Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

514

ON THE DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF

and upright bars; and, deprived of tracery and feathering, were as void of beauty in the details as in the general proportions; buttresses and battlements were generally omitted. A great deterioration took place in the decorasive parts the ornamental pannels and friezes of the Gothic style, consisting of geometrical combinations of circles and straight lines, had always a distinct outline and a sharpness of effect which contrasted agreeably with the foliage so often intermixed; but these were succeeded by strange grotesque combinations; confused, and void of outline and regularity. The source of ornament was now sought in the orders and members of Grecian architecture; but the eyes which had been accustomed to the Gothic flutter of parts, were not prepared to relish the simplicity of line which is essential to the beauty of the Greek style. Columns of a small size, inaccurately and coarsely executed; with arcades and grotesque caryatids; formed the ornaments of porches and frontispieces,-as at Browseholme-house in Yorkshire: Wimbledon; and the Schools-tower at Oxford, -or were spread over the whole front and formed the cloisters and galleries in which those ancient mansions abounded; as at Holland-house, Longleat, Wollaton, Audley End, Longford-castle, &c. The roofs were either faced with notched and curved gables, or screened by parapets of ballustres or latticed work; and decorated with obelisks and columnar chimney shafts; while turrets and pavilions broke the line of elevation. The windows were very large and frequently bowed: thus Bacon remarks, in the Essay before referred to, that you shall have sometimes fair houses so full of glass that one cannot tell where to become to be out of the sun or cold.' In wooden houses; and particularly town houses, the upper stories generally projected beyond the lower, with windows extremely wide, so as to occupy almost the whole line of front. The timbers were frequently left bare, carved and disposed in forms of pannelling; while the various projections were supported by grotesque figures. Very curious

THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH.

515

houses of this character are still found in several old towns, as Chester, Shrewsbury, Coventry and the obscure parts of London; though natural decay, fire, and modern improvements, are continually diminishing their number. Among interior decorations, chimney-pieces were very conspicuous: they were miniature frontispieces, consisting, like the porches of the houses, of a mass of columns, arches, niches, and caryatids, piled up to the ceiling. Of these there is one at the old Tabley-hall in Cheshire singularly rude and grotesque; though dated so late as 1619; containing a hunting-piece and the figures of Lucrece and Cleopatra. Another in queen Elizabeth's gallery at Windsor Castle is very rich; and comparatively pure and elegant in design. The sepulchral monuments of this age are very numerous, but only differ from those of an earlier date in the substitution of the members of Grecian for those of Gothic architecture, or rather in the confused mixture of both.

The unformed style of this period is well charactered in the following lines of Spenser, describing the access to the island containing the temple of Venus,

"It was a bridge ybuilt in goodly wise,

With curious corbs and pendants graven fair;
And arched all with porches did arise

On stately pillars framed after the Doric guise."

Faery Queen, B. IV. Canto X.

On the whole, this, though a glorious period for literature, was lost for the fine arts. The incongruous mixture of the conflicting principles of Grecian and Gothic architecture produced buildings more truly barbarous, more disgusting to a cultivated taste, than the rudest Norman work. Together with the architectural orders, our artists had received models and authorities for the grotesque style; which they were but too ready to follow. This extraordinary style of ornament had prevailed in ancient Rome early enough to be reprobated in the work of Vitruvius; and

>

516

DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE.

lay unobserved among obscure and subterraneous ruins till the discovery of the Baths of Titus opened a rich magazine of gay and capricious ornament. Raffaelle, struck with these remains of the antique art of painting, adopted the same style of ornament in the galleries of the Vatican; enriching and enlivening it with the stores of allegory and mythology furnished by his poetical fancy. The example of such a man could not want imitators; it influenced the whole architecture of France;-which very early possessed artists of great merit ;-and appeared in this country with very inferior effect. It may well be imagined that this style, naturally licentious and only rendered tolerable by grace of composition and brilliancy of execution, would become utterly contemptible when presenting only coarsely executed and unmeaning extravagances.

Such was the general character of art. We We may however make discriminations, and admit comparative merit. Wimbledon-house, seated on the side of a hill, was remarkable for a magnificent disposition of steps and terraces worthy an Italian villa. Wollaton-hall is admired by Mr. Price for the grandeur of its masses. Charlton-house has a very picturesque arrangement of heights in the elevation; Longleat, on the other hand, has much simplicity of form. In its square projections and three orders of columns or pilasters, it bears no remote resemblance to the ancient part of the Louvre built about thirty years previously; though without the purity and delicacy of the details of the architecture and sculpture which distinguish the French building. EDMUND AIKIN,

Liverpool, February 10, 1818,

INDEX.

A.

ALENÇON, duke of, II. 22. 56.
created duke of Anjou, 71.
visits the queen, ib. His second
visit, 98 et seq. death, 103.
Anjou, duke of, 451. II. 11. See
Alençon.

Anne of Cleves, 48. 49. 52. 55.

133.

Arragon, Catherine of, 5. 15.
Arundel, sir Thomas, case of, II.

370.

Ascham, Roger, extracts from his
Latin letters, 92 et seq. 97. 98.
99 et seq.
Ashley, Mrs. 194.

Aston, sir Roger, II. 414.
Aylmer or Elmer (bishop), on the
dress of Elizabeth, 98. 99. II. 66.

