There are altogether some twenty-eight or thirty of these fonts in England.
Fig. 27.—Font, Brookland, Kent.
The font at Brookland at Kent is very small, only 11 inches high, an arcade surrounds it of two stages in twelve bays. In the upper tier are the signs of the Zodiac with their Latin names, and below the subjects of the labours appropriate to the months with their names in Norman French. This scheme of imagery is well known abroad but while often occurring in English MSS. this is one of very few examples of its treatment in sculpture. Although the scale of the figures is small and they are but slightly modelled, there is a great deal of character, appropriateness, and grace, in their gesture.
Fig. 28.—Font, Brookland.
A comparative table of the usual scenes which accompany the signs has been given in Archæologia, and another, probably more accessible, in the Stones of Venice. With the examples there given the scenes on the font very closely agree. They are inscribed in capitals:—
- Aquarius.—Janvier. A Janus-headed figure feasting.
- Pisces.—Fevrier. Warming feet at fire.
- Aries.—Mars. Man hooded and pruning a vine.
- Taurus.—Avril. Young girl with lilies in her hand.
- Gemini.—Mai. Man on horse, hawk on wrist.
- Cancer.—Juin. Mowing with a scythe.
- Leo.—Julius. Man with wide brim hat raking hay.
- Virgo.—Aout. Cutting corn.
- Libra.—Septembre. Threshing corn.
- Scorpio.—Octobre. Treading out wine.
- Sagittarius.—Novembre. Woman lighting with candles the next scene, or feeding the pigs.
- Capricornus.—Decembre. Man, killing swine with axe.
The signs are thus represented:—Aquarius, man pouring water from a jug. Pisces, two fish as usual reversed. The ram and the bull are much alike. The twins and the crab are not remarkable, except the latter for unlikeness. Leo is a good heraldic beast. The Virgin, much obscured. Libra, a man with scales. Scorpio, is certainly a frog. Sagittarius, a centaur. Capricorn is indeed a capricious creature like a cockatrice with horns. The forequarters of a goat with fish-tail is the traditional form for this sign handed on from the Roman Zodiac.
In the months, the Mower, the man raking, and especially the Reaper, are well designed; the man pruning is also good, and the girl with the long stalked lilies in her hand is charming. The four last are shown in the [sketches] [given]. The pillars are varied, every third standing on the loop as shown.