DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6914#0087
SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES—DURHAM CATHEDRAL. 55
becatn1 tapfr*n£ UP ^nto ornamental pinnacles. A pinnacle of a larger size
ao-es a S^lre ' accordingly such were raised upon the square towers of former
> as at Salisbury. Thus we see how naturally the several gradations of the
the 6 arc^tec*ure arose one out of another, as we learn from history was actually
Cross e' an<^ ^e intersecting °f two circular arches, in the church of St.
" The Perhaps have Produced Salisbury steeple."63
circul ^6Ilera^ i°-ea> that pointed arches originated from the intersection of semi-
^Tilner^ at°^eS' ^as ^een adopted by several other writers ; but that part of Dr.
nr- . f theory which extends to a complete explanation of the manner in which the
Frinciples of tli d ■
the mo t "ointed style gradually became developed, and which is certainly
He is °S VU^neraD^e portion of his system, has met with a less general reception.
any o'th er'laPS' to° unwilling to admit, that the English architects were indebted to
stvl , source than their own inventive abilities, for all the peculiarities of that
tvJe which tl
bility b ^ practised with so much success. Yet it may, with great proba-
Pointed 6 COnJectureal' ^at some, at least, of the members and decorations of the
p style were derived from a foreign source.
&»; ?m tlle " Account of the Cathedral Church of Durham," published by the
^ciety of a ,■ > f j
the most \Uartes o^ London, that structure is said to have been selected "as
stl'ucted nia^n^cent' as we^ as the most perfect building now remaining, con-
conque ^ ^ massive, but august, style of architecture adopted by the Norman
except -°rS °^ tn^s island, whose buildings differ but little from those of the Saxons,
had b 11 ^le'r niagnitude and expense, which so far surpassed every thing which
conte S6en U1 ^is island previously to their conquest of it, as to have been
with mir^l ^ ^G °PPressea- English, and mentioned by the contemporary writers,
Wonder ^ ^ astonishment and jealously. Even at this time, we cannot, without
this count°nS^er ^6 *mmense buildings, both ecclesiastical and civil, erected in
exago-erat • Wltnin a century and a half after the Norman Conquest; and it is no
in Eno-lan(j n t0 asserr> that the aggregate of cathedrals, abbeys, and castles raised
count ' m ^lat Peri°d> far exceeds the mass of public edifices erected in any
Aft W^atever> within the same time since the fall of the Roman Empire."
" S,i T a k"e^ account of the cathedral, as first built, the writer proceeds thus :
°ucn was tli f
additions h °^ ^ e^ce' as Dy 'ts original architects; but successive
*ave rendered the church, as it now stands, not only a perfect specimen
3 " Essays on Gothic Architecture," p. 131—133.
becatn1 tapfr*n£ UP ^nto ornamental pinnacles. A pinnacle of a larger size
ao-es a S^lre ' accordingly such were raised upon the square towers of former
> as at Salisbury. Thus we see how naturally the several gradations of the
the 6 arc^tec*ure arose one out of another, as we learn from history was actually
Cross e' an<^ ^e intersecting °f two circular arches, in the church of St.
" The Perhaps have Produced Salisbury steeple."63
circul ^6Ilera^ i°-ea> that pointed arches originated from the intersection of semi-
^Tilner^ at°^eS' ^as ^een adopted by several other writers ; but that part of Dr.
nr- . f theory which extends to a complete explanation of the manner in which the
Frinciples of tli d ■
the mo t "ointed style gradually became developed, and which is certainly
He is °S VU^neraD^e portion of his system, has met with a less general reception.
any o'th er'laPS' to° unwilling to admit, that the English architects were indebted to
stvl , source than their own inventive abilities, for all the peculiarities of that
tvJe which tl
bility b ^ practised with so much success. Yet it may, with great proba-
Pointed 6 COnJectureal' ^at some, at least, of the members and decorations of the
p style were derived from a foreign source.
&»; ?m tlle " Account of the Cathedral Church of Durham," published by the
^ciety of a ,■ > f j
the most \Uartes o^ London, that structure is said to have been selected "as
stl'ucted nia^n^cent' as we^ as the most perfect building now remaining, con-
conque ^ ^ massive, but august, style of architecture adopted by the Norman
except -°rS °^ tn^s island, whose buildings differ but little from those of the Saxons,
had b 11 ^le'r niagnitude and expense, which so far surpassed every thing which
conte S6en U1 ^is island previously to their conquest of it, as to have been
with mir^l ^ ^G °PPressea- English, and mentioned by the contemporary writers,
Wonder ^ ^ astonishment and jealously. Even at this time, we cannot, without
this count°nS^er ^6 *mmense buildings, both ecclesiastical and civil, erected in
exago-erat • Wltnin a century and a half after the Norman Conquest; and it is no
in Eno-lan(j n t0 asserr> that the aggregate of cathedrals, abbeys, and castles raised
count ' m ^lat Peri°d> far exceeds the mass of public edifices erected in any
Aft W^atever> within the same time since the fall of the Roman Empire."
" S,i T a k"e^ account of the cathedral, as first built, the writer proceeds thus :
°ucn was tli f
additions h °^ ^ e^ce' as Dy 'ts original architects; but successive
*ave rendered the church, as it now stands, not only a perfect specimen
3 " Essays on Gothic Architecture," p. 131—133.