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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Nov. 



estiog in theniselres, and have no other value than their very problematical 

 genuineness, — as is the esse with the two reliques afore-named, it being 

 just as likely as not that that identical palette was never in U'ilkie's 

 bands, or that identical coat upon Nelson's back. Again, as to Shaks- 

 peare's House, it is quite certain that no such inviolable precautions were 

 taken to preserve it for ever and a day iutact, as were taken by Soane to 

 maintain his domicile in all its pristine excellence. 



V, That our late Ureekomania should now be greatly chilled, is no 

 wonder, for our Grecianism had fairly worn itself out. It was in a manner 

 starved to death, owing to its not haviug received the slightest nourish- 

 ment from any new ideas iufused into it. Nothing more was made of it 

 than just what it was at first. Instead of attempting to treat it with free 

 artistic gusto, to mould it according to actual circumstances, and also to 

 keep up consistently, through every part of a building, the style so dic- 

 tated, we contented ourselves with little more than copying in the most 

 humdrum manner the fronts of ancient temples for classical porticoes, 

 with no other variations than Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian — tetrastyle, 

 hexastyle, and oclastyle. Nearly one and all were the merest mechanical 

 copies; and precisely the same examples were repeated over aud over 

 again, in the most wearisome manner. It seemed as if we were ambitious 

 of rendering the scanty resources of design afforded by Grecian architec- 

 ture, even when availed of to its fullest extent, still more scanty, by 

 exploding all but one or two of the most familiar examples. Nor was 

 penury of ideas and inventive taste all, there being also, for the most part, 

 great penuriousness in the general design of the buildings themselves and 

 their execution. In many instances, even the ordinary decencies of design 

 were wholly disregarded, — wherefore, in spite of their Greek columns, 

 the would-be classical structures proclaimed themselves to be arrant 

 C'ockneyism, and that of the very worst and most vulgar kind of all, 

 because accompanied by despicably paltry alTectations. Nevertheless, 

 such things were admired, — were complimented in newspapers, and ex- 

 lolled in guide-books, which exultingly called the attention of visitors to 

 what they described as "a great ornament to our town." — In a word, we 

 had, by the unhappy use we made of it, converted Greek architecture 

 into the most humdrum sort of design. Nay, it seems to have paralysed 

 our powers of design and composition altogether, so that the only alterna- 

 tive left us was to escape tiom it by plunging headlong into the Gothic and 

 Italian styles. 



\l. No one can say that I do not encore Buckingham Palace, after one 

 fashion at least ; for my pen is itching to twitch at it again — U void ! 



One vast difference, I ween. 

 Little Florence between 

 And our huge overgrown city, 



Is — to speak more in grief than In malice — 

 The first has the palace whose name is the PittI, 



We, a petty and pitiful palace. 



We groan, we grin by turns at it, nor groan the less when we consider 

 what our neighbours have lately made of their — not royal, but municipal 

 palace, the Hotel de Ville at Paris, whose Grand Gallery, or baoquetting- 

 room, quite eclipses our House of Peers, and all else that is contemplated 

 for the interior of the Palace of Westminster. 



VII. A Real Architectural Dictionary is a desideratum not likely to be 

 speedily supplied. By real is to be understood one which treats of things; 

 one therefore, which, instead of confining itself — if not exactly to mere defini- 

