1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



that elevation. The exterior of the British Museum is the work of a 

 mere builder, without the sliglitest pretension to arcliitectural design 

 or effect. What its facade will turn out we shall see in good time. 

 The Post Office has nothing but its portico to recommend it as a work 

 of architecture ; all the rest is of very inferior character : and even 

 were the fa?ade many degrees better, the general effect in the view 

 from the north west, would always be unsatisfactory, unless the north 

 end of the building were altogether different from what it now is. 



II. There is a point in Grecian architecture, as adopted by modern 

 architects which does not seem to have been taken at all into consi- 

 deration, particularly by American architects, who though they affect 

 the Grecian temple form, in their principal structures, and lay so 

 much stress upon classical columns, &c., of imposing dimensions, do 

 not scruple to introduce windows without even altempting to keep 

 up the style in those features, for more frequently than not, they are 

 either mere apertures in the wall, or very tame and poor in design. 

 This is one of the ill consequences of servilely copying features, wholly 

 unfit for the intended purpose, without very great modifications — so 

 great, in fact, as to convert them into something quite different from 

 their original character. Where windows cannot be got rid of, at any 

 rate columns may be dispensed with ; and, as the former are, in such 

 cases, absolutely necessary, so also should they be treated as essential 

 features in the design, and be made to contribute to beauty instead of 

 marring. In general, astylar composition is far better suited for modern 

 purposes, than columnar. With reference to Gwilt's " Enoyclopsdia," 

 we may here remark that nothing whatever is said on the subject of 

 the architecture of the United States. Some little information rela- 

 tive to it may be picked up from Dunlap's work "On the arts of de- 

 sign, &c.," but it is so very meagre as to be more tantalizing than 

 instructive. 



III. It was rather a singular omission on the part of Mr. Gwilt, that 

 when dealing out his blows against architectural amateurs, critics, 

 and writers, he did not level a hit against lecturers upon architecture 

 at literary institutions, and such places, for, they also contribute to 

 increase the mischief, by giving persons a turn for amateurship, and 

 directing their attention to the subject — at least, if they address their 

 audiences to any purpose at all. if such teachers and leaders of the 

 people are also professional men, instead of being an excuse, that can 

 be only an aggravation of their offence — in th.e eyes at least of such 

 very strict and orthodox persons as Mr. Gwilt — since they ought to 

 know better than to divulge to the profane the profound arcana and 

 mysteries of their art. Rather does it behove them to warn the " igno- 

 rant public" against prying into anything of the kind — very far above 

 the reach of their faculties, and therefore to be submissively believed 

 in, with becoming stupid wonderment, and with unquestioning confi- 

 dence in the infallibility of those who are the lawful depositaries of 

 all such mystic learning. It is odd, too, that Gwilt had not a fling at 

 Loudon, it only because the latter, besides entertaining and advo- 

 cating views directly opposite to his own, initiated architectural jour- 

 nalism, and, moreover, strenuously endeavoured to expel mere pe- 

 dantry and mvsticism from criticism, and establish principles of 

 BBsthetic rationalism in their place. In fact, hardly any two writers 

 have laboured to promulgate more opposite views, and let them be 

 ever so orthodox, Gwilt's are certainly by far the less liberal and less 

 popular ones. That he goes against the stream is very evident, since 

 so far from being attended with the desired effect, his attempt to 

 throw ridicule and discredit upon, and so put a stop to non-profes- 

 sional — and as he deems it, unlicensed architectural writing and study, 

 has only served to draw down upon himself a great deal of severe 

 and not unmerited reproach. Instead of being at all intimidated by 

 his growlings, the class of writers whom he would fain suppress alto- 

 gether, seems to have gained fresh courage. Another reverend 

 "literary idler" has just appeared in the field, in addition to those 

 who had previously done so, since Mr. Gwilt first uttered his denunci- 

 ation against the whole race. Exclusively of the opinions contained 

 in it, his idea of au Encyclopaedia is an unusual one, for persons 

 naturally look, in a work of the kind, for the very latest and freshest 

 information; whereas his stops short at the very point where abun- 

 dance of new matter and fresh subjects presented themselves. Were 



I we to judge from his work, we might fancy that the history of art in 

 the present century, not only in this country, but all over Europe — in 

 fact throughout the whole civilised world, was a mere blank. Yet, if 

 excess of delicacy withheld him from venturing to comment on the 

 works of contemporary architects at home — though it did not from 

 falling foul upon contemporary writers — he might have ventured to ex- 

 press his opinions quite freely in regard to those of other countries. 

 Besides, if he was fearful of giving umbrage by it, he might have drop- 

 ped critical remark altogether, and confined himself to a mere historical 

 report, and descriptions of bui.dings, as has been done in some other 

 encyclopedias. He might too, without impropriety, have given a 



place in his "Ciitalogue " of books, to some of the best architectural 

 treatises which have appeared in publications of the kind, for instance, 

 those in Brewster's Encyclopaedia, the Britannica, and the Metropo- 

 litana, bv Telford, by Hosking, and by Narrien. 



