^Esthetic Evolution. 239 



the classical revival of Italy ? Believing, as has been as- 

 serted in this essay, that the Church's splendour in the 

 thirteenth century was but a faint adumbration of the 

 august future reserved for her even in this world, and while 

 still only the Church militant, it is probable that architec- 

 turally, no less than in other respects, what is yet to be 

 will be far more glorious than anything which yet has 

 been. 



Readers may well ask whether there are any grounds for 

 this prediction, whether the invention of a new style is to 

 be expected. Certainly no style was ever formed, nor, is it 

 probable that one will ever be formed, otherwise than by 

 gradual growth. Yet there does seem to be evidence of the 

 possibility of such future growth. A zealous Italian may 

 say, " You have objected to extreme gothicism as opposing 

 a Church of the past to the Church of to-day, and as blaming 

 its action in the post-mediaeval period ; but you yourself 

 implicitly blame that period when you abuse the mendacity 

 and other failings of the architecture which during that 

 period it formed. This criticism would, however, be very 

 erroneous. We do not blame the course pursued in adopt- 

 ing and developing the Renaissance ; on the contrary, we 

 believe it to have been the only wise and proper action 

 then possible. But it is one thing to say that an action 

 was, under given circumstances, the relatively best, and 

 quite another to say that such action would be, under 

 all circumstances, the absolutely best. 



