In the following accounts of the Cathedral Cities of England, technical
architectural terms will necessarily appear, and to the end that they
should be comprehensive, I give here a slight sketch of the origin of
the various forms, and the reasons for their naming, together with
dates; and to the end that I may supply a glossary of easy reference, I
place as side headings in this introduction the various expressions
which will be met with throughout the book.
This, I hope, may relieve the reader of the tedium of having to turn to
books of reference at each moment, and being subjected to a constant
reiteration of the terms, which must necessarily be frequently employed.
The Cathedrals of England may be said to comprise illustrations of
Anglo-Saxon, Gothic, and Norman, with their variations and combinations.
_Constantine_, A.D. 306-337.--_Romanesque._--With the establishment of
Christianity, more especially when recognised in Rome during the time
of Constantine, arose the marvellous development of architecture,
founded upon the basis of classical remains. This "Romanesque," as this
period of architecture came to be called, permeated later the whole of
Western Europe.
_Basilica._--Relieved from immediate fear of persecution, the Christian
architects straightway commenced to convert the "basilica" remains to
suit the requirements of the "New Faith." The Basilica, as its
derivation from the Greek Basilike ("the royal house") implies, "was the
King's Bench" of the Romans. It was a long rectangular building, with
sometimes rows of columns introduced to divide the space into a nave and
aisles. One end terminated in an "apse," of semi-circular formation,
where the judge and his assessors were accustomed to sit. This apse the
Christians utilised as a chancel. The approach to the building was the
"atrium," or forecourt, somewhat similar to the English Cathedral
cloister, but differently situated.
A chief characteristic of the Roman buildings was the "round arch,"
mainly composed of brick or stone work. This the Romans for many years
had used more in a decorative way than for utility, but which became of
more structural significance in the hands of the Christians.
_Romanesque._--_Sixth to Twelfth Century._--In this wise, from the
remains of the Basilica, with the further development of the "round
arch" to the "semi-circular arch," the Christian Romans gradually
evolved the style of architecture called "Romanesque," _i.e._, in the
Roman Style. This style became prevalent throughout Western Europe from
the beginning of the sixth to the close of the twelfth century. In
process of time transepts were added and the choir prolonged, giving the
outline, as it were, of a cross, the Holy Symbol of Christianity.
_Anglo-Saxon._--500-1066.--Thus Romanesque may be said to be the
fountain-head of Anglo-Saxon, Norman Proper, Anglo-Norman, and Gothic
Architecture.
During the Roman occupation of England, missionaries came to her from
Rome, the metropolis, and made converts, as they did in other countries,
and as missionaries do nowadays in China and elsewhere. They and
travelling merchants insensibly introduced the style of architecture
then prevalent in Italy, namely, the Romanesque. Owing to the untutored
nature of the Anglo-Saxons, their first attempts at imitating what would
appear to them entirely new, together with the difficulty of procuring
skilled labour, were necessarily crude.