ABBEY CHURCH OF BATH. 7 
of other nations were very generally studied in England, 
and the traveller came home with a growing admiration of 
the monuments of Rome. In the design of the Bath Abbey, 
it was evident that the architect was alive to the follies of 
the day, and endeavoured to avoid them. His aim was to 
avoid the perpendicular lines and the angles then so much 
praised ; and the appearance of poverty in the building 
was the result, not of that design, but of the smallness of 
his funds. The arches of the nave and choir were elegant, 
without extreme lightness ; and beauty, not monotony, 
was the result. The roof appeared to derive support from 
invisible means, and was a model of grace, elegance, and 
liohtness. The merit of the design of the church could 
not be doubted ; the cleverness of its construction had 
always been allowed; and he was at a loss to see why 
rudeness of work@anship had been imputed to it. It was 
the commencement of a new style, and having the building 
before them, all united in praising its general effect. 
A paper was then read by Mr. Freeman on the Per- 
pendieular Churches of Somerset, which is given in full 
in Part II. 
Mr. DickınsonN, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr. 
Freeman and Mr. Davis, thought it necessary to state 
that there were some points in Mr. Freeman’s paper, as his 
preference for the Perpendicular style, with which he did not 
himself agree; as to his remarks on Mr. Ruskin, he thought 
it should be distinetly understood that Mr. Freeman’s ob- 
servations only expressed his individual opinions, and in 
no wise compromised the society as a body. 
The Rev. MALCOLM CLERK took the opportunity of 
referring to some remarks made by Professor Willis in 
his lecture on Wells Cathedral, at the recent meeting of 
the Archaeological Institute. Mr. Willis had said, 
