Publisher's Synopsis
This charming children's book from the Victorian period contains a magnificent translation by John Mason Neale (1818-1866) of St. Bernard of Clairvaux's exultant hymn to the joys of the heavenly Jerusalem, excerpted from the saint's famous poem "De contemptu mundi" (ca. 1144). The text, given a few lines per page in large handsome letters and surrounded with Gothic tracery, is accompanied by angels adapted from Fra Angelico. The book, which was published in 1903 by Ernest Nister in London and by E. P. Dutton in New York, is a fine example of the neo-Gothic style. The poetic diction, rhythm, and images will remain present in the minds of children who read this or have it read to them.
