The Seven Periods of English Architecture

hurch Architecture has been recognised and adopted by all who have studied and written on the subject; that, namely, which separates Ecclesiastical Buildings into two classes, in the first or earlier of which the circular arch was exclusively employed; and in the second or later, the pointed arch alone was used. To the former of these two Classes, the term ROMANESQUE has been given, and to the latter, the term GOTHIC.

This division is so simple, and at the same time so strongly marked, that without entering into a discussion as to the value or propriety of the terms themselves, and contenting ourselves with the fact that they are already in general use, we can have little hesitation in adopting this primary division as the groundwork of our system.

At the same time, it is manifest, that, for purposes of description, it is not sufficiently minute; and that a further subdivision is necessary: it is also clear, that it excludes a large class of buildings that were erected during t