precision, in bold relief, and the zodiacal sign, the Crab, above,
also worked with great spirit. Spenser puts plough irons into his hand.
Sometimes he is sheep-shearing; and, in English and northern French
manuscripts, carrying a kind of fagot or barrel, of the meaning of which
I am not certain.

7. JULY. _Mowing._ A very interesting piece of sculpture, owing to the
care with which the flowers are wrought out among the long grass. I do
not remember ever finding July but either reaping or mowing. Spenser
works him hard, and puts him to both labors:

"Behinde his backe a sithe, and by his side
Under his belt he bore a sickle circling wide."

8. AUGUST. Peculiarly represented in this archivolt, _sitting in a
chair, with his head upon his hand, as if asleep; the Virgin_ (the
zodiacal sign) _above him, lifting up her hand_. This appears to be a
peculiarly Italian version of the proper employment of August. In
Northern countries he is generally threshing, or gathering grapes.
Spenser merely clothes him with gold, and makes him lead forth

"the righteous Virgin, which of old
Lived here on earth, and plenty made abound."

9. SEPTEMBER. _Bearing home grapes in a basket._ Almost always sowing,
in Northern work. By Spenser, with his usual exquisite ingenuity,
employed in gathering in the general harvest, and _portioning it out
with the Scales_, his zodiacal sign.

10. OCTOBER. _Wearing a conical hat, and digging busily with a long
spade._ In Northern work he is sometimes a vintager, sometimes beating
the acorns out of an oak to feed swine. When September is vintaging,
October is generally sowing. Spenser employs him in the harvest both of
vine and olive.

11. NOVEMBER. _Seems to be catching small birds in a net._ I do not
remember him so employed elsewhere. He is nearly always killing pigs;
sometimes beating the oak for them; with Spenser, fatting them.

12. DECEMBER. _Killing swine._ It is hardly ever that this employment is
not given to one or other of the terminal months of the year. If not so
engaged, December is usually putting new loaves into the oven; sometimes
killing oxen. Spenser properly makes him feasting and drinking instead
of January.

Sec. LIII. On the next page I have given a parallel view of the employment
of the months from some Northern manuscripts, in order that they may be
more conveniently compared with the sculptures of St. Mark's, in their
expression of the varieties of clim