The Country House. 273 



Letter III. — In this letter, as well as in his first, the employer shows 

 a predilection for the comforts of the Elizabethan style, but admits the merits 

 of the classical style in the abstract, and more especially as adapted for dis- 

 playing sculpture and painting. He endeavours to ridicule the works of 

 modern English architects. " Show me a Palladian villa," he says, " a mile 

 off, and I could draw you the plan of the inside at once. Indeed, I could 

 walk blindfolded into the drawingroom, dining-room, library, and boudoir, 

 and go up to bed in the best bed-room, without a guide or a light." 



In Letter IV. the architect makes some further observations on style. 

 " The Elizabethan style is only one of the links of a progressive series of 

 attempts to appropriate and adapt the elements of the Grecian style to 

 modern purposes. You must, therefore, admit that architecture, which is 

 capable of producing independent works out of its own resources, and from 

 its own principles, is degraded to what is little better than mere decoration 

 and scene-painting, when (apprehensive of falling into contradiction and want 

 of harmon}^, unless it retains all the individual particulars of extant examples,) 

 it timidly strives to imitate the dialect of a single province. How short a 

 time, however, must the impression [)roduced by such mummery last, and 

 how long the impression of a work of architecture is destined to remain ! Is 

 it because we are ashamed of or mistrust the results of our own study and 

 conviction, that we venture to exhibit ourselves to posteritj-, merely as the 

 copyists of examples the repute of which is already established, and which 

 may be learnt and repeated by rote ? At various periods, men have shov/n 

 themselves either barbarous or puerile in their notions on art ; yet never till 

 now such slavish copyists, such mere plagiarists, such mocking-birds in style. 

 You may judge by this saliy in what an ill humour I am, at finding that you 

 would shut me up in a cage and there make me sing. If you examine your 

 Elizabethan architecture with some little critical attention, you will hardl}'' 

 fail to perceive that, with all its richness of expression, the elementary sounds 

 are no more harmonious than the crowing of a cock, or the braying of 

 an ass. 



" All this concerns merely the style, as style ; for, in other respects, we often 

 meet with much [in the Elizabethan style] that deserves praise ; convenient 

 arrangement and contrivance, striking effect, and much cleverness of con- 

 struction and execution, although, so far from being pure or refined, the taste 

 displayed maybe decidedly vulgar and coarse. I freely confess that the merits 

 I have just mentioned were retained in the architecture of the North of 

 Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. I say retained, because the 

 Gothic style that was then abandoned had been treated with masterly skill, 

 and showed disciplined artificers in all that belongs to mechanical execution; 

 consequently, the ability thus produced had only to employ itself upon a 

 fresh task." (p. 18.) 



With respect to the suitableness of the Greek style for modern purposes, 

 our architect observes : " If we allow that, as far as it proceeded, Grecian 

 architecture is stamped by perfect beauty, it is of little moment to our argu- 

 ment whether it was so comprehensive as it might have been, and had suffi- 

 ciently developed itself lor those purposes which we now more especially 

 require, since the perfection it did actually attain in the direction it took 

 ought to be sufficient to inspire the artist. It was not necessary that the 

 latter should surrender up the freedom belonging to him as such, and confine 

 himself to following Grecian motives and intentions. In fact, the peculiar 

 charms, or the grace and freshness, of Grecian architecture become withered, as 

 soon as we begin to treat it according to dry systematic rules. The Vitruvius 

 capable of legislating for it according to its genius and true spirit, perhaps is 

 not yet born." (p. 19.) 



In conclusion he observes, with respect to the sty\e which he means to 

 adopt for H. B.'s country house: " I do not mean to be confined either to a 

 servile imitation of a pure Pompeian house ; or to be tied down to repeat 

 your Elizabethan architecture, or the Gothic of Germany or England. Nor 



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