20 On GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE. 



As it would frequently happen, that the willow rods, thrufl 

 into the ground, would ftrike root and grow, the architedl feems 

 to have taken advantage of this circumftance, by reprefenting 

 them as decorated with buds and tufts of leaves, whenever he 

 tliought that fuch ornaments could be introduced with good ef- 

 fed. 



This practice has been very generally followed in the execu- 

 tion of the door, as in that exhibited in figure ;^t,. the upper part 

 of which is a reprefentation of living rods, covered with tufts of 

 leaves, like thofe in adual vegetation, (fig. 32.). Upon the fpire, 

 too, a fet of fmall proje«ftions, placed at regular intervals, often 

 occur, as in that of Bunny, in Nottinghamfliire, (fig. 37.), 

 which feem to be the reprefentation of buds fpringing from the 

 poles of the original, (fig. 36.). 



These ornaments, known by the name of Crocket s^ when 

 placed on the floping part of doors, fleeples, pinnacles, &c. and 

 of Finials, where they form a tuft on their fummit, univerfally 

 and \inequivocally reprefent foliage. The leaves, it muft be 

 owned, however, feldom refemble thofe of trees, but more com- 

 monly fome plant of the cabbage kind. On this occafion, the 

 artift has tifed the freedom to deviate from the ftridlnefs of the 

 imitation, and has contented himfelf with adhering to the gene- 

 ral idea of foliage. But, in fo doing, he has been in a great 

 meafure juflified by the circumflances of the cafe ; for the fo- 

 liage of a tree, efpecially that of the willow, being compofed of 

 a multitude of fmall and detached parts, could not, without 

 much difficulty, be executed in flone, and would produce a very 

 frail and perifhable work, which could only be placed with ad- 

 vantage in very protedled fituations. He has thus been indu- 

 ced, in mofl cafes, to choofe fome plant having a mafTy and 

 compadl form, better adapted to fculpture. This however is 

 not without exception, as we do meet fometimes with croc- 

 kets 



I 



