1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



213 



A FEW PLAIN WORDS TO THE CAMDENISTS. 



Br Candidus. 



The two Universities sepni of late to have been bewitched, and to 

 have entered into a very extraordinary kind of flirtation with Roman- 

 ism. Wliile Oxford has been endeavouring to edify us by means of 

 Tractarianism and Puseyism, Cambridge is zealously exerting itself 

 to correct and enlighten us with its so-called Caradenism — a sort of 

 theologico-politico-architectural "movement," conducted in such a 

 manner as to betray very ominous yearnings after that strange com- 

 pound of hyper-spiritualism and materialism which is so prominent a 

 trait in the diameter of the church of Rome. And along with it, it 

 seems to have been borrowed from the same quarter, no small quan- 

 tity of priestly intolerance, and of dogmatism and Jesuitism. The 

 architectural "revival" seems to be the least part of the matter, for 

 that such very virulent zeal as is that of the Camden Society and its 

 adherents, should be excited merely by a regard for the interests of 

 art and antiquarian taste, is highly improbable. 



No doubt, it is all very proper and commendable on the part of the 

 clergy that they should pay greater attention than they have been 

 wont to do, to the buildings committed to their charge, and endeavour 

 to rescue them from the clutches of churchwardens and " beautifiers." 

 Commendable also is it that they should apply to the study of Eccle- 

 siastical Architecture and Antiquities, as one, if not absolutely indis- 

 pensable to, sufficiently becoming to their profession, — quite as clerical 

 pursuits as fishing, hunting, shooting and whist-playing. But the 

 satisfaction we might else feel at seeing the clergy of the Church of 

 England taking an intelligent interest in such matters, is greatly abated 

 when we also find them banding themselves into Societies and Asso- 

 ciations which, as it now appears, have an ulterior and covert object, 

 they claiming paramount authority not in regard to church architec- 

 ture alone, but in such manner as must greatly affect both the study 

 and practice of architecture generally. The characteristic Odium 

 Theologicum manifests itself very naturally perhaps, yet somewhat 

 indiscreetly in the bitter enmity they show towards, and the reproach- 

 ful terms tliey bestow on, every style and mode of building other than 

 Gothic: and in their utter intolerance of all views of art that do not 

 precisely accord with their own. Whatever it does not suit their 

 purpose to countenance or approve of, must be formally laid under 

 ban and interdict, and be excommunicated iis heterodox and heretical. 

 Therefore, to do the Camdenists justice, they so far act up to the 

 spirit which prevailed in the church during those very excellent and 

 "pious" times, which they now held up to us as an express pattern 

 for our imitation and edification. 



In fact, architecture is looked upon by them as being edification in 

 the figurative no less than in the primary meaning of the word. To 

 speak of it ;is an art or a science, as a matter of taste, or even as a 

 matter of feeling, influenced by associations, is according to them 

 highly reprehensible, for they regard it as something intimately 

 connected — almost in a manner identified with religious belief and 

 sentiment. Invariably are we reminded that, as an art, architec- 

 ture originated in, and was fostered by, religious worship. Yet the 

 argument endeavoured so to be established in favour of the pre-eminent 

 excellence of architecture is but a lame one, the art being but a mere 

 passive instrument ready to be employed in the service of any reli- 

 gion, and by the followers of any creed who choose to employ it. To 

 remind us of its antiquity, is only reminding us of what it has done for 

 False Religions, and what a lustre that and the sister art of Sculpture 

 shed around that Paganism of which the Cambridge exorcists are now 

 endeavouring to expel even the remembrance from us, as something 

 polluting and unclean. False religions stand in need of the aid of art 

 and all other appliances in order to render them imposing, and to 

 dazzle the eyes of the multitude. Superstitious creeds again, require 

 to be kept up by all the pomp, the ceremonies and the spectacle of 

 religion, and accordingly inculcate the grossest fl'/eroZd/r/a,— an almost 

 equal reverence for the material church and all belonging to it, as for 

 the spiritual one. Shall we say that it is just the same in regard to 

 Protestantism ?— that it cannot afford to dispense with those externals 

 which have proved so eflScacious in the cause of Romanism ?— Let the 

 men of Cambridge solve for us such question. 



Our reverence for the peculiar sanctity— so to call it— attributed 

 by some modern mystics to architecture— at least to Gothic architec- 

 ture as the expression of religious feeling, is somewhat lessened when 

 we reflect that it flourished most in the palmy times of Priestcraft 

 and Superstition, and when the Church of Rome was most profligate and 

 corrupt. We do not say that the style itself is one whit less admirable 

 on that account; but let us be content to value and admire it for what 

 it is, without striving to recommend it by cant and maudlin claptrap. 

