President's Address. 131 



churches amongst the downs — Potterne, and Bishops Cannings are 

 both fine examples on a considerable scale. But the glory of our 

 county is Salisbury, There a Cathedral with all its complicated 

 yet harmonious parts has been designed and executed (except the 

 steeple), whilst the style was in its purity. That is to say when 

 Gothic architecture had attained, and before it began to lose, its 

 utmost grace and delicacy. It has been said (by Mr Beresford 

 Hope, I believe) that Early English is rather prim : and there has 

 been a disposition lately shewn to adulterate it with Early French. 

 I regret it. In the very primness there is a restrained and maidenly 

 grace, and the Early French has, particularly in the capitals, never 

 attained to a pure Gothic development which entirely ceases to 

 suggest that idea of debased Corinthian, which results from the 

 real history of its Romanesque origin. Of Salisbury, I may quote 

 the words of Hickman : — " In this style we have the great advant- 

 age of one building remaining, worked in its best manner, of great 

 size, and in excellent preservation ; this is Salisbury Cathedral, 

 and it gives a very high idea of the great improvement of this 

 style on the Norman, magnificent without rudeness, and rich though 

 simple, it is one uniform whole. The west front is ornamented, 

 but by no means loaded, and the appearance of the north side is 

 perhaps equal to the side of any Cathedral in England." The 

 west front, however, with all its beauty, has the fault .of being in 

 part a false front. But the glory of this Cathedral, its spire, belongs 

 to a later date. A little carving in the form of battlement, just 

 above the ridge of the roof appears to mai'k the original height of the 

 tower. Whether it was intended to end abruptly, as Westminster 

 and Beverley now do, or to have been completed in lighter material, 

 like old St. Pauls and some foreign buildings, e.g. Rouen before the 

 fire, I know not. But the proportion of the whole is in such admirable 

 harmony, that it is difficult not to imagine with Rickman, that 

 though of later execution, it belongs to the original design ; yet I can 

 hardly believe it. The general lightness of proportion, in this style, 

 whilst it suggests height to the eye, makes it scarcely practicable 

 to place a very high tower on the legs, at the intersection. The 

 various flying buttresses by which the steeple at Salisbury is 



