ls
and foundations it is clear that its plan was basilican. The church
is now a ruin, but some stone pillars which supported the arches are
preserved in the Cathedral Close at Canterbury.

As Reculver guarded the northern mouth of the watercourse, so
Richborough protected the south, and here traces of a chapel in the
form of a cross are plainly discernible amongst ruins known to be of
Roman workmanship. The old church at Lyminge in the same county is thus
described by Canon Jenkyns, in his "_History of Lyminge_":--"The Roman
foundations discoverable at the south-east angle of the chancel, together
with the remarkable half-arch that intervenes, marked the site of the
_aquilonalis porticus_--the title of basilica already given to it in the
seventh century establishes its claim to great antiquity."

We thus see that although remains of the actual buildings in which the
British Christians worshipped are few in number, yet enough are left us
to prove conclusively that there was a very active and zealous Christian
community established in these islands during at least the period
immediately preceding that in which Rome withdrew her legions from
Britain in order to defend Italy against the Goths, and abandoned our
island to the mercy of her foes.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY CHURCH ARCHITECTURE.

In the early years of the Christian Church, when its members became
sufficiently free from persecution to erect buildings for the purpose of
worship, they were naturally anxious to avoid any of the forms peculiar
to either heathen or Jewish temples. Some model, however, was necessary,
and their choice being limited, they appear to have adopted the
simple style of the Roman basilica, or court of justice. There was an
adaptability about the general plan of such a building which rendered
its selection natural and not inappropriate, while the dignified
simplicity of its construction and the object for which it was primarily
founded--the dispensation of justice--commended it no doubt in the first
instance as a model for the primitive Christian church. These basilicae
were usually enclosures surrounded by a colonnade, sometimes roofed, but
more often open to the air, and designedly built for the purpose of
being accessible to all members of the community at all times of the
day. They appear occasionally to have been used for the transaction of
ordinary business in which they would closely resemble our exchanges. Be
this as it may, this