supporting buildings of that character; and between these, one for supporting buildings of a middle characThis distinction, which regards the different purposes of a column, is not naturally liable to any objection, considering that it tends also to regulate the form, and in some measure the ornaments, of a column. If we regard destination only, the Tuscan is of the same order with the Doric, and the Composite with the Corinthian; but if we regard form merely, they are of different orders. The ornaments of these three orders ought to be so contrived as to make them look like what they are intended for. Plain and rustic ornaments would be not a little discordant with the elegance of the Corinthian order; and ornaments sweet and delicate, no less so with the strength of the Doric. The Corinthian order has been the favorite of two thousand years, and yet I cannot force myself to relish its capital. The invention of this florid capital is ascribed to the sculptor Callimachus, who took a hint from the plant Acanthus growing around a basket placed accidentally upon it; and in fact the capital under consideration represents pretty accurately a basket so ornamented: an Acanthus, or any tender plant, may require support, but is altogether insufficient to support any thing heavier than a bee or a butterfly. This capital must also bear the weight of another objection: to represent a vine wreathing round a column with its root seemingly in the ground, is natural; but to represent an Acanthus, or any plant, as growing on the top of a column, is unnatural. The elegance of this capital did probably at first draw a veil over its impropriety; and now by long use it has gained an establishment, respected by every artist. . Such is the force of custom, even in contradiction to nature! With respect to buildings of every sort, one rule dictated by utility, is, that they be firm and stable. Another rule, dictated by beauty, is, that they also appear so: for what appears tottering and in hazard of tumbling, produceth in the spectator the painful emotion of fear, instead of the pleasant emotion of beauty; and, accordingly, it is the great care of the artist, that every part of his edifice appear to be well supported. To succeed in allegorical or emblematic ornaments, is no slight effort of genius; for it is extremely difficult to dispose them so in a building as to produce any good effect. The mixing them with realities, makes a miserable jumble of truth and fiction. The temples of Ancient and Modern Virtue in the gardens of Stowe appear not at first view emblematical; and when we are informed that they are so, it is not easy to gather their meaning: the spectator sees one temple entire, another in ruins; but without an explanatory inscription he may guess, but cannot be certain, that the former being dedicated to Ancient Virtue, the latter to Modern Virtue, are intended as a satire upon the present times. On the other hand, a trite emblem, like a trite simile, is disgustful. A room in a dwelling-house containing a monument to a deceased friend, is dedicated to Melancholy: it has a clock that strikes every minute, to signify how swiftly time passes-upon the monument, weeping figures and other hackneyed ornaments commonly found upon tomb-stones, with a stuffed raven in a corner-verses on death, and other serious subjects, inscribed all around. These objects are too familiar, and the artifice too apparent, to produce the intended effect.* The statue of Moses striking a rock from which water actually issues, is also in a false taste; for it is mixing reality with representation. Moses himself may bring water out of the rock, but this miracle is *In the city of Mexico there was a palace termed the house of affliction, where Montezuma retired upon losing any of his friends or upon any public calamity. This house was better adjusted to its destination: it inspired a sort of horror: all was black and dismal; small windows, shut up with grates, scarce allowing passage to the light. too much for his statue. The same objection lies against a cascade where the statue of a water-god pours out of his urn real water. I am more doubtful whether the same objection lies against the employing statues of animals as supports; that of a negro, for example, supporting a dial, statues of fish supporting a basin of water, Termes supporting a chimney-piece; for when a stone is used as a support, where is the incongruity, it will be said, to cut it into the form of an animal? But leaving this doubtful, another objection occurs, That such designs must in some measure be disagreeable, by the appearance of giving pain to a sensitive being. It is observed above of gardening, that it contributes to rectitude of manners, by inspiring gaiety and benevolence. I add another observation, That both gardening and architecture contribute to the same end, by inspiring a taste for neatness and elegance. In Scotland, the regularity and polish even of a turnpike road has some influence of this kind upon the poor people in the neighborhood. They become fond of regularity and neatness; which is displayed, first upon their yards and little inclosures, and next within-doors. A taste for regularity and neatness, thus acquired, is extended by degrees to dress, and even to behavior and manners. The author of a history of Switzerland, describing the fierce manners of the plebeians of Berne three or four centuries ago, continually inured to success in war, which made them insolently aim at a change of government in order to establish a pure democracy, observes, that no circumstance tended more to sweeten their manners, and to make them fond of peace, than the public buildings carried on by the senate for ornamenting their capital; particularly a fine town-house, and a magnificent church, which to this day, says our author, stands its ground as one of the finest in Europe. REVIEW. To what are gardening and architecture now improved. What does this variety of destination bestow on these arts? What emotions does gardening raise? In what is architecture superior?—in what inferior to garden ing? Which is superior in grandeur?-in utility? What great advantage does gardening possess? To what is a building confined? What is wanted to bring architecture to maturity? How does it differ from gardening, with respect to materials? What is the other thing wanted to bring architecture to perfection? What should be a ruling principle in gardening and architecture? How is it violated? What bad effect results from superfluity of decoration? --a more complex ? What is the effect of strict regularity in laying out a large field? What emotions should follow each other? Give examples. What emotions ought to be raised together? What is Kent's method of embellishing a field? What is observed of the gardens of Versailles? Where should regularity be studied, and where should it not be studied? How should trees be disposed? What is observed of the star form? How should thickets be disposed? What is the rule in laying out a field? What ornaments should be rejected in gardening? What sort of imitations are displeasing? Give an example. With what are the vulgar entertained? What should be avoided in designing a garden? What sort of walks are most agreeable in an embellished field? -why? Why is a straight avenue less agreeable than a winding one? Why should a garden on a flat be highly ornamented? What is the advantage of an elevated walk? Why is a Gothic preferable to a Grecian ruin? What kind of fountain is condemned? Is it necessary, in gardening, to oppose relative to intrinsic beauty? What is a summer garden? Where is it suitable? Where is a winter garden desirable? What are its requisite properties? How may it be made subservient to education? Into what three kinds are buildings and parts of buildings distributed? What is required in buildings intended for utility? Where is the great difficulty of contrivance? Where should regularity prevail?—where utility? What is required in the door of a dwelling-house?-of a palace? -of a church? Whence arises the beauty of a Gothic tower? What sort of figure is preferred for a dwelling-house? What is the form of rooms required by utility? What form is best calculated for receiving light? Where should intrinsic beauty be preferred to relative beauty? Do the British always suit their dwellings to their climate? What is chiefly necessary in works of art that are intended to imitate nature? How is this done? What are chiefly studied in works of art that are original? What is the effect of a well-proportioned room?-of an ill-proportioned one? In what are regularity and proportion essential?—why? Give examples. What is required in a Christian church?-in its situation?— why? What do columns express? Should the situation of a building regulate its form? Give an example. To what is the Gothic form of building suited? Why should the room, which first receives us on entering a house, not be large? What suit of rooms is proposed for a very large house? What is the inconvenience of a double row of windows in the same room? What should be the chief study of the architect? What sort of ornament do private dwellings admit?-temples, triumphal arches, and other buildings intended for show? Where should statues be placed? Why should not vases be placed on the top of a wall? What subjects admit the greatest variety in point of taste? How are columns distinguished with respect to their destination? With respect to destination, what order is classed with the Doric? -what with the Corinthian? How should the ornaments of the three orders be contrived? |