490

THE INTERIOR.

At the west end is a spacious triple lobby. The central portion, formed within the tower, is groined with a circular opening for communication with the upper works; the lateral divisions contain the gallery stairs. The body of the Church is an unbroken area. The upright of the walls is relieved by pilasters on the piers between the windows, and is finished with a cornice, forming the impost to the ceiling, which is coved at the sides, and horizontal in the centre : the coved portion is ornamented in a singular and inelegant style by broad ribs rising from above the pilasters. The horizontal part of the ceiling is enriched with three circular groups of flowers. The recess containing the chancel is bounded by two piers, which are surmounted by a frieze and cornice, the former charged with perpendicular leaves. The fore part is occupied by a handsome screen composed of two columns and two antæ of scagliola, in imitation of Sienna marble, with statuary capitals and entablature: on the cornice is placed the Royal arms. The back of the recess is composed of a stylobate in imitation of porphyry, the rest of the walls being veined mar

ble;

in the centre is an arched window between two pairs of antæ of verd antique, crowned with entablature and pediment, on each side of which are the customary inscriptions. The altar is, contrary to usual custom, solid; it is raised on a platform of five stairs in two flights, and is composed of a pedestal of bronze with a panel in the centre, charged with the sacred monogram, accompanied with cartouches, and covered with a slab of marble. The whole arrangement of the altar is highly creditable to the architect, and displays an excellent specimen of the Italian school of design. In the window is a painting on glass of our Saviour, of which little can be said in praise; it is cnclosed in a rich ornamented border, and below it, on the pedestal on which the figu fands, is the Lord's prayer.

[June,

A gallery surrounds the remainder of the Church; it is sustained on iron columns, which retire behind the line of the fronts, the first range of pews being supported by means of cantilivers; the galleries are sustained on iron trusses in the form of a low arch, with hollow spandrils. These trusses stretch from column to column, and from the columns to the side walls.

The pulpit and reading-desks are octangular. They are situated on opposite sides of the Church, and are of different altitudes; there is nothing remarkable in the design of either. The organ has a wainscot case, and occupies the centre of the western portion of the gallery; it is flanked by secondary galleries for the charity children, in addition to which, the upper part of the side galleries is raised and fronted with a balustrade, and appears like a second gallery; this is also appropriated to the children.

The font, situated below the western gallery, is a plain circular basin of marble, on a pillar of the same.

The Church is upon the whole very creditable to the architect. He has avoided the common place imitation of Grecian temples, which marks the works of his professional brethren, and has shown a considerable degree of judgment and taste in the construction of his steeple, and in the decorations of the altar, which particulars are perfectly orthodox, and are more pleasing decorations to a Church than the pepper-box towers of the pseudo Grecian school, and the plain miserable terminations to the altars of most of the new Churches.

The Church has been entirely built by the parishioners, the inhabitants of the ancient Hamlets of Poplar and Blackwall, formerly constituting one of the Tower Hamlets, and which were erected into a parish by an Act of Parliament of the 57th Ġeo. III. 1817. In the original contract the expense was estimated at 18,000l.; the cost of the whole edifice, with its appendages of parsonage-house, cemetery walls, &c. amounted to 33,0771. The expense of the Church was about 20,000l. The organ was built by Russell, and the steeple is furnished with a peal of ten bells.

The first stone was laid on the 29th of March, 1821, and the edifice consecrated on the 3d of July, 1823.

1831.]

The elevation is made into two dis

tinct portions, the first comprehends the portico, pronaos, and tower, and the other the naos or body of the Church. The portico is hexastyle, and composed of six fluted Grecian doric columns, two being situated in the flanks, giving additional depth to the portico, the whole surmounted by the entablature of the order, and a pediment. The architecture of the Parthenon appears to be the prototype, which under Mr. Smirke's pencil is rendered fitting for a Church or a play-house, as occasion requires. At the back of the portico are three entrances, with arched windows above them, peculiarly appropriate to Grecian architecture, in which the arch is not to be found. The entablature is continued along the flanks of the pronaos, and here the order ends, and the large meeting-house-like body commences. The tower commences with a stylobate, so low that there was no room for the dial, which to the great detriment of the design, is of necessity added to an upper portion of the elevation. Upon the stylobate is raised a circular temple, broken by antæ; a part of the intervals between which is pierced.

An entablature set round with Grecian tile, and a dome (ribbed and surmounted by a cross), finishes the whole structure, which wants elevation.

