The Oxford Museum. 287 



achieved the eminence of our banquets under a plain vault. 

 What need have the readers in the Bodleian of the ribbed 

 traceries which decorate its external walls? ¥et which of these 

 readers would not think that learning was insulted by their 

 removal ? And are there any of the students of Balliol devoid of 

 gratitude for the kindly munificence of the man who gave them 

 the beautiful sculptured brackets of their oriel window, when 

 three massy projecting stones would have answered the purpose 

 just as well? In these and all other regarded and pleasant por- 

 tions of our colleges, we find always wealthy and worthy completion 

 of all appointed features, which I believe is not without strong, 

 though untraced effect, on the minds of the younger scholars, 

 giving them respect for the branches of learning which these 

 buildings arc intended to honour, and increasing, in a certain de- 

 gree, that sense of the value of delicacy and accuracy which is 

 the first condition of advance in those branches of learning them- 

 selves. Your Museum, if you now bring it to hurried completion 

 will convey an impression directly the reverse of this. It will 

 have the look of a place, not where areveivd system ofinstruction 

 is established, but where an unadvised experiment is being disad- 

 vantageous^ attempted. It is yet in your power to avoid this. 

 and to make the edifice as noble in aspect as in function. What- 

 ever chance there may be of failure in interior work, rich orna- 

 mentation may be given, without any chance of failure, to just 

 that- portion of the exterior which will give pleasure to every 

 passer-by, and express the meaning of the building best to the 

 eyes of strangers. There is, I repeat, no chance of serious failure 

 in this external decoration, because your architect has at his 

 command the aid of men, such as worked with the architects of 

 past times. Not only has the art of Gothic sculpture in part 

 remained, though that of Gothic colour has been long lost, but the 

 unselfish — and T regret to say, in part self-sacrficing — zeal of two 

 first-rate sculptors, Mr. Munro and Mr. Woolner, which lias al- 

 ready given you a series of noble statues, is still at your disposal 

 to head and systematize the efforts of inferior workmen." 



The cu-operation of architect and sculptor is a great desidera- 

 tum : — 



" I believe that the elevation of all arts in England to their true 

 dignity, depends principally on our recovering that unity of pur- 

 pose in sculptors and architects, which characterized the design* 

 of all great Christian buildings. Sculpture, separated from archi- 



