not excite any eager general attention. The finest buildings, of which relics were found, had been too much demolished by the barbarians, who had successively held the country, for representations of them to be satisfactory to any but those considerably versed in architecture, or desirous of becoming so. Nevertheless with all such that publication cannot fail to be highly interesting. It is indeed a truly curious fact, that hardly a molding, hardly a decoration of any kind, is found in the best architecture of following times, not only Greek but Roman, and not only those, but, perhaps I shall surprize you with venturing to add, our own architecture both ecclesiastical and military, and not of the Saxon and Roman times only, but of the following Plantagenet reigns also, of which a prototype is not to be seen in the relics of Ionic building, represented in the first volume of Ionian Antiquities. Within similar narrow limits nearly, I apprehend, the best of every thing, in all the fine arts, will be found to lie; whence, though it is far from following that a desire of novelty should in no degree be indulged, yet it behooves genius to be very cautious and reserved in the indulgence. Without genius, the pursuit can do little mischief: its principal result will be, what so often has been, to bring ridicule on the bold

LETTER XXIV.

Revival of attention in England to the old National Architecture.

THE great Italian architects, who, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, revived the Grecian orders, as they had been adopted by the Romans, were unacquainted with the elder Grecian style. Indeed for the order of far most general use among the Romans, the Corinthian, the difference from the Greek was comparatively little. The striking and characteristical variation was in the Doric: the old Grecian Doric, and that used at Rome, to which the Doric name was given, were, in reality, different orders.

The massive and severe simplicity of the old Grecian Doric then being brought to light, and offered for public favor in England, at the same time nearly with the flowery richness of the buildings of Palmyra and Balbec, the public taste was likely to be divided, and it became so. The flowery, recommended by the talents of the eminent architects, brothers, already mentioned, obtained the first favor; being indeed far the less violent deviation from what had before gained establishment, the richest Roman Corinthian; already successfully emulated in our own island, and in most parts of modern Europe. Nevertheless a predilection for the old Grecian

style obtained among a few, and most among those who had had opportunity to know its effects; not judging merely from such imperfect representation as the best delineation or picture can give, but from having seen the buildings.

But, amid the distractions thus offered for the public taste, almost at once, from Pæstum, Sicily, Dalmatia, Athens, and Syria, while old Rome, and all that modern Europe had done best after Roman models, could not but retain a large interest in the general mind, another candidate for public favor, more at variance with all these than any of them with any one other, was brought forward. Various publications, Bentham's description of Ely cathedral; Warton's disquisitions concerning the architecture, introduced among those concerning the poetry, of the middle ages; but, above all, the lively eloquence of the late lord Orford, supported by the bold attempt to revive, in practice, in his own residence, a style of architectonic design, obsolete already for two centuries, and long considered as fit only for the past times of semibarbarism, excited public curiosity concerning that style; and its connection with the history and literature of its day, and especially with family history, promoted prejudices in its favor. Soon the comments and praises of many men of talent procured extensive allowance that, if only as a variety in architecture,

with a strongly marked character, distinct from all others known, it might deserve consideration. But, beyond this, they contended, it had intrinsic merits, peculiar to itself; and, having those merits, it had been very unworthily treated, and deserved to be otherwise considered. With favor, for this old national style, some indignation, against those who had restored the Roman, was excited; as if they had been the persons to treat it unworthily; though the eulogies of some of them, on particular buildings, have been also eagerly noticed. But it was observed, with triumph, that those who had attempted to design and execute in that style, had all failed, to a degree sufficiently proving considerable talent necessary to produce the examples which had been the objects of their emulation.

Considerations thus were large and powerful for giving the public taste a turn toward that manner of architecture, which had been peculiarly that of our forefathers. But there were others which not only urged the general fancy still farther, but impelled professors of architecture to give their minds, in some degree, to the study of that style. When the Roman architecture was first revived, it so had exclusive favor, that, whatever was to be built, and wherever, no allowance was given for any other; and so Inigo Jones's beautiful Corinthian skreen, in Winchester cathedral, stands in a manner hand in hand with the nave, in the

Plantagenet style of one age, the quire, in that of another, and the transept, Saxon or Norman.

As soon, however, as public favor began to revert toward the taste in building of our earlier forefathers, wherever ancient churches, ancient castles, or ancient mansions (mostly those once monasteries) were to be altered or inlarged, it came to be desired that all alterations and additions should conform to the style of the original edifice. But the misfortune of Winchester cathedral was a common one. Most of the buildings, of any extent, had already a mixture of styles of different ages. The 'simplex et unum,' if ever there, was already done away. Was it to be restored? and how?

Such was already the state of things when it became the royal purpose to improve the palace of Windsor-castle; and the most eminent architect of the day, called to form the designs and di rect the execution, gave his mind, it is said, with delight, con amore, as the Italians phrase it, to the object.