As among the Greeks, so with the early Celts, traces of superstitious beliefs and nsages with relation to fountains can be traced in monumental and legendary remains. At Lochrist, beneath the church, and at the foot of the hill upon which it is built, is a sacred fountain, near which is erected an ancient chapel, which, with its ivy-covered walls, has a most romantic appearance. A Gothic vault protects this fountain. Miracu lous virtues are yet attributed'to its water, and on certain days the country people still come with offerings to draw it. In the enchanted forest of Brochelande, so famous from its connection with Merlin, was the fountain of Baranton, which was said to possess miraculous characteristics. The Christian missionaries could not easily over come beliefs so planted in the hearts of the people, and so strengthened by daily prat tices. By a wise stroke, whether of policy or instinct, finding themselves unable to eradicate the superstitions which ascribed miraculous power to rocks and woods, streams and fountains, and connected them with the divinities of the old religious, they changed their form and direction by dedicating these objects to the Virgin and to saints, so making force of the old belief an instrument for its own overthrow. Fountains were attached to the new religion by the erection of statues of the Virgin or of saints upon the possibly rude structures that collected the water and preserved its purity. There is some uniformity in the architectural characteristics of these structures during the middle ages. A very common form in rural districts was that in which the fountain was reached by descending steps (fontaine grotte). A large basin received the water, sometimes from a spout, but often from the spring itself. This basin- was covered by a sort of porch or vault, with, at times, molded arches and sculptured figures and escutcheons. Ou the bank of the Clain, at Poictiers, is a fountain of this kind, the fontaine Joubert, which, though restored in 1597, was originally a structure of the 1411) century. Many such fountains are found in Brittany, and indeed throughout France, and the great antiquity of some of them is proved by the superstitions regarding them which still exist among the peasantry. A form more common in populous districts was that of a large open basin, round, square, polygonal, or lobed in form, with a columnar structure at the center, from the lower part of which it was arranged that spouts should issue, playing into an open basin, and supplying vessels brought for the purpose in the cleanest. and quickest manner. The columns take very various forms, from that of a simple regular geometrical solid, with only grotesque masks at the spouts, to that of an elaborate and ornate Gothic structure, with figures of virgins, saints, and warriors, with moldings, arches, crockets, and finials. In the public market-place at
Brunswick is a fountain of the 15th c., of which the central structure is made of bronze. Except in Italy, few fountains are of earlier date than the 14th century. The decay of architectural taste in the later centuries is shown by the fountain of Limoges, It is in form a rock representing Mt. Parnassus, upon which are carved in relief Apollo, the horse Pegasus, Philosophy, and the Nine Muses. At the top, Apollo, in 16th c. costume, plays a harp. Rocks, grass, and sheep fill up the scene.
'Public drinking fountains in towns and villages are now very common. In the east, they are a very important institution. In Cairo alone, there are 300. These "sebeels" are not only to he seen in the cities, hut are plentiful in the fields and villages, and the great number of them endowed for the gratuitous supply of water to the passengers is referred to by Lane as proving the possession by the Egyptians of a benevolent and charitable character.
Purely ornamental fountains and jets (Term are found in or near many large cities, royal palaces, and private seats. The fontana di Trevi, at Rome, is very large and very celebrated, but, from'an artistic point.of view,. almost as-bad work as could possibly be conceived. It was erected early in the list century under pope Clement XII., and has all the characteristics of decadence. La Fontana Paolina, and those in the piazza of St. Peter's, are perhaps next in celebrity to that of Trevi, and certainly in better taste. At Paris, the fontaine des Innocens (the earliest) and those of the place Royal, of the Champs Elysees, and of the place de in Concorde are the most noticeable. The fountain of the lions and other fountains in the Alhambra palace are, with their surroundings, a very magnificent sight. The largest jets d'eau are those at Versailles, at the Sydeiffiam crystal palace, and at San Ildefonso. With the exception of the last, these are supplied from artificial elevated reservoirs.
Artificial fountains are not abundant in American cities, yet there are some in the parks and squares of New York, and other places, that are occasionally in action, though generally dry. Within recent years drinking fountains for men and animals have been put up liberally in the chief cities, some of which are designed with elaborate art, and decorated with admirable taste. Usually, these are the gifts of private individuals. [Largely from Encyc. Brit., 9th ed.]