Exacr and fork Cathedral, built between 1280 and 1370, exhibits magnificent decoration. Grand and noble stands out York Cathedral, built from 1291 to 1330. The choir belongs to the close of the fourteenth century; the facade, which is also of that period, was finished in 1405 (A/. 30, fig. I). The chapter-house of this cathedral is one of the most interesting of its kind; it is an octagon 20 metres feet) in diameter, and of equal height, is ceiied with a magnifi cent fan-vault, and has no central pillar.
Melrose this date belongs the restoration of Melrose Abbey by King Robert Bruce. Its foundation was laid in 1136 by David II.; the abbey was dedicated in 1146. Having been destroyed by Edward II. of England in 1322, Bruce undertook its restoration, but the edifice was burned by Richard II. in 1385. The abbey-church, dating mostly from the fifteenth century and now in ruins, presents a splendid example of the Gothic style.
Especially characteristic of the course of development taken by the style is the nave of Winchester Cathedral, rebuilt in 1393. Canterbury Cathedral (fig. 2) received at the close of the fourteenth century a third transept with a lofty central tower, and a three-aisled nave with two towers flanking the western facade. These new structures were com menced in 1376. In 1381 was built the great cloister of Gloucester Cathedral, with its beautiful fan-groined ceiling.
ancient timber-construction which early in the Romanesque period attained to rich development and general use in England was not entirely abandoned even during this period. Though vaulting found entrance into the grand cathedrals, the national traditions remained in full force in simple churches and perpet-ually became stronger; so that wooden roofs soon procured recognition in important buildings. We find a rich, artistically-fashioned wood-construction adopted as a cov ering of the structures adjoining certain churches wherein ideas taken from secular edifices could to some extent be used. The improvement of timber-construction is strictly connected with that of secular buildings, which in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries assumed a characteristic style of decoration. In Figure 6 we give the wooden roof of West minster Hall, completed in 1398.
Among churches with beautiful wooden roofs may be mentioned St. Stephen's at Norwich, St. Mary's at Oxford, St. Mary's at Beverley, and the churches of Lavenham and Melford (Suffolk).
Characteristics of English the course of development arose many peculiarities which may be considered national and espe cially belonging to English Gothic. We have already stated that the entire arrangement of an English cathedral is essentially different from that of a French one; we have remarked upon many peculiarities of the superstructure of the interior. As we go farther and consider the
mouldings and the ornamentation (fi/. 3o, figs. 9-12) we shall discover still more of these national characteristics, which plainly manifest that they owed their origin less to a sense of their fitness and inward signif icance than to a wild and luxuriant imagination.' such peculiarity, which is extraordinarily promi nent, is shown in the windows, particularly in the development of the tracery. The great windows are divided by perpendicular mullions, which when they approach the top are simply connected once or twice by pointed arches, but are destitute of those rich rosette-like intertwinings which give so unique a charm to the windows of the French cathedrals. With the beginning of the fifteenth century this feature became so strik ing that the English call this stage of Gothic architecture " Perpen dicular." An especial characteristic of this Perpendicular is that flat tened, low-pitched outline of the pointed arch which bears the name of the " Tudor arch " (fig. 8).
Another peculiarity is the importance of the cornices, or "hood moulds," around the windows, which in some cases were borne upon cor bels at the springing of the arch, and in others were returned horizontally against the wall. Both doors and windows were surmounted by a rect- • angular hood-mould (figs. 3, 7). Other marks of the Perpendicular are the alreadv-mentioned lack of spires upon the towers, the slight rise of the roofs, and the general development of battlements, which were even carried up the sides of the gables; so that these works often have a somewhat sober character through the very extravagance of their fancifulness 3).
period brought about a still further intricacy of vaulting, so that out of the radiating starlike groining was evolved the palm or fan system, which was in some cases by a peculiar construction developed into pendants of great size apparently suspended in the air (p7. 30, 5).
Castles. —The fifteenth century gave England a series of castles which still exist and prove that convenience and comfort as well as strength and security were found in them. Hampton Court, Warwick Castle, Windsor Castle, Bramhall and Acllingtou in Cheshire, Elthain and Beddington in Surrey, and the ruins of Kenilworth, are splendid examples. The most important part of these castles is the great hall, which corresponds to the salle of the French and the Palas of the German castles (pi. 37, fig. S). Yet through the requirements of the two countries the English castle is more of a palace than is the German. Externally it exhibits a well-developed facade animated by a large series of bays, while internally numerous chambers are connected with the great hall and express wealth and luxury as well as all the conveniences of life.