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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



of former times was taken-or, to speak more correctly, mistaken— as one 

 for imilation in modern residences, while our ancient Domestic architec- 

 ture" (Mr L. rejects the orthodox final k of the Camdenists in Uomes- 

 ti-k") a -examples of which are, or were then at least, suflTiciently nu- 

 merous and varied, both in towns and in the cnuntry,-was overlooked 

 altoeeth-r. Church windows — or something like church windows- 

 spruced up and divested of all characteristic finish and detail, entitled a 

 modern house to be called a Gothic mansion. In like manner a line ol 

 battlements, and perhaps a turret or two besides, were deemed quite f,ut- 

 ficient to constitute a very passable ' castellated style. Then again, we 

 bad Gothic cottases-perhaps the race is not yet quite "'""^'-'P"'" 

 little thinirs, whose Gotldcism lay in their having po.nted-arch apertures tor 

 windows In short, had it been intended to parody and burlesque our 

 former styles of architecture, for the purpose of bringing them into con- 

 tempt, hardly any better mode could have been devised. 



This is most true; and not the least singular part of the matter is, that 

 the most egregious parody and burlesque of all should have been perpe- 

 trated by one who not only set up for but actually was, and by some still 

 is, looked upon as an accomplished antiquary and a profound authority in 

 matters of taste ; for in both the one character and the other, most cora- 

 pletel) does Strawberry Hill damn the credit of Horace Walpole. The 

 Strawberry Hill humbug, however, is over; and, as Mr. Lamb says, 

 " We can now laugh at such things as supremely ridiculous, although the 

 laugh will not bejoined in cordially by every one,-not by those who have 

 had such flagrantly absurd taste entailed upon them by their immediate 

 predecessors, and perlwps at an enormous expense. Even yet, however, 

 he continues, " Ancient Domestic architecture is not suHicien ly under- 

 derstood. In regard to certain individual features that serve as distinctive 

 marks of buildings of that class, it may be allowed to be tolerably well 

 understood at the present day ; yet hardly is it so in iis nature as a style 

 —as one capable of expressing itself distinctly, decidedly, and without 

 any alfectalion, even on ordinary occasions. In like manner, as there may 

 be a great deal of ami at character by means of certain pretensions fea- 

 tures, yet. after all. little of it in general composition, and just as little of 

 artistic effect,— so may a very strong degree of character be kept up or 

 produced where there is apparently scarcely anything to account for it. 

 In art— and I would wish to assert such title for architecture— it is only 

 what would be called a few trifling touches that frequently contribute all 

 the difference between the masterly and the trivial. Unfortunately for 

 architecture, it has not been considered necessary to teach more than ele- 

 mentary forms, without regard to their value and elTect in combination ; in 

 other words, without regard to composition and character. It is true, the 

 really ariivdcaMies beyond the limits of the teachable, yet for that very 

 reason ought students to be impressed with the necessity for striving to 

 advance beyond mere rules— with the necessity for self thinking. 



Now, confound the book ! we go on transcribing and transcribing with- 

 out knowing where to stop ; and feel ourselves shrunk from a reviewer into 

 a mere copyist. And, as if on purpose to vex us, what is said is so much 

 to the purpose and so well expressed, that we cannot attempt to condense 

 it without injuring it. We must, therefore, skip over a very great deal^ 

 and content ourselves with producing some of the passages which have 

 most arrested our attention, or which are sufficiently intelligible in the 

 separate form of extracts. The following is one of them : — . 



" The reproduction of ancient forms cnn never be the means of continu- 

 ing (Iw art as it was practised by those whom we afl'ect to imitate by 

 merely dning exactly as they did uniler widely different circumstances. 

 The adoption of the improvements necessarily resulting from advancing 

 refinement has ever influenced architecture. The whole history of the art, 

 in our own country in particular, attests this. Almost every successive 

 century produced some markeil change — some one of those distinct modes 

 which we designate styles, though all belonging to one general style. Be 

 it especially observed, loo, that such successive changes were always gra- 

 dual and uniformly progressive : ihere was in those days no such thing as 

 the re assumption of any torraer style. Wherefore there is reason to be- 

 lieve, that had not an eniirely new direction been given to architecture in 

 the sixteenth century, the very latest (Jolhic or best Tudor might have been 

 carried on much longer, and would have acquired fresh spirit and energy. 

 We of the present day are, on the contrary, at once exceedingly strict, and 

 exceeilingly lax, — most bigotii-d in some respects, and most latituilinarian 

 iu others; for although sliockeil at the idea of presuming to treat any one 

 style with artistic freedom, our taste is so pliant that it accommodates itself 

 to nearly all styles alike, just as whim or fashion brings them by lurns into 

 vogue. For all the styles we possess we are eniirely indebted to those who 

 have gone before us, not even attempting to make any addition of our own 

 to the general stock ; whereas, by continuing the same spirit winch marked 

 the works of preceding ages, we should in a short time work out a stjie 

 accommodated to our actual requirements, and at the same time marked 

 by asthetic quality." 



