Gothic Cathedral's Forest Origin

TheGothic Church plainly originated in a rudeadaptation oftheforest trees, with alltheir boughs,to a festalorsolemn arcade,as the bands about the cleft pillarsstill indicate the green withsthattied them . No onecan walk in a road cutthrough pinewoodswithoutbeing struck with the architecturalappearance of the grove,especially in winter,when thebarenessofallother treesshowsthe low arch ofthe Saxons.

In thewoods,on a winter afternoon, one will see as readily the origin of thestained glass window, with which theGothic Cathedrals are adorned,in thecolours ofthewestern skyseen through thebareandcrossing branchesoftheforest; norcan any loverof nature enterthe old piles of Oxford and the English Cathedrals, without feeling that the forest overpowered the mind of thebuilder,and thathis chisel,his saw, and plane, still re-produced its forms,its spikesof flowers,its locust,its pine,its oak, its fir, its spruce. The Gothic Cathedralisa blossoming in stone,subdued by the insatiable demand of harmony in man. Themountain of granite bloomsintoan eternal flower,with the lightness anddelicate finish aswellas theaërialproportions and perspective ofvegetable beauty.