CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 



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mode of divuion, -have occupied the middle space, and 

 . the UK of arches enabled the architect to do with- 

 miciice. It may here be also, without impro- 

 priety, noticed, that attempting to make the narrow side 

 archei at high as those over the middle space, may pos- 

 sibly have first suggested the idea of pointed arches. 



In respect to columns, conclusions have too generally 

 been drawn, from considering the slender purbec marble 

 columns (which .re, in some instances, attached to a large 

 central cylinder,) separately, or otherwise, by taking by 

 itsvlf each column of the great clustered pillar ; and be- 

 ing thereby artonnhed 4t proportions in which the height 

 is sometimes 120 diameters. But this is fallacious, be- 

 cause there ought, in a comparison of height with diame- 

 ter, to be included the whole mass of which the pillar is 

 composed, and from which the incumbent weight derives 

 support ; and when viewed in this manner, the pillars 

 used in Gothic buildings will not much differ in the ratio 

 nf their height and diameter from those employed in the 

 Roman architecture. 



In the cathedral of Milan, the height of the column is 

 one-third of the whole extent across the edifice, at the 

 transepts, viz. *}* = 46 cubits of 25 inches each ; and 

 this height is 7J diameter, of which the base and capital 

 each occupied { of a diameter. The four large columns 

 in the Louvre were 6J T diameter, of which the cap was 

 {g, and the base *,*, of a diameter. 



Two pillars in Westminster Abbey were carefully 

 measured by Batty Langlcy in 1742. They each con- 

 sist of a large central cylinder, having four slender co- 

 lumns attached. The height of the central cylinder of 

 one, which was erected in the time of Henry III. about 

 1210, i?, including bare and capital, five diameters of the 

 whole cluster, and 74 of the central cylinder j the base 

 is 1 " r , and the capital of a diameter. In the other, 

 which was erected in the time of Edward I. the central 

 cylinder, including base and capital, is five times the dia- 

 meter of the whole cluster, and 9rr times that of the 

 central cylinder; thebnse and plinth is one diameter, the 

 capital .} a diameter. These instances are sufficient to 

 enable the student to pursue this mode of investigation, 

 for which recent publications, respecting the English 

 cathedrals, will afford sufficient data. We shall add ano- 

 ther instance, which may lead him to consider this part 

 of the subject in a still more important view. 



In the church of Toussaint at Angers, a space, wliich is 

 63 feet in length and 31.6 in breadth within the walls, is 

 vaulted by groin arching, of which the ribs are of a hard 

 stone, cut and dressed. The interstices are filled with 

 small rubble stone five inches in thickness. The arch 

 over the middle space is 26 feet in height, the side arches 

 rach 13 feet. The whole of the "central parts of this 

 vault rest upon two columns, each 24 feet in height, and 

 ouly eleven inches diameter. They stand in the middle 

 of the breadth, and 15.6 distant from each end of the 

 apartment. It is calculated, that the weight resting 

 upon these columns is equal to 127,660 pounds. By 

 experiments upon stone, similar to that with which the 

 columns are constructed, each superficial inch carried 

 6650 pounds before it was crushed ; but taking one half 

 of this weight, the superficies of each column is 95 inches, 

 the two 190 ; they should therefore support 632,750 

 pounds, or 4j times what they do. The walls of the 

 apartment arc 4> feet in thickness. Useful information 

 may be derived from similar calculations upon English 

 chapter-houses, supported by one or more columns. In 

 the article BIIIDGE, it has already been stated, that in 

 the octagonal chapter- house at Elgin, the pillar bears 

 more than 40,000 pounds upon every square foot, and 

 when its roof was perfect the weight mutt have been 



Pracilce. 



Norman 

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1st Gothic 

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considerably more. This middle pillar is 24- feet in height, 

 and the ribs spring from each angle of the octagon. 



The Norman columns were generally even more massive 

 than the Saxon had been. They sometimes consisted of a 

 single shaft, cylindrical, hexagonal, or octagonal, not uii- 

 frequently fluted in a spiral direction, or embellished with 

 lozenge* or network in alto or bas relivf, which rivalled 

 the richest of the Palmyrean or Dioclesian pilasters. The 

 body of the pier was sometimes a compound form, recti- 

 linear or curvilinear, or having portions of columns upon 

 two or more sides ; and sometimes having two or more 

 large columns joined together, with or without angular 

 parts between them ; or there was a large square or 

 octagonal pier, with slender round columns at each angle. 

 The capitals were plain, or a sort of volute, or consisted 

 of flowers, leaves, shell*, or heads of animals ; and of 

 these, varieties in the same row was not uncommon. 

 These columns had scarcely any regular base, but rested 

 on a plinth shaped to suit the shaft. 



The first deviation from the Norman was into 8, and soon 

 afterwards, there was formed a central cylinder with slen- 

 der shafts attached to it. These were divided in several 

 parts of their height by small fillets ; they rested on a 

 common base, and were united under one capital, which 

 was embellished with delicately sculptured leaves of the 

 palm tree or other foliage, and frequently ornaments were 

 carried up between the shafts. 



In the second great change or order, the central and 

 attached columns were worked up together in various 

 combinations as to number ; the capitals were not much 

 ornamented, but each column had a distinct one, consist- 

 ing partly of plain mouldings, and partly of delicate fo- 

 liage running round it. 



Little change took plce in the columns, during the 

 third or florid style of Gothic architecture. 



The niiiifon-s, during the prevalence of the Norman 

 style, were narrow and rounded on the top ; two or even 

 three were sometimes placed together, and they usually 

 had columns at the sides, and sometimes were placed be- 

 tween them as mulliona. 



During the first change from the Norman, the win- 

 dows were long, narrow, and lancet-shaped, divided by 

 one plain mullion, and at most two in the upper tier ; 

 they had frequently a trefoil lozenge, or some fimple or- 

 nament between the tops, and had small marble shafts on 

 each side, both externally and internally. There were 

 sometimes two or three tiers or rows of these windows in 

 the east and we*t ends, and not unfrequcntly three in a 

 row. 



In the second sera, reckoned that of the most perfect sd Order. 

 Gothic, the windows were made much larger; they were 

 divided into several lights, by mullions which spread into 

 tracery of leaves, flowers, cnuatrefoiN, rosettes, &c. in the 

 upper part. During the time of the two first, and part 

 of the third Edward, pediments were formed, at first by 

 means of mouldings in straight lines meeting in an acute 

 angle at a considerable distance above the top of the 

 window, having crockets up the back of the mouldings, 

 which terminated in a rich knot of flowers, resembling the 

 blossoms of the Euphorbium. By degrees the moulding* 

 of the pediment were formed into an ogee sweep, and 

 elegant pinnacles were raised on each side at the spring- 

 ing of the arch ; after expanding to a great breadth, the 

 window was again considerably contracted. 



In the third, or florid style, the windows become more 3d Order, 

 open, and were Hatter at the top ; their parts were so 

 minute as to become only a sort of frame for the glass, 

 divided by rectilinear transoms, frequently ornamented 

 by an embattled fret. 



The Ornaments may be comprehended under the terms 



Jd Gothic 

 order. 



3d Gothic 

 ordt r. 



Windows. 



Itt Order. 



