in 
and Art. 
Literature 
47 
down to the feait, they were obliged to go through other ceremonies, 
which, as well as the eating, are defcribed in the fame ftyle of cari- 
cature. The wines, of which there was great variety, Were ftifved T0 
the guetts with the fame allufions to their individual charaoters; but 
fome of them complained that they were badly mixed, although Jonah was 
the butler. In the fame manner are defcribed the proceedings which 
followed the dinner, the wafhing of hands, and the deifert, to the 
latter of which Adam contributed apples, Samfon honey; while David 
played on the harp and Mary on the tabor; Judith led the round dance; 
Jubal played on the pfalter; Afael {ling fongs, and Herodias aeted the 
part of the dancing-girl  
Tun: Adam puma minfflrat, Samfzznjlwi dulcia. 
Da-vid cyrllarum percujit, et Maria tympana, 
juditlz Maren: ducebat, er 7115411 pfalteria. 
Afar! metra mnebat, falrabat Herodias. 
Mambres entertained the company with his rnzigical performances; and 
the other incidents of a mediaeval feftival followed, throughout which the 
fame tone of burlefque is continued; and fo the ftory continues, to the 
end? We {hall find thefe incipient forms of mediaeval comic literature 
largely developed as we go on. 
The period between antiquity and the middle ages was one of fuch 
great and general deltruetion, that the gulf between ancient and mediaeval 
art fgems to us greater and more abrupt than it really was. The want 
of monuments, no doubt, prevents our feeing the gradual change of one 
into the other, but neverthelelis enough of facts remain to convince us 
that it was not a fndden change. It is now indeed generally underltood 
that the knowledge and practice of the arts and manufactures of the 
Romans were handed onward from mailer to pupil after the empire had 
fallen; and this took place efpecially in the towns, fo that the workman- 
 
' The TEXT of this Singular C0mP05m0",With a full account of the various forms 
in which it was published, will be found in M. du M6ril's " PO6_sie5 Populail-es 
Latines ant6rieures au douziirme sikclc," p. 193.