THE ADELPHI AND OTHER ADAM HOUSES 285 



his large architectural conceptions. With the help of his 

 brothers he rebuilt a whole district of London which was called 

 after them, " the Adelphi." 1 The long terrace on an arcaded 

 basement was much admired, and it has been claimed for him 

 that he planted by the side of the Thames a worthy version 

 of the splendours of Spalato, but the building (Fig. 195) hardly 

 bears out this contention. It is Spalato much diluted. The 

 lesson to be learnt from this as from most of the architecture- of 

 that period is that no reproduction of ancient glories, whether 

 direct or modified, can be of abiding interest. Architecture to 

 be interesting must meet certain definite wants, must reflect the 

 needs of the hour and of the individual, and as these must of 

 necessity be ever changing, so must architectural expression. 

 Each work of every architect presents a fresh problem which 

 ought to be solved in its own way. 



It is in particular features, such as doorways, windows, balus- 

 trades, and panels, that Adam's gift of design shows to the best 

 advantage. A doorway in Mansfield Street (Fig. 196), with its 

 large fanlight, is characteristic of one treatment ; the projecting 

 porch from Portman Square (Fig. 197) is equally so of another. 

 The window from Sutton Court (Fig. 198) would be a prosaic 

 affair, but for the fanlight and the detail imparted to the sur- 

 rounding woodwork. It should be noticed that, in keeping 

 with his delicate mouldings, the sash-bars are thin, in complete 

 contrast to the more vigorous handling of his predecessors. 



The delicacy of his detail was more appropriate to the 

 inside of a house than to the outside, and nothing pleased him 

 better than to design the whole decoration of a room doors, 

 chimney-piece, ceiling, plaster wall panels, lockplates and door 

 handles, grate, and the whole of the furniture. Pretty, graceful, 

 and refined, but rarely virile, his work appeals to the less 

 tumultuous emotions ; indeed he made his mark not so much 

 by his architecture as by his decoration, which exhibits extra- 

 ordinary fecundity and fertility of design. 



1 A Latinised version of the Greek word for "Brothers." 



