin. Illuminated 

 border. Colors, red, green, yellow, brown and black. Date probably about iSio. 

 Property of Henry W. Gross, of Doylestown. 



5. Unfinished leaflet, 7 inches long by 4^ inches wide. Words, Diese Bibel ist 

 gekauft worden im Jahr unsers Herrn lS30,'den 25th December und gehoret 

 mier^ Isaac Gross, ,flO. Abundant leafage springing from a heart with flowers 

 and tulips done in red outline. Brush work just begun. Ornamental borderings. 

 Colors, blue, black, yellow, red and olive. In possession of Henry K. Gross, 

 Plumsteadville. 



6. Leaflet, about 9 inches long by 6^ inches broad, with angels and illuminated 

 writing done by teacher of Pebble Hill German School about 1800. In possession 

 of Mrs. Levi Garner, Doylestown. 



E. Taufscheine or Baptismal Certificates with Marriage 

 AND Death Registers in Bibles. 



The German custom of preserving baptismal certificates, though 

 wanting the force of legal compulsion, after crossing the Atlantic, 

 survived until recent years in parts of Pennsylvanian Germany. 

 Not practiced by the Mennonites, owing to their rejection of the 

 doctrine of infant baptism, it prevailed extensively among Luther- 

 ans in northern Bucks and Lehigh counties, where however since 

 about 1840 printed Taufscheine, gaudily colored, took the place of 

 the old documents illuminated by hand. 



Three of the printed certificates (giving the date of the individ- 

 ual's birth on a colored sheet adorned with hearts, wreaths, four 

 birds, and angels blowing cornets, published by Johann Ritter, 

 Reading, 1845, ^^^ i^ Allentown in 1848) were seen by the writer 

 in October, 1897, in possession of Philip Flores, of Dillingersville, 

 Lehigh county. 



Examples of the old illuminated Taufscheine are : 



I. Round leaflet, 7^ inches in diameter, surrounded by a round band, spotted 

 in red, the latter fringed on both sides with yellow and red scrolls. Text, in 

 black, Anna Maria ist von chri^tliche Luiherische Eltern im fahr Unsers 



