New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-10-13
The Swineherd.
From the Art Journal.

AAC 0"lACACIus
From the Art Journal
Readers of Sir Walter Scott will
remember, haply, their Introduction
to Gurth the Swineherd in the opening
chapter OF "Ivanhoe." The passage
is so fine in it's description OF this
strange denizen of the extensive woods
which are to be seen at the noble seats
OF Wentworth, OF Wharncliffe Park,
and around Rotterdam, that we
cannot do better than quote Sir
Walters own words: "Broad- headed,
short-stemmed, wide-branched oaks,
which had witnessed perhaps the
stately march OF the Roman
soldierly, flung their gnarled arms
over thick carpet OF the
most delicious greensward. In some
places they were intermingled with
beeches. hollies and copsewood OF va
rious descriptions, SO closely, astotal-
ly to intercept the level beams of the
sinking sun; in others they receded
from each other, forming those long,
sweeping vistas, in the intricacy of
which the eye delights to lose itself,
while Imagination consider them
as the paths to yet wilder scenes OF
silvan solitude. x The human
| figures which completed this landscape
were in number two, partaking in
their dress and appearance of that
wild and rustic character which be-
longed to the woodlands of the West
Riding OF Yorkshire at that early peri
cd. The eldest of these men had q
stern, savage and wild aspect. His
garments were of thesimplest form inn
aginable, being a close jacker with
sleeves, composed of the tanned skin
OF some ANIMAL, on which the hair
had been originally left, but which had
been worn off in so many places, that
it would have been difficult to distin-
guish, from the patches that remained,
to what creature the fur had belonged.
This primeval vestment reached
from the throat to the knees, and
ser7ed at once all the usual purposes
OF body.clothing; there was no wider
opening at the collar than was neces-
sary for the passage of the head, from
which it may be inferred that it was
put on by slipping it over the head
and shoulders, in the manner of a
modern shirt, or ancient hauberk.
Sandals, bound with thongs made of
bears hide, protected the teet, and a
| roll OF thin leather was twined artifi.
cially around the legs, and, ascending
above the calf, left the knees, like
those OF a Scottish Highlander. To
make the jacket sit yet more closely
to the body, it was gathered at the
middle by broad leather belt secur-
ed by a brass buckle, to one side of
which was attached q sort of scrip.
and to the other rams horn, ac-
coutred with a mouthpiece, for the
| purpose of blowing. In the same belt
was stuck one of those long. broad,
I~sharp.pointed, and two-edged knives,
with a bucks horn handle, which were
fabricated in the neighborhood. and
bore, even at this early period, the
name of q Sheffield whistle. The man
had no covering upon his head, which
was only defended by his own thick
hail, matted and twisted together, and
scorched by the influence OF the sun
into a rusty dark red color, forming a
contrast with the overgrown beard
upon his cheeks, which was rather
Of a yellow or amber hue. One part
of his dress only remains, butt is too
remarkable to be suppressed; it was
brass ring resembling a dogs collar,
but without any opening, and sol
dered fast around his neck, so loose
as to form no impeachment Of his
breathing yet SO tight as to be incap-
able OF being removed, excepting by
the use Of the file On this singular
gorget was engraved in Saxon charac-
tiers: 'Gurth, the son of Beowulph, is
the born thrall of Cedric of Rother-
wood. - Such is the scene which in
splred the brush OF the artist, Mr.. c..
p. Johnson, and so successful was he
that the Council Of the Royal Acade-
my selected the picture to form one
OF those representative works which
are every year purchased out of the
funds OF the Chaatrey bequest. The
picture is now in the South Kensing-
ton Museum.