320 THE STONES OF VENICE

Virgin (the zodiacal sign) above him, lifting up her hand. This appears to be a peculiarly Italian version of the proper employment of August.¹ In Northern countries he is generally threshing, or gathering grapes. Spenser merely clothes him with gold, and makes him lead forth

“the righteous Virgin, which of old

Lived here on earth, and plenty made abound.”

9. SEPTEMBER. Bearing home grapes in a basket. Almost always sowing, in Northern work. By Spenser, with his usual exquisite ingenuity, employed in gathering in the general harvest, and portioning it out with the Scales, his zodiacal sign.²

10. OCTOBER. Wearing a conical hat, and digging busily with a long spade.³ In Northern work he is sometimes a vintager, sometimes beating the acorns out of an oak to feed swine. When September is vintaging, October is generally sowing. Spenser employs him in the harvest both of vine and olive.⁴

11. NOVEMBER. Seems to be catching small birds in a net.⁵

¹ [In his left hand the sleeping figure holds a fan. “At the present day it is a more common thing to see in the streets of Venice, in August, young men with fans in their hands, or projecting out of their breast pockets, than without them” (The Bible of St. Mark, p. 98).]

² [“In his one hand, as fit for harvest’s toil,

He held a knife-hook; and in th’ other hand

A paire of waights, with which he did assoyle

Both more and lesse, which in doubt did stand,

And equall gave to each as Justice duly scann’d.”]

³ [Such as is used in the present day in Venetia; so too in “September,” “the same kind of basket, borne in the same way, is still seen in use in Venice” (The Bible of St. Mark, pp. 99).]

⁴ [“Then came October full of merry glee;

For yet his noule was totty of the must,

Which he was treading in the wine-fats see,

And of the joyous oyle, whose gentle gust

Made him so frollick and so full of lust.”]

⁵ [An occupation very characteristic of Venetia and indeed of Italy, namely, that of catching birds by the use of bird-lime. “An artificial tree is erected on a bare height, which offers a temptation to wearied birds of passage to alight. The success of this method is here indicated by the man holding two birds in his left hand, whilst with his right he is removing another from a branch. Two more birds, free, but ready to ensnare themselves, perch on the boughs above” (The Bible of St. Mark, p. 100).]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]