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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND AUCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[NoVEMBKB, 



who inveutfd or introduced it; and what may with great proprietj be 

 called a iiatiuudi st)le ainajs existed. 



Greece, during her independence, invented that architecture which, even 

 at the present day, is our model. Her princes and rtiltTS esteemed it the 

 highest honour to be ranked with artists, and her buildings were looked 

 upon by all as types of her glory. 



Republican Home, although .*lie borrowed her designs from Greece, and 

 built by the hands of Grecian arliets, cherished architecture, because, 

 through it, the Eternal City might be embellished, and the diguily of its 

 citizens be enlarged; and although this did nol, perhaps, proceed from 

 pure love and >eneralion of the art, it hnd its efTects, and buildings were 

 produced that have been handed dona to us as forms worthy to be imitated 

 even to the present day. 



The architecture of England also had its rise, progress, and decay : its 

 rise during the Anglo-Normans, — its progress during the reigns of the 

 Plautagenels and Tudors, when it arrived at its greatest excellence, — and 

 its decline may date from James I., almost up to our own times. I say 

 almost, for latterly, under the fostering patronage of royalty, and men of 

 taste and genius, it has struggled into a new existence : let us hope that it 

 is the dawn of a new era for architecture and the fine arts in England. 

 That this germ may bud and grow into healthy beauty, it will require the 

 steady co-operation of all Englishmen connected in any way with archi- 

 tecture. Genuine professors of the art will gladly give their best energies 

 to the task of regeneration, and we have already examples which tell in 

 glorious language (language engraven in stone) what will be the result of 

 those energies. Nothing is wanted but men of influence and and taste to add 

 weight to the balance already inclining so decidedly in favour of purity 

 and fitness of stjle. I am an advocate iot fitness in the style of architecture 

 of every liuilding, civil, inililary, and ecclesiastic; and would those through 

 whose patronage the fine arts flourish study, equally with its professors, 

 the true meaning and intent of fitness, there would speedily be an end to 

 incongruity, and English buildings would stand proiniuenlly out as types 

 of English architecture. 



Both Grecian and Palladian architecture have taken so firm a root in 

 the soil of England, that any attempt to dismiss the styles at once would 

 be useless, and perhaps fatal to the regeneraiion of a national one. But 

 will nol a liille consideraliun show that these styles are unfiited for the 

 English climate throughout the year? The windows, few and far between, 

 obstruct the light. 1 he low pitched roofs retain the snow and rain, and 

 the projecting porticoes throw shadows where there is already too much 

 shade. An Italian villa, appropriately situate, may fitly serve as a sum- 

 mer residence ; but we must seek in another style that comfort and homeli- 

 ness so loved by all Englishmen: for this style we need not become imita- 

 tors or pilferers from a foreign nation. 



The high-pitched roof, the clustering chimney shafts, the ornamented 

 gable, the oriel window, the irregular plan, suitable as well for internal 

 convenience as for external beauty, are all characteristic of our English 

 style; and each feature has, besides, fitness to our climate to further 

 recommend it. I wish particularly to be understood that I now speak of 

 domestic architecture, — for that of public edifices we may still be indebted 

 to Greece or liome. Our palaces, institutions, and prisons may still be in 

 the decorated Corinthian, the chaste Palladian, or the stern and sombre 

 Doric. But let our residences, our country residences, serve to keep us 

 in mind of our former genius, while they add to our comfort and enjoy- 

 ment. 



One word more before we leave this subject, upon a point which every 

 man has power to forward. I allude to internal decoration. In this 

 branch of art, the house-painter, the paper hanger, and the joiner, are too 

 often allowed to usurp tie place of artists, and sulTered to bedaub the 

 walls with incongruous colours or tasteless woodwork. Joiners, in par- 

 ticular, have a kind of gystematised patent to work evil things; custom to 

 one set of forms and method of work, has so fixed itself upon us, that 

 the same set of moulding planes, the same kind of paneling, serves for all 

 styles of houses. The architect himself is probably somewhat to blame in 

 this, but I believe only to a small extent, for builders, nol architects, are 

 generally employed to run up the brick-and-stucro boxes called houses, — 

 and these, building either per contract, or for themselves, to save money 

 and trouble, are liltle inclined to study proprie'y in internal finish. It is 

 Dot that artists consider it beneath them to be the decorators, for italTaelle 

 painted the walls of the Vaticim, Kuben's hand embellished the ceiling of 

 Whiiehall, Sir James Thornhill decorated the walls of the chapel and hall 

 of Greenwich, and we have Owen Jones in our day. 



It cannot, therefore, be through any false notion of the architect that 

 these internal finishings are left to artisans; but whether it be or not, every 

 gentleman, every man of cullivated mind, is to blame who sulfeis his 

 house to be coloured up to suit the taste of the sign-painter, who, without 

 any feeling of art in liis composition, daubs away in any shade of any 

 pigment be may fancy to be in fashion. 



