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Rh Bk. V. Cii. I. GOTFILAND. 109 the typical example of a church of this class, is St. Gereon's at Cologne (Woodcuts Nos. 505 and 506). The churches of St. Lawrence and St. Drothens both belong prob- ably to the 11th century. That of St. Nicholas must be as late as the 13th, probably the end of it, and the others range between these two dates, forming in themselves what is rarely met with — a com- plete and unaltered series of examples of the style. The most striking peculiarity of the Gothland churches is the con- stant appearance of the pointed arch at a date earlier than we find it as a decorative feature in other parts of Europe. It may be, however, that the instances where it is found are additions or altera- tions of a later date ; but the evidence is at least strong enough to merit most careful examination. It is by no means im- probable that in a city where coins of the Chalifs are constantly found, -the pointed arch may have been introduced from the East at an earlier date than the Crusades, which seem to have suggested its employment in France. The earliest church known to exist in Goth- land, still bearing the dis- tinctive name of Sten- kyrka, was erected 1032. The great building epoch of the island is comprised in the 100 years that succeeded that event. ^ Yet during this period we find such examples as the Portal of Sandeo Church (Woodcut No. 551) confidently dated as belonging to the year 1058, or the one from Gerum church (Woodcut No. 552) dated eight years earlier ! What- ever their date, they are singularly elegant specimens of the art, and worthy of being quoted, if for that reason alone. Even if we hesitate to admit the antiquity of these examples, it 552. Portal, Gerum Church, Gothland. (From Marryat's " Oue Year iu Sweden.") 1 See Marryat's " One Year in Sweden" (Murray, 1862), from whom most of these particulars are borrowed.