Here all traces of the vast palace-temples of Egypt, those

"High built temples fit to be the homes Of mighty gods, and pyramids, whose hours Outlast all time."

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disappear in the realms of Christian art. The massive pillars of Karnak, covered with hieroglyphics, shrouding their impenetrable mysteries from vulgar eye, are replaced by the slender, clustering columns, and the aspiring towers, and pointed arches, with their endless variety of conventional ornament of Gothic architecture. The beautiful classic form of art, surrounded by which the Greeks and Romans offered their adorations to Almighty Jove," are, however, reproduced in the Renaissance courts of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, periods when almost every city of Italy was a new Athens, when its artists could contend with the great names of antiquity for the palm of excellence; and when the princely patronage of the Medicis nurtured and cherished the rising attempts to restore the classic arts. The winged cherubim

G

of the Jewish tabernacle, with their four faces of the man, the ox, the lion, and the eagle, combined to some extent in the majestic winged human-headed bulls of Assyria, reappeared in the first attempts to produce an architecture symbolical of a Christian hope and faith, which had its origin in the splendours of a Jewish theocracy. The pagan styles of art were disregarded and interdicted by the converts of the new faith, and the scroll, the fret, the echinus, or the egg and dart, the flowing honeysuckle, the graceful volute and acanthus of Greece, and the ruder additions of human, animal, and vegetable forms introduced by Rome, gave place to the early symbols of Christianity, or, if employed at all, they were sculptured by unskilled hands, and untutored eyes. The lily, the cross, the serpent, the aureole, the fish, the glory, the trefoil representing the Trinity, and the quatrefoil, with the lion, ox, eagle, and man, of the Mosaic dispensation, adapted as types of the four evangelists, were very gradually introduced and extended through all styles of Christian art. It was impossible, however, for the early Christian artists completely to free themselves from the shackles of Pagan forms, and the influence of idolatrous art, and in some of the earlier productions, the lingering traces of Roman forms may be easily detected. All the Byzantine decorations are conventional in their forms; that is, they are not close imitations of natural productions, the greater amount of skill being lavished in producing general effects than elaborate and truthful details. The rich materials employed, the use of dazzling gold mosaics, and of bright colours, assisted greatly in the development of a gorgeous system which, partly symbolical, partly barbarous, serves as a connecting link between the European and Asiatic the Pagan, and Christian art.

THE KILPECK CHURCH DOORWAY.-As the visitor enters the Byzantine court he will see upon his left a famous old doorway, completely restored, from Kilpeck Church, remarkable for the symbolism which is supposed to be contained in the details of its ornamentation. This door is supposed to have been designed to convey to the flock or congregation their way to everlasting life, and contains, in its sculptured forms and architectural divisions and arrangements, the leading features of the Law and the Gospel. The most striking feature in the design of the door is the cross form. The tympanum, which contains the tree of life, is the head; the horizontal portions, one on each side, which are filled with crosses, are the arms, and the entrance is the body, through which—the cross of Christ-the flock enter to offer up their prayers and thanks to their heavenly Father. The tree of life is placed in the head, the crosses on the arms, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil on the columns, forming part of the lower beam of the cross. The tree of life is divided into three principal parts, symbolic of the Trinity; the centre, or head, and two arms, indicating the cross form in the design. The head is divided in the same manner into three parts-a head and two branches: the branches are repre

sented as the fruit, or inspiration, from the head. The two branches of the lower division are divided into eight parts, seven of which represent foliage, in allusion to the six days of creation and the day of rest, and the one fruit, Christ Jesus, the end: "I am the Vine, and ye are the branches," &c. In this arrangement of the tree of life, the designer produces in the head the Trinity, and in the two branches the natural and spiritual world-the Alpha and Omega. The stem of the tree of life is made to proceed from a foundation of light, which the angular forms are designed to convey. The semicircular forms which enclose the tree are the glories shed from it, in number ten, for the Commandments. The triangular forms above these glories are sixteen, and divided into four parts, symbolizing the four Evangelists and the sixteen Prophets. The horizontal portions, or cross-beams, have nine crosses on the left and eight on the right; the nine crosses remind us of the ninth hour, when Christ gave up the ghost, and the eight for the eighth day, when Christ rose from the dead. The four crosses on the return side of each arm are made to unite with the glories containing the ten divisions, or Commandments, for the purpose of uniting the Law with the Gospel. Under the left arm, on the top of the tree of knowledge; is evil contending with good, in the forms of the dragon and the lion. The dragon, being overcome, assumes the form of the serpent, and descends upon earth for mischief, where he is biting at the foundation of that part of the tree which is for good, and on the other side he is poisoning the fruit which is for evil. The tree of knowledge is divided into good and evil : on the one side is the dragon, or Satan, contending with the lionsymbolical of Christ; and on the other is the serpent, symbolical of Satan, poisoning the fruit of which Adam is partaking. On the left part of the tree, or pillar, are sculptured two men in armour, the upper one carrying a mace of a cross form to designate the Church in its spiritual and moral capacity, and the lower one carrying a sword to signify the State-the cord above shows they are united. On the upper part of the tree were birds of Paradise, and at the base birds of the earth, showing their union by the cord above. Two very excellent and highly interesting works, published by Mr. G. R. Lewis, are well deserving the attention of those who may desire to obtain further information on the symbolism of early Christian art, as exhibited in our old ecclesiastical edifices.

