Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/156

140 140 ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE. Part II. A third cause of the j^erfection of English vaults arose from the constant use of ornamental wooden roofs throus-hout the Middle Ages. The typical example of this form now remaining to us is that of Westminster Hall. But St. Stephen's Royal Chapel had one of the same class, and there is reason to believe that they v/ere much more common than is usually supposed.' All these were elaborately framed and richly carved and ornamented, often more beautiful tlian a stone vault, and quite as costly ; and it seems impossible that a people who Avere familiar with this exquisite mode of roofing could be content with the lean twisted vaults of the Continental architects. The Enar- lish alone succeeded in constructing ornamental wooden roofs, and, as a corollary, alone appreciated the value of a vault constructed on truly artistic jirinciples and richly ornamented. Their eyes being accus- tomed to the depth and boldness of timber construction could never tolerate the thin weak lines of the French ogive, just sufficient for strength, but sadly deficient in expression and in play of light and shade. Although it is, perhaps, safe to assert that there is not, and never was, a Saxon vaulted church in existence ; and that, during the purely Norman period, though the side-aisles of great churches were generally vaulted, the central aisle was always ceiled with wood ; yet, from a study of their plans, Ave are led to conclude that tlieir architects always intended that they should, or at least might, be ornamented Avith stone roofs. In the first place the area of their piers is enormous, and such as could ncA^er have been intended to support Avooden roofs. Even making every allowance for the badness of the masonry, one-tenth of the sectional area Avould have sufficed, and not more was employed contemporaneously in Germany Avhen it was intended to use Avooden roofs. There is also generally some variation in the design of the alternate piers, as if a hexapartite arrangement Avere contemplated. But the evidence is not conclusiA^e, for the vaulting shafts are usually similar, and in all instances run from the ground through the cleres- tory, and tei-minate Avith the copings of the Avail, so that, in their present form, they could only be meant to su])port the main timber of the roof. It may be that it was intended to cut them away down to the string-course of the clerestory, as was actually done at Norwich in 1446, Avhen the nave Avas vaulted ; but at present we must be satisfied with the evidence that the architects Avere content Avith such roofs as that of Peterborough (Woodcut No. 574), Avhich is the oldest and finest we possess. It is very beautiful, but certainly not the class of roof these massi'e piers Avere designed to support. 1 The roofs here alluded to must not j architects are so fond of copying, but such be confounded with the barn-lil^e roofs ! roofs as that of St. Stephen's Cliapel, and of remote village churches which modern many of those of the Lancastrian era.