180 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[JuNB, 



anticipated, the subject of much learned discussion, and elaborate 

 erudition of books more or less unreadable. Without attempting to 

 drag the reader into the controversy, we may perh^ips suggest to those 

 who wish to search elsewhere for an account of it, that they will pro- 

 bably solve many of their doubts by that tiitest of maxims " the truth 

 lies between the two extremes." While every mathematician will 

 tell vou that amj curve whatever may be produced by portions of suf- 

 ficiently numerous intersecting circles, it is scarcely credible that many 

 of the curves of pointed architecture could have been so produced. 

 Mr. Billings, indeed, allows in his present work that in one of the 

 panels which he delineates the design was not totally geometric. 



The trefoil heads are all formed by hand, which circumstance considerably 

 mars the effect which this design would have had, if they had been geome- 

 trically drawn. 



Indeed, we do not see in any of his outline diagrams a method of 

 drawing trefoils, quatrefoils, &c., geometricidly, or otherwise than 

 " by hand ;" and perhaps if he examine the subject he will find that 

 the drawing of a quatrefoil by compass and rule vfould involve a 

 geometrical construction more difficult than lie might at first suppose. 

 He observes, indeed — 



We have refrained from entering into very minute details of the various 

 lines which form a key to each pattern, because the jjlate itself, in all tlie 

 minor points, furnishes at once to the eye a complete linear solution, and our 

 intended limits would have been far exceeded had we entered into lengthy 

 descriptions of those parts which the graphic exposition itself renders ob- 

 vious. 



But perhaps, had he attempted to supply the deficiency, the very 

 difficulty of the task would have modified bis opinions. 



Another great proof to ourselves that his theory is but partially 

 true, is a certain stiffness and formality which prevail in all the illus- 

 trations which he has given. This, of course, he would stoutly deny; 

 but we rest our judgment not only on our own opinion, but on that 

 of several others to whom we have submitted his drawings. The in- 

 stance which he takes is of a late era, when Art was on the point of 

 declining into " the sere and yellow leaf." At such a period a geo- 

 metric system would perhaps partially prevail, which would not be 

 looked for in the Golden Age of Architecture. Paucity of invention 

 is ever marked by efforts to substitute the tricks of system for the 

 efforts of genius. 



Injustice, however, to Mr. Billings' work, which is in every respect 

 meritorious, our readers shall have some of the reasons on which his 

 theory is based. 



The comparatively recent date of the specimens now before us, and per- 

 haps certain questionable peculiarities or anomalies discoverable in their 

 style, may be liable to objection. Their real value, however, consists in the 

 beautiful illustration of principle which they develope, and on this account 

 they are certainly deserving of the most attentive consideration. 



It is satisfactory to find that the more we examine Gothic architecture, the 

 more we are convinced that chance was in no possible way connected with 

 the linear designs of construction. The most exuberant richness of contour 

 can, by a careful analysis, be reduced to simple geometric rules ; and in the 

 investigation of the laws of description which we have here endeavoured to 

 exhibit, it has been curious to observe how extraordinary an alteration in the 

 general features of such panels as have fallen under our notice is effected by 

 a very slight deviation in tliat most simple of all curves — the arc of a circle. 



There are several distinct geometric species in the panels under notice ; 

 these are — 



1. Those composed of circles or their arcs, having all their centres upon 

 the sides of a given number of squares or their diagonals. 



2. Where the principal frame work is a series of circles of eqnal radius 

 touching each other, three of whose centres are consequently at the angular 

 points of an equilateral triangle. The continuous curve produced by the arcs 

 between the points of tangency of these circles in mutual contact is known 

 by the term " ogee." Or this curvilinear figure may be more easily explained 

 by placing two equilateral triangles on each side of a common base, and de- 

 scribing a circle from each of the four vertices, with radius equal to half the 

 side of the triangle. But this form of the ogee is not invariable, because it 

 may be, and is frequently much elongated, by substituting isosceles triangles 

 in the place of equilateral triangles, according to the following construction. 

 Bisect the equal sides of an isosceles triangle, produce the base both ways, 

 draw through the vertex a line parallel to the base, then bisect each half side 

 by perpendiculars cutting the produced base or the line parallel to the base, 

 rrom the points of intersection describe arcs of circles through the angular 

 or middle points of the sides. 



The interminable variations of which this curve is capable, are doubtless 

 that form known to artists as the " line of beauty," and which is represented 

 as such by our great painter llogartb. Its manifold combinations form the 

 staple of all flowing tracery, because it is not at all necessary that the upper 

 ami lower limbs of the curve should be segments of circles having equal 

 radius. I'rom this elementary principle have resulted all the beautiful com- 

 positions of the decorateil and flamboyant styles of Gothic architecture. 



