394 THE STONES OF VENICE

Eighth side. A figure with curly hair, and an acorn in its hand, ending below in a fish.

§ 78. NINTH CAPITAL. First side. Faith. She has her left hand on her breast, and the cross on her right. Inscribed “FIDES OPTIMA IN DEO.”¹ The Faith of Giotto² holds the cross in her right hand; in her left, a scroll with the Apostles’ Creed. She treads upon cabalistic books, and has a key suspended to her waist. Spenser’s Faith (Fidelia) is still more spiritual and noble:

“She was araied all in lilly white,

And in her right hand bore a cup of gold,

With wine and water fild up to the hight,

In which a serpent did himselfe enfold,

That horrour made to all that did behold;

But she no whitt did chaunge her constant mood:

And in her other hand she fast did hold

A booke, that was both signd and seald with blood;

Wherein darke things were writt, hard to be understood.”³

§ 79. Second side. Fortitude. A long-bearded man [Samson?] tearing open a lion’s jaw. The inscription is illegible, and the somewhat vulgar personification appears to belong rather to Courage than Fortitude. On the Renaissance copy⁴ it is inscribed “FORTITUDO SUM VIRILIS.” The Latin word has, perhaps, been received by the sculptor as merely signifying “Strength,” the rest of the perfect idea of this virtue having been given in “Constantia” previously. But both these Venetian symbols together do not at all approach the idea of Fortitude as given generally by Giotto⁵ and the Pisan sculptors; clothed with a lion’s skin, knotted about her neck, and falling to her feet in deep folds; drawing back her right hand, with the sword pointed towards

¹ [This capital has been already referred to in Seven Lamps (Vol. VIII. p. 231), and in the preceding volume of Stones of Venice (Vol. IX. p. 55, where see the note), and is referred to again in Fors Clavigera, Letter 77: it is one of those of which Ruskin had special photographs made.]

² [In the Arena Chapel. The words on the scroll are the beginning ones of the creed: “Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem creatorem cœli et terræ, et in Iesum Christum filium Dei unigenitum.” In the original fresco the cabalistic signs are clearly seen on the covers of the books at her feet.]

³ [Book i. canto x. 13.]

⁴ [Capital No. 29: the inscription is “Fortitudo Invincibilis.”]

⁵ [In the Arena Chapel.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]