A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



has been taken as typical of the group in this country. The subjects 

 represented on the four sides of the outside of the bowl are as follows : 



West Side. Two stories from the legendary life of St. Nicholas of Myra each shown in 

 two scenes, but so jumbled up together that it is not an easy matter to separate them. The 

 three figures in the ship on the right of the panel and the figure lying horizontally below 

 the ship illustrate the first part of the story of the childless nobleman, who made a vow that 

 he would present a gold cup to St. Nicholas if a son and heir were born to him ; and the 

 rest of the story is told by the two figures on the extreme left of the panel. This is the 

 story as given in The Golden Legend, 1 Another nobleman prayed to S. Nicholas that he 

 would, by his merits, get of our Lord that he might have a son, and promised that he would 

 bring his son to the church, and would offer up to him a cup of gold. Then the son was 

 born and came to age, and the father commanded to make a cup, and the cup pleased him 

 much, and he retained it for himself, and did do make another of the same value. And they 

 went sailing in a ship toward the church of S. Nicholas, and when the child would have 

 filled the cup, he fell into the water with the cup, and anon was lost, and came no more up. 

 Yet nevertheless the father performed his avow, in weeping much tenderly for his son ; and 

 when he came to the altar of S. Nicholas he offered the second cup, and when he offered it, 

 it fell down, like as one had cast it down under the altar. And he took it up and set it again 

 upon the altar, and then yet was it cast further than tofore and yet he took it up and remised 

 it the third time upon the altar ; and it was thrown again further than tofore. Of which 

 thing all they that were there marvelled, and men came for to see this thing. And anon, the 

 child that had fallen into the sea, came again prestly before them all, and brought in his 

 hands the first cup, and recounted to all the people that, anon as he was fallen into the sea, 

 the blessed S. Nicholas came and kept him that he had none harm. And thus his father was 

 glad and offered to S. Nicholas both the two cups.' 



The meaning of the sculpture on the font is now clear. In the first scene on 

 the right of the panel we see the ship containing the nobleman (with a beard, seated 

 near the bow and holding up his hands in astonishment probably at the roughness of 

 the sea) ; his son (a beardless youth on the left of the mast, resting his elbow on the 

 gunwale and supporting his face with his right hand) ; and the captain of the vessel (with 

 a beard and having the tiller under his right arm). The figure with a cup in his hand lying 

 in a horizontal position below the ship on the left is no doubt intended for the nobleman's 

 son, who has tumbled overboard. The second scene on the extreme left of the panel shows 

 us S. Nicholas with his episcopal mitre and crozier holding the wrist of the nobleman's son, 

 who is distinguished by having the cup in his hand. The two groups of figures in the middle 

 of the panel represent the murder of the three children by the wicked host and their sub- 

 sequent miraculous restoration to life by St. Nicholas. The incident is thus related by the 

 writer of an article in the Pall Mall Gazette of December 5, 1896 : 



' Many strange legends have gathered around the name of St. Nicholas, but the strangest 

 of them all is that which tells how he became the patron of schoolboys. And a ghastly little 

 tale it is. A pork butcher there were pork butchers, it seems, even in those days was sitting 

 one night in his shop when three little boys who had lost their way appeared at the door, and 

 begged for a night's shelter. The man welcomed them quite kindly, gave them some supper 

 and a bed, but no sooner were they well asleep than he chopped off their heads, for his supply 

 of sausage-meat had run short that morning. Just as he had finished packing their little 

 bodies away in the brine, St. Nicholas knocked at the door and asked for food and lodging. 

 He wished to sup, he said, on the three little boys who were in the brine-tub. The butcher, 

 conscience stricken, recognized his visitor, and made a full confession ; whereupon the Saint 

 restored the small boys to life there and then, and became the guardian of them and all their 

 kind.' 



Immediately to the right of St. Nicholas and the nobleman's son with the gold cup, at 

 the left end of the panel, the wicked host stands axe in hand with his equally detestable wife 

 and partner in his crimes looking over his shoulder. In front of him below the axe are 

 the heads of the three children appearing out of the salting-tub arranged in a vertical row, one 

 below the other. To the right of this group is St. Nicholas with his crozier and mitre 

 bringing the children to life. 



1 Dent's Temple Classics edition, ii. 1 20. 

 242 