Many patrons of the arts would fire up and say indignantly, "I do not 

 suffer this outrage upon taste to be committed in my house." And I am 

 only happy to admit that there are some glorious exceptions to my rule; hut 

 that they are exceptions I »ill uphold, and say confidently that eight men 

 out of ten have houses painted, fitted, and furnished, «itli designs that have 

 issued from the shop, and n. t from the studio. Poor men in the present 

 state of things cannot, perha|is, help this; and the poor man with refined 

 feelings for art must submit, for he cannot alter. But rich men are those to 

 whom I point, and say, — " Study art, and be judges yourselves where art is 



employed ; or consult those whose whole life has been devoted to the culti- 

 vation of it,— and who «ill work for you, not for money alone, but for the 

 love of art : architects are such men," 



I shall now heg to conclude with a brief outline of the system I intend to 

 follow in my instructions. The heads of this lecture will show what points 

 I consider the most essential : I shall not confine myself to these alone, hut 

 often dwell upon studies which will naturally arise during their development. 



The students in both civil enjiineering and architecture will be divided 

 into three classes. Ihe junior classes of each will be united, because I con- 

 sider that their first studies are identical ; and the lectures will he arranged 

 thus: — The history of architecture and engineering, commencing from the 

 earliest state of man in which either science existed ; carrying it on through 

 the several epochs which have left us any marked signs from which to date, 

 up to the present time. From this subject I shall go on to the theory and 

 practice of building, explaining the principles which are to guide us ; give 

 piactical rules and data for determining dimensions; and lay down, as far as 

 possible, a firm foundation upon which the student may build up his own 

 reputation. This junior class will be confined entirely to the study of first 

 principles and detail, that each division of students when they join their 

 respective second classes, may be prepared for general principles and more 

 practical inquiries, and learn the arts as well as the sciences connected with 

 their professions. 



The subjects brought before the 2nd class of jirchitecture will be divided 

 into three sections. The first will consist of an inquiry into the principles 

 which constitute beauty in architecture, — fitness of construction, propriety 

 of form, and dimensions being brought more prominently forward than the 

 abstruser doctrines which must form the study of maturer years. The orders 

 of classic architecture, their general character and application ; intercolum- 

 niations, pediments, profiles of doors and windows, proportions of rooms, 

 and matters of this nature, will form the studies of the second section ; and 

 the third section will consist of inquiries into the practical detail of old 

 English domestic architecture. 



The studies of the senior class of Architecture will be almost entirely 

 practical. Proper data will be supplied to the students, and they will design 

 from them simple edifices in the first instance, and proceed gradually to more 

 complicated buildings; examining also into the requisites for barracks, hospi- 

 tals, prisons, and other public buildings, — the necessary working drawings, 

 specifications, and modes of measurement being particularly attended to 

 in all. 



The Ind class of Engineering will be engaged in learning the art of using 

 the pile-engine and driving piles for foundations; timber bridges and cotfei- 

 dams ; of preparing foundations under various circumstances of locality and 

 material ; of erecting bridges of timber, masonry, and cast-iron ; of drain- 

 ing ; of laying out and constructing ordinary roads and railways ; of sewer- 

 ing and draining towns, and supplying them with light and water. 



The studies of the senior class of Engineering }:fi\\ he directed to hydraulic 

 engineering — which consists of canals and their detail, docks, harbours, 

 breakwaters, sea defenses, and lighthouses. Great attention will be paid to 

 drawing and designing from given data, and the making of estimates and 

 specifications ; — lut these sulijects will not be confined to the senior, but be 

 equally attended to by the 2nd class. 



It is likewise my wish to make all the students familiar with the use of 

 tools, and that they should become practical as well as scientific workmen ; 

 that this is essential, I have the high authority of the late Mr. Telford, who 

 has said, — " Youths of respectability and competent education, who contemp- 

 late civil engineering as a profession, are seldom aware how far they ought to 

 descend in order to found the basis of future elevation. It has happened to 

 me more than once, when taking opportunities of being useful to a young 

 man of merit, that I have experienced opposition in taking him from his 

 books and drawings, and placing a mallet and chisel or a trowel in his hands, 

 till, rendered confident by the solid knowledge which only experience can 

 bestow, he was qualified to insist on the due performance of workmanship, 

 and to judge of merit as well in the lower as in the higher departments of a 

 profession in which no kind or degree of practical knowledge is superfluous. 

 For this reason, I ever congratulate myself upon the circumstances which 

 compelled me to begin by working with my own hands." 



Many, indeed I may say most, of the young men of the present lime have 

 no idea at all of working themselves ; they learn in the office, from draw, 

 ings, how work ought to be done, — perhaps I shall be even more correct 

 when I say they know how it ought to look when done; but how to do it 

 they don't know, and are thus obliged to trust much to artificers: and I have 

 known young engineers hesitate to find fault with bad work — such work as 

 common-sense would pronounce to be imperfect — because they could not 

 point out to the workmen the way in which it should be executed. 



It perhaps would be loo much to expect that every architect and engineer 

 should he absolutely skilful operatives, because, to become so, the artificer's 

 tools must be constantly in the band; whereas their time, of course, would 

 be occupied more in head than in hand labour. They must, however, as I 

 have remarked, be learned judges of work; and do man can be this unless 

 he himself knows how to work. 



Having mentioned the numerous subjects which will form studies for the 

 aspirants to professional qualification, 1 wish it to be distinctly understood 

 that we do not profess to perfect young men, either as engineers or archi- 

 tects, any more than the Woolwich cadet is perfected by the academy to 

 command when he has received his commission : he may possess the scienti- 

 fic knowledge' theoretically, but it will be readily admitted that be will lack 



