26 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Januart, 



Mont/ili/ Meet nil/ : Is/. Dec, 1840. — William Titi;, Esq. President, in 

 the Chair. 



Mr. .\. W. llakcwill read a most interesting pajicr, being extracts from 

 the life of Mons. Pcrcier, which lie enlarged upon with some verj- ably 

 penned remarks of his own, founded on observations made while in pursuit of 

 his studies in Rome and Italy, and having reference to the classic taste dis- 

 played in the buildings of that countrj-, and also to the fitness of tlie design 

 for the puiposes intended. 



MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES IN J.\NU.\RY, 

 At Eiijht o'clock ill the Evening. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, Tuesday 12 19 



Royallnstitute of British Architects, Monday 11 25 



Architectural Society, Tuesday 12 2S 



TEMPLE CHURCH. 



(From the Times.) 



Within the present century a marked, and it may be called a clas- 

 sical taste has in general been shown whenever repairs or additions 

 Lave been required to the ;incient architectural remains, the legacies 

 of our Anglo-Sa-xon ancestors, whether ecclesiastical or civil. The 

 real or art'ected distaste for what was contemptuously called Gothic 

 architecture, w hich may be dated from the time of the second Charles, 

 continued to increase till the accession of George III. The passion 

 for the antique in the reign of the former would appear even to have 

 blinded Sir Christopher Wren to the absurdity of attempting to im- 

 prove the wild and mysterious architecture of Saracen or Celtic origin, 

 by uniting it to the classic regularity of the Greek or Roman school. 

 The failure of the attempt appears in the towers of Westminster 

 Abbey, and in the altar screens of many of the cathedrals erected from 

 his designs. It is but in the present century that the genius of Wyatt- 

 ■ville restored the royal seat of Windsor to that character of castellated 

 and palacial magnificence which the fopperies of Charles had ob- 

 scured. How many sacred edifices might be pointed cut, the "dim 

 religious light" of whose venerable walls seem as if they breathed 

 devotion, and which, in the most careless, are calculated to call the 

 mind from the thoughts of the fleeting present to the eternal future, 

 were they not desecrated by the "beautitications" which on all sides 

 they are informed have taken place, during the presidency, may be, of 

 the worshipful churchwardens Ebenezer Smith, or Timothy White, 

 the testimonials of whose patriotic parochial monstrosities are handed 

 down to posterity emblazoned in golden letters on gigantic tablets, and 

 the fruits of whose exertions appear in the loads of whitewash and 

 paint which lias destroyed the severity and altered the character of 

 the ancient structure. The time-worn banner of the founder in many 

 may still be seen drooping over the poetical encomiums passed on the 

 machinations of these utilitarian worthies, as if it "lamented the 

 weakness of these later times," 



These heresies of taste are, however, giving way before a better 

 understanding of the beautiful, as is exemplified in the repairs which 

 have lately taken place in the cathedrals of Norwich, Rochester, and 

 Peterborough, the Abbey of St. Alban's, and the borough church of St. 

 Saviour's, from which last the western part of the edifice must, how- 

 ever, be excepted. 



That affectation of puritanical simplicity in the fitting up of our 

 churches, which to many of tliem has given rather the appearance of 

 a liall devoted to the meetings of a civic council than a tem])le of 

 divnie worship, is also fast disappearing ; a better taste has arisen, 

 which is shown in devoting the labours of art and the eflbrts of genius 

 in decorating the edifice itself, making it worthy the purpose for 

 which it is designed, rather than in extolling the parentage of living 

 raonied humanity, or applying it to the luxurious accommodation of 

 those who feel more disposed to hear the Gospel of truth when they 

 find, in the house of their creator, the luxurious accommodations of 

 their ovfn. 



The church called the Temple, although considerable sums were, 

 some few yeais since, expended on it, has, on inspection, been found 

 in such a state of decay, that its actual existence, for any lengthened 

 period of time, was moro than doubtful ; in consequence of this, the 

 Societies of the Inner and Middle Temple have generously determined 

 tliat it shall be restored to its pristine state and beauty ; they have 

 justly considered themselves as guardians of one of the most ancient 

 and beautiftil ecclesiastioal monuments of our country, and one of the 

 vfery few w'llich the fatol fire of lOGG spared in the metropolis. In the 

 re])airs of t,hi» chutch, it has been determined entirely to adhere to 

 the ancient model, to do away with all the meretricious additions and 

 miscalled embellishments with which its walls have been encumbered, 

 to clear the interior of the wooden pens which have been planted in 



it, and to offer it to the antiquarian and the ])ublic, when completed, 

 as the most perfect metrojiolitan specimen of the olden time. 



