The Billeted moulding, which has many varieties. An idea of its ordinary form may be obtained, by supposing that a cylinder "should be cut into small pieces, of equal length, and these stuck on, alternately, round the face of the arches; as in the choir of Peterborough; at St. Cross; and round the windows of the upper tier on the outside of the nave at Ely. This ornament was often used" (as also were others common to the circular style)" for a fascia, band, or fillet, round the outside of buildings." The Corbel table, " consisting of a series of small arches, without pillars, but with heads of men and animals, serving instead of corbels, or brackets, to support them; which they placed below the parapet, projecting over the upper, and sometimes the middle, tier of windows." The Hatched moulding was used both on the faces of the arches, and for a fascia on the outside. It appears "as if cut with the point of an ax, at regular distances, and so left rough." The Nebule may be described as a projection terminating by an undulating line. Examples are frequent; one, sufficiently conspicuous, is named by Mr. Bentham, as occurring "under the upper range of windows at Peterborough."*

Among the ornaments of Anglo-Norman buildings may be noticed 66 ranges of arches, which occur where there was nothing to support, and were intended to fill up void spaces, interior or exterior, and relieve a uniformity that might prove unpleasing."

These are very common on the west front, and on the inside of north and south walls; and they "sometimes intersect each other, and so produce those compartments which are believed by several writers to have given the first hint of the pointed arch." Mr. Millers, (whose descriptive terms I have adopted in this paragraph) observes that the mouldings most frequently used by the Normans were the chevron work, or zig-zag; the embattled frette; the triangular frette; the nail-head; the billet;

the

Hist. of Ely Cathedral, p. 35.

the cable; the hatched; the lozenge; the wavey; the pellet moulding; and the nebule.*

In an ingenious essay on "The Antiquity, and the different modes of, brick and stone buildings in England," by the late Mr. Essex, are presented many remarks on the Anglo-Norman methods of constructing the walls, and other parts of large buildings. An abridged statement of the principal of these observations, can scarcely fail of being acceptable.

In Norman churches, where large pillars are used, “the outer facings are generally composed of squared stones, laid in regular courses, and the middle filled with cement.+ Such were the pillars in the old cathedral of St. Paul, in London, and those of Ely, Peterborough, and many others of that age; and the outer walls of these churches are of the same sort of masonry, the middle of them being filled with cement between two faces of squared stones, or, an outside facing of squared stones, and a facing of flat rough stones within. But, where they built with pillars of smaller diameters, they used squared stones, which made a regular bond through every course. This was practised by the Romans, and called by Vitruvius Insertum." It was used, also, according to Mr. Essex, by "Saxon builders, in round and octangular pillars in the conventual church at Ely, and in other places; and it is frequently found in buildings erected soon after the Conquest; and when arch buttresses were introduced, they generally constructed them with this sort of masonry, being the strongest and most beautiful."

It is observable that in most of the Norman [and, as Mr. Essex believes, in all Saxon buildings] "the walls, pillars, and arches are composed of such small stones, that the courses seldom ex

ceed

• Observations on English church architecture, in a description of the Cathedral church of Ely, &c. by George Millers, M. A.

+ An attempt was made, some years back, to flute several of the pillars in Gloucester cathedral, when it was discovered that they were filled up, on the inside, only with loose irregular stones. Gough's additions to Camden, Vol. I. p. 271.

seed seven or eight inches, and very often we find them less, uotwithstanding they could procure larger stones, though they sek dom used them, but for bases or capitals to their pillars, or for some particular parts of their work, where they thought large stones were necessary." The Norman modes of construction are, in almost every variety, referable to a Roman origin; and, in the above instance, their builders evidently followed the standard direction of Vitruvius.

Among those several kinds of masonry "which were introduced by the Romans themselves, or by foreiguers who were brought hither to build after the Roman manner, is that called opus reticulatum, (or network.) The beauty of this work arose from the form of the stones, which were perfectly square; and from the disposition of them, which was diagonal; and the joints appearing like the meshes of a net, it thence acquired its name. But the disposition of the stones, for which it was chiefly admired, being contrary to nature and reason, soon discovered its want of strength. Therefore, the Saxon and Norman masons, knowing its defects, used it only as an ornament in their frontons, and filling of arches. Examples of which may be seen at Lincoln, Ely, Peterborough, Rochester, and other Norman buildings: but it was quite laid aside before the time of Henry the Third."

