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debts, losses at sea, or by fire, or such other casualty as cannot be guarded against, ought to be distinguished from the result of fraud and speculation; the latter should be visited with the severest punishment, branded with a mark of infamy, or prohibited from embarking in matters of trade: the publick should be protected from the probability of the

recurrence.

To remedy the many evils complained of, the interference of the Legislature is, doubtless, the only expedient: the health of the Country is materially impaired; the disease, however, is not incurable, and the physician is at hand. To limit the discounts of the national banks within an wholesome amount, and, if existing circumstances will admit, to remove the Bank restriction; to check the increase and conduct of country banks, by a proper licence, by some -adequate mode of ascertaining their respectability and responsibility, and by a due limitation of their issues; to suppress all monopolies, and open every market to the exercise of a liberal competition; and to punish fraudulent and speculative bankruptcies, are obviously the measures to restore the wonted health and vigour; measures by which our country may again truly flourish, and by which the necessaries of life, the foreign exchange, and commerce in general, may be reduced to their natural level. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

IT

PHILOPATRIE.

Jan. 10.

T is often difficult to come to a conclusion on a question where much is said on both sides. Much has been said and written on the propriety of obliging the Bank of England to

pay their notes in specie ; but it should

be considered, that, were they driven to this extremity by the repeal of the restriction act, they would in their own defence be compelled to narrow their discounts, so as to occasion the greatest distress throughout the Nation.

Suppose, for instance, the Bank should say, "We should lose a million and half of money if 10 millions of our notes were to be sent in for payment in guineas" (and there is little doubt but as many would be sent in); aud “We will, therefore, be wise in

GENT. MAG. January, 1811,

time, and reduce our discounts 10 millions:" what would be the consequence? little less than a general bankruptcy.

It should be considered that when the Bank were in the habit of paying their notes in specie, they could ge neraily buy as much gold for 10001. Bank Notes as it would require to ́ coin Guineas to pay 10007.; but now they must give 11507. in Bank Notes to buy as much gold as it would require to coia Guineas to pay 10007.

It seems, therefore, highly reasonable, that the Bank should be required to pay only so much gold for 1000l. Bank Notes as 10001. Bank Notes would buy.

The great increase of our trade and manufactures has been very much owing to the abundance of our circulating medium (which, however, has been too far extended); and this enabled ministers, in a great degree, to raise such enormous taxes, as 20 years ago would have been thought impossible. It therefore requires the greatest caution in too rapidly lessening this circulating medium; for, without the greatest caution, the consequences will, I fear, be dreadful.

I remember, about 30 years ago, that Guineas, which were two shil lings deficient in weight, were generally current. Suppose, therefore, that Government were to raise the nomiual value of our present Guineas to 23 shillings, or to coin twenty shillings or one pound pieces, of such a weight in gold as a one-pound Bank Note would now buy: this, probably, of evils would be the least.

Mr. URBAN,

L.

Dec. 31.

MY antagonist, under the signa

ture of "An Architect," is opening his long-threatened attack upon the restoration of Henry the VIIth's Chapel, with a prelude in praise of J. C.; but, whatever signature he may assume, whether J. C. or An Architect, or plain John Carter, or Sir John Carter, Knight of the Red Cross, or whether he dictates his own panegyricks to one of his Esquires, it is to me indifferent: if the assault is made by an individual, it is malice prepense; if by a collec tive force, it is a foul conspiracy against the character of an Artist employed

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employed in the most difficult task of his profession, and whose character is his support. I combat with no one but the Knight; and, though he maintains that I have declined the contest, I refer him to my repeated profession of defending that Artist, as long as the Knight shall appear in arms against him.

In your last Volume, Part I. p. 539, the Architect asserts, that his "friend John Carter informed him that the Master-work man to the Chapel's restorations observed to him, that he was bringing about every means to give more light to the Porch; one of which was, to knock up for the purpose a sky-light in the centre of the arched cieling."

Now, Mr. Urban, this passage, interpreted into plain English, is-John Carter told John Carter a direct and unfounded falsehood. The Masterworkman never did propose to knock up a sky-light in the arched cieling; and the word of the Workman is entitled to more credit than John Carter's word, because John stands convicted of four falschoods upon your records. Falsehood, Mr. Urban, is an unlawful weapon in controversy; and I maintain, therefore, that the Knight has lost his spurs.

