Another prominent Madonna-worshipper was Conrad of Wuerzburg (died 1278). He began his career as a minnesinger, but later on entered a monastery. He was the author of a very extensive, and in part, poetical collection of songs in praise of the Queen of Heaven. "The Golden Smithy" is an interesting instance of the mingling of genuine metaphysical eroticism and traditional Church doctrines. Conrad inextricably mingles all the Biblical allegories more or less applicable to Mary, the stories of the Gospels, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, etc., with his own emotions, and thus creates a world of feeling which, though in many respects exaggerated, still represents in its quaint unity something entirely novel and unique: Thy glorious form, Though by beauty all envested, Never passion has suggested Nor has lit unholy fire In man's heart, that gross desire From thy purity should spring. He, too, describes the celestial Paradise as a lovely garden, in which Mary walks as queen, and he says of her celestial maidens, (perhaps a reminiscence of the mythological German swan-maidens): Thy white hand with blossoms Their chaplets enhances, Thou show'st them the dances Of God's Paradise. 'Mid radiant skies Thou gather'st heavenly roses. The Italian Franciscan monk Giacomo of Verona also wrote poems to the "Queen of the Heavenly Meadows". "On the right hand of Christ sits Mary, more lovely than the flowers in the meadows and the half-opened rose-buds. Before her face stand the heavenly hosts singing jubilant songs in her praise, but she adorns her knights with garlands and gives them roses." Just as Pons of Capduelh describes the transfiguration of his earthly mistress, Jacopone describes Mary's ascent into Heaven, where she is received by the angels singing songs of jubilee, their _sanctus, sanctus, sanctus_, replaced by a joyful _sancta, sancta, sancta_--a goddess has been received in the place of God. Gottfried of Strassburg, the author of the sensuous and passionate epic poem "Tristan and Isolde," composed a long poem in honour of Mary couched in the well-known terms of the loving worshipper: Thou vale of roses,--violet-dell, Thou joy that makest hearts to swell, Eternal well Of valour; Queen of Heaven! Thou rosy dawn, thou morning-red, Thou steadfast friend when hope has fled, The living bread, Oh! Lady, hast thou given. Thou sheen of flow'rs with love alight, Thou bridal crown, all maids' delight, Thou art bedight With heaven's golden splendour! Thou of all sweetness sweetest shine, Thou sweeter than the sweetest wine, The sweetness thine, Is my salvation ever. Thou art a potion sweet of love, Sweetly pervading heaven above, To sailors rough Sang syrens sweeter never.