at Thomar, after his return there, the
first buildings which are wholly in the style of the renaissance and are
not merely decorated with renaissance details.

[Sidenote: Alcobaca.]

But before following him back to Thomar, his additions to the abbey of
Alcobaca must be mentioned, as there for the last time, except in some
parts of Belem, he allowed himself to follow the older methods, though
even at this early date--1518 and 1519--renaissance forms are beginning
to creep in.

On the southern side of the ambulatory one of the radiating chapels was
pulled down in 1519 to form a passage, irregular in shape and roofed
with a vault of many ribs. From this two doors lead, one on the north to
the sacristy, and one on the south to a chapel. Unfortunately both
sacristy and chapel have been rebuilt and now contain nothing of
interest, except, in the sacristy, some fine presses inlaid with ivory,
now fast falling to pieces. The two doors are alike, and show that Joao
de Castilho was as able as any of his contemporaries to design a piece
of extreme realism. On the jambs is carved renaissance ornament, but
nowhere else is there anything to show that Joao and Nicolas had met at
Belem some two years before. The head of the arch is wavy and formed
mostly of convex curves. Beyond the strip of carving there grows up on
either side a round tree, with roots and bark all shown; at the top
there are some leaves for capitals, and then each tree grows up to meet
in the centre and so form a great ogee, from which grow out many cut-off
branches, all sprouting into great curly leaves.

This is realism carried to excess, and yet the leaves are so finely
carved, the whole design so compact, and the surrounding whitewashed
wall with its dado of tiles so plain, that the effect is quite good.
(Fig. 83.)

The year before he had begun for Cardinal Henry, afterwards king, and
then commendator of the abbey, a second story to the great cloister of
Dom Diniz. Reached by a picturesque stair on the south side, the
three-centred arches each enclose two or three smaller round arches,
with the spandrils merely pierced or sometimes cusped. The mouldings
are simple but not at all classic. The shafts which support these round
arches are all carried down across the parapet through the rope moulding
at the top to the floor level, and are of three or more patterns. Those
at the jambs are plain with hollow chamfered edges, as are also a few of
the others. They