Hoshinrf s Principles and Practice of Architecture. 133 



and a strict adherence to the key or tonic in a composition. The"three primary 

 forms, the circle, the triangle, and the square, have each only one proper 

 position. The first, indeed, can take no position but one, while the secondary 

 and tertiary forms have two proper positions, the horizontal and vertical. 

 These positions must be strictly adhered to; for obliquity in this case is 

 inadmissible, and, as already shown, can only be employed to produce angular 

 forms. When the circle is the key or tonic adopted, the square and the equi- 

 lateral triangle will be the leading features of the forms introduced into the 

 composition. "When the ellipsis is the tonic, their leading features will be 

 the parallelogram and rhombus, whether the composition be horizontal or 

 vertical. There can be no properly harmonious composition in which this 

 classification is not attended to. No doubt men of great genius can do this 

 instinctivel}', and to such, a knowledge of rules is superfluous : but rules are 

 requisite to enable the generality of mankind to ai)preciate judiciously the 

 works of men of genius." (p. 48.) 



Art. III. An introductory Lecture, delivered at Kings College, 

 London, January 24. 1842, on the Principles and Practice of Archi- 

 tecture. To tvhich are now added a few Notes, and some further 

 Remarks on the modern Practice of Competition. By William 

 Hosking, F. S.A., Architect and Civil Engineer. London, 1842. 

 Pamph. 8vo, pp. 42. 



The pages of this pamphlet are occupied in enumerating the various kinds of 

 buildings, and operations connected with them, which fall within the province 

 of the architect to originate and direct, with the author's particular opinions 

 on the modern practice of competition. We shall make one short extract, 

 for the sake of the last sentence. 



" The largest class of buildings yet remains ; and it will be found that, great 

 as the variety of requirement is in buildings distinguished as public, it is even 

 greater in the class of dwelling-houses ; for, although every house may be 

 resolved into the three departments which the uses and habits of social life 

 require (every house having its sitting-room, its sleeping-room, and its 

 cooking-room), the nobleman's mansion must have these multiplied and 

 extended, with accessories to include all that human wants and wishes can 

 demand ; whilst the shopkeeper is content to expose his goods for sale in the 

 best parts of his house, and to cook, eat, and sleep where his business may 

 leave him room ; and the labourer, in his turn, is but too glad to find his 

 cottage so arranged by the economic skill of the architect, that cooking, eat- 

 ing, and sleeping have each a separate apartment. The idea of a peasant's 

 cottage being included in the studies of an architect may excite a smile ; but, if 

 architects were more employed upon peasants' cottages, there might be less 

 occasion for their services in building county hospitals and union workhouses." 



Art. IV. Literary Notices. 



Frequent complaints have been made to us that we do not state the prict-- 

 of the books which we review or recommend ; and the reason is, that \, ; ■ 

 cannot do so, except under particular circumstances, without incurring tiic 

 advertisement duty. We propose, however, in future to adopt the mode fol- 

 lowed in the Literary Gazette, Athenceuin, and similar journals,' to give a 

 monthly list of books, which we think worlii purchasing or reading by har- 

 deners or their employers, with their prices, unless wc find some consequences 



