Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/295

 NOTICES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. 205 pendent style, ratlier than a transitorial one ; and indeed the style did continue long after our own Norman was superseded. "The greater part of the churches near the Rhine are of this period, as has heen ahly shown by M. de Lassaulx, the Romanesque character is preserved in three churches down to about 1220, a period subsequent to some of our finest Early English work, such as Bishop Hugh's work at Lincoln, and Bishop Lucy's at Winchester."— (P. 08.) Through a large part of Franco the shafts and columns are uniformly finished with the Corinthian capital, or one nearly approaching it in elegance, and rarely, if ever, exhibit the cushion capital, so common with ourselves, which, however characteristic, can hardly be pronounced graceful. The shafts retain more of the classical proportions ; in the neighbourhood of ancient remains fluted pilasters, and other adaptations from the antique, frequently occur. This is especially the case at Autun, as observed by Batissier in his " Histoire de I'Art Monvmieutal." Even the pointed and trefoiled arches do not appear to indicate an approaching change. Li the succeeding style the case was diff"erent, and our buildings of the thirteenth century appear to more advantage when contrasted with those of continental architects. The advance was uniform ; the change equally affected every member of the system. Early in the century every trace of Norman had disappeared. The dispositions of the shafts, the groups of mouldings, the capital and abacus, the base, the proportions of the columns, the arrangement of windows, had assumed altogether a new character, while, on the continent, some one or other of the Romanesque features lingered nearly to a period corresponding with our Decorated. The square abacus is retained to the last (p. 99) ; the sections of the piers and the mouldings have rarely that freedom and elegance which mark our examples ; in short, the early pointed of the continent was transitional, while ours was complete and independent. The introduction of a new element, however, that of tracery, wrought a change. This subject is ably treated in the 120th and following pages. The three examples, given in p. 12G, explain the progress of tracery with great clearness. The terms of Plate- tracery and Bar-ti'a- ccry, applied by Pro- fessor Willis to the different kinds, are adopted and recom- mended ; they speak for themselves, and will be understood even without further definition or illustration. Examples near the transition between two styles will be classed with one or the other of them, according as the observer considers the one or the other of two characteristics to be most important. Mr. Parker classes the Presbytery of Lincoln, built between 125G and 1282, as Early English, though approaching closely to Decorated (p. 133). Hickman pronounces it actually Decorated, though harmonising with Early English work. Perhaps the moiddings may be strictly Early English ; nevertheless the composition appears rather to belong to the Decorated. Would not the character be Ulapllioin. Aslifoidby.