1^6 ON GOTHIC ARCUITEETURE. ]\Stt^ 4[» 



thj^rs, in tLeir churches. The body of the church ex- 

 tfendeil to a great length, from eafl to weft, confiiling 

 of its nave, and fide alfles, and the tranfept crofTcd it 

 at right angles from fouth to north. As this tranfept 

 was generally of the fame height and width with the 

 nave, it followed, that no light could be thrown from 

 above into the large central I'fiuare, had it been finlfh- 

 ed off at the fame height with' the other parts of the 

 nave. This would, have thrown a kind of gloom upon 

 the centre, inftead of making it the rnoft cheerful 

 part of the building, as its confplcuous pofition render- 

 ed, in feme meafure, neceffary. There alfo was want- 

 ing an abutment to the long rpw of arches on each fide 

 of the naVe, which could not have been well eflefted 

 by the large pointed central arch of the tranfept alone ; 

 fome contrivance mull be tnerefure adopted for pro- 

 viding here an abutment for the pjirpofe wanted, that 

 fhould not incommode the. church. The i.fovice the ar- 

 chitect adopted here, is like all the others we have had 

 occafion to develops, beautifully fimple and efHc'^cious, 

 and has been fo managed, as to anfwer feveral other 

 beneficial \ purpofes, befides t^ofe which, of neceflity, 

 gave rife to the objeft in queftion. 



xo form the abutmeat wanted, it became neceilary 

 to load each of the four central corner pillars with 

 fuch a weight as fhould become a couriterpoife to all 

 the rangeof arches that abutted iipon'them. This was 

 elfeifted by rearing up a wall upon the top of the cen- 

 tral arches, exadlly upon the faxne principle as that on 

 which were reared -,the walls above the pillars of the 

 naves ; but fis the preflure here was great, the weight 

 wanted was much more ctinfiderable than in the other 

 cafe ; and therefore it became neceflary to rear thele 

 walls to a much greater heiglit. Here then we fee the 

 origin and primary ufe of thofe central towers that 

 conftitute a peculiar and ftriking chara6terift:ic of thut 

 fpccies of Cu'tliic llruclures now treated of. 



