met with more than one inftance in the courfe of my architectonic refearches; and the laft of thete, an affertion of Mr. Murphy, in the 9th and 10th pages of his Bathala," Icems founded in mistake, "that the claim of Sir C. Wren to the first rank in his profeflion depends, perhaps, more on his knowledge of thefe curves (viz. the ellipfis, parabola, and hyperbola) than upon all his other attainments in architecture," &c. As their ufe was unneceffary, fo it is unlikely they were employed either in the exterior of the cupola of St. Paul's, or in the fpire of St. Dunstan's in the Eaft, infianced by Mr. Murphy. The eye is a poor judge of curves of a precile nature; or are fuch mentioned, as applied by him to building, in the Parentalia? Educated under all the prejudices arifing from what was named Roman architecture, and deluded by the not over-well underflood Vitruvian technicals, Order, Difpofition, Eurithunia, Decorum, Diltribution; the magnificence of a chain of learned commentators, with the loud plaudits of all Europe; underftanding befides but too little of the Gothic; what has fallen from Sir C. Wren in its reproach is nothing that fhould excite our wonder, or be deemed fo highly reprehenfible. He fpoke the language of his day; he learned it in Italy, in France, at home, every where; and his authority, but little as a writer, might, from his high profeffional repute, have tended to fix deeper this public opinion. And here feels the whole charge which can jufily be brought against the eminent architect of St. Paul's; an edifice which, as a defign, equals any thing of its day, and as a machine has its great excellencies! although in both thefe the furveyor, as he modeftly flyles himfelf, might in the leading features have caught a glance from exifting models and one of them, belides, the work of a Gothic artift. And now, whether the term Gothic was ever applied to figmatize our English architecture, or what is more the Weltern architecture of the middle ages, may reafonably Le queftioned; for, if this name was beflowed because it was deemed fomehow connected with the Gothie fettlers in the empire, it will be evident, however in there our claffic times it may have been fixed as a figma on other cccations, on this it never was reproactiful. And the truth feems to be, that, on the revival of the Roman orders, a term of diftinction being requifite, likely from the time of Pope Martin V. 1418, we have to blame the evidence of Hiftory itself that the word Gothic was defined for the purpose. Hear Vafari, Scamozzio, and the reft, all affirming, and they are well enough fupported, that the Barbarians came upon their Italy like a vati ocean, defiroying and changing every thing; that a new mode of building in confequence arofe by their defcendants, called Gothic; that it was heavy, dull, and mallive, and afterwards changed to the light, the airy, and overcharged with feulptures and imagery, was more fit to be erected with cards than marbles, and was inconceivably fupported. By which are fufficiently to be underflood the fpecies of the early and latter architecture of the Western Christians during the middle ages. All this Wren learned from Italians, and repeats in his account of Salisbury cathedral (Parentalia, p. 308, &c. &c.), although his own faith may be fairly queftioned as to this article. From Italy, however, he was not the first importer of the term. This an Architect will acknowledge, when he finds in Sir Henry Wotton's "Elements of Architecture," which appeared 1624, “arches in the third and fourth point always concurring in an acute angle ought to be exiled from judicious eyes, and left to their first inventors, the Goths and Lumbards, among the reliques of that barbarous age." Befides, in 1664, the fame term, with more extenfive application, is found again in Evelyn's tranflation of Freart's "Parallel of Architecture," and in fubfequent editions of that work, whereas Wren's Memorial of Wettinfier-abbey was but prefented in MS. to the Bishop of Rochefter 1713, and was not published for fome time after by Widmore, and then with his other papers, in the Parentalia, 1750: and thus it becomes rather puzzling to find out how the literary productions of Sir C. Wren, contained in that offenfive collection, to the honour of the Wrens, fhould firt have degraded our own English architecture by nicknaming it Gothic. Truly patriotic is an Architect in affirming this fine fpecies of building, fo truly adapted to every religious and civil purpofe, to be the fole produce of his native foil. Swinburne tells us, the cathedral at Bargos, in Spain, is of "the the kind employed in, that grand edifice, York mintter. The cathedral at Milan is alfo a miracle of art. The twice double-ailed cathedral at Paris has juftly its admirers: as has alfo the Sainte Chapelle, fo like our St. Stephen's, Weftminster; while the cathedral at Rheims is a chef d'œuvre, where the palin may be difputed with ourfelves. I have viewed with the fame delight the abbey-church of St. Bertin and the cathedral of St. Omner's as I have thofe at Wefuminfier and Canterbury. But how, agreeable with the analogy of an Architect, fhall I apply his term Norman architecture io the manner of all their edifices, diftant as they are, and, except at home, in countries where the Rollas and the Tancreds, the Williams and the Boemonds, never drew a fword, or had dominion? Will he not readily perceive that term is more adapted to denote a fpecies than a genus? I dare not reecho Gothic to his affrighted cars, although, taken as generic of the anceftors of modern Europe, it may be admitted to fignify whatever was commonly in ufe, with but little difference, among all thofe portions from the fame common ftock.- Let me now conclude in the peace of an Architect; let me ailure him, for 18 years I have had my eye with pleafure on the progrefs of his labours, and have, and yet hope to have, many obligations to his efforts in delineating the remains of that Architecture fo glorioutly purfued by the happy genius and ample intellgence of the Normanno-English nation during the middle ages. QUESTIONS TO AN ARCHITECT. 