932 
surdly despised. The rage for the pic- 
turesque is a mark of the prevailing taste, 
which has obtained the full command of 
ornamental gardening, and has deeply 
influenced the architecture of this king- 
dom: the avenue, the parterre, and 
fountain, havel ong yielded to the wood, 
the lawn, and the lake; and the house, 
no longer of primary and exclusive im- 
portance, no longer a center diffusing 
art and ornament over the subordinate 
arden, is dwindled to an object in the 
a maa and made to partake of the 
picturesque character of the scenery. 
‘To this end the Gothic style is admirably 
calculated ; but the monuments of this 
taste, striking and magnificent as they 
are, offer no proper models for a modern 
house: it is this want of definite models 
that has Jed the imitators of the Gothic 
style to the numberless absurdities which 
have justly drawn contempt and ridicule 
upon modern Gothic; and it will con- 
tinue to be the stumbling-block of imita- 
tors, till they penetrate its elements of 
form, contained in its ‘principles of con- 
struction, and cease to be the copyists of 
individual monuments; then we may 
have villas and mansions in a rational 
style of Gothic architecture, but not dis- 
guised into castles and monasteries. 
The book before us, which contains 
several designs in the pretended Gothic 
style, abounds with the faults alluded to: 
“ 2 villa in the style of an abbey ;”’ “a 
villa in the castle style; “ a small 
house inthe style ofa chateau.’”’-—Away 
with these absurd desceptions, why should 
a British villa resemble a castle or an 
Abbey? We will, however, acquit Mr. 
? 
ARCHITECTURE AND THE FINE ARTS. 
Elsam, contrary to his own confession ; 
for these designs are in a fantastic style 
of his own, and innocent of any likeness 
to abbeys and castles. “ Two small 
liouses in the Gothic style; with a Saxon 
gateway in the center.’’ Can Mr. Elsam 
point out any use or advantage in this 
Saxon arch? We all know that ancient 
buildings, erected and repaired at diffe- 
rent periods, frequently exhibit a medley 
of Saxon and Gothic forms; but is this 
to be copied? as well might we tran- 
seribe their dilapidations and water stains. 
Our author is fond of displaying his 
skill in various styles, but with singular 
ill success: the “ mausoleum designed 
to the memory of the late Sir William 
Chambers, in the Grecian style of archi- 
tecture,” is both in plan and elevation, 
as unlike any thing Grecian as a Chinese 
pagoda. 
ment Mr. Elsam,on the general merit of 
his labours: many of the plans are mark- 
ed with whimsical singularity, and the 
elevations are subdivided to an excess 
inconsistent with simplicity and beauty. 
Some of the designs, however, are worthy 
of better company ; among these we par- 
ticularly remark plate 19, the plan and 
elevation of a villa to be erected in the 
county of Suffolk. 
Accustomed as we are to very hum- 
ble expectations of literary merit from 
works of this nature, we were yet rather 
surprised that any writer should disgrace 
himself with the faults of grammar and 
orthography which abound in this book. 
‘The plates are tolerably drawn, and 
well engraved in aquatifta. 
- 
- 
Art. LIL. Observations on the Theory and Practice.of Landscape Gardening 3 including some 
Remarks on Grecian and Gothic Architecture, collected from various Manuscripts in ihe 
Possession of the different Noblemen and Gentlemen, for whose Use they were originally writ- 
ten; the Whole tending to establish fixed Princiyles in the respective Arts. By HW. Rerton, 
Esq. 4to. p. 222. 
THIS very expensive, (five guineas) 
very fine,and very pompous book demands 
our particular attention: more indeed for 
its tendency and probable effects on the 
public taste, than for its intrinsic merits. 
We shall, therefore,. lay before our 
readers an analysis of its principal con- 
tents, with such extracts as will enable 
them to appreciate its true character, 
and the justice of our remarks, The 
work is inscribed tothe king, after which 
follows an advertisement, succeeded by 
a preface: after that is a list of places 
referred to as examples, and next follows 
an introduction. 
In the advertisement, the author states 
that 
«« Seven years have now clapsed since the 
nublication of my ‘ Sketches and Hints on 
feaascins Gardening,” during which, by the 
continued duties of my profession, itis rea- 
sonable to suppose much experience has been 
gained, and. many: principles ‘established. 
Yet so difficult is the application of any rules 
of art to the works of nature,’ that I do not 
presume to give this book any higher ‘title, 
than ‘* Observations tending ‘to establish 
fixed Principles in the Art of Landscaje 
Gardening.” 
In short, we cannot compli-. 
