In the church of Toussaint at Angers, a space, which is 63 feet in length and 31.6 in breadth within the walls, is vaulted by groin arching, of which the ribs are of a hard stone, cut and dressed. The interstices are tilled wit I small rubble stone five inches in thickness. The arell over the middle space is 26 feet in height, the side arches each 13 feet. The whole of the central parts of this vault rest upon two columns, each 24 feet in height, and only eleven inches diameter. They stand in the mid dle of the breadth, and 15.6 distant from each end of the apartment. It is calculated, that the weight resting upon these columns is equal to 127.660 pounds By experiments upon stone, similar to that with which the columns are constructed, each superficial inch carried 6650 pion Is before it was crushed ; but taking one half of t hi, the superficies of each column is 95 inches, the two 190 ; they should therefore support 632,750 pounds, or .“ times what they do. The walls of the ap trtment are 43 feet in thickness. Useful information may be derived from similar calculations upon English chapter-houses, supported by one or more colunms. In the article BRIDGE, it has already been stated, that in the octagonal chapter-house at Elgin, the pillar bears more than 40,000 pounds upon every square foot, and when its roof was perfect the weight must have been considerably more. This middle pillar is 24 feet in height, and the ribs spring from each angle of the octagon.
The Norman columns were generally even more mas sive than the Saxon had been. They sometimes consisted of a single shaft, cylindrical, hexagonal, or octagonal, not unfrequently fluted in a spiral direction, or embellish ed m ith lozenges or network in alto or bas relief, which rivalled the richest of the Palmyrean or Dioclesian pilas ters. The body of the pier was sometimes a compound form, rectilinear or curvilinear, or having portions of columns upon two or more sides ; and sometimes having two or more large columns joined together, with or with out angular parts between them ; or there was a large square or octagonal pier, with slender round columns at each angle. The capitals were plain, or a sort of volute, or consisted of flowers, leaves, shells, or heads of animals ; and of these, varieties in the saute row were not uncom mon. These columns had scarcely any regular base, but rested on a plinth shaped to suit the shaft.
The first deviation front the Norman was into 8, and soon afterwards there was formed a central cylinder, with slender shafts attached to it. These were divided in several parts of their height by small fillets ; they rested on a common base. and were united tinder one capital, which was embellished with delicately sculp tured leaves of the palm tree or other foliage, and fre quently ornaments were carried up between the shafts.
In the second great change or order, the central and attached columns were worked up together in various combinations as to number ; the capitals were not much ornamented, but each column had a distinct one, consist ing partly of plain mouldings, and partly of delicate fo liage running round it.
Little change took place in the columns, during the third ur florid style of Gothic architecture.
The windows, during the prevalence of the Norman style, were narrow and rounded on the top ; two or even three were sometimes placed together, and they usually had columns at the sides, and sometimes were placed between them as mullions.
During the first change from the Norman, the win dows were long, narrow, and lancet-shaped, divided by one plain mullion, and at most two in the upper tier ; they had frequently a trefoil lozenge, or some simple or nament between the tops, and had small marble shafts on each side, both externally and internally. There were sometimes two or three tiers or rows of these windows in the cast and west ends, and not unfrequcntly three in a row.
second xra, reckoned that of the most perfect Gothic, the windows were made much larger ; they were divided into several lights, by mullions which spread into tracery of leaves, flowers, quatrefoils, rosettes, &c. in the upper part. During the time of the two first, and part of the third Edward, pediments were formed, at first by means of mouldings in straight lines meeting in an acute angle at a considerable distance above the top of the window, having crockets up the back of the mould ings, which terminated in a rich knot of flowers, resem bling the blossoms of the Euphorbium. By degrees the mouldings of the pediment were formed into an ogee sweep, and elegant pinnacles were raised on each side at the springing of the arch ; after expanding to a great breadth, the window was again considerably contracted.
In the third, nr florid style, the windows become more open, and were flatter at the top ; their parts were so minute as to become only a sort of frame for the glass, divided by rectilinear transoms, frequently ornamented by an embattled fret.
The Ornaments may be comprehended under the terms mouldings and sculpture. In the Norman style the mouldings were cheyrnn work, or zig zag moulding ; embattled frettc; triangular frette ; nail head moulding ; billet moulding ; or cylinder cut into parts ; fascia, band or fillet ; hatched mouldings ; nebuli terminated by-an un dulatimr, line. Ranges of small arches tipon small pillars or pilasters were also used for ornaments ; they frequent ly intersected each other, and were sometimes placed upon corbels or brackets with carved heads. These lat ter ornaments were likewise found in the spandrel of arches or capitals, and above the keystones. Some whole figures are found over doors in mezzo relievo, being the nearest approach made by the Normans to a statue.