We must return with our author to Drewsteignton to notice the Cromlech there, which, in conjunction with the Logan Stone, further, and perhaps more decidedly, confirms the Druidical claims of that place; it is said to be the only Cromlech extant in Devon, (we know of a fallen one at the Merivale Bridge Colony already named); "it stands on a farm called Shilston, (Shelfstone) anciently Shelfston and Shilfstan." Now this we take to be a pure Saxon appellation, ryly-rtan, invented to describe a British Cromlech; for what is it, indeed, but a flat shelflike stone incumbent upon upright supporters? The Shilstone Cromlech consists, Mr. Shortt tells us, of three supporting granite stones and a ponderous granite table stone, about 15 feet in length, laid across these. Cromlechs within the British Isles designate, with as complete certainty, localities occupied by the native Britons, as tessellated pavements can indicate a Roman site. An avenue of stones can be traced, Mr. Shortt thinks, but not very confidently, leading to Shilston Cromlech. We are fully assured that if he investigates the ground further he will find this conjecture confirmed.

The Roman relic, the bronze Centaur from Sidmouth, found by some fishermen in 1840 near the embouchure of the little river Sid, is certainly more curious than beautiful in its present time-worn state, if justice be done it by the lithograph given (see p. 43); we had almost taken it for a representation of one of those specimens of fused lead which boys are in the habit of making at random by pouring the molten metal into a basin of water. Mr. Shortt ingeniously conjectures that the centaur appearing on the coins of Carausius, the Sidmouth bronze may be a standard of that Emperor; when we look at the maritime situation of Sidmouth and the naval fame of Carausius, the idea involves at least no improbability.

Among the miscellanea of Mr. Shortt's work may be classed the encaustic pavements; the MS. of the 15th century, found in a stone wall at Exeter ; the ancient weapons, tradesmen's tokens, and other matters belonging to ages connected with and preceding, by a few centuries, our own,

It is difficult to conceive that more matter of an interesting character could be compressed within 100 pages, the extent of Mr. Shortt's work. It will well repay the Romano-British topographer to trace on the ordnance map of Devon the different places where ancient fortifications are extant; for actual survey and review of this kind is the only mode of settling with accuracy (as far as they can be settled) the sites of Roman stations. Points of that character in this brief notice we have not sought to discuss, but rather to afford our readers a general and faithful, though rapid, sketch of Mr. Shortt's little volume. Surely he might, with great pleasure to himself and advantage to the county, compile the ancient history of Devon. The materials are most ample, but want concentration; and Mr. Shortt's personal survey, pursued through the hundreds of the shire, with a view to describing its communications, earthworks, and remarkable objects, illustrated with plans and sketches, would give value and originality of character to such a volume.

Remarks on Church Architecture, with Illustrations, by the Rev. John Louis Petit, M.A. 2 vols. 8vo.

SINCE the publication of Mr. Hope's valuable essay, we have not rise with greater pleasure from the perusal of any work on the ecclesiastical architecture of the middle ages, than that which we have derived from the volumes of Mr. Petit; the nature of their contents may be best understood from the author's own words.

They contain," he says, "no more than they profess, namely, remarks upon Church Architecture, such as might be made by one who has taken more pleasure than pains in his pursuit, and is willing to persuade his conscience that the hours he has given to his own gratification, have not been altogether unemployed." The labours which are thus so modestly ushered into the reader's notice, are exhibited in a series of sensible and judicious remarks on a vast number of ancient churches in every style of architecture, and marked by every variety of plan and detail. No theory is advanced by the author, nor is any one in particular

advocated. He has proceeded throughout the whole range of his architectural researches, to develope whatever is striking and just in plan or arrangement, or beautiful and appropriate in decoration and effect. His remarks are made with good taste and judgment, and are simply elicited by the specimens adduced; in consequence, we must regret that without the aid of the illustrations wə are unable to extract his observations with the peculiar applicability with which they appear in the work.

The objects and scope of the author's researches, and the feelings with which he undertook the prosecution of them, are well expressed in the ensuing passage.

"The ecclesiastical buildings with which we are acquainted, belonging to the period between the tenth and sixteenth centuries (it might perhaps be extended each way), however they may differ in style, richness of ornament, outline, or general arrangement, are evidently designed upon certain principles of proportion, most difficult to investigate or explain, but of which the architects seem to have had an intuitive knowledge. Many, indeed, are open to criticism, as what human work is not? but there is a manifest propriety, a careful adjustment, and a remarkable gracefulness of composition, which pervades the whole, from the humblest and plainest village church, to the magnificent structures of Amiens and Strasburg; till this is not only felt and appreciated, but reduced to practice, little beauty will result from the most accurate imitation of details." p. 6.

Although the greater number of his examples are taken from edifices on the Continent, he justly adds a caution to the admirers of those in general magnificent structures, against undervaluing our native examples.

"I should, indeed, be sorry to see a continental manner generally introduced and established in the buildings of English churches. The models we have of our own, scattered abundantly through every county, are the very best we could procure: our parish churches, taking them in the aggregate, may be pronounced the most venerable, the most truly beautiful, the most durable in appearance, of any of their class; and, still more, they are endeared to us by every association." p. 13.

