Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/833

 1869.] Minsters of England. 675 uniform wall, pierced with countless windows, in rows of undeviating regu- larity,. The Store Fronts are a bright relief to the dull sameness just spoken of as applying to Street Architecture ; and this class of design takes the full scope of liberty which its independence of strict rules permits it. In fact, "fancy free " appears to be the motto of designs for Store fronts. It is seldom we can, strictly speaking, rank them anywhere in Architecture proper. But in De- sign they surely hold a place, and there is no questioning their importance, as an aid to Street Architecture. To review the whole subject, at a glance, we must conclude that Republi- canism begets its own Architecture, so to speak ; and the observer will find throughout our new and self-governed nation, an appropriate freshness of thought in our institutions which every- where influences their architectural representatives, and causes the two to assimilate as naturally as though the gray shades of ages hung round their union for a thousand years. MINSTERS OF ENGLAND. IN closing our review of the grand old Cathedral Church of York, we alluded to the rival claims of another, and not less beautiful ecclesiastic struc- ture. We now turn to it with a feeling of pleasure, which those who have at some time trodden its sacred aisles will feel with us in renewing memories of LINCOLN CATHEDRAL. The foundations of this venerable work of holy beauty were laid in the city from which it takes its name, about the year 1086. Remigius, a Norman prelate, highly favored by William the Conqueror, was the first bishop of Lincoln, at that time one of the richest and most popular cities in England; and he having purchased land on the hill where the higher part of the town stood, a situation of commanding eminence, proceeded in the erection of his church with such speedy effect that it was prepared for consecration in the year 1092, or six years after, at which time he died, in great reputation for his piety, charity, and able conduct. Robert Bloet, chancellor to King William Rufus ; was the next bishop. He consecrated the new cathedral, and carried on its building ; the usual course in the erection of such extensive fabrics, which neces sarily took many years to accomplish, being to complete the choir and eastern parts first, so that divine worship might be performed, and afterwards to carry on the nave, with the addition of towers, and less essential parts, with such ex- pedition as their resources allowed ; the life of the founder very seldom permit- ting him to see his whole design accom- plished. A fire which occurred in 1124, destroyed, or at least greatly damaged, the new cathedral of Lincoln ; but this mischief was magnificently repaired hj Bishop Alexander, who vaulted the roof with stone, for the prevention of a like accident in future. The liberality of succeeding bishops, as well as of the cleans and other dignita- ries, aided by the people of this extensive diocese, gradually superseded the labors of the first builders, by erections of a loftier and lighter stjde, so that very lit- tle of the various buildings, which com- pose the magnificent temple now stand- ing, can be attributed to Remigius, Bloet, or Alexander. The central part of the west front may be the work of Remi- gius, the masonry being composed of short square blocks of stone, roughly jointed with coarse mortar, full of small