Contents

CHAP.

PAGE

FRONTISPIECE
Ziggurat of Belus at Babylon . . . see page

128

INTRODUCTORY

1

I.

THE WORLD FABRIC

9

II.

THE MICROCOSMOS

32

Chinese 'Hall of Distinction'
Fig. 1. Buddhist Plan of the World
Astrologers’ Houses of the Sky

46

Fig. 2. A Buddhist Tope

48

III.

FOUR SQUARE

53

Fig. 3. Ezekiel's City

63

Fig. 4. Chinese Plan

63

IV.

AT THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

71

Fig. 5. The Four Rivers and Central Tree

75

Fig. 6. The Central Stone of Delphi

79

Fig. 7. The Same

80

Fig. 8. Plan of Dome of the Rock

89

V.

THE JEWEL-BEARING TREE

95

Fig. 9 Indian Lamp Tree

115

Fig. 10. Greek Lamp Tree

116

Fig. 11. The Golden Candlestick from the arch of Titus

117

p. xii

CHAP.

PAGE

VI.

THE PLANETARY SPHERES

122

Fig. 12. Seven-Walled City, from 1481 Dante

137

Fig. 13. The Throne on Seven Steps of the Heavens

138

VII.

THE LABYRINTH

149

Fig. 14. Floor Labyrinth at Ravenna

151

Fig. 15. Early Coins of Crete

153

Fig. 16. Isle of Crete, from the Hereford Map

154

VIII.

THE GOLDEN GATE OF THE SUN

174

Fig. 17. Door Lintel, Ebba, Carthage.

178

Fig. 18. Syrian Tomb Door, Galilee.

180

Fig. 19. East Toran, Sanchi Tope

182

Fig. 20. Phœnician Toran, Coin of Paphos

183

Fig. 21. Chinese Tomb Door, Canton

185

IX.

PAVEMENTS LIKE THE SEA

201

Fig. 22. Marble Pavement, Constantinople

211

Fig. 23. Roman Pavement, Cirencester

213

Fig. 24. Pavement Patterns, The Baptistery, Florence

216

X.

CEILINGS LIKE THE SKY

221

Fig. 25. Mosaic Dome, Ravenna

223

Fig. 26. Egyptian Goddess of the Sky

231

Fig. 27. Egyptian Temple Ceiling

233

XI.

THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS

235

XII.

THE SYMBOL OF CREATION

254

Fig. 28. Italian Canopy, from a Tile

259

Fig. 29. Italian Lamp from Mantegna

261

Fig. 30. Ostrich Egg from Mycenæ

269