An essay on the history of English church architecture prior to the separation of England from the Roman obedience . ar; but we may see possibly the modeof the transition in those churches of the sixth andlater centuries, which are built with an apse andan altar at each extremity. This plan is not at alluncommon in the Rhenish provinces. It was theplan of the original church at Clermont, to whichGregory of Tours alludes ; and it was also, as weshall see, the plan of the church erected by at Canterbury. In this early position of the officiant facing thecongregation, we seem to see,
An essay on the history of English church architecture prior to the separation of England from the Roman obedience . ar; but we may see possibly the modeof the transition in those churches of the sixth andlater centuries, which are built with an apse andan altar at each extremity. This plan is not at alluncommon in the Rhenish provinces. It was theplan of the original church at Clermont, to whichGregory of Tours alludes ; and it was also, as weshall see, the plan of the church erected by at Canterbury. In this early position of the officiant facing thecongregation, we seem to see, as in the arrange-ment of the throne of the bishop and the seats ofthe presbyters, an expression of the unique dignityof the clergy, which is rather diminished by thechanges brought about during the middle celebrant in the basilican arrangement standsbefore the people, performing an act to which he iscompetent and they are not. As time went on,the position was reversed. The celebrant retainedall along his primitive position, standing upon thewestern side of the altar, and facinr east, but the plate BASILICA OF MAXENTIUS AND THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH CHURCH ARCHITECTURE. 9 position of the congregation was gradually the medieval arrangement, the people are in therear of the priest, and the change gives to the riteitself a somewhat different expression. The cele-brant no longer stands fronting the congregation,who are virtually spectators of his action : he hasbecome rather one of them—their leader, theirmouthpiece, their representative. It is not that hehas come to turn his back to the people : that isquite a false way of regarding the change. He nowfaces the same icay that they do : he has comedown from a position of i)erhaps too exalted iso-lation to one more modest and more paternal. Inthe basilican plan, the idea which seems to bebrought out most prominently is the peculiar prero-gative of the christian ministry. In the mediev
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectchurcharchitecture
