278 



THE riA IL ENC;l\Ei:H AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[August, 



object of atlraction to visitors, namely the Mausoleum, of which, and 

 also of Bottesfoid Church and its monuments, long descriptions are 

 here given; — but we do so hec.iuse we have ahead v bestowed as 

 much notice on Mr. Ellei's book as our limits w ill permit. It has 

 afforded us considerable gratification, and we would suggest, for his 

 consideration, whether it would not be desirable to republish the 

 description of the castle, &c., separately in a duodecimo volume, 

 oDiitling altogether the biographical notices of artists in the account 

 of the p:ctures ; which being done, there would be opportunity for 

 entering into some particulars that are now either passed over or but 

 slightly touched ui)on. It wouUl be a further improvement were the 

 terraces to be shown in the ground floor plan of the building. 



Graphic liliislralions with Historical and Descriptive Accounts of Tod- 

 dnigton, Gloiiceslersliire, the seal of Lord Si(dtli>/. By Joux Biuttox, 

 F.S.A. Publisher, the Author, Islo. 



By this work, containing twenty-three external and internal views, 

 r.ud nine lithogra|)hed plates of details, Mr. Britton has sought to 

 make known to the jjublic one cf those modern adaptations of the 

 pointed stvle to private dwelling houses, the excellence of which he 

 lias by his earlier works so mainly assisted to bring about. The 

 energy with which Mr. Britton for more than five and forty years, has 

 continued to superintend the illustration of our ancient buildings, and 

 to direct public attention to their beauties, affords an example well 

 worthy of imitation, and must entitle him to the warm applause of the 

 light minded. 



Lord Sndeley, the owner and the designer of the new mansion at 

 Toddington, formed one of the Committee (as Mr. Haubury Tracy,*) 

 appointed to select from the numerous designs sent in competition for 

 the new Houses of Parliament, and devoted much time and zeal to the 

 investigation. The building under consideration which has occupied 

 {lis Lordship's attention more than twenty years, proves fully that he 

 was well qualifieil for the task, having an intimate knowledge of 

 architecture as a fine art. The construction of a modern mansion in 

 the style of buildings of the middle ages is not an undertaking of 

 trifling difficulty. "By a judicious attention to appropriate models," 

 says Mr. Willson in his preface to Pugin's specimens, "a modern resi- 

 dence of whatever size, may be constructed in the Gothic style without 

 departing from sound principles of taste. Some modifications of an- 

 cient precedents must be allowed, for an absolute fidelity will fre- 

 quently prove incompatible with convenience; but as few deviations 

 as possible should be gone into ; and above all, nothing should be 

 attempted which is inconsistent with the character and situation of 

 the place, or which cannot be executed on a proper scale of dimen- 

 sions." This feeling is evident throughout Toddington, and has led 

 to a very successful result, redounding to the credit of its designer the 

 more highly because of the difficulty. Attached to the account of the 

 house is a short essay on the comparative merits and eligibility of the 

 Grecian, Roman, and Monastic or Gothic architecture for the purposes 

 of the modern English mansion, wherein the author traces lightly the 

 progress of architecture in England, and refers to those men who have 

 chiefly aided this progress. In this essay Mr. Britton observes, "of 

 the manner in which architects were employed soon after the Reform- 

 ation, the household accounts of Henry VIII. furnish some curious but 

 ■deplorable information. From these it appears that painters, sculptors, 

 carvers, and architects, were retained at stipulated periodical wages. 

 Holbein, John of Padua, Lawrence Bradshaw, Richard Lea, and some 

 others were thus engaged ; and they designed several of the mansions 

 which were then erected, and which are now more admired in the 

 picturesque drawings and engravings of the artist, than as comfortable 

 residences for the noble or wealthy families of this age. So the chateaux 

 of the old noblesse of France, and the castles of the Edwardian dynas- 

 ties of England, are picturesque and imposing objects in the landscape, 

 but have few charms or attractions to render them endurable as per- 

 manent homes for persons who wish to enjoy domestic quietude and 

 comfort." 



For Walpole's advocacy of Gothic architecture, although ill exem- 

 plified by him at Strawberry Hill, Mr. Britton gives his tribute of 

 praise, and then describes some few of the better sort of dwellings 

 more recently erected in England in this style. 



Want of space however prevents us at tl.is moment saying anything 

 more of the work in question, than that it is a very valuable and accept- 

 able addition to the scanty stock of books which we at present possess 

 on domestic architecture. 



* Mr. Trtcy was raise.1 to the p<erage July 12, 1838. 



Illustrations of Windsor Castle. By the late Sir Jeffrt Wy\tville 

 R.A. London: Weale, 1S41. 



