48 THE SEVEN LAMPS OF ARCHITECTURE

over delicacy on parts distant from the eye. Here, again, the principle of honesty must govern our treatment: we must not work any kind of ornament which is, perhaps, to cover the whole building (or at least to occur on all parts of it) delicately where it is near the eye, and rudely where it is removed from it. That is trickery and dishonesty.* Consider, first, what kinds of ornaments will tell in the distance and what near, and so distribute them, keeping such as by their nature are delicate, down near the eye, and throwing the bold and rough kinds of work to the top; and if there be any kind which is to be both near and far off, take care that it be as¹ boldly and rudely wrought where it is well seen as where it is distant, so that the spectator may know exactly what it is, and what it is worth. Thus chequered patterns, and in general such ornaments as common workmen can execute, may extend over the whole building; but bas-reliefs, and fine niches and capitals, should be kept down; and the common sense of this will always give a building dignity, even though there be some abruptness or awkwardness in the resulting arrangements. Thus at San Zeno at Verona, the bas-reliefs, full of incident and interest, are confined to a parallelogram of the front, reaching to the height of the capitals of the columns of the porch.² Above these, we find a simple, though most lovely, little arcade; and above that, only blank wall, with square face shafts. The whole effect

* There is too much stress laid, throughout this volume, on probity in picturesque treatment, and not enough on probity in material construction. No rascal will ever build a pretty building,-but the common sense, which is the root of virtue, will have more to say in a strong man’s design than his finer sentiments. In the fulfilment of his contract honourably, there will be more test of his higher feelings than in his modes of sculpture. But the concluding sentences of the chapter from this point forward are all quite right, and can’t be much better put. [1880.]

¹ [The MS. reads:-

“that it be not only coarse (or rather bold, for no work need be coarse, however simple) but as boldly,” etc.]

² [Cf. Lectures on Architecture and Painting, § 67. The whole of the Addenda to Lectures I. and II. in that book, §§ 57-76, should be compared with this chapter. San Zeno was a favourite church with Ruskin, and is often discussed or illustrated in his books; see, e.g., Plate 17 in Stones of Venice, vol. i., and fig. 42 in Modern Painters, vol. v. Mr. W. M. Rossetti records in his diary (July 6, 1864) that “the custode, a

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