814 
can afford no clearer or more convincing proof that these 
principles are not generally known, than by noticing that 
Rickraan (Attempt plate 4, p. 113,) in giving the plan of a 
cathedral, " not (says he) the plan of any particular building, 
but composed to introduce as many parts as it was expedient 
to describe," has altogether deviated from the arrangement 
alluded to in the disposition of the clustered pillars, and the 
relative proportions of the ichnography or plan. 
Mr. SopwiTH commented at some length upon the leading 
points brought forward in Mr. Wallen's communication, 
which he considered to be of great value, as tending to 
establish certain fixed proportions in cases where hitherto 
there had been no guide save mere imitation ; hence it fol- 
lowed, that modern buildings were admired more from their 
close resemblance to some of the celebrated buildinofs of 
ancient times, than for their adherence to any definite pro- 
portions, such as Mr. Wallen and others had recently, and 
he thought successfully, endeavoured to establish. Previous 
to the meeting he had had an opportunity of closely ex- 
amining the detailed drawings prepared by Mr. Wallen in 
illustration of this paper, and he thought it only due to the 
talented author of them to express in the strongest terms 
his admiration of their beautiful execution and accuracy of 
detail. He was of opinion that the principles of construction 
described by Mr. Wallen had been adopted by the builders 
of the several cathedrals to which he referred, but he did 
not consider that any one principle was applied generally to 
all buildings, but that different architects adopted different 
rules or systems of arrangement, and consequently the prin- 
ciples which applied to the Cathedral of York, would be 
found not to apply to all, though they might apply to many 
buildings of a similar style and magnitude. That this was 
the case, Mr. Sopwith said was fully established by a very 
