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tenor and exterior, of this magnificent ftructure ; and en¬ 
deavour to explain thofe principles of fcience, by which 
alone fuel) a building ought to be judged. 
Mr. Smirke, jun. the architefl, has fele<fled, and upon 
very juft grounds of preference, the Doric ftyle of archi¬ 
tecture, which, in majefty, fimplicity, and itrength, fo 
much excels the other orders. The front of the theatre 
occupies one half of that fide of Bow-ftreet neared to 
Covent-garden ; and, upon our firft approach, we are (truck 
■with the aftonifhing breadth and majeftic fimplicity of the 
building. The portico, in the centre, is of the fame pro¬ 
portions as thofe in the portico of the temple of Minerva 
at Athens ; and the charaCteriftics of Greek architecture 
are preferved in the other parts of the front. The co¬ 
lumns of the portico, we believe, with the exception of 
thofe of St. Peter’s at Rome, and thofe in the temple of 
the Acropolis, are the largeft of any exiiting building in 
Europe. The mouldings on the exterior of the building, 
the architraves round the windows, in fliort every part, are 
correct examples of Greek forms and purity. In the lower 
part of the front a fuite of arcades extends from one end 
to the other; and there is no decoration introduced which 
does not tend to the general effect and character of the 
whole.—The front of the building is terminated at each 
end by two pilafters; and the figures of Comedy and Tra¬ 
gedy are placed in niches between them. There is a 
breadth of plain furface under each niche, by means of 
which, the efreCt of the figures is very much allilted. The 
bajfo relievos in front are each about forty-five feet long, 
and are executed with the fame relief as thofe in the tem¬ 
ple of Minerva, which were the work of Phidias. The 
projection of the molt prominent figure not exceeding 
three inches, they have a peculiar effeft from the plain 
furface behind them, and, being flightiy indented, harfh 
fliadows are avoided. They thus form a part of the ge¬ 
neral character and prevailing fimplicity of the ftruCture, 
and coniiitute a modeft decoration and delicate enrich¬ 
ment. Under the portico, in the fame relief as the other 
balfo-relievos, the king’s arms are introduced. 
The main walls of the theatre, which are about one hun¬ 
dred feet in height, and of a proportionate thicknefs, rife 
confiderably above the other parts of the front ; and arched 
openings have been judicioufly introduced, by which the 
chimneys are concealed, and the water is difeharged front 
the great roof. In the other fronts of the building all 
architectural decoration has been omitted; but the fame 
flowing lines, the fame exaChiefs of proportions and purity 
of parts, the fame noble fimplicity and character of levere 
grandeur, is preferved throughout.—The building is en¬ 
tirely infulated ; but a communication has been preferved 
between Hart-ltreet and Bow-ltreet, and the piazzas in 
Covent-garden. 
But in a work conducted upon principle, having faid 
thus much, having praifed the architect, not only for his 
talle and genius, but for his knowledge of the rule, and 
Itrict conformity to it; it is but jultice to the public not 
to cover him with indiferiminate eulogy, but to apply the 
rule as well where it apparently makes againlt him as 
where it is in his favour. Ought not the entablature in 
the front of the building to have been one unbroken line ? 
ought it to have been divided into compartments ? In this 
llyle of building, the Doric order, nothing is admilfible 
for the mere purpofe of ornament. Every thing mult 
have an immediate or prefumable reference to utility. 
According to this principle, the entablature is fuppofed 
to be the ltrap, or vinculum, by which the parts are bound 
together. Now it is evident that this idea neceflarily in¬ 
volves unity and continuity. There is no itrength in a 
cord thus minutely fnapped. This divifion, moreover, 
was not necefl'ary for the purpofe of comprehending the 
figures of the baflo-relievos. According to all exiiting re- 
liques of the pure Greek Doric, they might have been in¬ 
troduced in the interftices of the tryglypbs. Divifion al¬ 
ways takes from effect; it belongs to ornament, but not 
to fimplicity. 
DON. 
There is one peculiar praife which belongs to this build¬ 
ing—It is the only exiiting fpecimen of pure Greek ar¬ 
chitecture, uncorrupted by Roman or Gothic appendages. 
