1843.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



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lmve thought it our duty at this lpngth to enter our protest against 

 the mischiefs likely to result from the adoption of the system he pro- 

 pounds, and to which we hope the attention of all who desire the 

 sound progress of art, and the proper education of their countrymen 

 will he directed. In parting, we beg to have it understood that our 

 ohjection does not extend to the proprr application of the svstem of 

 model drawing, hut only to its adoption as the means of teaching de- 

 sign in the first instance. We think (hat at a subsequent period, as a 

 simple means of teaching practical geometry and the elements of 

 perspeclive, that it is calculated to be highly useful ; but it is to the 

 preliminary use we objpet, as calculated to blunt the mind, instead of 

 to strengthen it, and with such feeling we call the earnest attention of 

 our readers to it. 



Now that we possess the advantage of two competent commissions 

 on national art, namely — the Commissioners of Fine Arts, and the 

 Council of the School of Design, we think it is incumbent on the 

 government to obtain their opinion, before further progress is made 

 with the new system. 



Arts, Antiquities and Chronology of Ancient Egypt. By George 

 H. Wathen, Architect. London: Longmans, 1813. 



Egypt is a theme so much wrought upon as a staple for book- 

 making, that we have little temptation to take up a new rtchauffee 

 of the same suhject. Relations of discoveiies we can read with 

 pleasure, or any masterly attempt to solve the mystery of its ancient 

 history, but Mr. Wathen's book gave little promise from its an- 

 nouncement, and bears little fruit on its perusal. An architect 

 may do much in Egypt for the information of the archeologist and 

 professional man here, and Mr. Wathen, we believe, has ability 

 enough, but instead of giving us any great account of what he saw, 

 the book is a medley formed from the labours of others. First we 

 have a miscellaneous preliminary chapter showing the common rela- 

 tionship of the priests of Memphis, the knights templars, heralds and 

 freemasons, with a considerable portion of the apocryphal MS. pur- 

 porting to be a conversation between Henry VI. and some freemasons, 

 upon which, as Mr. Wathen lias brought it in a propo* of Egypt, we 

 shall remark that it is a very extraordinary thing that curiosity should 

 have been dormant as to the proceedings of the freemasons from the 

 time of Henry VI. until the end of the 17th century, and that the 

 regal MS. should be brought to light and transmitted for the exami- 

 nation of Locke, in the time of Christopher Wren. Vtrbam sal. The 

 language of this document favours very much the suspicion of forgery, 

 and the legend is so suggestive of doubts, that it would be safest to 

 put it down to the account of some Chatterton of the 17th century, 

 who have never been wanting at any day. That Locke was at all de- 

 ceived by it is not wonderful, Chatterton and Ireland deceived better 

 antiquaries. The masonic MS. immediately precedes a long article 

 on the chronology of ancient Egypt, in which confusion is worse con- 

 founded, and although we have some glimmering that Mr. Wathen is 

 occasionally right in the new views he propounds, he shows himself 

 so illqualified for a guide, that we do not like to trust to his leading. 

 We certainly wish he had left the subject alone. The next section 

 of his book treats of the arts anil antiquities of Egypt, and contains 

 full accounts of the principal buildings and monuments, but chiefly 

 derived from other sources. We regret this, as Mr. Wathen shows a 

 power of observation, which might have been usefully employed in 

 preparing a book of his own. This section contains, in defiance of 

 order, a kind of journal of Mr. Wathen's tour in Egypt, which pre- 

 sents many points of interest, and is the only part of the book which 

 he ought to have published. If we thought it worth while to 

 exercise ourselves upon our author's antiquarian dissertations, we 

 could do so to the satisfactory disproof of many of his positions, 

 though not perhaps much to the gratification of our readers. As a 

 specimen how little light the author is qualified to shed upon Egyp- 

 tian lore, we refer to pages 50 and 170, 220 and 230 of his book. While, 

 however, we thus object to his having put into his book what he 

 could better have supplied with the results of his own observations, 

 we are bound to admit that for those who desire information on 

 Egypt in a compendious form, and particularly as relates to its archi- 

 tecture, a belter book than Mr. Wathen's can scarcely be chosen. 

 We extract from his pages the account of Karnak. 



Next to the Pyramids the most wonderful relic of Egyptian art is undoubt- 

 edly the great Hall of the temple-palace of Karnak. From the inscriptions 

 we learn that it was founded by Menepthah-Osiri I., father of the great 

 Ramses, who was on the throne about the middle of the 15th century b. c. 

 Its superficial area, 341 feet by 164, is sufficiently spacious for a large quad- 

 rangle. Majestic in ruin, what must it have been perfect ! The massive 



stone roof is supported by a phalanx of 134 giant columns, ranged in to" 

 rows. Most of these are 9 feet in diameter and nearly 43 feet high ; but 

 those of the central avenue are not less than 11 ft. G in. in diameter and 

 72ft. high; the diameter of their capitals at their widest spread is 22ft. 

