DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6910#0064
40
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
Ecclesia, Basilica, and Church; and as Constantine the Great, who was the most
powerful advocate in the cause, became more and more confirmed in the Christian
tenets, he extended his liberality and influence towards the Christians, and their
sacred structures. " The Christian temples of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem,
Constantinople, &c. displayed the ostentatious piety of a prince, ambitious, in a de-
clining age, to equal the perfect labours of antiquity."* In the course of two
centuries, from the reign of Constantine to that of Justinian, eighteen hundred
churches of the empire were established and endowed, f
Let us now turn our eyes to the small islands of Britain, where we shall perceive
a few glimmering rays of Christian light breaking through the mists of Paganism.
In the beginning of the seventh century, Austin, or Augustin, with forty other
monks, were deputed by Gregory the Great, from the papal see at Rome, to visit
England. They were particularly instructed, by the zealous and sagacious Pope,
" not to destroy the heathen temples of the English, but only to remove the images
of the gods, to wash the walls with holy water, to erect altars, and deposit relics in
them, and so convert them into Christian churches." J What was the exact shape
and size of these temples, we are not well informed; though it is generally admitted
that the first Saxon churches had semi-circular east ends. Dr. Stukeley, speaking
of round churches, very strangely says—" I suspect these arc the most ancient
churches in England, and probably built in the later times of the Romans, for
Christian service,—at least in the early Saxon reigns ."§ As this remark is scarcely
entitled to animadversion, let us endeavour to ascertain, with some appearance of
consistency and rationality, the origin, styles of architecture, and characteristics of
ENGLISH ROUND CHURCHES.
These certainly constitute a singular and rare class of ancient edifices, and are
eminently interesting to the architectural antiquary. The three examples here
* " Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. L. X. ch. 2, 3, 4. The Bishop of Csesarea, who studied and gratified the taste of
his master, pronounced, in public, an elaborate description of the Church of Jerusalem, (in Vit. Const. L. IV.
ch. 46.) It no longer exists ; but he has inserted in the Life of Constantine, (L. III. ch. 36,) a short account of
the architecture and ornaments. He likewise mentions the Church of the Holy Apostles at Constantinople.
(L. IV. ch. 29.)"—Gibbon's Roman History, Vol. III. 292.
t Ibid.
t Henry's History of Great Britain, Vol. III. p. 194, &c. See also Turner's History of the Anglo-Saxons,
Vol. IV.
§ Itinerarium Curiosum, p. 35.
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
Ecclesia, Basilica, and Church; and as Constantine the Great, who was the most
powerful advocate in the cause, became more and more confirmed in the Christian
tenets, he extended his liberality and influence towards the Christians, and their
sacred structures. " The Christian temples of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem,
Constantinople, &c. displayed the ostentatious piety of a prince, ambitious, in a de-
clining age, to equal the perfect labours of antiquity."* In the course of two
centuries, from the reign of Constantine to that of Justinian, eighteen hundred
churches of the empire were established and endowed, f
Let us now turn our eyes to the small islands of Britain, where we shall perceive
a few glimmering rays of Christian light breaking through the mists of Paganism.
In the beginning of the seventh century, Austin, or Augustin, with forty other
monks, were deputed by Gregory the Great, from the papal see at Rome, to visit
England. They were particularly instructed, by the zealous and sagacious Pope,
" not to destroy the heathen temples of the English, but only to remove the images
of the gods, to wash the walls with holy water, to erect altars, and deposit relics in
them, and so convert them into Christian churches." J What was the exact shape
and size of these temples, we are not well informed; though it is generally admitted
that the first Saxon churches had semi-circular east ends. Dr. Stukeley, speaking
of round churches, very strangely says—" I suspect these arc the most ancient
churches in England, and probably built in the later times of the Romans, for
Christian service,—at least in the early Saxon reigns ."§ As this remark is scarcely
entitled to animadversion, let us endeavour to ascertain, with some appearance of
consistency and rationality, the origin, styles of architecture, and characteristics of
ENGLISH ROUND CHURCHES.
These certainly constitute a singular and rare class of ancient edifices, and are
eminently interesting to the architectural antiquary. The three examples here
* " Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. L. X. ch. 2, 3, 4. The Bishop of Csesarea, who studied and gratified the taste of
his master, pronounced, in public, an elaborate description of the Church of Jerusalem, (in Vit. Const. L. IV.
ch. 46.) It no longer exists ; but he has inserted in the Life of Constantine, (L. III. ch. 36,) a short account of
the architecture and ornaments. He likewise mentions the Church of the Holy Apostles at Constantinople.
(L. IV. ch. 29.)"—Gibbon's Roman History, Vol. III. 292.
t Ibid.
t Henry's History of Great Britain, Vol. III. p. 194, &c. See also Turner's History of the Anglo-Saxons,
Vol. IV.
§ Itinerarium Curiosum, p. 35.