Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/469

 THE ABBEY CHURCH OF TEWKESBURY. 347 increased tenfold by the attempt to form a new style, of which no satis- factory definition can be given. Mr. Poole indeed attempts this. " Thus commenced about the middle of the thirteenth century, and ended with the crosses of Queen Eleanor, (1292,) or possibly a little later, a distinct style, neither Early English nor Decorated, but coincident for a long time with a pure and simple Early English, and for a shorter time with Decorated, no less pure and decided, and partaking during its course, of the mouldings and accessories of either style respectively." But the very fact of its so partaking of the other two styles shews that it is not a distinct style at all. Chapter xvi. " The Decorated Period." Several of the buildings cited as of this period have geometrical tracery. What can be more decidedly geometrical than the tracery of the nave aisle windows of Exeter and York? Diagonal buttresses are mentioned, (p. 314,) as characteristic of the Decorated style ; they are not, however, peculiar to any style. Mr. Poole observes, (p. 323,) " of smaller and less important churches, the num- ber in this (the Decorated) style throughout the kingdom, is quite beyond calculation. There seems to have been more done in church building during the reigns of Edward II. and III., than during any other period of the same duration, or at least more has remained to testify of the zeal of the church builders of those days." This may be true of particular districts, but it is clearly not the case throughout the kingdom. In other districts scarcely a church of this period is to be found. In Kent, the walls of the churches are almost all Norman; in Sussex, Early English ; in Somerset- shire, Devonshire, and Dorsetshire, mostly Perpendicular ; in all these and many other counties. Decorated churches are comparatively rare. We have taken some pains in examining this work because the subject is one of great importance and interest, and the work was worthy of careful attention. We hope that in a second edition some inaccuracies which may be noticed in the volume, in its present state, will be corrected. The Abbey Church of Tewkesbury ; with a Description of its Plan and Architectural Peculiarities, by J. L. Petit, M.A. Cheltenham, 1848. Royal 8vo. To the readers of this Journal no recommendation can be necessary for any work by Mr. Petit ; the ready talent with which he seizes the general effect of a building, and the extensive range of observation which he brings to bear in illustration of his subject, must always render any thing that comes from his pen valuable and instructive. There is so much good sense and sound judgment in the Preface to the work before us, that we could gladly give it entire, but must be content with a few extracts from it. " I have purposely abstained from every topic bordering upon religious controversy : and I have done so the more willingly, as I am convinced that the introduction of this element in discussions on church architecture is not only unnecessary, but injurious to art, both by enforcing a false standard of