No. II.
[Illustration: THE TEMPLE CHURCH.]
The Temple Church,[1] London, was erected in the twelfth century; but
among antiquarians considerable difference of opinion at various times
prevailed as to who were the original builders of these round churches,
which form the most striking and beautiful specimens of the architectural
skill of our Anglo-Norman ancestors. In England there are four examples of
round churches, almost in perfect preservation, namely, the church of St.
Mary, Temple; St. Sepulchre, Northampton; St. Mary, Cambridge; and that of
Little Maplestead, Essex. It was long thought that they were of Jewish
origin; but through the ingenious and learned essays of Mr. Essex and of
Mr. Britton, this erroneous notion has been entirely removed. Mr. Essex, in
his Essay, observes, in support of his opinion, that "their Temple at
Jerusalem was not of a circular form, neither was the Tabernacle of Moses;
nor do we find the modern Jews affect that figure in building their
synagogues. It has, however, been generally supposed that the round church
at Cambridge, that at Northampton, and some others, were built for
synagogues by the Jews while they were permitted to dwell in those places.
But as no probable reason can be assigned for this supposition, and I think
it is very certain that the Jews who were settled in Cambridge had their
synagogue, and probably dwelled together in a part of the town now called
the Jewry, so we may reasonably conclude the round churches we find in
other parts of this kingdom were not built by the Jews for synagogues,
whatever the places may be called in which they stand."--It has been
generally allowed by these and other writers on archaeology, that the
primitive church of this form was that of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem,
and that the Temple Church at London was built by the Knights' Templars,
whose occupation was the protection of Christian pilgrims against the
Saracens. It has been further urged by a correspondent (Charles Clarke,
Esq. F.S.A.) in the first volume of Britton's "Architectural Antiquities,"
that two of the before-mentioned round churches, namely, Northampton and
Cambridge, were in fact built by "affluent crusaders, in imitation of that
of the Holy Sepulchre;" and in support of his opinion he cites several
historical notices.
[1] The circular part.
The late perfect restoration of the Temple Church ought to be proudly
recorded in our architectural annals. The excellence of the workmanship,
and the native purity of the detail, evince not only scientific skill, but
also a laudable motive of preserving this antique specimen of pure
Anglo-Norman architecture from the ravages of time. Let the architect's
attention be directed to the western doorway, and also to the interior of
the church; and here, in good preservation, he will see excellent specimens
of their mode of ornamenting the moldings by the cable, the lozenge, the
cheveron, the nail-head, the billet, &c. &c., ornaments peculiar to the
_round style_. The circular-headed windows, with their slender columns,
also show, that in the restoration the style has not been tampered with;
but substantial authorities have been quoted to perfect this praiseworthy
attempt of the architect. That part of the church which has been added at a
later date than the circular part, and for the convenience of divine
worship, is lighted by the beautiful proportioned triple lancet-shaped
windows, so justly admired. A writer in the _Gentleman's Magazine_ for May,
1827, after making some judicious remarks, seems to think the crosses on
the ends of the building, "as not in character with the building." Now as
to architectural propriety in the decorations of a Christian church, no
ornament could be better devised; and if we proceed to the antiquity of
such ornament, I would observe, that the adoption would be equally correct,
that being the insignia of the banner under which the Knights' Templars
originally fought.