ng. Still farther
confirmation will be found in the English castles of Tamworth and
Colchester, both of the same early aera:[143] the stones, in the latter,
are disposed precisely as here figured: in the former, horizontal strata
regularly alternate with the inclined, as if in imitation of various
Roman remains.[144] And, indeed, that they were really constructed with
such an intention, appears highly probable; as, according to Sir Henry
Englefield, whose authority is unquestionable, the same style of masonry
is seen at Silchester, which is most certainly a pure Roman relic: it is
even stated, that the old walls of the city of Rome were so built.[145]

Abstracted from the peculiarity just noticed, there is little in the
church of Anisy to excite interest. A flat moulding, not less wide than
a buttress, and surmounted by a narrow string-course of the plainest
character, is continued round the whole nave, and divides it into two
stories of equal height; while four Norman buttresses, on either side,
separate it into three compartments. In the original state of the
church, the windows were confined to the upper portion alone, and
alternated with the buttresses: they rose from the string-course,
narrow, circular-headed, surrounded with squared freestone, and having
no other ornament than a slender cylindrical moulding above. In
succeeding times, either the want of a sufficient quantity of light, or
a desire for improvement, led to the introduction of larger
cinquefoil-headed windows, occupying equal portions of the upper and
lower stories. Throughout the whole of this part of the church, the
apertures made by the scaffolding are left; and, what is remarkable, are
edged with freestone.

The corbels are grotesque; and the subjects of some indecent.--In the
west front there is nothing remarkable: the door-way and window above
are of the most common character of Norman architecture: neither in this
part of the church, nor in the chancel, is the herring-bone masonry
continued; nor does the horizontal moulding extend over either of them.

NOTES:

[141] P. 16.

[142] _Tour in Normandy_, I. p. 37.

[143] It is hoped, that this assertion is not too bold.--The accounts of
Tamworth castle, as a building, are indeed particularly unsatisfactory:
neither Leland, in his _Itinerary_, nor Shaw, in his _History of
Staffordshire_, throw any light upon the aera of its construction. Yet,
even from the wretched plate given in the latter