Another cause which tended much to hasten the progress of the style, was the inven tion about the same time of painted glass. The Romanesque architects had been in the habit of decorating their churches with frescos and other paintings; but this new mode of introducing the most brilliant colors into their designs was at once seized upon by the northern architects. The small circular-arched windows, which were still in many instances retained long after the pointed-arch had become usual in the vaulting, no longer sufficed to light the churches when filled with stained glass. They were there fore enlarged, two or even three were thrown into one, divided only by mullions; this compound window was again increased until the compartment of the clerestory became almost wholly absorbed. The architects were then forced to conform the arches of their windows to the pointed outline of the side-arches of the vaulting. This desire for more and more space for stained glass was the origin of the window-tracery, which forms so beautiful a feature of the style. It is the last attenuated remains of the wall space of the clerestory, which was at last entirely 'absorbed.
Notre Dame; is a good illustration of the progress of French Gothic; the clerestory windows are small; and, in order to give more light, the vault of the gallery next the window is kept very high. This was the original design; but during the construction of the cathedral, the importance of stained glass had become so great, that the design was altered to give larger windows for its display. These windows also show the simple early forms of tracery; that in the aisle windows being later and more advanced. Tourney cathedral is a good specimen of the mode in which the whole space of the side-walls was made available for window tracery and stained glass.
The further history of Gothic architecture in France is simply the following out, to their furthest limits, of the principles above indicated, on which the early architects had unconsciously been working when they originated the style. So long as the Gothic architects worked on these principles they advanced and improved their architecture. When, however, the style had become fully developed and matured (about 1g00 A.D.) the spirit of progress died. No new features were developed. The architects seemed to think that in its main elements their style was complete, and contented themselves &with continuing the traditional style of their forerunners, pushing to their extremest limits the principles handed down to them. Thus, the height of the cathedrals was Atended till, at Beauvais,..it exceeded the Tower of the architects to prop up the vault ing. The system of buttresses and pinnacles was developed with thd utmost skill, till at last the original simplicity and repose of the designs were lost, and the exteriors pre sented an elaborate system of scaffolding and propping-up in stone. The beautiful forms of the early tracery became distorted into all manner of flowing curves, graceful but unmeaning, of the Flamboyant period (q.v.); and, in short, the art became lost in mere cleverness of design and dexterity of execution, and the architect's place was usurped by the freemason.
It is in the cathedrals of the 12th and 13th centuries, above referred to, that we find the noblest development of the Gothic style. Everything tended to make them so. The nation was united in the effort—all the science, all the arts, all the learning of the times were centered in the church. In it, and that almost exclusively, the sculptor, the painter, the historian, the moralist, and the divine, all found scope for the expression of their ideas on the sculptured walls, porches, and niches, or the painted windows of the cathedrals—the churches of the people. • The progress of this style in other countries is no less remarkable. At no time in the world's history did any style of architecture ever spread so wide, or give rise, in so short a time, to so many splendid buildings. No sooner had the style been invented in the central provinces of France, than it immediately spread over the whole of the west of Europe, superseding all other styles, and producing >imilar splendid buildings wherever it went.
We will note shortly a few of the peculiarities of the style in England, Germany, and Italy. It spread also over the s. of France and Spain; but flu_ latter countries have not yet been fully illustrated.
English Gothic.—The Normans introduced their round-arched style at the Conquest in 1066, and there are some fine specimens of this style both in England and Scotland Sf. Cross, Hampshire; Durham cathedral; Kelso and Jedburgh abbeys, etc. But these buildings are not copies of those of Noimandy. The English have always, in adopting styles, given them a national impress. As it was with the Norman, so it was to a still greater degree with the pointed Gothic. This was introduced into England about 1174, by William of Sens, who superintended the rebuilding of Canterbury cathedral, The English architects soon began to follow out a pointed style of their own. They bor rowed much from France, and worked it out in their own way, forming what is now called the early English style. The differences between the early Gothic of France and England extend to almost every detail. The moldings, bases, caps, pinnacles, but tresses, and foliage o`_ the latter are all impressed with the early English feeling. In France, the feeling of the early Gothic is one of unrest—a constant struggle forward. In England, the effort for progress is not so marked—that of carefulness and complete ness prevails. In the plans of the cathedrals the differences are marked. The termi nation of a French cathedral or church is invariably circular ended or apsidal—a form derived from the circular tomb-house or baptistry, in early Christian times was built separately, and afterwards taken into the cathedral. The English cathedral, on the contrary, is almost-always square ended. The French transepts have almost no projection; the English ones have great projections—Salisbury and Canterbury having two transepts. The French cathedrals are short and very lofty; the English, long and comparatively low. The French buildings are perhaps the grandest and most aspiring, the English the most finished and picturesque.