178 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[June, 



The exterior of the building is entirely of wrouEjlit stone, of a fiuartz- 

 like spocies, and of an exceedingly hard kind. Taken therefore alto- 

 gether, — considering the solidity of its construction, the regularity of 

 its design, and (he richness of its internal decorations, this edifice is a 

 very superior one of its class, and although of no very great extent, 

 fairlv deserves to be considered as a "monumental" production of the 

 art. ' 



CANDIDUS'S NOTE-BOOK. 

 FASCICULUS XXVII. 



'• I must have Mberiy 

 Miihal, as lariie a charier as the wimis. 

 To blow en whom I please." 



I. Seeing what Jlr. Barry has done in the two Clubhouses designed bv 

 him in Pall Mall, methinks people might by this time perceive how much 

 more might be accomiilished by carrying on to a greater extent the same 

 mode of treatment, and making the dressings to the windows not only 

 finishings to those apertures, and proportioned to them, but so to be 

 in a manner proportioned to the wliole design, and to become import- 

 ant decorations of it. At present, though their mouldings may occa- 

 ■iionallv he richer tlian usual, there is little variety in the design of 

 windows — little at least, in comparison with what there might be, — as 

 regards composition and general character, such dressings consisting 

 of no more than an architrave around the aperture, surmounted by frieze 

 and cornice — either with or without the addition of pediment ; or if 

 something more than this be required, it is obtained by either small 

 columns and pilasters. Vet wherefore should we confine ourselves to 

 that as the very maximum of decoration allowable for such features, 

 when window-dressings may be treated arbitrarily, that is, with artis- 

 tical freedom instead of beirg invariably only the tchois of the parts 

 belonging to a large order? Of course, one objection will be that 

 they cannot be at all exaggerated without producing heaviness ; ano- 

 ther that the doctrine of arbitrary treatment, is nothing more than 

 that of universal license — which would soon be universal architectural 

 licentiousness. But according to the first objection, the cornicione of 

 the Reform Clubhouse, ought to be offensively heavy, for it certainly 

 may be characterized as being exaggerated. And with regard to the 

 second, it would be better to run the risk of being scandalized by a little 

 licentiousness in design now and then, out of fear of it — than to doom 

 ourselves to what, if not exactly monotonous insipidity, excludes a 

 great deal that would be good though of a different kind of merit. 

 Most assuredly there is no danger whatever of our Anglo-Atheuian 

 school falling into any excesses as regard the decoration of windows 

 or any thing else. Xo need to caution them against giving the 

 reins to their imagination, and indulging in architectural frenzies. 

 Their buildings may be chaste — for as the man said of his Aunt De- 

 borah, they are so confoundedly prim and ugly that their chastity is 

 proof against all suspicion. 



II. Theodore Hook seems to entertain about the same kind and de- 

 gree of affection and admiration for Railways, as I myself do for Palla- 

 dio, or caro mto Bartholomew does for architectural competition. 

 Whenever he can. Hook is sure to have a slap at the unfortunate Rail- 

 ways: witness among other instances the following comparison : — "it 

 must as inevitably auuihilate their hopes as the ini:icltntal tumble of a 

 train off the railway settles the fate of the infatuated ])assengers of the 

 iron hearses invented for the purpose of cheatery and monopoly, to 

 supersede good old English horses and carriages, and the best roads 

 jbr travelling in the world " ! Most undoubtedly travelling by those 

 'iron-hearses' is not quite so aristocratic, dignified and luxurious as 

 posting a journey in a chaise and four, preceded by a courier ; still for 

 the million the newer system has doubtless its advantages — vulgar 

 ones though they be — or it would never have been encouraged to the 

 extent it now is. When people can afford it, it is all very well for 

 them to give themselves as many consequential ami impertinent would- 

 be-fine airs as they please; but is not Hook himself the driver or con- 

 ducteur of a literary omnibus, started professedly ;;ro bono publico, and 

 always ready to take in and to be taken ia by as many readers as it 

 can obtain — the more the merrier? 



III. S. L. has my hearty leave to inveigh against the application of 

 Gothic to modern domestic buildings, if by Gothic he understands 

 such frightful absurdities as was the so-called (iotliic Dining-room at 

 Carlton House, which had a (lat ceiling — painted to imitate sky and 

 clouds — just over one's head, and ugly Orackets for lamps attached to 

 it! It is said that that more astonishing than admirable specimen of 



taste was concocted by the united genius of George IV. and Messrs. 

