DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1457#0102
7'4 IiEV. J. BEKTTHAm's
glendef, and the outward walls commonly
supported with buttresses.
The term Gothic, applied to architecture,
was much used by our ancestors in the last
century, when they were endeavouring to re-
cover the ancient Grecian or Roman manner
(I call it indifferently by either of those names,
for the Romans borrowed it from the Greeks):
whether they had then a retrospect to those
particular times when the Goths ruled in the
empire, or only used it as a term of reproach,
to stigmatize the productions [37] of ignorant
and barbarous times, is not certain; but 1
think they meant it of Roman architecture;
not such, certainly, as had been in the age of
Augustus (which they were labouring to
restore), but such as prevailed in more dege-
nerate times, when the art itself was almost
lost, and particularly after the invasions of
the Goths; in which state it continued many
a^es after without much alteration. Of this
kind was our Saxon and earliest Norman
manner of building, with circular arches and
strong massive pillars, but really Roman
architecture, and so was called by our Saxon
ancestors themselvesf. Some writers call all
our ancient architecture, without distinction
of round and pointed arches, Gothic: though
f Bedae Hist. Eccl. lib. v. cap. Si. and Hist. Abb. Wire-
muth. et Gynv. p. 295. line 4.
glendef, and the outward walls commonly
supported with buttresses.
The term Gothic, applied to architecture,
was much used by our ancestors in the last
century, when they were endeavouring to re-
cover the ancient Grecian or Roman manner
(I call it indifferently by either of those names,
for the Romans borrowed it from the Greeks):
whether they had then a retrospect to those
particular times when the Goths ruled in the
empire, or only used it as a term of reproach,
to stigmatize the productions [37] of ignorant
and barbarous times, is not certain; but 1
think they meant it of Roman architecture;
not such, certainly, as had been in the age of
Augustus (which they were labouring to
restore), but such as prevailed in more dege-
nerate times, when the art itself was almost
lost, and particularly after the invasions of
the Goths; in which state it continued many
a^es after without much alteration. Of this
kind was our Saxon and earliest Norman
manner of building, with circular arches and
strong massive pillars, but really Roman
architecture, and so was called by our Saxon
ancestors themselvesf. Some writers call all
our ancient architecture, without distinction
of round and pointed arches, Gothic: though
f Bedae Hist. Eccl. lib. v. cap. Si. and Hist. Abb. Wire-
muth. et Gynv. p. 295. line 4.