1853.] OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. 273 
near to the perfect realization of that ideal, has had been done 
in the two other styles by the Parthenon and by St. Ouens. 
While the Romanesque styles were growing up among Christian 
nations, a very important form of arched architecture was 
developed among the Mahometan nations. The Saracenic style, 
in its various forms, may be considered as essentially an offshoot 
_ from that of Byzantium, though much modified by the intro- 
duction of several original elements. Among these the most 
important was no other than the systematic use of the pointed 
arch. This shape is prevalent in most of the forms which 
this species of architecture assumes in the east, but, what is 
important to observe, such is not the case in that splendid variety 
which was developed among the Mahometans of Spain. But 
though the Saracens not only possessed the pointed arch, 
but systematically employed it on a grand scale, they never de- 
veloped for it an appropriate system of decoration. The other 
most characteristic feature is the employment of the séilé as 
a distinct member of the architecture. Architecture is always 
purest when what Professor Willis calls the decorative con- 
struction coincides with the mechanical construction. According 
to this law, the point at which the arch springs from the pier, 
technically called the impost, should be marked by a capital 
or moulding. It is however often convenient in some particular 
positions to place the decorative impost lower down than the 
constructive impost, so as to treat as a portion of the arch 
what is in reality a portion of the pier. This constitutes what is 
called a stilted arch. In the Saracenic style, this séilt is often made 
into a distinct member intervening between the arch and the capital 
of the column. Now as this style first arose in Egypt in the 
Mosque erected by Amru, one is strongly tempted to recognize 
in this singular feature a reproduction of the exactly analogous 
peculiarity of the elder Egyptian architecture, the dé interposed 
between the capital and the entablature. 
The distinctive feature of the Gothic architecture is there- 
fore neither the mere form of the pointed arch, nor even its 
systematic use as the principal constructive member. What 
really distinguishes that glorious style is the working out for it 
of an appropriate and harmonious system of decoration, and the 
realizing of the great zsthetical idea which it suggests. The 
mere form, we have seen, is probably more ancient than the 
round, and may have been all along occasionally employed as 
caprice or convenience dictated. And that its systematic use as 
the principal constructive feature was introduced into Western 
Christendom from the east, we can hardly doubt, when we 
consider that its appearance in the twelfth century is exactly 
simultaneous with the increased intercourse between the two 
regions consequent upon the Crusades. We may thus see the 
