The Stones of Venice, Volume 2 (of 3), by John Ruskin

3. MARCH. Here, as almost always in Italy, _a warrior_: the Mars of the

173 words  |  Chapter 34

Latins being of course, in mediæval work, made representative of the military power of the place and period; and thus, at Venice, having the winged Lion painted upon his shield. In Northern work, however, I think March is commonly employed in pruning trees; or, at least, he is so when that occupation is left free for him by February's being engaged with the ceremonies of Candlemas. Sometimes, also, he is reaping a low and scattered kind of grain; and by Spenser, who exactly marks the junction of mediæval and classical feeling, his military and agricultural functions are united, while also, in the Latin manner, he is made the first of the months. "First sturdy March, with brows full sternly bent, And armed strongly, rode upon a Ram, The same which over Hellespontus swam; Yet in his hand a spade he also bent, And in a bag all sorts of seeds ysame,[97] Which on the earth he strowed as he went." His sign, the Ram, is very superbly carved above him in the archivolt.

Chapters

1. Chapter 1 2. CHAPTER I. 3. CHAPTER II. 4. CHAPTER III. 5. CHAPTER IV. 6. CHAPTER V. 7. CHAPTER VI. 8. CHAPTER VII. 9. CHAPTER VIII. 10. 12. Modern Paintings on Glass, 394 11. CHAPTER I. 12. CHAPTER II. 13. CHAPTER III. 14. 1125. The Doge Domenico Michele, having in the second crusade secured 15. 1. a. b. c. b. a. 11. b. a. c. f. a. a. 16. CHAPTER IV. 17. chapter ii. of the "Seven Lamps," § 18, I especially guarded this 18. introduction to his Iconographie Chrétienne, p. 7:--"Un de mes 19. CHAPTER V. 20. 1. Fondaco de' Turehi, lateral 8. St. Mark's. 21. 3. Casa Farsetti, central pillars, 11. Casa Loredan, upper arcade. 22. 7. Casa Loredan, upper arcade. 15. St. Mark's. 23. CHAPTER VI. 24. 6. Redundance. 25. 1. Never encourage the manufacture of any article not absolutely 26. 2. Never demand an exact finish for its own sake, but only for some 27. 3. Never encourage imitation or copying of any kind, except for the sake 28. 1. Never encourage the manufacture of anything not necessary, in the 29. book I have seen which, favoring the Liberal cause in Italy, gives a 30. CHAPTER VII. 31. 6. In domestic architecture, the remains of the original balconies begin 32. 1. JANUARY, _Carrying home a noble tree on his shoulders, the leafage of 33. 2. FEBRUARY. _Sitting in a carved chair, warming his bare feet at a 34. 3. MARCH. Here, as almost always in Italy, _a warrior_: the Mars of the 35. 4. APRIL. Here, _carrying a sheep upon his shoulder_. A rare 36. 5. MAY _is seated, while two young maidens crown him with flowers._ A 37. 6. JUNE. _Reaping._ The corn and sickle sculptured with singular care 38. 7. JULY. _Mowing._ A very interesting piece of sculpture, owing to the 39. 8. AUGUST. Peculiarly represented in this archivolt, _sitting in a 40. 9. SEPTEMBER. _Bearing home grapes in a basket._ Almost always sowing, 41. 10. OCTOBER. _Wearing a conical hat, and digging busily with a long 42. 11. NOVEMBER. _Seems to be catching small birds in a net._ I do not 43. 12. DECEMBER. _Killing swine._ It is hardly ever that this employment is 44. CHAPTER VIII. 45. 1301. Some remnants of the Ziani Palace were perhaps still left between 46. 25. " Frequentatio Companying with saints. 47. 30. " Perseverantia. Perseverance. 48. 7. To Violence and Fraud. 49. 10. Treachery to those who repose entire trust in the traitor. 50. introduction to Intemperance; a graceful and feminine image, necessary 51. 68. Some historians speak of the palace as having been destroyed 52. 1. THE GONDOLIER'S CRY. 53. 2. OUR LADY OF SALVATION. 54. 3. TIDES OF VENICE, AND MEASURES AT TORCELLO. 55. 4. DATE OF THE DUOMO OF TORCELLO. 56. 5. MODERN PULPITS. 57. 6. APSE OF MURANO. 58. 7. EARLY VENETIAN DRESS. 59. 8. INSCRIPTIONS AT MURANO. 60. 9. SHAFTS OF ST. MARK. 61. 10. PROPER SENSE OF THE WORD IDOLATRY. 62. 11. SITUATIONS OF BYZANTINE PALACES. 63. 12. MODERN PAINTING ON GLASS.

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