1845.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



himself when he permits his gown to be made a screen for the 

 writers of the "Ecclesiologist," is a question it does not become us to 

 handle. 



That our readers m;iy judge whether we have talien a candid view 

 of the President's unkind reflection on tlie writers to whom lie alludes 

 in his letter to the "Cambridge Chronicle," wo propose, in a future 

 number, to extract a few " he.uilies" from the authorized publications 

 of the Society, which \vc have a right to suppose have been issued 

 with his concurrence. 



COMPETITION. 



[0/ letters received bij its on this subject ice insert the following.'] 



Sir, — Complaints on the subject of competition are, I find, again 

 rife, and apparently not without reason. Tho case of the Choristers' 

 Schools, ( )xford, is not free from a very strong and ill-flavoured stain 

 of the suspicion of singular unfairness, — to be removed only by Mr. 

 Derrick's now rebutting what has been alleged against him as regiirds 

 his tiking what was a decided advantage over tin- other competitors. 

 Nor is it merely his taking it that has a strange appearance, it being 

 quite as unaccountable, if not more so, that he should have been al- 

 loKid to take it. If this last circumstance does not look like direct 

 connivance and favour, I do not know what can be so called. 



Another case — of little or no moment perhaps in itself, yet more 

 th>in a little edifying and instructive, as showing with what sort of 

 honour competitions are conducted — is that of the " Hardy Testimo- 

 nial," the design chosen for which was one by Mr. H. Dyke Ackland, 

 an amateur architect — not that his being so was particularly excep- 

 tionable — and, moreover, actually one of the committee .' This is really 

 quite staggering — so outrageously gross as to be hardly credible, ex- 

 cept it be contirmed by not being formally contradicted. 



If nothing further is to be hoped for, hoped it may be that such expo- 

 sures will do some good preventively, and also by forcing attention to 

 the subject. Yet the merely pointing out such instances will not lead 

 to present remedy. It is highly desirable that some stir should be 

 made about them, and the matter be taken up by the profession gene- 

 rally — especially those of influence in it — and not left entirely to indi- 

 viduals, who are besides immediately interested parties in the re- 

 spective cases, they being the aggiieved ones. 



As one salutary check upon what are now secret and irresponsible 

 committees, the profession should agree, and make known their de- 

 termination, not to enter into any competition unless all the names of 

 the committee were given in the programme,ZBd should further stipu» 

 late that it should be afterwards made known how they voted. At 

 present it is quite impossible to know by what sort of majority a de- 

 sign is elected, — much less on account of what particular merits, real 

 or supposed, — although the only reason for withholding reasons that 

 would justify the choice made, appears to be the utter inability to 

 assign any that would pass as such. 



I remain, Sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



T. H. T. 



RBVIE'WS. 



THE CAMBRIDGE CAMDEN SOCIETY. 

 The Church Restorers. — ^ Tale treating of ./indent and Modern Ar- 

 chitecture and Church Decoration. By F. A. Paley, M. A., Honorary 

 Secretary to the Cambridge Camden Society. London : John Van 

 Voorst. 



We promised to again consider the views advocated by the Cam- 

 bridge Camden Society, and the publication of the work before us 

 gives us the opportunity of doing so. This work, the production of 

 the Secretary of the above Society, professes to give an account of 

 the foundation of a Saxon church, its successive additions, alterations 

 and perfection, its mutilation at the Reformation, its subsequent de- 

 gradations, and tinally its restoration by a "youthful Ecclesiologist." 



We must pri'misi^ that, the work being published by the writer on 

 his own responsibility, and not in his official capacity, our remarks 

 can only in a limited sense be considered a criticism of the opinions 

 of the Camden Society. Nor do we consider ourselves entitled to the 

 same liberty in reviewing the publications of a writer who avows his 

 name, as those published by a society collectively and anonymously. 

 At the same time, tii«re will, we suppose, be no objection to our as- 



suming thus much, — that if the opinions of Mr. Paley should appear 

 to the Society, of which he styles himself secretary in his title page, 

 to tend to superstition, innovation or schism, it, as an academical and 

 for the most part clerical body, would take some means of expressing 

 their disapproval. 



That the writer imagines his doctrines of a somewdiat novel and 

 I'xciting tendency may be inferred from his commencing his preface 

 with the following passagi' — 



It is very posbiblc, and somewhat lo be feared, that the following tale, if 

 it attracts any notice at all, will excite the wrath of one party, the ridicule of 

 another, and the suspicions of a thiid. 13y all three it will probably be called 

 popish, superstitious, flippant, satirical, and a great many other hard names 

 of the like kind. 



