*the present day, I understand, is the fox. "Now one thing seems to me yet wanting "for the glory of our county, and I should like to be employed upon it. A seraglio "for foxes, what opportunity for novelty and variety in architecture; mixture of styles "without end! But I am told we must be quick, "or Leicestershire will be before us.' I shrunk

at first at this satirical observation. But you know I respect every thing that attaches men to the 'gloria ruris;' and he is a poor foxhunter who cannot stand a joke upon foxhunting."

My friend's observations now took a turn rather wide of architecture; which, however, led again to matters connected with it; and he proceeded to tell another story, abundantly whimsical, yet, to my mind, so much to our purpose, that I mean to revise the notes I made presently after, and make it the subject of my next letter.

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LETTER XXVII.

Modern Anglo-Gothic Architecture.

I HAD been conversing on various matters with my friend mentioned in my last letter, when, after a small pause, he said, 'Good and evil are

strangely mixed in this world!' I was wondering what topic this text was to lead to, when he proceeded, 'Did you never observe that indiges'tion often powerfully assists invention ?' I smiled and said nothing; but he presently proceeded, Often have I been unable to satisfy myself with my own designs, and not least in building, when a wakeful hour in the night would help me to that which, among ideas disturbed by the cares of the day, and the objects which daylight presents, I could not catch. 'Sleeping fancies have sometimes their merit too, though they are generally too incoherent to be of much value. And yet I have some' times thought that Addison's admirable dreams, in the Spectator, may have had their origin partly in a sleeping fancy. You know my respect for Addison, infused in my childhood by my grandmother, who was personally ac' quainted with him. She reckoned his dreams 'little less than divine revelations. I shall cer

tainly not propose to emulate them, and yet I * have a great inclination to exercise your patience 'with telling you a dream of mine.' Leisure perfectly allowing, I was no way disposed to check my friend's fancy, and he proceeded thus:

I thought myself in Westminster abbey, in company with those two great architects of 'different ages, William of Wickham, bishop of Winchester, and Inigo Jones. They seemed 'familiar with each other, and well informed of ' matters passing since they had lived among men. Architecture, and particularly the building under whose magnificent shelter we were 'walking, became the subject of their discourse. 'Jones observed, that, in his time, its style had 'been, in a manner, anathematized; the title of "Gothic was given to it, not on any supposition 'that it had been derived from the Goths, but merely as a term of reproach and supreme contempt. Nevertheless, he himself admired in it, not simply the magnificence of great 'dimensions, but often, as in the building before 'them, much grace of proportion, and, in some points, a singular greatness of effect. Such

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merits, seen in so many buildings in that style, " he thought could not be the result of chance, bringing congenial ideas to the minds of various builders, through a course of ages; there must have been some general principles, through

'which all, differing as variously as they did in particulars, so consented, as to produce results all holding one general character, which distinguished all, and distinguished them advantageously, from all other buildings; and he ' wished the bishop, who had himself both designed great works in that style, and directed 'the execution, to inform him what those prin ciples were.'

"A name,' the bishop answered, 'is no other "wise important than as it indicates clearly, or "otherwise, the thing intended; and, if, in itself, "it originally implied something even contempti

ble, yet merit, in the object to which it is given, "will soon raise it in estimation. So, among the Romans, the conduct of the Decii dignified the "ridiculous name of Mus; and so the merit of "the style of architecture, of the time in which I

lived, has, in this country, brought the term Gothic, as I understand, into high esteem. "But, in this case, unfortunately, confusion "seems an unavoidable result: for, among the "best authors, that term implies, and must " continue to imply, when matters of taste are in "question, what is not estimable. Confusion of "terms then will scarcely fail to generate confu"sion of ideas; and a kind of confusion tending powerfully to the injury of public taste, especially in architecture. But, as the public use

"of names is not easily to be controlled; as "fashion will have its way,

Quem penes arbitrium est, et jus et norma loquendi,'

"the best check upon the mischief to be apprehended, I believe, would be a general knowledge " and admission of, what you ask for, the princi"ples of the style.

"Now, I always reckoned that the general principles of good architecture, of whatever style, and not of architecture only, but of all "the sisterhood of Design, must be the same. "Horace surely did not prescribe for poetry "alone, when he said,

'Scribendi recte Sapere est principium et fons.'

"Would the verse permit, you will, I am sure, "allow, it might equally run, Edificandi recte." "Taking then common sense as the necessary "foundation, the first rule for the superstructure "will be, also in Horace's words,

'Denique sit quidvis Simplex duntaxat et Unum:

"and this, duly inforced, will be the best check upon the mischief of the ideas commonly asso

ciating themselves with the term Gothic; which appear to have an extraordinary disposition to "favor what Horace sets out with reprobating, "Humano capiti,' and so forth.