During the Crusades, another circumstance took place, which also contributed much to the perfection of their ecclesiastical buildings. Some Greek refugees, Italians, French, Germans, and Flemings, united into a fraternity of builders, and procured papal bulls and particular pri vileges. They assumed the name of free-masons, and travelled from one nation to another, where their services were required. Their government was regular. Adja cent to the building which was to be erected, they con structed a camp of huts ; a surveyor governed in chief, and every tenth man, called a warden, overlooked nine. (Wren's Parentalia.) This establishment, similar to the Dionysiacs of Ionia, upon whose model it was probably formed by the Greek refugees, was the means of creating great dexterity in the workmen, and of making the sur VCVOCS become perfectly well acquainted with every cir cumstance which related to the plans and decorations. From the different national styles which were formed and closely adhered to, it is probable that the ecclesiastics furnished the designs ; because, lithe surveyors had done so, the same plans would have been repeated in the se veral countries where they were employed. Still it was of the first importance, to have men who understood plans, and workmen who were familiar with all the mi nutiae of execution. Sec FREE :MASONRY.
Under all these circumstances, ecclesiastical buildings of great splendour were soon erected in the several king doms and states upon the Continent. In Italy, at Flo rence, Venice, Pisa, Sienna, Orvietto ; in Germany, and amongst the Flemings, at Vienna, Strasburgh, Nurem berg, .Antwerp, Ghent, and Brussels ; and in France, at Rheims, St Denis, Amiens, Notre Dame, Verdun, Laon, Lczoux, Chartres, Rouen, and Seez, were very early and splendid specimens.
In Italy, the nearest resemblance to the Roman man ner, such as circular porticos and arcades, was preserved, but exuberance of decoration seldom occurs ; the west ern facade engrossed the chief attention. Upon the cen tre of the transepts, cupolas were placed, and the cam panile towers were always separate buildings. There are no spires in Italy, but the towers of Florence and Ve nice are slender, lofty, and beautiful. In the Baptista of Pisa, which was erected in 1152, the lower Greek man ner is mixed with the German Gothic ; in it arc Corin thian pillars, circular arches, Gothic pinnacles, sharp pediments, enriched with foliage, and terminated with a trefoil. Such instances of Gothic features, were not com mon in France before 1220, at St Denis.
In France and Germany, the architects have also ex hausted all their genius upon western façades, and in many of them have produced very magnificent and strik ing effects; but they much exceeded the Italian struc tures in profusion of decorations. Here numerous point
ed and sculptured pediments, niches, statues, and cano pies, were lavishly distributed ; in many of them, one cir cular window occupied the space between two towers richly ornamented with clustered pinnacles, and in seve ral of them were very lofty spires. At St Stephens, Vienna, and Strasburg in Germany, and Rouen, Con stance, and Bayeux in France, the spires are just a con tinuation of the tower diminishing from its base.
To compose a perfect church, a French critic of Go thic architecture proposes to adopt the portal and west front of Rheims, the nave of Amiens, the choir of Beau voirs, and the spire of Chartres. Sec Dallaway's Ob. on English Architecture.
Of Gothic Architecture in Britain.
given a general view of the most distinguish ing :was and leading features of Gothic architecture upon the continent, we shall proceed to consider its pro gress in England, whose claim to the most perfect style of this school is generally admitted. In doing this, the learned and masterly investigations of the before men tioned authors, will enable us to trace a regular and con nected progress ; and we shall, for the sake of perspi cuity, be as minute as the nature of our work will ad mit.
When Agricola had subdued the northern parts of the island, he endeavoured to instruct and civilize the iuhabitants. By means of the artificers attached to the army, many Roman edifices were constructed, and the numer ous remains of temples and baths which have been dis covered, are evidences of both public and private struc tures having been carried to a very considerable degree of perfection. This it was natural to expect during a residence of 400 years. 'File stone dug up at Chichester, which records a temple dedicated to Minerva by one of the companies of workmen, shows, that such buildings were executed long previous to Agricola, upon Claudius having reduced the southern parts of the kingdom, and probably soon after the temple to Claudius at Malden, to Minerva at Bath, and to Jupiter and Diana at London, were erected. See Ornaments of Churches considered.
Hume relates, that during the dominion of the Ro mans, 28 considerable cities had been built, besides a great number of villages and country seats.
The Romans had, it appears, made very little pro gress in the instruction or civilization of the inhabitants ; their subjection had been so complete, and their condi tion rendered so servile, as totally to annihilate their spi rit, and debase their character: so that when the Romans withdrew from the island, the knowledge and practice of the arts were extinguished, and the inhabitants relapsed into helpless barbarism.