OF SIX MEDIAEVAL WOMEN 



were specially appointed to perform the office 

 of consecration of nuns at Gandersheim. It 

 seems hardly possible that Roswitha could have 

 seen its gifted bishop Bernward, himself a 

 painter, and a worker in mosaic and metals, 

 though owing to the uncertainty of the date of 

 her death one chronicler making it as late as 

 1002 it is just possible that she may have done 

 so. Bernward's learning and artistic nature 

 attracted the attention of the princess Theophano, 

 who appointed him tutor to her son, the boy- 

 emperor Otho the Third. Brought thus into 

 touch with the many gifts presented on special 

 occasions to the young Emperor by Greek and 

 Oriental princes, as well as by u Scots " (i.e. 

 Irish missionaries and emigrants settled in 

 Germany), he, by taking with him to Court, 

 from the School of Art established in his palace 

 at Hildesheim, apt and talented youths, made 

 use of these rare and beautiful offerings for the 

 encouragement of the study of divers arts. 

 Students also accompanied him when he went 

 farther afield for study, for it is said of him 

 that there was no art which he did not attempt, 

 even if he failed to attain perfection. 1 Hildes- 

 heim thus became famous as a working-centre 

 of fine art, especially in metals, and remained so 

 down to the end of the Middle Ages. After 

 a lapse of nearly a thousand years, the result ot 

 the labours of this artistic prelate and his pupils 



1 Thangmarus, "Vita Sti. Bernwardi," Migne, Patroi. Lat. 140, 

 col. 397. 6. 



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