welfare that you are now in a place where your abilities will have opportunities of unfolding, and where you can become great in your art." Such was the incomparable wife and mother of the Gesners!-Will it now be a question whether matrimony is incompati ble with the cultivation of the arts? A wife who reanimates the drooping genius of her husband, and a mother who is inspired by the ambition of seeing her sons eminent, is she not the real being which the ancients only personified in their Muse? It is but natural, that the same desire, on an enlarged scale, should excite the public mind on occasion of our national structures; and should meet with a correspondent gratification, in the judicious and appropriate distinction of edifices known to be erected for publie purposes, and at the public expense. It must be acknowledged, also, that the metropolis is entitled to claim precedence in the elegance and dignity of its buildings; nor can we reflect without regret on the pitiful accommodations Five chapters yet remain to be no-granted to several of the most important ticed; but we have already extended this article to the utmost limits which our pages will admit. The preceding extracts will enable our readers to judge of the variety of instruction and entertainment, which Mr. D'Israeli has pro- | vided for them. More amusing literary history we have not often seen, compressed within se short a compass. Plans, Elevations, and Sections of Buildings, Public and Private, executed in various parts of Englaud, &c. including the New Custom House, London; with plans, details, and descriptions, en graved on fifty-nine plates. By David Laing, F.S.A. Architect and Surveyor to the Board of Customs, &c. Imperial folio. Price £5. 5s. Taylor, London, 1813. of our national offices; and, among others, to the British Senate itself:for, such they must appear to all who are jealous of the reputation of their country, and to every foreigner who arrives among us, and who cannot but draw comparisons between the mass of ancient inconveniences at Westminster, and the more magnificent erections which distinguish the places of Legislative assembly, in less wealthy countries. This was so offensive, that efforts have been lately made-better late than never to improve the avenues to the Houses of Parliament; as our pages have repeatedly witnessed; and we observe with pleasure, that in the course of his Majesty's reign, attention has been more than formerly, paid to this object; some of our old structures have WE have lately inclined to the opi- others which are undergone much improvement; and new erections, rise nion, that as the British School of Art, greatly superior to what they might have is distinct in some of its branches, been a few generations back. We do not (Portrait painting, for instance,) so it is mean to describe our modern buildings gradually forming a style proper to itas faultless many of them are extremely self, in others, as Sculpture and Archi- censurable, in parts, at least; but we tecture. In History Painting, its promean to say, that the general improvegress is slow, nor is there any appear- ment is obvious to a well-instructed ance of its speedily becoming rapid: eye; and that the cumbrous taste of the the greater source of employment, the contemporaries of Vanbrugh and Ridley church, being closed against it. Sculpis happily banished from among the mature, also, has yet difficulties to struggle jority of their successors. with. But, the department of Architecture, with its dependencies, receives ample encouragement, in that general desire which animates the superior classes among us, for the enjoyment of convenient and handsome residences, and for promoting the respectability attached to neatness and symmetry, whereever their influence extends. : Under these circumstances, it might naturally be expected, that a new Cus tom House should feel the influence of this prevailing disposition. A despica- It is have disgraced the River Thames, the self with baving succeeded to general City of London, the capital of the king-satisfaction," and as we have heard no dom, and the empire at large. It is complaint among the merchants, or the well observed, in the Introduction to officers, we presume that it fully and this work, that happily answers the purpose. justly described as an "intricate undertaking," and we doubt not the architect's anxiety when called to combine, and to arrange, to the best advantages such a number of distinct departments as are now formed in the collection of the customs at the port of London. Of all buildings, a public building of this description, is seen by the greatest number of foreigners; and seen, in the first instance, by such as arrive from distant parts, charged with the care of those numerous and valuable cargoes which every tide bears to anchorage on the bosom of the Thames. The advantages of a favour able appearance on introduction, are acknowledged and allowed by all; but they are not to be secured by suffering the eye of strangers to rest on a mean or unsightly structure. The first impression received from the official department of mercantile affairs, should not be that of contempt; that arising from a suspicion, or a persua sion of inability to do better, or of exces sive economy and parsimony in the nation, of