Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/237

 GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE. 177 rous examples constructed accorJing" to historical record, during the first ten years of the fourteenth century, which display in their windows the formal outline of geometrical work — such as the Chapterhouse of Wells Cathedral, built by William de la Marche, who ruled from 1293 to 1302 ; Queen Eleanor's Crosses, built soon after the year 1300 ; the youth Aisle of Gloucester Cathedral, built by Abbot Thokey, about 1308 ; the Gateway of St. Augustine's Abbey, at Canterbury, built in the year 1309 ; the Tomb of Crouchback, in West- minster Abbey, built 1307; the Screen of Canterbury Catliedral, built by Prior Henry d'Estria in 1304. At the same time wo have Prior Crauden's Chapel at Ely, and the Lantern of the Cathedral, commenced at or about the year 1321, containing windows of excellent flowing tracery. If we are to trust the chronicle which states that the recon- struction of llingham Church, in Norfolk, which contains a series of fine curvilinear windows, with here and there a lingering geometrical form, w^as commenced by its Rector, Rcmigius de Ilethersete, and its patron, John-le-Marshall, in the 3' ear of our Lord 1316, we have almost the very example of which w^e are in search. On the conjoint testimony, how- ever, of various buildings rather than upon the evidence of this single example, I am disposed to take the year 1315, the mean, in fact, between 1310 and 1320, as that of the commencement of the Curvilinear Period, premising, however, as before, that it is quite possible that a few windows of geometrical outline may be found in buildings constructed after this date. The interval, then, between these limits — that is to say, the period of seventy years intervening between the years 1245 and 1315 — I propose to call the Geometrical Period of English Church Architecture. To the Geometrical Period belong some of the most exquisite, as well as many of the noblest buildings in the kingdom : the choir, transepts, and part of the nave of Westminster Abbey Church, as well as its chapterhouse and cloisters ; the chapterhouse and cloisters of Salisbury Cathe- dral ; the nave of Lichfield Cathedral ; the north transept of Hereford Cathedral ; the Lady-chapel and choir of Exeter Cathedral ; the eastern portion of the choir of Ripon Cathe- dral ; the greater part of the nave of York ]Iinster and its chapterhouse ; the chapterhouse of Wells Cathedral ; the