ART. V. Munimenta Antiqua; or, Observations on antient Castles. Including Remarks on the whole Progress of Architecture, Eecksiastical as well as Military, in Great Britain and on the corres ponding Changes, in Manners, Laws, and Customs. Tending both to illustrate Modern History, and to elucidate many interesting Passages in various antient classic Authors. By Edward King, Esq., F.R.S. and A. S. Vol. IV. Folio. PP. 312. and 60 Plates. 51. 158. 6d. Boards. Nicol.

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HE sacred edifices of this island not only strike curious travellers with respect for the piety and religious zeal of our ancestors, but also display such various characters and styles of architecture as render them objects of study to artists. As to the most antient of these structures, they are indeed left to speak for themselves; and conjecture and theory have full play respecting the precise age of their erection, the plans which were originally adopted, and the subsequent alterations which they underwent. They nevertheless constitute materials for amusing research; and, when this pursuit is adopted by such a man as the late Mr. King, it must eventually prove a source of gratification to architects and antiquaries. Those who have perused the preceding volumes of this work are apprized of the learning, the labour, and the expence with which this gentleman prosecuted his inquiries; and while they gladly receive a continuation of them, they will learn with regret that the death of the author has put a final period to his undertaking.

Of the third volume, as well as of the exordium to the fourth, (which for certain reasons was published in a detached form) we gave some account in the 54th volume of our New Series, p. 113, and referred at the bottom of the page to our reviews of Vels. I. and II. Our readers, perhaps, will recollect that the Introduction to Book IV. Chapter II., which appeared in a separate pamphlet, respected the controversy concerning the era of the introduction of the Arch, a subject which we shall be required to resume at the conclusion of this article but since it bears no relation to the inquiry prosecuted through the great majority of these pages, it shall not bend us from that strait-forward course which we are induced to pursue. Mr. King, in Chapter II., which occupies almost the whole of this volume, presents us with Observations concerning the History and Origin of the first Churches, and religious Structures amongst the Saxons,—and also concerning the State of Ecclesiastical Architecture, during the whole Period of the Saxon and Danish Monarchies in Britain. For this peep into antiquity, the author was as well prepared as any of his contemporaries; and though we cannot always see with his eyes, we

must

must do him the justice of admitting that he took great pains to obtain as correct vision as the circumstances of the case would admit. Marks of patient and extensive investigation are apparent; numerous detached specimens of antient architecture in this island are exhibited together; plates are given in abundance; and the reader is put in possession of a collection of facts on which he may exercise his own judgment.

Though Mr. King was aware of the difficulty of forming, rightly, adequate ideas of past ages,' and admits that the change of circumstances, and of the whole scene of things, is so great, that the mind can hardly be brought effectually to imagine itself in the same situation, or to form apprehensions, or conceptions, at all like those in earlier days,' (p. 113, note) he often ventures on explanations which require an intimate acquaintance with agents whose motives it is now impossible to appreciate, and whose taste and attainments are objects of mere conjecture. Every man, who is engaged in an inquiry so extensive as that which is prosecuted in this work, will be induced to form some hypothesis, and will labour to support it; we are therefore not surprized to find the author, having proclaimed himself the champion of Saxon architecture, employing all his skill and industry to revive its reputation; and to prevent the Normans from obtaining credit for structures which were erected previously to their ascendancy in this island. The characters and features of the Saxon style are here nicely displayed: but, as it is confessed that this style nearly agrees with the early Norman,' we are inclined to believe that Mr. King has often been too precipitate in his claims in behalf of the Saxon architect. Barfreston church, his first specimen, cannot be so antient as he supposes: its mouldings may retain the stamp of an age previous to the conquest: but its pointed arches evince a Norman architect. Perhaps not one ecclesiastical structure, which is entirely Saxon, now exists in the whole kingdom. That in several of our cathedrals, and conventual churches, specimens of architecture and embellishment truly Saxon are still to be found, is unquestionable: but these are blended with subsequent improvements; and it is often difficult to distinguish the one from the other. Domus solidis suffulto columnis may originally have been Saxon: but, when we see pointed arches springing from dwarf massy columns with clumsy capitals, we have good reason for believing that the Norman architect has left little more than the mere pillars. Plate VI. of this volume represents what Mr. King terms Nors man alterations at Malmsbury, in which we see a pointed arch springing from massy Saxon columns, a Saxon arch with a

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zigzag

zigzag fret above this, and another pointed arch surmounting the whole; and he tells us that

If an intelligent antiquary were asked the question, when these several parts were built? he must return the almost ludicrous answer, (yet perfectly consistent with truth)-first the middle ;—then the bustom; and then the top. For the wall originally was Saxon, with circular arches; but in the time of the Normans, first the lower circular arch was cut out into the form of what was become more fashionable, a pointed arch;-and afterwards the still more modern window was added above."

We think that a glance at this specimen would induce any architect to form a different opinion. The supposition is almost absurd that the builders of this church would take the great trouble of supporting the middle of a wall, in order to add a bottom and a top to it. We perceive that the prevailing feature is the Norman style; and if some apparently Saxon work is introduced in the middle story or compartment of the wall, it was for the purpose of variety, or, as it was thought, of giving a better effect to the whole. Still less are we inclined to attribute to the clumsy Saxons the very elegant door at Malmsbury, which is delineated in Plate IV.; and indeed we should as readily assign to the Goths the grand entrance to the Temple of the Sun at Palmyra. This door-way at Malmsbury must have been a subsequent imitation of and improvement on the Saxon style. As it is a well-known fact that the ecclesiastics themselves were the architects, in the carly days to which we are adverting, it is conjectured by Mr. King that Aldelme, who came to Malmsbury about the time of building the monastery and church there, (i. e. in the year 640 or 650,) who had attained considerable skill in what was then called philosophy and liberal science, and who was able to build in the first style of that age, designed this very curious door: but it is obvious to remark that, if he had been enabled to design with so much elegance in one instance, he might also in others; and that, in this case, we should have seen the whole edifice constructed with equal taste and beauty of enrichment.

