THE CRYSTAL PALACE. 415 



are intended to preserve, than fire, war, or revolution. For 

 they are undertaken, in the plurality of instances, under an 

 impression, which the efforts of all true antiquaries have as 

 yet been unable to remove, that it is possible to reproduce 

 the mutilated sculpture of past ages in its original beauty. 



" Reproduire avec une exactitude mathematique," are the 

 words used, by one of the most intelligent writers on this 

 subject,* of the proposed regeneration of the statue of Ste. 

 Modeste, on the north porch of the Cathedral of Chartres. 



Now, it is not the question at present, whether 13th cen- 

 tury sculpture be of value, or not. Its value is assumed by 

 the authorities who have devoted sums so large to its so-called 

 restoration, and may therefore be assumed in my argument. 

 The worst state of the sculptures whose restoration is demanded 

 may be fairly represented by that of the celebrated group of 

 the Fates, among the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum. 

 With what favour would the guardians of those marbles, or 

 any other persons interested in Greek art, receive a proposal 

 from a living sculptor to lt reproduce with mathematical ex- 

 actitude " the group of the Fates, in a perfect form, and to 

 destroy the original? For with exactly such favour, those 

 who are interested in Gothic art should receive proposals to 

 reproduce the sculpture of Chartres or Rouen. . 



In like manner, the state of the architecture which it is pro- 

 posed to restore, may, at its worst, be fairly represented to the 

 British public by that of the best preserved portions of Mel- 

 rose Abbey. With what encouragement would those among 

 us who are sincerely interested in history, or in art, receive a 

 proposal to pull down Melrose Abbey, and "reproduce it 

 mathematically ? " There can be no doubt of the answer 

 which, in the instances supposed, it would be proper to re- 

 turn. " By all means, if you can, reproduce mathematically, 

 elsewhere, the group of the Fates, and the Abbey of Melrose. 

 But leave unharmed the original fragment, and the existing 

 ruin." And an answer of the same tenour ought to be given 

 to every proposal to restore a Gothic sculpture or building. 



* M. 1'Abbe Bulteau, Description de la Cathedrale de Chartres, (8v<x 

 Paris, Sagnier et Bray, 1850), p. 98, note. 



