133 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[April, 



Sir Jtft'i y Wyatville «us jiroud of tlie Koyal pationage which lie enjoyed ; 

 and the Sovereign was alike jiroiul i>f his favorite architect. As a conipliuient. 

 a portrait of him was jiainfeil hy Sii' Tlionias Lawrence, hy conunand of 

 George IV., and was )ilaceilin llie royal collection at Windsor Oastlc. It is con- 

 sidered to he, altogcthei', an impressive likeiu'ss : there is extraordinary (jnick- 

 ncss in Ihc eye, and the forehead is lofty, bnt wants breadth, such as irnlicales 

 superior intellect. We believe Sir Jctlry to have been in no degree indebted 

 for his success to sycophancy ; for, although " of the conrt " he was not over 

 courteous in manner. His roughness, however, enabled luni to eoncpier the 

 capi ice of his royal patron. It is related in the .llUcnwiim, that "when 

 the Kings iiriv.ate apartments were inidcr consideration, his Majesty was 

 naturally somewhat more i)eremptory than usual, especially as to their relative 

 propoi'tions, and it is well known that he did not like large rotims. AVyatt's 

 head, however, was full of a jialace ; and when the king suggested what he 

 considered a proj)er size for his dressing room, M'yatt jjrotested that such a 

 cupboard was better suited to a country curate than to his Majesty. The 

 latter, however, was peremptory ou the subject, and cnt short all remonstrance 

 with — " It shall be so." The works went on — the suite of apartments was 

 finished and furnished, when, in the exultation of the moment, his Majesty 

 good-humouredly reminded the architect of their former dift'erence, and tri- 

 umiibantly referred to the admirable adaptation of this particular chamber. 

 ' I am glad your Majesty approves of it,' said the architect, ' for it is exactly 

 twice the size your Majesty directed." 



He languished for the last five years, under a disease of the chest, which 

 has visited him with voilent attacks from time to time; and frequently en- 

 dangered his life. Still Ids mind never gave way, or was weakened by illness. 

 He possessed the same good sense, industi'v, and indefatigalile order in his 

 art during his last illness, as at any former ptriod of his career — which was 

 marked by sim|)lieity ami integrity, as was his death by perfect cheerfulness 

 and resignation. His last days were a dignified lesson to the old, as his well 

 spent life had been a model of usefulness to the young. He died on the 

 18th of FehruaiT, in his 74th year. 



The remains of Sir JcflW Wyatville were interred in St. George's Chapel, 

 Windsor, on the 2.5th ult. ; the body having arrived at the Winchester or Wy- 

 atville Tower, on the preceding evening. The Uev. Dr, Goodall, Provost of 

 Eton, an old and valued frieiul of the ileceased, reail the burial service ; and 

 tlie cotlin was deposited in a vault in the east aisle of the Chapel, just be- 

 hind the altar ; winch Sir Jetfry had prejiared some years since, for the re- 

 ceptiou of tlje remains of his daughter, who, it is stated, died in consequence 

 of a cold, taken during lier attendance at the ceremony of laying the founda- 

 tion stone of theBrunswick Tower. Among the mourners was Sir Francis 

 Chantrey, the sculptor. And thus, within the shallow of the stately pile 

 which his genius had restored from crumbling decay, sleeps the architect 

 himself; thus exemplifying the adage : " Art is long, and life is hut short." 



NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



The Oxford Sociely fur the Study of Gothic Architecture is making pro- 

 gress, its library is increasing, and the pajiers read at its meetings have been 

 valuable and interesting. It is to the clergy that we nmst look for the pre- 

 servation of old edifices, and for the observance of good taste in the erection 

 of new ones. 



Mr. Cockerell has been selected to erect the new Institute at Oxford, 

 founded hy the late Michael Angelo Taylor. 



The second of this month is the day on which the tenders are to be sent in 

 for construction of the Nelson Memorial. The shaft is to he solid, of granite 

 from the West of England, and the e.ipital of bronze. 



.Messrs. (Jrissell and I'eto have comnienced operations for raising the snper- 

 stiuctnre of the New Houses of Pai'liameut. 



The Royal Exchange affair is still in statu (pio, except that as far as report 

 goes Mr. Cockerell and Mr. Tite are engaged in making fresh plans. We 

 doubt nnich whether they will lie able to i)roduce a better design than that 

 of Mr. Donaldson, which we had another opportunity of viewing, when it was 

 exhibited at the Royal Institute of liritisb Architects. If, as Mr. Smith re- 

 jiorleil, at maximuju jirices it only exceeded the sum allolted by A'yOOO, it 

 ought to be adopted. .\s to the |ialtn objection that there were no chimneys, 

 any man with brains in his head might have seen that they eould have been 

 introduced in any ])art of the walls which surround the room, tlie thickness 

 of which was ample for flues, but the system of warming public olHces by 

 hot water or steam is so general that it eould hardly be tliought necessary to 

 provide fire-plaecs. Then again as to the statement that many walls had 

 false bearings, even if such had been the case, this might easil'i have been 

 remedied without in any w.ay interfering with the external design, which is 

 the grand feature to lie considered. As to the last objection, that tliere were 

 not suflicient sho))S, it is too contemptible to require notice. 



Another competition exhibition takes place this month, that on the 8th for 

 laying out tlie grounds of the Royal Botanic Society. We hear that man) 

 designs of merit are in preparation, and we sincerely trust that the Council 

 will allow a public day for the profession to witness an exhibition, which we 

 believe has never before taken place in the metropolis. 



On the first (anomalous day !) the Soaue Museum opens to the public ! 

 "When will this Museum and Library of Architecture he made what it ought 

 to he ? 



