the frequent fales of which throws him always, as he obferves, in a moralizing mood. Such Collectors, if actuated with patriotic views, are of the greateft fervice to letters; and I am not afhamed to own that fome of the bappieft moments of my life have been fpent in fuch, and digefting catalogues for the information of others. In England, Sir Thomas Hoblyn made the catalogue of his own library, and publifhed it in his-life time, 2 vols. 8vo; and M. Pinelli, of Venice, digefied his own very fcientifically in 6 vols. 8vo. to which is prefixed his portrait. Thefe indexes, to a philofophical reader, may be confidered as a register of minds, and of more ufe in the lumber of a Study than a fyftem of Heraldry, though illuminated to the life, and ormented with gold; for a Library, undigefted, is a chaos, of little more ule to the owner or the publick than fo many divided parts of inftruments: for books, * in each clafs or fcience, may be confidered as component parts of the fame "inftruments; and to know their dependance, and place them properly together, is the mofi effential part of the ftudent's bufinefs. the inquifitive, leaving the habitable world, teal a view of Heaven itfelf, and traverse all the wonders of the kies. And thofe, therefore, ought to be as much encouraged as collectors of tatie and judgment, when their views are alike calculated for the public ufe, whether for amufement or improvement; and, it mult be confeffed, the public gratitude is manifefted to both, though orten without bearing the proper proportion to the comparative utility of their purfuits. It may indeed be objected, that many books might be spared, as but little information can be gained by fome whofe bulk promises a great deal, but only turns out to a wafie of time. Yet, if this is too often the cafe, it thould be remembered alfo, that the greateli efforts of genius are progreflive; that even the great Sir Ifaac Newton did not perfect his Principia at first, and that he owed as much to Bacon and Boyle, as Mr. Locke did to Cudworth, Malbranche, Bouhours, or Botlier. To conclude, if we are not fo generous and hofpitable as our illiterate feudal ancestors, we are more civilized and moderate in action; the arts of life are To return from catalogues to books more comfortable; reafon and humaif I do not intrude too far upon your nity fit fieadier on their thrones; and, patience); every art and fcience, every education cementing the focial intermechanical invention or exercile, are courfe of fociety, we are confcioully preferved and improved by literary raifed feveral degrees higher in the communication: it is thefe that in-fcale of our existence. port from one country to another the prefent ftate of every improvement; for Printing from its origin has had the happy felicity of diffufing the studies of all profeffions, and of noting the defiderata in each, which has turned out to the greatest advantage to the world; for, to know what is wanting and may be done, it is highly neceflary to be acquainted with what has already been performed. Thus the prefent generation is banding down, by their books, to that unborn, the flate of their in provements, for their benefit and inftruction. It is by books that may be perceived the mental difference between man and man; their depths or thallowness; and what "clods," as the Spectator obferves, they would be but for the advantage of reading. How ignorant and deplorable would man's condition be of the very elementary principles of the benefits of nature, if it were not for this fort of information! Thus affifted, indolence may fit at cafe, and travel to the remoteft parts; while Though in multiplying books there is no end, and promifcuously amaffing a heap without tafie, object, or judgment, is of little ufe; yet they muti be confidered in Mr. Addifon's point of view, as the legacies of men of genius rendered permanent, and, by multiplica tion, made to outlive the mouldering materials of the other imitative arts. Yours, &c. H. LEMOINE. THE PURSUITS OF ARCHITECTURAL N my paffage over Auft Ferry, my attention was wholly taken up to catch the various views that Chapel Rock afforded; and I ellayed at fomething like a fketch of the ruined chapel on it; but the fill changing courte of the reflel wherein I was till changed the afpect of the building, fo that my attempt became in a manner fruitless. Thus, in this momentary ftruggle to gain a defired purpofe, I brought into a finall compafs the moral of human life. We embark in the world's bufy fcene, fcene, we fix on a certain good; on it our happiness depends. We make our way; we fly before the wind; which bearing about, we are driven back by mifchance and difappointment. Hope animates us again; again we brave the fury of our destiny; and, when on the point of jumping on the blissful fhore to grasp the mighty joy, our feet flipping, we fall, and, finking in a fea of woes, all our expectations are loft, are vain and irretrievable! However, I did not lofe real hope in this my adventurous voyage; for I made good my landing on the Gloucestershire fhores; thence journeying through Bristol, as I there noted two or three churches, I could not but perceive that they had undergone