IV. Flattering as are just now the prospects of art in this country, 

 as far as one great national work — the " Palace of Westminster," is 

 concerned : it is matter of very doubtful question, if the influence so 

 occasioned will be a permanent or an extensive one. There are two 

 other influences equally powerful and active among us, which must 

 more or less counteract, if they should not absolutely neutralize that 

 of art; namely, party spirit on the one hand, and fashion on the other. 

 Why the former, which is so entirely distinct from, should ever be al- 

 lowed to interfere in matters of art, let others explain — if they can; 

 yet so it is ; highly favourable opportunities are frittered awav, one 

 after the other, by their being converted into little better than mere 

 jobs bestowed by party favour — no matter on which side. It is no 

 doubt very natural — perhaps amiable, in public men to endeavour to 

 serve their friends, but it is frequently most fatal to the interests of 

 art — a truth proved by many very striking and notorious instances. 

 This is certainly not the way either to advance ;irt or encourage talent 

 among us — quite the contrary : therefore, if such unhappy and mis- 

 chievous system cannot henceforth be set aside altogether, matters 

 must continue to go on pretty much as they have done ; for all the 

 mere talking about art, will prove of no real service to it. In the 

 ordinary affairs of life, common sense prevents people from post- 

 poning their own obvious interests to party considerations or political 

 feeling. Provided he be a competent artiste in his profession, the most 

 ultra conservative cares not though his chef de cuisine be an out and 

 out radical ; neither does his Grace of Canterbury relish his fare at all 

 the worse because it may happen that his French cook is a Papist, 

 And why should they? Is it not strange then that persons who would 

 not risk the chance of an ill-dressed dinner, or, other domestic blun- 

 ders, by employing incompetent servants, should thrust, as they not 

 unfrequently do, very incompetent and ill-qualified ones upon the 

 public. 



V. As far as mere size goes, the Tract Society's new building in 

 Paternoster Row, fully rivals the Reform Club House, and greatly sur- 

 passes any of the ornamental facades in Lothbury and Mourgate 

 Street. There is plenty of it in regard to extent and height — more 

 especially as the situation itself is exceedingly confined ; nevertheless, 

 it does not look by any means so large a mass as it might have been 

 rendered in appearance, owing to its being not only so divided, but 

 so varied in design, that it shows like five quite distinct and separate 

 houses, viz., three of a single window (of three openings) in breadth 

 on the upper floors, and two intermediate ones of three windows in 

 breadth. In this case it is not the mere "breaks" in the elevation 

 that are objectionable, on account of their cutting it up into too many 

 petty divisions; that would have been a comparatively minor defect; 

 but here the want of unity amounts to absolute contradiction and dis- 

 ruption of the whole, if intended to pass as a single piece of design, 

 owing to the inserting, mixing up, and dovetailing together two quite 

 different designs after cutting them into slices fur the purpose, taking 

 three of the one, and two of the other. Thus, three of the compart- 

 ments on the ground or shop floor, have columns forming a small order 

 raised on pedestals ; while the intermediate ones have arches which 

 rise higher than the capitals of those columns, whereby all continuity 

 of line is completely broken, for it is not kept up in the degree it is 

 done where the imposts of arches are on the same level with capitals 

 of columns in other parts of a composition. As to the style, it must 

 for the want of an other term, be accounted It.dian ; but it is certainly of 

 a very lame and doggrel kind. If it seem harsh to say this, it is also 

 not a little hard to be compelled to do so : here was at all events a 

 very fair opportunity for producing a mure than ordinarily good spe^ 

 cimen of its peculiar kind ; something exhibiting the same careful- 

 ness in design as is manifested in one or two facades lately erected in 

 Lothbury and Moorgate Street. There is no economy in adopting a 

 poor design, good taste costing no more than barbarous ugliness — if 

 always so much. 



Charcoal most effective in the Growth of Plants. — Mr. Barnes 

 of Brecon, says, " Charcoal is the most astonishing article to make use of 

 for all purposes of cultivation, and especially for plants under artificial treat- 

 ment. I judge from many year's experience of its use. My pine soils con- 

 sists of nothing but cliarcoal and loam, without a particle of manure of any 

 sort. Everj plant under my care has some charcoal used abont it. I never 

 saw the plant that did not delight in it, and to heaths it is most especially 

 acceptable." Mr. Stewart, gardener at Stradsell Hall, has exhibited to the 

 Horticultural Society some cucumbers grown in equal parts of loam and 

 charcoal, without any manure. No stimulant could have given better fruit 

 so far as health was concerned. 



9* 



