“Strictly speaking, the Norman is one of the Romanesque styles, which succeeded to the old Roman; but the Gothic was so completely developed from the Norman that it is impossible to draw a line of distinction between them; it is also convenient to begin with the Norman, because the earliest complete buildings that we have in this country are of the Norman period, and the designs of the Norman architects, at the end of the Eleventh Century and the beginning of the Twelfth, were on so grand a scale that many of our finest cathedrals are built on the foundations of the churches of that period, and a great part of the walls are frequently found to be really Norman in construction, although their appearance is so entirely altered that it is difficult at first to realise this; for instance, in the grand cathedral of Winchester, William of Wykeham did not rebuild it, but so entirely altered the appearance that it is now properly considered as one of the earliest examples of the English Perpendicular style, of which he was the inventor; this style is entirely confined to England; it is readily distinguished from any of the Continental styles by the _perpendicular lines_ in the tracery of the windows, and in the panelling on the walls; in all the foreign styles these lines are flowing or flame-like, and for that reason they are called Flamboyant; a few windows with tracery of that style are met with in England, but they are quite exceptions.”--(J. H. P.) The works of this period were colossal. Peterborough was begun in 1117 and finished in 1143; the nave of Norwich was built between 1122 and 1145; Canterbury was finished in 1130; and part of Rochester in the same year. In the time of William Rufus all the Saxon cathedrals were being rebuilt on a larger scale. From this reign date the crypt of Worcester; crypt, arches of the nave and part of the transepts of Gloucester; the choir and transepts of Durham; and the choir and transepts of Norwich. In the reign of Henry I. the choirs of Ely, Rochester, Norwich and Canterbury were dedicated; and among the new works begun were the nave of Durham and the choir of Peterborough. “The piers in the earlier period are either square solid masses of masonry, or recessed in the angles in the same manner as the arches, or they are plain, round massive pillars, with frequently only an impost of very simple character, but often with capitals.