WEE
532
WEE
They were the production of an age when novelty was mis-taken for genius, and when meretricious ornament was suf-fered to usurp the place of real beauty ; but since science hasI resumed her place in the public opinion, they have been laid| aside, and are justly-considered as blemishes to those build-j ings in which they appear.
; WREN, SIR CHRISTOPHER, the only son of Dr.
Christopher Wren , Dean of Windsor, was born at East| Knoyle, in Wiltshire , on the 20th of October, 1632. His: mother was Mary, daughter and heiress of Mr. Robert Cox,of Fonthill, in the same county. His first education inclassic learning was (by reason of his tender health) com-mitted to the care of a domestic tutor, the Rev. WilliamShepheard, M. A., excepting that for some short time beforehis admission to the university, he was placed under Dr.Busby, at Westminster School. In the principles of mathe-matics, upon the early appearance of an uncommon genius, hewas initiated by Dr. W. Holder; and he made such rapidprogress, that at the age of sixteen he distinguished himself, by some important discoveries in astronomy, dialing, statics,and mechanics. While at Oxford , he became acquaintedwith, and obtained the friendship of, Dr. Scarborough, (after-wards Sir Charles Scarborough, ) an eminent physician andmathematician, under whom he performed the part of anassistant, and first introduced geometrical and mechanicalsciences to the aid of anatomy. At the age of nineteen, hecomposed a short algebraic tract relating to the Julian Period,of great use in chronology. In 1650, he was entered Bachelor] of Arts at Wadham College, Oxford ; where, in 1653, hej took the degree of Master of Arts ; and in the same year wasI elected into a fellowship of AH-Souls. In 1657 he wasj chosen Professor of Astronomy in Gresham College , upon| the resignation of Dr. Seth Ward ; where, in the same year,
| he read admirable lectures on astronomy ; and in 1653 not| only solved the problem proposed by the great Pascal to all| the English mathematicians, but returned another to those ofFrance , of which they could never furnish any solution. His! appointment at Gresham College he resigned in 1660, onbeing chosen Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford ,where, in 1658, he had been created LL.D. as he was shortlyafterwards at Cambridge. He had now attained such emi-nence in architecture, that he was called from Oxford byCharles II. to assist Sir John Denham as surveyor-generalof his majesty’s works ; and in 1663 he was one of the firstFellows of the Royal Society, after the grant of their charter.In 1665 he travelled to France ; and it is evident from hisletters, that he surveyed every structure with the studiouseye of a critic.
After that most dreadful conflagration of London , in thefatal year 1666, had laid the metropolis of England in thedust, Dr. Christopher Wren drew a noble plan for rebuildingit, which he presented to the parliament; and had his schemebeen followed, London would have become the most superbmetropolis in Europe , or indeed in all the world. It inter-fered, however, with so many interests in the landed property,that its execution was deemed impracticable. In 1668, onthe decease of Sir John Denham , he was appointed surveyor-general and principal architect for rebuilding the whole city,with the cathedral church of St. Paul , and all the parochialchurches, in number fifty-one. In the year 1674, the honourof knighthood was conferred upon him ; in 1677, he finishedthe Monument, which has been compared with the celebratedcolumns of antiquity; in 1680, he was elected president ofthe Royal Society ; and in 1681, he completed his mostbeautiful structure, the church of St. Stephen, Walbrook ;in 1698, he was appointed surveyor-general and commis-sioner of the works and repairs of the ancient abbey church
of St. Peter, Westminster; and in 1710, he finished the mag'nificent cathedral church of St. Paul.
During the time of his employment in the service of thepublic and of the crown, by virtue of letters patent, con-sistent with the pleasure of six crowned heads, under thegreat seals of King Charles II., King James II. , King Wilh ainand Queen Mary, Queen Anne , and King George I., (beside 3the ordinary duties of his office in the survey and care of therepairs and new buildings of all the royal palaces,) he beg anand completed the cathedral church of St. Paul ; fifty-° neparochial churches ; the great column, called The Monument,and other public edifices, in London ; the two royal palace 3at Hampton Court and Winchester; the royal hospitals °Chelsea and Greenwich ; the north front and repairs oWestminster Abbey; the theatre of Oxford; the theatr ®royal in Drury Lane ; the Duke’s theatre in Salisbury Com >some time since taken down; the magnificent library 0Trinity College, and the elegant chapel of Emmanuel ColRg e ’Cambridge ; with many other fabrics of less note, as well asprivate seats. All these works form such a body of clV |architecture, as will appear rather the production of a whocentury than the life and industry of one man, of which n °parallel instance can be given. _ j.
In an act of parliament of the ninth year of the reign .King William, for completing and adorning the cathedichurch of St. Paul, London , a clause was inserted “ to 3USpend a moiety of the surveyor’s salary until the said cbmshould be finished ; thereby the better to encourage hi® „finish the same with the utmost diligence and expedition*^It was at the time a common notion and misreport, thatsurveyor received a large annual salary for that buildingiconsequently it was his interest to prolong the finishingthe fabric for the continuance of this supposed emolunie >which, it would seem, occasioned that clause. . [g
The surveyor’s salary for building St. Paul’s, fro® ■>foundation to its completion, (as appears from public acco® 1 'was not more than two hundred pounds per annum. ’
in truth, was his own choice ; but what the rest of the cmissioners on the commencement of the works judged unr ^sonably small, considering the extensive charge; the pains ^skill in the contrivance, in preparing draughts, models, 3 ^instructions for the artificers in their several stations and a .ments ; in almost daily overseeing and directing in P e v us t-in making estimates and contracts ; in examining and al ^ c0l ,.ing all bills and accounts, &c. : nevertheless, lie was jtented with this small allowance, nor coveted any addiprofit, always preferring the public service to any P rlY
profit.
oassed
Upon the completing of this great fabric, a clause P a “ g fin the act of parliament of the ninth year of the reigQueen Anne , declaring the church finished, to empower t ycommissioners to pay the surveyor the arrears of the ®of his salary. His allowance for building all the P® n( ] r edchurches of the city of London was about one ‘‘ u ^ eS t-pounds per annum, and the same for the repairs otminster Abbey . , a nd
In the act for building fifty new churches in Lon 6 <jits vicinity, Sir Christopher, though then at a very a ^ v .‘ t in®age, was named one of the commissioners for carrying f 0 reffect. On this occasion he wrote the following i e g 0 n-the consideration of his colleagues in office; which, astains many points worthy the notice of the arcliitec ,inserted. te j ®7
“ Since Providence, in great mercy, has protra ^age to the finishing the cathedral church of St. P aU j.^gd byparochial churches of London , in lieu of those demo ^^^jsthe fire; and being now constituted one of the