Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/209

THE CnURCII OF ST. MARY, GUILDFORD. 173 liavc been tlic general custom in most jiarts of tlic world to live in wooden houses, and to use wood almost entirely for other buildings also. In the tenth centur}^ we are told by cotemporary writers, that it was the general belief of the people that the woi'ld would come to an end at the year lOUO. This led them to erect temporary buildings only, but immediately after that year, when they believed that the w^orld was to last another thousand years, they began vigor- ously to build in stone, and that very substantially, though rudely at first. There were no masons — no skilled -work- men, the people had everything to learn from imitating the Roman buildings then remaining. At first their construction ■was very clums3% but they sometimes imitated the Ro- mans in pounding their lime, mixing it with gritty sand and using it hot, by which they had the advantage of the great expansion of crystallisation of lime as it cools ; and their walls are consecjuentl} as hard and as durable as natural rock, in many cases, but this was only by accident. They were ignorant of the principle, and many of their walls were as badly built as possible — no good mortar being used. Tiiese early buildings were for the most part swept away by the Normans. Some antiquaries overlook the fact that the first half of the eleventh century was a great building era everywhere ; and although we have more buildings of that period remaining in France than in England, there is reason been the inventor of that particular stjle quiquepermutaverefideles." — Radulphus of castle or keep which waa rapidly taken Glaber, De IiiiMvalione ecclcsiaru^n ia up and followed, because it exactly met toto orbc, in his Ifistor. 1. iii. c. 4, the wants of the Norniaus in England at (Translation.) As the third year after that period. Most of the keeps in Nor- the year 1000 was on the point of com- mand j' are of the twelfth century. The meucing, they began throughout nearly castles of the time of the Conquest were all the world, chiefly however in Italy and of earthworks and wood only. the Gauls, to renew the basilicaa of the " Igitur infra supradictum millesinium churches, although most of them were tertio jam fere imminente anno, coutigit decently enough located and little re- in universo p;cne terrarum orbe, proecipue quired such an operation ; but each tanien in Italia et in Galliis, innovari Christian nation competed with others to ecclesiarum basilicas, licet pleraeque enjoy a better place of worship. It was decenter locate, minime indiguissent. therefore as though the world were .^mulabatur tamen qua?que gens shaking itself to cast off its old age and Christi-colarum adversus alteram decen- put on a white robe of churches In- tiorefrui. Krat enini instar ac si mundus deed, almost all the religious buildings, ipse executiendo semel, rejecta vetustate, cathedrals, mona.'^teries of i<aints, .and passim caudidani ecclesiarum vestein in- smaller village chajiels, or oratories, were dueret. Tunc deuique episcopalium changed by the faithful into something sedium ecclesias pa;ne universiis, ac cietera better. qiucque diversorum 8,inctorum nionasteria On this subject see alao Milman's 8eu minora villarum oratoria, in meliora HLstory of Latin Christianity.