the illustrations of the Hymnal Noted sung at our annual meeting, (and not intended for publication,) must be read in connexion with those illustrations, otherwise they may seem desultory and unfinished. The form of address in which they were delivered has been retained, as being better adapted to convey to our readers a true idea of the whole, than a re-written and more finished article.-ED.]

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ASPECT OF THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

THE objects of interest to ecclesiologists combined in the "World's Fair" are so numerous and so diversified that we shall best consult the convenience of the meeting by entering at once into the notice, incomplete and fragmentary as we feel it will be, of the various divisions into which it distributes itself. Difficult as it is not to commence with the medieval court fitted up under Mr. Pugin's direction and containing his designs, and the execution of Messrs. Myers, Crace, Hardman, and Minton, and tarry there, we think we must rigidly confine ourselves to the classified arrangement. The divisions under which we shall make our remarks, are

1. Architectural models.

2. Carving in stone.

3. Carving in wood and inlaying.

4. Painted glass.

5. Metal work.

6. Embroidery and textile fabrics.

7. Ceramic art.

8. Mosaic work and inlaying in stone.
9. Organs.

ARCHITECTURAL MODELS.

The most important model exhibited, considering the character of the structure (we say nothing of its destination), is that of the Nicolai Kirche, erecting for Lutheran worship at Hamburgh by Mr. G. G. Scott, inasmuch as it is that of a building of our own days now in progress; unfortunately it only exhibits the exterior. This is, however, modelled with great care and accuracy. The building is of the cathedral type, with short transepts, and an apsidal choir, a western tower with pierced spire, and a turret at the lantern, the style being German Middle-Pointed. The porches are rich with imagery, and the whole effect is remarkably real and mediæval. We never recollect to have been so much struck with the infinite superiority of the Pointed architecture of the north over the Romanesque of Italy as we were by the accidental juxtaposition in the Exhibition of this model with one of the (by itself) rich and beautiful church of Wilton. We should recommend all those who are still sceptical in the matter to look at them and to judge for themselves.

We find it difficult to express adequately our feelings at the vanity which can have led to the exhibition of the coarse and gigantic model of that miserably poor church run up by Mr. Sharpe at Lever Bridge in terra cotta. The church itself has been already described in our pages. It is sufficiently provoking to see from the galleries its spire ostentatiously rising above the English nave, as if it were the ne plus ultra and representative of our modern ecclesiastical architecture in this representation of nations.

In the north-east gallery a large model, beautifully executed, of Magdeburgh Cathedral, by Herr Boesche, of that city, is placed, exhibiting with the utmost minuteness all the details both external and internal of this fine church, a structure in its main features of early First-Pointed, but completed during the predominance of Flamboyant. A model of a considerable portion of Cologne Cathedral, in the Zollverein, is a curious union of the picture and the model, being set diagonally against a plane background, so as to produce a strong effect of foreshortening, that part of the building which would lie beyond the background being of course omitted.

A Swiss artist has exhibited a very carefully executed model of Strasburgh Cathedral, unfortunately, however, only exhibiting the exterior. A model, similarly defective, of York Minster, by Mr. Middleton, architect, of Darlington, is to be found in the English department, and near it another of the same cathedral, laboriously made in pasteboard with a pair of scissors, by an amateur, a Mr. Dickinson, very meritorious, but of course as an architectural model utterly fallacious. Close by it is a small external model of an original church, by Mr. Bardwell, which professes to be founded on the choir of the Temple Church, not unreasonably, it being simply that structure with a tower and spire at one end and an apse at the other. Models of Whitby and Tintern Abbey display great ignorance of architectural detail.

We find in the United States department a model of the ship church, built in New Jersey, and moored a couple of years ago at Philadelphia. It is a pity that it should be in reality so little superior in ecclesiastical effect even to an ordinary church ship. Our readers will form a very fair idea of this device by recalling the Noah's Arks of their infancy.

CARVING IN STONE AND SCULPTURES.

