400 CRANE— MEDIEVAL SERMON-BOOKS AND STORIES. 



enough, they are generally without indication of source. About 

 twenty-seven stories contain mention of source, not always cor- 

 rectly. The " Vitae Patrum " is cited seven times (once incorrectly), 

 but in fact twenty-two exempla are from that famous work. There 

 are fifty-one stories or miracles of the Virgin, with one citation of 

 source : " Legitur in miraculis beate Marie." St. Gregory's " Dia- 

 logues " are mentioned once, and a few " chronicles " and " his- 

 tories " ha,ve been used. It is easy to find sources ancl analogues 

 for many of the stories, and I have done so in my review of the 

 work in Modern Language Notes, January, 191 7. I need not re- 

 peat here what I have said at length there, but I cannot refrain 

 from again calling attention to the unusually interesting character 

 of this collection. It contains many of the best-known mediaeval 

 tales, such as : Longfellow's " King Robert of Sicily," " Beatrice the 

 Nun who saw the World," " Theophilus," " The Angel and Hermit," 

 " Amis and Amiles," " Fridolin," Chaucer's " Pardoner's Tale," etc. 

 Among the stories rarely found in exempla literature is a version 

 of the " Don Juan " legend, in which a drunkard passing through 

 a cemetery invites a skull to sup with him. It comes with its body 

 in terrible shape, and in turn invites the host to sup with him in 

 a week in the place where he was found. The guest goes there 

 and is carried by a whirlwind to a deserted castle, and given a seat 

 in a gloomy corner at a wretchedly served table. The host tells his 

 story, how he was a judge neglectful of his office and bibulous. He 

 urges his guest to return home and do good works. One of the most 

 beautiful of the stories is that of the daughter of a heathen king 

 who saw a fair flower in the garden and began to reflect how much 

 more beautiful must be the creator of all flowers. She is betrothed 

 to a youth and on her wedding day asks permission to go into the 

 garden and worship the god of flowers. An angel appears to her and 

 carries her away to a convent in a Christian land, where she spends 

 the rest of her life as a nun. I do not know of any parallel among 

 mediaeval exempla, although the theme " Marienbrautigam " is widely 

 spread and was used by Merimee in his story " La Venus d'llle." 

 The story was early known in Germany, and a VolksUed on the 

 subject was in circulation as early as 1658. 



I have kept for the conclusion of my paper two works of popu- 