whose concerns it is the index. Neither ought it to be forgot, that the respectability attached to the character of a merchant of London, supposed to attend personally, in transacting his business here, (and not seldom engaged, by occasions arising, to verify this supposition) demand; an accommodation becoming the genius of a commercial nation; and far removed from the rudeness of unsettled times, and barbarous ages. The volume before us opens with a Dedication to the Prince Regent, and a more numerous list of subscribers than we remember to have seen prefixed to any work of this kind. An Introduction, evidently drawn up with great care, narrates, succinctly, the progress of commerce and custom duties in the port of London, from the days of the original Britons to the present time. Then follows (dedicated to the Commissioners of the Customs) the history of the new erection, with the plates by which it is illustrated. The second part contains a few private houses, with the intended details of the church of St. Dunstan in the East, preceded by an instructive and amusing account of the Saint himself, and of the original church. 66 Very few opportunities of observing the progress and effect of Gothic composition can be looked for in the Modern Art; and perhaps, it were too much to expect what properly may justify the appellatiou of novelty. judicious selection of parts from the best authorities, is the whole we are now entitled to wish for; what might with propriety have been thought be coming boldness antiently, would hazard the censure of being extravagant, and unwarrantable, in the present day. This article, then, has its difficulties: and composition though Gothic, is not, therefore, allowed by prescription, to be barbarous. The dreadful conflagration by which the former Custom House was destroyed, is recorded in our O. S. vol. XV. p. 266. The extensive distress and coufusion produced by that calamity among the merchants, were amply sufficient to justify the exercise of every possible precaution against the recurrence of a similar destruction and we are happy to observe, that Mr. Laing has protected - these important premises by an almost entire exclusion of timber. The main parts of the building, especially of the more important offices, are of stone, brick, and iron: nothing combustible is admitted. While, therefore, the build-a ing is distinguished by external appear ance, it is skilfully guarded internally against a similar accident. It cannot be supposed, that we are competent to give an opinion on the merits of its internal distribution, yet, as Mr. Laing "hopes that in this very important and difficult part of this intricate underta king, he may be allowed to flatter him The Plates, as a matter of course, form the chief body and values of this work; they are highly creditable to the abilities of the Architect; but, as we cannot transcribe them, we must refer them to the study and consideration of professional men, and content ourselves with a few extracts from the annexed observations. The original estimated cost of this extensive building was formed on a calculation of the whole expense, including the foundations: but, fortunately for the contractors, they declined to engage for what could not be ascertained; and the foundations were made a separate article of charge. The history evinces the propriety of this determination. The following instance of deception is not singular; but, perhaps, few have been less expected, or more mortifying. the surface of Thames street, were nearly reduced to earth. It deserves remark, that on this occasion three distinct lines of wooden embankments were found at the several distances of 58, 86, and 103 feet within the range of the existing wharf, and about 50 feet from the campshot, or outer edge of the wharf wall, a wall was discovered running east and west; it was built with chalk rubble, and faced with Purbeck stone; this wall was supposed to be either part of the ancient defences of the city of London, or extending westward from the Tower. of some outwork, bastion, or barbican, These circumstances, with the want of a uniform consistency in the soil, further evinced by the discovery of coins and other articles of workmanship, found by the labourers employed in digging, were amply sufficient to justify the conclusion, that the In contemplation of a building of such great magnitude and weight, it became a duty of most anxious necessity to examine and ascertain completely the nature and properties of the substratum. For this pur-gravel brought up by the auger, in the pose the ground was bored in various places, with augers twenty-five feet in length, the end of which terminated in a shell, in order to bring up for examination specimens of the soil, from the depth of eighteen or twenty feet. These trials produced a compact gravel, discoloured as might be expected, and as every thing seemed to confirm, by its vicinity to the bed of the river. The results of several borings indicated a uniform stratum, the most desirable in na first borings, must have been thrown in at different periods coincident with the repeated contractions of the river; and, as it should seem, subsequently to the year 1560, when the old walling was sufficiently distinguishable to be noticed in a view taken about that