Now it is clear that a hook must be very bad indeed to deserve all this ; 

 and an author must either have some sinister end in view, or entertain an 

 overweening opinion of its merits or usefulness, to risk the danger of such 

 abuse. — I', vii. 



The story of the book, for there is a story, opens with an account 

 of a band of Christians flying from " the murderous Danes," and build- 

 ing A Saxon church of simple construction at a place called Letherton. 

 Tilt" spot chosen fur the church is indicated by a spring bursting mira- 

 culously forth from till' ground, whereon sonic " sacreil relics" they 

 had brought with them rested. Of relics Mr. Paley seems, both here 

 and elsewhere, to have considerable admiration. In the present in- 

 stance they consisted of part of " the precious body of the holy saint 

 and martyr Winifride," of whose name, by the bye, we can find no 

 mention in the calendar of our prayer books; but then, as we have 

 said before, the compilers of the prayer book did not know half so 

 much about church matters as we do, and it was this feeling no doubt 

 which induced Mr. Paley to speak as he has done, notwithstanding 

 that the twenty-second of the articles of religion declares " the adora- 

 tion of reliques" to be " repugnant to the word of God." 



The story goes on to tell us, that many years alter the first founda- 

 tion of the church, a certain Sir Aubrey de Kynastone came into the 

 parish, and possessing a much stronger predilection for monks and 

 masses than the hard fighting gentlemen of Henry the Third's time 

 usually get credit for, rebuilt the church with far greater splendour 

 than it could originally boast of. The description of the church cer- 

 tainly displays great architectural knowledge, though rather prolix. 

 Let the masons of our own time read the following passage on the 

 construction of the church, believe (if they can), and be ashamed. 



It was surprising to observe how perfectly the masons appeared to under- 

 stand their business without either drawings or a word of instruction. You 

 might see a shapeless lun)p of stone left at the top of a column gradually 

 expand under the magic touch of the artist's chisel into the most exquisite 

 bunches of (Jowcrs, « hich seemed to start into life from out the solid mass, and 

 to curl and creep and cluster in a thousand fantastic knots and interlacing 

 excrescences. Then the doorways were amazing to behold. The highest 

 powers of a n»ver-failing genius seemed to be exerted in their design and 

 enrichment. They freely invented ; in fact, scarcely any two details were 

 actually the same : yet all were perfectly consistent in general appearance 

 and contour. — I". 29. 



Robert Grostete, bishop of Lincoln, consecrates the church, and is 

 entertained by Sir Aubrey. The following incidental description of a 

 visit paid by the bishop to the warlike knight's daughter, the Lady 

 Etheldreda, is, we think, (barring the theology) very beautiful. 



Ascending a steep staircase through a low Norman arch, and between 

 narrow walls, the Lord Kynastone knocked softly at a small door. It was 

 opened by a female servant ; and the Bishop and the Abbat found them- 

 selves unexpectedly in the presence of the Lady Ktheldreda. She was young, 

 and very fair ; but an air of placid melancholy, and perhaps ill health, or the 

 effects of protracted study, sate upon her brow. She received the guests 

 with that respectful courtesy and all'ectioiiatc regard which is felt by a de- 

 voted daughter of the Church towards its saintly ministers. As she knelt to 

 receive their united blessing, her eye was instinctively turned towards a small 

 silver crucifix which stood upon a stone bracket in the wall; and the good 

 Bishop failed not to note that the ground bafore it was worn by the knees 

 of this holy maid. She was pleased, she said, that they had condescended 

 lo visit her little oriel, which she had not hoped ever to see thus highly 

 honoured ; but it would he yet dearer to her from that day. Yet to view 

 such a bower and such an inhabitant might angels have come : as, perhaps, 

 they often did.— P. 41, -12. 



The edifice increases in size and beauty until the time of the Re- 

 formation, at which time it is owned that the church "had become 

 venial and corrupt, and careless of her charge." Of the Reformation, 

 nevertheless, Mr. Paley seems, from the following passage, to have 

 but small admiration. 



Even yet we view with iiidill'crence the sad scenes of this feaiful havoc, 

 and talk about the " glorious Ueloiniation." I'erhaps we never think that a 

 urse can have attended such worse than heathen impieties. — P. (i2. 



