The subject of the picture is drawn from the ‘ ’ of Dante, theautobiography of his earlier life. It embodies his dream on the day of thedeath of Beatrice Portinari; in which, after many portents and omens, he is led by Love himself to the bedside of his dead lady, and sees other ladies coveringher with a veil as she lies in death. The scene is a chamber of dreams, whereBeatrice is seen lying on a couch recessed in the wall, as if just fallen back indeath. The winged and glowing figure of Love (the pilgrim Love of the , wearing the scallop-shell on his shoulder,) leads by the hand Dante, whowalks conscious but absorbed, as in sleep. In his other hand Love carries hisarrow pointed at the dreamer's heart, and with it a branch of apple-blossom, whichmay figure forth the love here consummated in death,—a blossom plucked beforethe coming of fruit. As he reaches the bier, Love bends for a moment overBeatrice with the kiss which her lover has never given her; while the two dream-ladies hold the pall full of may bloom suspended for an instant before it coversher face for ever. These two green-clad women look fixedly on the dreamer asif they might not speak, with saddened but not hopeless eyes.

The chamber of dreams is strewn with poppies; and on either side of therecessed couch two open passages lead to staircases, one upward one downward.In these staircases are seen flying two birds, of the same glowing hue as thefigure of Love,—the emblems of his presence filling the house. In these openings,and above where the roof also lies open, bells are seen tolling for the dead; andbeyond in the distance is the outer world of reality—the City of Florence, which,as Dante says, ‘sat solitary’ for his lady's death. Over all, the angels float up-wards, as in his dream, ‘having a little cloud in front of them;’—a cloud towhich is given some semblance of the beatified Beatrice.D. G. R.