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CEILINGS LIKE THE SKY

there were the signs super-celestial and the planetsSol and Luna, that were drawn along in their properchariots. And in the midst abode Phoebus—that is,the god of the sun—which, having his feet on the earth,reached into heaven with his head, and did hold in hishand an orb, signifying that Rome ruled over the world.’Our own Higden, in the Polychronicon, adds to themight and marvel of the sun-god in this place :—‘ Thisbrazen statue, gilded with imperial gold, continuallyshed rays through the darkness, and turned round ineven movement \vith the sun, carrying his face alwaysopposite to the solar body; and all the Romans whenthey came near worshipped, in token of subjection.’The story of a temple of glass is especially interesting.Benjamin of Tudela about the same time describesanother as existing at Damascus .

In the Dietrich Romances, King Laurin of the RoseGarden has a subterranean palace to which he carries offhis bride. In it ‘the walls were of polished marble inlaidwith gold and silver ; the floor was formed of a singleagate, the ceiling of a sapphire, and from it there hungshining carbuncles like stars in the blue sky of night.’

In the ‘ Parsifal, ’ Titurel, the ancestor of the hero,builds on Mount Salvatch a temple worthy to enshrinethe sangreal. It was discovered that the rock or coreof the mountain was one entire onyx of enormous size,and this was flattened into a flooring and polished withgreat care. One morning the plan was foundmiraculously marked out and all the materials ready,and with supernatural aid the temple was soon com-pleted. It was circular in form, and had seventy-twooctagonal choirs and thirty-six belfries. In the midstwas a tower with many windows, its topmost pointa ruby, out of which rose a cross of clear crystalsurmounted by a golden eagle with outstretched wings.‘Withinthe building, sculptured vines, roses,and lilies