a thorough Architectural Innovation, the work of which fhewed that it ranked them under the ftandard of the Fantaftic Order of Architecture," whofe inftitution we have fet forth, vol. LXXI. p. 1005. BATH has fo diminished itfelf, of its antient architectural confequence, by conftructing of modern Parades, Places, Squares, Crefcents, Circufes, and Promenades; and the laft record to convince incredulous minds that Hiftory fometimes may tell the truth, the Abbey Church, yet permitted to rear up its facred towers, is fo furrounded and encroached upon by hovels even thrust into its very walls, its interior fo filled with mortuary lietraps, theatrie galleries and boxes for fathion, folly, and religious inattention, that the head and the heart of an Antiquary are distracted and torn when arning to make out his bill of commodities taken up to traffic with, whereby his ventures may turn to fome account. Heat intense, vapours obnoxious, waters that freeze and boil, comafion, riot, and dilipation, Bath's ngakh-refloring bleffings, had now no lures for me. Some eight or nine years patt, to partake of a fovereign benent, in making plaus, elevations, and težtions, of the Abbey Church, I bore through a three-weeks regimen of daily taking in an unplafant mixture, compoted of a few fquare feet of right old Enghth pointed-arch fod malonry, and an untold number of feet of your modern Roman and Grecian fuperficial ditto: the first, ingredients to act as an attritigent to brace up my nerves to remain flaunch to my architectural principles, and the latter to pafs off as a purgative to clear any habit of the new and falfe impreflions wormed into the noble fcience I fo much admire. Turning my back on Bath at this time in halie, I got on my way, pondering that I was foon to enjoy a tight high in the praife of Antiquarian fame, a fight more fraught with the majelty of our Antient Architecture than any I had partook of in this my prefent tour. Do I then ken the important poft, where I am to try my utmost power, the force of all my life's experience, to furround, to enter at every avenue, to. take each out-work, inuer manfion, yea the great fane itself? I am prepared. I now begin the arduous onfet: exclaiming, behold MALMSBURY; Seat of Learning and of Piety, of Architecture, military as well as ecclefiaftical, of inagnificence and renown, how art thou changed, how art thou fallen from thy lofty feat in hiftoric eftimation! Thy walls are difmantled, thy gates and caftellated piles defiroyed, and thy cloittered mounds and fainted pile ranfaeked, dilapidated, and left to the care of parochial prefervavation! How cruel is thy lot, thus brought under the crush of Architectural Innovation! Matt you fill lie lower under Fate's reial decrees? Say, then, O Mainfbary, the worst of ill has paled over your vaulted ailes; tome generous and independent minds, alive to our Country's Antiquities, have witnefied your head-bowed diftref's, have felt for your curtailed honours, and ave fet about the means to revive your drooping ftate, to give thy works once more, even what they are, to general wonder, and to general ettimation. It will be fo; I, an humble inftrument to further fo great a national benefit, enter on my part, and thus begin to clear away, by true recital, that film of prejudice, which has fo long been to Malmbury's architectural remains fo rancorous and fo defructive an enemy. From the remnant walls in many parts of the town, it is evident that they when perfect mult have been of a fuperior order; and, at the entrance into the place from Farringdon, their height, winding direction, and fine mafenry, ettablish this pofition in a noble, or rather a romantic degree Not any of the gates are left; the last of which, guarding the above, approach was pulled down within these ten or twelve years, upon no other confideration than that the materials were handy to mend the road with. On the autfide of the Western wall, near the Weft front of the Abbey Church, is a fmall Oratory, faid to be built on the fite where the firft Religious of Malmfbory took up their abode, and, notwithfanding its mutilations and defilements, fhews much of delicate and elaborate defign. There are alfo, at the extremity of the town leading to Chippenham, fome veftiges of rich architecture, to which mean almthoutes have been attached; other almthoufes, of regular though fimple workmanship, are to be met with within the town. On the premifes of an inhabitant is part of a Saxon font, enriched with a profufion of feulptures, both of fiatues and ornaments. Adjoining the Market-place are remains of a final religious building (now the -principal inn); fuch as the gateway, cloitier, and fome chaaibers, with - many original decorations; as an holywater balon within the gateway, painted glafs in the kitchen, &c. &c. The Market crois. It is of an octangular figure, and much enriched; on the turret in the centre, fupported by the eight octangular ring buttreffes, is a crucifix and teveral ftatues. This relick, confidering the few defigns of this fort in being among us, owes its prefervation to a Noble Perfonage of the neighbourhood, who, by a liberal expenditure, has put it into a good fate of