Legend of Saint Ursula and Her Companions: With Illuminated Miniatures Taken From the Church of S. Ursula, Cologne 1869
Legend of Saint Ursula and Her Companions: With Illuminated Miniatures Taken From the Church of S. Ursula, Cologne; John Camden Hotten(Piccadilly/1869); 1st; VG; Not ex-lib, Not remainder; HB-Deep brown pebble grain moroccan leather, covers panelled in gilt w/raised fleurons (center + corner-pieces),four stamped angel corner-pieces (beautifully crisp details), raised bands spine densely gilt in compartments, gilt turn-ins/edges repeat decorative rules all edges gilt, lower front gutter shows signs of beginning surface split(involving only leather), very minimal edgewear to tips + spine tips; Endpapers beautifully marbled, front gutter shows very slight beginings of split, rear gutter has approx .5” split from bottom, all edges bright gilt; Frontis + 21 bright chromolithographed reproductions of illuminated miniatures(Hans Memling and the Flemish school of art) by Hangard-Mauge(decorated w/gilt), elaborate engraved borders to the text pages Includes the Legend of Saint Ursula by Hatfield,the Metrical Legend of Saint Ursula (a facsimile of Wynkyn de Worde's Edition w/bright red header), two appendices, including Hans Memling and the Flemish School of Art, w/other artistic references, + a reproduction of a Roman inscription found at Cologne
Ursula, saint + martyr of Cologne, whose date of death is variously given as 238, 283, and 451, was, according to the earliest form of the developed legend, a British maiden, the only daughter of the pious Christian king Deonotus. She was christened Ursula (a diminutive of ‘Ursa,’ a she bear), because she was to slay ‘the bear’—i.e. the devil. She resolved to become a nun, but was sought in marriage by the heathen son of a ‘certain most ferocious tyrant,’ who threatened to waste the land with fire and sword if she refused. As the result of a vision, in which was revealed her future martyrdom, Ursula consented on condition that she was allowed as companions ten noble virgins who, like Ursula, were to have each a thousand attendant virgins and a ship. The prince was, moreover, to become a Christian. The eleven ships, with Pinnosa, Ursula's chief companion, as admiral, after cruising for three years round the British coasts, sailed up the Rhine to Cologne and to Basel, whence Ursula and her companions went on foot to Rome. Returning to Cologne, which had meanwhile been seized by the Huns, they were massacred in 238, Ursula being slain by an arrow. The inhabitants after the withdrawal of the Huns buried them with more than mortal honours, and built a church outside the walls, which was rebuilt on a grander scale long afterwards at the bidding of one Clematius, a wise man from the east. -Unknown Source
Ursula, saint + martyr of Cologne, whose date of death is variously given as 238, 283, and 451, was, according to the earliest form of the developed legend, a British maiden, the only daughter of the pious Christian king Deonotus. She was christened Ursula (a diminutive of ‘Ursa,’ a she bear), because she was to slay ‘the bear’—i.e. the devil. She resolved to become a nun, but was sought in marriage by the heathen son of a ‘certain most ferocious tyrant,’ who threatened to waste the land with fire and sword if she refused. As the result of a vision, in which was revealed her future martyrdom, Ursula consented on condition that she was allowed as companions ten noble virgins who, like Ursula, were to have each a thousand attendant virgins and a ship. The prince was, moreover, to become a Christian. The eleven ships, with Pinnosa, Ursula's chief companion, as admiral, after cruising for three years round the British coasts, sailed up the Rhine to Cologne and to Basel, whence Ursula and her companions went on foot to Rome. Returning to Cologne, which had meanwhile been seized by the Huns, they were massacred in 238, Ursula being slain by an arrow. The inhabitants after the withdrawal of the Huns buried them with more than mortal honours, and built a church outside the walls, which was rebuilt on a grander scale long afterwards at the bidding of one Clematius, a wise man from the east. -Unknown Source
