32G 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[OcTOBERj 



him. He was an attentive student of physiological plienomena, and 

 the acknowledged assistant of Scarborough and Willis, to whose works 

 he contributed anatomical drawings. His biographers claim for him 

 the invention of the process of injecting liquids into the veins of living 

 and dead animals : and also, in furtherance of the study of natural 

 history, the origin of what is called micrography, or the delineations 

 of objects as seen by the microscope. In these studies he was the 

 author of many useful experiments, among others, hatching eggs by 

 artificial heat On meteorology we have a very interesting paper by 

 Wren, pointing out a course of experiments, similar to those since 

 carried out by the British Association, with hints for the improvement 

 of the anemometer and hygrometer. As an artist, his architectural 

 reputation must speak for him, and we have alluded to bis eminence 

 in the delineation of objects of natural history, in which he had the 

 patronage of Charles II. In All Souls' College, Oxford, are preserved 

 many of his architectural designs, and also some of his working draw- 

 ings, doing in the early part of liis career everything himself. For 

 the invention of mezzotinto engraving he is one of the claimants, and 

 also for that of many instruments used in drawing. We have yet to 

 speak of his mechanical ingenuity, which was one of his boyish cha- 

 racteristics, liaving at an early age devised an orrery, which be dedi- 

 cated to his father, and a double pen, which received the approbation 

 of the Lord Protector Cromwell. In all kinds of what are called 

 mathematical and optical instruments, his ingenuity was, as we have 

 said, prolific, and his skill was ever ready, in the course of the great 

 works in which he was engaged. In a knowledge of mechanical pro- 

 cesses, and an acquaintance with the several trades, he had few rivals 

 in his day ; as a civil engineer he has also left proofs of his ability. 

 His invention was most ready, like that of Watt too ready ; like that 

 great man, too, he rarely pursued his ideas to completion, and was too 

 negligent to put them into a definite form ; the best thing that happened 

 to his suggestions was to become the spoil of pirates and plagiarists, 

 to be secretly conveyed to the continent by Oldenburg, or to be appro- 

 priated by Hooke. In reference to these failings, we are by no means 

 unwilling to believe, that if Wren were indeed the inventor of mezzo- 

 tint, that he would be pleased rather than otherwise with its appro- 

 priation by a patron so powerful as Prince Rupert. We have now to 

 speak of his literary attainments, for he was the true admirable 

 Crichton. He made his debut with Latin verses above the youthful 

 standard, and we find him noted by Sprat, in after years, as translating 

 Horace into English verse. In Greek, Latin, Italian,* French and 

 English, he was well versed, and his Latin and English prose, as dis- 

 played in the few fragments left by him, are far purer than was the 

 •wont of that day. As an antiquary he has given us specimens of his 

 labours, and it is deeply to be regretted that, with his love of letters 

 and good skill in them, we should have so few memorials of what he 

 was able to do. Such was Wren, a master in every branch of learning, 

 a contributor to its advancement by his example and exertions on 

 every occasion, admired by his contemporaries, and presenting one of 

 the brightest instances of early and diversified talent matured to pro- 

 duce the most distinguished results. 



We have now to trace Wren in his career, to see how his valuable 

 acquirements were pressed into the public service. He early re- 

 ceived a Gresham professorship, the Savilian professorship at 

 Oxford, and the dignity of Doctor of Law, and distinguished himself 

 in the discharge of his duties. On the return of Charles II., his 

 connexion could not fail to launch him on the full tide of royal and 

 ecclesiastical patronage, and from that period we find his progress 

 rapid. His rooms at Gresham College had become the resort of the 

 Royal Society, and on the incorporation of that body by that patron 

 of science, Charles II., be became one of its chartered fellows, and 

 subsequently for two years its president. In 1G03, he received from 

 the munificent Archbishop Sheldon, his first architectural employment, 

 the construction of the theatre at Oxford, for the accommodation of 

 four thousand persons, an enterprise of which he well acquitted him- 

 self. He subsequently received a commission from his uncle the 



* Birch's History of the Rojal Society, Vol. II, p. 72. 



Bishop, to build the chapel of Pembroke College, Cambridge ; and 

 about the same time was employed to report on the repair of old St. 