time, which is given in Maitland's History of London. These old foundation walls and embankments presented formidable diffiture for the reception of a large edifice, culties, being so strongly compacted towhile its compactness and extent excluded gether, that even with the assistance of every suspicion of its being otherwise than iron wedges, the materials were not senative; and this confidence was strength-parated without great labour and exerened to conviction by finding the bed of the river in parts adjacent, to answer the same description. Notwithstanding, as the soil above this stratum proved to consist of ground artificially and somewhat loosely made, a resolution was taken to drive piles over the whole surface of the foundations; and the work was begun Au gust 1, 1813. tions. To add to the perplexities of the case, the tide flowed daily into every opening, and during the winter the water, occasionally freezing, entirely suspended the operations. Patience and perseverance at length triumphed; and the first stone of this national edifice was laid at the south-west corner, Oct. 25, 1813, being the fifty-third anniversary of his Majesty's accession. But these favourable appearances were delusive: when the trenches preparatory to the foundation were dug, no regular To our readers, who have found in stratum of native ground could be traced. our work, a variety of tables shewing Rising from the level of the river to the the value of our exports and imports, south-side of Thames-street, the whole of of late years, it would be no novelty to the extent was discovered to have been submit Mr. Laing's account on this subformerly a part of the bed of the Thames.ject: but, we may call to their recolQuantities of rushes were found, intermixed lection, that in the year 1815, the value with chrysalids of water insects. Musse!- of the imports was 36 millions sterling; shells were also found in different stages of decomposition; those lying at the southeast corner of the quay presented a greenish hue, inclining to the colour of verdigris; while those which were brought up from the depth of seventeen feet below that of the exports was 61 millions; and the custom duties paid into the Exchequer amounted to more than ten millions and a half. A curious and gratifying contrast to this statement is furnished by a £. s. d. table given in this history: it describes | restriction, has made very free with his the profit derived from the royal duties neighbour's property, has dropped many in London about A. D. 1246, when the observations on the necessity of extencity of London purchased the fee-farm sive improvements in this part of the of the principal port, Queen-Hithe, with city. He has diminished the water here, all its rights, customs, and privileges. and augmented it there. He has pulled down street after street: but candour must acknowledge that his intention in so doing, is the improvement of 97 13 11 localities which need improvement; and which are the seat of amply sufficient wealth to justify the intention, and progressively, in all probability, to realize the execution of the plan. Amount of Tonnages (the king's Amount of Customs on foreign London-Bridge-street...... The issue of the field and bars at .... Stallage duties from the markets of West-Cheap, Grass-Chirche, and Wool-Chirche-hawe, with the annual Scotage of the Butchers of London···· Amount of the produce of Queen Hithe..... Chattels of foreigners, forfeited for trading in the city, contrary to the laws and customs thereof.. Places and perquisites within the city.... Produce of the Waidarii and Ambiani of Corbye and Neele, merchants of those towns............. Total 75 6 10 5 18 7 7 0 2 8 13 2 42 0 0 17 9 2 Whatever confidence we feel due to the opinion of an Architect so justly 4 76 celebrated as Sir Christopher Wren, an opinion supported by the discoveries of Mr. Laing, on the present occasion, we feel no less reluctance to admit the notion that the river Thames is gradually becoming shallower. That impediments to the free course of the stream are multiplying, is notorious; and every additional bridge across it augments their number; but it may be observed, that every new embankment also by 10 11 0 encroaching more or less on the waterway, contributes to render that waterway more powerful, and consequently to counteract in some degree the effect of contemporary impediments. Black and heavy will that day be when Old Father Thames forsakes the city of London :- he must first be reduced to a mere rivulet; and that we trust is infinitely distant. 