nected with birds, and especially the
dove, as type of Spirit, and those connected with the serpent in its
various significances. These two studies were continued, more or less,
in "Love's Meinie" and in the lecture printed in "Deucalion," as the
third group, that of Plant-myths, was carried on in "Proserpina." The
volume contained also extracts from the lecture on the Architecture of
the Valley of the Somme, and two numbers of the "Cestus of Aglaia," and
closed with a paper on The Hercules of Camarina, read to the South
Lambeth Art School on March 15th. This study of a Greek coin had already
formed the subject of an address at the Working Men's College, and
anticipated the second course of Oxford Lectures. For the rest, "The
Queen of the Air" is marked by its statement, more clearly than before
in Ruskin's writing, of the dependence of moral upon physical life, and
of physical upon moral science. He speaks with respect of the work of
Darwin and Tyndall; but as formerly in the Rede Lecture, and afterwards
in the "Eagle's Nest," he claims that natural science should not be
pursued as an end in itself, paramount to all other conclusions and
considerations; but as a department of study subordinate to ethics, with
a view to utility and instruction.

Before this book was quite ready for publication, and after a sale of
some of his less treasured pictures at Christie's he left home for a
journey to Italy, to revisit the subjects of "Stones of Venice," as in
1868 he had revisited those of the "Seven Lamps." At Vevey, on the way,
he wrote his preface (May 1st).

By quiet stages he passed the Simplon, writing from Domo d'Ossola, 5th
May, 1869:

"I never yet had so beautiful a day for the Simplon as this has
been; though the skin of my face is burning now all over--to keep
me well in mind of its sunshine. I left Brieg at 6 exactly--light
clouds breaking away into perfect calm of blue. Heavy snow on the
col--about a league--with the wreaths in many places higher than
the carriage. Then, white crocus all over the fields, with
Soldanelle and Primula farinosa. I walked about three miles up, and
seven down, with great contentment; the waterfalls being all in
rainbows, and one beyond anything I ever yet saw; for it fell in a
pillar of spray against shadow behind, and became rainbow
altogether. I was just near enough to get the belt broad, and the
down part of the arch: an