tion, often with hammer beams, richly ornamented
with moulded timbers, carved figures of angels and with
pierced tracery in spandrels. Roofs sometimes of very flat
pitch. Lofty clerestories. Mouldings large, coarse, and with
wide and shallow hollows and hard wiry edges, meagre in
appearance and wanting in minute and delicate detail,
generally arranged on diagonal planes. Early in the style
the mouldings partake of decorated character.

In the Tudor period depressed four-centered arch prevails;
transoms of windows battlemented. Tudor flower, rose,
portcullis, and fleur-de-lis common ornaments. Crockets and
pinnacles much projected. Roofs of low pitch.

Vaulting. Fan vaulting, with tracery and pendants
elaborately carved.

Other modes of distinguishing the periods of English Gothic have been
proposed by writers of authority. The division given above is that of
Rickman, and is generally adopted. A more minute subdivision and a
different set of names were proposed by Sharpe as follows:--

ROMANESQUE. Saxon A.D. to 1066.
Norman " 1066 to 1145.
GOTHIC. Transitional " 1145 to 1190.
Lancet " 1190 to 1245.
Geometrical " 1245 to 1315.
Curvilinear " 1315 to 1360.
Rectilinear " 1360 to 1550.

Of the new names proposed by Mr. Sharpe "transitional" explains
itself; and "geometrical, curvilinear, and rectilinear" refer to the
characters of the window tracery at the different periods which they
denote.[6]

* * * * *

The history of English Gothic proper may be said to begin with the
reign of Henry II., coinciding very nearly with the commencement of
the period named by Mr. Sharpe transitional (1145 to 1190), when
Norman architecture was changing into Gothic. This history we propose
now to consider somewhat in detail, dividing the buildings in the
simplest possible way, namely, into floors, walls, columns, roofs,
openings, and ornaments. After this we shall have to consider the mode
in which materials were used by the builders of the Gothic period,
_i.e._ the construction of the buildings; and the general artistic
principles which guided their architects, _i.e._ the design of the
buildings.

* * * * *

It may be useful to students in and near London to give Sir G