 " The Piety of our forefathers"— the "Faith of our forefathers" are 



No. 82,— Vol. VII.— June, 1844. 



very pretty phrases, and serve very well to grace and give emphasis 

 to a period ; but to be taunted, as we sometimes are, with the re- 

 proach of having departed from the faith of our forefathers, is intoler- 

 able — at least absurd, when such accusation comes from whom it does. 

 While it is no more than natural and consistent on the part of such 

 writers as Welby Pugin to stigmatise the Reformation as an awful 

 heresy ; it becomes not a little contradictory and startling to hear those 

 who actually boast of having shaken off Romanism and all that belongs 

 to it, as a cunningly and craftily devised system of religious policy 

 rife with superstition and hypocrisy, fraud and deceit, — holding, when 

 it is convenient for them to do so, nearly the same language. Of 

 course we have renounced — Camdenists, it may be presumed, includ- 

 ed—the faith of our Popish ancestors and Roman Catholic forefathers; 

 and of course also, by some it is called an awful heresy, by others 

 orthodoxy and a return to pure Christian faith as it existed before it 

 became defiled by the carnal inventions and delusions of a tyrannical 

 priesthood. The Reformation may be matter for either great sorrow 

 or great joy; but that it should be both the one and the other at the 

 very same time, in the estimation of the very same persons, is not a 

 little strange. Having so lustily applied the shears to the garment of 

 Popery, and lopped off its train and its skirts, to regret the loss of the 

 trimmings and fringes, is childishness and idle affectation. 



After having willingly parted with so much, and even congratulating 

 ourselves upon having got rid of it, why should we now all at once 

 be so eager to recover some of the mere remnants and semblances of 

 it? It may be said, in excuse, that the forms and observances which 

 some are now exerting themselves to revive, are in themselves per- 

 fectly harmless — not to say unmeaning — and matters of indifference. 

 Perfectly so : — then why make so much stir about them ; why make 

 them the subject of so much contention, scandal, and heart-burning? 

 Why treat them as grave and serious questions, if they are only fri- 

 volous ones? — frivolous, at least, as far as religion is at' all concerned 

 with or interested in them. Appeal to our taste, if you will, openly, 

 honestly, fairly: call upon us to admire — and who is there so dull as to 

 be insensible to? — the varied beauties and excellences of Gothic 

 Architecture — so copious and consistent as a system, and so capable 

 of powerfully captivating both the eye and the imagination. Hardly 

 does it stand in need of other claims to our regard, therefore if we no 

 longer look upon the noble structures which it has bequeathed to uj, 

 with exactly the same sort of admiration and veneration as did those 

 by whom they were erected ; if we no longer appreciate that abstruse 

 architectonic mysticism which their builders sought to impress upon 

 them, and inform them with, let us be thankful that the superstition 

 which attached importance to such hidden meanings and hieroglyphic 

 conceits has passed away as well as the intelligence of them. 



In endeavouring to revive the latter, there is also some danger of 

 our backsliding into the former; or if the " intelligence of the age" is 

 such as to render all apprehension of the kind quite chimerical, it is not 

 likely to receive with much gratitude or respect, the zealous exhorta- 

 tions and instructions of the Camdenists. Such " intelligence" is any- 

 thing but favourable to the efforts of that centaur-like compound of 

 religious and antiquarian quixotism which would fain reinstate discard- 

 ed, exploded, and all but quite forgotten ordinances and usages, that 

 are unfitted for us in proportion as they were suited to the temper and 

 the belief of the times when they prevailed, — times which, as far as 

 religion is concerned, certainly well deserve to be called the " Dark 

 Ages," notwithstanding that they are apt to dazzle those who look at 

 them only through poetic and antiquarian s/)ecs, and contemplate them 

 as the palmy days of ecclesiastical splendour, and of knightly chivalry 

 and romance. 



It has been made a bitter reproach against the architects of the 

 present day that they pay no attention whatever to, — in fact are ut- 

 terly ignorant of, ancient architectural symbolism. Yet that such 

 should be the case is no more than quite simple and natural, symbolism 

 itself having gone altogether out ot fashion, and being neither thought 

 of nor understood, or if thought of at all, put into the same category 

 with judicial astrology and witchcraft. Now, however, a sort of en- 

 thusiasm in favour of it has been got up all of a sudden by certain 

 "learned clerks," who are endeavouring to impose their own hobby- 

 horsical fancies, and quaint mystical riddles and conceits upon us, and 

 to make the observance of them binding upon architects. Henceforth, 

 the latter must renounce allegiance to their arch-pagan luminary 

 Vitruvius, and must guide themselves by the light of, and become 

 spiritually enlightened by, that mystical Doctor and worthy, Durandus. 

 From him they may learn how pregnant with meaning, how luminously 

 significant, the architects of former days, working in faith and animated 

 by zeal for the honour of the Church, contrived to render every part 

 of their fabrics. To the eyes of us unenlightened people at the pre- 

 sent day, there appears to be no other meaning in the plan of a cloister 

 than its architectural one : we see indeed, that it has four sides, but 



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