ANTIQUE IVORY TABLET. 101 



marks which he gives in his Illustrations of Shakspeare ; and I 

 doubt not that you will recall the description of the Friar in 

 Chaucer's Tales, who was provided with 



"A pair of tables all of Ivory, 

 And a pointel polished fetisly," 



serving to record on the spot the name of any benefactor to the 

 fraternity. Perfect specimens of ivory tables, or waxed memo- 

 randum-books, of the 13th and 14th Centuries, are comparatively 

 uncommon ; but they exist in several collections. The leaves are 

 worked with a sHght raised margin on each of their sides, so as to 

 form a shallow casement or hollow to receive the wax, and to pro- 

 tect the writing from being readily effaced. There was also usually 

 such a casement on the inner side of each of the two sculptured 

 covers ; and I should expect to find it on the reverse of the curious 

 Tablet in your possession. 



I regret that I am unable at present to offer you any decided 

 opinion as regards the subjects sculptured upon this interesting 

 relic of Art. There can be no doubt that they are taken from 

 some tale of Eomance, probably of the history of Arthur and his 

 Knights. I have^ however, been unable to satisfy myself in regard 

 to the conjectures which I have formed ; and the illness of a friend 

 well versed in these interesting subjects has prevented my obtain- 

 ing the information which, I had hoped, might ere this have 

 enabled me to offer you some satisfactory explanation. Certain 

 subjects, of similar nature, ocdur on other Ivories knov/n to me. 

 The representation of the persons j)lunged in the fountain may be 

 seen on an Ivory Casket in the late Sir Samuel Meyrick's Collection 

 at Goodrich Court, and on another in the British Museum ; in each 

 instance associated with subjects from the-tale of King Alexander, 

 and the Lay of Aristotle, and from the popular romance of Lancelot 

 and Arthur's frail consort Guenevra. You will perceive that at 

 the lower part of your Tablet a singular subject is introduced : a 

 person is conveyed in a wheelbarrow to the Gate of a Castle, 

 where the Porter seem^s to deny entrance, and repels the unwel- 

 come visitor. I know no incident in medieval romance which so 

 nearly accords Avith this, as that related in the Tale of Amis and 

 Amiloun, in which the leprous Knight is brought to his brother's 

 gate in a " croud wain," or wheelbarrow ; but I am not satisfied 



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