Page:The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland ( Volume 3).djvu/26

 places, there are distinct indications of the influence of the perpendicular style of England; while the French influence is traceable in the apsidal terminations of the choir and occasionally of the transepts, and in some approaches to Flamboyant tracery. The latter influence may probably have also led to the crown-like terminations of some of the church towers. On the whole, however, it will be found that the details of the Scottish late pointed period are peculiar to itself, and are principally founded on survivals and revivals of details of the earlier styles.

The doorways, for instance, are generally of the old, round-headed form, with late foliage and enrichments. The common English perpendicular doorway, with four-centred arch enclosed in a square frame, is never met with; and although elliptical or three-centred arches occur over doorways and windows, the four-centred arch-head is never used. Fan tracery vaulting is also entirely absent in Scotland.

Porches to doorways are occasionally introduced, as at Aberdeen Cathedral and Whitekirk; and smaller porches are formed by arches thrown between buttresses, as at Rosslyn and Trinity College Churches.

Coats of arms are very commonly carved on shields at this period, and are often useful in determining the dates of portions of the buildings, monuments, &c.

A tower is generally erected, or intended, over the crossing, and is carried on the four walls, which, as we have seen, were generally built in this position, in order to stop the four barrel vaults of the different divisions of the church. The towers are somewhat stunted, and they are usually finished with short, stunted spires, having a number of lucarnes, or small dormer windows, inserted in them. The latter feature was probably imported from France or the Low Countries, where similar dormers abound in late work.

Monuments are of more common occurrence than in the earlier periods. They are frequently placed in arched and canopied recesses, which are ornamented with crocketed labels and finials. The carving of the crockets and other foliage is, doubtless, founded on the conventional perpendicular foliage of England. This, however, is mixed with a considerable revival of carving, copied from older work.

The introduction of numerous small figures of men and animals is a peculiarity of the period generally, and is found both at home and abroad. Much of the carving of Rosslyn Church is of this description, and similar carving may be seen at Melrose Abbey and Stirling Castle, and on the rood screens in Glasgow Cathedral and Lincluden College. Elaborate figure carving is common in other countries at this period, as at Henry 's Chapel, Westminster, and in the churches of France and Spain.

Richly carved sacrament houses, such as are occasionally introduced, are a further indication of the taste for minute sculpture which prevailed at this time. It is not unusual to find in late buildings that some of the