Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 2.djvu/26

10 The height of the coping of the battlement on the octagon from the level of that on the chancel, I should judge to be upwards of twenty-six feet; and the total height of the steeple may be from seventy-five to eighty feet, but I had no means of ascertaining these with any great accuracy.

I have given these measurements, because I consider the building before us to afford a striking instance how completely the medieval architect felt the importance of scale as well as proportion. In a larger structure, the simplicity of detail requisite for fully carrying out the design of this church, would have given an unpleasing degree of plainness; in a smaller edifice, much that now is excellent would have been meagre and minute. The flattened roof is here a decided beauty, as it not only gives effect to the embattled parapet and pinnacles, which, when their finials were complete, must have been very beautiful, but to the central steeple itself; and had this steeple been of a more tapering form, the range of spire-lights, which are perhaps nearly unique, would have been out of place. If we compare this central octagon and spire with any in Germany, where the feature is a common one, though it is exceedingly rare in England, we shall have no reason to pronounce that our own specimen suffers by the comparison.

This building is in its mechanical construction essentially a cross church, yet it neither develops the form of a cross in its ground plan, nor indicates it, as it might have done, by transepts distinguished from the aisles. Such examples are far from uncommon, and I cannot but look upon them as affording one proof (among many others) that an attention to symbolical meanings had little or no material influence in forming the principles of Gothic architecture. It is true that the mere decorative part abounds with symbols, and it is likely that meanings were affixed to several forms and arrangements, their architectural propriety being duly approved. But I hold that symbolism was made altogether a secondary consideration, and never suffered to interfere (unless in a few insulated cases) with the far more important points of mechanical propriety, convenience, beauty, and solemnity.

The most elaborate among our Gothic churches will occasionally present a want of perfect agreement in size or detail between corresponding portions. This was doubtless often the result of mere accident; still such accidents would have been guarded against, had there not been a feeling that