to
baptisteries, monumental chapels and the like, but for parochial,
cathedral and monastic churches, the oblong plan was retained and
ultimately developed into the Gothic church with its nave, transepts and
chancel.

The changes which the Christian basilica at first underwent were simple,
_viz._, the use of the arch instead of the straight lintel, or the
placing of an entablature between the columns; a little later, about the
tenth century, the old wooden roof of the basilica gave place to the
arched roof or vaulting, so called from its being composed of a series
of vaults. The styles called Romanesque and Lombardic are but
geographical varieties of the same architecture and from these the Saxon
and Norman styles were soon to be developed. The vaulted basilica church
soon became common over the north of Europe, the two most important and
practically unaltered examples being the cathedrals of Speyer and Worms,
in Germany, although our Anglo-Saxon cathedrals of Peterborough, Ely and
Norwich may, so far as regards their naves, be justly regarded as the
offspring of the vaulted basilica style of building.

When the old basilica style of church with its heavy beam roof and its
innumerable columns had ceased to satisfy the lofty aspirations of Latin
Christianity, and when the Greeks had inaugurated a new style of church
architecture, only two courses were left to the Latins, either to adopt
the Greek style in its entirety, or to improve upon the basilica type.
Fortunately, although after considerable hesitation, they chose the
latter alternative, the result being the genesis of our glorious
cathedrals with their long naves and aisles, deep transepts and
beautiful variety of form and outline.

[Illustration: A Reputed Saxon Doorway.
Bishopstone, Sussex. _Photograph Mr. W. Hodgson._]

CHAPTER III.

THE SAXON AND NORMAN STYLES.

As we have seen in the previous chapter, the whole subject of pre-Saxon
church building is still very obscure, and for some considerable time
after the Anglo-Saxon invasion little is known concerning church
architecture, nor has it yet been fully ascertained whether any
buildings of this period exist. By the year 588 the Saxons were in
complete possession of the land. Christianity was to all appearance
wiped out and the Church, to the superficial observer was dead. In his
"_History of English Church Architecture_," Scott expresses the opinion
that the oldest English churches may be di