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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[October, 



an addition was made to the number of knight?, and six new stalls 

 were in consequence added, in front of which are carved represen- 

 tations of the attempt of Margaret Nicholson to assassinate George III.; 

 the procession of the King to St. Paul's on the day of thanksgiving for 

 his recovery, in 1789; the interior of the cathedral on that occasion, 

 and of Queen Charlotte's charity school. On the outside of the upper 

 seat of the stalls, a broad girth, continued round both sides of the 

 chapel, is carved, in Saxon characters, with the 20th psalm, supposed 

 to be intended as a supplication for the sovereign of the Order of the 

 Garter. 



The projecting front of the Royal closet (over the north side of the 

 altar, and above the tomb of Edward IV.), which bad always been 

 considered to be composed of carved stone, was discovered, upon 

 cleaning off various thick coats of paint and whitewash, to be of carved 

 oak, of a very early date and in a most excellent state of preservation. 

 Such is the rare character of the style of its carving, that there is but 

 one other specimen of its kind in the kingdom, and that is to be found 

 in the Cathedral at Lincoln. The wainscot carved front of Her Ma- 

 jesty's closet has been stained and varnished, and it has now a most 

 pleasing effect as it strikes the spectator upon entering the choir from 

 the west. 



The three principal lines of the heraldic bosses on the vaultings of 

 the nave and transepts have been emblazoned with the arms of former 

 Knights of the Garter, and of the most ancient and distinguished 

 families in the empire, and the entire of the bosses, pendants, and 

 knots of the vaulting in the choir have been similarly emblazoned, 

 and in the same rich and gorgeous style, under the immediate super- 

 intendence of Willement, of London, to whom the whole of this por- 

 tion of the embellishments of the chapel, the restoration of the great 

 west window, and the introduction of new windows of stained glass, 

 had been confided by the dean and canons. 



A magnificent and highly wrought brass lectern (upwards of six 

 feet high), which had lain in a dilapidated and neglected state, 

 amongst some rubbish, in a vault of the chapel for upwards of a cen- 

 tury, and which had been fortunately discovered by the Dean, has 

 undergone a perfect restoration, and now occupies its proper place in 

 nearly the centre of the choir, at the west end of the stone over the 

 vault of Jane Seymour, the Queen of Henry VIII. The top, which is 

 in the form of a double desk, constructed to bold the sacred volume 

 on one side and the Book of Common Prayer on the other, turns round 

 upon a pivot, and from this lectern the lessons will, in future, be read 

 by the minor canon at divine service in the morning and afternoon. 



Ten windows (five on either side), of stained glass, containing in 

 compartments the heraldic bearings of all the Knights of the Garter 

 from the institution of the order, have been completed bv Mr. Wille- 

 ment on the north and south sides, and at the eastern end of the choir, 

 some portions being over the banners of the Garter Knights. Four 

 other windows (two on either side at the western end) onlv remain to 

 be similarly emblazoned with the arms of future knights of the order. 



A most pleasing and picturesque effect is produced throughout the 

 choir by the introduction of these stained glass windows, which give, 

 a rich, yet soft and subdued tone, to the whole of the interior, in per- 

 fect harmony with the religious character of the sacred edifice. 



The stained glass of the great west window, which may now be 

 classed amongst the most splendid and magnificent in the kingdom, 

 has been carefully and skilfully restored by Mr. Willement, and an 

 entirely new and improved arrangement of the ancient and scriptural 

 figures and devices has been effected under bis superintendence. 

 Within the four chief compartments, at the upper part of the spacious 

 arch, are the badges, initials, and crowns of the following sovereigns: 

 Edward 111., Edward IV., Henry VIII., and Queen Elizabeth. In the 

 centre of the window are the arms of the patron saint of England, 

 with the initials " S. G." (Sct7ictus Georgius), and at the apex the 

 initials " I.H.S." The whole of the numerous figures contained in 

 the other compartments represent saints, prophets, and apostles; but 

 from the absence, with but very few exceptions, of either emblems or 

 inscriptions, it is difficult to distinguish others than St. Luke, the 

 physician, St. Catherine, St. Dunstan, St. Edmund, St. Edward the 

 Confessor, and St. George. 



The general appearance of the sacred edifice, viewed from any one 

 point, is now gorgeous and magnificent in the extreme. The removal 

 of the present wretched specimens of coloured glass in the east win- 

 dow over the altar, and the restoration of its fine tracery and old 

 stained glass, somewhat similar to that at the west end, are nearly all 

 that is now required to render perfect the labour which has been so 

 liberally commenced, and, thus far, so admirably brought to a close. 



