Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/193

Rh bk. VI. ch. in. CHAPELS. 177 height ; but it is extremely beautiful, both in design and detail, and makes us regret more and more that, having gone so far, the Gothic architects did not follow out this invention to its legitimate con- clusion. By the time, however, that York chapter-house Avas complete, all the great cathedrals and monastic establishments had been provided with this indispensable adjunct to their ecclesiastical arrangements, and none were erected either in the Lancastrian or Tudor periods of the art, so that Ave can hardly guess what might have been done had a monastic parliament-house been attempted at a later date.' ClIAPELS.- Although not so strictly peculiar, the forms of English chapels Avere so original and offer so many points of interest that they are Avell worthy of stiidy. There is perhaps no example of a Norman chapel now existing, unless the remains of the infirmary chapels at Canterbury and Ely may be considered as such. The practice of erecting them seems to have arisen with our educational colleges, where all those present took part in the service, and the public Avere practically excluded. One of the finest and earliest of these is that of Merton College, Oxford. It has, and was always designed to have a Avooden roof ; but of what fashion is not quite clear, except that it certainly could never have been like the one now existing. The typical specimen of that age, however, was the royal chapel of St. Stephen at Westminster, Avhich, from Avhat remained of it till after the Great Fire, we knoAV must have been the most exquisitely beautiful specimen of English art left us by the Middle Ages.3 It was 92 ft. long by 33 ft. wide internally, and 42 ft. high to the springing of the roof. This Avas of wood, supported by hammer-beam trusses similar to, but evidently more delicate in design and more 1 The central octagon of the Parha- ment Houses is 65 ft, in diameter, and is the best specimen of a modern Gotliic dome which has been attempted. 2 A cliapel, properly spealcing, is a hall designed for worship, without any separation between classes. A cliurcli has a cliancel for tlie clergy, a nave for the laity. A cathedral has tliese and attached chapels and numerous ad- juncts which do not properly belong to either of the other two. ^ Few things of its class are more to be regretted than the destruction of this beautiful relic in rebuilding the Parlia- ment Houses. It would " have been cheaper to restore it, and infinitely more VOL. II. — 12 beautiful when restored than the present gallery which takes its place. It is sad, too, to think that nothing has been done to reproduce its beauties. When the colleges of Exeter at Oxford, or St. John's, Cambridge, were rebuilding their chapels, it would have been infinitely better to reproduce this exquisite speci- men of English art than the models of French chapels which have been adopted. The work on St. Stephen's Chapel, published for the Woods and Forests by Mr. Mackenzie, is rendered useless by the addition of an upper story which never existed.