It is remarked by Mr. Essex, that the Normans frequently raised large buildings with pebbles only; and, sometimes, with pebbles intermixed with rag-stones. Of these he has noticed three sorts. "The first is that of pebbles only; the outside of the wall being laid in regular courses, with stones of nearly the same bigness; and the angles of the wall strengthened with squared stones. The next is with pebbles and rags, having the angles fortified with squared stones, about two feet high, and six or seven inches square, which were tied into the wall by flat square stones about six or seven inches thick, laid on the top of them." This appears to have been the prevailing mode of building in Cambridgeshire, in the time of William Rufus; and may be seen in the church of St. Giles, in Cambridge, and in the

tower

tower of St. Benedict's church. The third sort of masonry, composed of pebbles and rag-stones," has two or three feet of pebbles, or rags, laid regularly; and above them several courses of rag-stones, laid angularly, or in manner of herring-bone work."

A mode of building so rough and coarse, required a coat of plaister to render it pleasing to the eye.

Accordingly, we find "that those small churches, and other buildings, which were constructed in this manner, were always plaistered on the inside, and frequently on the outside, with a composition of lime and sand;" the remains of which may be traced in many Norman churches, together with such as Mr. Essex attributes to the Saxous; and, also, in some that are more modern." In churches which were built, in the eleventh century, with wall-tiles, after the Roman manner, the walls, pillars, and arches, were finished, within and without, with the same kind of plaistering, or stucco; as may be seen in the ancient parts of the abbey church of St. Alban's."*

Such leading characteristics of Anglo-Norman architecture, as are essential towards a discrimination between this mode and the fashion by which it was succeeded, are stated, it is hoped with sufficient perspicuity, in the course of the above remarks. It is unquestionable that the massy, cumbrous, and vast style of the Normans, underwent several changes, as to paucity or abundance in ornament-application of mouldings to arches-and various minute circumstances of decoration-before it was supplanted by that light and beautiful mode which met with universal adoption when once a finished example was exhibited, because it allowed unbounded excursions of taste and fancy in ages prolific of architectural genius;-then the great auxiliary of sacerdotal dignity, and even of religion itself.

The

Remarks on the Antiquity, &c. of brick and stone buildings in England, Archæol. Vol. IV.

The study of architectural antiquities is still in its infancy in this country. Much has been written upon this topic, in a general way; but, in the works of those who first laboriously and heavily pursued antiquarian knowledge, we find a lamentable neglect of such enquiries concerning the peculiarities of buildings, as might assist in displaying the temper, manners, and proficiency in the arts, of determinate remote ages.

Leland, although possessed of a fine taste, was led, by the peculiarity of the times, to bestow his principal attention on the manuscripts contained in religious houses,-treasures of curiosity which he saw falling into destruction, and some knowledge concerning which he endeavoured to preserve, as the best offering that he could present to posterity.

Camden, in his vast undertaking, had at once (as is observed by Bishop Gibson) "to remove the rubbish, lay the foundation, and raise the fabric," of a chorographical history of Britain. When we consider the comprehensive nature of his design, and the difficulties under which he laboured in forming a solid groundwork of information, we can scarcely be surprised at finding that he entirely declined dissertations on the architecture of those aucient and splendid structures which were spread around him in his travels. But this is a matter worthy of deep regret; as an august host of buildings, now almost deprived of distinguishing features by the dilapidation of "evil days," were then scarcely worn into the character of ruins.

The bulk of our early county histories are truly described by Mr. Gough, as consisting of "incorrect pedigrees, futile etymologies, verbose disquisitions, crowds of epitaphs, lists of landholders, and such farrago, thrown together without method, unanimated by reflections, and delivered in the most uncouth and horrid style;" their authors having, "trodden only in mazes overgrown with thorns, neglecting the flowery paths with which the wilderness of obscurity is diversified."*

The pursuits of that learned body to which the country natu

* British Topography, Preface, p. 21, 22.

rally