THE ACANTHUS 147 



the abside, enclosing with their spirals birds, 

 flowers and saints to give the idea of the garden 

 of felicity. In such a way, in the Dugento, at 

 the distance of so many centuries, the verses 

 of St Paulino da Nola are illustrated once 

 more.' 



But after the thirteenth century acanthus 

 plants of vast proportions were no longer used 

 to symbolize the gardens of Heaven. Heaven 

 became a natural park-like place with fruit 

 trees and flower-grown grass, except for its 

 inhabitants, differing little from any princely 

 garden. The plant was still used as the motive 

 of much decoration, ecclesiastical and secular, 

 but it was no longer seen in connection with 

 devotional subjects as the representative plant 

 of Heaven. 



