tion! all the
congregation on their knees--and the sacristan and I having a great
heap of them on the table at once, like a dinner service. I really
looked with great respect on St. Francis's old camel-hair dress."

Thence he went to visit Colonel and Mrs. Yule at Palermo, deeply
interested in Scylla and Charybdis, Etna and the metopes of Selinus. His
interest in Greek art had been shown, not only in a course of lectures,
but in active support to archaeological explorations. He said once, "I
believe heartily in diggings, of all sorts." Meeting General L.P. di
Cesnola and hearing of the wealth of ancient remains in Cyprus then
newly discovered, Mr. Ruskin placed L1,000 at his disposal. General di
Cesnola was able, in April, 1875, to announce that in spite of the
confiscation of half the treasure-trove by the local Government, he had
shipped a cargo of antiquities, including many vases, terra-cottas, and
fragments of sculpture. Whence, precisely, these relics came is now
doubtful.

The landscape of Theocritus and the remains of ancient glories roused
him to energetic sketching--a sign of returning strength, which
continued when he reached Rome, and enabled him to make a very fine copy
of Botticelli's Zipporah, and other details of the Sistine frescoes.

Late in October he reached England, just able to give the promised
Lectures on Alpine forms,[32]--I remember his curious attempt to
illustrate the neve-masses by pouring flour on a model;--and a second
course on the AEsthetic and Mathematic schools of Florence;[33] and a
lecture on Botticelli at Eton, of which the Literary and Scientific
Society's minute-book contains the following report:

[Footnote 32: Oct. 27, 30; Nov. 3 and 6, 1874.]

[Footnote 33: Nov. 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27; Dec. 1 and 4, 1874.]

"On Saturday, Dec. 12th (1874), Professor Ruskin lectured before a
crowded, influential and excited audience, which comprised our
noble Society and a hundred and thirty gentlemen and ladies, who
eagerly accepted an invitation to hear Professor Ruskin 'talk' to
us on Botticelli. It is utterly impossible for the unfortunate
secretary of the Society to transmit to writing even an abstract of
this address; and it is some apology for him when beauty of
expression, sweetness of voice, and elegance in imagery defy the
utmost efforts of the pen."

Just before leaving for Italy he had been told that the Royal Instit