1. It is known that palaces in Italy were, in the 9th and 10th centuries, built with windows of the pointed arch; and I have fomewhere been informed, that Charles the Great, looking out of one of thefe windows of a palace he had near the fea, perceiving a fleet of Danish pirates, or Normans, pailing at no great diftance, exclained, If they dare thus infult our coafts during my life, what may not be expected when I am no more?" Now, an Architect, affuring us the pointed arch is the grand characteristick of architecture during the Norman era, the queftion is, in what manner of building does he deem the faid palace of Charlemagne ? II. If Gothic is a term of reproach, why is not alfo Norman, denoting a barbarian Danish brood with no inheritance of original art, who, poffeffing but their fhips and arms, made themfelves fettlements in fome of the fineft countries in Europe; where if they became the efpecial patrons of architecture, was it of any other kind than that in ufe among the already civilized inhabitants of thofe countries? INDAGATOR WINTONIENSIS. An Account of a fingular Attention paid,` in many of the Welth Villages, to the Memory of their departed Friends. (From "A Tour to Milford Haven, in the Year 1791. By Mrs. Morgan.) "Tallude is of a very antient date likewife, but of a much more fimple and harmless nature; I mean firewing the graves with flowers. Upon going into the church-vard, your fenfes are on a fudden furprized and regaled with the feent of the moft delicious newblown flowers and aromatic herbs. When you look around you to difcover from whence this profufion of fweets proceeds, you fee feveral fresh graves firewn all over with thefe primitive and rural tokens of refpect and regard. This tribute is always paid by fome near and dear relation of the deceased, who rifes very early on Sunday morn ing, and, unobferved, diftributes thefe frail yet certain marks of an unfeigned affection. A twelvemonth after this relation or friend is dead, they continue this pious office. According to Speufer, it was an act of religion, and a neceffary duty incumbent upon the living to take THE other cuftom to which I 'Charge of them now, heing dead, In feemly fort their corfes to engrave, And deck with dainty flowers their brydall [and brave That to their heavenly fpoufe both sweet They may appear when he their fouls fhall fave.' bed: a fet of jewels, or a birth-day fuit." Mr. URBAN, Sept. 1. Norfolk, there is or was painted a man and wife and children praying to the Virgin Mary; "over their heads Peddar, before them two horfes travelling with packs on their backs, and under be inferred that this man by fuch occupation attained an ability to prefent fuch a window, if not to repair or rebuild the whole or part of the chancel. (Biomefield, V. 1043.) Peddar's, or Pedlar's way, is a name given to a bank or raised road in fome part of England; but the precife spot I cannot at prefent call to mind. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, D. H. Sept. 4. Whave feveral traditional fiories them Thomas Brown;" whence it may of the good fortune or benefactions of pedlars commemorated in the windows or other parts of our parochial churches. One of the moit famous is at Swaffham, where the North aile of the church is faid to have been built by John Chapman, churchwarden in 1462: a rebus of his name having been carved in wood on part of his feat, reprefenting him bufied in his fhop, and the initials J. C. conjoined near it, and the figure of a woman in two places looking over a fhop-door, as alfo a pedlar with a pack on his fhoulders, and below him what is commonly called a dog, but by Mr. Blomefield, III. 507, from the muzzle and chain, fuppofed a tear, as painted in a window of the North aile; thefe circunftances laid together have fuggefled an idea that he was a pedlar, which Mr. B. conceives very contrary to the habit in which he and the are reprefented in the uppermoft window of this aile. He, therefore, pronounced it a mere rebus of the name of Chap man. As I cannot however help fufpecting, that this fame benefactor was a chapman by occupation as well as name, and that he took pains to perpetuate the memory of a fortunate hit in trade, whereby he was enabled to be fuch a benefactor to his parish-church. to Mr. B.'s objection, that, "had he been a pedlar, it would have been more commendable to have had a' portraiture fuitable to his calling, as is the picture of the pedlar who was a benefactor to the church of St. Mary Lambeth, in Surrey, and to have been reprefented on the glafs as the pedlar is on his feat," it is of little weight. Chapman and pedlar were fynonymous termis in that period of our commerce. Our laws confider a pedlar as a petty chapman; but the inferiority of the commerce does not prevent a perfon's acquiring wealth by it. Though now obliged to take out a licence to vend their wares, they were not under fuch reftrictions before the Revolution. In further proof of the refpeétability of fuch a character it may be obferved, that in the South window of the chancel at Milcham, in the fame county of BE E pleafed to infert the following corrections to the account in your laft Obituary, p. 768, of the death of the late Earl of Dartmouth. His lordship was not fo old as he is there reprefented, having only completed his feventieth year a fhort time before he died. Of his fons, William, who was groom of the bed-chamber to the Prince of Wales, died Oct. 19, 1784; Charles Gounter, who was a lieute nant-colonel in the army, died O&. 11, 1785; and Heneage, a ftudent of Christchurch, Oxford, died Sept. 2, 1782. Henry is ftill alive: he was lately a barrifter at law, but is now under-fecretary at the Irish office, London. Edward is a prebendary of Canterbury and vicar of Lewisham; and AuguftusGeorge is rector of Wonfion, in Hampshire. By making the abovenamed correc tions you will oblige one who has been long acquainted with every branch of the noble family which has fo lately been deprived of the most respectable head of it, and your fincere friend and CONSTANT READER. |