and in the circles of stone set up by Moses at the foot of Mount Sinai,
and by Joshua at Gilgal. Many of these structures, perhaps from their very
rudeness, have survived the vicissitudes of time, whilst there scarce
remains a vestige of the temples erected in this island by the Romans; yet
it is from Roman edifices that we derive, and can trace by a gradual
transition, the progress of that peculiar kind of architecture called
GOTHIC, which presents in its later stages the most striking contrast that
can be imagined to its original precursor.

The Romans having conquered almost the whole of Britain in the first
century, retained possession of the southern parts for nearly four hundred
years; and during their occupancy they not only instructed the natives in
the arts of civilization, but also with their aid, as we learn from
Tacitus, began at an early period to erect temples and public edifices,
though doubtless much inferior to those at Rome, in their municipal towns
and cities. The Christian religion was also early introduced,[3-*] but for
a time its progress was slow; nor was it till the conversion of
Constantine, in the fourth century, that it was openly tolerated by the
state, and churches were publicly constructed for its worshippers; though
even before that event, as we are led to infer from the testimony of
Gildas, the most ancient of our native historians, particular structures
were appropriated for the performance of its divine mysteries: for that
historian alludes to the British Christians as reconstructing the churches
which had, in the Dioclesian persecution, been levelled to the ground. But
in the fifth century Rome, oppressed on every side by enemies, and
distracted with the vastness of her conquests, which she was no longer
able to maintain, recalled her legions from Britain; and the Romanized
Britons being left without protection, and having, during their subjection
to the Romans, lost their ancient valour and love of liberty, in a short
time fell a prey to the Northern Barbarians; in their extremity they
called over the Saxons to assist them, when the latter perceiving their
defenceless condition, turned round upon them, and made an easy conquest
of this country. In the struggle which then took place, the churches were
again destroyed, the priests were slain at the very altars,[4-*] and
though the British Church was never annihilated, Paganism for a while
became triumphant.

Towards the end of the six