The Inatitute of Architects of Ireland has received the Royal patronage, and 



we sincerely trust that the institution will be worthy of a capital possessing 

 so many fine buildings. 



A new shop in (he style of the Revival is now attracting attention in Re- 

 gent-street, being the first in this fashionable style. 



Some Eliznbethan pumps a little above the common run have been erected 

 in llol))orn and its vicinity. 



The wood pavement in the Strand is on I'arkin's plan. 



Iron statues are in great vogue at Paris as accessories for architectural pur- 

 poses. 



The embankment of the Thames is at last likely to be taken \\\i bv govern- 

 \eiiimeut and city authorities. 



We feel great jileasure in announcing that a want severely felt hy artists, 

 that of a gallery of easts is at last to be remedied, not by government, but by 

 private enterprise. A similar jdaii was stopped last _\Tar in expectation of the 

 government doing something, but it was so absurd that it was fortunate it was 

 abandoned, being neither more nor less than to interfere witli private enter- 

 prise, by manufacturiug all kinds of casts. A worthy companion to the steam 

 boat |iliin ! Mr. Braham, with great public spirit, has ojiened the Model 

 Ciallcry at the Colosseum as a place for study at the trilling subscription of 

 one guinea per aninim. It is well lighted, and contains above a hundred 

 works, incluiling the Tragic Muse (12 feet high), Apollo, Towuley Venus, 

 head of .\chillcs, Moses of Michael Angelo, &c. 



There is an intention on the part of government to make a grant to the 

 Schools of l.lesign. This would he a boon to the manufacturing interests and 

 the fiue arts generally. 



A statue to Napier, the inventor of logarithms is in agitation at Edinburgh. 



.\t the Institute of Civil Engineers .Mr. Xasmyth exhibited his pneumatic 

 mirror, which is a plate of glass 3 feet in diameter, on a concave disc of iron 

 hermetically sealed. On exhausting the air the plate collapses, and on its 

 being forced iii the plate rises so as jirodnee any form of speculum. Mr. 

 Nasmyth suggests its apjilication to astromunical purposes for large reflecting 

 telescopes, or it may be used as a burning glass. 



.Mr. Wbishaw the engineer kindly exhibited to us a valuable chronometer 

 which he has used in preparing for his elabor.ite work on Railway Statistics, 

 for ascertaining the velocities of railway trains. It is ?< inches in diameter, 

 and consequently of a circumference of naar 9i inches, which is a scale of 

 one minute decimally divided into hundredths, so as to enable nice calcula- 

 tions to be made with aeeiiraey. 



In the valuable pajier of Mr. Leeds in onr |iresent number, we took the , 

 trouble to note down the length of life of 1-12 architects enumerated, and 

 found one-third between O.'i and 7.5, of which 27 between 70 and 74, and 22 

 between 75 and 8U. A pretty good juoof of the longevity of this class of 

 jirofessional men. 



We have not had the opportunity of mentioning before the completion of 

 the lighthouse on the sands at Fleetwood on Wyre. This is constructed by 

 Mr. Mitchell with his jiatent mooring screws, on a similar jirineiple to that 

 oil the Ma)>lin sands described in the Journal. It is of an hexagonal form, 

 six mooring screws supporting the base with one in the centre thus, 





 



o 

 These carry converging posts on which the platform is erected, which carries 

 the lighthouse, so that it is open below to the action of the sea. This work, 

 in an incomplete state, stood oir. the late severe gales, and does great ereilit 

 to its constructor, and to the spirit of Sir Hesketh Fleetwood. 



A BILINGUAL .STONE. 



A bilingual inscription, containing Latin, Umbrian, or Etruscan words 

 sculplureil on both sides of aTibnrtine stone, w.is found some months ago 

 near the anrient ruins called Mausideo. At (irsi it was believed to be apo- 

 crapbal : but on being broiif;lit to Rome and examined, all doubts with regard 

 to its ;iutlieiiti(il V were renmved. From the Latin uturls/'ra/er e/ci minimns, 

 whifb occur in the beginning, it was hoped that sumelhing of interest might 

 be decbiceil. The rest of the inscription can cmly give room fur conjecture, 

 the letters running from lelt to right, as is evident I'rom the expressions, 

 /.oraiv'/ c/.v/«/«(7. \\liieli in tlicinselves contribute in no way t i elucidate the 

 obscurity (jf the Epigraob, and it is well known lli.i the naiional paliography 

 Hhelber L nibn.in or Ktrusean slniuld r\\n from right to left. This stone 

 was in all probability a iorm\n:i\ Cipiiiiis. referring to the period when tlie 

 Unmans made lltriisia'a snbjee cd province, as yet, however, the true and pre- 

 cise signification is ob.sciirei first on aecimnt of its liilinguous form, and also 

 for the uncenainty of the letter X : which is known to be a T in Umbrian or 

 Etruscan. Another ambigiiily arises from ii«t knowing the true pronuncia- 

 tion ol K .'ind IXI. This however must be left to the consideration of the 

 learned, anil for whose better judgmem »i subjoin the folloHiiig ropy of the 

 epigiaph. 



The best preserved side. The most defaced. 



DRVTKL F. FRAIEU .'.".'.'.'.V.' KlVlClVi V 



ElV.S NISIS. URVTI. F 



M IN IM VS. LfXA VI f RATKR. EIVS 



KT. 8TAV1T ..MINI M VS. LOCAVIT. K. 



F,X. EICNFXL XI -.VX ATVIT QVI. 



IICNI. ICFIvNlXV ....KKNFXI.XOVXI. I. 



FOXVFii-^KCix.SIS. X ■ . . . NIXV. LOKFN. KG 



DVXIKNCIS. XIKNOS. 



