1850.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



159 



extensive region of country called Assyria, whicli included Media and 

 Persia. I have here a volume of the ' Universal History,' piihlished in 

 1747, which contains copies of Le Brun's representations of Persepolis. 

 These engravings show a great number of columns, and a perfect identity, 

 not only of style, but of the objects represented in the bas-reliefs — winged 

 hulls and lions, crowned with a sort of cap, divinities, &c. — drawn more 

 than one liundred years ago. There are also bas-reliefs with long lines of 

 personages in procession, exactly in the same style of costume as those to 

 which Mr. Sruirke has drawn our attention. The figure, which he supposes 

 to he a tutelary divinity, is likewise here represented as being common on 

 the tombs in the neighbr.urhond of Persepolis, exactly in the same way that 

 they are represented in Egyptian antiquities. The kings of Persia used to 

 reside alternately, according to the season of the year, at Babylon, at Susa, 

 at Echatana, and at Persepolis; at all of which places the same character 

 of style and art would prevail. I am therefore inclined to the supposition, 

 that the architectural remains now brought under our notice form hut one 

 of a class, which was spread over the whole country; a fact which I think 

 would he more obvious, if we had equally excellent illustrations of the 

 ruins of Persepolis, as of those now before us. The winged lions frona 

 Nineveh, now in the British Museum, are crowned with a sort of cap com- 

 monly found upon the spliinxes in Egyptian remains; and it is remarkable 

 that the bulls from Nineveh agree exactly in size with those at Persepolis, 

 both being about 22 feet long and 14 feet high. That is another sign of 

 identity, and I conceive the material will furnish another. These remains 

 are said to he of alabaster, and that was a material frequently used in 

 Egypt, as witness the sarcophagus in Sir John Soane's Museum; and, 

 indeed, throughout our own Gothic period. For architectural ornament, or 

 sculptural devices and figures, the use of alabaster has been extensive in all 

 periods of art. J cannot agree with our friend, that Israel had more to do 

 with Assyria than with Egypt; as the latter is mentioned much more fre- 

 quently than the former in Iloly Scripture; and, it will he remembered, the 

 aid of the Egyptians was called in to resist the Assyrians, who in the end 

 actually carried the Israelites away captives. At an earlier period, too, 

 Solomon married the daughter of Pharoah. There was, besides, a greater 

 affinity in the art of Israel to that of Egypt, rather than to that of Assyria. 

 There must, too, have been a great enmity between the Persians and the 

 Egyptians, for Cambyses invaded the latter, destroyed the temples of Thebes, 

 slew the god Apis, and dishonoured the tomb of Aniasis, king of Egypt; 

 and, therefore, the Israelites could not very well have been friendly with 

 both. Dr. Layard says it is probable that Abraham saw these sculptures, 

 but I doubt that the Holy Scriptures justify this supposition. We know 

 that there were pyramids in Egypt one hundred years before the death of 

 Noah; and it has always been the practice to assign a higher antiquity to 

 Egyptian architecture than to Assyrian. lam myself of opinion, that there 

 is in these sculptures signs of a depreciation from the simple principles of 

 an incipient and rising art; and that it is rather a degraded phase of Egyp- 

 tian art, than a new and original class. In conclusion, Mr. Donaldson 

 proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Smirke, and also to Mr. Murray, for the 

 illustrations with which he had favoured the Institute. 



Mr. Smirke remarked that the representations of the Persepolitan sculp- 

 ture were very imperfect. The best were those of Sir Robert Porter; but 

 even he was not a very careful draughtsman. He hoped the time would 

 soon come when they may he a» well known as those of Assyria. With 

 regard to the connection of Israel with the countries of Egypt and Assyria, 

 it must not be forgotten, that although Solomon married Pharoah's daughter, 

 he sought his "cunning workmen" and the materials for his great archi- 

 tectural works in the opposite direction. He begged to repeat his decided 

 conviction that the Assyrian marbles bear a much more marked affinity with 

 the succeeding Greek style of art than that of Egypt. 



The Ch.mrman thought he could detect a knowledge of perspective in 

 Assyrian architecture; and in some instances there were indications which 

 would lead to a supposition that they had also a knowledge of the principle 

 of the arch. 



Mr. C. H. Smith said these marbles were said to be alabaster, but that 

 conveyed a wrong impression, as he believed they were not alabaster proper 

 or sulphate of lime. He had slightly examined the Assyrian marbles, and 

 believed them to he carbonate of lime. Dr. Buckland bad, he knew, said 

 they were alabaster, but the Doctor bad told him that he had not examined 

 them closely. 



The Chairman said that he believed one was a conglomerate or freestone. 



