The decorated window in Anselm's Chapel is the work of Prior Oxinden; but being in the same style as that of Henry de Estria, it has been erroneously ascribed to that Prior.

Of the perpendicular style, this cathedral possesses noble examples in its nave, western transept, great central tower, the south-western campanile, and the chapels of the Virgin and of St. Michael.* These splendid works which meet the eye on our first entry into the church are enumerated, together with the dates of their erection, and their founders, in our list of dated examples (Appendix, No. 2).

In December, 1378, Archbishop Sudbury, in his mandate for rebuilding the nave, describes it to be "in a notorious and evident state of ruin." [Sanè cum navis dictæ ecclesiæ nostræ Cant. metropolitica propter ipsius notoriam et evidentem ruinam de novo oporteat totaliter construi, &c.]

May not this passage throw some light upon, or direct us to a probable conjecture of that dark point in our history, the sudden rebuilding, by Anselm and his Priors, of Lanfranc's then recently erected choir? We find that in the comparatively short period of three centuries, Lanfranc's nave had fallen to decay and ruin. The constructive skill of the Norman architects therefore appears not to have been equal to that of the succeeding architects (William de Sens and William the Englishman); for the works of the latter, after a lapse of nearly seven centuries, still remain unimpaired by time. Massive therefore and substantial as is the Norman style, it does not appear to have been of so durable a character as that of the succeeding style. The Norman pillars of the nave (having no crypt beneath) rested upon the solid ground, and therefore, notwithstanding any defect of construction of its columns and superincumbent arches, it existed about three centuries; but the Norman choir of Lanfranc having been erected over a crypt, it is not improbable that some defect, arising from the insufficient construction of the piers in the crypt beneath, may have manifested itself, and that symptoms of weakness may have rendered it necessary to take down and reconstruct the choir.

As history is entirely silent upon the cause of the sudden rebuilding of the choir almost immediately after Lanfranc's *We take no notice of the cloisters and other portions in this style, being confined, by the nature of our investigation, to the Cathedral Church.

death, we merely throw this out as a not improbable conjecture.*

SECT. 2.-" The Dark Ages," (16th to 19th Century.)

England at the commencement of the sixteenth century possessed in its cathedral and parochial churches, abbeys, priories, and other monastic and conventual structures, the most splendid specimens of the Saxon, Norman, early English, decorated, and perpendicular styles of architecture; whilst Henry VII, in his newly-erected chapels at Westminster and Cambridge, had carried the florid or Tudor style to the utmost perfection.

These temples were, however, the abodes of the most abject and degrading superstition, of the most revolting and disgusting idolatry. Hence arose the fierce and bitter contest between truth and error, between the pure and undefiled religion of the gospel, and the legends, lying miracles, and extravagant pretensions of the See of Rome. This struggle terminated in the Reformation. Glorious as was the emancipation of the human mind from the degrading influences of superstition and Papal tyranny, yet we cannot but deplore the iconoclastic zeal of the reformers and puritans, which, not satisfied with removing the idolatrous shrines, altars, and chantries, violated the sacred repositories of the dead, destroyed the tombs and sepulchral monuments which piety had raised to the memory of departed worth, and levelled to the dust some of the most beautiful remains of the architectural skill of our forefathers. Then also arose the Royal Ruffian, at whose name humanity shudders, and religion herself grows pale! This ruthless tyrant having dissolved the monasteries, extorted from his parliament a grant of the possessions which were annexed to them, a large portion of which he afterwards parcelled out amongst his courtiers and flatterers. This led to the rapid decline, and at length, total extinction of English ecclesiastical architecture, and the revival of the classical style, (shortly afterwards introduced from Italy,) completed the downfall of a science which had for so many centuries been the pride and glory of our country.

Some colour is afforded to this conjecture by the fact that about the same period another Norman cathedral, Winchester, the building of which was commenced by Bishop Wakelin, A.D. 1079, was found defective, and the great tower fell to the ground, A.D. 1107.

In these more enlightened days we are astonished that men of the greatest genius should so long have continued blind and insensible to the sublime beauties of our native architecture. But to show their utter ignorance and contempt, they have even branded it with the opprobrious name of "gothic."

Inigo Jones (the English Palladio) with most inharmonious taste, added a Corinthian portico to the west front of the venerable gothic cathedral of St. Paul, London; and Sir Christopher Wren (struck with its want of harmony) afterwards wished to replace the whole of the gothic church by another to accord in style with Inigo Jones's classical portico. This scheme, though opposed at the time, was afterwards rendered inevitable by the great fire of London, which involved both the gothic cathedral and its classical portico in one

common ruin.

So great indeed was the darkness of this period, that even Addison's cultivated and enlightened mind could not appreciate the exquisite beauties of Gothic architecture. It is at once amusing and instructive to hear his remarks.

"There is nothing in this city [Sienna] so extraordinary as the Cathedral, which a man may view with pleasure after he has seen St. Peter's, though it is quite of another make, and can only be looked upon as one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture.

“When a man sees the prodigious pains and expense that our forefathers have been at in these barbarous buildings, one cannot but fancy to himself what miracles of architecture they would have left us, had they been only instructed in the right way; for when the devotion of those ages was much warmer than that of the present, and the riches of the people much more at the disposal of the priests, there was so much money consumed in these Gothic cathedrals, as would have finished a greater variety of noble buildings than have been raised either before or since that time.

"One would wonder to see the vast labour that has been laid out on this single cathedral. The very spouts are laden with ornaments; the windows are formed like so many scenes of perspective, with a multitude of little pillars retiring one behind another; the great columns are finely engraven with fruits and foliage that run twisting about them from the very top to the bottom; the whole body of the church is chequered

with different lays of white and black marble; the pavement curiously cut out in designs and scripture stories, and the front covered with such a variety of figures, and overrun with so many little mazes and labyrinths of sculpture that nothing in the world can make a prettier show to those who prefer false beauties and affected ornaments to a noble and majestic simplicity." (Addison on Italy, vol. ii, p. 135. Lond. 4to. 1721.)

If to the illustrious names of Inigo Jones, Wren, and Addison, we add those of Somner, Battely, and Gostling, (the learned historians of Canterbury Cathedral), no admirer of that venerable and exquisitely beautiful church will censure us for appropriating to the last three centuries the opprobrious appellation of "the Dark Ages."

From this cheerless and dreary prospect we now turn with delight and admiration to,

SECT. 3.-" Dean Percy and the Restoration of Canterbury Cathedral."

Lanfranco. Archiepo. Hui9. Ecclie. fundatore.
Hugone. Percy. Restitutore.

After three centuries of ignorance and darkness, Dean Percy (successively Prebendary, Archdeacon, and Dean of Canterbury) was happily elevated to the government of this church. His refined taste, sound judgment, and princely munificence, laid the foundation of those splendid restorations which have rendered the cathedral an object of general interest. With a bold and master's hand he removed the incongruous classical altar-screen, and other unsightly incumbrances, which, during the dark ages, had been introduced into the choir; and with that penetration and discernment which usually accompany and distinguish an elevated mind, he elicited and called forth the latent genius of the present architect, to whom we may justly apply the splendid panegyric pronounced by Gervase upon his predecessor, William the Englishman, "Quidam Georgius nomine, Anglus natione, parvus quidem corpore, sed in diversis operibus subtilis valdè, et probus." (Antè, p. 19.) George by name, English by nation, small in stature, but in workmanship of many kinds exceedingly skilful and honest." Like his predecessor, William the Englishman, Mr. Austin possesses in an eminent degree, indomitable energy, refined taste, and profound skill in the captivating science of Gothic

architecture. Dean Percy was thus happy in the selection of one so well qualified to draw into existence the splendid conceptions of his own accomplished mind.

Before we notice these restorations, we must take leave to express our deep regret and disappointment at the almost total silence of the learned Professor upon the subject. In a work expressly challenging our attention, as "An Architectural History of the Cathedral," we did look forward to a full, particular and detailed account of those elaborate restorations and improvements. We expected to learn the state of dilapidation and decay into which, during the ignorance and neglect of the dark ages, the sublime works of our forefathers had fallen. We expected to hear of the difficulties which attended the restoration, and of the skill, ability, and energy with which those difficulties were surmounted. We expected to be told that the venerable, Reverend, and Learned Body, the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, unaided by the government, unassisted by the nobility and landed gentry of the county, but relying entirely upon their own resources, had boldly grappled with the mighty labour, and had presented to the admiration of the present and future generations, their noble CathedralChurch in all its ancient and venerable majesty. We expected to find recorded in the pages of the learned Professor, not only a full artistic description of that splendid monument of the zeal, munificence, and piety of the Dean and Chapter, and of the skill and genius of their architect-the Great Northwestern Tower of the Nave, but likewise a detailed account of the time and labour, expense of materials and workmanship bestowed upon that superb work: a record which would have proved most interesting to science, and of great value to posterity.

That no difficulty existed in procuring this valuable information, we learn from the Introduction to the Professor's History.

"I cannot conclude," says the learned Professor, "without expressing my most grateful thanks to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral, and to their architect, Mr. Austin, for the most liberal and unbounded freedom of access to every part of the building, accompanied by every kind of assistance and information." (Introd. p. xvi.)

With such opportunities and advantages the Professor might