repair. Yet, though the workmen employed were peremptor ordered to adhere to the original finthings, they hase in a carelets manner (let me fay they were under the mania of improving our Aatient Architecture) attended to the perfect parts of the Crofs, and to Antiquarian judgment rendered this object a theme for much difpraife and centure. However, the motive of the right honourable Protector muft not fufler from the wilful inaccuracies of perverfe artificers. His example is of the first commendation, to infligate his compeers to go forth and do likewife. Near the Weft front of the Abbey Church is the gable end of an edifice, which, tradition tells us, is a moiety of the Cafile, which once dignified the town there are beneath its wall fome vaults remaining. The Abbey Houfe. Its erections are confiderable, and exhibit three dif tinct periods of Architecture. The ap proach from the Eaftern end of the church is through a fimple Saxon doorway. The basement flory of the houfe is in the early Pointed-arch manner, of much importance in the conftruction and detail of the feveral charac ters. The upper ftories are of the Henry VII. and VIII. dates; indeed no other way interefting than that they help our contemplation on perfons and on circumftances previous to that change which firft made way to reduce the renown of Malmsbury's autient Abbey to its prefent condition, the Church of which we fhall now proceed to furvey, with pain it muft be, from fuch thoughts and pleafure, which cannot be reftrained, that there is ftill vifible fo much of it to gratify our curiofity and research. AN ARCHITECT. (To be continued.) As M. N. is loth to have the laft word," I claim the right of putting an end to our pro's and con's, 'by ob- 1 ferving that, I fear he is pot much acquainted with the qualifications of an Architect, when he fuppofes "meafure and value" to be the principal requifites with fuch a character. And, truly, how does M. N. know that I am deficient in this refpect? I much doubt if fome centuries back, when our Cathedrals were raised, had their Architects poffeffed no other knowledge than the mean and fordid knack of meaturing heights and widths, and telling out the "penny a day" (a modern flur againft antient renumeration), we should not now have had to boat of ftructures, the envy of our velled profeffionalifts, and the delight of thofe who are proud of the Architecture of their native land. tra M. B. (p. 412) is informed, "mullion" is the perpendicular fhaft, or fhafts, compofed of mouldings, which parts the opening of a window into 3, 4, 5, or more divifions, for the infertion of glafs, &c.; and tracery" the fweeps, ramifications, and ornamental forms, immerging from the faid mul lions filling in the heads of the pointed windows themfelves. Tracery is alfo ufcd for the fame kind of objects introduced in the compartments belonging to the various works both without and within our antient buildings. I fhall be always happy to answer any profef fional questions in this way, confidering myfelf highly honoured by M. B's refpectful addrefs. I have beltowed much confideration to determine whether PANCRAS, in his account of the new chapel, Tavifock-fquare, p. 409, writes as one totally unacquainted with the mode of Architecture he prefames to illufirate, or directly means his communication as an inful to the caufe of Antiquity., He calls the building “Gothie," meaning by this opprobrious term the ftyles of our Antient Architecture. "The windows, battlements, and minute ornaments, chake imitations;" which, from the added plate, proves directly the reverfe. There is no doorway in the centre, panels and arched receffes filling up that part. A large crois loop-. hole over the centre window; this object is peculiar to cafiles. Pilatiers with caps infiead of buttrefles; a fort of pinnacles ftanding on oblong blocks inflead of immerging from the extremities of buttrefies, as conftituting their fpiral decoration when judged proper to be enriched in that way. PANCRAS farther tells us,.“ the roof is fupported by clustered columns, &c." Now, in all my furveys of the antient structures among us, I never found columns made use of, but to fupport arches, adapted to doors, windows, fide ailes, groins, &c. That "the communion-table is at the North end (I have seen at a distance that the principal front, or entrance, is fet to the South infiead of the Weft): the reading desk, and pulpit facing of it, &e. Thefe interior innovations, peculiar to modern church arrangement, not only fet the auient difpofure of fuch principal decorations at defiance, but wholly render their fituation dark and obfenre, deftroying that beautiful effect of light and harde which is diffuted over them at certain hours in the day. I wave any farther comment on Pancras's chufte imitations until I have made my actual furvey of the chapel itfelf, which, from its apparent unchaftenefs and infignificance, feems barely worthy of notice, were it not held up as a perfect thing of the kind. We know, indeed, it is one of the first pretended revivals in this town of our Antient Architecture. If the publick, therefore, fhould not be properly apprized of its real errors, they might be induced to