The most conspicuous specimens of stone carving are to be found in the English nave, and consist of a squeeze of a spandril at Hereford Cathedral and a large churchyard cross. The former, by Messrs. Boulton and Swales, from the designs of Mr. Cottingham, in the original fills the central spandril of the arcade of two behind the altar of Hereford Cathedral, separating the choir from the procession path and lady chapel. It is very elaborate, comprising imagery and foliage work, too elaborate for its future position, where it will be necessarily in much shade, and where mosaic work in colour was clearly the appropriate ornamentation. The same carvers likewise exhibit a

squeeze of an altar-front for the Roman Catholic church at Greenwich, designed by Mr. Wardell.

The cross is the work of an amateur, a young lady, and therefore eludes the severity of criticism. It is a reproduction of the Irish type of cross, with heads of the Apostles in relief, and scriptural subjects, unfortunately not congruous with the general design.

In the medieval court the most elaborate specimen of stone carving is a canopied high tomb with a recumbent effigy of the late Bishop Walsh, to be erected in S. Chad's, Birmingham. The effigy is of course in pontificals, and the whole is one of the most successful reproductions of the ancient tomb which has yet been made. The relief figure of the bishop at the back kneeling, and holding the model of the church of which he was the founder, is very graceful.

An altar, covered with a linen cloth at the top, and furnished, is one of the most conspicuous features in the court. Its type is a mensa, supported on marble columns, with an elaborate sub-reredos under it. We are not we own very partial to this design, which is a great favourite with Mr. Pugin, and very graceful in itself. It is clearly antagonistic to the symbolical system of vesting, which seems to have been universal in the best days of Christian art. We do not know where else to observe that we were sorry to see a form of baldachin adopted, which strongly recalls secular and domestic ideas. Immediately adjacent to this stands another altar vested, and with a carved reredos of the Annunciation. Two stone chimney pieces in the same court are richly and felicitously treated.

To return to the nave, we observe a portion of the tomb of Queen Philippa exquisitely wrought in alabaster, and heightened by gilding, restored with great success by Mr. Cundy, under Mr. Scott's direction, the figures being carved by Mr. Philip, with his usual skill. Among the sculptures with various scriptural subjects we regret not to discover the genius of a Christian school, although in much which has been displayed there cannot fail to be found many things which in the future art must have. We refer to such figures as that of the Greek slave. We may here parenthetically remark that the discussion which Mr. Rochfort Clarke's recent exposure has roused in a daily contemporary, is highly advantageous to the ventilation of a true view on a very perplexing subject, to which we will not here more directly advert, but which we feel must ere long come to a solution or at least to a compromise. We must here register a reclamation against the meretricious taste which has professed to discover so much beauty in mere optical delusion, like a veiled Vestal, where the appearance is produced by pure distortion of features.

Two pillars composed of pieces of a dark rich looking marble in the nave are very conspicuous: these are the products of the Devonshire quarries, and carved by Mr. Bovey, of Plymouth. A font of the same material is not of that correctness of detail which might have been desirable. Another font of far better design executed in the beautiful deep red serpentine of the western extremity of England has been contributed by the Penzance Marble Company. We trust that we may no longer have to complain of the neglect of so many of our vivid co

loured marbles, our serpentine, and our rose granite, while the comparatively perishable Purbeck is in such request. While on this subject, we must bespeak the most careful consideration of the various specimens of marble in the Exhibition, both foreign and British, (the green of our Conemara for instance) as absolutely indispensable to the developement of architectural design and sculpture. The same remark of course applies equally to the numerous samples of wood of every colour and every hardness contributed from so many different parts of the world.

CARVING IN WOOD AND INLAYING.

