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parts of a building, and describe them separately as to theircharacter and treatment in each style. We shall arrangethese parts and their descriptions in the following manner :Arches; next their supports, Piers , which we subdivide intoShaft, Capital, and Base; then Windows , Doorways, But-tresses, Parapets, Roofs , and so forth, including Towers,Spires, and decorative features, such as mouldings, patera,foliage, and other sculpture.

Arches. The arches principally in vogue at this period,were acutely pointed, either lancet or equilateral, the formerbeing most prevalent in the larger structures; in which,however, the latter was not unfrequent, as may be seen atSalisbury cathedral , where it is more frequent than any othershape. It is, however, a rule that the arches are compara-tively more acutely pointed in larger churches and cathedrals,and accordingly we find the obtuse-pointed arch most exten-sively used in small parish churches. The semi-circular archwas not entirely out of use at this period, as we find it fre-quently combined with the pointed, two or more of whichare sometimes included under one of the former shape, as atWhitby Abbey, and in other examples. There are also nota few instances in which the semi-circular form is used alone,and sometimes treated in a similar manner as regards decora-tion, to those of a later date. Segmental arches were likewisein use, not only as constructive arches, but also as coveringsfor apertures, and more especially doorways.

The soffits of the arches were, in the more magnificentexamples, richly moulded with a series of projecting rollswith deep hollows intervening, but in smaller churches theywere for the most part merely cut in recession, so as topresent two or more surfaces, having the angles of each pro-jection plainly and broadly chamfered.

Piers. In large edifices the shafts of the piers were oftencomposed of a series of pillars clustered together in variousforms, to the number of four and upwards. Sometimes theseshafts were attached to each other, but they were frequentlydetached, consisting of a massive central pier, usually circular,but sometimes octagonal or square, and surrounded by fouror more slender pillars, entirely detached from each other andthe central shaft, except at the base and capital, and occasionallyat one or two points in the height of the shaft, where they wereconnected by narrow bands or annulets of mouldings. Theseannulets are used also in the other kinds of shafts, and are cha-racteristic of the style. The smaller pillars, when detached, areoften constructed of a more costly material than the other partsof the shaft, being sometimes ofPurbeck marble, and polished.The same arrangement of central shaft, with four sur-rounding pillars, is to be found with the pillars attached tothe main pier; specimens of both kinds exist at WestminsterAbbey . The pillars are usually simple rounds, but some-times they have a narrow vertical fillet.

In smaller churches, the shafts were a simple circle oroctagon in plan; more frequently the former, and are distin-guishable from those of a later date, only by the details ofbase and capital. It frequently happens that the shaftsof piers in the same edifice differ in form, and they arefrequently so arranged as to have circular and octagonalforms alternately in the same arcade.

The capitals of this period are usually bell-shaped, andare often, especially in the smaller examples, quite plain,with the exception of a necking, and one or two mouldingsbeneath the abacus. In such cases, they are distinguishedfrom the capitals of later styles only by their mouldings,which consist of rounds and deep hollows; the bell isgenerally very deeply undercut, which is a strong character-istic of the style. The mouldings are generally plain andfew but sometimes the nail-head or dog-tooth ornament is

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inserted between them. In the larger and richer sped ^the bell is covered with foliage, which springing J r0necking, is curled over with a graceful curve benea ^upper mouldings. The foliage is somewhat stiff in a P*j D3 e9ance, but of a bold and striking character, and is so® ^undercut to such an extent as to be partially detache , t a-the bell; it consists for the most part of a variety of a ^tions of the trefoil leaf, and we rarely meet figures okind. In clustered piers, the capitals follow the for® fatto,pier ; as also in the single shaft they adopt the sa® e uJJ fre-with the exception that the multangular shaft has no* 0 r

quently a circular capital. The abacus is either circ 0 f

octagonal, and sometimes square in plan, and consmouldings varying in number, and made up of deep n te $.with overhanging rounds, which are either plain or nlThe base consists of a series of mouldings, frequea deep hollow and fillet between two rounds, of w® ,^jj a rlower one projects beyond the other ; it is also often ^j 0 „gto the Attic base, with the exception that the pr°P® c oH'differ, the upper torus being greatly reduced, and t 1 en tl?cave mouldings deeply undercut. The base most g a rli® rstands upon a single or double plinth, which in the j ea fexamples is square, having the angle covered wifn ^ p a ll9which springs from the mouldings of the base, an (foeover the plinth. In later specimens, the plinth assun . ^ j 9form of the base, and is either circular or p°lyS 0 ” a £ ^ CPl »ld'sometimes of great height, having a second series orings below the base. . „

The windows of this style are for the most P ar V°-,^pl 0S *narrow, with acutely-pointed heads. The earliest and s , j iea d,form is that of a long narrow single light, with archeand without moulding of any kind either internally °and ‘Wnally, the exterior angle being merely chamfered,interior widely splayed. Such windows were s° str ing'without any weather-moulding, but occasionally a a j e ytdcourse was carried from one window to another, a r it,with the springing of the head, and then lifted Joadopting its form, and carried on to the next aper oflater times such windows appear in groups of two, ^ otmore, the first being commonly found in the sll * e " t ] ie ea 9 |churches, and the latter being almost confined to a llend, except in very large buildings, where it is ^^gjjei’ 8 ^positions. The separate lights of these groups are ° ^ceVplaced at some distance apart on the exterior, so aS tb 0to appear as belonging to the same window; D ^ pgbbinterior, owing to the great splay given to eathe distance between them appears inconsidera > ° q’liiSthem the appearance of a single compound wind® • ofidea is sometimes manifested on the outside by t 1 ffb®more lights being contained under one drip-s ^lii 0 * 1glass is inserted near the outer face of the "f l t j 1 ;ck I ' es3circumstance, taken in connection with the g rea . 0 f tb 0of the walls, accounts for the difference of the S1 arra ng e -aperture on the two faces of the wall. T-’ 11 urP os e 'all probability adopted for the P_„ rfla di®i»

mentobtaining

was in

a larger

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probability adopted

„ u proportion of light, or ratne*what they obtained over a larger portion of the in ® ,| 0 w tb 6The arches of the splay on the interior, seldom . fj-o®form of the window heads on the exterior, but S P* u jjed *a lower level, and are almost always chamfered 01 tb e

their angles or edges; the mouldings projecting c0 rb e ^soffit, and either dying into the jamb, or resting U Pat the spring of the arch. . aid* 08 !

In windows of three lights, the centre on® j ts fie 8always of a greater length than those at the •ve the arC *itlirising considerably above theirs, so as to preserve e j vv'dform in the entire window. We occasionally