25 
OP 
GOTHIC CONSTRUCTION. 
In every Arch, whether a segment of a circle, an ellipsis, or in the 
pointed Arches called Gothic, there is a great lateral pressure. This 
constitutes the leading principle of construction in Gothic Architecture, 
which depends on its abuttals. An Arch may sometimes abut against a 
rock, as in bridges; or against a pier of masonry, as in castles, &c. but 
in light Gothic structures, the abuttals consist of buttresses to counter- 
act the lateral pressure; and where such buttresses are not sufficiently 
heavy, additional weight is used; under the various forms of pinnacles, 
or finials, which have often been mistaken for mere ornaments, of no use 
in the construction; and these are sometimes placed at a distance when 
they are connected by what are called flying buttresses, like those at 
Henry the Seventh’s Chapel. 
