ARCHITECTURE. 



straight lines. The Romans became so 

 enamoured with them, as to spring- them 

 from the base capital of a column, which 

 is intended solely for perpendicular sup- 

 port, and not to counteract lateral pres- 

 sure. From one absurdity to another more 

 gross, their original purity became almost 

 extinct. The orders, which had already 

 become overloaded with ornament, were 

 scarcely able to support the unmeaning 

 trappings with which they were disguis- 

 ed, and their ingenuity, being almost 

 without bounds, discovered and added 

 traits to their character not much unlike 

 the Gothic. This anarchy in the state of 

 architecture was happily relieved by an 

 interregnum of the Gothic style, which 

 branched forth its delicate limbs and 

 beautiful tracery. A short time previous 

 to the incursions of the Goths and Huns, 

 a decidedly new 'character appeared in 

 the art. The basilicx of all the great 

 cities of the empire were converted into 

 Christian churches, keeping up the same 

 form of rectangular parallelograms, divid- 

 ing the cell into aisles by two rows of 

 columns, with arches springing from 

 their capitals to support the roof; wings 

 were added to the flanks of these build- 

 ings, forming on the ground plan the 

 Latin cross, which has continued to be 

 the model of most Christian churches to 

 this day. 



It is very certain that the declension of 

 Roman architecture began to make its 

 appearance in the reign of Constantine, 

 shortly after his conversion to christiani- 

 ty ; but it does not appear that he favour- 

 ed or promoted this style in the founda- 

 tion of his city of Constantinople. 



During this period, until the sixteenth 

 century, Gothic architecture continued 

 to supplant all other styles, and during a 

 few centuries was practised throughout 

 Europe. Charlemagne introduced it into 

 France, when many magnificent churches 

 were erected, which continue to be the 

 ablest specimens of the style to this day. 

 The Roman style again revived, when the 

 term Gothic was applied, in derision, by 

 the Italian school of Palladio. 



The variety of features it underwent, 

 in its application to church architecture, 

 has given rise to many speculations of 

 men of science and learning, as to its rise 

 and progress. One of the theories, and 

 not an improbable one, is, that, during 

 the crusade, worship was conducted in 

 the groves, and in order to procure shel- 

 ter and shade, they bent the limbs of 

 opposite limbs together at the top, and 

 bound them at the intersection, thereby 

 producing 1 the pointed arch, a continua- 



tion of which method from tree to tree 

 would furnish a complete Gothic arcade. 

 The Saxon and Norman Gothic was the 

 first practised, and seems to have been 

 constructed with considerable reference 

 to the Roman style of its time. The pil- 

 lars massy, and consising of several shafts, 

 cylindrical, and octagonal, supporting a 

 heavy decorated cornice, ornamented 

 with diamond net-work. The capitals 

 composed of leaves and flowers. 



One of the finest features of this style, 

 and which in many instances form the 

 most striking ornaments of a city, is the 

 tall tapering spire ; they were first built 

 of wood by the Normans, and since, with 

 as much dexterity, by their decendants in 

 stone, as in Salisbury tower and spire, 

 being 40'.) feet in height. 



The most remarkable property belong- 

 ing to the Gothic is magnitude ; as it ne- 

 ver succeeds in producing its characteris- 

 tic beauties when projected on a small 

 scale, and should always be constructed 

 of stone or wood. 



Buildings of a public nature ought to 

 express, in the design, the uses and pur- 

 poses to which they are erected and ap- 

 propriated, so that strangers, when they 

 behold a church, bank, court-house, 

 prison, &c. may understand them to be 

 so, from some external characters, with- 

 out the aid of a painted sign or inscribed 

 tablet. 



Allegorical representations, applied 

 to architecture, is a source through which 

 we always derive pleasure and informa- 

 tion, by calling forth the taste, judgment, 

 and literary acquirements, to the inter- 

 pretation of objects in the fine and digni- 

 fied arts. In a young country like ours, 

 where its inhabitants are scattered over 

 an immense tract of territory, a great 

 portion of which is unsettled and uncul- 

 tivated ; and where its only resources are 

 drawn from agriculture and commerce, 

 distributing and equalizing wealth, it 

 cannot be reasonably expected that archi- 

 tectural works of great magnificence and 

 duration should be constructed, to bear 

 any kind of comparison with those exe- 

 cuted under the controul of a despotic 

 power, where materials, labour, and funds, 

 are directed by sovereignty and an inde- 

 pendent priesthood. 



The associations of men of wealth for 

 the construction of edifices of a public 

 nature, and in the establishment of insti- 

 tutions for the promotion of the fine arts 

 and sciences, are highly honourable to 

 the taste and liberality of the American 

 character : and it is entirely owing to such 

 objects and exertions, that we can trace 