 Paul's, his designs for which were fortunately not carried into effect. 

 He was now the Deputy (and de facto) Surveyor General to the King, 

 and in 10G5 made an excursion to Paris, where he employed himself 

 in examining the progress of the arts, and the wonders of the pros- 

 perous era of Louis le Grand. 



We now come to the epoch of Wren's life, which was to consign 

 him to architecture as his chief pursuit— this was brought about by 

 the deplorable fire of London, in 1GG6, and the consequent necessity 

 for rebuilding the metropolis. Then, as in the recent case of the 

 fresco painting of the Houses of Parliament, the Government had 

 recourse to the continent, and Perrault was invited to superintend the 

 building of the new city, but fortunately could not come. We hope 

 that the rejection of Cornelius will produce no deeper regret than 

 the absence of Perault. After the fire, projects poured in upon the 

 Government for laying out the city upon a regular plan, Hooke and 

 Evelvn sent in theirs, and Wren sent in his. After-experience has 

 perhaps taught us that no permanent evil has resulted from the non- 

 adoption of any one of them. Wren was appointed one of the 

 Commissioners for rebuilding St. Paul's, Surveyor for rebuilding the 

 cHy, and in 1069, King's Surveyor General, and a weight of duties 

 wa's imposed upon him, which he managed to discharge, and at the 

 same time not to neglect his scientific pursuits. Not only had he to 

 design nearly all the public buildings, which had been destroyed, but 

 to build and repair palaces elsewhere, to act as a Commissioner of 

 arbitrations, to report on public improvements, to check accounts of 

 all kinds, and to lay out and construct roads and sewers. In laying 

 out the citv, we have greatly to admire his regard for the health and 

 cleanliness' of the population, the attention he paid to draining, and 

 we may record his opinion against the practice of burying in towns. 

 Ventilation was one of the subjects to which he had turned his atten- 

 tion ; and the internal economy of his buildings was not neglected. He 

 it was who aided in the compilation of the rules for the governance of 

 Chelsea Hospital. 



In the midst of these labours, in 1672, Wren received the honour of 

 knighthood ; and in 1674, married a daughter of Sir John Coghill, 

 and on her death, a daughter of Viscount Fitzwilliam, in the peerage 

 of Ireland. By both wives he left issue. In 1G80 and 1681 he was 

 President of the Royal Society. In 1685, in the revolution parlia- 

 ment, he served as member forPlympton, in Devon., and subsequently 

 for New Windsor and Weymouth. Of his parliamentary duties we 

 have no account, but we suppose he was merely put in as a govern- 

 ment ofiBcer to supply a fagot vote on ministerial questions. It might 

 be worth inquiry whether Sir Christopher voted for the ejection of 

 James IL or not. At any rate, he was a favourite of both William 

 and Anne, the former of whom made him stand godfather to the 

 cloisters and other barbarisms at Hampton Court, of which the King 

 took the responsibility. To testify his obligations to Queen Ann^, 

 Sir Christopher placed at Windsor, in 1714, a statute of Prince 

 George of Denmark, the Prince Consort. Among his notabilia, we 

 must observe that be was grand master of the Freemasons, and is by 

 many good authorities considered the founder of that order. 



Sir Christopher Wren built St. Paul's, several palaces, many public 

 buildings and works of art, and fifty churches ; and he attained at 

 home and abroad the renown of a distinguished philosopher and great 

 artist. In 1718, the Germans having got possession of the English 

 throne, commenced their career of vandalism, by depriving Wren of 

 his Surveyor Generalship in the S6th year of liis age, and 49th of his 

 service, an act which met with the execrations of that age, and the 

 contempt of the succeeding. His time and his unimpaired faculties 

 were now devoted to his mathematical works, and his relaxation 

 was yearly to be conveyed to contemplate his great work. In such 

 pursuits he died happy, on the 25th February, 1723, and was honoured 

 with a public funeral, and a sepulchre in his own immortal monument. 

 Rarely has there been a man, who cared less for the troubles of this 

 world, or who laboured so hard for such trifling remuneration. His 

 salary for superintending the rebuilding of St. Paul's, was ^£200, 



