CHAPTER IX.
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE.
PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN.
Materials and Construction.
THE Gothic architects adhered, at any rate till the fifteenth century, to the use of very small stones in their masonry. In many buildings of large size it is hard to find any stone heavier than two men can lift. Bad roads and the absence of good mechanical means of hoisting and moving big blocks led to this.
The mortar, though good, is not equal to the Roman. As a rule in each period mortar joints are thick. They are finest in the fifteenth century.
The masonry of all important features of the building is always good; it is often a perfect marvel of dexterity and skill as well as of beauty.
The arts of workers in other materials, such as carpenters, joiners, smiths, and plumbers were carried to great perfection during the Gothic period.