The Lizard, None but the northern Gothic

* Ruskin's.
XUSK/N



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xhitects are able to introduce entire animal forms
[into their bases with perfect success. There is a
leautifiil instance at the north door of the west
tfront of Rouen, a lizard pausing and curling himself^
round a little in the angle ; one expects him the
next instant to lash round the shaft and vanish.'

A little later on, after a long description of
Giotto, she writes : " Giotto and his Works in
Padua," ' by Ruskin, sent me by F. Grey, and a
■■perfect specimen of his faults and merits ; the land-
Escape too overcharged and lurid, like his favourite
tTurner's paintings and his definition of character,
■more like representation of moral perfection than a
■eal eonnaissance de cause.
' But Ruskin! "with all thy faults. I love thee
[Still." '

She was, as usual, throwing herself into all the
nterests of the Howard family. On February 6
he writes ;

'I think what Sainte-Beuve says of Madame

R&amier so like my adorable sister : '• EUe voit les

yauts de ses amis, mais elle les soigne en eux

omme elle soignerait leurs infirmit6s physiques —

die ^lait la Sctur de Charite de leurs peines, de

Pleur faiblesse, et un peu de leurs dtjfauts." '

A little later on she quotes from ' the last
Ewords of Carlisle's lecture on the poetry of Gray :
' Published by the Arundel Sociciy.
