in 
and Art. 
Literature 
57 
 
influence is apparent everywhere, and in innumerable cafes ferious 
pidures of the graveft and molt important fubjetits are {imply and 
abfolutely caricatures. Anglo-Saxon art ran much into this Pcyle, and 
is often very grotefque in chara6ter. The firft example we give 
(cut No. 31) is taken from one of the illuilzrations to Alfric's Anglo- 
Saxon veriion of the Pentateuch, in the profufely illuminated rnanufcript 
in the Britifh Mufeum (MS. C0tton., Claudius B  which was written 
at the end of the tenth, or beginning of the eleventh, century. It 
reprefents the temptation and fall of man ; and the fubject is treated, as 
Will be feen, in a rather grotefque manner. Eve is evidently dictating 
to her hufband, who, in obeying her, {hows a mixture of eagernefs and 
trepidation Adam is no lefs evidently going to fwallow the apple whole, 
which is, perhaps, in accordance with the mediaeval legend, according to 
which the fruit {tuck in his throat. It is hardly necelfary to remark that 
the tree is entirely a conventional one; and it would be difficult to 
imagine how it came to bear apples at all. The mediaeval artifts were 
extremely unikilful in drawing trees; to thefe they ufually gave the 
forms of cabbages, or forne fuch plants, of which the form was flmple, or 
often of a mere bunch of leaves. Our next example (cut No. 32) is allb 
1 Anglo- 
Ll