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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



under many disadvantapc-;, yet ru<r^edly Iient on escaping from 

 deterioratiiiif influences, and on writinj; its name and destiny in 

 cliaracters of its own: not to be imitated or co])ied in detail — cer- 

 tainly not to lie des|iised, but to be respected for its truthfulness 

 and earnestness, and honoured for its s|»irit. I need only mention 

 the churches of I'avia, Verona, Lucca, I'isa, tkc, to recal to your 

 recollection the masterly and vigorous characteristics of this style; 

 they all bear the impress of a certain freeness of idea, which is 

 certainly poetry, tlioufrh not of the first order. 



To pass over these periods of art however, thus lightly touched 

 upon, let us look at the iMediieval styles — I mean all of those 

 usually called tJotliic: but as time and space confine us to a short 

 limit, I wish to regard merely that of our own country. 



In the Saxon examples, the art must have lieeu at so low an ebb, 

 that it would be fruitless to expect any of the higher expressions. 

 In the Norman, we find an evident and increasing improvement, 

 w ith, I think, much of tlie same feeling as the early Romanesque — 

 instance Norwich Cathedral — which becomes greater and greater in 

 the transition, till we arrive at the well-developed Early English; 

 a change gradual, yet rapid, and every way marvellous. And here, 

 I think, we may trace the evidences of a spirit and genius which, 

 considering the state of society, the iron-bound darkness of the 

 age, and the heavy curtain of ignorance that hung over the land, 

 comes most surprisingly near in spirit and perfection to the 

 Greek — an assertion which, to some, may appear bold and untenable; 

 yet, let us consider carefully the beautiful proportions of some of 

 the specimens of that style which still remain to us, the purity 

 of invention, the graceful combinations, the pure style of ornament 

 in the foliations, the play of light and shade in the' deep undercut 

 mouldings: the whole truthful, fine in conception, and most suit- 

 able to its purposes. And in calling all this to mind, let us suppose 

 a cathedral as entire and complete; not with the admixture of other 

 styles or periods, as we now see it, but of a piece from turret to 

 crypt; — ard will any one deny that such a building gives evidences 

 of the highest poetic spirit, and must strike a beholder even as we 

 have contended such a building should and must do? There are 

 some, perhaps, who will say, '"Very fine, truly, your gargoyles, 

 grotesque, and sometimes indecent groups and figures, &c." To 

 sucli I should reply, that tliese are but the greater proofs of my 

 position: what are they more than the evidences of that state of 

 society which renders the contrast of general perfection in the art 

 so much the more to be wondered at; what more than the weeds 

 liereand there pressing through, but unable so to choke the soil as 

 to interfere, except so slightly, with the plant which has grown up 

 on its surface to beauty and grandeur, notwithstanding and in 

 spite of all. Consider all this, and I think it may fairly be allowed 

 that this phase of English art is not so far behind the lofty 

 standard of the Greek. Let me be understood 7wt to say that this 

 period of English art is to be put side by side, and in the same 

 parallel, with the Greek — but that it is much of the same spirit and 

 order; and, in other words, that if the outward social influences 

 had been the same, there is much to show that English architects 

 could have achieved even what the Greek architects did; — and if so, 

 then why not again now? 



I cannot allow that it is by association that we admire this 

 style so much as some people would have us think. It may certainly 

 have simie influence; but if it were wanting, I do not think we 

 should admire the less. Association and habit may lead us to 

 overlook and bear with what is faulty, but can never create beauties 

 unless they actually exist. Nor do I see wholly the force of the 

 notion that the Greek has the more intellectual expression, the 

 other the more sjiiritual; least of all would I exalt the one at the 

 expense of the other, and impart a false colouring by such empty 

 jargon, thus a])plied, as Pagan and Christian. Every superior efl^ort 

 of genius is siiiritual and intellectual— both, if directed rightly; 

