ARCHITECTURE. 



ether buildings erected by Brunelleschi, 

 the learned began to study the works of 

 Vitruvius, and a general taste for the prin- 

 ciples of the art began to warm the 

 breasts of the Italians. 



. Leo Battista Alberta, bom A. D. 1398, 

 was the first modern author who publish- 

 ed a learned treatise on architecture, from 

 which he has acquired great reputation, 

 and is justly styled the modern Vitruvius. 

 Following the steps of Brunelleschi, he 

 reformed byjhis precepts and designs ma- 

 ny of the abuses and barbarous practices 

 which then prevailed among his country- 

 men. 



Bramante had a considerable share in 

 the restoration of ancient art, and built 

 many magnificent edifices. Pope Julius 

 II. having projected the rebuilding of St. 

 Peter's upon a scale of unequalled mag- 

 nificence, entrusted the execution of the 

 design, 1513, to Bramante, who conceived 

 the idea of erecting the lofty cupola 

 upon that immense structure. This vast 

 undertaking was carried on successively 

 by Raphael, San Gallo, and Michael An- 

 gelo, to whom the final design and com- 

 pletion of the work is principally due. 



Architecture continued to flourish in 

 the 16th century, under the great archi- 

 tects Vignola, Serlio, Palladio, and Sca- 

 mozzi. To the unremitted assiduity of 

 these distinguished artists in the study of 

 the Roman edifices, and to their invalua- 

 ble publications, the world has been much 

 indebted for the elucidation of the prin- 

 ciples of ancient art. 



The list of the celebrated Italian artists 

 closes with Bernini, who flourished in the 

 17th century. 



The Grecian style of building was re- 

 vived in France in the beginning of the 

 16th century, and afterwards flourished 

 under several architects of distinguished 

 merit. Their principal works are, the 

 palace of Versailles, St. Cyr, the church 

 of Invalids, the Facade of the Louvre, a 

 most beautiful modern structure, the 

 Porte St. Dennis, and the church of Gene- 

 vieve, the present Pantheon. 



Grecian architecture was restored in 

 England under the celebrated Inigo j ones, 

 born 1752. His distinguished works at 

 Greenwich, Whitehall, and Covent Gar- 

 den, will ever secure him a name among 

 the architects of the highest reputation. 



Sir Christopher Wren, an eminent ma- 

 thematician and philosopher, as well as 

 an architect of the first rank, has execu- 

 ted many of the finest buildings in Lon- 

 don, and other parts of England, in the 

 modern style. St. Paul's cathedral, infe- 

 rior to none but St. Peter's, in point of 



nor 1,0 noi 



magnitude, but perhaps Superiofr both in 

 skilful constsuction and figuration, will 

 perpetuate his name to the latest posteri- 

 ty. The exterior dome of St. Paul's is 

 constructed of wood, and sustained by a 

 cone of 18 inch brick work, which also 

 supports the lantern above. 



The interior dome is also constructed 

 of 18 inch brick work, which had a course 

 the whole thickness for every five feet, 

 and the intermediate parts had two bricks 

 in length in the thickness. This dome 

 was turned upon a centre, which support- 

 ed itself without any standards from be- 

 low. From the inclined position of its 

 supporting walls it had little or no trans- 

 verse pressure, yet, for the greater secu- 

 rity, it was hooped with iron at the bot- 

 tom. This is accurately represented in 

 Gywn's Section. 



Though modern architecture is, for the 

 far greater part, indebted to the construc- 

 tions and decorations of Grecian' and Ro- 

 man edifices, yet we still retain consider- 

 able traces of the Gothic style in many of 

 our buildings. 



The spire is of Gothic invention ; it is 

 imitated in our churches and some other 

 buildings, by erecting one, or two, or a se- 

 ries of Grecian temples over each otlier, 

 every superior one being less in its hori- 

 zontal dimensions than that immediately 

 below. 



Frustrums of pyramids and cones are 

 also the ornaments of our steeples ; but 

 whether the component parts be one, two, 

 or a series of temples, continually dimin- 

 ished, or temples supporting truncated 

 pyramids, the general contour of the ag- 

 gregate is still pyramidal. 



The plans of Grecian buildings were 

 simple geometrical forms ; but these of 

 our structures are symmetrical and com- 

 plex figures, more in imitation of those 

 of the Romans. 



The materials used in our modern build- 

 ings are stone, brick and timber. In rus- 

 tic buildings, the stones are either laid 

 dry or with nfOrtar. In finished edifices, 

 the stones of the facings are squared and 

 laid in mortar, and the backs and cores 

 are most generally made up with brick or 

 rubble. Walls constructed entirety of 

 squared stones are rare : for, allowing- the 

 materials may be easily procured in great 

 abundance, a vast expense will be incur- 

 red by enormous additional workman- 

 ship. This construction of walling is 

 therefore seldom or never used but in 

 aquatic buildings, where the greatest 

 strength is frequently necessary. 



The French have not only shown much 

 ingenuity in the binding and cementing 



