ao 8 
adly, Tuoucn it fhould be granted, that the origin of Gothic 
architeCture was derived from the cuftom of worfhiping in groves, 
yet there does not appear to be any reafon why this ftyle fhould 
therefore be introduced into military architeQure. Yet we find, in 
fa&t, that, in England at leaft, it has been intraduced into military 
perhaps as early as into religious buildings. Edgar’s tower at 
Worcefter, which is in the Gothic ftyle, was the portal into the 
Saxon citadel, and was erected in the reign of Ethelred, the fe-. 
cond fon of Edgar, anno roos, as appeared from an ancient 
infcription on a {tone in the building which was taken down a 
few years ago: the infcription may be feen in Mr. Green’s hiftory 
of that city. Door Littleton, dean of Exeter, in a differtation. 
read before the fociety of Antiquarians in 1757, has indeed ven- 
tured to affirm, that this tower is not older than the time of King 
John, on the authority of Mr. Habington; who fays, “ that in 
* all likelyhood, the figure of the King with croffed legs reprefents 
“ King John, who, anno 121s, took on him the fign of the crofs 
* for the holy voyage; or King Richard the rft, whofe lyon’s 
“« heart fo conquered the infidels.” But he takes no notice, as is 
obferved in Grofe, of the female figures on each fide of the King,. 
nor of the date. And as both thefe kings had each but one wife,. 
the dean believes the figure really reprefents King Edgar, and the 
two female figures Ethelfleda and Ethelfrida. But if this be ad- 
mitted, it feems to follow, that it muft be of the antiquity which 
the date implied ; for it is highly improbable, that in the reign of 
one of the Norman princes, a tower fhould be erected to the 
honour of a Saxon king, who had died two hundred and fifty years 
before. But whether this building be altogether of as ancient a 
date 
