68 WARFARE IN THE HUMAN BODY 



in the hope that it may throw a light on other than archi- 

 tectural puzzles : merely observing, on the way, that 

 no general principle yet discovered is confined in its appli- 

 cation to one branch of knowledge. Having once found it, 

 our task is to employ it as a weapon of further analysis. 



It is more or less a commonplace that function creates 

 structure, however Lamarckian that may sound, and in 

 the case of architecture of a religious order the function 

 which constructs is public worship. In fine climates the 

 necessary structure is often a roofless temple. In tropical 

 climates a flat roof may be needed as a protection against 

 the sun. In temperate climates a walled enclosure is 

 insufficient, and a flat-roofed structure cannot keep out 

 rain effectually or bear heavy snow. Thus arose the 

 pointed or sloping roof. But it has been said that " Gothic 

 architecture is not a style. It is a fight." The arch is a 

 mighty warrior. It gives and receives thrusts. The sloping 

 roof partakes of the same nature. Need created it, and the 

 nature of materials and the positional energy we call gravity 

 caused thrusts which endangered the simple walls of the 

 building, walls at first meant to support nothing but flat 

 roofs probably covered with brush or the like material. To 

 build stronger walls might have occurred to the primitive 

 architect, but as the danger was immediate, he probably 

 at once shored those in existence, and then built others 

 at a right angle to act as buttresses. In the meantime 

 the worshippers increased in numbers, and it is indulging in 

 no flight of fancy to suppose the later builder saw that if 

 the new external walls were roofed over, and doorways 

 cut into the main building, there would be an immediate 

 increase of space by the creation of chapels. Such a series 

 of embryonic additional walled spaces, with further door- 

 ways in them leading to each other, obviously gave him the 



