1843-] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



179 



ing invective becomes a most harmless, if not inoffensive tirade : fal- 

 ling all alike, it affects no one in particular more than another, but 

 leaves all, the best and ablest as well the most imbecile and the mean- 

 est, involved in the universal disgrace. So that the latter may even 

 take consolation to themselves, by finding that their superiors are 

 brought down to their own level, and made to appear just as incom- 

 petent as themselves. 



With respect to Mr. Pugin's remarks on what has been done in ar- 

 chitecture within the last twenty years, we do not complain so much 

 of their severity and of want of patriotism, as of the indiscriminate 

 censure manifested in them. It would seem, that all is bad alike — 

 that is nothing for exception — that the Italian style is quite out of 

 place in the Travellers' and Reform clubhouses, and treated without 

 either propriety or gusto. We cannot, indeed, for a moment suppose 

 that such is really Mr. Pugin's opinion — for in that case his opinion 

 would be perfectly valueless, but what he says implies nearly as much, 

 though he has reserved to himself the power of explaining a good 

 deal of it away by saying that it is to be understood in a qualified and li- 

 mited sense. At all events, what he does say, amounts to little more than 

 the expression of uniform disapprobation : let him make what excep- 

 tions he may, he reserves those for the ear of his father confessor, who 

 is not likely to divulge them. While, however, we agree with him 

 that, notwithstanding the enormous sums they have cost, many of 

 our public buildings are decided architectural failures, we are of 

 opinion that the mischief is not so much to be attributed to the style 

 adopted for them, as to the incompetence and want of artist-like feeling 

 with which it has been treated. We are far also from believing that 

 the style, so exclusively advocated by Mr. Pugin, would have been at all 

 more appropriate or more efficacious, in the majority of the instances 

 alluded to. The merely adopting a style does not confer genius ; so far 

 from it, that were we to judge of any particular one by the use which 

 is made of it, we should be compelled to confess that the "pointed" 

 is the most barbarous a balaam style conceivable, according to a great 

 many modern samples of it. 



Not content with advocating the claims of the pointed style for 

 ecclesiastical and collegiate structures, Mr. Pugin seeks now to re- 

 commend it, exclusively of every other, for modern buildings of all 

 kinds — for street architecture, dwelling houses and shops, although 

 the specimens he gives are not at all calculated to enforce his argu- 

 ments. Had anyone else ventured to propose "Gothic" for shop 

 fronts and windows, he might have been fancied to be quizzing. 

 Nearly arrant masquerade in itself, such a system would tend to de- 

 teriorate the style most deplorably. Unless none but artists were 

 employed, it would in a short time become a mere parody of the 

 original — maimed, barbarous, and not to be beheld without "anguish 

 of soul," by those who have any feeling for the original itself. No : 

 the present negative style of our street architecture is infinitely pre- 

 ferable, inasmuch as no smell at all is better than a stink. Dull and 

 monotonous as they are, the walls and holes in them for windows 

 which form our streets, are preferable to what the author of the 

 " Apology " recommends ; there is no more to admire in them — no 

 more design or variety than in the pavement itself, but there is also 

 nothing to offend, nothing that solicits notice merely to disappoint 

 and disgust. 



There are, indeed, particular occasions where the pointed style 

 might be applied, not only with propriety and consistency, but with 

 admirable effect, although they have not been referred to by Mr. 

 Pugin; — we mean, covered markets, and covered avenues of shops. 

 For the former, an open timber roof would be perfectly in character 

 while a cloister gives us almost a direct model for a Gothic "arcade," 

 requiring no further modification than as regards matters of detail. 

