It is the largest picture Rossetti ever painted, the subject is that of the early water-colour of 1856, and the picture illustrates the following: "Then Love spoke thus: 'Now all shall be made clear; Come and behold our lady where she lies.' * * * * * Then carried me to see my lady dead; And standing at her head Her ladies put a veil over her; And with her was such very humbleness That she appeared to say, 'I am at peace.'" In the composition Dante is led by Love to where Beatrice lies dead, and Love bends down to kiss her. On either side of the bier where she lies, two maidens dressed in green are holding a pall covered with May flowers and the floor is strewed with poppies, emblem of death. On each side of the picture there are winding staircases through which one sees the sunny streets of Florence. Love is dressed in flame colour and birds of the same hue are flying about to suggest that the place is filled with the Spirit of Love. Proserpine was the next picture Rossetti undertook. It was begun on four canvases. The fourth when finished was sold. Rossetti, who at that time had assistants to help him in making the replicas of his earlier work, painted to satisfy the demand of his patrons, and much controversy raged round this picture. It is impossible to say if it was entirely painted by him, but he owned to it although it was not a good one. The purchaser was dissatisfied so he agreed to take it back. The three unfinished versions were cut down and transformed into heads, one of which, with the adding of some floral accessories, and a slight change in the hands, was called "Blanziflore" or "Snowdrops." One cannot help being a little puzzled by the notion of beginning four canvases of the same picture at the same time, it suggests too much of the commercial spirit. In 1872 "Veronica Veronese," and the "Bower Meadow," were painted, the former illustrating the following lines, supposed to be a quotation taken from Girolamo Ridolfi's letters which are inscribed on the frame: "Se penchant vivement la Véronica jeta les premières notes sur la feuille vierge. Ensuite elle prit l'archet du violon pour réaliser son rêve; mais avant de décrocher l'instrument suspendu, elle resta quelques instants immobile en écoutant l'oiseau inspirateur, pendant que sa main gauche errait sur les cordes cherchant le motif suprême encore éloigné. C'était le mariage des voix de la nature et de l'âme--l'aube d'une création mystique." The Lady Veronica, dressed in green, is sitting in front of a little table on which is her music manuscript. Behind her on the left-hand top corner is a canary perched on a cage and at her side stands a glass of daffodils. She is leaning forward as if listening to the bird, plucking with her left hand the strings of a violin hanging on the wall in front of her while she holds the bow in her right hand. [Illustration: PLATE VIII.--ASTARTE SYRIACA