THE FACADE OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Sir — You may probably be of opinion, that having alreadv called 

 attention more than once to the subjec*of the British Museum, it is 

 unnecessary to return to it so soon again, more especially as it has 

 since — and, perhaps, in consiqt.mce — been taken up by other journals. 

 But this last circumstance ought of itself to encourage you not to de- 

 sist from the good work you nave begun, since it must convince you 

 that there exists in other quarters a disposition to support the same 

 views, and, if at all possible, yet secure for us such a facade to our 

 National Museum, as shall eclipse every thing hitherto attempted in 

 the same style, in this country, and triumphantly vindicate the cha- 

 racter of Grecian architecture. 



A good deal has been said as to the beneficial and widely extended 

 influence which the example of the "Palace of Westminster" will 

 have upon architecture and art generally among us ; let it then now 

 be shown : let us have a decisive proof of such in our ne,xt greatest 

 national edifice — one where all refinement of art will naturally be 

 looked for, and where even lavish embellishment will be no more than 

 properly characteristic of the purposes to which the building itself is 

 devoted. The one at Westminster is hailed as a very great stride 

 forward in architecture, and as leading to a very much better system 

 of management than has been hitherto observed iu regard to our 

 public edifices; are we then now, to step back all at once to our old 

 courses, and to relapse into the apathy we have but just shaken off? 

 Shall we lay the blame, in this instance, on the Trustees of the Mu- 

 seum for their supineness, and their indifference as to what its facade 

 may prove as a piece of architecture, provided there is houst-room 

 enough within its walls for the various valuable collections deposited 

 in it? Do we yet know if the design has been examined or approved 

 of by them or any one else — Sir Robert Peel, of course, excepted — 

 or has been more than merely assented to as matter of form, without 

 a thought being given to the design itself? 



All that can be said at present is, that they appear to have placed 

 themselves entirely in the hands of their architect, to do exactly as he 

 may think fit, or as his ability will permit him. Yet, however they 

 may confide in him, he does not appear to have any great confidence 

 in himself, else wherefore does he maintain such suspicious reserve ? 

 It is true, he has not been caller) upon formally to produce his design, 

 before the public, neither has lie formally refused to do so; yet he 

 must be aware — now it least, if not before — that there exists an ear- 

 nest desire to be made acquainted with it in some way or other — as 

 might very easily be done by a model in relief of the facade, upon 

 rather a large scale, which might be placed for public inspection 

 in the Museum itself — either in the entrance hall, or in one of the 

 galleries. 



The very circumstance of the design having, up to the present time, 

 been kept a profound secret, is a strong reason wherefore we should 

 now be plainly informed what it really is ; and on aii occasion of such 

 high importance, it would be a piece of very false and misplaced de- 

 licacy, to refrain from demanding of Sir Robert Smirke to let us see 

 his design beforehand, and judge for ourselves if it be really worthy 

 of being carried into execution, because if not, or is incapable of 

 being rendered so, it had better be laid aside altogether, coiite qui 

 coiite, and some more satisfactory one be now prepared in lieu of it, 

 either by himself or some one else. 



The facade of the Museum might even now be made the subject of 

 competition : there may, indeed, be no precedent in this country for 

 such course of proceeding, and it might accordingly be considered a 

 strange innovation, but it would at all events be a iudicious and safe 

 one. Let a liberal premium — say five hundred guineas — be offered 

 for the best design, on the understanding that that will be the sole 

 emolument derived from it, the carrying it into execution being left 

 to the present architect, unless he should prefer to withdraw himself 

 altogether from the business. Thus, he would not suffer pecuniarily, 

 and perhaps less in reputation than he is now likely to do, if allowed 

 to proceed as hitherto, and produce what, when completed, will be 

 found to be a signal failure, and will occasion quite as much public 

 dissatisfaction as Buckingham Palace and the National Gallery. Far 

 more prudeut would it be in him to acquiesce, however reluctantly, 

 in what might be construed as a tacit acknowledgment of his incom- 

 petency, than to leave a lasting monument of such incompetency 

 behind him. 



How do we know, it may be asked, that such will prove the case, 

 when no one as yet knows any thing of the design itself? Justly or 

 unjustly very unfavourable suspicions are entertained, and since no 

 attempt is made to dispel them, by producing the design and con- 

 vincing us how idle are our fears and apprehensions, it is but natural 

 to conclude that such argument is felt to be a very dangerous one to 