3. The division of the panel into rectangular parallellograms. 



4. Panels having their origin in the subdivision of a given circle into a 

 number of sectors. .Some of the specimens in this subdivision are extremely 

 curious, and perhaps are without their parallel in any other examples, but 

 the architect and antiquary attach the principal value to those formed upon 

 the square and the triangle, because they not only form the most elegant ex- 

 amples, but verify a principle, since they are based upon the same analytical 

 elements as examples in various other places. P. 5. 



^ Manual of Gothic Mouldings, illiistraled by nemiy 500 examples. 

 By F. A. Paley, M.A., Hon. Sec. to the Cambridge Camden Society. 

 London : Von Voorst. 1845, Svo., pp. 72; IG plates. 



Having recently had occasion to speak in somewhat unfavourable 

 terms of a work by Mr. Paley, entitled the Church Restorers, it affords 

 us great gratification to be able in the present instance to speak of the 

 book before us in terms of all but unmingled approbation. The de- 

 sign of this book is a classification of the dill'-rent mouldings prevail- 

 ing at different periods of Christian Architecture, and the plates 

 which accompany the letter-press show the gradual changes which 

 took place in architectural taste in the transition from one period to 

 another, the abandonment of some forms of mouldings, the modifica- 

 tion of others, and the permanence of a third class unchanged from 

 the earliest Norman to the latest Perpendicular styles. 



Now it is very clear that a work having this object, will, if executed 

 with fitting diligence and perspicuity, be well-nigh invaluable both as 

 contributing to a more accurate knowledge of architecture amongst 

 amateurs, and as affording to the professional architect a book of re« 

 ference which he will soon learn to consult as frecpiently as a naviga- 

 tor the Nautical Almanac. The branch of architectural knowledge 

 which Mr. Paley has undertaken to illustrate, is one too minute and 

 detailed to excite general interest perhaps, but one hitherto so little 

 studied, that we feel convinced that any one with Mr. Paley's book in 

 his hand, would discover in the best modern buildings the greatest 

 blunders in the construction of mouldings. 



It must be confessed, though the assertion be an invidious one, that but 

 little acquaintance with mouldings is evinced in the works of most modern 

 architects. Surprising as it may appear, It is a fact that, till very lately at 

 least, scarcely one capital or base in twenty has been correctly worked : and 

 even in the present revival, it is but too common to find (he most wretched 

 and meagre imitations of aticient examples, the spirit and character of which 

 are completely lost or perverted by some culpable violation of leading prin- 

 ciples. This certainly ought not to be. It is impossible that professional 

 men should now acquire respect and celebrity, when they neglect such essen- 

 tial elements of their art. How is it that buildings of the greatest cost and 

 pretension sometimes exhibit serious anachronisms and confusion of styles 

 in the use of their mouldings .' The reason is, that the science is a deep and 

 a diflicult one, which cannot be attained without particular and extensive 

 study. Each artist has only his own exertions and observations to depend 

 upon in acquiring any knowledge of it, and it is evident that adverse circum- 

 stances may occur to prevent this in a great many cases. P. 4. 



The peculiar notions which usually characterise Mr. Paley's writ- 

 ings and those of the Cambridge Camden Society — about symbolism, 

 esoteric architecture, &c. — we are happily relieved from in the pre- 

 sent volume. There are no attempts to persuade us that the middle 

 aisle of a church represents " the pathway of meek devotion," that 

 medioeval architecture is tacitly or expressly commended to us by our 

 Faith as an integral part of religion : Classic Architecture is not called 

 Pagan Architecture, nor are we told that it is to be abhorred by all 

 good Christians because of its Pagan origin : mouldings are not alluded 

 to as the representatives of doctrines ; religious tenets are not as 

 heretofore found in bricks and mortar, nor are we directed to look for 

 "sermons in stones;" and the walls, buttresses, windows, and steeple 

 of a church are no longer looked upon as forming an architectural 

 horn-book, a gigantic primer, by which religion is to be familiarised 

 to simple minds, in much the same way that children are taught by 

 geographical puzzles, modrls of cubes and pyramids, scientific teeto- 

 tums, philosophical wooden horses, or the Royal Game of Goose 

 slightlv modified for the purpose of moral instruction. 



While perhaps it must be allowed that such foolish nonsense could 

 scarcely find its way into a work so unspcculative as Mr. Paley's, we 

 observe with pleasure that even where opportunity offered for intro- 

 ducing these childish absurdities he has not embraced it. He does 

 indeed observe in one place, when speaking of changes of the Chris- 

 tian Styles — 



Whence these forms arose, whether from a natural process of gradual de- 

 velopment, or from some esoteric principle of symbolical design ; whether 

 they originated in some real or pretended secret of freemasonry, or, lastly, in 

 mere accident or caprice, are curious questions, which, so far as the author 

 is aware, have never yet been made the subjects of much investigation. P. 1. 



