Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

278 Arts a.nd Cшfts in tl1e �Iiddle Ages

trious шаn, count of the шost fervent servants, and con­ sнl in ordinary." This coпsul \Yas jпvested in 539; the work was made in Rome, but it is the propeгty of the Cathed1·al of Orviedo in Spaiп, ,vheгe it is regarded as а priceless tгeasпre. Claudian� in tl1e fouгth centuгy, alludes to diptycЬs, speakiпg of"huge tusks cut " r ith steel into taЫets апd gleaming ,vith gold, engravcd ,vith the illustrious паше of the Coпsul, circнlatcd ашопg great апd sшall, ашl the great ,voпdel' of thc Indics, tЬе clephaпt, "·aпclci-s about in tuskless shaшe ! п In Magaste1·, а city ,YI1ich according to 1'1агсо Polo, ,vas goveшed Ьу " fош oltl шrn," they sold"vast quantitics of elephaпts' tcctЬ." RaЬanus, а follo,ver of Alcuin, Ьогn in 776, was tlic анthог of ап inteгesting encyclop�dia, гejoicing in tlie compгeЬeпsivc title, " Оп the Universe. '' This \УШk is in t"·enty-t,Yo books, "·hich агс supposed to covcr all possiЫe subjects uроп ,vЬich а reader шigl1t Ье curious. . . . ТЬе scveпteeпth book is оп"the dust and soil of the еагtЬ," unde1· \\ 1 Ьich uninvitiвg head he inclнdes all kinds of stones, comшon and precioнs; salt, flint, sand, liшe, jet, asbestos, and the Peгsian moonstone, of ,vhosc brigЬtness he claiшs that it"\\·axes and wanes ,vith tl1e mоон." Later he dcvotes some space to pearls, crystals, and glass. Metals follo,v, and marЬles and ivory, tl10ugl1 ,vhy the latter should Ье classed among minerals ,ve shall never undeгstand. The Roman diptycЬs \\ 1 ere often used as after-dinner gifts to distinguishcd guests. They were pгesentec1 оп