Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/480

430 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE radiant saints, apostles, and martyrs of its glowing win- dows. It was in France that Gothic not only originated, but attained its purest form, and that architects were most Gothic skillful structurally. But the new style spread outside* 111 " 6 a ^ over western Europe from Spain to Bohemia. France It is seen in the Rhine Valley in the second half of the thirteenth century in the nave of the great cathedral of Strassburg which was built in the French style, in the choir of Cologne which is a copy of Amiens, and in Metz which was now begun under the influence of the Rheims school of architects. In England Westminster Abbey, also built in the second half of the thirteenth century, is of all English cathedrals that which most closely resembles the French Gothic style. But Gothic influence is seen earlier in the century in the so-called "Early English" style. A number of peculiarities distinguishing English from French Gothic churches may be noted. English cathedrals Ear l do not have such broad naves or such lofty English vaulting, but they are often longer, partly be- architecture , . . f - . * > ** * cause the choir is extended to as great or an even greater length than the nave and sometimes has a second pair of transepts of its own, partly because supple- mentary structures such as Lady chapels and presbyteries are often added at the east end. This end of the church is usually square instead of rounded. Generally there is one main tower over the crossing rather than two at the west front. The facade is frequently a broad screen of arcades and sculpture hiding the smaller actual front of the church and not having any close structural relation to it. Indeed, such facade screens often were later ad- ditions in a totally different style from the original nave, which it was therefore advisable to cover up. In the Early English style the central wheel or rose window is not so inevitable a feature and when employed is smaller than in French churches. The English clear-story windows do not completely occupy the pointed arches formed by the vaults of the roof, and often there is a cluster of three narrow win-