Very different is this from— we need not say how much more rational and 

 how much more cheering than — that doctrine which would convert art into 

 mere mechanical routine, and which tacitly proclaims— (mark the bull!) — 

 disbelief in the ability of architecture to do more ihan copy and repeat its 

 former deeds and doings. It would seem that, though its hands may be as 



strong as ever, its intellectsareimpaired— its imagination completely gone / 

 so that it has become not only prosaic, but a twaddler and proser at once 

 boastful and desponding, and for ever and anon exclaiming "Oh! the days 

 when I was young!" Not content with its keeping to one route, pedants 

 and sticklers for precedent insist upon architecture being handcuffed and 

 manacled also. If it presumes to put forth a finger or make a single 

 movement of any kind that is not in conformity with their instructions, they 

 stand aghast at iis temerity and audacity. Yet surely there is nothing un- 

 reasonable in demanding that we should be allowed to continue any style 

 which we have taken up, by modifying and adapting it to existing occa- 

 sions and purposes. The right of such continuation-process has been 

 claimed in Germany, where its good effects have shown themselves in 

 several instances. That it has been uniformly attended with success we 

 do not say ; but for what style, we would ask,— let it be adhered to ever 

 so slavishly,— can uniform success be insured ? Some have gone astray, 

 quite astray perhaps ;— well, what then ?— are we to have no more wine 

 because some people get beastly drunk with it ?— or " are we to have no 

 more cakes and ale because Sir Robert is virtuous 1" Let it also be care- 

 fully borne in mind that the ultimate efficacy of a continuation-process is 

 not to be prejudged from its beginnings. It must have lime to operate. A 

 tree does not bear the desired fruit the very day after it has been engrafted. 

 At any rate, those who do not care to venture upon any fresh ideas them- 

 selves, ought not to discourage others by " pooh-poohing" and sneering. 

 To say the truth, their doing so betrays what they would most studiously 

 of all conceal, namely, their apprehension not of failure for others, but of 

 their success, — apprehension lest ihose who are more enterprising and pos- 

 sess more artistic stamina than themselves should get forward by leaping 

 over the fence that bounds the beaten pathway. 



It is easy enough, it will perhaps be objected, for any one to say that we 

 ought to modify those styles belonging to former periods which we novy 

 make use of; the difficulty lies in the doing it. True: and to be re- 

 proached for not doing it might seem too much like an inconsiderate if not , 

 insolent taunt on the part of a mere writer on architecture, totally unprac- 

 tised in design. Such a one speaks uuder the comfortable assurance that 

 his o«n ability will never be put to the test ; but the author of the present 

 volume has shown that he is capable of acting up to his own doctrine, and . 

 that while treating a style freely, he can be truer to the spirit of it than 

 many one who pique themselves upon copying from it literally, and can 

 produce " certificate" for each separate pait in their designs. There are 

 buildings which cut a very brave figure in descrip'ion, yet a very sorry one 

 when beheld; for we then ofttimes find that the great something in words, 

 turns out to be a nothing in reality, or at the best, something very feeble 

 and poor. Nor is it iu the treatment of style alone that Mr. Lamb shows 

 /or<f, for he is generally exceedingly happy in composition; and on the 

 subject of composition— certainly a very important one— he gives us some 

 excellent remarks in this volume, and they are all the more welcome be- 

 cause scarcely anything of the kind is to be found in books that are other-' 

 wise professedly for architectural instruction. In continuation of the gene- 

 ral remarks on composition, are others more specific, and in detail forming 

 a connected commentary on the subjects shown in the plates, and which 

 are thereby rendered studies in a double sense. In fact, the work alto- 

 gether abounds with instructive lessons, and is one that deserves to be 

 studied with attentive reflection as well as read ; and that it will be read 

 by all those who, if they can't buy, can steal or borrow it— (viz., steal by 

 borrowing, the latter being the approved fashion of book-stealing)- we 

 may venture to prophecy, unless we are altogether mistaken by attributing 

 to the architectural public far greater relish for art than they feel. Al- 

 though we cannot even pretend to prophecy as much, we would fain hope 

 that this is only the precursor of other publications from the same quarter, 

 for Mr. Lamb has opened a path for himself and entered upon a wide as 

 well as an ungleaned field. At present, he has shown us only actual instances 

 of Old English mansions and country-houses, but though they hold out 

 excellent hints, and possess character and physiognomy, we now require 

 to see some of those or else similar examples accommodated to modern 

 ideas of comfort, and to modern refinements and modes of living. At any 

 rate, he has rendered himself debtor to the public for a corresponding 

 volume on the other division of Domestic Architecture, viz., that which 

 relates to internal arrangement and design, furniture, perhaps, included,— 

 a branch of his profession to which Mr. L. has directed his attention in a 

 more than usual degree, as is attested by various contributions of his on 

 the subject, in " Loudon's Encyclopaedia of Cottage and Villa Architec 

 ture. 



