Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Otheг :Metals

113

church was the natural citadel of гefuge for the inhaЬi­ tants of а town, and also held it firmly from warping. At first single straps of iгon were clamped on: then the natural craving for beauty prevailcd, and the hinges developed, floweгing out into scrolls and leaves, and spгeading all over the doors, as one secs them con­ stantly iп mediffival examples. The general scheme нsually followed was а stгaight stгap of iгon flanked Ьу two curving lюгns like а crescent, and tbls nюtive was elaborated tшtil а positive lace of iгов, often en­ graved or nюulded, coveгed the surface of tl1e door, as iв tЬе wonderful work of Вiscornette at Not1·e Dame in Paris. Вiscornette was а very mysterious wогkсг, and no one ever sa,v him constructing the hiвges. Rcports went round that the devil ,vas helpiпg him, that he had sold his soul to the Кing of Daгkness in oгder to enlist his assistance in his ,vork; an instance of resthetic altruism almost comшendaЫe in its e�otic zeal. Certain jealous artificers even went so far as to break off Ьits of the meandering iron, to test it, but with no result; they could not decide whether it was cast or wrought. Later а legend grew up explaining the reason why t.he central door was not as orвate as the side doors: the story was that the devil was unaЫe to assist Biscornette on this door because it was the aperture through which the Host passed in processions. It is more likely, howeYer, tЬat the doors wеге originally uniform, and tlшt the iron was subsequently reшoved for some other reason.