The body of the Church has in the western front an arched window on each side of the pronaos. The flanks are made by breaks into three divisions, each containing six windows in two tiers, the upper arched and the lower nearly square; the height of the elevation being divided into two stories by a string course, and finished by an architrave, cornice, and blocking

course. The eastern front has a cen

tral window, square, and made by antæ into three lights; the elevation is divided and finished as before, and the lower story has two entrances. THE INTERIOR

is approached by lobbies formed in the

491

pronaos, and communicating with the body of the Church, which is made in breadth into a nave and side aisles, and in length into nine divisions. The upright is in two stories; the first consists of square piers, sustaining an architrave cornice and an attic. The second story is a colonnade of a spurious doric, crowned with a mean entablature, and surmounted with a low attic; upon this rests the ceiling, which is horizontal and pannelled. The first division from the west is occupied by a vestibule covered with a gallery, extending into the Church to a breadth equal to another division; the remainder constitutes the part appropriated to the congregation. A portion of the eastern end of both the aisles is portioned off for vestries.

The mouldings of the higher and lower attic of the lateral colonnades, are continued along the east wall, dividing the elevation into two stories; the first is occupied by the altar screen. This is a handsome design, composed of Scagliola, and executed by Messrs. Croggan and Co. of Lambeth, in imitation of statuary, porphyry, and yellow The screen is in antique marbles. The tablets, with the decalogue, &c. on three divisions; the pilasters of yellow. the side divisions, are of porphyry, and in the centre is a large table of porphyry, with the sacred monogram and cross in a splendid irradiation of ormolu; the entablature of statuary. The whole is crowned with an attic; the face ornamented with honeysuckles in gold, dispersed in bunches, with circles between, inclosing passion flowers, being the same style of ornament as the architect has introduced in Covent Garden Theatre, the passion-flower supplying the place of the national emblematic flowers; and indeed in almost every building of Mr. Smirke's, is the same style of decoration to be found. It is to be regretted that such mannerism should be the peculiar and distinguishing feature of the works of so many of our celebrated architects.

The interior bears a striking and servile resemblance to the architect's

other Churches at Wandsworth,* and

Bryanstone-square;† the exterior differs but little from either of those Churches, and the body in fact is the same in all. It has an universality of

• Described in vol. xcix. pt. ii. p. 577. + Described in vol. xcvi. pt. ii. p. 9.

492

character, and will suit any portico of any order.

The pulpit and desks, on opposite sides of the centre division, are alike in design, but the reading-desk is not so high as the pulpit. They are each sustained in square pedestals, ornamented with antæ.

The font is a shallow antique vase on a circular pedestal.

The organ is situated in the western gallery; on the front of which is an inscription recording the consecration of the Church.

This Church is parochial, the old parish being divided into three distinct parishes. The first stone was laid on the 17th Nov. 1821, and the Church was consecrated on the 10th April, 1824. It is calculated to hold 636 persons in pews, and 1192 in free seats, making a total of 1828. The amount of the contract, including incidentals, 15,3027. 148.

E. I. C.

May 20.

Mr. URBAN, THAT the inscriptions engraved on the Monument on Fish-street Hill, spoke the language of the times in which they were set up, Mr. Thornhill (p. 311) does not deny; so far they were original, and so far they were valuable. The sentiments contained in them, whether just or unjust, had become perfectly harmless; they offended the feelings of no one, and they kept up no national prejudice. The only light in which they could now be regarded, was in that of an historical memorial, speaking the language of times past, and affording evidence of the universal belief of a plot, the absurdity of which is so great, that at the present day we can scarce believe an enlightened nation could have credited it.

The destruction of any historical memorial is a vile and useless act; witness the democratic violence recently exercised against the fleurs-de-lis on the French monuments, by the Paris revolutionists; and as to the specious plea of restoration, I do not see how it can be said with any degree of propriety, that setting a labourer to cut several deep channels in the most conspicuous part of an ancient monument, is restoring it. Heaven defend our antiquities from

