coming westwards beyond the crossing; (4) the strongly-
marked horizontal character of the three stories of nearly
equal height; (5) the large triforium, and triple-arched
clerestory; (6) the great sub-division of the arches into
recessed orders, each arch being strongly moulded, and (7)
the use of the hoodmould over the pier arches.

From the middle of the century, also, the pointed arch,
originally used as a constructive expedient, began to descend
into all the lower parts of the church and to be used as a
merely decorative feature. Whence it was derived is of
little importance; once used its value was incontestable in
allowing spans, however different, to be covered with arches
all rising to the same height. This property, and that of
exercising a less thrust than the semicircular arch, was of
the greatest value in the vaulting, where it first appears,
but was also useful in the varying spans of pier arches.
During the last quarter of the twelfth century, therefore, its
adoption was becoming general, and it is found mixed in
with semicircular arches, as at Buildwas (circa 1155-70) and
St. Cross, Rothwell Church, Northants, and Ripon. In
this matter, as well as in their use of the square east end,
it is probable that the Cistercians had great influence.
They, like the Cluniacs, had used it freely in Burgundy and
imported it into Yorkshire, where it is found in Fountains
(1135-1155) and Kirkstall (1152-1167) and Furness (begun
about 1165). But in the south-eastern and western districts
we did not take willingly to it, although it had been used in
the pier arches of Malmesbury just after the middle of the
century. The melancholy remnants of this once splendid
abbey are probably the best example left us of early transi-
tional work (p. 211). The nave arches are pointed in order
to fit in with the pointed transverse arches of the aisle
vault, which is a true Gothic vault with ribs of astonishingly
light section for their date. Above the nave arches comes
the round-arched triforium, and the whole is richly orna-
mented with Norman detail. Wimborne is almost similar,
but, on the other hand, at Oxford (p. 87 ) the arches are all
round, though the beautiful ornamentation and mouldings
are of much lighter character and possibly of later date. At
Peterborough (p. 194 ), also, there are no pointed arches
except in the transept. The Galilee of Durham is a singular

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