36.-) 



Latin races the principal doorway faced the high altar ; whereas 

 in those of the Teutonic races lateral entrances mostly prevailed. 

 Here, in England, from the peculiarities of our early history, 

 we iind the two arrangements striving for the mastery, and in 

 the end often combined in the same building. 



If we examine carefully the ground plans of our great Cathe- 

 drals, Minsters, and Monastic churches, we shall find that the 

 position of doorways in them is not accidental, but follows certain 

 intelligible general rules, which I will try to point out, and then 

 proceed to those of our parochial churches, which, having less 

 complex requirements, have not the same variety as the larger 

 buildings. 



For the sake of clearness of arrangement it will be well to 

 classify our subject as follow : — I., Secular Minsters ; IT., Augus- 

 tinian ditto ; III., Benedictine Abbeys; IV., Cistercian Abbeys; 

 v., Parish Churches. 



Of course, this does not comprise the numerous Carthusian, 

 Franciscan, and other minor religious houses, the examination and 

 classification of which would be highly interesting, but would 

 take up more time and space than their relative importance 

 demands. The above-mentioned classes will be quite enough for 

 our consideration at present. 



In the larger buildings comprised in classes I. — IV. the door- 

 ways may be sub-divided into three main groups, to which a few 

 exceptional arrangements (to be noted hereafter) may be added. 

 These are A, Western ; B, Lateral {i.e. flanking the nave) ; 

 C, Transeptal. 



First in importance is undoubtedly the triple west doorway — 

 an importation from France, and that not till the middle of the 

 12th century. This is a happy combination of the useful with 

 the dignified which cannot be well surpassed, I do not con- 

 sider the sub-division of the central doorway by a shaft, as at 

 York, Winchester, and, I believe, formerly at Bath, to be more 

 than a mode of ornamenting the entrance, not a structural 



