286 ST. MARK’S REST

which one only now remains. That one, left nearly intact-as Fate has willed-represents the church itself so completed; and the bearing of the body of St. Mark into its gates, with all the great kings and queens who have visited his shrine, standing to look on; not conceived, mind you, as present at any actual time, but as always looking on in their hearts.

98. I say it is left nearly intact. The three figures on the extreme right are restorations; and if the reader will carefully study the difference between these and the rest; and note how all the faults of the old work are caricatured, and every one of its beauties lost-so that the faces which in the older figures are grave or sweet, are in these three new ones as of staring dolls,-he will know, once for all, what kind of thanks he owes to the tribe of Restorers-here and elsewhere.

Please note, farther, that at this time the church had round arches in the second story (of which the shells exist yet), but no pinnacles or marble fringes. All that terminal filigree is of a far later age. I take the façade as you see it stood-just after 1204-thus perfected. And I will tell you, so far as I know, the meaning of it, and of what it led to, piece by piece.

99. I begin with the horses,-those I saw in my dream in 1871,-“putting on their harness.” See Ariadne Florentina, § 213.¹

These are the sign to Europe of the destruction of the Greek Empire by the Latin. They are chariot horses-the horses of the Greek quadriga,-and they were the trophies of Henry Dandolo. That is all you need know of them just now;-more, I hope, hereafter; but you must learn the meaning of a Greek quadriga first. They stand on the great outer archivolt of the façade: its ornaments, to the front, are of leafage closing out of spirals into balls interposed between the figures of eight Prophets (or Patriarchs?)-

¹ [Vol. XXII. p. 446.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]