 tions, to a very brief account of the respective matters, should enter fully 

 into the subjects connected with the terms explained, aud supposing a work 

 to be executed satisfactorily, some of the articles would require to be of 

 considerable length. And to be well executed, it ought to be exclusively 

 architectural, otherwise it would exceed all convenient bounds, there being 

 a very great deal, hitlierto scarcely touched at all in any shape, that would 

 come under cognizance in such a work. In fact, as compared with its 

 mass and the number of publications belonging to it, architectural litera- 

 ture is remarkably meagre as to substance, and in regard to information to 

 be derived from it. The greater portion consists of what is very little 

 more than repetition, and that mere compilation, with scarcely so much as 

 a fresh thought or remark iufused into it. VVhat work can we find which 

 goes into the subject — and a very important and highly interesting one it 

 '3 — of architectural Composition? In fact, the term itself is altogether 

 ignored in dictionaries calling themselves architectural ones, although it 

 would aB'ord matter not merely for pages, but for entire volumes. Never- 

 theless, not so much as a single one on it has been produced. " Effect" — 

 which, by the by, belongs to and is included in Composition— is another 

 term that would form an article of some length in a dictionary of the kind 

 in question. A great number of other terms, expressive of different 



qualities and characters, but now rendered almost nnmeaning by thg 

 indiscriminate aud ignorant manner m which they are applied — often at 

 mere random — would require to be introduced, and to be most carefully 

 analyzed and explained, — explained moreover by copious instances and 

 examples ; because, without such express elucidation, criticism becomes 

 mere fumbling iu the dark, whereas in architecture it cannot possibly be 

 rendered too definite and exact. Take "Simplicity," — ask any man sup- 

 posed to be tolerably im /(ii( in architecture what he understands by it, 

 and instead of an intelligible reply you will get a vast deal of hemming 

 and ha' ing, and perhaps at last the very profound information that Sjin- 

 pllcily is — Simplicity ; and so throughout the entire list. Not least strange 

 of all is it, ihat iu dictionaries, glossaries, or whatever else they are styled, 

 of the class alluded to, no notice is taken of such exceedingly obvious 

 terms as Cinque-cento, [Renaissance, Kococo, Louis Quatorze mode, or 

 Italian style generally, with the Florentine and Venetian in particular. 

 What exemplary attention Nicholson bestowed on his Architectural Dic- 

 tionary may be conceived from the almost incredible fact of his omitting, 

 in(er uii«, the term "Spire;" one which, if properly drawn up, would 

 have brought together some account and description of all the principal 

 structures of that class. Both "Campanile" and "Belvedere Tower" 

 might also be made to furnish very interesting articles. There are besides 

 a prodigious number of similar matters and terms, which, if not exactly 

 passed over altogether, have hiiherto been dismissed with exceedingly 

 jejune notices of them. As far as it goes, Parker's Glossary is the best 

 work we have of the kind, is economical in form and admirable in some 

 of its wood-cut illustrations ; but it is so exclusively mediaeval, that it 

 would have been better had it confined itself entirely to the architecture of 

 that period, without pretending to embrace " Grecian, Roman, and Ita- 

 lian," which are treated so very begrudglngly as to be made to appear 

 comparatively quite secondary, if not actually unworthy; whereas, in a 

 work of the kind, whatever is introduced at all, ought to obtain due and 

 impartial attention. Had the last-mentioned styles been omitted by Par- 

 ker, as not coming within his plan, there would then have been an opening 

 for a similar illustrated " Glossary," exclusively devoted in turn to them. 



VENICE; AND HER ARTS. 



By Frederick Ldsh. 



O Italy, the fallen 1 once thy soul 



Of high anl noble impulses was full, 



And in its lofty might corild spurn controiU, 



Aud find a place tor all things beautiful. 



Noble and lovely in thy pride thou wert ; — 



O wherefore could'st thou bear to stoop so low? 



Better have died thy freedom to assert. 



Than tamely crouch 'neath the degrading blow ! 



But the vast Knowledge which o'er earth's wide plftiRS, 



Is sweeping like a mighty rushing wind. 



Has reach'd e'en thee, aud iu thy languid veins 



The pulse is quick'nlng— to thyself be kind, 



Call back the old high feelings to thine heart. 



And let it glow once more with Freedom, Truth, and Art ! 



Anne A. Fremont. 



A city, like Venice, so extraordinary in its position ; rising out of the 

 sea as if by enchantment ; presenting so many picturesque appearances ; 

 and unfolding in the pages of its history so much of the fairy-tale and 

 romance, cannot but be beheld with emotions the most lively and enthusi- 

 astic. In many respects, she is not unlike what we conceive from descrip- 

 tion ancient Tyre to have been, and fully deserves the eulogium that was 

 passed upon that celebrated capital : — " Thou art a merchant of the people 



for many isles thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders 



have perfected thy beauty.. .. princes were thy merchants, and occupied 

 in thy fairs ; and chief of all spices, with all precious stones and gold and 

 chests of rich apparel, were amongst thy merchandise. . . . thou wast re- 

 plenished and made very glorious iu the midst of the seas."* 



The sensations which Venice produces are the more powerfully pre- 

 served, from the fact that the spot, which has witnessed some of the most 

 interesting events that have occurred in Europe, and which displays some 

 of the most wonderful and curious creations of the ingenuity of man, 

 receives a considerable degree of its splendour and attraction from the 

 beautiful climate and glowing sun of the Adriatic, in which it was cradled. 

 Viewed when her spires, her cupolas, and palaces are suffused with the 



• Ezeklel, chap. 27. 



