the wall, every stone evenly set as if it had been polished--entirely
missing the charm of the irregular faceted effect of an old
mosaic--again mechanical facility kills the spirit of an art.

Much early mosaic, known as Cosmati Work, is inlaid into marble,
in geometric designs; twisted columns of this class of work may be
seen in profusion in Rome, and the façade of Orvieto is similarly
decorated. Our illustration will demonstrate the technical process
as well as a description.

The mosaic base of Edward the Confessor's shrine is inscribed to
the effect that it was wrought by Peter of Rome. It was a dignified
specimen of the best Cosmati. All the gold glass which once played
its part in the scheme of decoration has been picked out, and in
fact most of the pieces in the pattern are missing.

[Illustration: AMBO AT RAVELLO; SPECIMEN OF COSMATI MOSAIC]

The mosaic pavement in Westminster Abbey Presbytery is as fine
an example of Roman Cosmati mosaic as one can see north of the
Alps. An inscription, almost obliterated, is interpreted by Mr.
Lethaby as signifying, that in the year 1268 "Henry III. being
King, and Odericus the cementarius, Richard de Ware, Abbot, brought
the porphyry and divers jaspers and marbles of Thaso from Rome." In
another place a sort of enigma, drawn from an arbitrary combination
of animal forms and numbers, marks a chart for determining the end
of the world! There is also a beautiful mosaic tomb at Westminster,
inlaid with an interlacing pattern in a ground of marble, like the
work so usual in Rome, and in Palermo, and other Southern centres
of the art.