233 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



CANDIDUS versus S. L. 



When S. L. spoke of my making so free with the Professor of 

 Architecture, it certainly looked very much as if he thought it rather 

 a piece of presumption on my part to make any animadversions at all 

 on opinions delivered from such an authoritative quarter. Nevertheless 

 he now professes to wonder where I find any expression of his that 

 seems to discountenance discussion of the opinions of public men, — in 

 which light, I presume, the Professor of Architecture at the Royal 

 Academy may fairly be considered, in regard to his own art, although 

 he is not a public character in the political world. Wlictlier it be with 

 regard to these last alone that S. L. is ready to allow " the roughest 

 handling," I know not ; but he might perhaps have spared himself the 

 qualifying proviso, viz., " if it be kept within the bounds of truth and 

 reason," because it would be exceedingly difticult indeed to ascertain 

 and lay down those bounds in a clear and satisfactory manner. I my- 

 self, for instance, should say that I did not in the slightest degree 

 transgress them. Or, "by keeping within the bounds of truth and 

 reason," are we to understand that we are at liberty to say only just 

 as much and no more than will be approved of, and allowed to be per- 

 fectly reasonable, by the party animadverted upon, or by those who 

 take just the same side of the question ? In such case, I most assuredly 

 Lave on many occasions shown myself to be an outrageously unreason- 

 able sort of person; — I hope I ever shall continue to (do so. 



To come to something more tangible, — S. L. says he cannot see the 

 propriety of adopting the mode suggested for Gothic windows; yet 

 to most other persons I think it must be obvious enough, because all 

 the objections — and 1 will add reasonable ones — against glazing with 

 small quarrels or panes set in lead, are removed at once, and still the 

 beauty and character of the style, as regards moulded muUions, and 

 tracery, fully preserved. Such windovr may very properly be com- 

 pared to an open screen, — and wherever placed, a screen of that 

 kind may, I conceived, be described as open, in contradistinction from 

 one with solid panels — though filled in with glass. 



When he talks of Gothic being objected to by most persons on the 

 score of its interfering too much with comfort, if it is to be properly 

 treated, I must confess I do not understand him ; because if "properly" 

 treated, that style may be made to conduce quite as much to comfort 

 and even to luxurious refinement, as any other; that is provided it be 

 treated not only " properly" in regard to the elements and details of 

 the style, but ably and intelligently, so as at the same time to secure 

 all those improvements in domestic architecture we are now familiar 

 with. — As for fac-similes of old halls and manor houses, I would leave 

 them to such fac-simile people as would relish a Gothic dinner oft' the 

 wooden trenchers of the good old times. Most assuredly, George IV., 

 who was supposed to be as studious of personal comfort and conve- 

 nience as any gentleman need be, was not one of the persons alluded 

 to by S. L. ; otherwise he would have had modem sash windows put 

 into all the private apartments of Windsor Castle. 