 and without doubt the class of mind and spirit was the same in 

 both cases, altliougli in the one sadly clogged and trammelled by 

 outward infltieni^es. And I do think that this era of English 

 art was infused strongly with what we have called its poetry; and 

 it is a matter of great regret that it should have rested so short a 

 time at this point. With surprise we see the rapid transition to 

 the geometric period, which, had it been continued under those 

 mental influences that governed the development of the Early 

 English, would, I think, most likely have surpassed it — since the 

 jirevailing ideal was as pure, while the scope for design was more 

 extended. Yet, alas! strange as it may seem, the cunning and 

 wise spirit of the first inventors seems gradually to have left their 

 successors, and to have become extinct; till in the Perpendicular it 

 became less strong, and in the later periods of that style still less 

 and less, till at last it became utterly debased and lost'. This was 



sad: but it was a worse blow forhich art when the revival styles 

 were introduced; this shut off the connection with the past entirely 

 and wliat had been done previously became quite lost and foru-otten ■ 

 and although no man of genius can touch anything without making 

 his mirul and talent felt and acknowledged, vet not to call it 

 imponsihle, he can liardly succeed in infusing the highest spirit into 

 his works if he is forced to walk on the line chalked out for him 

 instead of choosing the path he would desire to travel. A Thorpe 

 could do good things in a bad cause, yet in the revival styles 

 generally, 1 confess I cannot discover (except with a few excep- 

 tions) that poetic sjjirit of which we have been s])eaking. Although 

 a Wren erected a St. Paul's, which is one of the wonders of the 

 world, we cannot but feel, I think, the fallingoif, and what it might 

 have been otherwise the case; but while we do so, let us humbly 

 do homage to tiie great genius which, under such circumstances, 

 could do so well and magnificently, and deplore the arbitrary laws 

 of fashion and public opinion that placed him in such a position: 

 who was truly a poet and artist of the first order, and has left 

 works which are indeed strongly imbued with that spirit and feeling 

 which forms our subject. I have said that we have had architects 

 among us whose treatment and governing tone of thought have 

 been of the same order, and of as high an aspiration, as those of the 

 Greek period; while certainly our architects of the revival school 

 have shown themselves at least equal to any of those of the Palla- 

 dian era; and nothing shall make me believe tliat in this day we 

 have not men among us equal for brilliancy of thought and purity 

 of taste to any that ever lived. The tone of society is higher, 

 loftier influences are at work, than existed in the time of the ancient 

 (ireeks; and if things as great and beautiful do not come to pass, 

 let the nation look for the cause in itself — in its arbitrary demands 

 and own choosing — in its refusal to encourage those whose life is 

 devoted to the study of tlie art — in its cruel fashion which has 

 made a false state of things almost necessary — and as much in the 

 mercenary spirit which governs all its actions: when the truth is, 

 that higli art can never be bought at too high a price, or its kindly 

 influences valued too dearly. 



It is probable that the present fashion of reverting to the 

 medifBval styles for one branch of the art is not without its good 

 efl^ects; if we may only be led by it to search patiently for and find 

 the lost thread which will guide us to excellence and improvement — 

 that is, to seize the spirit and work it out — not be content with the 

 form ; and if we will only determine to scorn the quack prescrip- 

 tions and abominable inculcations of a Cambridge Camden Society. 

 We may expect to retrograde, indeed, if we are never to get beyond 

 the school-boy work of merely copying what is put before us; 

 nay, more, to ensure that nothing may be wrong, I believe, in 

 some cases, one church has been transjilanted by the exact copying 

 of stone for stone, and moulding for moulding, to some distant 

 situation, most likely very unsuitable for the design. \\'hat sad 

 folly is this — what exquisite contempt does it heap on the architects 

 of this generation. 



A better and more inquiring spirit is, however, abroad; let us 

 all hope that the system and faults we condemn will gradually be 

 brokeji through and overcome. Above all, let us not despair; for 

 as I remarked at the outset, the higher the aim, the more satisfac- 

 tory must be the result of our efforts. Even though we fall far short 

 of what we could wish, one thing is evident — that no man can be 

 great when he studies only to be little. 



MILITARY ARCHITECTURE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



On. the military Architecture of Grciit Britain. By the Rev. C. H. 

 H.\RTSHoR.NE. — (Paper read at the Royal Institute of British 

 Architects, May Gth, 1S50.) 



Mr. Hartsiiorne commenced by observing: — When I acceded to 

 the request that I should ort'er you a few remarks upon the Mili- 

 tary Architecture of the Edwardian Age, I did not sufficiently 

 consider that my own researches had been of a desultory nature, 

 and that they would necessarily want that practical illustration 

 which the subject can only receive from those who make the science 

 of architecture their constant study. Nor did I recollect that the 

 branch of it to which I had turned the greater part of my atten- 

 tion, was one that had lain in comparative neglect by the profes- 

 sion, under an idea that it offers little deserving of imitation in 

 modern buildings, and therefore that I should have to conciliate 

 in some degree the cimiparative disfavour with which it has been 

 generally regarded. Yet I have been encouraged, under the hope 

 that having endeavoured to throw some fresh light upon a dark 



