110 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[April, 



be wholly dirlerent, and nliich would supply deficiencies which it is 

 impossible that thev can ever supply, could not prove so fatal to their 

 interest, but on the contrary, by promoting taste, and exciting a love 

 for such objects would prove a source of increased encouragement. 



If the objections to a national casting establishment are insuperable, 

 could not some other plan be devised ? The object is a great one, a 

 coraraenccment might he made by making moulds from the finest 

 works in Great Britain, and then we might proceed to foreign coun- 

 tries : casts should be sold at as low a rate as possible, provincial gal- 

 leries and schools of design should be supplied free of charge. I 

 should hope to see every workshop a museum. The more we can 

 accustom our lower orders to the contemplation of beautiful forms the 

 better, and what better or cheaper means can be devised ? I go further, 

 I think it possible to erect casts in appropriate galleries of many 

 architectural monuments, the sizes of which do not offer any insupe- 

 rable ditiiculties. The student might measure, and delineate the 

 Choracic monument of Lysicratcs, or the arch of Titus, w itliout going 

 beyond London. Casts of many Gothic shrines and monuments might 

 be pnt up in all the splendour of their full proportions, and where the 

 gigantic size of any building utterly jirecluded such an idea, still casts 

 of entire entablatures, capitals, and portions of shafts might be erected. 

 What a magnificent spectacle would such a gallery oB'er, which con- 

 tained a series of casts from early monuments down to the architec- 

 ture of the last age of original invention. 



I have alluded to the interest this subject has excited in Scotland, 

 and I may truly say in England also. Learned societies, noblemen, 

 members of Parliament, and other influential gentlemen, besides some 

 of the most talented artists now living, have approved of this idea. 

 1 trust, .Sir, '.hat the day is not far distant when we may hope to see 

 it adopted and followed out under some good working form, and I 

 hope that those who have studied the subject will favour all who are 

 interested in it with their suggestions. 



I am, .Sir, 



8, Northunherluiid Sheet, Your very obedient servant, 



Edinburgh. Charles H. Wilson. 



\3tb March, 184 L 



[If such an establishment were confined to obtaining and moulding 

 new works, it would, as our talented correspondent saj's, be most ad- 

 vantageous ; but if, as the plan was originally proposed, it were to be 

 a general public factory, we think that it would be of no good, but, on 

 the contrary, productive of harm. — Edit.] 



CANDIDUS'S REMARKh ON THE LECTURES OF THE 

 PROFESSOR OF ARCHITECTURE. 



Si;'- — Will you allow me to ofler a few remarks on tbe last Fasciculus 

 of Candidus, in wliich be makes so free with the Professor of the Royal 

 Academy. I would submit that he has misunderstood him on an import- 

 ant point in his lectures, and given him credit for a "bigotry" of which 

 he is in nowise guilty. The Professor said nothing in disparagement 

 of "Gothic Architecture," unless indeed his remarks on the beauty of 

 a series of Gothic windows, on the good elfect of Gothic spires in a 

 level i^ountry, on the excellent construction and beautiful proportion of 

 Salisbury Cathedral — on the elegant fret-work and tracery of a Gothic 

 window, &c., may be taken in that signification. All that he said 

 which could be interpreted as unfavourable to the style was, tliat be 

 considered the revival of Gothic architecture as a fashion of the age, 

 and like other fashions, one that passeth away. 



Now if we examine the history of any age or country we shall ob- 

 serve a very marked correspondence between the character of the 

 architecture, and the literature, habits and condition of the people, 

 and that these have always progressed together. For example, the 

 architecture of Greece clearly evinces itself to have been that of a 

 highly refined people, possessed of a limited extent of territory, and 

 whose principal wealth was in the hands rather of the state than of 

 individuals, and therefore lavished almost exclusively on public build- 

 ings; — a people ambitious of bringing every thing they attempted to 

 the utmost perfection. Their style v/f architecture was in all its main 

 features adopted by the Romans, but received from them sucli altera- 

 tions as were necessary to accommodate it to their peculiar circum- 

 stancesf, those of conquerois of the world; the extent, variety and 

 magnificence of their structures were increased to a degree unknown 

 before or since, and the exquisite delicacy of the Grecian detail in a 

 great measure disregarded — their endeavour being to strike every be- 

 holder with awe — while the Greek architects sought rather to capti- 

 vate the admiration of men of a refined and cultivated taste. 



