February

On a bitter cold midwinter day a red-capped peasant and his womenfolk warm themselves at the open hearth while another, blowing on chilled fingers, hastens back to the hut through the farmyard. In the forest nearby a young man hews wood for the farmhouse fire and along a road behind a fagot-laden donkey is prodded toward the village. Inscribed in Latin on the tympanum above is the Julian calendar for Feburary, the month of Aquarius the Water bearer and Pisces, the Fish. Across the sky rides Phoebus, the sun god, his chariot drawn by winged horses.