In the reign of Edward II. detached columns were laid aside, and pillars, near ly of the same proportion as formerly, with vertical or columnar mouldings wrought out of the solid, were adopted. The east and west windows were so en larged 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 111. arcades with low arches and sharp points prevailed ; over the arcades was ge nerally 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 ; 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 ela borate finials, the flying buttresses were formed on segments of circles, 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 vat iltings, 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 spe cies of graining, unknown in preceding aVs, was favourable for a beautiful dis lay of tracery. Equidistant concave ribs in vertical planes were intersected by horizontal convex circular ribs, and the included paunch; were beantifilly orna mented with cusps, forming an infinite variety of the most elegant tracerv, which, from its appearance, has been denominat edfin work.
From the commencement of the reign of King Henry VIII. a mixed or debased style began to take place, from our inter course 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 em brace all buildings that were erected be tween the times of the conversion of the Saxons and the Norman conquest, front 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 I., Stephen and Henry II.
Third Style. English, from 1189 to 1272, embracing the reigns of Richard I, John, and Henry Ill.
Fourth ,SYyle. Decorated English, from 12T2 to 1461, including the reigns of Ed wards I., II., Ill., Richard Henrys IV., V., and VI.
Fifth Style. Highly decorated florid English, from 1461 to 1509, including the reigns of Edwards IV. and V., Richard 111., 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 gio-ltalian. 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 problem in anti quarian science." Before we leave this subject, it will lie 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 unit ed grandeur, magnificence, and awful sub hmity in their structure. In the erection of these edifices, heavy cornices, entabla tures, and lintelS, were omitted, and there was seldom occasion to use any stones larger than a man might carry on his back, up a ladder, from one scaffold to another, though spoke wheels and pullies were occasionally used. From the adop tion of such light materials, and the emu lation of the architects, edifices were raised to an incredible height. Hence the lofty towers, and the still more elevated spires that occasion such awful grandeur, and sublime sensations in the mind of the astonished beholder. The ceilings of the churches were formed by groined vault ing, a portion of the pressure of which was directed in the length to the ends, and the remaining pressure to the spring ing points on the sides.