Church of St. Sophia at Constantinople. to exercise their ingenuity and resources in devising a style of architecture better suited to their new wants and circumstances. The improved practice of vaulting, derived from the East, enabled them, with smaller and inferior materials, to throw cupolas and 1 arcades over spaces of vast extent and span. Instead of the long aisles and colonnades of the basilica, the new Byzantine church architecture, of which St. Sophia is the most celebrated example, was thrown into the form of a Greek cross. In the centre, was raised on high a lofty dome, resting on a solid cylinder, supported by four arcades and their spandrels, converging into a circle, while semi-cupolas or conchs, closing into the arcades of the dome, surmounted the four naves or branches of the cross. The square cortile, crowned with smaller and equal cupolas, formed a graceful accessory to the new temple. Arches thus rising on arches, and cupolas over cupolas, we may say that all which in the temple of Athens had been straight, angular, and square, in the churches of Constantinople became curved and rounded-concave within and convex without; so that after the Romans had begun by depriving the architecture of the prior Grecks of its consistency, the Christian Greeks themselves obliterated every mark of the architecture of their heathen ancestors still retained by the Romans, and made the ancient Greek architecture owe its final annihilation to the same nation which gave it birth. The distinguishing feature of the new Byzantine church style, was the Greek cross and centre dome, to which was afterwards added the taper and lofty minaret. The columns ceased to retain any resemblance to the Greek and Roman orders; though the shafts were round, there was no proportion observed in their diameter and height-no distinctive marks in their capitals which exhibited a diversity of the most whimsical ornaments Fantastic ornaments.-Spread of the style.-Gothic architecture. Arcades, and even cupolas, began to assume fantastic forms and curves—some less than semi-circular, some greater-some curving towards each other like a horse-shoe-some like double horseshoes, with a pillar between them; others formed of different eurves, like a trefoil, or scallop; others pointed, alternating with round; others narrow and lancet; others curved inward, and then in an opposite direction; others triangular, like a pediment. Arches were likewise accompanied by sets of diminutive pillars, supporting smaller arches. Thus arose the Byzantine style of architecture, which, besides exercising a powerful influence over Venice and other parts of Italy bordering on the Adriatic, spread its ramifications over a great part of Asia, Africa, and Europe, including the whole regions of Islamism and the Greek Church. Gothic Architecture. THE origin of the Gothic style cannot be traced to any one nation. It was generally practised throughout Europe until the sixteenth century, when it was supplanted by the revival of the classic style. The cognomen, Gothic, was then given, to show the contempt in which it was held by the new schools of architecture. But whatever may have been the manner in which the name was acquired, it has now become entwined with associations of grandeur and magnificence; and the attempt to change it is as uncalled for as it is vain. In the time of Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, architecture underwent a material change. Old Gothic.-Origin of the style. but the productions of this period are not what we now understand by Gothic-they are properly designated by the term Old Gothic. The modern Gothic came to maturity by a slow process. At first plain and massive, it gradually became more and more ornamented. Notwithstanding the vastness of the designs, a peculiar lightness of effect was giver to the decorations: the pointed arches, the turrets, spires, and clustered pinnacles on the exterior; and within, by groups of small columns, many often being bound into one, and by a profusion of fretted workmanship, sometimes resembling a film of lace or filagree work, and, above all, by the tendency of every part to taper upwards. The origin of the Gothic has been the subject of much controversy and antiquarian research-of numerous learned treatises and conflicting theories. It has been succesively referred to the Druids, Saxons, Goths, Normans, Saracens, and Persians. Its invention has been claimed for Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and England. But the Lombard, Saxon, and Norman styles, from which the Gothic or pointed sprang, undoubtedly derived their origin from the gradual corruption of the Latin architecture. The whole composition and details of a Gothic cathedral— the naves, aisles, clustered pillars, groinings, and ramifications, cross-springers of the vaults and roof, the transoms, mullions, tracery, and minute ornaments—all point to the same prototype -the interlacing of trees in the grove or forest. What is a great part of its sculpture and decorations, its trefoils, quatrefoils, cinquefoils, its finials, crockets, featherings, cusps, foliage, and fretwork, but an imitation, more or less free, of plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetable nature in general? And though certainly the essential parts-the pillars, the arches, the ribs, the groins, the cross springers, and the ridge-plates-were not derived from the imi The Sketch Book.-Cowper.-Bishop Warburton. tation of trees planted in an avenue, it is probable that the similitude which they gradually, but incidentally acquired to trees thus disposed, gave the idea of completing the resemblance in their ornamental additions, not only by dotting every pediment and pinnacle with crotchets and finials in the shape of buds, and by filling every arch with tracery, like foliage, but by twisting the light arches and ribs themselves, so as to look like stalks of the woodbine or tendrils of the vine? What are its stained-glass windows and oriels, but an imitation of the harmonious and chastened gleams of sunshine passing through the branches and openings of the richly-variegated foliage? The author of "The Sketch Book," in a forest scene among the prairies, remarks: "We were overshadowed by lofty trees, with straight, smooth trunks, like stately columns, and as the glancing rays of the sun shone through the transparent leaves, tinted with the many-coloured hues of autumn, I was reminded of the effect of sunshine among the stained windows and clustering columns of a Gothic cathedral." In Cowper's private correspondence, he remarks: "We also, as you know, have scenes at Weston worthy of description; but because you know them so well, I will only say that one of them has within these few days been much improved-I mean the lime walk. By the help of the axe and wood-bill, which have of late been constantly employed in cutting out . straggling branches that intercepted the arch, Mr. Throckmorton has now defined it with such exactness, that no cathedral in the world can show one of more magnificence and beauty." Bishop Warburton, in his notes on "Pope's Epistles," has the following striking passage on this subject: No attentive observer over viewed a regular avenue of well-growing trees intermixing their branches overhead, but he was reminded of the long vista through the Gothic cathedral Description of Melrose Abbey. or ever entered one of the larger or more elegant edifices of the kind, but it presented to his imagination an avenue of trees; and this alone is what can truly be called the Gothic style of build ing. Under this idea of so extraordinary a species of architecture, all the irregular transgressions against the art, all the monstrous offences against nature, disappear; every thing has its reason; every thing is in order; and an harmonious whole arises from the studious application of the means and proportions to the end. Nor could the arches be otherwise than pointed, when the workmen were to imitate the curve which branches of two opposite trees make by their intersection with one another; nor could the columns be otherwise than split into distinct shafts, when they were to represent the stems of clumps of trees growing together. On the same principles they formed the spreading ramifications of the stone-work of the windows, and the stained glass in the interstices, the one to represent the branches, the other the leaves of the opening grove; and both concurred to preserve that gloomy light which inspires religious reverence and dread." The following quaint and graphic description of the ruins of Melrose Abbey will give a better idea of the early peculiarities of this style than any abstract explanation: This Abbey was built in 1136 by King David of Scotland. The church is built in the form of a St. John's cross. The chancel, which is a very stately fabric, is still standing; its roof is very curious, and has much of the Scripture upon it. Although much of the west part is so entirely demolished, that we cannot know how far it extended in that direction. Its length is 258 feet; breadth, 137; circumference, about 943; height of the south window, 24; breadth, 15; height of the steeple, 75; the spire is gone. The east window, at which was the great altar |