Page three

FOLIO 9

~~After days of crossing plains, hills, and forests, Cueur and Desire finally emerge from one of the most sinister and terrifying forests ever known ( seen at left ) to find themselves before the chapel of a hermitage.~~~~ With its arched entrance, three cornered gable, and a belfry, it is twelth-century Provencal in style.~~~ As though blocking the entrance to this sanctuary there stands a female dwarf who is ugliness personified. Wild strands of hair stand up on her head, and she has piercing eyes as well as a venomous glance. Her nose is misshapen and her mouth stretches from ear to huge hanging ear. Below her darkly repellant forehead and face the shoulders and hips are malformed, and one low hanging udder is visible. Hairy arms and legs scratched by thorns and the broad, clumsy feet of a swan ( barely covered by the two lion skins which are clumsily knotted together over her shoulders ) complete the picture. The description of this gargoyle in the text is even less flattering than the artist's portrait. She is jealousy ( Jalousie ), Love's sworn enemy. Amour had actually sent the handsome boy Welcome ( Bel Accueil ) to meet Cueur and Desire as their messenger and guide, but Jealousy has ambushed him and locked him up.

~~Desire politely asks Jealousy for a night's lodging, but the hideous dwarf answers him with only shrill hostility and curses. Cueur longs to kill her on the spot, but Desire stops him--she is, after all, a woman, and there would be little honor in such a deed. Accordingly, Cueur restrains himself and asks for directions.~~ Jealousy tells them how to reach the Castle of Good Rest ( Bon Repos ), but in reality she is sending the two men, with malice aforethought, on a false trail into the Forest of the Long Wait ( le Forest de Longue-Attente).

In the illustration, the malicious dwarf takes up relatively little space. The dominant figure is that of Desire, clad in white, behind whom the forest stretches back into mysterious darkness. In effective contrast to this we have the bright facade of the chapel, with its lovingly detailed decorations,~~ and the blue sky above it ( on the right ) . In this predominantly benign atmosphere the only unpleasant note is struck by the ugliness of Jealousy. ....Continue [ Next folio ~ No.12]

[ Previous Folio ] . [ Introduction ] . [ Rene's Page ] . [ Index ] . [ Home Page ]

Webpage hosted by GEOCITIES Get your free homepage Here