SKETCHES BY A PRACTISING ARCHITECT. 69 



That all the world shall — I will do such things — 

 What they are, yet I know not ; but they shall be 

 The wonders of the earth !'' 



He returns home — to the scene of his future practice, 

 or, at least, of his future hopes. Not so unreasonable 

 as to expect immediate employment, he is content for 

 a time to " build castles in the air;'' that is to suspend 

 his professional imaginings in the atmosphere of the 

 exhibition at the Royal Academy. It is true, his de- 

 signs for "royal palaces,'' "triumphal entrances," 

 " national mausoleums," and " senate houses," (if ad- 

 mitted into the exhibition room,) gain him but little 

 credit ; and it is, perhaps, with some degree of chagrin, 

 that he sees the great mass of the spectators pass over 

 his forty square feet of picture paper, as they would 

 over the variegated surface of a Turkey carpet : but, 

 still, people may not understand drawings ; they have 

 yet to see his designs in palpable material, shadowed 

 and coloured by nature. Then shall they rightly 

 judge ; and, in this consideration, he forgives that 

 present want of sagacity, which regards as insipid the 

 architectural room, and pounces with "lynx-eyed" 

 fervour upon the cabinet of miniatures. Besides, his 

 productions are addressed to the intelligent few; 

 whose report will, in reasonable time, have a due effect 

 upon the many, and bring him honour and employ- 

 ment. With this "few" it is not his good fortune to 

 meet, though pretty constant in his attendance, hoping 

 personally to experience the sweets of unprejudiced 

 approval. Still he cannot be always there ; and it is, 

 therefore, a freak of fortune that all the good things 

 uttered of him are spoken behind his back. This, ac- 

 cording to Shakspeare, only makes them " of more 

 price." His talents are, no doubt, appreciated ; while 

 his modesty remains free from offence. This is de- 

 lightful. When professional power and philosophical 

 acumen are thus united, happy indeed is the mind in 

 which they conj ointly act ! 



My hero is now established in an office. The brass 

 plate on his door announces his vocation ; and name, 