It is filled up as it were from the remaining fliell of the 
Acropolis at Athens. Mr. Smirke has caught from the 
temple of Minerva the general idea; the proportions, the 
parts, the finifhing, are all his own ; in a word, it is a 
building of which Athens would not have been aihamed, 
and of which England, therefore, may be reasonably proud. 
—Like every true work of art, it does not command at¬ 
tention by its mere mafs; the effect is purely given to : t 
by the art, the harmony, the mind, of the workman. The 
mafs, the brick arid mortar, and all that was done by the 
trowel and the plane, belong to Mr. Copeland ; the order 
and effect, the man agitans mo/cm, to Mr. Smirke. It is 
he that has lifted the mafs into lightnefs, and, like the 
Atlas in the fable, carries it with majelty and fimplicity 
on his (boulders. 
The fpecimens of the fine arts exhibited in the Sculp¬ 
ture of the front are representations of the ancient and 
modern drama, in bafi'o relievo. Thedefigns are clafiical, 
and the execution mafterly. The piece reprefenting the 
ancient drama is to the north of the portico, and that re¬ 
prefenting the modern drama is on the South fide. 
Ancient Drama .—In the centre three Greek poets are 
Sitting. The two looking towards the portico are Arif- 
tophanes, representing the old comedy, and (neared to 
the SpeClator) Menander representing the new comedy. 
Before them Thalia prefents herfelf with her crook and 
comic mafk, as the objeCt of their imitation. She is fol¬ 
lowed by Polyhymnia playing on the greater lyre, and by 
Euterpe on the Smaller lyre; Clio with the long pipes, 
and Terpfichore, the mufe of aClion or pantomime. Thefe 
are Succeeded by three nymphs crowned with the leaves 
of the fir-pine, and in fuccindt tunics, representing the 
hours or feafons, governing and attending the winged 
horfe Pegafus. The third fitting figure in the centre, 
looking from the portico, is aEfchylus, the father of tra¬ 
gedy. He holds a Scroll open upon his knee; his at¬ 
tention is fixed on Wifdom, or Minerva, Seated oppofite 
to the poet, and diftinguifhed by her helmet and (liield. 
Between yESchylus and Minerva, Bacchus fiands leaning 
on his fawn, becaufe the Greeks represented tragedies 
in honour of Bacchus. Behind Minerva dands Melpo¬ 
mene, or Tragedy, holding a Sword and mafk; then fol¬ 
low two Furies, with fiiakes and torches, purfuing Oredes, 
who dretches out his hands to Supplicate Apollo for pro¬ 
tection. Apollo is represented in the quadriga, or four- 
horfed chariot of the fun. The lalt-defcribed figures re¬ 
late to part of JEfchylus’s tragedy of Oredes. 
Modern Drama .—In the centre (looking from the por¬ 
tico) Shakefpeare is fitting; the comic and tragic maiks, 
with the lyre, are about his feat; his right hand is railed, 
exprefiive of calling up the following characters in the 
Temped: fird, Caliban, laden with wood; next, Ferdi¬ 
nand, fheathing his Sword; then, Miranda, entreating 
Profpero in behalf of her lover; they are led on by Arid 
above, playing on a lyre. This part of the compofitiou 
is terminated by Hecate (the three-formed goddefs) in 
her car, drawn by oxen, defeending. She is attended by 
Lady Macbeth, with the daggers in her hands, followed by 
Macbeth turning in horror from the body of Duncan be¬ 
hind him, In the centre (looking towards the portico) 
is Milton, Seated, contemplating Urania, according to his 
own description in the Paradife Loft. Urania is Seated 
facing him above ; at his feet is Sampfon Agoniftes chained. 
The remaining figures reprelent the malque of Comusj 
the two Brothers drive out three Bacchanals, with their 
daggering leader Coinus. The enchanted Lady is Seated 
in the chair; and the (cries is ended by two tigers, repre¬ 
fenting the transformation of Comus’s devotees. The 
defigns of both baffo-relievos, and the models of the an¬ 
cient drama, are by Mr. Flaxman. The models of the 
modern drama, and the execution in (lone, are by Mr, 
liofli. 
The 
