A R CM I T 
glafs are concealed by being in the dark (hades of the dra¬ 
peries and figures, and a frame of iron, to which it is fat¬ 
tened by bandages of lead, is fo conflrufled as to be hid 
from the view by correfponding to the different (hades. 
The other, the fubject of which is the Refurreftion, was 
defigned by Sir Jofluia Reynolds, and executed by Mr. 
Egington, near Birmingham, whofe great abilities are uni- 
verfally admired : the window is twenty-three feet high, 
;and is comprifed in three compartments; it principally 
contifis of one figure, which is a full-length of our Sa¬ 
viour juft arifen from the tomb, from which a glory pro¬ 
ceeds, and diffufes it’felf throughout the whole, difp.erfing 
the darknefs of the night: in the left compartment is a 
diftant view of mount Calvary and the croifes. The win¬ 
dows on each fide are painted in mofaic, and thofe on the 
north and fouth Tides of what was the Lady’s chapel are 
ornamented with the fame elegant work: thefe, together 
with the range of columns within, and the vaulting above, 
form, perhaps, one of the grandeft fceiies in architecture. 
The pavement is black and white marble, and the amu¬ 
sing liglunefs of the columns that fupport the roof is 
fcarcely to be conceived ; the four principal ones, not mea- 
fttring more than ten inches diameter, are near thirty feet 
high ; the clu.fiered ones are ftill more delicately light, and 
are noyv entirely detached from any incumbrances. By 
this means the beautiful perfpeflive of the whole building 
is judicioufly preferved, and cannot fail of finking the 
moll critical eye with admiration and delight. 
If, then, the architects of thefe cathedrals were fo il¬ 
literate as they have been reprefented, it is aftonifhing how 
they could have acquired the laws of conftrudlion fo ac¬ 
curately, or have afeertained the maximum of their pil¬ 
lars, arches, buttreftes, &c. whilfi the moderns, with all 
their fuppoled improvements in this art, and the alfiftance 
they evidently derive from algebra, have not yet produced 
any examples in conftrudtion equal to what the former have 
left us. It is not to be fuppofed, indeed, that all the ar- 
chitefts of thofe times were competent to Rich an arduous 
talk ; therefore the illiterate ones, whofe talents were li¬ 
mited to the practice of their art; availed themfelves of 
the excellencies of fome approved model, and thus obvia¬ 
ted all calculation refpefting the ratio of force and refin¬ 
ance. This in fome mealure accounts for the fimilarity 
we find in the breadth of many of thefe edifices, both in 
this country and on the continent. We could adduce ma¬ 
ny infiances in teftimony of this fad, if we admit the re¬ 
lation of their hiftorians; but, for brevity’s fake, we fhall 
only quote the ftrudures nteafured by Mr. Murphy, which 
differ but very little in breadth, as appears by the follow¬ 
ing comparative efiimate: 
Feet. Inches. 
Batalha 
72 
4 
Alcobapa 
72 
0 
Ely Cathedral 
72 
9 
Weftminfter Abbey 
72 
8 
In the conftrudion of many of our beft Gothic edifices, 
we find but few large ftones, whence fome writers have 
imagined that their architects were unacquainted with me- 
chanifm; but it feems to proceed partly from the nature of 
the quarry, and partly from their mode of building. The 
fplendourof their works confified in arches; in the fabri¬ 
cation of which, materials of a moderate fi'ze are to be 
preferred, becaufe large ftones prefs too heavy on the cen¬ 
tres, and require much time and labour in forming their 
intrados to the curvature of the vault. Where thefe ob¬ 
jections did not apply, they often ufed blocks which no 
human force could raife, independent of mechanical aid. 
Indeed we may venture to alfert, that there is not in Eu¬ 
rope a Gothic church, or cathedral of note, wherein three 
or four of the mechanical powers have not been ufed. It 
is obvious that their arches, particularly thofe of the naves 
and ailes, are fupported on the principles of the ftatiftical 
balance ; each (tone of which they are compofed is a fruf- 
trum of a wedge. Pullies were ufed in railing their cor¬ 
nices, pinnacles, &c. and the lever was nece(Tarily era- 
Vol. II. No. 59. 