A second charge is brought forward by the Architect in his tender concern for the support of the arched window now under repair, and his admonition of securing the arch by upright tim

bers. Here there is no falsehood indeed, but there is ignorance in the extreme; for every architect in the kingdom but J. Carter knows that the strength of an arch consists in its proportion and bearings; and I cannot help thinking, that John made this observation upon his return from a visit to Staines Bridge, where he had seen an iron arch supported upon wooden stilts; but he should have considered that Sir Reginald Bray's arches never wanted such a wretched expedient as stilts to support them; but that his arch was correspondent to the abutments, and the abutments to the arch. Further than this, if John were an Architect, he ought to know, that the mullions in every Gothic window throughout the kingdom, however beautiful or ornamental, are not intended for the support of the arch which contains them, but to admit iron and support glass.

With equal kindness John bas formerly warned the Restorers not to open a turret, not to touch a flying buttress, at their peril; but turrets have been opened, and flying buttresses replaced, without difficulty or danger: and had this operation been delayed a few years fonger, the fabrick, could not have been restored; it must have been rebuilt.

It will be a piece of friendly advice in return, to warn the Architect not to indulge the fervency of his imagination, by adopting the language of "The London Spy." It is impious to impute a work of human excellence to Omnipotence, and nonsensical to knit together the fingers of Angels in the construction. The Restorers consider this edifice as one of the finest buildings in Europe, and perhaps the very finest of its kind in existence; they think it therefore one of their more especial duties to preserve it; they deem it worthy of public support, as the pride and ornament of the nation; and they are persuaded that, except John Carter, there is not an individual in the country who would wish to contemplate it in a state of ruin, rather than in a state of repair.

AN OLD CORRESPONDENT.

P. S. Will Mr. John Carter make affidavit before a Magistrate to the truth of his assertion about the sky-light? If he will, the Master-workman is ready to meet him for that purpose, and make affidavit to the contrary.

Mr. URBAN,

IN

Dec. 31,

N vindication of the antiquity of our English Architecture, and in aid of the Architect's remarks on the publication of the late Mr. Whittington, which have appeared in your Magazine, you are requested to insert the following. Mr. Whittington, in his "Survey of the Ecclesiastical Antiquities of France," p. 110, states, "that all authorities concur in fixing the reign of Henry II. (that is, after the year 1154) as the earliest æra of the introduction into England of the mixed style of round and pointed arches, which we see practised in France before that period." He also, in a note, says, that our English writers have not been able to produce an earlier instance of the decided appearance of the pointed arch in England than the year 1160.

In

In answer to the above remarks, I beg to refer your readers to the accounts given of Lanthoni Abbey in Monmouthshire, by Mr. Coxe in his "Tour through that County," and by Sir Richard Hoare in his Comment on Giraldus Cambrensis," where they will find that this fine Abbey, which presents a regular mixture of the round and pointed Architecture, was built about the year 1108; and owing to the disturbed state of the Country, deserted in 1136, when the monks settled themselves in another Convent on the banks of the Severn, near Gloucester, which, after the name of the mother abbey, they called also Lanthoni.

Yours, &c. A CONSTANT READER.

ARCHITECTURAL INNOVATION, No. CLII.

While a single cluster of columns occupies the piers of the four first divisions, the fifth division, being a com mencement to the octangular turn of the East end of the chapel, has a double cluster, with a space between them filled with compartments, niches, &c; and, as the single cluster bears one, the double cluster bears two preparations for the springing of the groins, and the support of the pendentives in the circles dropping from them. These groins are then of the most gorgeous design, and of the most scientific construction that ever raised the art of masonry to something more than mortal frame.

When the gust of enthusiasm, imbibed from the view of the enchanting scene, has subsided, calm observation tells us, that the groins are (taking in the space from wall to wall) run

*** In our last volume, p. 539, 1. 14, into two lines of circles, and two of read, "The fifth divisions and the three cants are done into small chapels." POINTED STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE

During the Reign of Henry VI. &c.

