' ARCHITECTURE. 151 
decorated with vines or climbing figures. They are even at times supplanted 
by human or fabulous figures (pl. 36 , fig-1). The columns of the architecture 
of the middle ages are, however, not subject to strict rules like those of 
ancient times, and those piichwandd according to the columnar orders. The 
columns of the first centuries of the middle ages are indeed clumsy, but as 
architecture gradually rose from its dejection, they were very much 
improved, and in the prime of the German style they were of admirable 
slenderness, their real thickness being skilfully disguised by mouldings and 
ogees. 
The capitals in the middle ages, and especially in the German or pointed- 
arch style, are of the most varied forms. In their decorations the freest 
scope is left to the taste or fancy of the architect or sculptor. We have 
selected a number of examples showing the different forms occurring in 
remarkable edifices (pl. 387). They may be conveniently designated as 
follows : cylindrical, continuation of the shaft with ornaments (jigs. 1, 2) ; 
cubic, with rounded lower corners (jigs. 8, 4) ; strictly cubic (fig. 5) ; coni- 
cal (jig. 6); heart-shaped (jig. 7); inverted truncated pyramid (jig. 8) ; 
cup-shaped (jig. 9) ; knob-shaped (fig. 10) ; prismatic bell-shaped (fg. 11); 
funnel-shaped (jigs. 12, 13); cubic, with an astragal below (jig. 14); and 
boat-shaped (jig. 15). The decorations consisted either of sculpture or of 
painting, or of both combined. Smooth capitals were mostly painted ; 
there are even instances on record when very excellent sculpture in capitals 
was filled up with mortar and smoothed over in order to gain a surface for 
painted ornaments. Not unfrequently most exquisite sculptured work has 
been discovered on capitals that were thus plastered up. The sculptures of 
this period represent either the human figure or subjects from the animal 
and vegetable kingdoms, or the various human pursuits. The human figure 
appears at first only as a mask on the abacus (pl. 35, jig. 13) ; afterwards 
in half length in foliation (pl. 37, fig. 16). Entire historical representations 
are also sometimes met with on capitals (pl. 87, fig. 17) ; or clerical pro- 
cessions (jig. 16) ; or symbolic groups, whose import it is frequently difficult 
to determine (pl. 35, fig. 14). Again, the ornaments may be mere freaks 
of fancy. Among them are groups representing human vices, or abuse of 
clerical power, and their imagined punishments. 
Among the decorations from the animal kingdom, few are taken from 
among the animals of the country; they are generally representations of 
foreign or even fabulous animals which are supporting the abacus (pl. 37, 
Jig. 19). 
Decorations from the vegetable kingdom are the most frequent, including 
leaves, flowers, and fruits. These belong usually to the vegetation of the 
country, rarely to foreign countries; where they are not of the indigenous 
vegetation they are mostly fantastic. The most common decorations of 
this kind represent the foliation of water plants (jig. 20), which also occur 
combined with acanthus stems (jig. 22) or with other leaves, and set with 
pearls (jig. 21). Indigenous plants were first generally adopted in the 
13th century. Among those most frequently met with are the ivy (pi. 38, 
Jig. 2); the wild vine (jig. 3); the grape vine (jig. 4) ; the cinque-foil and 
151 
