3IG 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[October, 



combination of so many sinple objects, although similar yet 

 infinitely varying in form and particulars — from the saint to the 

 monster — from the rose to tlie smallest leaflet. The more I 

 observed, the more I found to admire; the more I mused, or 

 wearied myself with drawinir and measuring, the more I became 

 enamoured of the work; so much so, that I devoted much time 

 either in studying the present building, or in restoring on paper 

 and in my mind, the much which is wanting and uncompleted, 

 especially in the steeples. 



And, as it was in an old German locality that I found this edifice 

 reared, and in a truly German ]K'riod of history so far progressed; 

 and as the name of the builder on his modest cenotaph was also 

 of German origin and sound, I dai-ed, then, I sav, called upon by 

 the worth of the structure, to change the hitherto ill-famed 

 appellation of Gothic architecture, and to vindicate the renown of 

 German art-building fur our nati(m." 



THE PLYMOUTH PUBLIC AND COTTOXIAN 

 LIBKARY. 



Messrs. Wightwick and Damout, Architects. 



{IVith nn Elevation and Plan.) 



A, Library ; B, Porler's Apartment; C, Slaircase; D, Lobby, E, Law Library ; 

 F, Cottonian Library. 



W'e give this month an elevation of the new building which is 

 now being erei'ted, in addition to the existing Public I>ibrary of 

 Plymouth, for the reception of the munificent bequest which has 

 been made by William Cotton, Esq., for the benefit of art and 

 literature in the west of England; aiul certainly Plymouth has 

 just reason to be proud of the good will of such a donor, and of the 

 riches he has consigned to her possession. To meet the singular 

 liberality of Mr. Cotton, the shareholders of the old library and 

 the public in general have come forward in a manner which does 

 them credit, to provide a fitting casket for the reception of the 

 gems consigned to them: and a building has been designed, which, 



though necessarily simple in its general form, will be highly 

 ornate in its features. It is already commenced, and is expected 

 to be finished about May next. The ground-floor will be devoted 

 to tlie common entrance, and to the reading and committee-rooms 

 of the Public Library; also to the staircase exclusively belonging 

 to the Cottonian apartment, which will occupy the chief portion of 

 the upper floor. Of this floor we give a plan. The rooms are to 

 be lighted by handsome lantern lights, constructed with every 

 regard to the due effect of the pictures, drawings, and articles of 

 vertu which will enrich their walls. 



The old building was erected in the year 1812. from designs by 

 the late J. Foulston, architect, and presented a recessed front of 

 severely Greek character, after the fashion of the .Monument of 

 Thrasyllus at Athens. The present front is brought forward as 

 far as permissible by the town authorities, and is in the Graco- 

 Italian style. The architects are Messrs. Wightwick and Damout, 

 of Plymouth, who have erected many public structures in the west of 

 England, and the one now represented is not among the least cre- 

 ditable. The material is stone; and though the building is not of 

 great dimensions, a character of respectability is given to it bv the 

 large size of the details, Messrs. Wightwick and Damout having 

 carefully treated the door and windows, which are few in number, 

 but of large size, well grouped together, and highly ornamented. 

 On the ground-floor, it will be seen, these openings occupy much 

 of the wall-space; and though decorated, the degree of ornament 

 is less than on the first floor, where the three windows are each of 

 single lights and smaller dimensions. These windows are carried 

 up in the line of composition from the middle light of the lower 

 windows and from the door, so as to secure harmony and uni- 

 formity in the design. The treatment of the cornice, balus- 

 trades, &c. likewise deserves notice, and contributes to the efl^ect 

 of the building. The various points of composition are well 

 balanced; and the whole shows evidence of artistic skill and power 

 of composition and combination. 



Mr. Cotton's donation consists of various ranges of bookcases of 

 amboyna wood, with plate glass fronts, containing many hundred 

 volumes df books in the various branches of literature; a splendid 

 and unique series of 4700 prints, engraved by the best artists 

 from paintings by the most celebrated masters; a valuable collee- 

 tion of about 2J0 original drawings, by the old masters, in the most 

 perfect state of preservation; a considerable number of paintings 

 and framed drawings and engravings, of rarity and value; several 

 illuminated MSS. of much beauty and elegance; some magnificent 

 cinq-cento bronzes, terra-cottas, models in cork, and carvings in 

 box wood, cabinets, carved furniture, &c.; many magnificent china 

 vases and beakers, casts, &c. 



The collection of books contains many specimens of early Topo- 

 graphy; works on the Fine Arts and Antiquities; Greek and Latin 

 Classics; the most celebrated French, Italian, and Spanish 

 authors ; the English poets, &c. 



The collection of original drawings by the old masters comprises 

 amongst many others, some splendid examples by Zuccharelli, 

 Guercino, Agostino Caracci, Claude, Ruysdael, Van der A'elde, 

 Berchem, Van Goyen, Van der Meer, Rousseau, Chatelain, 

 Breughel, Loutherburg, Domenichino, Carlo Maratfi, I'oussin, 

 Boudon, Le Brun, Rubens, Vandyke, Verdier, Watteau, Cipriani, 

 Ruvsbach, Leonardo da Vinci, Andrea del Sarto, Bassano, Mola, 

 Holbein, De la Bella, Callot, Boucher, Rembrandt, Inigo Jones, 

 Barlowe, Seymour, Deacon, Worlidge, Richardson, Thornhill, 

 Cosway, Paul Sandby, Watts, Marlow, Cattermole, Turner of 

 Oxford, Denning, Purser, Wilson, Lambert, Wootton, Isnian, 

 Cooper, De la Alotte, Dallaway, S:c. itc. Among the bronzes 

 are Lorenzo do Medici, after Michael Angelo ; History and Elo- 

 quence, after Algarchi ; Samson and the Lion, by Benvenuto 

 (I'ellini, (from the Pesaro Collection) ; Antinous, &c. &c. 



Among the .Models are a Philosopher reading, by Michael Ruys- 

 bach ; Farneso Flora and Ceres, by Coade ; Santa Babrina, by 

 Bernini ; Santa Susanna ; Gladiator ; Venus and Mercury, by Pi- 

 galli ; Jupiter and Mercury, in wax, by Gosset ; >liakspeare, 

 Hindoo Idols, S:c. ; models of houses and baths at Pompeii, wood- 

 carvings of Silenus, itc. 



The paintings contain examples by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and 

 many other distinguished masters. 



Altogether this collection supplies great artistic resources for 

 Plymouth and its neighbourhood, which boast the birth-places of 

 Reynolds and Haydon. It is to be hoped application will be made 

 to the government for a collection of casts, and that it will he 

 answered with the same success as in the case of the Salford 

 Museum and Library. 