I

and Henry VII. concluded. INTERIOR OF HENRY VII's CHAPEL. NTERIOR. The stalls are not of that rich cast as those seen at Windsor ; some Italianised work introduced upon them; those in the fourth division, modern: and although not the most strict copy of the originals, yet are deserving of great praise. The clusters of columns against the piers of the windows very small; and, as at Cambridge and Windsor, claim but little interest when the multitude of surrounding decorations are considered. The dado under the windows has the cili line set with angels, some in drapery, others in armour, and the rest in dresses composed of feathers, they bearing the rose, portcullis, fleur-de lis, and a variety of shields of arms. The space below them, to the point of the arches, filled with compartments .anduiches, containing statues of kings, queens, saints, bishops, &c.

The windows shew five divisions of mullions, with three tiers of transoms (battlemented). The tracery in the heads, architectural. The three per-forated brazen doors of entrance present new conceptions: grand they certainly are, and of imposing forms; yet I turn back to those oak compartmented doors of older date for true embellishment in this respect.

half circles. The centre of each circle drops into pendentives, wrought into three or more tiers of compartments; which compartments emerge from the centre of the pendentives, and multiply into smaller degrees of compartments. These compartments, with their consequent heads and tracery, undercut, and the grounds to them sunk far below the mouldings, forming the composition. This undercutting, from the deep shadow it produces, is one secret cause of that heart-struck sensation here known, but known only to the susceptible minds of Antiquity-lovers. If this constellation of geometric features cause such high gratification, how the delight is enhanced, when continuing our view round the tarn of the East end of the groins, where, notwithstanding the circles decrease in dimension, increase in multitudinous forms, and multitudinous attraction! To attempt farther to definé their systematic formation, is to be plunged into the most profound geometric meditation, impossible with me, at least, to bring to a full and comprehensive illustration; the task is too mighty, and I can but adore!

The work of the side ailes, and small chapels, consonant with the centre part of the chapel itself; the windows have no general arched head (as before observed) like those to the upper story of the edifice: the dado, rich in compartments, with (at the Eastern ends) cills of angels, &c. jarge

niches above, with statues. The groins partake of the nature of those in the centre of the chapel, but done without pendentives. At the West end of the ailes are porches, curiously added to the first division of these ailes. The perforated brass screen inclosing the tomb of Henry, is wrought in the true spirit of the features of the chapel, while the tomb (exclusive of the statues of the royal pair) is designed in the then Italian mode; therefore (setting aside its excellent workmanship) not strictly in character.

The mouldings are but few, individually; yet, by repeating them on particular objects, they appear at first view exceeding namerous. The ornaments in the foliaged parts seem in general but little studied or varied, being a constant repetition of the Tudor devices, the rose, portcullis, fleurde-lis, dragon, greyhound, &c. The several statues fine, and evince the strict costume of the day, whether they pourtray saints, or personages then living.

As this survey has been expressly taken for the present purpose of carrying on our rise and progress, I embraced the opportunity of looking over with much care the several seats of the stalls, in order to give some confident answer to "An Old Correl spondent," who has more than once alluded to their indecent tendency. I can find very few of the carvings but what are strictly decorous; they indeed, in the mass, claim approbation, from the just moral they convey, and the costumic information they every where impart.

At this period of our National Architecture, the true Pointed Style, like other long esta lished principles, gave way; when, in a manner as sudden and as strange, another mode of design was brought forward, evidently set on foot to drive for ever from the rising genius of the Country all bias or aukering after the fore-gone glories of our old masters of art. Before we proceed further on this topic, it will be needful in this place to advert to some common opinions, prevalent among my brethren, and which are thus maintained.

"There are three distinct species of Gothic (their nick-name for our Antient Architecture)Church Gothic, Castle Gothic, and Mansion Gothic, each

having its own peculiar decorations, (that is, as fancy may devise.) First; (scouting all styles and dates) externally, pointed doorways and windows, buttresses, pinnacles, &c. Internally, arches, columns, &c. Arrangement to take any form but that of the Christian one, a cross.-Second; externally, towers, battlements, loop-holes, &c. Internally, dungeons, rooms with little or no light, walls bare, and to carry more the seeming of a prison than that of a place of defence, accompanied with every splendid accommodation, both for war, and royal residence. Third; externally, squareheaded doorways and windows, octangular turrets (for shew, not the incumbent uses, staircases); battlements, arched recesses (an internal church decoration), pinnacles, spires, &c. (church decorations). Internally, every part of the plan to assume a modern house-finishing appearance." (it must however be owned, that, in a few of these new apartments, some wiredrawn scraps are larded over the walls, taken from plaster casts on screens, monuments, groins, &c.) That the above" opinions" may not be thought coined for the present occasion, look at all the things "run up" in this way, serving for Chapels *, (no necessity to "do" a church), Castles †, and Abbeys ‡, alias gentlemen's seats, produced within these few years, in Town and Country.

