Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/698

 662 ARCHITECTURE ner projecting angles, but forming at times the superentablature of the edifice. The numer- ous mosques, palaces, bazaars, tombs, and other edifices of the Moslems, existing throughout Interior of the Golden Gateway at Jerusalem. various parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, attest the great similarity existing between this style and the Byzantine ; this has been attributed to the employment of Greeks on their works. A fact worthy of note, also, is that the Moslem structures furnish examples of the pointed arches, whence according to many they were brought into Europe. The Lombards, having possessed themselves of the northern part of Pillar In Church of St John, Constantinople. Italy after the middle of the 6th century, there founded their kingdom. Converted to Catholi- cism, they adopted the arts of the people they had vanquished; and, as in Lombardy there existed but few ancient temples whose mate- rials could be employed in other structures, we find them originating a complete and sys- tematized style, which at length pervaded all districts where the Latin church had extended its influence ; the people of each country where it was introduced modifying it to suit their cli- mate, customs, and wants. Its branches are variously known as the Merovingian, Carlo- vingian, Saxon, Norman, &c., which together were styled old Gothic, and out of which grew the pointed style, after the introduction into Europe of the pointed arch. During this epoch plain, banded, fluted, and polygonal columns, in spiral or zigzag, were clustered, broken, or knotted together. Their capitals were foliated or had various grotesque animals sculptured on them ; they were supported on brackets vari- ously carved, or rested upon the backs of ani- mals, which replaced the pedestal. Every license was taken with the entablature, even to the suppression of it altogether. Against the jambs of arched openings were often placed nu- merous columns supporting the arched mould- North Transept Window, Lincoln Cathedral. ings. Oftentimes a greater arch encompassed several smaller ones, supported by pillars which intersected each other in various ways. Their openings were quite elongated and often coupled; the circular window, or rose, was also very frequent in their frontispieces. Semi- circular, elongated, flat, horseshoe, and foiled arches are to be found, ornamented and simple, and either served as a decoration, crowned their walls, or supported horizontal bands, di- viding into panels their walls, which were like- wise panelled off by long pilasters or flat but- tresses. The angles of their churches (generally in plan in the form of the cross) were often surmounted by a sort of pinnacle. Ribs are also found in their vaulted ceilings. Towers first accompanied the churches ; later they formed a part of the same edifice, flanking or decorating the middle of the facade. The earlier examples were square ; later they were round, and later still of a polygonal form. Tho