86 5 9 9 6 364 13 8 2 of These were half yearly payments; from which we learn, that the whole port of London (Queen-Hithe and Belin's-gate) yielded the mighty sum of less than least thirty feet into the river; and by Mr. Laing has projected his Quay at fifty pounds! per annum. In the days introducing one uniform line of facing of Elizabeth the customs were farmed has added greatly to the appearance for £20,000, and produced upwards of the structure. But, the most striking £30,000: in the tenth year of King instances of skill, are the King's wareJames, the port of London alone pro- house, and the Long Room; the for duced £109,572 18s. 4d., which was nearly three times the sum collected in pressed the Imperial visitors from Rusmer, we understand, so strongly imall the other ports in England. Theresia, that the Grand Duke Nicholas was, certaiuly, some public office into which this sum was paid but no building, distinguishable by its size or respectability, has been described by Stow, or by any other of our ancient historians. In the course of his work, the Architect, who, like his brethren, when allowed to propose their plans without octangular radiated capitals of Dundee | the form of a gallery, without properly stone, resting on piers of Aberdeen gra- | nite, two feet six inches square at the base; but gradually diminishing upwards to the form of the capitals. In the operation of building, the joints of these pillars, and of their capitals, were left open till the arches were well settled, in order to preserve the stones from damage by flushing or chipping off. This method of vaulting over large areas, is preferable to that by groined vaulting, on account of its superior strength and beauty: the diagonal ribs constitute firm arched abutments, and receive equal pressure on both sides from the intrados (or intervening vaulting,) by which means the whole mass forms one combination, acquires all possible compactness, and is rendered absolutely secure. answering to that character: but, in the present instance, the length of the room is so much more reduced by the effect of the perspective than the width is, that the eye cannot possibly comprehend both the length and the width at the same time; and, consequently, it is deprived of the only meaus of forming an estimate of the real or the comparative dimensions of length and breadth. In order to harmonize the length and width of this room with its height, it is formed into three square divisious or compartments, by eight massive piers, which, at the same time, answer the important purposes of adding stability to the walls, and of reducing the span of the ponderous roof, of which (as it has no bearing on the walls) these piers form the entire support. The lateral pressure of all the interior Each square compartment terminates in arches is in all points counteracted and the frustrum of a dome, springing respeccounterbalanced by that of every surround- tively from four segmental arches; the cening arch, while the pressure at each end ter dome, which is fifty-five feet high, beof the building is received by abutments ing the most lofty. The segments of these curvatures are purposely kept low; because made abundantly solid and strong to sustain the ultimate thrust of the whole range, on that form gives dignity and character to the principles of resistance and equilibra-finishes in a favourable manner such great the general appearance of the room, and tion. The strength of the construction, breadths as present themselves below the with the quality of the materials, was repeatedly and amply proved, by loading the springing line of the arches. Each comextrados (or superficial series of vaulting) partment is ventilated through its respective dome; and, by the same means, curin various parts and places with enormous weights, during the progress of framing, rents of air are supplied throughout the preparing, and hoisting the timbers of the timber roof, for the purpose of preventing roof of the Long Room; which was per- that also of ensuring a supply of fresh and the accumulation of deleterious vapour, for formed by means of Derricks placed on salubrious air to the interior of this large these arches. apartment, and at the same time checking those troublesome, and, too probably, dangerous currents, which otherwise would force an entrance at the door ways. In point of appearance, this warehouse presents an imposing aspect, in the interior from its great extent; from the varied effect of the lines of its construction; and, from the light and shade produced by its forms. The fights deflected from the surface of the river, with the variety of shades and tones of intermingled light and shade which This is an instance of strength: im-flecker on the ceiling and the arches of this mediately over it is the Long Room, room, produce a singularly pleasing effect. which as an instance of convenience, The whole of the ceiling and the walls, is simplicity, and magnitude, has pro- tinted and drawn to represent stone: the bably, few equals. This required a floor is paved with stone. But, to provide construction altogether different from against the severities of the winter season, the former: the reader will judge on the room is heated by two large pedestals the demands made on the Artists skill, of cast iron, within which are enclosed stoves, and vertical tubes discharging by an apartment of the following di-heated air, with lateral horizontal tubes mensions without a supporting pillar in conducted under the floor. it. The Long Room is one hundred and ninety feet long, by sixty-six feet wide. These dimensions, which are nearly in the ration of three to one, would be dispropor. tionate, if the apartments were on a mach smaller scale; and would approximate to This room, one of the largest in Europe, the roof of which has no intermediate support, is occupied for the transaction of the greater part of the business requiring public intercourse. Its most interesting appearance is at a time when many hundreds of persons of every description and nation |