is of so frequent occurrence that
it will have a page to itself alone in the next volume; and c may be
seen over nearly every shop in London, being that of the common Greek
egg cornice.) The fourth, _e_ in Plate XVI., is a transitional cornice,
passing from Byzantine into Venetian Gothic: _f_ is a fully developed
Venetian Gothic cornice founded on Byzantine traditions; and _g_ the
perfect Lombardic-Gothic cornice, founded on the Pisan Romanesque
traditions, and strongly marked with the noblest Northern element, the
Lombardic vitality restrained by classical models. I consider it a
perfect cornice, and of the highest order.

Sec. XV. Now in the design of this series of ornaments there are two main
points to be noted; the first, that they all, except _b_, are distinctly
rooted in the lower part of the cornice, and spring to the top. This
arrangement is constant in all the best cornices and capitals; and it is
essential to the expression of the supporting power of both. It is
exactly opposed to the system of _running_ cornices and _banded_[85]
capitals, in which the ornament flows along them horizontally, or is
twined round them, as the mouldings are in the early English capital,
and the foliage in many decorated ones. Such cornices have arisen from a
mistaken appliance of the running ornaments, which are proper to
archivolts, jambs, &c., to the features which have definite functions of
support. A tendril may nobly follow the outline of an arch, but must not
creep along a cornice, nor swathe or bandage a capital; it is essential
to the expression of these features that their ornament should have an
elastic and upward spring; and as the proper profile for the curve is
that of a tree bough, as we saw above, so the proper arrangement of its
farther ornament is that which best expresses rooted and ascendant
strength like that of foliage.

There are certain very interesting exceptions to the rule (we shall see
a curious one presently); and in the carrying out of the rule itself, we
may see constant licenses taken by the great designers, and momentary
violations of it, like those above spoken of, respecting other
ornamental laws--violations which are for our refreshment, and for
increase of delight in the general observance; and this is one of the
peculiar beauties of the cornice _g_, which, rooting itself in strong
central clusters, suffers some of its leaves to fall languidly aside, as
the drooping outer leaves of a natural c