Taking these as examples, aud 1 feel assured that the tame reason- 



ing may be applied to the architecture of all countries, it would seem 

 very doubtful, whether a style which has arisen naturallv from the 

 wants and habits of one nation, could with advantage be assumed by 

 another whose state of civilization and feeling are totally different ; — 

 and I must acknowledge that I think classical architecture harmonizes 

 more nearly with the habits of the present age than does the Gothic 

 The Greeks and Romans had reached the highest point of luxury and 

 refinement at the period at which thev erected those buildings, of 

 which the remains form models for our imitation — while on the con- 

 trary civilization has been regularly proceeding in countries where 

 Gothic architecture was practised from that time to the present. The 

 Romans again had communication with all parts of the known world, 

 in almost as great a degree comparatively as we now have, while our 

 ancestors oi the middle ages had but few opportunities of enlarging 

 the scope of their understanding, by their researches in foreign coub- 

 tries. The mechanical arts have since the middle ages made gigantic 

 strides towards perfection, insomuch that many of them which have 

 become necessary to our comfort, are found inapplicable to the pecu- 

 liarities of Gothic architecture. MuUioned windows are more suitable 

 for casements with small panes of glass, th.m for the large squares now 

 in use. The introduction of slate renders the high pitched Gothic 

 roof unnecessary, and every architect must have experienced the diffi- 

 culty, nay impossibility of introducing joinery and interior finishing 

 generally, of good Gothic character. Another great proof of the in- 

 congruity of the style with the general habits of the age, is the diffi« 

 culty of persuading persons to adopt it who are not possessed of aa 

 antiquarian taste — while the expense of producing architectural eifect, 

 is with the mass the only objection to the Italian or Grecian styles. 



There is still another point, and perhaps the most important of all, 

 and that is the object of the architect where he designs in the Gothic 

 style, compared with his object when he employs the Grecian or Ro- 

 man — in the former case it is imiiaiiod that he aims at, in the latter 

 invention. Thus the great work of excellence in a modern Gothic 

 building is that it should be mistaken for an ancient one, the architect 

 being governed by authority in alibis details; and a departure from 

 this rule is the principal cause of all the bad Gothic with which the 

 eye is offended in every part of the country. This is not so much the 

 case with Grecian or Roman — from the nature of the style a greater 

 regularity is necessary, certain proportions have been determined oa 

 for the principal members, and as long as these are preserved, there is 

 no restriction on any novelty that may be produced in accordance with 

 them. This last objection applies as much to ecclesiastical as to do- 

 mestic architecture, which I admit is not the case with those first 

 stated. 



If these views are correct, it is very possible to discourage, with 

 the Professor, the indiscriminate revival of the architecture of the 

 middle ages, without in the slightest degree adopting the prejudices 

 of Evelyn, in considering it "monkish and gloomy, aud devoid of all 

 harmony and proportiou," or those of Morris,* who looked upon the 

 "boasted piles of Salisbury and Westminster, &c., ouly as so vaxaj 

 monuments of wanton and tasteless expenditure ;" or those of Hatsil- 

 ton,t who looks upon it as the of&pring of the dark ages of Gothic 

 barbarism. 



1 am, Sir, &c. 



S. I_ 



March 19, 1841. 



HARBOURS ON THE SOUTH EASTERN COAST. 



Sir — As you have done me the f ivour to insert several commnni- 

 catious of mine relative to bars and other nautical matters, I take 

 leave to request that you will give publicity in your next Journal to 

 the following observations, suggested by the motion of the bon. mem- 

 ber for Dover, E. A. Rice, Esq., for a select committee of the Uonse 

 of Commons on the state of the harbours on the S. E. coast, to which 

 the report of the commission of 1840, on the state of the harbours on 

 that coast, should be referred. This motion wes negatived by a ma- 

 jority of G4 in a house of 14U members. 



The mover and seconder of the motion re-stated what has been 

 often urged on the public by your Journal, i. e. that on the entire 

 extent of coast from the Thames to the Isle of Wight, there is not a 

 harbour of refuge either iis a port of rendezvous for the navy, or for 

 the protection of our merchant vessels in adverse winds, and stormy 



* In a small work on thf proportit^ns to be observed in architecture. Bjr 

 K. Morris, 173a. 



T Leuer to ibe Earl of Elgia on the new HoHtea af Parlianeot. By Wm. 

 UAmillou, «rcbitficl, ISiii. 