This is a folio work in two volumes, on a scale of magnificence but 

 rarely seen, the size of the plates corresponding to the beauty of their 

 execution. These plates are six and twenty in number, besides wood 

 engravings, some of them too containing more than one view, and em- 

 bracing nearly every part of the external architecture of the Castle and 

 Stables, besides plans of the Castle in its former state. These en- 

 gravings are executed in a manner so costly as only the devotion of an 

 architect to his favourite subject could authorize, being quite beyond 

 the usual limits of publishing enterprize. The letterpress being printed 

 on paper of the same dimensions, makes the volume rather unwieldly 

 as a readable book, which is to be regretted as the valuable matter 

 contained in its pages is such as to excite great interest. The general 

 superintendence has been confided to Mr. Henry Ashton, and the 

 literary portion by him again transferred to Mr. Poynter, than whom 

 few conld be found better qualified. The editors having determined 

 upon excluding a description of the interior of the edifice on account 

 of so much of its decoration being not merely of a passing interest, but 

 adopted against the will of the architect, necessarily restricted them- 

 selves to a mere antiquarian description of the Castle. To this task 

 Mr. Poynter has brought a depth of research, which has added much 

 that is new to our previous knowledge of the subject, and given a de- 

 gree of certainty to many points which before were involved in ob- 

 scurity. The result of these labours may not be great, but the extent 

 of research required is easily to be appreciated. To transfer to our 

 pages any thing like a complete history of the Castle would be of 

 course impossible, but we cannot allow this volume to pass us without 

 gleaning in some way from its pages. 



In the reign of Edward the Third, called the Confessor, we find the 

 earliest authentic notice of Windsor, when it was granted by that last 

 reigning sovereign of the Saxon kingly race to the Abbey of West- 

 minster, under the name of Wyndleshore, a grant which by William 

 the Norman was resumed by au exchange for some lands in Essex. 

 This prince erected a castle at Windsor, which is registered in Domes- 

 day Book. At Old Windsor, however, the Saxon kings are believed 

 to have had a palace at an early period. In the reign of Henry III., 

 the castle w-as rebuilt, and from this period begins to date its historical 

 renown, being in the next reign considered second in importance only 

 to the Tower of London. A few architectural fragments brought to 

 light during the progress of the improvements, are supposed to be the 

 only relics of this edifice. Henry III. made great improvements in the 

 lower ward, and the traces of his work are to be recognized in the pre- 

 sent day, during the whole of his reign indeed extensive buildings were 

 in progress. Of the chapel built by this prince, Mr. Poynter is of 

 opinion that a doorway may be recognized behind the altar of St. 

 Georges. In two years the large sum of &73/. was allotted to the 

 works. The Belltowerthe editor attributes to the 25th year of Henry's 

 reign, and to the Garter Tower he is inclined to assign the same date. 

 It is to be observed that during this reign we find frequent provision 

 for chimneys and glass windows ; it seems also that the erection of 

 temporary wooden dwellings within the Castle was not uncommon. In 

 searching out the particulars of the works of Henry III., Mr. Poynter 

 has made a very diligent investigation of the Pope and Close Rolls 

 and other records, which have enabled him to employ a minuteness of 

 description equally interesting to the antiquarian and to the archi- 

 tect. Of how much value researches of this nature may become we 

 see when we come to consider how they bear upon any restoration of 

 the western extremity of the Castle. 



The next great epoch in the history of the Castle is the reigu of 

 Edward III., a period respecting which we have ample information. 

 The foundation of the College and restoration of St. George's Chapel 

 was the first step taken by this monarch, which was succeeded by the 

 inauguration of the Order of the Garter. In 13511, the celebrated 

 William ofWykehamwas appointed surveyor, and the works pro- 

 ceeded with great vigour, and in 1359 three hundred and sixty masons 

 were pressed for the service of the castle, and in 131)2 on account of 

 a pestilence three hundred and two more. In the first half of 13G3 as 

 much as 3SU2/. 17s. 8d. was paid for the works including 932/. for 

 lead, and thirty-six glaziers were impressed, twenty-four to serve in 

 London, and twelve at Windsor. More masons were also impressed. 

 In 13G4 the whole expenditure was 3u31/. 9s. 9rf. In 1365 a payment 

 occurs of 13/. Gs. Srf. to John, a canon of St. Catharine's, the king's 

 picture painter, for a picture with images for the chapel, and another 

 of 501. to John de Lvndesav, for a table with figures also for the chapel. 

 It is to be remarked that then as during the reign of Henry III., the 

 artists appear to have been generally ecclesiastics, dignitaries of the 

 church combining the practice of the arts with their clerical functions. 

 In 1366, 600/. was paid for lead, and the whole expenditure was 4076^ 



