ll'indeus had seldom much decoration ; they were generally small and placed at a considerable distance from each other ; sometimes they were merely plain apertures in the wall, and rarely more than scantily ornamented. We give two specimens of Norman windows, one con sisting of a single opening, but more than usually enriched, the other divided by a central pillar. Triple windows, and window-like openings in internal galleries, divided by two pillars into three arches, of which the middle one is wider and loftier than the others, also occur. There are also windows in this style which, though narrow, are of very con siderable dimensions as to height, like those at the east end of Can. terbury Cathedral. In regard to this feature, the Norman and Pointed Goth.c styles differ essentially, as much, if not more, than they do in the mere form of their respective arched : for besides that windows are very secondary features in the one style, whereas they are among the principal and most characteristic features the other, Norman e windows have neith mullions nor transoms, nor any tracery or open compartments in the head of the arch ; for even where the aperture is divided into two smaller arches, resting upon a central pillar, the space or head between those arches and the larger one which includes them is never perforated or otherwise decorated Hence the windows themselves were necessarily limited as to size : not but that it would have been very possible to increase the number of openings by means of additional pillars, and by afterwards perforating the general head of the window above the smaller arched divisions, although not with equal consistency as in Pointed Gothic, where the mouldings of the mullions are continued upwards and form the ribs of the tracery, however complicate it may be. Sufficient hints for such purpose might have been found in some of the intersecting patterns of ornament which occur among the exterior enrichments of Norman buildings. As a very peculiar and interestin; specimen of Anglo Norman architecture, and for the purpose of shoving how, by increas ing the number of openings and pillars, windows might have heeu extended in this style, we here exhibit a sketch of an external staircase leading to the registry at Canterbury.
beneath it, they may be considered of low proportions. Besides the difference of character thus occasioned, much is also produced both by the form and proportions of the piers themselves. A circular or octa gonal pier, for instance, appears much more massive than one composed of clustered shafts, &c., though the general diameter of the latter may be the same, or even somewhat more. Though we cannot pursue this point any further, we would recommend those who feel at all interested in the subject to make such comparisons for themselves; and they will doubtless find that they will be led on to make many others, and to enter into original investigations.
Vaulting is au important and characteristic feature in Norman architecture. In early buildings plain semi-cylindrical, or as it is termed barrel or waggon vaulting occurs, as in the White Chapel of the Tower of London. More common is the quadripartite or Roman vault ing, as in the Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. Groined vaulting is usual in later examples. The crypt at Westminster Abbey, and the cathedrals of Winchester, Worcester, and Gloucester, afford character istic specimens of Norman vaulting. Vaulted ceilings occur in
Norwich, Durham, Peterborough, and the choir of Canterbury cathedrals. Over the vaulting of the aisles was in the large churches a Triforium. [Titiromum.] Buttresses, to which buildings in Pointed ic are indebted for so much of their character and effect, can hardly be said to exist in Norman architecture. The enormous thickness of the walls and their solidity, owing to the smallness and infrequency of apertures in them, rendered such additional support unnecessary, even when the vaulting of the roof was large and bold. Hence nothing more than either or pilaster strips (as they are conveniently termed by Mr. Whewcll), were introduced. and these more for the sake of producing some variety and degree of expression than for actual strength, their projection beyond the general plane of the wall being very inconsider able, and no more in fact than that of the corbelled parapet, or corbel table; consequently buttress-strips do not so properly constitute pro jecting surfaces, as the intermediate spaces of wall form recessed compartments, or large pannels. The parapet itself was seldom more than a plain corbel-table, without battlement ; but sometimes, instead of forming a horizontal line, the lower edge of the corbel was what might be described as embattled-reversed, that is, indented like a range of battlements hanging downward, or else made wavy, or scalloped with curves.
In this example there is somewhat to remind us of the open galleries of the Italian Lombardic, especially of those upon sloping lines beneath pediments, with this difference, that here the arches form a horizontal line: We have here also an instance of what was by no means un common in small arches in this style when they are not pierced through, which is, that the inner margin of the arches is formed by a chevron moulding which scallops them.
Pier-A relies, that is, open arches resting upon piers, as those within churches, do not materially differ in design from those which orna ment doorways, except that they are not so profusely decorated, and the archivolt mouldings do not occupy by any means so much space in proportion to the width of the opening. The arches themselves being uniformly circular (though in some few cases either somewhat more than a semicircle or prolonged perpendicularly to the impost), exhibit so far no variety ; still as regards the entire aperture, of which the arch itself forms the head, there is very great variety of character, accord ing to the proportion which the heights of the supporting piers bear to the diameter of the arch, or opening between them. • About twice the breadth appears to have been the average height of arches (namely, openings) between piers ; when much above that standard they may be called lofty (as the arches of the nave at Durham) ; and when much But the more common mode was to make the lower edge of the corbel table straight, with a series of corbel mouldings beneath it fre quently intersected by small blocks at intervals (after the manner of modillions), which were either left plain or sculptured with grotesque heads and figures. Occasionally again the corbelling assumed the form of a series of small interlacing arches.