 In such cases, while the design could be kept up consistently, without 

 the slightest interference from individual fancies and caprices, there 

 would be nothing to detract from or neutralize the effect of the en- 

 semble — nothing to clash with it — nothing "over the way," altogether 

 different in physiognomy to jar and jnmble with it, in preposterous 

 discord. For houses in the country, the Gothic style is sufficiently 

 accommodating: they are generally built for the actual occupiers — at 



least for the family to whom they belong, and allow of greater study 

 being bestowed upon them, and the style being properly kept up ; but 

 widely different is the case with houses built by wholesale as mere 

 trading speculations. Supposing that indispensable detail, string- 

 courses, copings, weather mouldings, &c, added nothing to the ex- 

 pense, and that carved decoration could be had for very little, yet 

 family devices, heraldic ornaments, mottos and legends must be 

 omitted, unless they could be changed with every change of tenant, 

 since otherwise their incongruity — supposing such things to have any 

 meaning at all, might occasionally prove more ludicrous than agree- 

 able. We might further object that the lofty roof and gable shown 

 in one of the specimens for domestic or street architecture at the 

 present day, would be far from being any improvement upon the, 

 system of building rtow in vogue. Undoubtedly such things tend to 

 give character externally, but then it is after a manner almost at direct 

 variance with the normal principle laid down by Mr. Pugin himself — 

 that every building should be natural, without disguise or conceal- 

 ment, and that nothing should be introduced that does not recommend 

 itself by obvious propriety. It cannot, indeed, be said that in this 

 case there is any disguise, yet there is surely the other error of load- 

 ing a house with a steep roof — the rooms within which can evidently 

 be but mere garrets — merely because it produces a better effect. Ex- 

 perience has taught that such pitch is quite unnecessary — at least for 

 mere dwelling houses; therefore, to re-adopt it again, would be some- 

 what preposterous, since it is certainly attended with increased ex- 

 pense — and perhaps with no inconsiderable increase of danger too in 

 case of fire, unless it be intended that iron should be substituted for 

 timber, because otherwise the flames would quickly extend themselves 

 along a whole range of lofty timber-framed roofs. 



If such roofs therefore be, as Mr. Pugin will probably contend, so 

 essential to the true character of the style, that it cannot be properly 

 kept up without such feature, it then becomes a very natural question : 

 " Why seek to bring into general use again a style which is so ill- 

 accommodated to our actual wants and purposes, that it will not admit 

 of being modified according to them V We hardly know if we are 

 to assume as a matter of course that it is intended the interior cha- 

 racter should be in perfect keeping with the external elevations, and 

 not only in regard to the architecture and fabric itself, but fittings-up 

 and furniture. That is a point which Mr. Pugin passes over altoge- 

 ther, without giving us any kind of remark, instruction, or caution 

 relative to it; and yet it is one which calls for them all, it being one 

 in no small degree embarassing. It is true the Gordian knot may be 

 easily cut through, by saying: so that the fronts be of antique and 

 quaint physiognomy, no matter what the inside of the houses be ; — 

 they may be in any style, or no style at all. We cannot, however, 

 even for a moment suppose that Mr. Pugin himself would consent to 

 get over difficulties and objections in that way, since that would be 

 converting his elevations into mere "pointed masks," and sham archi- 

 tecture. No one knows better than the author of the " Apology," 

 that in order to have all in due keeping, furniture and fittings-up re- 

 quire quite as much study as the architecture itself — perhaps more, 

 at least more research first, and contrivance afterwards, there being 

 few models for our express guidance. No one is more alive to the 

 absurdities and " monstrosities," foisted upon their customers, by 

 cabinet-makers and upholsterers, under the name of "Gothic furni- 

 ture," for he has indulged in a good deal of bitter pleasantry on the 

 subject, in his "True Principles." Nevertheless, he now recommends 

 what would inevitably lead to greater extravagances and absurdities 

 of the kind ; for if they have not been avoided where expense has 

 been no consideration, where superior workmen have been employed, 

 and where more than ordinary attention— albeit not directed by intel- 

 ligence — has been bestowed, it is but reasonable to suppose that 

 abominations still more flagrant would be perpetrated, were it at- 

 tempted to render such style of furniture universal. 



Important, however, as this portion of his subject is in itself, Mr. 

 Pugin treats it so very summarily that all he says on it does not ex- 

 ceed our own comments, in lenglh. We regret this, because we 

 hoped to find and were curious to learn, how the pointed or old English 



