HISTORICAL SKETCH OF VAULTS.

4?

vano cli mattoni a musaico, in una di queste caddela bomba.” These brick cupolas might have beenerected by the architect of Santa Sophia at Constan­ tinople . A plan of the whole ceiling would haveafforded an interesting comparison between Grecianai'chitecture of the time of Justinian with that of thetime of Pericles , in respect to ceilings.

The merit of Gothic architecture remained un-known from the revival of learning until a few yearsago, when the wonderful productions of that stylebegan to be studied. The opinion entertained of itin the two following centuries bears much resemblanceto that of the illiterate Arab , Dames, respecting theGreek tongue, in his exclamation, “ God curse thoseGrecian dogs, what a strange barbarous language theyspeak!” It is natural to condemn what we cannotunderstand. Walpole very justly observes, that theround arch being so natural, it is simply, when unac-companied by any graceful ornaments, a mark of a rudeage. An age may be refined in respect to taste, andrude in respect to science : such was the age of Pericles in respect to architecture. The post and beam is tothe Doric order of the Parthenon , in respect to art,what a cylindrical vault is to the vault of King’s College Chapel , Cambridge , in respect to science.

The vaults of the cathedrals * in Gothic architec-ture are more light and more elevated than those ofthe churches erected after the Roman manner; andby the peculiarity of their construction require less

* “ It is extremely singular, that there is no covering of tiles,or lead, or copper, or any roof timber, to the great church ofMilan. It is merely vaulted over, and upon the vaulting are laidlarge slabs or plains of marble, to carry off the rain and moisture.”Observ. by T. Kerrich, XII. Archseologia. It is very singular,