Page:History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 1.djvu/492

 460 FRENCH ARCHITECTURE. Part IT. interiors as compared with the glass walls of their Northern rivals. Still it by no means follows that this was an inherent characteristic of the style, which could not have been remedied by further experience ; but it is probable that no ingenuity would ever have enabled this style to display these enormous surfaces of jiainted glass, the intro- duction of which was, if not the only, at least the principal motive of all those changes which took place in the Frankish provinces. It would be tedious to attempt to describe the numerous churches of the 11th and 12th centuries which are found in every considerable town in this province : some of them, however, such as Elne, St, Guillem le Desert, St. Martin de Landres, Vignogoul, Val- magne, Lodeve, etc., deserve particular attention, as exempli- fying this style, not only in its earlier forms, but after it had passed into a pointed style, though differing very consider- fju% ably from that of the North. Among these there is no church more interesting than the old fortalice-like church of Mague- lone, which, from its exposed situation, open to the attacks of Saracenic corsaii-s as well as Christian robbers, looks more like a baronial castle than a 320 Doorway in Church at Maguelone. (From peaceful church. One of itS Heiiouvier, " Moimmeuts de Bas Languedoc") ^ doorways shows a curious ad- mixture of classical, Saracenic, and Gothic taste, which could only be found here; and as it bears a date (1178), it makes an epoch in the style to Avhich it belongs. Had it been completed, the church of St. Gillcs would perhaps have been the most splendid of the province. Its portal has already been s])oken of, and is certainly without a rival ; and the lower church, which belongs to the 11th century, is worthy of its magnificence. It was, however, either never finished, or was subsequently ruined along with the upper church, Avhich was commenced in the year 1116 by Raymond IV., Count of St. Gilles. This too was ])robably never com- pleted, or, if it was, it Avas ruined in the Avars Avith the Huguenots. Even in its present state, and though Avanting the richness of the ^ These are all illustrated more or less completely by Renouvier, " Monuments de Bas Languedoc," Montpelier, 1840.