ARCHITECTURE. 





variety of tracery, which was uniformly 

 ornamented with rosettes or polyfoil, cus- 

 pidated figures, forming trefoils, quatre- 

 ibils, &c. Canopies were introduced over 

 the arches, and in rich work were deco- 

 rated with crockets and creeping foliage, 

 and terminated in a flower. The but- 

 tresses were made in several diminished 

 stages towards the top, and mostly termi- 

 nated with purfled pinnacles. 



In the reign of Edward II. detached 

 columns were laid aside, and pillars, 

 nearly of the same proportion as former- 

 ly, with vertical or columnar mouldings 

 wrought out of the solid, were adopted. 

 The east and west windows were so en- 

 Sarged as to take up nearly the whole 

 breadth of the nave, and carried up al- 

 most as high as the vaulting, and were 

 beautifully ornamented with lively colours 

 on stained glass. 



In the early part of the reign of Edward 

 III. arcades with low arches and sharp 

 points prevailed ; over the arcades was 

 generally placed a row of open galleries, 

 originally introduced in Saxon churches. 



About the end of the reign of Richard 

 II., A. D. 1399, the pillars became more 

 tall and slender, forming still more lofty 

 and open arcades ; the columns which 

 formed the cluster were of different dia- 

 meters, the capitals more complicated, 

 the vaults at the intersection of the ribs 

 were studded with knots of foliage, the 

 canopies of the arches were universally 

 purfled, and terminated with a rich knot 

 of flowers : the pilastered buttresses 

 flanking the sides were crowned with 

 elaborate finials, the flying buttresses 

 were formed on segments of c' ies, in 

 order to give them lightness, and strength 

 at the same time. 



From the close of the 14th century no 

 remarkable change appears to have taken 

 place ; the grander members continued 

 their original dimensions and form, and 

 the ornamental parts became distinguish- 

 ed by greater richness and exuberance. 



Another change took place in the reign 

 of Edward IV. Its leading features are 

 principally to be seen in the vaultings, 

 the horizontal sections of which had been 

 generally projecting right angles, but 

 were now arches of circles ; the surface 

 of the vaults being such as might be ge- 

 nerated by a concave curve revolving 

 round a vertical line as an axis, which 

 was immediately over the pillars. This 

 species of groining, unknown in preced- 

 ing ages, was favourable for a beautiful 

 display of tracery. Equi-distant concave 

 i bs in vertical planes were intersected 



VOL. 1. 



by horizontal convex circular ribs, and 

 the included pannels were beautifully 

 ornamented with cusps, forming an infi- 

 nite variety of the most elegant tracery, 

 which, from its appearance, has been de- 

 nominated fan work. 



From the commencement of the reign 

 of King Henry VIII., a mixed or debased 

 style began to take place, from our in- 

 tercourse with the Italians. The ingenious 

 Mr. Britton, in his valuable architectural 

 antiquities of Great Britain, has classed 

 the various styles in the following order, 

 which we shall adopt, and shall be happy 

 to find the same appropriate terms adopt- 

 ed also in future publications, wherever 

 ideas of the objects represented by them 

 are the subjects of inquiry. We are sen- 

 sible this is the only means of facilitating 

 a knowledge of this study, by removing 

 equivocal words, and thereby making ar- 

 chitectural language intelligible." 



First Style. Anglo Saxon ; this will 

 embrace all buildings that were erected 

 between the times of the conversion of 

 the Saxons and the Norman conquest, 

 from A. D. 599 to A. D. 1066. 



Second Style. Anglo Norman, by which 

 will be meant, that style which prevailed 

 from 1066 to 1189, including the reigns of 

 Williams I. and II., Henry 1., Stephen, and 

 Henry II. 



Third Style. English, from 1 1 89 to 1272, 

 embracing the reigns of Richard I., John, 

 and Henry III. 



Fourth Style. Decorated English, from 

 1272 to 1461, including the reigns of Ed- 

 wards I., II., III., Richard II., Henrys IV., 

 V., and VI. 



Fifth Style. Highly decorated florid 

 English, from 1461 to 1509, including the 

 reigns of Edwards IV. and V., Richard 

 III., and Henry VII. 



From this xra we lose all sight of con- 

 gruity : and the public buildings erected 

 during the reigns of Henry VIII., Eliza- 

 beth, and James I., may be characterised 

 by the terms of debased English, or An- 

 glo-Italian. Mr. Britton observes, " that 

 during the intermediate time, when one 

 style was growing into repute and the 

 other sinking in favour, there will be 

 found a mixture of both in one building, 

 which is not referable to either, and 

 which has constituted the greatest prob- 

 lem in antiquarian science." 



Before we leave this subject, it will be 

 necessary to give some account of the 

 materials employed in the fabrication, 

 and of the principles, in the construction 

 of those immense piles, which at once 

 united grandeur, magnificence, and awful 



Br 