S. L. still insists that invintion is the object of the architect when he 

 employs either the Grecian or Roman style, though he allows — per- 

 haps upon downright compulsion, that originality is not always the 

 result. Nevertheless it would certainly appear that direct imitation is 

 not generally aimed at; or shall we say that the numerous modern copies 

 of ancient porticos we have beheld of late years, are so many proofs of 

 invention though unluckily no originality has ensued from it? As for 

 the originality of St. Stephen's, Walbrook— I am S. L.'s most humble 

 servant, but he really must excuse my admiring it. I am aware that 

 to extol it, is perfectly orthodox; yet it never was my doxy, nor was 

 it that of Dr. Anderson, who has given it the "roughest handling" ima- 

 ginable in his Essay. With regard again to the spire of Bow Church, 

 1 admit it to be original enough— as unlike any thing in classical archi- 

 tecture as possible ; still it is no favourite of mine ; nor is it worthy 

 of being put into competition with that of St. George's, Bloomsbury, 

 which last I will boldly assert to be by far the finest composition of 

 tlie kind in the metropolis— I might say in England ; nor am I alto- 

 gether solitary in this opinion, having heard nearly the same opinion 

 of it expressed by several jjrofessional men. I am asked, however, if 

 I can point out any modern Gothic building possessing as much ori- 

 ginality as the two examples quoted for my edification by S. L., I 

 therefore say that the design for the New Houses of Parliament, 

 displays quite as much originality, and of a far better kind, and 

 would also refer to Cossey Hall, and Harlaxton as being highly satis- 

 jactory specimens of modern buildings, in which the Gothic has been 

 treated with originality cun amon. The hardest charge of all against 

 me remains to be answered : I am quite regardless, it seems, of decency 

 in the choice of my expressions — I believe I was once so indecorous 

 as to write at full length, the naughty word "breeches-pocket," and 

 I may possibly on some other occasions, have expressed myself with 



rather more energy than decorum ; but I am not conscious of hav- 

 ing ever made use of any expressions of which a gentleman would 

 be ashamed, although of many that would shock those demure, hypo- 

 critical persons who are choice indeed as to their words, and seldom, 

 further than mere words. However, if S. L. can show up ray indecen- 

 cies and indecorums, be is perfectly at liberty to do so ; and then I shall 

 understand better than I now do, in what they consist. For my own 

 |)art I have no great fancy for the milk-and-water style of writing, nor 

 do I think it at all calculated to operate efficaciously. Did I consider 

 architects to be infants, I should jirepare and administer my doses ac- 

 cordingly ; whereas there are many it would require a Sixty-Candidus 

 power in order to make any impression upon them. Dainty drawing- 

 room phrases are therefore quite out of the question : to use them — 

 pshaw I it would be like trying to tickle a rhinoceros with a rose-leaf. 



Candidos. 



DESIGNS WANTED. 



Sir — In the Times newspaper of to-day (June 4th) is an advertise- 

 ment inviting architects to send in designs for a Corn-Exchange to be 

 erected at Sudbury, in Suffolk, the drawings for which are to be sent 

 in on the 10th ; so that barely three days altogether are allowed for 

 making them, and not even that, unless a person chooses to go entirely 

 by guess, without writing to the secretary (at Sudburv) for further 

 particulars, or rather, for particulars, no other information being sup- 

 plied by the advertisement than that there will be an area of "S by 

 5U feet, yet whether that is the extent of the whole site, or merely of 

 the part of the building appropriated to the Exchange itself, does not 

 very clearly appear. 



Surely the people who insert such advertisements must suppose 

 that architects keep a stock of ready-made designs by them, suited 

 for every occasion ; or perhaps they may imagine that architectural 

 designs can now be manufactured by steam, and perhaps we shall next 

 be told that the required drawings are expected to be sent down by 

 return of coach or train. 



Uudoubtedly, if an architect be pricked on with a golden spur, he 

 will be stimulated to extra exertion. But on this occasion, the golden 

 spur has been hammered so very thin, that it is as light as a feather. 

 Hardly, perhaps, will you believe me when I say, that the two pre- 

 miums amount together to the extraordinary sum, as it may very pro- 

 perly be called, of Eight GmNE.vs! viz. Five for the first, and Three 

 for the second ! The man who would nibble at such a bait, would 

 nibble the cheese put as a bait upon a mouse-trap. Leaving the pre- 

 posterous shortness of time allowed out of the question, no professional 

 man, I conceive, would pay attention to such an invitation, stamped as 

 it is with excessive paltriness on the very face of it. Therefore, if 

 responded to at all, it is likely to be so only by junior clerks and office 

 assistaats. It might be imagined that so gross a practical blunder as 

 that of affording no time whatever for at all considering the subject — 

 hardly sufficient, indeed, for putting down the first rough ideas upon 

 paper — would not be committed by even the most ignorant. Never- 

 theless, such we find to be frequently the case, and what is more, that 

 the profession itself makes no effort to put an end to it. One way 

 would be to show up and make an example of every case of the kind. 

 And I would further suggest, that the Institute ought to keep an exact 

 register of all competitions advertised in the public papers, and of 

 their respective particulars and conditions. But, unfortunate' y, the 

 Institute does not seem disposed to bestir itself in earnest or to the 

 purpose on any one occasion. It seems to bo not only without the 

 power, but without the slightest inclination, to effect any good, either 

 for the art itself, or for those who follow it. 



I remain, &c., 

 Anti-Humbug. 



New Sleamt'r at Brighton. — We learn from Brighton that a new steamer 

 built at North Sliielils for a company at Brighten, and fitted with Mr. Smith's 

 patent screw propeller, on the plan of the Archimedes, arrived at the Chain 

 Pier, on Tuesday morning, from the river Tyne, after the remarkable quick 

 passage of 481 hours. This vessel is intended to ply from Brighton to the 

 adjacent ports, and to be occasionally used as a tug in tow ing vessels in and 

 out of Shoreham Harbour. She is aboui 110 tons, with engines of 45-horsi 

 power. 



Steam Communication between Dresden and Prague. — The first steam boat 

 tluatever m.ide the pas.sage between Dresden ami Prague arrived from the 

 latter cily on the 30th uU. She is called the Bohemia, and was built ex- 

 pressly for that service, being flat-bottomed, having 121 feet in length, and 

 13 ft. 6 in. in breadth. Her engine is ol 40-horse power, and she is capable 

 ol carrying 40 passengers, and a considerable quantity of merchandise. When 

 laden with a full freight she draws only 16J inches of water, and makes the 

 pa.ssage in about 16 hours. She is to travel to and from the two cities every 

 three days. 