E C T U R E. .93 
ployed in moving and fixing them. Here we find the ap¬ 
plication of the balance, the wedge, the pulley, and the 
lever, which four powers would have been lufficient to 
raife either of the (even celebrated (truCtures of antiquity. 
How far they were converfant with the theory of thefe 
powers, is a point not ealy to decide. The experience .of, 
part age^ lias evinced what great things might be effected 
in mechanics, independent of fcientific calculations. The 
obelilks, columns, and enormous granite blocks, of the 
Egyptians, were tranfported, as we are allured, without 
any precognition of the complicated inoyements'of wheels 
and pullies. Jofe Zabaglio, of Rome, never received any 
inftruCtions, he could not even write or read, yet, by the 
force of his genius alone, he invented machines which, 
though (imple in appearance, produced moil furprifing ef¬ 
fects. In our own days, we have many ftriking affiances 
of fimilar inventive faculties in men unallifted by erudition. 
An obfeure workman, of the name of Cafhman, defigned 
and executed for the Dublin Society, a few years ago, a 
flight of winding flairs, afeending in .the midftof a qua¬ 
drangular hall, without any apparent fupport whatever, 
.contrary to all preceding examples. The equeitrian (tame 
.of Jofeph I. king of Portugal, one of the molt magnifi¬ 
cent works of the kind in Europe, was entirely,caft by a 
perfon of the name of Bartholomew da Cofta, w ho,.as we 
are credibly informed, was not in the lead indebted to the 
theory of any art or fcience. This ingenious, man, after 
calling the above (latue, tranfported it from the founder. y 
to the great fquare' of Lilbon by machines of his own 
contrivance, and afterwards railed it on its lofty pedefial, 
to the admiration of all the mathematicians of that country. 
Of CASTLES. 
The venerable remains of thefe immenfe fabrics, which 
are more or lefs difperfed throughout the kingdom, are fo 
many monuments of the Saxon and Norman Gothic ar¬ 
chitecture. The materials of which cattles were built 
varied according to the places of their erection: but the 
manner of their conltruCtion feems to have been pretty 
uniform. The outfides of the walls were generally built 
with the ftones neareft at hand, laid as regularly as their 
lhapes would admit; the infides were filled up with the 
like materials, mixed with a great quantity of fluid mor¬ 
tar, which was called by the workmen grout-work. The 
general fliape or plan of thefe callles depended entirely on 
the caprice of the architects, or the form of the ground 
intended to be occupied: neither do they feem to have 
confined themfelves to any particular figure in their tow¬ 
ers; fquare, round, and polygonal, oftentimes occurring in 
the original parts of the fame building. 
The fituation of the cattles of the Anglo-Norman kings 
and barons, was mod commonly on an eminence, and near 
a river; a fituation on feveral accounts eligible. The 
whole fite of the caftle (which was frequently of great ex¬ 
tent and irregular figure) was fnrfounded by a deep and 
broad ditch, fometimes filled with water, and fometimes 
dry, called the fojfe. Before the great gate was an out¬ 
work, called a barbacan , or antemural, which was a firong 
and high wall, with turrets upon it, defigned for the de¬ 
fence of the gate and draw-bridge. On the infide of the 
ditch ftood the wall of the caftle, about eight or ten feet 
thick, and between twenty and thirty feet high, with a 
parapet, and a kind of embflafures, called crennels, on the 
top. On this wall at proper difiances fquare towers ’of 
two or three (lories high were built, which ferved for 
lodging fome of the principal officers of the proprietor of 
the caftle, and for other purpofes; and on the infide were 
erefted lodgings for the common fervants or retainers, gra¬ 
naries, ftorehoufes, and other necefiary offices. On the 
top of this wall, and on the flat roofs of thefe buildings, 
ftood the defenders of the caftle, when it was befieged, 
and from thence difebarged arrows, darts, and ftones, on 
the befiegers. The great gate of the caftle ftood in the 
courfe of this wall, and was ftrongly fortified with a tow¬ 
er on each lide, and rooms over the paffage, which was 
B b doled 
