The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

from the walls of a Dominican burial
ground. the Klingenthai convent. Thsfe
are extant several presentations of tile
man with the scythe" engaging In this
Terpsichorean pastime, and its origin Is
shrouded In mystery. set of these pic
lures is to be found upon the old bridge
at Lueerne; another Is in the Campo
Santo at Pisa and attributed to Oreagna.
Still another may be seen at the Marian
kirche at Lubecz and the cloistures of o,d
st. Paul In London were decorated with
such pictures in the reign of Henry &.
1 once saw this dance illustrated by fig
ures in high relief in an old cemetery
near Dresden, but they seem to have
escaped the notice of antiquarians. IN
the preservation death is always made gro
tesque and a sort of horrd Harlequin
a skeleton dancer. or musician playing
for dancing leading all mankind The
subject has been popular in Germany.
France, Spain and England, but chiefiv
In the first mentioned country In Spain
the presentation is known as La Danza
General de los Muertos; in Germany as
the ToGeHdans. II Is true that Holoen
las left 50 sketches. now in st Peters,
burg, which ihe called '.Gmagines Mortis,"
but they are Independent and no not rep
resent dance. The dance was originally
morality play and was known as tho
Dance Of Macaber. 1t had its birth In
Germany whence it quickly spread 20
T. rance, bul why called MaCaDeF Is a
mystery. Some suppose It is a corruption
of the French name "Macabre." which is
tn' turn n variant of the cognomen St.
Maearlus, and account for it In this man
ner: An ancient painting illustrated a
thirteenth century legend OF the lesson
given by certain hideous spectres of death
10 three noble youths when hunting in a
forest TheH later arrived a the cell OF
st Maearius. an Egyptian auchorite, who
VAS shown i'm a painting by Andrew Or
easna presenting them with one hand
label of admonition on the valnglory It
life. and with the other hand pointing to
three open coffins. In one coffin Is a
skeleton, in one a king.
Base is rich in the history Of literature
and learning. It's university was founded
in 1iGo and it is associated with such men
of erudition as Erasmus and Paracelsus
the latter charming us by that small,
familiar demon which he carried In the
hilt of his sword. 1t has been the seat
of conclaves councils, confessions and
teraties. One of Its councils was in ses-
sion for is years and was the last of tho
three great reforming assemblies of the
fifteenth century. It's object was tho
union of the Greek and Latin churches
but it failed in its mission It resulted
In the election of several rival popes ara
established the schism between the Call.
cans ard the Ultramontaines which has
existed to this day.
Here also originated the first Helvetic
confession.
1t may be stated here that the territory
of which Basle IL the capital Is but half
of a canton, the canton being divided into
Base-Land and Basel-Stadt the popula-
ton of the two being nearly equal
As the inspiring spell of great artists
seems to haunt the atmosphere of sunny
Florence and the spirits of those wko
gave life to the canvas yet appear to
move among the purlieus OF that star OF
Italy so the genius of the learned yet in
fuences the envirment of Basle. Great
men are always lonely mon and loneliness
permeates the very air of the city by the
Rhine. Yet It Is loneliness that in
spires the glory of Erasmus and his coll
leagues still lives and sheds a radiance
owe rthe place that not even the deadly
breath of the baslislS can tarnish.