s the tower of the early Italian churches. This single tower was
doubled in the French Romanesque, often multiplied again by Gothic
builders, and in Byzantine churches, increased to seven and even nine
domes. Transepts were added, and as, one by one, the arts came to the
knowledge of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, each was pressed into
the service of the Cathedral builders. The interior became so beautiful
with carvings, windows of marvellously painted glass, rich tapestries
and frescoes, that the ritual seemed yearly more impressive and
awe-inspiring. The old, squat exterior of early days was forgotten in
new height and majesty, and the Cathedral became the dominant building
of the city.

Although the country was early christianised, and on the map of
Merovingian France nearly all the present Cathedral cities of the
Mediterranean were seats of Bishoprics, we cannot now see all the
successive steps of the church architecture of the South. The main era
of the buildings which have come down to us, is the XI-XIV centuries. Of
earlier types and stages little is known, little remains.

[Illustration: A NAVE OF THE EARLIER STYLE.--ARLES.]

In general, Gallic churches are supposed to have been basilican, with
all the poverty of the older style. Charlemagne's architects, with San
Vitale in mind, gave a slight impetus in the far-away chapel at
Aix-la-Chapelle, and Gregory of Tours tells us that Bishop Perpetuus
built a "glorious" church at Tours. But his description is meagre. After
a few mathematical details, he returns to things closer to his
heart,--the Church's atmosphere of holiness, the emblematic radiance of
the candle's light, the ecstasy of worshippers who seemed "to breathe
the air of Paradise." And Saint Gregory's is the religious, uncritical
spirit of his day, whose interest was in ecclesiastical establishment
rather than ecclesiastical architecture. Churches there were in numbers;
but they were not architectural achievements. Their building was like
the planting of the flag; they were new outposts, signs of an advance of
the Faith. With this missionary spirit in the Church, with priests still
engaged in christianising and monks in establishing themselves on their
domains, with a very general ignorance of art, with the absorbing
interest of the powerful and great in warfare, and the very great
struggle among the poor for existence, architecture before the X century
had few students or protectors. France had n