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ARCHITECTURE

other artificers into the east, and partly to the irrupt ions and de-predation-, of tiie barbarous nations. But the final departure ofthe Homans occasioned an almost total destruction of architecturein tliis island. And that long succession of miseries in which theinhabitants were involved by tiie irruptions of the Scots, Piets,and Saxons , deprived them of the many useful arts which theyhad learned from their former masters, and lodged them oncemore in forests, dens, and caves, like their savage ancestors. Thearts of building among the Scots and Piets, about the beginningof the 8th century began to make some advances, as appears fromsome edifices yet remaining in Scotland . These buildings areall circular, and so extremely various in style, that they ratherseem to be works of different ages and nations, than of one ageand country. Some of the largest of these structures are of anextraordinary taste of architecture, and are described by Mr.Gordon, in his Itincrarium, one of which is as follows, viz.—"To give a more complete idea of these buildings, I shall describethe fourth, called Castle Trodan, which is by far the most en-tire of any of that country, and from whence I had a very clearnotion how these fabrics were originally contrived. The area of thismakes a complete circle; and there are four doors in the inner wall,which face the four cardinal points of the compass. 'The doorsare each 8J- feet high and 5 feet wide, and lead from the area intothe cavity between the two walls whichruB round the w hole building.The perpendicular height of this fabric is exactly 33 feet; the thick-ness of both walls, including the cavity between, no more thani‘2 feet; and the cavity itself is hardly wide enough for two mento walk abreast; the external circumference is 178 feet. .Thewhole height of the fabric is divided into four parts or storiesseparated from each other by thin floorings of flat stones, whichknit the two walls together ; and run quite round the building; andthere have been winding stairs of tiie same flat stones ascendingbetwixt wall and wall up to the top. Over eacli door are ninesquare windows, in a direct line above each other, for the admis-sion oflight; and between every row of windows are three othersin the uppermost story, rising above a cornice, which projectsout from the inner wall and runs round the fabric.” From theabove description of one of these singular edifices it plainly ap-pears, that they were designed, both for. the purpose of defenceand lodging; and considering the times in which they were erectedthey seem to have been pretty well calculated for both these pur-poses. The stone edifices of the other kind, which were probably'erected in this period, and of which some few are stiil to be seenin Scotland , are not so large as the former, but more artificial.These are slender, lofty, circular towers, of fine stone, laid inregular rows between 4() and 50 feet in external circumference,and from .70 to 100 feet high, with one door some feet distantfrom the ground. They are exactly' similar to the round towerof Ardmore, and several others, in Ireland . It is therefore pro-bable that they were both built about the same time, in the 1 Otlicentury, and for the same purpose, which some believe was forthe confinement of penitents, while they were performing penance.On this account these towers are always found in the neighbour-hood of churches both in Scotland and Ireland . Architecture, inthe 12th century, received very great improvements, in conse-quence of the religious zeal of tiie clergy, who inspired all ranksof people with an ardour for pulling down the old churches, andbuilding more elegant and splendid ones in their stead. In thetime of Henry I. all the ancient edifices, that had been raised inthe days of Edgar, Edward, &c. were demolished, and others ofgreater magnitude and magnificence, and of more elegant work-manship erected. A similar spirit pervaded Scotland , in pro-portion to its extent and riches. King David 1. alone, besidesseveral cathedrals and other churches, built no fewer than 13abbeys and priories, some of them very magnificent. Thesacred architecture of the Anglo-Normans in the beginning ofthis period, did not differ much in its style and manner from thatof the Anglo-Saxons : their churches being in general plain, low,strong, and dark; the arches both of the doors and windowssemicircular, with few or no ornaments. By degrees, throughmuch practice, our architects, who were all monks or clergymen,improved in their taste and skill, and ventured to form plans ofmore noble, light, and elevated structures, with a great variety ofornaments; which led to that bold magnificent style-of building,commonly, though perhaps not very properly, called the laterGothic. Towards tiie close of the reign of Henry VII . a new

