EARLY ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE

the first of the Pointed or Gothic styles of architecture that prevailed in England. It succeeded the Norman in the reign of Richard I (1189), and continued to the end of the reign of Henry IIT in 1272,a period of 83 years, when it gradually merged into the Decorated style. One of the leading peculiarities in this style is the form of the windows, which are narrow in proportion to their height, and terminate in a pointed arch, resembling the blade of a lancet (and therefore often called the Lancet style). Throughout the early period of the style they are very plain, particularly in small churches; but in cathedrals and other large buildings the windows, frequently combined two or more together, are carried to a great height, are richly and deeply moulded, and the jambs ornamented with slender shafts. On the eastern and western fronts of small churches the windows are often combined in this manner, with a circular window above and a richly moulded door below; but in large buildings there is often more than one range of windows, and the combinations are very various. Though separated on the outside, these lancets are in the interior combined into one design, thus giving the first idea of a compound window.: The doorways are in general pointed, and in rich buildings sometimes double; they are usually moulded, and enriched with the tooth ornament. The buttre es are often very bold and prominent, and are frequently carried up to the top of the building with but little diminution, and terminate in acutely pointed pediments, which, when raised above the parapet, produce in some degree the effect of pinnacles. In this style, likewise, flying-buttre es were first introduced (see BUTTRESSES), and the buttre es themselves much increased in projection owing to the comparative lightne of the walls, which required some counter-support to resist the outward pre ure of the vaulting. The roof in the Harly English style appears always to have been high pitched, and the towers surmounted by lofty pointed spires, 31 —e geD FEL WY I. PF, sae ~ NA ~~ Sage ett’ rast EARLY ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE Lincoln Cathedral—Early English Pillars in the Eastern Transept 32 EARNEST as at Srrpasetd Cathedral. In the interior the arches are usually lancet shaped, and the pillars often reduced to very slender proportions. As if to give still greater lightne of appearance, they are frequently made up of a centre pillar, surrounded by slight detached shafts, only connected with the pillar by their capitals and bases, and bands of metal placed at intervals. These shafts are generally of Purbeck marble, the pillar itself being of stone, and from their extreme slenderne they sometimes appear as if quite inadequate to support the weight above them. Early examples. — The earliest example of Early English architecture is the choir of Canterbury, followed by the choir of Lincoln Cathedral, but some of the best examples are to be ain) wT SRAGUNMNNN In tdctte pa et se Early English Capital, Salisbury seen in Salisbury Cathedral. The architects of this style carried their ideas of lightne to the utmost limits of prudence, and their succe ors have been afraid to imitate their example. The abacus of the capitals is generally made up of two bold round mouldings, with a deep hollow between. The foliage is peculiar, generally very gracefully drawn, and thrown into elegant curves; it is usually termed stiff-leaved, from the circumstance of its rising with a stiff stem from the neck-mould of the capital. The trefoil is commonly imitated, and is very characteristic of the style. The mouldings of this style have great boldne , and produce a striking effect of light and shade. They consist chiefly of rounds separated by deep hollows, in which a peculiar ornament, called the dog’s-tooth, is used, whenever ornament can be introduced. This ornament is as characteristic of the Harly English as the zigzag is of the Norman. See DoG’s-ToorH.—Cf. ¥F. Bond, An Introduction to English Church Architecture, from the 11th to the 16th Century. IMG:fig032_1.jpg: IMG:fig033_1.jpg: