Of the fitness of Gothic architecture for ec obtuse. The form of the arch, indeed, as Mr. Rick- | cost. man observes, is by no means a certain criterion for clesiastical edifices, we presume it is now needless the distinction of the styles, each form being met with in buildings of each style, except the fourcentered. The piers are distinguished from those of the other styles by being surrounded with bands, which sometimes are confined to the shafts, and sometimes are continued on the pier. The capitals are usually composed by plain bold mouldings. The plan of these piers is usually a circle, surrounded by small shafts, but a beautiful variation is found in Salisbury Cathedral. The buttresses of this style are chiefly distinguished by their simplicity, having very few sets-off, and very rarely any ornament in their faces. Frequently, indeed, as at Wells Cathedral (the nave of which is very early in this style), they retain the Norman form, of very broad faces with slight projections, with a shaft inserted in the angles, and are continued no higher than the cornice. The flying buttress was not used till late in this species of architecture. The ornamental parts of the style now remain to be considered, which, till near its conclusion, were but sparingly used, and those, for the most part, of a very rude description. In the west front of Wells and Peterborough Cathedrals may be seen specimens of the taste of the period in these particulars, which are wholly unworthy of imitation; but in the interior of Salisbury are many details of a later date, which are very elegant, and will bear the most minute examination. It may be sufficient to mention, that in all the ornamental and minute details during this period, as well as in the more important parts, the boldness and contempt of refinement, which are infallible marks of an early age, are very apparent, for which reason we shall defer the description of many ornamental details (which, nevertheless, were practised, and with success, in the latter part of this period) till the next style, in which they were brought to perfection. There is, however, one ornament peculiar to this style which it is necessary to notice before we proceed farther. It resembles a low pyramid, of which the sides are pierced in the form of curvilinear triangles, bending inwards, and is usually placed upon a hollow moulding, from which it is sometimes entirely detached except the angles. It has yet received no regular appellation, on account of its being so unlike any other object as to be with difficulty described, or even delineated, and we believe it must be seen to be accurately comprehended. The only attempt at designation it has received is, the toothed ornament. The reason for applying such a name to it we leave for the ingenuity of the reader to discover. The Early English style of Gothic architecture may, we think, without impropriety, be compared to the Doric order of the Greeks. Like that, it is the first attempt of a people emerging from barbarism, and like that, it possesses all those qualities which it is natural to expect from such a state of society. Strength and simplicity are its predominating characteristics ornament, except the most bold and artless, is foreign to its nature, and can never be introduced with propriety. For this reason it may be employed with great advantage in churches, where expense is an object, as a finer effect may be produced by the use of this style than of any other whatever, at an equal to say much. The circumstances of its having had its origin in Christian worship, and consequent adaptation to its ceremonies, its fitness for the climate, and its devotional effect upon people in general, seem to point it out as peculiarly appropriate for this service. In exterior effect Gothic architecture is very defective, and never more so than in this style. We have, indeed, scarcely one front which is at all reconcileable to good taste. That of Salisbury Cathedral is generally admired, but we can see no reason for the preference. A consciousness of this defect of the style led the architect of that of Peterborough Cathedral to make use of a singular expedient. Three ponderous arches supported by triangular piers receive the weight of three gables, and at each lateral extremity is a square turret, containing a staircase, and surmounted by a spire, one of which has been already described. The effect of the composition is grand, but it is not worthy of imitation. A field is thus offered for the exercise of modern invention, which, as this kind of architecture becomes better understood, it is to be hoped will not be neglected: much has been done, but something, we conceive, remains to do, to render it a worthy and formidable competitor with the long practised and deeply studied architecture of Greece and Rome. The style next in order to the Early English is denominated, by Mr. Rickman, Decorated English, as possessing a greater degree of delicacy than the former, without the excessive detail of the style which succeeded it. It ceased to be used soon after the death of Edward the Third, which happened in 1307. Its prominent feature is also found in its windows, with which, therefore, we shall commence our description. The windows of this style are distinguished from those of the last by being larger, and divided into lights by slender upright stones, called mullions. Of decorated windows there are two descriptions. 1. Where the mullions branch out into geometrical figures, and are all of equal size and shape; and 2. Where they are dispersed through the head in curves of various descriptions (which is called flowing tracery) and are usually in windows of more than three lights, of different size and shape, the principal mullions forming simple figures, subdivided by the inferior ones. Sometimes the principal mullions are faced by slender shafts, with bases and capitals. The first description is considered the oldest; the principal example which contains these kind of windows is Exeter Cathedral, where they are very large, and nearly all composed of this kind of tracery. Plate 4, fig. 1. The architraves are commonly enriched by mouldings, which sometimes assume the form of columns, and the windows in composition frequently reach from pier to pier. The form of the arch is seldom more acute than that described on the equilateral triangle, and it is generally more obtuse. The richness of these windows invariably depends upon their size, the distance between the mullions being nearly the same in all: the largest, however, do not consist of more than nine lights. The dripstone is in this style improved into an elegant canopy, the form of which is sometimes pedimental, and sometimes an ogee arch: it is decorated with crockets and a finial, and the space inclosed by it and the exterior contour of the arch is sometimes filled with tracery. The great west window of York Cathedral, one of the finest in the kingdom, has a triangular one. Plate 4, fig. 2. The circular window was also brought to perfection in this style. A fine example in form, though not in detail, is now the only remains of the ancient palace of the Bishops of Winchester, in Bankside, Southwark. This is of the geometrical description; one of the finest of flowing tracery is in the south transept of Lincoln Cathedral. The doors of this style are not so distinct as the windows, from those of the former period : double doors are not so frequent, and the shafts are not detached from the mouldings as in the Early English. In small doors there is frequently no column, but the mouldings of the arch are carried down the sides without interruption: there is frequently no basemoulding, but a plain sloped face to receive the architrave. They are surmounted by the same sort of canopies as the windows. The steeples of this period are distinguished from those of the last in little more than their windows, and a few unimportant details. The north-west spire of Peterborough Cathedral, before described, decidedly belongs to it, though the tower beneath is Early English. The tower and spire of Newark Church, Lincolnshire, are pointed out by Mr. Rickman as a peculiarly fine example. Of arches little can be said. Of their form, it may be sufficient to observe, that the lancet arch is rarely met with; the Tudor never but in one instance, the nave of Winchester Cathedral, built, or rather cased, by the celebrated William of Wyckham, and it is here necessarily adopted on account of the form of the Norman arch it was employed to conceal. The mouldings are in general less numerous, and consequently bolder than those of the preceding style. In small works the ogee arch is frequently found, and decorated with crockets, and a finial. The piers of this style are, for the most part, square in their general form, and placed diagonally. The shafts are sometimes filletted, that is, a square narrow face is continued vertically along its surface, projecting slightly from it. The capitals are frequently enriched with foliage, and the bases, in many instances, consist of reversed ogees, with square faces of various projections, and sometimes other mouldings. Decorated English buttresses are distinguished from those of the last style which are most applicable to it, only by their greater richness in buildings where decoration is not spared, and consequently, in others they are perhaps the least characteristic parts of the composition. They are, however, usually finished by pinnacles, which are generally distinguishable from those of the former style. The flying buttress is almost invariably used, and is also surmounted by a pinnacle, which usually corresponds with the lower one. The buttresses of the aisles of Exeter Cathedral are remarkable for being detached from the wall, the only support they afford to which, is by the arches which connect them with it at the top. tecture were brought to perfection during this period, they cannot be better introduced than in this place. Among these the use of crockets is a prominent feature: these are small bunches of foliage running up the side of the gablet, afterwards improved into the ogee canopy over doors, windows, and ornamental arches, and finished by a combination of two or more, called a finial, which is separated from the rest by a small moulding. They are also used to decorate the angles of pinnacles. Another peculiarity of Gothic architecture is the feathering of windows, screenwork, ornamental arches, panels, and sometimes doors. It is called trefoil, quatrefoil, or cinquefoil, according to the number of segments of circles (which are called cusps) of which it is composed. A very beautiful door thus ornamented, still exists in St. Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, now the House of Commons. Although the grotesque is the prevailing character of the sculpture employed in the decoration of Gothic architecture, many small ornaments are found, particularly in this style, designed with taste and executed with the utmost delicacy. They are copied from the beautiful though humble flowers of the field, and are in many instances local. We have compared the former style to the Doric of the Greeks, and the present may with little less propriety be likened to the Ionic of the same people. Boldness with simplicity characterize the first; elegance and delicacy the second. In both Greek and Gothic orders, ornament to profusion is allowable; yet in neither does it interfere with the composition, and may be entirely omitted. From this circumstance arises an universal applicability, belonging only to the far-famed "happy medium," so often talked of, so seldom attained. In grandeur of composition, simplicity of arrangement, elegance of form, and perfection of capability, this style is therefore unrivalled, and may be used with advantage for every purpose of civil architecture. It is, however, perhaps peculiarly adapted for all churches whose size and situation render them of importance; and in such large buildings where Gothic architecture may be thought desirable, as are of sufficient consequence to allow the architect to think of delicacy in the design of his details. The last of the three grand divisions of Gothic architecture is the Perpendicular Style, commencing in the end of the second, and finally overwhelmed by its own superfluity of decoration and uncompromising minuteness. It was not wholly lost sight of before the reign of James the First, when few buildings were erected without a mixture of Italian work. The Perpendicular Style, like the others, is most readily distinguished by its windows (whence it also derives its appellation); the mullions of which, instead of being finished in flowing lines, or geometrical figures, are carried perpendicularly into the head. They are further distinguished by a transom or cross mullion, to break the height, under which is The parapets of this style are sometimes horizontal, usually a feathered arch, and sometimes it is ornaand sometimes embattled, each of which are frequently mented above by small battlements. The architraves pierced in the form of cinquefoil headed arches, qua- of windows in this style have seldom shafts or mouldtrefoils, and triangles. Sunk panels are, however, ings as in the former, but are worked plain, and fremore common. When plain embattled parapets are quently with a large hollow. Although these winemployed, the crowning moulding is usually conti-dows do not admit of any great variety in the disponued horizontally only, the face towards the opening being merely a vertical section. As many of the ornamental parts of Gothic archi sition of the tracery, they are far more numerous than those of either of the other styles; few specimens of which remain, that do not bear marks of the rage for alteration which appears to have pre- | some very late specimens the pinnacles are in the vailed at this period. The doors of this style are remarkably varied from those of the preceding ones, by the arch being finished by a horizontal moulding, which is continued down to the springing of the arch, and then shortly returned. This is called a label: the space enclosed by it, and the exterior line of the arch is called the spandrel, which is commonly filled with a circle enclosing a quatrefoil or other circular ornament. form of domes, of which the contour is an ogee arch. The parapets of this style are generally embattled and pierced; they are worked with great delicacy in the form of quatrefoil circles, &c. Having in the preceding pages briefly detailed the various Styles, we may now furnish a few examples of their application in various edifices. The first of these is represented in Plate 2, Fig. 1, Fine Arts, forming the porch of Redcliffe Church, Bristol. The exact date of this part of the edifice is not known, but the external arch is very similar to one in the Church of Batalha, which was erected in the fourteenth century. It affords a very rare and beautiful example of the combination of the pointed arch with the morisco doorway. The interior, fig 2, which forms our other example, is copied from King's College Chapel, Cambridge, and in point of elegant enrichment it has long been the admiration of all Europe. We have here at one view the whole system of clustered columns and groined roofing, which has served to render this style of architecture so peculiarly fitted for large and solemn edifices. The first stone of this edifice was laid in 1441. The steeples of this style are for the most part extremely rich spires are seldom met with, but lanterns are frequently used. A lantern is a turret placed above a building, and pierced with windows so as to admit light into the space below. This is sometimes placed on the top of a tower, as at Boston, and supported with flying buttresses springing from # it, and sometimes constitutes the tower itself, as at York, Peterborough, and Ely Cathedrals, where it is placed at the intersection of the cross, and has a very fine effect. The exterior angles are frequently concealed by octagonal turrets containing staircases, but usually strengthened by buttresses either double or diagonal. A most beautiful finish for a steeple is Plate 3, fig. 1, represents the magnificent architecfound in that of the church of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, ture of Egypt; fig. 2 of the same plate represents the where a small square tower (each side of which is front view and elevation of a Doric temple; fig. 3, nearly occupied by a window), surmounted by a that of an Ionic temple; and in fig. 4, the general spire, is wholly supported by arch buttresses spring-effect of the Roman or Composite order is given, the ing from the pinnacles of the great tower. other plates giving the details, are referred to in the body of the article. Groining, in perpendicular work, assumes a new and more delicate character. A number of small ribs diverging from a centre, are carried up in the form of one side of a pointed arch, and terminated equidistantly from that centre by a semicircle. As they recede from the point, they are divided by smaller ibs or mullions, and those again subdivided (according to the size of the roof) so as to make all the panels of nearly equal size. These panels are ornamented with feathered arches, &c. in the same manner as the windows, in conformity to which the whole is designed. The intervals between these semicircles are filled with tracery of the same description. This kind of roof is called fan tracery: it is exquisitely beautiful, and almost the only kind of groining used in this style. Another description of roof must now be mentioned, of very different character; this is the timber roof, of which Westminster Hall presents so magnificent an example. Plate 4, fig. 3. Here the actual timbers of the roofs are so arranged as to form an architectural combination of great beauty: a wooden arch springs from each side of the building, supporting a pointed central one, finished downwards with pendants: the rest of the framing is filled with pierced panelling. This kind of roof is not found in churches, but it seems well adapted for large halls, appropriated to public business, or any place intended for the occasional reception of large meetings. ARCHITRAVE, in Architecture, the lower division of an entablature, or that part which rests immediately on the column. In all the ancient examples of the Doric order still existing in Greece, such as those at Athens and Corinth, and also those at Pæstum, and in Sicily, it has only one facia, and is of great height,. being nearly equal to the diameter of the column. In the Doric order of the theatre of Marcellus at Rome, it has only one facia, but is much lower, being only equal to half a diameter of the column. The moderns, such as Vignola, Scamozzi, &c. have generally confined it to this proportion nearly, but have divided it into two facias, taking the idea from some ancient examples of the Doric order in Italy. This term is sometimes, though erroneously, applied to doors and windows. ARCHIVAULT, the contour of an arch, or a frame set off with mouldings running upon the faces of the arch-stones, and bearing upon the imposts. ARCTATIO, a constipation of the intestines from inflammation, or a preternatural straightness of the pudendum muliebre. ARCTIC, in Astronomy, an epithet given to the north pole, or the pole raised above our horizon. It is called the arctic pole, from the constellation of the Little Bear, nearly pointing out the north pole. The arctic circle is a lesser circle of the sphere, parallel to the equator, passing through the north The piers are remarkable for their depth in propor-pole of the ecliptic, and 23° 28′ distant from the north tion to their width: frequently there is a flat face of considerable breadth in the inside of the arch, and a shaft in front running up to support the groining. The capitals, when there are any, are generally composed with plain mouldings, but there is sometimes a four-leaved square flower placed in the hollow. The buttresses and pinnacles contain little remarkable, and are only distinguished from those of the last style by their extraneous ornaments, if they have any: the buttresses are sometimes panelled, and in pole, from whence its name. This and its opposite, the antarctic, are called the two polar circles; and may be conceived to be described by the motion of the poles of the ecliptic, round the poles of the equator, or of the world. The arctic circle is the boundary of the north frigid zone. ARCTOPHYLAX, in Astronomy, the Bear-Ward, a name for Boötes. ARCTURUS, in Astronomy, a fixed star of the first magnitude, in the constellation of Arctophylax, or |