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A Treatise on the Ecclesiastical Architecture of England, During the Middle Ages
A Treatise on the Ecclesiastical Architecture of England During the Middle Ages Author:John Milner General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1835 Original Publisher: J. Weale Subjects: Church architecture Architecture / General Architecture / Residential Architecture / History / General Architecture / Religious Buildings Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations... more » and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAP. IV. PROGRESS OF ARCHITECTURE. From Charlemagne to Robert the Pious -- Buildings at Aix-la- Chapelle -- State of Architecture in Italy -- Other Works of Charlemagne -- Buildings of Louis le debonnaire -- Incursions of the Normans -- Distracted State of France -- Expectation of the End of the World. The character of Charlemagne produced an aera in the arts as well as in the empire of France. Uniting to a disposition singularly active, resolute, and enterprising, a mind of superior intelligence, and filled with the loftiest views, he desired to emulate the greatest of the Caesars, not only in his camp, but in the splendour and refinement of his court: he considered the advancement of literature and the arts as essential to the glory of his reign, as the triumphs of his arms; and the power and wealth which he had acquired in war were wisely applied to the encouragement of the arts of peace. At Rome his attention had been struck, and his admiration excited, by the magnificent remains of more civilized ages; he enabled the popes Adrian I and Leo III to repair the walls and aqueducts, and assisted by large contributions the restoration of many of the churches." " If Charlemagne," says Mr. Gibbon, "had fixed in Italy the seat of the western empire, his genius would have aspired to restore, rather limn violate, the works of the Caesars; but as policy confined the French monarch to the forests of Germany; his taste could be ...« less