Wilfrid and Grimbeld, in the latter end of the seventh century, returning from Rome, probably imported among the Saxons some knowlege of good masonry and architecture: but we cannot, at this distance of time, estimate the amount of their skill, nor state what improvements they introduced. Mr.K. attributes the peculiarities which occur in the Saxon buildings, to the state of mankind at that period; and he proceeds, at some length, to describe the ideas which then prevailed, as introductory to his history of sacred architecture. We do not deem it necessary to folicw him in his account of their reli

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gious

gious notions and superstitions respecting relics*, images, &c. but shall restrict our notice to the professed object of the publication. Passing over a variety of amusing matter, we present our readers with Mr. King's statement of the discriminating features of the Saxon architecture, by which it may be distinguished both from the Roman and from the Norman:

The circumstance by which the Saxon arches peculiarly differ from the Roman, and from the British imitations of the Roman, ought not to be passed by unnoticed; which is, that the true Roman arches have none of those odd mouldings,-zigzag,-embattled,-triangularly fretted, nail headed,-hatched,-billeted,-lozenge work, nebulated,-twisted,-braided,—and tripled indented; whereas the Saxon arches are overloaded with them.

It ought also further to be remarked, that although indeed the Saxon arches, and especially those of the latter period of the Saxon dominion, have sometimes only the zigzag moulding, which was afterwards also used by the Normans; or only the triple indented moulding; yet in general, when that is the case, there is a sort of wildness even in it, and often a larger indentation, which sufficiently distinguishes Saxon from Norman work.

The Saxon arch may also often be distinguished from the Roman arch, as Mr. Wilkins has accurately observed, by the very simple kind of impost moulding in stone, generally used by the Saxons, and afterwards by the Norman Architects.

These five peculiarities, therefore, are the characteristick distinctions of the early Saxon arches :

1. A studied diversity of ornament, in the capitals of the supporting pillars, on each side the arch; instead of exact uniformity.

2. A transom stone, (or transom stones,) most usually filling up the semi-circular part of the arch, as if to support it on the inside; and generally resting on the pillars of the two ends.

3. The supporting pillars, placed standing inwards, and somewhat nearer to each other than the whole diameter of the arch; and so as to support, with their capitals, both the inward transom stones, as well as the ends of the arch.

4. A loaded variety of ornaments, on the mouldings of the arch; and often in very small compartments,-And a great variety of mouldings, besides the indented moulding.

5. Yet, in general, a very plain simple kind of impost moulding, resting on the capitals of the pillars, for the support of the arch.

All these five peculiarities are sometimes, (though not often,) found united together in the same door-case, or window--and are

In a short note, we shall insert this curious morsel of history. The mouldering bones of Saints, or at least those substituted for them, bore so high a price, that in 102 an arm of St. Augustin, Bishop of Hippo, was purchased by Agelnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury, for six thousand pounds weight of silver, and sixty pounds weight of gold.' p. 54.

ever so truly characteristick, that hardly any Saxon door-way is ever found without one or two of them combined.

By these circumstances, therefore, such parts of truly_antient ecclesiatical Saxon Buildings as remain may be identified. But it is not to be imagined, either that these peculiar ornaments continued invariably to be used, just in the same sort of fashion, quite till the Norman Conquest; or that immediately afterwards, they went entirely out of use. Now and then they were somewhat imitated by the Normans ;-but in such a manner, that as far as I have ever seen any instances, they may easily be distinguished by a discerning eye, both by the larger proportion of the several parts, and by an evident introduction of corresponding ornaments, on cach side, instead of the Saxon diversity.

They may possibly also have been imitated from mere faney, in a few instances, in succeeding ages; as they might even be introduced, in a mere modern building, so as to deceive the unwary.-But never theless they will still be truly characteristick of the Saxon Ecclesiastical style of building.'

To the observations made in this passage, the architectural student will attend in the examination of our most antient edifices; and as he proceeds to the Norman era, he will recollect the remarks, which Mr. K. himself appears often to have forgotten, contained in the latter paragraphs of the passage just extracted. The Saxon fashion is not always an evidence of Saxon antiquity. In the church of New Shoreham, in Sussex, for instance, a profusion of ornaments of the Saxon character occurs but, when these mouldings decorate a pointed arch, as is there the case, can we regard them in any other light than as imitations of the Saxon, from mere fancy? *

The

Let Mr. K. speak for himself. These sort of remains of the most antient Saxon times, are to be met with in more churches than is generally supposed;-and they are very often mistaken, as to their date:-because, in other places, as well as in a part of the Church of Shoreham, the original round arches which such Fillars once supported, have been pulled down, and pointed ones built in their stead; or even the very identical old round Arches have been cut into pointed Arches.

• Pl. XXXVI. represents some of these at Shoreham ;-wherein, if they were not odd instances of attempts to introduce the pointed Arch long before it came into common use, (concerning which there may perhaps be formed some suspicions,) still the odd fantastick kind of work, found in the more antient parts of the Church, is in a very remarkable manner imitated.'

In the next page, we find the description of a door-way and arches, illustrated with a plate, on which the following comment is made:

The allegorical simplicity of this design, shews the inoffensive ness of the Saxon emblematical devices; whilst the regularity of its

mouldings,