kind of low-pointed arch was much in use. It was described fromfour centres, was very round at the haunches, and the angle at thetop was very obtuse. This sort of arch is'lo he found in all car-dinal Wolsey’s buildings: also at West Sheen; an ancient brick,gate at Mile End, called King John’s Gate ; and in the greatgate of the palace of Lambeth. From this period Gothic archi-tecture began to decline; and was soon alter supplanted by amixed style, if one may' venture to call it so; wherein the Gre-cian and Gothic, however discordant and irreconciteable, werejumbled together. In the 15th and 16th centuries, when learningof all kinds began to revive, the chaste architecture of the Greeksand Romans seemed, as it were, to be recalled into life. Thefirst imitations of it began in Italy , and even owed their existenceto the many ruins of the ancient Roman structures that were to befound in that country, from whence an improved method of build-ing was gradually brought into tiie other countries of Europe :anti though the Italians tor a long time retained the superiority, asarchitects, over the other European nations, yet as men of geniusfrom all quarters constantly visited Italy , for the purpose of im-provement in architecture, as well as the other arts, since thatperiod they have been equalled, if net surpassed, by architects ofother nations, and even of our own country. Of this we had a re-cent instance in our countryman Mr. Mylne, who gained theprize in architecture at Rome , where, we need not doubt, iie hadthe best Italian artists of the age to contend w ith.

General Principles of Architecture.

In architecture regard must be paid to the rules which relate tosolidity, convenience, and beauty, to which add order, dispo-sition, proportion, decorum and (economy. Solidity implies thethe choice of a good foundation, and sound materials: conveni-ence consists in so ordering the parts of an edifice that they maynot embarrass one another; beauty is that agreeable lorm andpleasing appearance, which it exhibits to the eye of a spectator ;order gives each part of tiie building a convenient size, whetherconsidered apart, or with relation-to the whole; and dispositionis the agreeable union of all the parts. Proportion is the relationthat all-tiie work has to its parts, and which every one separatelyhas to the w hole ; decorum teaches to have a regard to design,custom, and nature; and (economy to consider the expellees, inorder to regulate the form and magnitude of the fabric. Rut u»all these objects are not equally or uniformly requisite m all build-ings, we must distinguish buildings and parts of buildings intothree different kinds; viz. 1. such as are intended solely foitutility; 2. such as are designed solely for ornament; and 3. suchas are meant to comprehend both. Buildings, intended solelylor utility-, ought in every part to correspond with that design.Any material deviation from usefulness for the sake ol’ ornamentought to be strictly avoided. Works of entire usefulness are con-sidered as a means to some end, and the nearer they approach to aperfect means for obtaining that end, the more will such structuresgain our applause, though every beauty of ornament be neglected.On the other hand, in works merely calculated for ornament, suchas columns, obelisks, triumphal arches, &c. beauty alone ought tobe regarded. The principal difficulty in architecture lies in com-bining usefulness and ornament. The most practicable methodis to prefer utility to ornament, in proportion as the character ofthe building requires it. In palaces and large buildings whichadmit of a variety of useful contrivance, regularity ought to bepreferred; but in dwelling houses that are on loo small a scale forvariety of contrivance, regularity should give place to usefulness,so far at least as the former is inconsistent witli (he latter In con-sidering attentively the beauty of visible objects, we discover twokinds. The first may be termed intrinsic beauty, because it isdiscovered in a single’object, without relation to another. Thesecond may be termed relative beauty, being founded on a com-bination of relative objects. Architecture admits of both kinds.Hence while the convenience, beauty, proportion, &c. of eachpart are considered separately, they should also be considered inrespect of the whole building or buildings, with w hich that part ofthe edifice is connected. In ascertaining and adjusting the severalproportions and other requisites in architecture it is necessary toapply the principles of arithmetic, geometry, mensuration, amioilier parts of the mathematics, that the number, magnitude, anddisposition of the materials may be determined, and the wholedelineated, for which purpose perspective will also lend its* assistance.