VIII. THE DUCAL PALACE 387

we may describe as the front and the eastern and western sides of each.

§ 67. FIRST CAPITAL: i.e. of the pilaster at the Vine angle.

In front, towards the Sea. A child holding a bird before him, with its wings expanded, covering his breast.

On its eastern side. Children’s heads among leaves.

On its western side. A child carrying in one hand a comb; in the other a pair of scissors.¹

It appears curious, that this, the principal pilaster of the façade, should have been decorated only by these graceful grotesques, for I can hardly suppose them anything more. There may be meaning in them, but I will not venture to conjecture any, except the very plain and practical meaning conveyed by the last figure to all Venetian children, which it would be well if they would act upon. For the rest, I have seen the comb introduced in grotesque work as early as the thirteenth century, but generally for the purpose of ridiculing too great care in dressing the hair, which assuredly is not its purpose here. The children’s heads are very sweet and full of life, but the eyes sharp and small.

§ 68. SECOND CAPITAL. Only three sides of the original work are left unburied by the mass of added wall. Each side has a bird, one web-footed, with a fish; one clawed, with a serpent, which opens its jaws, and darts its tongue at the bird’s breast; the third pluming itself, with a feather between the mandibles of its bill. It is by far the most beautiful of the three capitals decorated with birds.²

THIRD CAPITAL. Also has three sides only left. They have three heads, large, and very ill cut; one female, and crowned.³

¹ [This capital (renewed) now shows six sides; 1, 2, and 6 in Ruskin’s plan of enumeration are described in the text; 3 shows an old man, his hands resting on acanthus leaves; 4, a man in the prime of life, with tasselled cap, holding a tumbler in his left hand, and a graving tool (?) in his right; 5, a young man in a tall cap, with a razor in the left hand. For the probable sequence of these subjects, see below, p. 468.]

² [Namely, Nos. 2, 4, 11. This capital (renewed) now shows all its eight sides. The bird on sides 1-5 is a swan. Side 1, with serpent; 2, with fish; 3, biting its wing; 4, with head near the ground; 5, picking up food; 6, a hawk (?); 7, eagle; 8, a bird pluming its feathers.]

³ [This capital also is new; side 1, female head with jewelled cap; 2-8, male heads; 2, with helmet with a cross on it; 3, with turbaned cap; 4, with chequer-work cap; 5, with cap; 6, bare-headed; 7, old man with worked turban; 8, young man with curly hair.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]