naftery in Canterbury, built by its firft Norman Abbott, Scotlandus, in 1080. One of the varieties confiited in making the femicircular arches (fuch as all nations, Grecians, Romans, and Saxons, had hitherto built) interfect each other in the middle. The part thus interfected, formed a new kind of arch, of more graceful appearance, and far better calculated to give an idea of height than the femicircular arch for every one must be convinced that a pyramid or obelisk, from its afpiring form, appears to be taller than the diameter of a femicircle, when both are of the fame measure. These plain and interfecting arcades were some. times placed in alternate rows, as in Remigius's work on the façade of Lincoln Cathedral; and fometimes irregularly inter mixed, as on the north fide of Durham Cathedral. The pointed arch, thus formed, appeared at first a mere ornament in baffo relievo, as in the above-mentioned inftances, but very foon it was. alfo feen in alto relievo, over niches and receffes in the infide of Churches, as in the remains of the Cathedral of Canterbury, built. by Lanfranc, and in the Abbey Churches of Glastonbury and Rumfey. It is probable that the firft open pointed arches, in Europe, were the twenty windows conftructed by that great patron of architecture, Henry de Blois, brother of King Stephen, and Bishop of Winchefter, in the Choir of the Church of St.Crofs, near that city, which ftracture he certainly raised between the years 1132 and 1136. Thefe confift of openings made in the inter fected parts of femicircular arches, which cross each other. The ocular evidence of this, taken along with the afcertained date of the work, is a fufficient proof that to the accidental Norman orna ment of interfecting arches, we are indebted for the invention of pointed arches, and pointed architecture. If any man chooses to difpute the proof, he cannot at leaft deny, that open pointed arches, to the number of twenty, were feen together under interfecting archies, in an English church, between the years 1132 and 1136. As the above-mentioned prelate proceeded in his building, from the Eaft, or choir and (which on all fuch occafions was first erect. ed, and rendered fit for divine fervice) to the tranfept, the tower, and the nave of the church, he made many other pointed arches, fome of them obtufely, others acutely pointed; intermixed, however, with a ftill greater proportion of circular and other Saxon work. In 1138, he built the caftle of Farnham, where his pointed arches, refting on huge Saxon columns, are still to be feen." P. 77. Such are the fundamental proofs of that opinion which Dr. Militer maintains, that the pointed arch was invented in England. Dr. Milner, in purfuing his fubject, affigns three different periods for the origin, perfection, and decline of the ecclefiaftical architecture, which he marks as diftinguishing three different N BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXIX. FEB. 1819. different orders of the pointed flyle. Whether we agree with him or not in the opinion that the limits of thefe changes can be fo exactly defined as to form three orders, it is undoubted that he has diftinguifhed the variations with taste and accuracy, and has given an elegant and very able, though concife, view of the whole fubject. Mr. Whittington, who brings no very direct or well afcertained proofs of the prior conftruction of pointed arches in France, dwells with particular attention on the comparifon of the two Cathedrals of Amiens, and Salisbury, built nearly at the fame period; that is very early in the thirteenth century. His proof of the greater advance of the French architects at that period, refts partly on the fuperior magnificence of the Church at Amiens, (a circumstance certainly not conclufive to his point) and partly on the introduction of ornaments and elegancies, which were not adopted by us till much later. This, however, is not decifive if it can be fhown that the fame contrivances, if not visible at Salisbury, are to be found in other English buildings, of that period; which appears to have been proved with refpect to the Chapter-Houfe at York. Whatever turn may be given to this controverfy by the fubfequent arguments and refearches of ingenious enquirers, this will always be fatisfactory, that the prefent ftage of it has given origin to two highly elegant and inftructive works, of different character indeed, but both of eminent merit. The work of Mr. Whittington, after defcribing, in the first part, the progrefs of ecclefiaftical architecture from the earlieft periods to the reign of Louis XII; proceeds, in the fecond, to the defcription of feveral remarkable churches in France; namely, the Abbey Church of St. Germain dez Prez, of St. Genevieve, of St. Denys, of Notre Dame, the Churches of Rheims, and that of Amiens. The only fubject for much regret in this work is that, excepting the beautiful view of the weft end of Rheims Cathedral, which forms the frontispiece, it contains no illuflrative plates. This is doubt-, lefs owing to its appearing as a pofthumous work, without thefe acceffions which the author, had he lived, would probably have thought requifite. The public, however, is highly indebted to LORD ABERDEEN, and the other Editors, for bringing it forward as it is. Dr. Milner's book, though profeffedly only the enlargement of an article drawn up by him for Dr. Rees's Cyclopædia, has fufficient illuftration by means of ten neat plates, containing either whole views, or fragments of fuch parts of buildings as are mentioned, by way of proof to any point under confideration; confideration; with references to Mr. Carter's Ancient Architecture for further documents. The hiftory of Ecclefiaftical Architecture appears to be given here with more correctnefs than by the other antiquary; and the whole forms an elementary work of the greatest utility and value, on the fubject of a flyle of building long depreciated, butnow duly confidered; and only wanting the aid of a few more dates to fix its origin with certainty. We hope, and are in a good measure perfuaded, that it will be found to have originated among ourfelves. That it arofe out of the efforts of the Norman Architects, whether Anglo-Norman or Gallo-Norman, appears to us quite clear and perhaps the time is not far diftant, when it will be thought extraordinary that any doubts were entertained upon the fubject. ART. X. The Works of the English Poets from Chaucer 10 Cowper, c. WE (From our laft, page 18.). E refume this article for