Vide the 4th Report of the Commissioners

[June,

such restorations and such restorers. The ancient brasses, with the "orate, &c." chiselled out, are parallel cases, and I fear a feeling as irrational dictated those injurious obliterations. In this instance nothing can be more fallacious than the plea of restoration. Mr. Thornhill professes to be an admirer of our national antiquities; let us see to what his apology would lead if universally adopted. A Saxon Church exists, having an inscription on one of its pillars recording the consecration of the Church by such a Bishop at a given date, say, sometime in the twelfth century; here then is an inscription which at first sight ap pears to be at variance with truth. It is manifestly not original, and ought, in accordance with Mr. Thornhill's ideas of restoration, to be erased; yet would any person, would Mr. Thornhill himself, urge the destruction of it upon such a ground? I feel certain that all who profess the least esteem for the antiquities of the country, would exert themselves for its preservation. Yet if originality alone gives value to an inscription, it ought to be erased, as well as those on the monument. The plea of restoration specified, affords no apology for the erasure of these inscriptions, and I fear Mr. Thornhill, with all his sagacity, will be unable to justify the act. The thanks of your readers are due to him for the valuable historical documents he has brought forward; but in my humble opinion, by so doing he has added to the value of the inscriptions, by proving the existence of the feeling which gave rise to them, and at the same time showing that they were genuine and authentic, inasmuch as they were set up to record the belief of the majority of the nation on the subject; and being so genuine and authentic, ought to have been suffered to remain. E. 1. C.

CHURCH OF STOw, co. LINCOLN.

(Concluded from p. 416.)

IN viewing the interior of the once fine Church of Stow, there is one feeling which cannot fail to impress the mind of every observer, and that is, commiseration for the ruinous state in which it is suffered to remain. The nave appears never to have been pew

* External and internal Views of this Church are engraved in Howlett's Lincolnshire Views.

1831.]

ed, for the floor is almost wholly covered with inscribed stones of memorials for the dead, but they are too numerous and common place for introduction here. Amongst them appear many broken fragments of slabs, with mutilated inscriptions in church text, which bespeak their antiquity; and two coffin-shaped stones, uninscribed, the one with a head sculptured in relief, within a hollow circular excavation at the broad end of the stone; and the other containing a cross fitchée botony. On the east side of the north door is a small pointed recess in the wall, but no appearance remains of a bason for consecrated water.

The Font occupies its legitimate place in this part of the Church, being situated in the centre of the nave, between the north and south doors of entrance. It consists of a square basement of solid masonry, supporting a smaller square, which forms the actual pedestal of the font. The bason is octagonal, with ornamented faces, and is placed on a large central cylinder surrounded by eight smaller ones, the weight of which appears to crush a serpent or dragon, which is sculptured as writhing underneath it; an emblematical device, characteristic of the enemy of mankind, overpowered and vanquished by the powerful efficacy of Christian baptism. The devices on the several faces of the font are these: 1. Two fleurs-de-lis. 2. One ditto. 3. A lily. 4. A rose. 5. A serpent. 6. Two fleurs-de-lis. 7. A human head, with flowers issuing from each side of the mouth. 8. The triple triangle, composed of five lines returning into itself; which was another emblematical device, termed by the ancients Hygeia (vyeιa), and in this situation denoted the HEALTH flowing to the soul from the authorized use of the baptismal waters.

.

The transept is fitted up with pews for divine service, but they are in a very dilapidated state. It has a round

493

plain window in each end of the gable, besides those which have been already described. On the east side of the north transept is a doorway, over which is a slab or bracket, supported by two monstrous figures; and in the south transept is a similar bracket, placed on the back of a triple animal; the remains of ornamental details, which were probably more numerous when this fine Church was in the zenith of its prosperity and glory. The steps which led to the rood loft remain; but that erection, so indispensable to the ceremonies of the Romish Church, has long been taken away. The last fragment of the main beam which supported it, fell from the wall a few days before I visited the Church in the month of October last. It is of carved oak, but completely decayed by the operation of the dry rot.

There formerly existed three carved screens, which were placed at the entrance of the chancel, amid the transepts, fragments of which still remain in a lumber-room at the end of the north transept. The upper part of each division terminated in ogees within obtuse pointed arches, filled in with alternate decorated and perpendicular tracery, and enriched with festoons of flowers. They were probably introduced into the church a short time previous to the Reformation.

The oaken pulpit is hexagonal, with ornamental carvings on each face. The canopy is sculptured in compartments, and the back is flanked by carved eagles. On the north pier, at the entrance of the chancel, immediately behind the pulpit, is a brass plate, with this inscription:

"Aspice, Respice, Prospice.

"In this chauncell lyeth buried ye bodies of Richard Burgh, of Stowe Hall, Esq. and Amy his wife, which said Richard was descended from ye noble and ancient familie of the Lord Burgh, baron of Gainesborough,* and next heyre of that familie, and ye said