 The walls, columns architraves, ceilings— every surface exposed to the eye 

 is overspread with intaglio sculptures — gods, heroes, and hieroglyphics, 

 painted in once vivid colours. It is easy to detail the dimensions of this 

 building, but no description can convey an idea of its sublime effect. What 

 massive grandeur in its vistas of enormous columns ! What scenic effects in 

 the gradations of the chiaroscuro and the gleainings of accidental lights 

 athwart the aisles ! As you move on. new combinations unfold themselves 



every moment. Wherever the eye wanders it is filled with picture rank 



behind rank, vista beyond vista. Here your eye runs along a pillared avenue 

 end rests upon a vast column at the end, torn from its basis and thrown 

 against the next — now it " is led a wanton chase " through a labyrinth of 

 columns, which from another point fall into regular succession. 



The roof is formed of ponderous blocks stretching across the aisles. The 

 three central avenues rise above the general level like the nave of a Gothic 

 cathedral, and the spaces between the upper piers are filled with close-set 

 loopholes. Besides these, the only openings for light appear to have been 

 the great doorways at the ends of the middle avenue and a few slits in the 

 roof of the remote aisles. Thus while a solemn gloom reigned through the 



interior generally — so grateful to the eye in this land of glare and glitter 



the nave was strongly lighted and brought into prominence as a master line 

 bisecting the hall ; and a fine gradation of shade, passing off thence into the 

 obscurity of the distant aisles, heightened the effect of the perspectives. 



All the resources of Egyptian architecture are here displayed in perfection; 

 — its enormous masses, its long, close files of columns, its deep seclusions, 

 and its rich pervading sculptural decoration. Burke could not have wished 

 for a happier illustration of that part of his theory which refers the sublime 

 in architecture to succession and massiveness. 



The demolition of some of these masses excites even more wonder than 

 their erection. Solid pylons of enormous bulk are broken up or riven in 

 twain. Vast built columns seem to have been dragged from their foundations 

 en masse. Architraves many tons in weight, wrenched from their place, now 

 impend over the aisles, suspended by yet heavier masses which have perhaps 

 been thus nicely poising them for ages. One might believe they were giants 

 in those days, 



" Giants of mighty bone and bold emprise ! " 

 But the Hall of Columns was but a part of this wonderful fabric. Im- 

 mense pylons, half buried quadrangles and halls, granite obelisks, and tre- 

 mendous piles of fallen masonry once formed a range of buildings upwards 

 of 1200 feet in length. The chief entrance was through the gateway of the 

 west front, 03 feet high. Besides these there were other isolated and sub- 

 ordinate buildings. The whole appear to have been separated from the din 

 of the city by an outer peiibolus of unburnt brick, inclosing an area about 

 580 yards in length. A succession of four great propyla led across this area 

 to the side of the chief structure. The outermost, as it was exposed to the 

 view of the city and first received the advancing procession, was the most 

 magnificent. Its length or base line is about 225 feet, its solid width 40 feet; 

 the central gateway is of the granite of Syene. * * 



An avenue of colossal sphinxes appears to have been continued from 

 Luqsor up to the outer precinct of Karnak. The few that now remain are 

 mutilated and half interred : but how imposing the effect of such a vista 

 extending nearly a mile and a half over the plain terminated by the great 

 fayade of Luqsor ! How exactly adapted for the pageantry of processions ! 



The illustrations, often from the drawings of the author, are of 

 much interest, aud we cannot but regret that he has not used his 

 pencil mure than his pen. 



On the Laying out, Planting, and Managing of Cemeteries, witli fifty 

 Engravings. By J. C. Loudon. London : Longmans, 1343. 



The establishment of Cemeteries throughout the country, must be 

 gratifying to all who take an interest in public decency and public 

 health, while they possess the extrinsic advantage of affording greater 

 scope to art, and contributing to the healthful exercise of the people. 

 The churchyard is an opprobrium in a civilised community, neither 

 h irmonizing with the respect due to the dead, or to the care requisite 

 for the living, and the appropriation of eligible places of interment, 

 is a great step towards a better system. Few of our large towns are 

 now without their cemetry, or city of the dead, and the metropolis has 

 the advantage of being girt with many picturesque and interesting 

 establishments of this kind. Starting from Earl's Court, the circle is 

 continued by Kensal Green, Highgate, Abney Park, the Tower Ham- 

 lets, Nunhead, and Norwood, each possessing its peculiar beauties 

 and forming an embellishment to the metropolis, of which several of 

 them enjoy views not to be equalled in the world for grandeur or in- 

 terest. What more fitting abode for the dead, than looking down on 

 the wide-spreading city in which their lives were passed; hovering, 

 as it were, over the scene in which their loved descendants move, and 



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