The repairs of this church, when finished, will make it so perfect a 

 specimen of ecclesiastical architectural beauty and chaste magnifi- 

 cence, as can hardly be rivalled in the kingdom. Many of the cathe- 

 drals may, in portions of tlieir elevations, and in the ornamental gar- 

 niture, if it may so be called, of tlieir interiors, be as perfect: but as 

 they have, with few exceptions, been erected in different ages, their 

 architecture does not symmetrically harmonize together. There are 

 few of them in whicli the Saxon, the N'orman, tl;e Saracen, the Gothic, 

 or the Greek or Roman style is not blended in different portions of the 

 edifice, and, the eye becoming confused by diversity, the effect which 

 a symmetrical whole has on the imagination is lost. It may even be 

 a matter of doubt whether the introduction of modem monumental 

 sculptures, however great may be their merit as works of art, when 

 not in alliance with the character of the locations in which they are 

 placed, does not materially deduct from the effects of both. 



The repairs and alterations which are taking place in this church 

 consist in removing all the pews which occupied and encumbered the 

 centre of the building; they will be replaced by a series of stalls 

 carved in oak coeval with the character of the edifice, which will be 

 placed north and south in the manner of those in a cathedral, sufficient 

 space is left between them and the walls to allow a passage ; in the 

 centre will be convenient moveable benches. By this means the mag- 

 nificent grouped columns will be visible from their bases to their capi- 

 tals ; the modern screen erected in the time of Charles II., which 

 separated the western from the eastern portion of the edifice, is re- 

 moved, as is also the organ, which was placed upon and completed 

 the partition ; it will be fixed on a building which has been erected 

 on the western side of the structure, which communicates with the 

 interior of the church by two of the lateral windows. By this arrange- 

 ment a great advantage is gained, the whole extent of the church, 

 with its lofty colunms, intersecting arches, and vaulted roof, strikes 

 the eye on entering the Roman portico of the western entrance. It 

 was incontestibly proved, in removing the barbarous whitewash from 

 the vaultings, that they had originally been painted in the most splen- 

 did tints; there was not enough left to show the particular design, but 

 it has been determined that tiiey should be restored, which has been 

 done with the elegance and richness which characterired ornaments 

 of the class. The vividness of the colours and the delicacy displayed 

 on this mosaic fresco, relieved by the dark sculptured divisions of the 

 vault, has rarely been surpassed. On removing the floor to examine 

 the bases of the columns, it was found that its original level was con- 

 siderably below its late one; it is to be so replaced that they will have 

 their just proportions ; the pavement will be formed, not partly of 

 wood and marble as before, but painted tiles and tesselated pavement, 

 in the manner of those of the sanctuary of Winchester. The three 

 windows at the eastern end of the church and others at the south side, 

 will be filled with stained or painted glass in the ancient manner, 

 composed of small pieces, the figures and ornaments of which will 

 harmonize with the age of the edifice ; they are in the hands of Mr. 

 Willement, who designed the ceiling; he has preserved in them that 

 minuteness of execution, that delicacy of detail, and that brilliancy of 

 colour united with chasteness of design, which so well assimilates with 

 the architecture of a Gothic edifice. The arms of the .Society will be 

 emblazoned in it, those of the Inner Temple, which consist of a horse 

 striking the earth with his hoof, or " a Pegasus luna on a field argent," 



The monuments, excepting those of the recumbent knights in the 

 round church, have been removed, and it is proposed to erect a clois- 

 ter adjoining, and communicating with the edifice, to receive them. 

 This wiil be a great improvement: the beautiful simplicity which the 

 building in its leading lines presents, a heterogeneous series of monu- 

 ments, tablets, and inscriptions must necssarily destroy ; the space 

 between the windows is too small, and never was intended for them ; 

 besides wliioh, it will allow of these parts having a decoration of orna- 

 mental painting, similar to that of the ceiling, this being necessary to 

 give due and complete effect to the latter. Immediately under the 

 windows is a marble cornice, which, wdien restored, will seem to belt 

 round the building and justly lead the eye, by its unbroken line, to 

 give full value to its extent. All the smaller columns which are at- 

 tached to the internal ones that support the roof, and those on the 

 side walls which receive the ribs of the arches, are found, the smaller 

 to be Purbeck marble, and the larger of Caen stone; whitewash, neg- 

 lect, and age had effectually concealed their beauty ; the splendid 

 polish of the former, which rivals a mirror in brightness, will be 

 restored, and their hue of ebony will stand in effective contrast with 

 the cream-coloured hue of the latter. The caps of those in the round 

 church are beautifully carved, according to the fashion of the age in 

 which they were constructed. The outline of all is uniform, and the 

 detail of each is varied ; by this a simplicity and singleness of effect 