THE SHOBDON DOORWAYS.-At the further end, upon the same side of the court, are the three remaining doorways of Shobdon Church, also in Herefordshire, not less remarkable than that of Kilpeck for the symbolism of its architectural decorations. The church, of which these interesting old doorways formed a part, no longer exists, it having been pulled down some years since, when a new one was erected in its stead; but these curiously sculptured columns and arches were considered so extraordinary that it was determined to preserve them, and they were re-erected in Lord Bateman's park, where they at present remain. A curious old

manuscript of the twelfth century, written in Norman French, gives an account of the origin and building of this church, a translation of which we here subjoin. It is headed,

"How the very noble lord, Monsieur Hugh de Mortimer, made Oliver de Merlimond his chief steward, and gave him the town of Shobdon to serve him faithfully, and how the church of Shobdon was made.

"This very noble and honourable lord, wishing to give himself up freely to his pleasures and amusements, without charging himself with or intermeddling in other things, chose a prudent man, wise and experienced, who was named Oliver de Merlimond, and made him chief steward of all his land and manager of all his property. This Oliver possessed the land of Ledecote by descent of heritage, and his lord, Monsieur Hugh de Mortimer, gave him in addition all the town of Shobdon, to serve him more loyally and more laboriously. And so Eode, son of the said Oliver, was very thoughtful on the building of a new church in Shobdon, and in honour of what saint he would have it dedicated when it was finished. At last he selected St. John the Evangelist, whom Jesus Christ chose before all the other disciples, to be patron of the church.

After that, he sent for Eode his son, parson of Aymestry, and they took counsel together how his church of Shobdon might be relieved from its subjection to the church of Aymestry by an annual payment of two shillings. When this matter was settled, the said Oliver began the building of the church of Shobdon. In the mean time, this same Oliver was siezed with devotion and desire to perform the voyage to St. James (of Compostello) in pilgrimage, and he entrusted to a knight named Bernard the whole care of the work, with the necessary funds; and he undertook the pilgrimage in the name of God, and came to St. James safe and sound. When he had performed his duties there, he returned, always thoughtful of the work of Shobdon; and when he approached the city of Paris, a canon of the Abbey of St. Victor overtook him, and very devoutly prayed him to take up his lodgings in the abbey with him, and was handsomely and courteously received with great honour.

"While he was therein, he examined and carefully considered all things which he saw in the hostelry, in the cloisters, and in the choir, and particularly the service which was performed round the altar; and his heart was much moved at the decency which he saw among them in all places. Then he took leave of the abbot, and the other brothers there, and returned to his own country. And when his church was entirely finished, he very humbly requested Sir Robert de Beton, Bishop of Hereford of whose gift we have the church of Lydbury. North-that he would condescend to dedicate his church of Shobdon; and he granted the request, and fixed the day of dedication. At the day assigned came the bishop, and all the great lords of the country, knights,

clergy, and others, without number, to be present at the solemnity, and before them all was read the composition made between Oliver and his son Eode, and it was confirmed by the bishop and witnessed by all the people. And when the church had been dedicated, the feast was very ceremoniously laid out for the bishop, and for the others who were invited, and for those who might come of their own accord."

The larger of these doorways and arches was the chancel or centre arch. It is supported by six pillars, and is composed of four concentric arches, each of which differs from the other in the style of its ornaments. Mr. G. R. Lewis, a gentleman who has paid the most careful attention to the details of this doorway, as well as to that of Kilpeck, states that the four arches and six pillars symbolize together the ten commandments-four of which relate to God, and six to man. The upper of the arches is filled with semicircular forms, symbols of glory; the second with angular forms, symbols of rays of light; the third with pointed arches, representative of God's house; and the fourth with angular forms and pointed arches, signifies the house of God in which the true light shineth. On the first pillar there are thirteen divisions of crozier heads, emblematic of the priesthood, and on the capital is the dragon bound and conquered, his jaws extended, but his teeth and tongue are gone. The eleven human figures above represent the eleven apostles, the base is formed of fruit and flowers. The second column has five divisions of men in armour, and the interlacings around them, without beginning or end, are symbolical of eternity; the third column has five divisions, showing the works of creation in love and harmony. Animals of various kinds, between interlaced cords, are shown on the fourth pillar; on the fifth there are four divisions of serpents with wings, their mouths open, and their tongues extended with a floral extremity; eleven divisions of descending doves are shown on the sixth pillar.

In the arches of the two doorways a striking difference is perceptible: in the one on the left hand side, the serpents around the top are shown in an active state, with open mouths and darting foliated tongues, expressive of prosperity; and their evil effect is seen in the wild and riotous state of the strange nondescript animals represented below in the second division, and which is symbolical of the sinful state of man. In the arch on the right, a more comfortable state of things for humanity is depicted: the coiled serpents are lean and thin, they are deprived of their stings and of their power to hurt the sons of men; and peace and harmony are represented on the second division below them, by men standing erect, and animals no longer in the inverted and uncomfortable position represented on the other arch. On the arches are represented the lamb, the bear, the tiger, the lion, and the bull; man is embracing man, peace and contentment abounds, and Christianity has brought happiness and peace to every living being. On the pillars of the small arch on the left, three small human figures,