but the
same spirit may be said to pervade them all, from the great Temples of
Bhuvaneswar, Tanjore, Bundaban, and elsewhere, to the humbler shrines
scattered throughout the length and breadth of the vast continent and of
its island dependencies.

There is nothing very distinctive about the architecture of China or
Japan. The Buddhist temples in both countries recall those of India, but
the pagodas, most of which are of wood faced with porcelain tiles,
differ slightly in having a curved roof to each story. The palaces of
China are impressive on account of their vast extent and the use of
copper in their construction, but the domestic buildings of Japan are
all of comparatively small size.

In America as in Asia are many deeply interesting architectural relics
of the civilisation of the early inhabitants, of which the most
remarkable are the ruins of Cyclopean buildings on the shores of Lake
Tatiaca, the remains of the ancient city of Cuzco, all in Peru, and the
Teocallis or temples and Palaces of the kings in Mexico, Yucatan, and
Guatemala, none of which however call for description here as they did
not influence the architecture of the future in their own or any other
country.

CHAPTER II

GREEK ARCHITECTURE

In their architecture as in their sculpture the Greeks gave eloquent
expression to the exquisite feeling for symmetry of form which was one
of their most distinctive characteristics. Architects and masons were in
close touch with the people for whom they built, no social barriers, so
far as the arts and crafts were concerned, divided class from class,
citizens, aliens, and even slaves vying with each other in their zeal to
produce the best work possible.

The finest buildings of ancient Greece and its dependencies entirely
fulfilled the conditions of true architecture, for they were beautiful
alike in design and execution, admirably adapted to the purpose for
which they were erected, and in complete harmony with their
surroundings. Moreover they are of exceptional importance in the
history of the evolution of the art on account of the influence they
exercised on that of other countries, all their distinctive features
having been either copied or modified in those of the rest of Europe.

[Illustration: Plan of Greek Temple]

The Greeks, though they were doubtless acquainted with the arch, the
dome, and the tower, refrained as a general rule from using them,
probably because they considered them