Reviews.

Temples, Ancient and Modern, or Notes on Church Architecture.ByWilliam Bardwell, Architect. London: Fraser & Co., and Williams.

Mr. Bardwell, in the Preface to this work, states his object to be—

“To endeavour to excite among architects a spirit of inquiry such as cannot fail to prevent a repetition of those improprieties the existence of which in our public edifices has so long afforded subject for complaint and matter for criticism;” and “to put an end to that inconsistency which is the cause of error,—namely, the tyranny of custom and the caprice of fashion: which, while they compel the modern architect to copyin littleand with meaner materials the sublime works of revered antiquity, indulge a laugh at his expense, because his reproduction fails to excite those sensations of pleasure and admiration which are inseparable from a contemplation of the original.”

Passing over the first three chapters of the work, which, although they contain much excellent matter of opinion, to which all may subscribe, do nevertheless open a door to controversy, and this it is our desire to avoid,—we come to Chapter IV. This is headed “Errors in the details of late-erected Churches, a connected series of critical observations;” and has for its object, by stringing together a number of critiques from theGentleman’s Magazineand other sources, to call attention to the prevalent errors of past design, and to enunciate correct principles for future practice. We quite agree with Mr. Bardwell, that “notwithstanding the querulous tone in which the writers have occasionally indulged, the extracts contain many hints that may be permanently useful;” and would wish that the spirit of a following paragraph could be always borne in mind by the critic and reviewer. “The legitimate object of criticism,” says our author, “is to improve the future, rather than to cast ill-natured censure upon the past.” However, we cannot take exception to Mr. Bardwell’s discharge of his duty. He has most appositely given these extracts through a whole chapter, and placed them in admirable order for study and profitable reflection. No one can read through this chapter attentively without being impressed with a desire to contribute his part to the rectification of such errors as are therein pointed out—it will awaken many to an active investigation where other modes of expression or remonstrance would probably fail.

In Chapter V. Mr. Bardwell enters into the great question that awaits us at every approach to a comprehensive study in architecture—the origin. Speculation on this point is in its nature endless; but it is highly gratifying to feel occasionally that we are thrown in the way of facts, and such it is the province of this chapter to treat us to. With a little prefatory matter in the way of an assault upon the hitherto deemed orthodox authorities on such subjects, and upon the principle of adherence to rule and precedent, and upon the little fables of an inventive tradition, assigning to this accident or that the origin of this or that feature, plan, and style, we come to the “burden of the book,”—Temples; and have a most interesting dissertation on those of ancient character, or on what we may more aptly term sacred edifices, memorials, or monuments.

“An altar of turf or of stones,stones of memorial, such as that set up at the grave of Jacob’s beloved Rachel, thegreat stonenear the oak at Shechem, Absalom’s Pillar, Jacob’s Bethel,Samuel’s Ebenezer, the Gilgal, or circle of stones, ofJoshua; a heap of unhewn stones, the Pandoo Koolies, of Hindostan, the numerous pillars set up by the Phœnician merchants, on the shores of the Mediterranean, in France, in Sweden; and in Great Britain, circles and rows of huge stones, like those of Stonehenge, Abury, &c.; cromlechs and logan stones, a portable ark, or tabernacle, were the first sacred monuments. Next came the pyramid, a cylinder, whether acippusor a column; a cubical block, with a particular member superadded to the regularity of mathematical proportions. A sphere and atetrahedron; and last succeeded a vase covered with a flat lid, and adorned with various sculptures from the vegetable and marine world.”

Thus Mr. Bardwell connects with religion thefirst memorable and permanent efforts of Building Art—sacrifice he shows to have been associated with, and to have guided the workings of, the first builders, from the “primeval altar of little more than a raised hearth, built generally of unhewn stones,” to the “column or stone pillar ofmysticcharacter—‘AndJacobrose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillow, and set it up for apillar, and poured oil upon the top of it; and he called the name of that place Beth-El.’” “The Greeks also erected pillars which they called ‘Baitulia,’ evidently derived from Beth-El, involving the same mystery, and both supposed to be symbols ofthe Divine Presence.”

Chapter VI. increases in interest, and is devoted to theTemple of Ammon.

“The Temple of Ammon, the remains of which archæologists, for many powerful reasons, agree are extant in the enormous pile known as the Temple of Karnac, is by far the most extensive, as well as the most ancient, of the Theban edifices; properly belonging to the whole period of the monarchy, and may with propriety be termed theTemple of the Pharaohs, the majority of whom, in succession, more particularly such as are celebrated in history, contributed their efforts to its enlargement and magnificence. From numerous authorities it seems clear thatHam, the son ofNoah, theAmun,Ammon, orOsirisof the Egyptians, must be considered as the original founder of Thebes, or the city of Ammon, as his sonMizraim,Misor, orMenes, was by common consent the founder of Memphis; so that the temple of Ammon or Ham was, in all probability, originally named from its founder, like the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem.”

We cannot take our readers along with us as we would by quoting largely from this interesting chapter, nor will we presume to dispose of the work by this brief and imperfect notice; it deserves much more at our hands; it is written with an enlarged feeling, and a genuine spirit of devotion to the sublime art upon which it treats; it is erudite, and occasionally profound; but we must take our leave of it for the present, concluding with another extract from the same chapter.

“The remains of Karnac are about 2,500 feet from the banks of the Nile, on an artificial elevation, surrounded by a brick wall, about 6,300 yards in circuit. The chief front of the temple (the western) is turned towards the river, with which it was connected by an alley of colossal crio-sphinxes, leading down to the bank of the river. Here the devotee would land who came from a distance to the shrine of Ammon, and with amazement and a feeling of religious awe would he slowly walk along between the majestic and tranquil sphinxes to the still more magnificent propylæ of the building. This colossal entrance is about 360 feet long and 148 high; the great door in the middle is 64 feet high. Passing through this door-way, he would enter a long court, occupied by a row of pillars on the north and south sides, and a double row of taller pillars running down the middle. These pillars terminated opposite to two colossal statues in front of a second propylon, through which, after ascending a flight o’ twenty-seven steps, we enter the great hypostyle hall, which had a flat stone roof, supported by one hundred and thirty-four colossal pillars, some of which are twenty-six feet in circumference, and others thirty-four. The width of this magnificent hall (for the entrance is in the centre of the longest side) is about 338 feet, and the length or depth 170 feet. The centre column supported a clere-story, in which were small windows. Four beautiful obelisks mark the entrance to the adytum, which consists of three apartments entirely of granite. The centre or principal room is 20 feet long, 16 wide, and 13 feet high. Three blocks of granite form the roof, which is painted with clusters of gilt stars on a blue ground. Beyond this are other porticos and galleries, which have been continued to another propylon at the distance of 2,000 feet from that at the western extremity of the temple.”

English Patents for 1841.ByAndrew Pritchard, M.R.I., &c. Whitaker and Co., London. 2s. 6d.

We had commenced the selection of a list of patents from this excellent compendium, with the intention of laying before our readers all those pertaining to the Building Art, but found that we should have to reprint nearly the whole of the book; so comprehensive is the range we have chosen, and so ingenious the class we have the honour to serve. Of 441 patents herein entered, by far the largest proportion are as we have stated; and we can only, therefore, refer to the work itself. Besides the above list of patents, there is appended a copy of Letters Patent, an abstract of the Registration of Designs Act, and a notice respecting its operation, concluding with a useful Index, which shews at one glance what you would refer to. The value of such a work as this is not to be estimated. All persons intending to take out patents should look over its pages, as it may save much trouble and expense. We know of many who would have been great gainers had they had such a guide at their elbows.

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