CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 



History. en-:e have again begun to discover the excellence of its 

 ' -V^ 1 principles, and men of taste to perceire the beauty of its 

 forms. These violent transitions have led to much in- 

 vestigation and discussion, by persons well qualified for 

 Writers. the task, such as Wren, Walpole, Gray, Warton, Wil- 

 kins, Carter, Bentham, Grose, Murphy, Knight, Dalla- 

 \ay, Whittington, Milner, and Sir James Hall. 

 Various One opinion is, that the pointed arch, and most of the 



opinion! as delicate features of Gothic architecture, were furnished 

 origin, ky the Saracens and Moors ; a second finds, that the 

 changes took place by the gradual deviation from the 

 Roman manner, and that most of the features have arisen 

 from the whim of Italian architects ; a third ascribes the 

 merit of the finest Gothic almost exclusively to the gra- 

 dual changes introduced by the architects of England ; 

 while Sir James Hall has, with much taste and ingenuity, 

 shewn how this style may have originated in a way to- 

 tally independent of any other mode of architecture. Un- 

 der these circumstances, we shall first endeavour to give 

 a cursory but connected view of the progress of this ar- 

 chitecture in Europe, from the time of the decline of the 

 Roman empire to the 16th century ; and then make such 

 general observations as seem calculated to enable the 

 Observa- reader to form his own judgment. We conceive this of 

 tiou. sufficient importance to deserve his serious attention. It 



is a proof, that even where an art has been brought to 

 a perfection, as in the case of Greek architecture, which 

 seemed to preclude all farther improvement, yet a change 

 of circumstances will produce another mode totally dif- 

 ferent, but equally perfect j and it is incontrovertible evi- 

 dence, that the boundaries of human ingenuity are not to 

 be easily limited. 



From the time of Vespasian, the Roman architecture 

 began to be less pure. During the reign of Trajan it 

 had considerably declined ; and, in the splendid edifices 

 of Dioclesian, forms had been introduced (Adam's Spa~ 

 latro) not only foreign to the best style, but sufficiently 

 different to afford hints for some features of the Gothic ; 

 such as arches springing from the top of capitals, of co- 

 lumns without any intervening entablature, and consols 

 supported by figures projecting from the wall. 



Gothic architecture having been employed almost ex- 

 clusively in ecclesiastical edifices, this investigation must 

 of course be directed chiefly to buildings of this de- 

 scription. The oldest Christian church now existing is 

 considered to be that of St Paul, wh-ch was built by 

 Constantine without the gates of Rome. This is also 

 the earliest instance of a Christian church, in which the 

 arches arc raised upon round columns instead of square 

 piers. Gibbon says, that the palace of Theodosius af- 

 fords the oldest specimens of the Gothic ; so that, co- 

 eval with the incursions of the Goths, the Roman ar- 

 chitecture had been almost completely changed. The 

 confusion which ensued towards the final extinction of the 

 empire, led almost to the total neglect of the arts. The 

 consequences of which, were the ignorance and incapa- 

 city of artists and workmen. These evils had also, by 

 the incursions of the Goths and Huns, been spread over 

 all Greece ; and the effects upon the arts were manifest, 

 from the failures and clumsiness of the best Greek archi- 

 tects. Justinian was able to select artists to construct 

 his great church of St Sophia at Constantinople. 



At the time Constantine established Christianity, many 

 of the basilicx, or courts of justice, in the great cities 

 of the empire, were converted into Christian churches, 

 and being convenient for the accommodation of great 

 assemblies, the new churches were built in the same 

 form. This Lrm was oblong, and had pillars within the 

 walls of the covered cells, thereby dividing the whole 



breadth into three or four aisles. The principal entrance was 

 at the west end ; and the east end, where the tribunal was 

 placed, was of a circular form. See Bentham on Saxon 

 Churches. 



Here, then, we find established the oblong form, with 

 the space between the walls, divided by two rows of co- 

 lumns into three aisles. Upon the columns, arches are 

 immediately erected in a connected range, to receive an 

 upper wall which supports the roof. The chief entrance 

 is also at the west end, and the east end is of a circular 

 shape. An addition was made, which completed the La- 

 tin cross, and perfected the ground plan of a Christian 

 church. The remains of ancient edifices, part of which 

 were converted into churches, had still some influence in 

 guiding the workmen of that age in their clumsy ope- 

 rations. They had preserved the principles and habit of 

 arching vaults, especially the kind which is now denomi- 

 nated groins. They are formed by two arches intersect- 

 ing each other at right angles, and, in many instances, 

 springing from four points only. By this means, the 

 diagonal lines formed by the intersection of the two 

 arches, cross each other at the centre of the vault. It 

 is of importance to notice this circumstance, because it 

 afterwards became one of the principal features of the 

 Gothic style. 



Rome being at the head of the Christian church, and 

 for several ages possessing unbounded influence over all 

 the rest of Europe, created a great intercourse, and af- 

 forded the ecclesiastical dignitaries ample opportunities 

 of becoming early acquainted with the forms of the Ita- 

 lian churches. Their zeal and vanity introduced similar 

 edifices into the several countries where they resided, 

 and, through their means, the rage for building church- 

 es in a short time became general and excessive. 



This ecclesiastical architecture, drawn from the same 

 source, and diffused through the several countries of Eu- 

 rope by the same description ofcharacters, a general resem- 

 blance was preserved; yet the architecture of each country 

 in this, as in other matters, from a variety of local circum- 

 stances, soon came to be distinguished by peculiar features. 

 That of Italy retained the greatest resemblance to the 

 Roman manner, and was seldom overloaded with orna- 

 ments. In the northern countries, the decorations were 

 more redundant. In all of them, the attention was be- 

 stowed chiefly upon the western facade. At Pisa, Or- 

 vietto, and Sienna, in Italy, circular arcades and porticos 

 are frequent. Some are composed of columns, taken from 

 Roman works, and others imperfect imitations. In Spain, 

 the architecture was strong and massive in its outlines, 

 but decorated with minute ornaments of great delicacy, 

 borrowed from the Moors. See Dallaway's Observa- 

 tions, pp. 2 6. 



During the reign of Charlemagne, many magnificent 

 churches were erected ; and the extent of his dominions 

 served to give some degree of regularity to the operations 

 of architecture. This, especially in France, formed no 

 inconsiderable xra. He is even said to have introduced 

 it into that country ; and it is certain that the cathedral 

 of Rhcims was erected during the reign of his successor 

 in 875. 



The most remarkable sera in the history of this school 

 of architecture, was the crusades to the Holy Land. 

 This apparent frenzy and delusion, which threatened to 

 unpeople Europe, and overwhelm Asia, and which was 

 actually productive of so much bloodshed and misery, 

 had also the effect of introducing into the countries of 

 the west, all the knowledge and arts collected from the 

 east and south, into a district bounded by Greece and 

 Palestine, and which, from the contentions of the Turks, 



Histor. 



Latin crosi 

 introduced. 



Groin 



Dignitaries 

 travelled 

 to Rome. 



Church 

 building 

 became el- 

 trav.igan'. 



In Iu!y, 

 the re'ei- 

 blance to 

 Roman ar- 

 chitecture 

 preserved. 



Western 

 facade. 



charle- 

 magne. 



