[M2.116L]                                                             [M2.116]								116
                                                                      
                                                                      		grace and science  With Byzantine however rude the
                                                                      		cutting every line is lovely;  and the animals or men are
                                                                      		placed in any attitudes which secure this exceeding grace
                                                                      		sometimes impossible ones - always severe - restrained or
                                                                      		languid - Wth the Romanesque workmen, all the figures
                                                                      		show the efforts (often successful) ones to express energetic
                                                                      		action - hunting chiefly - much fighting - but both
                                                                      		spirited and true - some of the dogs running capitally
                                                                      		straining to it, and the Knights hitting hard;  while
                                                                      		yet the faces and drawing are in the last degree barbarous.
                                                                      		At Venice all is graceful - fixed - or languid.
                                                                      		the eastern Torpor is in every line:  the mark of a
                                                                      		school formed on severe traditions - and keeping to them
                                                                      		and never likely or desirous to rise beyond them - but with
                                                                      		an exquisite sense of beauty and much solemn religious
                                                                      		faith.
                                                                      		If the Great outer archivolt of St Marks is Byzantine.
                                                                      		the law is somewhat broken by its busy domesticity
                                                                      		figures engaged in every trade and in the preparation
                                                                      		of viands of all kinds - a crowded kind of London Christmas
                                                                      		scene - interleaved (literally) by the superb balls
                                                                      		of leafage  unique in sculpture -  but even this is strongly
                                                                      		opposed to the  wild war and chase passion of the Lombard
                                                                      		Farther:  the Lombard building is as sharp precise
                                                                      		and accurate so that of St Marks is careless:  the Byzantines
                                                                      		seem to have  been too lazy to put their stones together
                                                                      		and in general my impression on coming to Verona
                                                                      		after four months in Venice

[Version 0.05: May 2008]