B.

Babington, Anthony, II. 166. 168.
Bacon, sir Nicholas, 257. Employ-

ed in the settlement of religion,
320. In disgrace, 366 and 7.
II. 81 et seq.

-, Anthony, II. 86. 343.

Francis, II. 83. 337. 539
to 343.346 to 350. His letter to
the earl of Essex, 380. Speeches
written by, 385. Base conduct
of, 434.

Beddingfield, sir H. 171. 174. 176.

177.

Bertie, Peregrine, lord Willoughby,
II. 117. 119. 120. Letterto, from
the queen, II. 357.
Blount, sir Charles, lord Montjoy,

II. 221. 256 et seq. 351. 427
and 8. 464. 482. 490.
Boleyn, Thomas, earl of Wilts, 10.

Boleyn, Anne, 2, 3, and 4. Con-
duct respecting queen Catherine,
16. Disgrace, 16. 17. Conduct
as affecting her daughter, 19 et
seq.

Bonner, bishop, 148. 150. 183.
Bourchier family, 49. 50.

Henry, earl of Essex, 7.
Brandon, Charles, duke of Suffolk,
9. II. 117 et seq.

Catherine, duchess dow-

ager of Suffolk, 117.
Brantome, M. de, description of
the court of Elizabeth, 337.
Brown, Anthony, viscount Monta-
cute, 286.

Brown, Robert, II. 108.
Bryan, lady, her letter respecting
Elizabeth, 21.

C.

Cabot, Sebastian, 444-6.
Cambridge, the queen's visit to,

368.

Cary, Henry, lord Hunsdon, 243.

387.

Robert, II. 315. 495.
Casimir, duke, 375. 376. II. 66..
Cavendish, Thomas, II. 307.
Cecil, Mildred, 95. 96. 127.

William, lord Burleigh, 96.
233. Account of, 254. Em-
ployed in the settlement of re-
ligion, 320. Takes precautions
against the poisoning of the
queen, 344. Draws a procla
mation respecting portraits of
the queen, 362. Directs her
reception at Cambridge, 368 et
seq. Letters of, to sir H. Norris,

LL 3

[blocks in formation]

417. 452 et seq. Attempt made
to ruin him, 463, 4, and 5. His
advice to the duke of Norfolk,
467. Created lord Burleigh, II.
4. Letter to the earl of Shrews-
bury, 34. Character compared
with sir N. Bacon's, II. 82.
Anecdote of, 87. Discussions
with Whitgift, 112 et seq. Anger
of the queen against, 186. Re-
stored to favor, 193. Warning
to Essex, 405. Death and eha-
racter of, 406..

Cecil, sir Thomas, II. 220.
Cecil, sir Robert, II. 221. 285.
372. Appointed secretary, 378.

401. 478.

Chaloner, sir Thomas, 287. His
letter respecting the queen and
lord R. Dudley, 289.
Chancellor, Richard, 445 and 6.
Charles IX. of France, a suitor to
Elizabeth, 392. II. 24. 26.
Cheke, sir John, 154. 222.
Classical literature, decline of, 198.
Clifford, George, earl of Cumber-
land, II. 214. 259.
Cook, sir Anthony, 154.
Courtney, W., marquis of Exeter,
7. 43. 44.

Edward, earl of Devon,
133. 137. 162. 184 and 5.
Cox, bishop, 154, 361.
Cranmer, archbishop, 5. 12. 19.

[blocks in formation]

Devereux, Robert, earl of Essex,
II. 51. Appointed general of
horse, 226. His position at court,
237 et seq. Expedition to Por-
tugal, 252 et seq. 254. Duel with
sir Charles Blount, 256. Letters
to Davison, 267 et seq. Marri-
age, 270. Campaign in France,
280. Trait of, 367. Connexion
with Anthony and Francis Ba-
con, 546. Conduct respecting
Lopez, 352. View of his and the
Cecil parties, 372. His conduct
at Cadiz, 374 et seq. Traits of,
392. His Island voyage, 595.
His quarrel with the queen, 402.
Conduct in Irish affairs, 427.
Service in Ireland, 454 to 440.
Return to England, 440. Dis-
grace, 446 to 454. Censure on,
454. Dangerous designs, 460.
Intrigues with the king of Scots,
465. Insurrection, 465 to 471.
Trial, after-conduct, and death,
471 to 478. Story respecting
his ring, 497.

Discovery, voyages of, II. 310 et
seq.

Dorset, marchioness dowager, 8.
Douglas, lady Margaret, 27. 28.
60. See Lenox, countess of.
Drake, sir Francis, II. 85. 166.

198. 225. 227. 252. 254. Death
and character of, 362.
Drama, progress of the, II. 521.
Dudley, John, duke of Northum-

berland, 12. 50. 75 to 75. 109.
117.119. 124. 129. 131.

Dudley, Ambrose, earl of War-
wick, 359. 360.
Dudley, Robert, earl of Leicester,

12. 151. 184. Appointed master
of the horse, and favored by
Elizabeth, 240. Knight of the
garter, 265. Suspected of pro-
curing the death of his wife,
291. His rivalry with the earl
of Arundel, 299. Proposed as
a husband to the queen of Scots,
565. Created earl of Leicester,
375. His declarations to Mel-

[ocr errors]
« FöregåendeFortsätt »