Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/291

 CHAP. VIII. CONCLUSION. 249 no means of a good class. Generally speaking, what archi- tecture these Sinhalese caves do possess is developed on applied facades of masonry, never of the same age as the caves them- selves, and generally more remarkable for grotesqueness than beauty. Besides, the form of these caves being accidental, they want that interest which attaches so strongly to those of India, as illustrating the religious forms and ceremonies of the early Buddhists. Indeed, their only point of interest seems to consist in their being still used for the celebration of the same rites to which they were originally dedicated 2000 years ago. There are some interesting ancient bridges, formed on upright stone pillars, over which stone lintels are placed, and on these other stone beams, about 5| feet in length from one lintel to another, to form the road ; but these have no architectural features worth attention. 1 CONCLUSION. Although the above sketch cannot pretend to be anything like a complete and exhaustive treatise on the subject, it may probably be accepted, as far as it goes, as a fairly correct and intelligible description of Buddhist architecture in India. We certainly know the beginning of the style, and as certainly its end. The succession of the buildings hardly admits of doubt, and their dates are generally ascer- tained within narrow limits of error. Much has been done, during the last fifty years, to delineate the numerous examples of Buddhist architecture known in India, and all that is most essential to complete the history is now available for the purpose. It is hardly probable that anything will be now discovered in India which will materially alter the views put forward in the preceding pages. Another discovery like that at Bharaut may reward the industry of explorers ; but even that, though it has given breadth and precision to our enquiries, and added so much to our stores of knowledge, has altered little that was known before. It is difficult, however, to form an opinion on the chances of any such discoveries being now made. But even such a sketch as that contained in the preceding pages is sufficient to prove that it is almost impossible to overrate the importance of architecture and its associated arts in elucidating and giving precision to our knowledge of Buddhist history and mythology, from the time when it 1 'Third Archaeological Report,' p. 7.