, as if the whole were the
work of yesterday. This part of the church has, however, been exposed to
considerable injury, owing to its having joined the conventual
buildings.

[Illustration: Plate 43. CHAPEL OF THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JULIEN, NEAR
ROUEN.
_Interior. Choir and part of the Nave._]

The interior of the chapel, however degraded from its original purpose,
continues, like the exterior, almost perfect; but it is much more rich,
uniting to the common ornaments of Norman architecture capitals of great
labor. The ceiling is covered with paintings of scriptural subjects,
which still remain. This discrepance of style between the outside of the
building and the inside, might lead to a suspicion that they had been
erected at different times; but there really seems to be no sufficient
ground for such an opinion. Those who attempt to decide upon the dates
of Norman edifices, judging from the character of their ornaments, or
the comparative profusion of their decorations, will do well to reflect,
that almost every building contains in itself a medley of what is
barbarous and classical, while no two can well vary more in the quantity
of their ornaments, than the two abbatial churches of Caen; and yet they
were both of them, beyond dispute, productions of the self-same aera.--It
deserves remark likewise, that two theories of directly opposite
tendency, both of them perhaps equally plausible, have been started upon
this point. The partisans of one of these maintain, that the Normans, on
their arrival in the more southern parts of Europe, found highly
ornamented buildings, and, being themselves altogether ignorant of art,
were content with copying what already existed; so that their progress
in art was in a retrograde direction, from a classical style, to one
comparatively barbarous. On the other hand, it is averred, that these
reputed savages really imported with them the kind of architecture now
generally known by their name; and, in proportion as they improved in
wealth, luxury, and refinement, drew nearer and nearer to the Roman
model, either by dint of their own observations, or by the importation
of Italian artists. The balance of probability appears at the first
glance to incline in favor of the latter of these opinions, as most
consonant to the general march of human affairs. Perhaps, however, upon
a more attentive consideration, the former may appear nearer to the
truth: it is certain, that the style in architect