So forth issew'd the seasons of the yeare,
First lusty spring all dight in leaves and flowres.
Then came the jolly sommer being dight
In a thin cassock coloured greene,
Then came the autumne all in yellow clad,
Lastly came winter, cloathed all in frize,
Chattering his teeth, for cold that did him chill.
—Spenser.
The triple panel in the attic of the Western Gateway reads:
For lasting happiness we turn our eyes to one alone,
And she surrounds you now.
Great nature, refuge of the weary heart, and only balm to breasts that have been bruised.
She hath cool hands for every fevered brow
And gentlest silence for the troubled soul.
—Sterling.
Court of the Four Seasons
The Colonnade and Lawn
The harmonious impression of the Court of the Four Seasons is due largely to the faithfulness with which classic influences have controlled every detail, both in architecture and in ornament. The bulls' heads between festoons of flowers which decorate the base of the entrances into the north court, the eagles at the corners of the pylons above, and the vases repeated on the balustrade about the Court are all Roman in design. Thoroughly classic also are the wreaths of fruits and grains on the panel of the cornice and the lions' heads above. While "The Feast of Sacrifice," the superb groups by Albert Jaegers, crowning the pylons at either side of the entrance to the north court, recall the ancient custom of celebrating the close of harvest by the sacrifice of flower-garlanded bulls.