centuries, to be sufficiently
well adapted to purposes of Christian worship without material change from
their ancient form [that of the Roman Basilica]."

Referring the reader to Mr. Wheelwright's monograph for interesting data
concerning the Byzantine influence discernible in the early types of
Christian churches of cruciform plan erected in northern Italy and Europe,
I merely note here that in St. Sophia, founded by Constantine, and
completed by Justinian, "the load of the dome is thrown on four great
piers disposed at either corner of a square. These great piers, with the
corresponding buttresses of the outer wall, suggest a possible symbolical
intent in the arrangement ... otherwise the cruciform plan here suggested
is expressed neither externally nor internally." I venture to suggest that
in St. Sophia, "Holy Eternal Wisdom," as in the case of the Pantheon, the
dominant idea may have been the all-embracing unity, but that, as the
number four was identified with "wisdom and justice" by the widespread
Pythagorean philosophy, that number must have seemed, to the initiated, to
pervade the entire structure. In the case of the Church of the Nativity at
Bethlehem, where it was Justinian's intention to mark a sacred locality,
we find the cruciform plan clearly carried out. "The church of St. Simeon
Stylite at Kelat Seman Syria, built about A.D. 500, is a most interesting
example of a cruciform church, marking a sacred spot [and associated with
a sacred column]."

"The church of the seventh century built at Sichem, over the well of the
Samaritan, shows a distribution of plan similar to that of S. Simeon
Stylite, the holy object being at the crossing.... There are existing at
St. Wandrille and at Querqueville in Normandy, two (cruciform) triapsidal
churches of a date prior to the Norman conquest ... a well preserved
four-apsed tomb chapel exists at Montmajour near Arles, built in 1019; the
detail and plan of which point to a Syrian prototype and resembles two
buildings of an early date now existing in Dalmatia." The use of the
cruciform type of church, anterior to the great revival of purely
Christian religious architecture in the thirteenth century, was confined
to Picardy and the Rhenish provinces, fine churches of this type being at
Cologne, Bonn, Marburg, etc.

It is interesting to recall that the building of sacred structures is
attributed to "secret organizations of free or enfranchised operative
masons which existe