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such is the nature of all unnecessary finish, neatness, or decoration. It has nothing in common with modern ornament, which is best typified by the stamps on an Albata fork.

As a complete contrast to the pretentious system, we add the view of a small work, a mere front erected to distinguish the entrance to a temporary church in the Waterloo Bridge Road. To transform the front of a fifthrate dwelling of most squalid description, and render it truly ecclesiastical, without masquerade work, is, simple as it may seem, a new thing among us. It will be observed of this morceau, that whatever decoration it has is part and parcel of its construction, and not (as in modern gothic generally) imitative of peculiarities only arising from the vaulting of the old structures. There is no structural excellence represented which does not exist; nor any sham work. Little as the whole is, it employs the talents of each kind of workman, and though there be only three indifferently carved stones, they adorn the whole, as much as all the casts used above; they leave no starved blank; and the idea of the Man of Sorrows on the chief centre stone, bearing all the heavy work and heaven-directed spire, is worth all the symbolism which the Camden Society has disinterred; for symbolism that requires to be explained is worth nothing.

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Entrance, Waterloo Bridge Road.

3. BUILDINGS CONNECTED WITH EDUCATION, SCIENCE, &c.

The British Museum has at length seen a sort of completion, in the opening of the only remaining part of the circuit of buildings, viz. the south part of the west range (exactly corresponding to its north part, the Egyptian Gallery); in the erection of the sculpture of the great front pediment; and the clearance of the last vestige of old Montague House offices. The pile being now as extensive as its singularly inflexible plan (which seems purposely to defy modification or enlargement) can admit, yet still far inadequate to the growing collection, perhaps, as a next step, the oft-repeated

suggestion of a glazed weatherproof and indestructible roof over the whole inner quadrangle will begin to be seriously thought of. The sensible and well-studied designs proposed by the Messrs. Turner for the Great Exhibition show how ornamental and yet truly cheap such a structure might be; and about half of the columns set up in the front for mere ornament (or rather to disguise its pauperism) would have sufficed to sustain this addition nobly; even supposing us too timid to venture upon it in one span, which the Moscow riding-school (of just the same width) and many bridges show to be perfectly practicable.

The pediment symbolizes, in 15 figures, the various nature of the collection. Their attitudes recall those of the Ceres and Proserpine, the Fates, Iris, &c., in the immortal works within, but the drapery is widely different, in few folds and rather blanket-like. A profusion of "attributes" and lifeless objects, which greatly confuse the outlines and render them unintelligible at a distance, serve when near to explain the personations, which are tolerably plain with the exception of the centre figure. She stands erect, seems to have nothing to do, or look at, and is ready to drop from her hands a pointless spear and a goodly sized golden globe, which we fear will be an apple of discord to future interpreters of " the London tympanum." On her right are the sisters Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture (the two latter seated in repose, and the first standing, perhaps as having no place in the collection); on her left, a geometer, and then the representatives of music, the drama, &c. In the extreme corner of this side, natural history is figured by some children, among a selection of curious objects from all the kingdoms of nature; in the other corner, archæology by a winged figure bringing a lamp to one emerging from ruins, out of which a crocodile, &c., appear scared away. This whole work shines at present as a triangle of fresh painting, on a wall of utter blankness and gloom. It comes too late; the stupendous architectural masque it was to accompany having, under the smoke of three winters, quite lost the flower of its youth, and with it every pretension to interest or beauty. Of the wisdom of this literal transcript of the mechanical frame or carcase only, of ready-made forms which (even if not despoiled of life and soul) cannot in our atmosphere remain even intelligible to the eye till they are finished, we need say nothing, as this pile is likely to be the last monument of a fashion now extinct, but which its protracted erection has long survived.

The long-expected area before this building, now at length opened, is being immediately re-enclosed from Great Russell Street by a cast iron screen, much loftier and more massive than anything meriting the name of a palisade or mere fence, and contrasting too with the icy style of the building by an extraordinary warmth of decoration, heightened with gilding. The last is a new feature, and, together with the other qualities-height, massiveness, and richness-seems to indicate a novel motive for such a structure, viz. to withdraw attention from the work behind, which (considering its unparalleled amount of superfluous work, unshackled by a single

utilitarian want) ought, of all buildings, the least to require screening.

The Mechanic's Institute, Plymouth, and an addition to the Public Library there, are we regret to say, the last professional works of an architect well known by his literary as well as practical labours, Mr. Wightwick. The former building is necessarily made to correspond externally with the architecture of the neighbouring buildings in Princes Square; but internally, the form of the great lectureroom is very novel and well-studied for enabling the lecturer and his audience to enjoy the fullest amount of reciprocal advantage. The total length of this room is 76 feet and breadth 38, but this breadth continues only to about half its length. The remaining half diminishes gradually to a width of 20 feet, and ends in a semicircular alcove of that diameter, in which is the lecturer's platform. He therefore stands in the focus of an enclosure nearly approximating in form a parabola, the best calculated to economise and throw out all the sound to his audience, while none of them sit sideways or have to turn towards him, all the seats being concentric arcs. A gallery about 36 feet by 38 occupies the first or undiminished half of the room, which is 33 feet high, exclusive of the large elliptical lantern for light and ventilation. Altogether it is doubted whether there be so complete an auditorium in the kingdom. It is richly decorated, and the coup d'œil very striking. The other building has been erected to contain a magnificent bequest of books and articles of virtú, left by Wm. Cotton, Esq. It has an Italian Palazzo front with Greek details, and is the most ornate building in the town.

The Queen's College, Belfast, is an uniform building, on a plan approaching the E shape, with short arms, and the entrance in the middle of the back of the E, under a projecting tower. The several lecture-rooms chiefly occupy the left wing; an examination hall, 79 feet by 38, the right wing, and beyond it are the President's and Vice-President's houses. All is comprised in a symmetrical exterior shell, and decorated in a Tudor style, such as, from its prevalence among the buildings of Oxford, has become associated therewith, and even obtained among us the name of "collegiate style." It is much to be feared that such associations, by leading to the mimicry of past fashions, in themselves debased and even ridiculous, may perpetuate them, and have a disastrous effect on our arts. The façades of this building are complex and much broken up, not only by porches and bay-windows, but also by needless buttresses, pinnacles, battlements, and other imitative features, which, like all ornament not drawn from nature, are of a questionable character. The uncommon amount of weathering surface, crockets, &c., of a perishable stone, has been objected to, but so it might be in many other modern reproductions of this style, the subject seeming rarely thought of. It is on the whole a very fair specimen.

New College, St. John's Wood, by Mr. Emmett, is a stone building in the same style, that of Henry VII., and has a somewhat similar central tower (see engraving), with a very elegant council

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