Mr. Ferguson said that the members did not seem to be aware that the 

 French had sent to Persepolis, and had copied all the sculptures discovered 

 there to a very large scale and with great accuracy. The drawings were 

 much better, be should say, than those now exhibited of Nimrcod, and that 

 they gave more details, and were more complete in every way. The last 

 letters from Dr. Layard announced that he had discovered the throne of 

 the King, upon which there was not the slightest trace of fire. It was 

 composed principally of ivory with gold ornaments. There were traces of 

 cloth trappings; and the gold thread with which it was sewn and embroi- 

 dered still remained. This throne had been found in the same ruin as that 

 which contained the miscellaneous collection of valuables already alluded 

 to, but not in the same chamber. The condition of the articles discovered 

 proved indisputably that that palace had never been destroyed by fire. 



Major Ranlinson had, however, satisfactorily determined that Nimrood was 

 not Nineveh; that city had not yet been excavated. The name of Jonah 

 having been found at the onset on the ruins, no further excavations were 

 allowed by the Mabommedans on that spot. The attachment of the horses 

 to the cars in these sculptures, which seemed to occasion some difficulty, 

 was easily explainable, inasmuch as it was in common use in India to this 

 day. The pole comes from the axle, and a sort of platform is carried on 

 till it meets the yoke. That is always covered in India with red cloth, 

 ornamented in the same way as appears in the sculptures. The upper part 

 is a platform on which the driver can sit. In answer to the remarks made 

 upon the honeysuckle ornament, it appeared to him quite clear, that the 

 Ionic was derived by the Greeks from Asia, and the Doric from Egypt. 

 Thus in these marbles there was no trace of Doric, but everywhere traces of 

 Ionic, for in Egypt the Doric was found all the way from Nubia down to the 

 caves of Memphis. His opinion was confirmed by that of all the greatest 

 authorities. 



Mr. ScoLES remembered during the whole course of the Nile, from the 

 second cataract downwards, but two instances of anything like Doric 

 columns, and they were simply fluted cylindrical shafts without proper 

 capitals. 



Mr. Ferguson. — Yes, tbey have the square abacus. 



Mr. ScoLEs wished to ask his friend Mr. Smirke, whether he considered 

 this an architecture mi generis, and if not, whence derived ? 



Mr. Smirke. — If not indigenous, it is impossible to say whence it was 

 derived, for we are unacquainted with any earlier style of architecture. 



Mr. Fowler said that the bull taken in the Burmese war was engraved 

 with ornaments, just as might have been supposed to have been executedin 

 the best days of Greek art. There was upon that the honeysuckle orna- 

 ment found on these Assyrian remains. 



Mr. H. B. Garling asked why Mr. Smirke supposed these details were 

 not executed by skilled artists ? 



Mr. Smirke. — Because they are so numerous that a master hand could 

 not have been engage<l upon tl'iem all. They are sketched with the utmost 

 profusion over the whole of these sculptured remains. 



TOWERS AND SPIRES OF THE MEDI.a;VAL PERIOD. 



Some Observations on Towers and Spires of Churches of the Medie- 

 val Period. By John Bbitton, F.S.A. — (Paper read at the Royal 

 Institute of British Architects, April Sth.) 



Mr. Bkitto.v addressed tlie meeting nearly as follows: — "Mr. 

 President and Gentlemen, — I am induced to appear before you on 

 the present occasion, most probably for the last time, to call your 

 attention to the interesting series of drawings now exhibited, 

 which liave been made by Mr. Wiekes, architect at Leicester, 

 who has devoted much ti'me, skill, and perseverence to a task 

 which lie has entailed upon himself, eon amove. How far he has 

 succeeded in the execution of that task you will be enabled to 

 judge by a cursory inspection of tlie drawings. Had I not believed 

 that they were vvorthv of the attention and admiration of this 

 learned and scientilic body, I should not have obtruded them on 

 your notice; but satisfied as 1 am of the interest attached to the 

 subject, and of the accuracy and skill manifested in the drawings; 

 and believing also that the various towers and spires of Great 

 Britain in particular, and of the civilised world in general, are 

 entitled to the diligent study of the architect, and the admiration 

 of the antiquary, I volunteer my weak and humble services in thus 

 introducing a provincial member of the profession to the Royal 

 Institute of British Architects. 



Before alluding further to his deliniations, I gladly avail myself 

 of the present opportunity to acknowledge and thank this society 

 for the honour and compliment which they paid me at its for- 

 mation, by electing me as the first honorary member. Though it 

 has been to me a source of pride and plea'sure to receive similar 

 compliments from several other societies devoted to architecture 

 and archasology, I must own that I never derived so much gratifi- 

 cation from any of them, as from this proof of the esteem of the 

 architects of London, with many of whom I had been intimately 

 acquainted for years. To have secured the approval of such a 

 body of artists, and to receive from them a voluntary testimony 

 of their regard by that election^ surprised and delighted me. The 

 onlv thing I have regretted has been, as it still is, my inability to 

 render that assistance to the society which I have always wished 

 to do, but which other pressing demands on my time have pre- 

 vented. In the progress and prosperity of the Institute I have 

 always felt deeply interested, and therefore hail with much deliglit 

 the position it has attained— not only in our own, but in foreign 

 countries. May it long continue to prosper, and thereby confer 



