The second order was employed in York minster. Here the principal columns arc divided into clusters, apparently slender, and crowned with historic capitals. From the capitals spring three principal ribs, and two lateral ones, which meet similar ribs from the adjoining columns, and form arches for the magnificent windows of the nave. The mullions, continued down to the bottom of their story, form those of the light and uniform triforiuni gallery; other shafts of the main cluster sustain springers of arches of the intcrcolumniations, and other springers meeting corresponding ribs from the clusters of the side aisles. The arches are finely shaped, and include equila teral triangles.
The third order is exemplified in Henry VII.'s chapel, unrivaled for magnificence, ingenuity, elegance, and de licacy. The pendant capital is its most striking orna ment, and the outlines of the arches in intercolumniations arc exceedingly obtuse and Hat.
Dr Milner, after describing the churches of Constan tine as ancient basilicas, either imitated or merely inclosed, sometimes by curtains only, and lighted by small round headed or square windows, states, that such were pro bably the first constructed at York, Lincoln, Rochester, &c. for the Romans were not so much masters of Britain as to build fine structures before their architecture was vitiated. In the course of the 5th century the Ostrogoths and Huns overran Italy ; the Visigoths and Suevi, Spain ; the Franks and Burgundians, Gaul ; and the Saxons, Angles, and Jutcs, South Britain. These bar barians destroyed innumerable edifices, but erected none.
The Saxon architecture was not introduced by the Saxons, but by missionaries from Rome, when they con verted the natives at the end of the 6th century ; it was Roman, but very rudely executed. They at first made use of a church their ancestors had spared. St Augus tine found a church at Canterbury built by the Romans, which was called St Martin's. These missionaries, and the first converts, were at first content to construct them of oaken planks and wattles, and thatch them with reeds. Such a church still exists, or did exist not long ago, at Greenstead in Essex. Paulinus built one at Catarick, which was burnt 'by the Pagans ; he also built one of wood, the mother church of British Christianity, in place of one of wattles and, hurdles, and inclosed the whole building with a covering of lead. Winfred, in the latter part of the 7th century, built Rippon and Hexham, and repaired York, and glazed the windows ; but his visits to Rome, his instructions from Archdeacon Boniface, and the Roman workmen he engaged, enabled him to proceed so successfully, and carry his great works to such perfection ; even the minute decorations of the Sax on were brought from Rome, but the logs and anchors, caulicolx and volutes, and all the regular entablatures, had been laid aside before our Saxon ancestors began to build. The incapable workmen rejected all the rich and fine parts ; and in imitating the Corinthian capitals, pre served only the stems of the volutes, and introduced ani mals, &c. The zig zag billet-cable, embattled fret, lo .zenge, corbel table, may be found in buildings, medals, tesselated pavements, and sepulchres in Italy.
It is difficult to find original Saxon. The doorway of Esseudon church, near Stamford, is known to be Saxon, The portals are generally round headed, with rude carv ings in circular parts, while the door itself is of a square form. Saxon edifices are distinguished by their small dimensions, thick walls without buttresses, small windows with round heads without mullions, low cones which co ver the towers and flank the corners of the buildings ; and also by the rudeness of the workmanship. Mr Bentham
is mistaken in saying, that the Saxons did not build high towers till the 10th century, for Richard, prior of Hex ham, observes, " that St Mary at Hexham had a tower of a round or cupola form, from which four porticos pro ceeded ; and this resembles Sophia at Constantinople, built about the same time." And Eadmer of Canterbury says, that there were anciently two towers, one over the south and another over the north transepts. So that Mr Bentham was also mistaken in maintaining that the Sax ons had no transepts, since both Hexham and Canterbury were in the form of a cross. He also denies that bells were used till the 10th century ; but it is clear from Bede, that large bells for assembling congregations were used in 680.
During the 9th and 10th centuries, the Saxons in Bri tain, and the Franks in Gaul, both then civilized, were as much harassed by new hordes of northern barbarians, as they had, four centuries before, afflicted others The Danes and Normans overwhelmed and destroyed every thing before them. France, by giving up Normandy, compounded with them, and restored their ecclesiastical edifices with incredible expedition. Robert the Pious, who began to reign in the latter end of the 10th century, built 14 monasteries, and 7 other churches ; but even he was outdone by the newly converted Normans in what regarded religiod and learning. William I. previous to the invasion of England, built two abbeys in Caen, St Stephen, and the Holy Trinity ; and his nobles built 38 others, besides what were erected by the prelates. The abbeys of Bec and Caen became the most celebrated school in Europe ; most of the prelates, who rebuilt the English cathedrals in the latter end" of the Ilth and be ginning of the 12th century, had been at one of those places. • Immediately after the conquest they got possession of the great ecclesiastical benefices. Almost all the Saxon cathedrals were demolished, and rebuilt on a larger scale by Mauricius in London, Lanfranc at Canterbury, Tho mas at York, Walkelern in Winchester, Gundulph at Rochester, William at Durham,. St Wulstan at Worces ter, Robert at Hereford, Herbert at Norwich, St Anselm at Chester, and Roger at Sarum. The abbots were not less zealous; the monasteries, as St Augustine at Canter bury, St Albans, Evesham, Glastonbury, Ely, St Ed mundsbury, were all rebuilt. Hugh Lupus sent for St Anselm, then prior of Bec, to direct the building the church of the monastery of St \Verburgh at Chester. The rage for building became excessive, and led to im provements in an art not confined by rules ; the parts mostly remained the same as the Saxon, but the general dimensions were greatly enlarged. The Saxon cathedral of Dunwich was only 120 feet long and 24 wide, (Wil kin's ?ircheol. vol. xii. p. 166.); the celebrated church of Abingdon only 120 feet long ; but the Norman cathe drals of York and Lincoln were each 490 feet long ; Winchester 500 ; St Alban's 600 ; London old St Paul's 690 feet long ; and York minster 99 feet. The height of the latter up to the crown of the vault, under the beams of the roof, was 102 feet. The buttresses were at first broad, thin, and shelving upwards, without any ornaments, but the workmanship was superior to that of the Saxons. The Norman windows and portals were larger than the Saxon, and supported by pillars at the sides.