the fake of doing juftice to the author of the lives, to whom we have not given credit, as we ought, for the Lives of Smollett, and W. Hamilton. At the fame time, we must complain of the fubeditor, or whoever was employed in the inferior line of drawing up the table of contents, for leading us into that error. In the General Index of names, which ftands at the head of Vol. I. it will be found, on examination, that exactly those two names are wanting. Now, in making out our comparative lifts of the Poets contained in different editions we had recourfe to thofe general tables as the moft compendious method; and relying on their accuracy, had not thought of making any fubfequent examination: nor even of correcting our lift, which we fuppofed to be right, by what we afterwards obferved in the volumes. Our readers will now, therefore, please to infert in the lift of lives written by Mr. Chalmers, thofe of W. Hamilton (of Bangour) and Smollett. They both occur, with the works of their authors, in in the fifteenth volume. Yes, Mr. Chalmers has written the Life of Smollett, and to make amends for not having mentioned it on the former occafion, we shall here cite an interefting paffage from it. Smollett, he says, "Set out for Italy early in 1770, with a debilitated body, N 2 and and a mind probably irritated by his late difappointment *, b not without much of that cafe which argues firmness, fince, dur ing this journey, he could fo pleasantly divert his forrows by writing the Expedition of Humphrey Clinker. This novel, if It may be fo called, for it has no regular fable, in point of genuine humour, knowledge of life and manners, and delineation of character, is inferior only to Roderick Random and Peregrine Pickle. It has already been noticed that Matthew Bramble, the principal character, difplays the cynical temper and humane feelings of the author, in his tour on the continent, and it may now be added, that he has given another ketch of himself, in the character of Serle, in the first volume. His account of the ingratitude of Paunceford to Smollett is ftrictly true; and as his biographers feem unacquainted with the circumstances, the following may not be uninteresting, which was related to me by the late intimate friend of Smollett, Mr. Hamilton, the prin ter and proprietor of the Critical Review. "Paunceford was a John C-1, who was fed by Smollett when he had not bread to eat, nor clothes to cover him. He was taken out to India as private Secretary to a celebrated governor-general, and as effayift; and after only 3 years abfence, returned with forty thousand pounds. From India he fent-several letters to Smollett, profeffing that he was coming over to lay his fortune at the feet of his benefactor. But on his arrival, he treated Smollett, Hamilton, and others, who had befriended him, with the most ungrateful contempt. The perfon who taught him the, art of effaying, became reduced in circumftances, and is now (1792) or lately was collector of the toll on carts at Holborn Bars. CI never paid him or any perfon to whom he was in. debted. He died in two or three years after, at his houfe near Hounslow, univerfally defpifed. At the request of Smollett, Mr. Hamilton employed him to write in the Critical Review, which, with Smollett's charity, was all his fupport previous to his departure for India." Vol. xv. p. 550. This very interefting and original illuftration of Smollett's hiftory must be acceptable to every reader. For the life of Hamilton, of Bangour, there were hardly any materials, but what were taken from Lord Woodhoufelee and Profellor Richardfon; but the critical opinion on the Poet with which Mr. C. concludes his life is well worthy of notice. "Hamilton, if not of the first clafs, and in whom we find only thofe fecondary qualities which profeffor Richardfon has bly pointed out, furely excels fome whofe works are better known and more current. The neglect which he has experienced * In the attempt to obtain pecuniary affistance. may may be partly attributed to his political principles, and partly to the local intereft which his effufions excited, and to which they were long confined. Verfes of compliment and perfonal addreffes must have extraordinary merit, if they attract the notice of diftant ftrangers. Prejudice, however, is now at an end, and the friends of Scottish genius who have lately called the attention of the public to this writer, have proved that he deferves higher rank than has yet been affigned to him. He is, perhaps, very unequal, and the blemishes of his verfe and diction, to which profeffor Richardon has alluded are frequent; yet it is no inconfiderable merit to have been one of the first of his countrymen who cultivated the purity and harmony. of the English language, and exhibited a variety of compofition and fertility of Continent, that are rarely to be found in the writ ings of those whose poetical genius is of the fecond degree." ART. XI. A Defcription of the Feroe Islands, containing an Account of their Situation, Climate, and Productions; together with the Manners, and Customs, of the Inhabitants, their Trade, &c By the Rev. G. Landt. Iluftrated with a Map, and other Engravings. Tranflated from the Danish. 8vo. pp. 426. 12s. Longman and Co. 1810. THE HE Feroe, Farro, or Faro Islands, for they are thus differently written, conftitute a net of fmall iflands, fubject to Denmark, in the remote parts of the northern ocean. They have but little attracted the notice of navigators, though a great number of them are inhabited, and many of them fertile, producing much corn and numerous flocks of sheep. The have alfo an export trade of no mean importance in commerce, and of great confideration with the voluptuous and luxurious, for from thefe iflands, the far famed EiderDown is exported. Our information concerning thefe iflands has hitherto been very unfatisfactory, and the few publications which defcribe them are of uncommon rarity. Mr. Landt, therefore, the author of this prefent volume, is entitled to the thanks of the curious, for this valuable addition to our Geographical Collections. He refided feven years in those islands, where he officiated as a Clergyman. He in a more particular manner directed his attention to the Natural History of the islands, but the reader will alfo find a very entertaining and inflructive account of their political state, the characters and manners of the inhabitants, the language of the country, the popu lation, and the other objects of ftatistical research N 3. The |