of his illustrious and powerful parentage. After some hesitation, he decided to accept the see of Paderborn; but, in the meanwhile, the neighbouring nobles and the vassals attacked and pillaged the diocese, under the leadership of Frederick of Padberg. The canons raised forces to defend the territory, but were defeated. Unable to devise any better plan, they then placed the flock under the care of the wolf, by making Frederick guardian of the diocese. How this experiment answered does not appear. In 1390 Robert entered on the administration, but was not consecrated. In 1391 he appointed Conrad Albieastrensis (Weissenburg?) his vicar as regarded all spiritual matters, and found for himself full occupation in carrying on war against Frederick of Padberg and his associates. One campaign was ended by the death of Frederick, the capture of his brothers, and the wasting of his territory. The snake, however, was only scotched, not killed; and in 1394 the bishop was again obliged to take the field, and, while besieging the castle of Padberg, died of some contagious disease, much regretted by his subjects.
This is a plate brass, and is the earliest example of a German work of the kind which has been noticed,—all the earlier ones being figure brasses. It measures 3 feet 2 inches by 6 feet 11 inches; and represents the prelate in the dress, not of a bishop, but of a canon. A mitre is held over his head by two angels. The figure is placed within an elegant canopy, niches in which are occupied by figures of angels, playing on various musical instruments. Under the feet are two men[1] in complete defensive armour, but without swords or other weapons. They lie on their backs, with the knees raised, and the shoulders supported against the sides of the canopy. Round the whole runs an inscription; at the corners are quatrefoils, containing escutcheons, on which are the following arms:—Berg quartered with Jülich, with Ravensberg on a small inescutcheon; Bavaria quartered with the Palatinate of the Rhine, Ravensberg, and Berg. The sides of the inscription are broken by trefoils, which enclose demi-figures of bearded men holding scrolls.[2] The inscription (divested of contractions) is as follows:—
Annis m Christi quadringentis que minus sex
De mundo tristi festo pe pau rapuit nex
Rupert electum huic ecclesie bene rectum
De montis vectum bavarorum fonte refectum
Cui tu messia rogo confer gaudia diva.
Wherever in the original a contraction is marked, the word has been printed at length; but in the case of the m in the first line, the "pe pau" in the second, the "montis" in the fourth, and the "diva" in the fifth, there is no mark of contraction; and it is obvious that the words must be read as printed, for the sake of the metre. "Pe Pau," it is clear, stand for Petri Pauli, "Montis," probably, for Montibus.
The fifth example is the one represented by the accompanying woodcut. The original is in the western apse of the cathedral of Bamberg, and
- ↑ It seems not improbable that in this instance, as in that of Bishop Spiegel, these armed figures are not simply typical of the spiritual victory of the Church over the world, but are placed in this posture of humiliation with a direct reference to the temporal victories of the bishops over their unruly neighbours. They afford good examples of the armour of the period.
- ↑ These probably represent prophets.
