transepts, the first bay only of the nave, and part of the cloister. This work is of the richest character, but still pure Early English, though with a slight mixture of Early French character, especially in the buttresses. The surface of the wall is covered with diaper-work, the triforium arcade is double, and has foliated circles of bar-tracery in the head. The points of the cusps are flowered, and the outer moulding of the arch is enriched with foliage resembling crockets (76).

Triforium Arcade, shewing the surface of wall covered with diaper ornament, arch-mouldings enriched with foliage, sub-arches foliated, coupled shafts having moulded capitals, a foliated circle in the head with ornamented cusps.

The north transept of York Minster (77) was built between

1250 and 1260, by

John the Roman, treasurer of the church, or rather probably by the chapter of which he was treasurer and paymaster, and so his name became attached to it, more especially as he afterwards became Archbishop of York. The records of the cathedral clearly prove that it was the regular practice of the chapter to keep a gang of workmen in their pay as part of the establishment; the number varied from twenty

to fifty, and the

same families were

usually continued

77. York Minster, A.D. 1250.

generation after ge- North Transept, shewing clustered pillars with stilted bases, capitals with stiff-leaf foliage, and mouldings, enriched with the tooth-ornament.

neration: to their

continued labour, always doing something every year, we are indebted for the whole of that glorious fabric. This practice was by no means peculiar to York, but appears to have been the usual custom. We are, however, indebted to Mr. Browne for first printing the documents in the case of York.

The small church of Skelton, in Yorkshire, was also built by

f See Browne's "History of York Minster," 2 vols. 4to., York, 1847. These Fabric Rolls have since been printed, and more carefully edited, by Mr. Raine, for the Surtees Society, in 8vo., Durham, 1858.

John the Roman, in 1247. It is an excellent example of a small church of this style.

The beautiful Lady-chapel of Wells Cathedral was commenced by Bishop Bitton in 1248: he died in 1264, and was buried in it. The style corresponds with that of the Angelchoir, at the east end of Lincoln, of the same period.

The chapter-house at Salisbury is of nearly the same period, and very similar style. The chapter-house of York is of rather later style, and probably of the time of Edward I.

The presbytery of Lincoln Cathedral was built between 1256 and 1282, in which latter year the relics of St. Hugh were translated to the new building, which is of the richest character, and approaches very nearly to the following style. The windows have foliated circles in the head, and actual tracery.

Having now completed an outline of the history of the principal known buildings of the Early English style, it remains only to describe its characteristic features.

There is a marked distinction in the construction of Gothic vaults in England and France from the earliest period. In England, from the earliest period, each stone is cut to fit its place, in France the stones are cut square or rather oblong, as in the walls, and only wedged out by the thickness of the mortar at the back in the joints. The English system is far more scientific, but also far more costly; the French system is infinitely more economical of labour, and consequently of expense. From this cause stone vaults are far more common in France than in England; and from this cause also fan-tracery vaulting is peculiar to England, and it begins, in principle, as early as in the cloister of Lincoln, C. A.D. 1220, where the vault is of wood, but the springings are of stone, and cut to fit the ribs of the wooden vault.

"EARLY ENGLISH BUILDINGS are readily distinguished from those of the Norman period by their comparative lightness, their long, narrow, lancet-shaped, pointed windows, their boldly projecting buttresses and pin

8 This characteristic applies only to the early part of the style, from A.D. 1190 to about A.D. 1220 or 1230, after that time circles in the head of the windows of two or more lights came in, and the circles became foliated by about A.D. 1230, and from that time to 1260 or 1270, when the Decorated style began to come into fashion.