designs inspired by Petrarch's Trionfi, notably the Triumph of Death. Amongst many other designs in

FIG. 20.-Ivory panel from a casket (Italian, about 1480), with the "Triumph of Death,"
after Petrarch.

spired by Petrarch are a "Triumph of Death" 104 by

104 Prince d'Essling and E. Müntz, op. cit., p. 151.

Lorenzo Costa (died 1583), in the Church of St. James. Major at Bologna, and a painting 105 of the same subject by Bonifazio Veneziano (died 1553). On a design of the "Triumph of Death," by Marten van Heemskerk (14981574), Death holding his scythe is mounted on an oxendrawn chariot.106

In the designs after Petrarch's Trionfi the three Fates (Parcae or Moirae), namely, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, the three dreaded sisters of the ancient classical world, frequently appear, generally all together, replacing the Mediaeval "skin and skeleton" figure of Death with the scythe, hour-glass, &c.

On these Renaissance designs the "Three Sisters" practically symbolize death, just as in classical Roman times they did, when Horace sang

"Huc vina et unguenta et nimium brevis

Flores amoenae ferre jube rosae,

Dum res et aetas et sororum

Fila trium patiuntur atra";

and when later Roman or Graeco-Roman art represented one of the "sisters," namely Clotho, on a silver wine-cup of the Boscoreale treasure, already alluded to.

On the sixteenth-century Flemish tapestry representing the "Triumph of Death," in the Royal Palace of Madrid,107 the three Fates ride on the back of a winged monster, which is harnessed to the aërial chariot of Death. On another tapestry of the same symbolical subject (early sixteenth-century Flemish tapestry in the Victoria and Albert Museum) the three Fates are seated in the triumphal car of Death with Chastity at their feet.108 On the

105 Ibid., p. 187.

106 An engraving figured by Prince d'Essling and E. Müntz, op. cit., p. 257.

107 Prince d'Essling and E. Müntz, op. cit., plate facing p. 214.
108 Ibid., plate facing p. 208.

first portion (the left) of the same tapestry, representing the " Triumphal Death of Chastity," the three Fates are of course likewise represented, and Atropos is spearing Chastity 109 A similar early sixteenth-century Flemish tapestry exists at Hampton Court. On another tapestry in the Victoria and Albert Museum the three Fates are seen standing on a prostrate female figure, which is evidently meant to represent Chastity, for there exists a similar French sixteenth-century design 110 on which the prostrate figure is clearly labelled as representing Chastity. A companion French sixteenth-century design 11 pictures "Good Fame" standing victorious over the prostrate figures of the three Fates. On one of the early sixteenthcentury Flemish tapestries at Hampton Court Fame is shown triumphing over Death.112 The Fates are falling on their triumphal car at the trumpet-blast of Fame, whilst, all around, the heroes of ancient history and legend-Priam, Menelaus, Jason, Lucretia, King Arthur, Tristan, Charlemagne, Roland, &c.-are seen rising from their tombs. On an engraving printed at Paris by Charles le Vigoureux, in the last part of the sixteenth century (see Fig. 21), the triumphal car of Death again contains, not a figure of the Mediaeval skeleton type, but the three Fates with their respective labels, "Clotho," "Lachesis," and "Atropos." 113 On the companion design of the Triumph of Fame over Death, the three Fates are being crushed beneath the wheels of the car on which Fame stands victorious, blowing her long trumpet.114

109 Ibid., plate facing p. 206.

110 Ibid., p. 235.

111 Ibid., p. 235.

112 Ibid., plate facing p. 210.

113 Ibid., p. 249.

114 Ibid., p. 251.

I shall now continue the general memento mori subject, especially in regard to the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

FIG. 21.-French print of the sixteenth century, with the Triumph of Death (or rather, of the Three Fates) over Chastity, after Petrarch. (Photograph.)

Hans Burgkmair (about 1510) pictures Death strangling (or rather, in a peculiar kind of way, suffocating) a lover, whose lady flees in terror. Hans Sebald Beham (1522) shows Death approaching a woman on a couch,

whose husband or lover lies dead on the floor of the room. By the same artist is the engraving (1541) of Death accosting a lady with an hour-glass in her hands, who is walking in a garden, with the inscription, "Omnem in homine venustatem mors abolet." His brother, Barthel Beham (1502-1540), engraved a memento mori design of a baby, hour-glass, and human skulls; there are two varieties, one with three skulls, dated 1529, and

one with four skulls, bearing the inscription, "Mors omnia. aequat" (vide Fig. 22).

The design better illustrates the oft-quoted line of Manilius: "Nascentes morimur, finisque ab origine pendet" (cf. Bishop J. Hall's Epistles (Dec. 3, Ep. 2): "Death borders upon our birth, and our cradle stands in the grave"). The actual words, "Omnia mors aequat," occur in Claudian's Raptus Proserpinae, book 2, line 302.

Another engraving (Fig. 23) by Barthel Beham represents a mother giving her baby the breast (perhaps the Madonna and Infant Christ); on the table and window-sill are a Death's-head and an hour-glass.