The ecclesiastical woodwork in the medieval court is not very rich; the most conspicuous specimen being a font canopy of not a very felicitous design, as its four pillars rest upon the font, and are with the superincumbent mass immoveable, while merely a species of lid plays up and down. This in cases of baptism by immersion must be found very inconvenient. The canopy itself is far too similar in mass to the adjacent tabernacle of stone in form and in detail. This must surely betoken some mistake, the nature of the two materials being so different. There is also a large screen cross standing in one corner; and a very pretty triptych priedieu, with the back diapered, and leaves painted with saints must not be forgotten. The secular furniture displayed in this department is very rich. The most striking is perhaps a sideboard designed for Alton Towers, and laden with appropriate plate. Does it not want the correlative of a superaltar? the presence of such gives great effect to the Austrian sideboard. A cabinet with open doorways filled with screen work of brass appeared peculiarly elegant. We cannot so much praise a piano-forte which is one mass of gilding. An entire chancel-screen of a heavy Third-Pointed design, and too high in the solid part, from Messrs. Jordan's carving company's works, stands in the English nave; and another screen by that rising artist, Mr. Ringham of Ipswich, is exhibited in a side compartment: it is likewise of a late design, but far superior in effect, and worked by hand. Some wooden letterns are scattered about, one of which bearing the distinguished name of Mr. Rogers, is not worthy of its exhibitor.

The Greek department contains specimens of that exquisite carving on a minute scale of religious subjects, which has continued for centuries to be the boast of Mount Athos; changeless, while all art in the West has been running its course of never-halting variations.

When a little back we stated that there was nothing which resembled a school of Christian sculpture, we should have excepted the sculpture in wood. Belgium has sent a beautiful group of the Assumption, by Mr. Geerts of Louvain. Some of the angels are slightly too attitudinising, but the group is altogether of great merit. Another of a smaller size by the same artist is not so good.

Before we conclude this branch of our subject, we must add our tribute of praise to the wonderful production of that self-taught artist, Mr. Wallis of Louth, in whom, hitherto not known beyond his native town, universal consent has recognised a second Gibbons. When

talent like that can be suddenly brought to light, Christian art need not despair of gaining the highest meed of future glory. Artists like Mr. Wallis must be taken possession of by the Church. Some other secular carving, and the gorgeous suite of Austrian furniture for instance, are of very great merit. Canada, we were glad to observe, manifests the sense of this being her appropriate branch of art.

While we entered inlaying under this head, we did so rather to call attention to its capabilities for ecclesiastical purposes, than to chronicle results of such application. It is, of course, not capable of the play of colours of mosaic, but yet it is very graceful, and capable of much improvement. An inlaid table in the mediaval court deserves careful study. Tunbridge Wells ware, though very clever in its way, is too much the mosaic notion translated without much modification into wood. The Austrian suite of rooms contains beautiful examples of parquet flooring. Why should not this beautiful art be used in its place for the flooring of town churches? Mr. Carpenter, we hear, intended having used it in a church which he is building; and for once the crotchety Rambler laid hold of a good idea in the recommendation of it contained in a recent number.

PAINTED GLASS.

The department of painted glass is peculiarly interesting, as the first occasion in which our own artists and those of foreign countries have been brought into direct and palpable competition. Truth compels us to state that, always classing by themselves the joint productions of Mr. Pugin and Mr. Hardman, which we are sorry to say are barely visible from their internal position in the medieval court-while most of the painted glass is arranged together in the north-east gallery,-France bears away the bell over England. There are, putting the above named out of the question, no five of our artists who can be compared with MM. Gérente, Marechal, Lusson, Thevenot, and Thibaud in their respective styles. To commence with one of our honorary members:-M. Alfred Gérente exhibits a Romanesque light, designed for Ely Cathedral, and a specimen of grisaille; the former is too archaic in its drawing, but bold in its grotesqueness, and very felicitous in its distribution of colour. The subject is the history of Sampson. The grisaille is pretty without being remarkable. M. Marechal, the directing spirit of the establishment, Marechal and Guynon at Metz, represents a totally opposite school, the one which makes drawing the sine qua non. In this pursuit M. Marechal, it appears to us, is as much too neglectful of archæology as M. Gérente is too exclusively devoted to it. The large group of S. Charles Borromeo, though forcible, is far too much a picture transferred to glass. Of the single figures of S. Alexius and S. Theresa, the latter is too attitudinising and theatrical. A small rose of the style of the thirteenth century, with a sitting figure of S. Eleutherius, is indicative of M. Marechal's talent. In a very different style he exhibits a domestic window of a very jolly burgomaster in enamel colour. M. Lusson, to whom, after H. Gérente's death, the restoration of the Ste Chapelle glass was entrusted, has