76 THE BOX. 



unnatural are the kings and queens depicted on them, that 

 it is scarcely possible they can be anything else than tra- 

 ditional absurdities. 1 A modern playing-card may there- 



Cristofort tmtm trie Quacungue tueris IBtllegiwo 



Ilia nempe fcie tnorte mala non morieria. 2 XX terno. 



fore be considered as affording a fair specimen of the 

 perfection of wood-engraving in the fifteenth century. 

 The next step in advance was the delineation of figures of 



1 A similar instance of obstinate adherence to an old and there- 

 fore familiar pattern, a long way behind the existing state of the 

 arts, may be observed in the never-ending "willow pattern" 

 on earthenware. 

 2 Translation : 



Gaze on the face of Christopher every day, 1493 



So on that day tliou shalt not die an evil death. 



