Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Sculptшe in Stone

235

а little devil is seen pнlliвg on the side of the scale in which he is шost interestcd ! One of the most chee1·ful апd dclightfнl figures at Cliaгtгes is tlшt of the vегу tall aпgel holding а sнn dial, оп tЬе corner of tЬе South to,ver. А ceгtain optimistic incoвsequence is Ьis cblef cl1aгacteгistic, as if he гeally belieYed tliat tЬе hoшs bore mоге of Ьappiness than of soпo,v to the woгld. Тhеге is во liшit to tЬе шigiпality апd the symbolic шessages of the Gothic gгotesques. Two whole books шigl1t Ье ,vritteп uроп this subject alone to do it justice; Ьпt а few notaЫe instances of thcse chaгmiпg little adornшents to the steгn stгuctшes of the Middle Ages ншst Ье noticed Ьеrе. The little шedallions at Ашiепs deseгve sоше attention. ТЬеу гергеsепt tЬе Yiгtues and Vices, tlic Follies, and otl1eг ethical qualities. Sоше of theш deal with Scгiptural scenes. " Chшlislшess " is figured Ьу а ,voman kicking ovei· her cup-beai·cc Аргороs of Ьег attitude, Rнskin obse1·ves that the final fогшs of Fгench clшгlishпess аге to Ье discoveгed in the fcmiпine gestшes in tЬе can-can. Не adds: " See the fayouгite pгint slюps iп Paгis." Times liave ceгtainly chaвged little ! One of tl1ese Ашiепs гelicfs, signifyiпg " Rebellioв," is that of а man snappiвg Ьis finge1·s at his bislюp ! Aп­ other kno,vn as " Atheisш " is vaгiously inteгpгeted. А шаn is sееп steppiпg онt of his shoes at the church porch. Ruskin explains this as шeaпing that the infidel is shown iп contradistiвction to tl1e faithful who is sup-