If' none of the above materials can be procured without much difficulty, brick is not to be discarded, although not to be recommended unless under peculiar circumstances. If you are compelled to use it, do not attempt to disgnise it by stucco, a brick church is better than an imitation stone one ; plaster may be used occasionally to preserve a wall, but, if' so, let its nature and its purport be at once evident. Churches of red brick are to be found in Essex, but they are of a late period, and are not to be imitated unless absolutely necessary. In general eases, rag or rubble is preferable. not only in • appeat•ance, but even in economy.
Timber, though by no means a desirable material, may in special cases be employed. A church of this description has already been noticed and described, it will therefOre be mi. necessary here to enter into a consideration of its construction. While upon this subject we cannot conclude without again suggesting, whether churches built after the fashion of that at Greenstead, above described, would not be more appro priate structures for temporary churches, than those which at the present day pass under that denomination.
In all the above cases, let the walls be of considerable thickness, as this tends not only to the security of the strue tu•e, but also, as we have said before, to the preservation of an equable temperature in the interior.
Of the corrring.—The best covering for the roof is lead, of sufficient thiekness-71b. lead is a good quality—but it has its disadvantages ;- in the first place it is expensive, and therefifre not suitable for the present time ; it also requires great care in laying, and unless pure, and of good quality, is liable to corrode. Slates are not objectionable it' they lie of a good colour, but the common blue slate does not harmonize well with the masonry ; very fair specimens are to be pro cured from the north of England. Tiles and thatch are fre quently found on old churches; the former may be employed, lint the latter is objectionable, for reasons which will be obvious to every reader. IZag-stones may be used for the pur I lose, as may also shingles ; the latter are eligible on account of their lightness, and other qualities, but they are not secure against fire.
Of the intermil wood-work.—The roof, benches, screens. and other wood-work should be of oak, if expense is no obstacle ; however, fir, Walnut, and other inferior timber, are more gene rally employed now-a-days; but whatever is used, it should not be stained or grained, to resemble wood of a superior quality.; it may be prepared in any manner w hich will tend to its pre servation, and in this way its appearance may solo etimes lie improved. Deal may be employed when the funds will not admit of a better substitute. Varnish is now frequently used, but we think it better avoided : at least, allow it a sufficient time to dry, before the church is to be used far service.
Of the jlooring.—The hest materials flir paving the floor are encaustic tiles, ornamented in appropriate-cidoured de vices; plain tiles, however, will ahsw er very well for the nave, they should be placed diamond-wise, the alternate ones being of the same colour with a differently-coloured one between ; red and black are the common colours. The enriched encaus
tic tiles may be judiciously reserved for the chancel ; plain tiles are well introduced even here, for they serve as a con trast, as also to throw out the patterns of the richer sort.
Of nnelmlwork,—The metals are used for a variety of pur poses, the more costly in the furniture of a church, lint we shall here confine ourselves to the ornamental iron-work, used /,)r hinges, lock:, bars. and such like, many beautiful speci mens of ‘vhich arc preserved to us in our old churches. We must, at starting, lay down, as a rule, that iron, for these purposes, should be wrought, not cast ; the latter class of iron-1A ork is always a fiiInte. These ornaments should not be ' painted, but. to preserve them from rust, it is recommended that they be dipped when red-hot in grease. and left to coal ; the saute lurri=e will be answered by coating them with some incorrosive metal.
O/ style.—The best style for adoption in parish-churches is undoubtedly the 1 >ecorated, from the middle of the 10 the middle of the fourteenth century. During this period Christian art was at its perk-ction, and soon after began to lose its character for genuine siniplivity ; the intro duction of the depressed arch, and the excessive embellish ment of the later style, was the commencement of its down ward course. We would not, however, confine the architect to a single style; Early English is well adapted for large •hurehes, and twiy occasionally be made available for smaller ones, \\ bile Perpendicular is appropriately employed for churches in cities and large tow us, sometimes even with greater ad vinitage than Decorated, which is particularly the case when a church, being closely surrounded with other buildings, requires large windows on those sides which are none open to the light. For the generality of churches, how ever, the Decorated is by far the most suitable, it is equally adapted for a plain, as for a more highly-finished structure, mid has a natural grave which ensures its perfection, in w h,it et er situation it be placed; it will admit of the highest elabo ration, so th• at least as is consistent with purity, or of the plainest construction, without sacrificing any of its inherent beauties; on the other hand, the Perpendicular style must be highly enriched, or otherwise it will appear meagre, and is therefiwe unsuitable, except for an expensive edifice. We have said nothing of Norman, but we must pass it over in silence ; it is decidedly not so appropriate as any of the above mentioned styles fur parish-churches, and yet we should be sorry to see it entirely discarded ; it must not be recom mended, but it has its peculiar beauties, which doubtless will always secure to it some share of public Etvour.