T. E. Lawrence’s Undergraduate Dissertation – Page 26

general style of European fortresses, without quoting paral-lels in Syria, is hardly convincing. Obviously, in Europe, France is the country chiefly to be considered. In the Middle Ages, she produced all that was best in Gothic art. Italy flowered later, after the downfall of mediaeval culture, and in the 18th. and 13th. centuries, Germany also was barbarous in art, and had chivalry by no means equal to that of the Western kingdoms. From France and England came all mediaeval masterpieces in literature and architecture; Italy had a hybrid civilisa-tion, much more tinged than that of France with Greek and Saracen influences, and apparently her style of fortifica-tion shows distinct Byzantine feeling. By putting side by side the development in fortifica-tion of Western Europe and that of the Eastern Empire to the beginning of the 18th. century, it should be possible to distinguish the debt owed respectively to each by Syrian architects, and a comparison of the essentials in style of a large number of Syrian castles will show their contrast with the principles in fashion in Europe at the same period. To consider the question with a knowledge of only one or two is not sufficient. The buildings of the three centu-ries are equally distinct and equally important; and many