In contradiction to such unclassic ideas, I observe, that, in every æra, a particular style of building manifested itself, as successively shewn in this progress; and that the decorations seen on sacred elevations (excepting such as had a direct scriptural reference) were also introduced on castellated and mansion-formed edifices. And, although the plan of a castle has not the figure of a cross, ailes, chapels, &c. ; yet it presents doorways, windows, arches, columns, and ornaments, in like manner as. found on the lines of a church. Notwithstanding but few mansions exist of a date prior to the sixteenth century; still, if we may conclude from

Tavistock Chapel, Chapel in Prospect place, St. George's Fields, &c. + Kew. Fonthill, &c. § Rochester Castle, Durham Castle, Windsor in its pristine state (see Hollar), Caernarvon, Conway, &c.

the

the domestic buildings attached to Cathedrals and Abbeys, their decorations being run in continuation, all our old mansions must have partaken of the like prevailing embellishments. The style, to count on in this last respect, may be exemplified from numerous houses in being, built in the Tudor times, and in the Tudor style; they may be met with in all degrees of workmanship, from the most simple cottage or shop, to the most sumptuous edifice; and, if specimens are wanted, Coventry possesses in particular, a complete assemblage of all that may be called beauteous and transcendant. In fact, an entire series of houses and mansions can be pointed out to those who may be desirous of studying from such remains. But minds thus framed, I fear, are few; the great body of professionalists rely too much on their own" taste," and their own creative" faculties, to condescend to become compilers, or copyists, from our antient piles: they may, indeed, set about to improve, or destroy them; but they can never fall back into the errors of a superstitious or exact imitation of any one of the said works, religious, warlike, or civil.

66

Taking leave of the Pointed Crders in the examples drawn from Henry's Chapel, let it be remembered, that whatever progressive characteristics we have descanted on, prevailing in metropolitan and monastic churches, the like objects are invariably to be traced (on smaller scales) in most of the parochial erections throughout the kingdom. Castles and mansions, though not singly brought forth for discussion, bore a like tendency to the ascendant precedents, as above hinted at. Thus, around the land, ever shone one periodical blaze of Architectural pride, unrivalled and original. AN ARCHITECT.

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They have hitherto continued in a blind state, as a prepared instrument by which the fulness of the Gentiles is to be brought in about the last days; for the blessing of each tribe is especially declarative of their peculiar state in the last days, Geu. xlix. 1. And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the LAST DAYS. Of Judah he says, He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up?

Balaam, likewise, prophesying of the Israelites, says, "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down till he eat the prey, and drink the blood of the Slain. Numb. xxiii. 24. This surely implies that the Jews will at some late period arise in a warlike, in a disturbed, and probably in a deceived state; but, as the final Restoration of that people is one of the predicted events which is to crown the closing term of 2,000 years from the Birth of Christ, aud we are already entered on the last century but one of that period, is it not a time to call forth our peculiar attention to the new movements of that people? They have hitherto been the standing miracle of the World; and, although for the last seventeen centuries in a comparatively quiescent state, there is now a working begun; and a train fraught with the seeds of alteration has been lately introduced among them, by a powerful Empire virtually devoid of any revealed religion. And if it is not superstitious to expect the swelling bud of vegetation to expand with the coming Spring, neither can I think it so to look forward to the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning that people, now that such steps are taking as will eventually bring them into action with the other powers of Christendom. And as the devices of human creatures become instrumental in the hands of Providence, may not the grants and immunities with which the French government allure the Jews, and the military laws under which they wilfully enlist, so far tempt them on to a compliance with cus toms abhorrent to their own law, as to cause one of the latter trials of their virtue, and prepare them for the great pruning they are to undergo before their restoration. This

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