conceive it a model to guide their tafie in any future erection of the like nature. At the fame time, I thall fabmit my opinion of the new appear ance given to St. Margaret's Church, Weltmintier, juft re-opened for divine fervice. AN ARCHITECT. I Mr. URBAN, June 15. DOUBT not but your correfpondent W. D. vol. LXXI. p. 991, and Nora, vol. LXXII. p. 214, remember to have read an admirable letter in the Spectator, No. 201, where Mr. Addifon illuminates the fubject of words which terminate in ofits. He there,' as you read, adds an old Heathen faying, which he alfo takes for his thefis, quoted by Aulus Gellius; Religentem effe oportet, religiofum nefas; a man fhould be religious, not fuperftitions ; ́ for, fays he, words fo terminating generally imply vicious characters, and the having any quality to an excess. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, P. C. June 16. WILL you allow me to request from your correfpondents anfwers to the following queries? 1. Are any of Sir Robert Sibbald's papers (mentioned in p. 8. of Bishop Nicollon's Hift. Scott. Library) published? or, if not, what is become of then? 2. Where are the poet Gray's MSS. depofited? 3. Does the earldom of Morton defeend to heirs general? and is it believed that the celebrated regent was ever married? The title after his death defcended to his nephew. 4. What are the arms of the Scots family of Cleghorn? A. 2. A. ftreet. What are become of his com- Dr. Jortin, Remarks on English Hiftory, vol. III. p. 322, &c. quotes Bafnage's remarks on the prefent condition of the Jews as a wonderful incomprehenfible prodigy. The Doctor does not difcufs the fubject of prophecy refpecting the difperfion of the Jews, but only their condition and turbulent fpirit, and the difficulty, if not impoffibility, of converting them, without a special divine interference. He obferves of the meeting at Ageda, mentioned p. 328; and LXXI. 1181. "The question is, whether this narrative of Samuel Bret, who was prefent at the fynod, has any more truth in it than the Adventures of Telemachus. The authors of the Acta Eruditorum, 1709, p. 104, declared their juft fufpicions of it, and obferve that Bafnage omis it. Manaffeh Ben Ifracl, in his defence of the Jews, in the Phoenix, No. 401, calls it a fabulous narrative." Jortin's Remarks, vol. III. p. 420. One would not have thought that any Architect was mad enough to have taken down aud re-built the Eaft end of Durham cathedral; but the madnefs of repeating this operation, as flated by your correfpondent, A. L. p. 327, exceeds every thing. P. Q. IN fubject be more worthy your fummer's which they form a part. Nor can any attention. ufes the word Pandour; and the tranDr. Gillies, in his Life of Frederic, lans, in two or three places; neither flator of the "Life of Bonapart," Huof thefe words are to be found in any dictionary to which I can have recourfe. What are the precife ideas intended to be expreffed by them? ftratenfes were firft fettled in England, the Scots were retired to Gedeor's fo- Gilbert Stuart, mentions "the political The finest of all our writers, Dr. condition of the county of Sutherland, a condition which appears now to be fo fingular." Obfervations on Law, and Confiitution of Scotland, p. 344. Unfortunately, he does not inform us what that fingularity is. What is it? Tranfactions, which I have had no opIn a volume of the Peterburg portunity of feeing (for 1777), is a meintereft-moir by N. Ofereifkowiki (famous for his valuable Diflertation De Lacte Eubali), on a præternatural electricity. I explanation of the title, and an fhould be glad to be favoured with an count of the phenomenon. or Frith word, Greim? What is the ignification of the Earle, Mr. URBAN, M. R-n, June 2. N Von Uflar's extremely valuable Chemico-Phyfiological Obfervations on Plants, 1795, many very ing facts are adduced on the authority of Mr. Girtanner, though no particular work or differtation of his is referred to. The writer hereof would be highly obliged to any of your correfpondents to favour him with the title of Mr. Girtanner's work there alluded to; and, as it muft contain much important matter (on the fuppofition that it be not cafily procurable in London), for a precis of its contents. would hint that fomething more than Alfo, he a bare fketch of the writings of Ellis, Gmelin, Hope, Cavallot, Sommering, Wrifberg (p. 114) on the fubject there treated of, is a defideratum to hinfelf and to many others; and, in a feientific view, muft very greatly enhance the value of the numbers of *Dr. Jortin muttakes here, for t was only taken by Bret at fecond-hand. + Has Cavallo written any diftinct treatife on the fubje&t? ac Who is the Iris mentioned in Phi-y Is the the Eira of the Northern Mythoneas Fletcher's Purp. Is. cant. 7, ft. 14. logy? See Mallet N. Ant. vol. I. p. 101, or who elfe, with authorities? mean by Red Sparrow. Is this the Bord What particular bird does Drayton Sparrone? Fol. ed. 1748, p. 304, c. 2. Tvdy is this the Tidiff of Chaucer, &c.? ibid. Hecco. See alfo 8vo. ed. ibid. Tuch. ibid. 314, c. 2. 1. 6. 1753, p. 1294. Is this the Hakewell? What are the Linnæan, or at leaû more intelligible names of each? What is the meaning of Ratshill? |