 Nash and Soane. Wfiat a triumvirate of talent !— worthy of Bartlemy 

 Fair. Xever was man more innocent of any feeling for grandeur in 

 architecture than was that his ' Most Gracious Majesty.' There cer- 

 tainly is no royal road to taste ; but then if he happens to have none 

 himself, a prince should know where it is to be purchased ready-made, 

 and take care that he be not imposed upon by Brummagem counter- 

 feits, — and poor John Nash's taste was Brumiiiagem to a degree it is 



now most mortifying to reflect upon. The time-^so we are assured 



will come when Brummagem alias Buckingham Palace, will have 

 justice done to iU merits; which time will arrive when it is pulled 

 down, and not a day before. There is indeed one purpose to which 

 it might properly enough be converted, viz. to that of a Royal 

 Nursery, because in such a case the babyishness of its architecture 

 would be in character. 



IV. By no means is it uncommon to hear sneering remarks on the 

 folly of those who build beyond their means, yet for one man of fortune 

 who so dips his property, there are fifty who impoverish or embarrass 

 themselves by other extravagances of various kinds, which escape cen- 

 sure either because they are more like the follies of other people, or 

 because instead of showing themselves to the world as a single corpui 

 delicti, they are a legion— inconsiderable when taken separately, al- 

 though collectively most formidable. After all there may be a great 

 deal of what the world calls extravagance, combined with true economy, 

 and lice versa. Our own times afford a splendid instance of what may 

 be accomplished by magnificent economy. See what Louis of Bavaria 

 has done for Munich, and for every branch of the fine arts in that petty 

 capital ! In this country had it been proposed to do but half as much, 

 people would have cried out. Impossible! Had John Bull been asked 

 to furnish two millions for a royal palace that would have been an 

 honour to the nation, John would have turned confoundedly sulky, and 

 buttoned up his breeches pocket in a huff. However John is liberal 

 in his way, and also likes a bargain, therefore does not grudge half 

 that sum to erect what is a disgrace to the country; flattering himself 

 all the while, poor dupe ! — that whatever be said of his taste, he is most 

 certainly a pattern of economy. 'Two millions,' it must be confessed, 

 has a most awful and startling sound upon such an occasion, but of the 

 plurality of millions which leak out by perpetual droppings and drip- 

 pings no account is taken. Could we but see the sum total of what 

 has been squandered away at different times on paltry knick-nacks 

 and ephemeral gewgaws, — on Kew Palaces and Carltoii Houses, — on 

 files, fireworks and other solemn tomfooleries, we should stand both 

 aghast and abashed. But even were it doubled, that tremendous sum 

 would not have been expended in vain, if it had purchased us a know- 

 ledge of true economy and wisdom for the future. Unfortunately, we 

 seem to have very wrong-headed notions of economy, generally con- 

 triving to be at once shabbily penurious and recklessly extravagant in 

 our public undertakings. As regards private economy we are not 

 always very much wiser. However I will not go into that subject,further 

 than to illustrate ray text by the following short dialogue between two 

 young men whose allowances were nearly the same. ' I cannot for the 

 life of me, understand,' said one, ' how you possibly contrive to buy so 

 many splendid publications, prints and pictures, I'm sure I can find 

 money for nothing of the kind.' — ' So I suppose,' replied the other, 

 ' but then, my dear fellow, you have the satisfaction of knowing that 

 you spend quite as much or more, on cambric handkerchiefs and kid 

 gloves.' — Ah Johnny Bull, Johnny Bull, it is the cambric handkerchiefs 

 and kid gloves, — the expensive fripperies of the day and the hour, 

 that run away with vour cash, and leave you none to patronize and 

 advance art. Wastefully profuse in trifles, you generally show your- 

 self exceedingly stingv where extravagance would be rather a virtue 

 than a fault; or else you suffer yourself to be egregiously taken in un- 

 der the ideaof getting 'acapital bargain!' And it is fortunate if your 

 bargains do not make you the laughing-stock of all Europe. — I declare 

 I am growing quite patriotic I 



V. Continuing the subject, it may be observed that our merchants 

 do not emulate tliose of Florence and other Italian cities during their 

 palmy state, in the encouragement of architecture and its sister arts. 

 Is it because they cannot afford to erect noble palazzi and stately man- 

 sions ? — And yet there are many among them to whom the price of 

 such an edifice as the Reform Clubhouse would be a mere bagatelle. 

 Some of them may be exiravagant enough, but there is nothing mag- 

 nificent in their extravagance. The money goes, perhaps, fast enough, 

 but it goes vulgarly, — in eating and drinking, — in giving expensive 

 entertainments to people who will condescend to be seen at them, 

 pinching their pride for the sake of filling their bellies with the 

 luxuries of a citizen's table. Or else the money does not go at all, 

 except that it is let to go on accumulating until some ' beau matin,' as 

 the French say, the newspapers inform us that Mr. Snobbs or some 

 other indefatigable money-grubber, like the Shoemaker of Bishopsgate 



