[M2.129L]                                                             [M2.129]								129
                                                                      
                                                                      		even in the Griffin wings, and mix it with ivy leaves
                                                                      		in their animal friezes.
                                                                      		It is however on the west front that Lord L’s description
                                                                      		is most justified - but he has not said half enough;  The
                                                                      		state of mind which it represents seems more that of a
                                                                      		feverish dream, than of any determined architectural
                                                                      		purpose;  or even of any definite love and delight in
                                                                      		the grotesque:  One capital is covered with a mass of
                                                                      		grinning heads:  other heads grow out of two bodies, or
                                                                      		our of {& under} feet - the creatures are all fighting
                                                                      		or devouring - or struggling, for which shall be uppermost
                                                                      		and yet in an ineffectual way, as if they would fight
                                                                      		for ever, {and come to no decision (dyspeptic again)}
                                                                      		Neither sphinxes nor centaurs did I notice, - nor a single
                                                                      		peacock {(I believe Peacocks to be purely Byzantine)}
                                                                      		but mermaids with two fishes tails {(the sculptor having perhaps
                                                                      		seen double at the time)}   (a good deal like archivolt   
                                                                      		of St Marks lower figure)   strange large fish - apes -
                                                                      		stags - (bulls?) dogs & wolves, and horses, griffins -
                                                                      		eagles - long tailed birds not peacocks (cocks?) hawks;
                                                                      		and dragons without end, {or with a dozen of ends, as the
                                                                      		case may be} smaller birds, with rabbits, and small
                                                                      		nondescripts, filling the friezes,  {Of} one of these friezes
                                                                      		the outer arch of the northern porch or door, the three
                                                                      		topmost rolls circles are given at (fig 5  No 182) to be
                                                                      		compared with the Byzantine scrolls;  the actual leaf which is
                                                                      		used in the moulding in the house behind Ca Foscari,
                                                                      		occurs in other parts of this Pavian arch: and the
                                                                      		principle of the whole is exactly the same.  But the
                                                                      		Lombard animals are all alive

[Version 0.05: May 2008]