ROSWITHA THE NUN 



fourth-century Greek legend. 1 Whilst she does 

 not display any originality in elaborating the 

 story, but keeps carefully to the text so much 

 so that at times she merely transcribes she 

 reveals her artistic as well as her psychological 

 instinct by concentrating the essentials, thereby 

 transforming a rather discursive composition into 

 a poignant picture. The subtle touches, the 

 sentiment, and the dialogue so pathetic and so 

 true to nature, make this drama verily her 

 masterpiece, and ^ one worthy of a place beside 

 the delicate and dramatic miniatures of the time. 

 In a few words, here is the story. A holy man, 

 by name Abraham, has abandoned a life of soli- 

 tude in order to take care of his young orphaned 

 niece. After a few years, she is tempted to a 

 house of ill fame. Some two years later, her 

 uncle, having discovered her whereabouts, deter- 

 mines to exchange his hermit garb for that of a 

 man of the world, and go to the house in the 

 guise of a lover, so as to get an opportunity of 

 speaking with his niece alone. Of course she 

 does not recognise him in his change of costume, 

 and when he asks for a kiss, she puts her arms 

 round his neck, and suddenly detects a strange 

 perfume. Instantly a change comes over her. 

 The scent recalls to her her former unsullied life, 

 and tears fill her eyes. At the fitting moment 

 the uncle makes himself known, and showing 

 her with sweet words of sympathy and encourage- 

 ment that sin is natural to humanity, and that 



1 Migne, Patrol. Lat. Ixxiii. 

 23 