With reference to a class of build-
GENT. MAG. VOL. XVII.

ings which have lately been brought into prominence, and have been deemed by many good judges to be examples of Saxon architecture, Mr. Petit appears to dissent from the more generally received opinion. He is referring to the cathedral of Valence upon the Rhine, and adds,

"On the outer wall of the nave, above the aisle roof, runs a course of small arches, alternately round and straightsided, like those we find at Barton in Lincolnshire; their shafts are truncated cones. These I take to be mere fancies of the builder, no way tending to the formation or developement of a style; whether they be marks of antiquity, as denoting a period when the architect was less closely bound to the observance of certain general rules, is another question. These flat-sided arches occur also in the old church of Lorsch in Germany." p. 59.

The structure, however, which calls forth these observations, it is to be remarked, is one of considerable antiquity, which is evidenced both by the description and drawing given by Mr. Petit. If, therefore, the peculiar feature to which he refers, is of the same age as the structure itself, it does appear to us to confirm rather than destroy the theory which assigns similar specimens to the Saxon period, as it is only by the examination of coeval examples that we can attain a correct guide to the date of any disputed piece of architecture.

The following remarks evince the minute examination of the forms and arrangements of ancient structures made by the author.

"In the above edifice, (the Church at Lisieux in Normandy,) as well as in the cathedrals of Sens, Beauvais, and Paris, the apse is semicircular. This, I think, denotes an imperfect developement of the style; as a gothic arch can scarcely be said to be perfect while it exhibits a double curvature, which must be the case if it be placed in a convex wall. The polygonal apse prevailed very early in Germany, probably that the arches might occupy a flat surface; and in all the complete gothic buildings near the Rhine, and I suppose through the whole country, the semicircular termination is avoided. Though the architecture of Beauvais cathedral is generally of a late character, yet there are many proofs that it is raised 2 P

upon an edifice of an early date, whose groundp lan is preserved." p. 139.

Churches of large dimensions with apsidal terminations are not common in England, and the specimens we have are we think confined to structures of Norman date, or pointed structures raised on a Norman foundation, with the exception always of Westminster Abbey, which has a polygonal apse, and which shews that the architect of that truly magnificent and scientific pile had been alive to the difficulty which has struck our author in his examination of this almost universal termination of churches, whether Gothic or Romanesque in France.

We now advert to another of our author's observations on a description of windows sometimes met with in early churches, in which mullions without tracery are found. The author, referring to the French flamboyant, worked without foliation, observes that the curved line requires foliation, as essential; and when, on the contrary, geometrical tracery is used, the want of foliation he considers is never felt, except as rendering the design somewhat plainer. This peculiarity he brings forward to shew, that in one case the circular are, in the other the point or angle, is the decided characteristic.

"This may perhaps account for the dif. ficulty of composing a beautiful window by the mere crossing of mullions without foliation, or by making the mullions of a window of two lights branch into the architrave, the heads of the lights and space above being left plain. Such a composition involves neither one principle nor the other. I grant it is occasionally found in gothic buildings, as in Lichfield chapter-house, Bakewell church, Wells cathedral, &c.; but it requires much enrichment to render it even tolerable, and, at the best we cannot help wishing some other form had been adopted. A large window, however, of this sort is exceed ingly well treated in Checkley church in Staffordshire; the crossings of the mullions are covered by roses of stone work, which quite compensate for the want of foliation." p. 177.

We refer to this, not that we disagree with Mr. Petit's observations, which are just, but as shewing how carefully the architects of our gothic churches, studied the effect of any new idea before they used it. In this case,

they felt the bad effects of this description of window, and discarded the design at once.

A feature observable in Exeter cathedral, and only possessed by one other church we believe in England, which is the formation of transepts in the lower story of the tower, appears not to be uncommon on the Continent. In

particular, "the outside of the cathedral of Geneva is well known from its two massive unequal towers; they form transepts ;" and " "Lyons Ca thedral has four low towers, two of them flank the west front-the other two are more massive, and form transepts."

The remarks on the propriety of the architecture and forms of new churches, a subject which at present occupies much attention, in various quarters, and which since the general spoliation and destruction at the reformation, has never been so attentively studied as at present, are just and orthodox. The Gothic style is preferred to the Italian; the author's reasons for the preference are sound and judicious, founded alone on the superior merits of the architecture.

The plan of the church is a very important consideration, not alone for the sake of accommodation and convenience, but, unless this more important part of the design is attentively studied and judiciously devised, the superstructure will never be an object of admiration, whatever ornament may be given to the elevation. We entirely agree with Mr. Petit, in his preference of the cathedral plan for new churches.

The cross church offers this advantage to the designer, that a tower of almost any dimensions, low or lofty, is suitable; if it be not raised beyond what might serve as a partial clerestory, it still has a venerable and picturesque appearance."

The plan which he would adopt for his churches, (the Cruciform) is sanc, tioned not only by good feeling, but by taste, by convenience, and by the practice of the Church in her happiest days, and what in these times will be valued higher than any other consideration, by economy.

He brings forward a very happy example in favour of his preferénce of

"I will notice one of the simplest and most roughly built country churches I have ever seen; which does not exhibit sufficient detail to mark its style or probable date, and has scarce the elevation of an ordinary cottage. Yet, in this humble church (Daix near Dijon,) we recognize the pyramidical form; the spreading ground plan; the different heights of wall justly proportioned to each other; the bold and strong buttress; and a proper relation between nave, tower, and chancel, maintained as correctly and beautifully as in any cathedral. Though you might almost place your hand upon the roof, yet the slope of the gable and position of the tower, give it that aspiring tendency which prevents you from feeling that it is defective in its height; in fact, if the walls were higher the form of the building would be much injured. The exterior, unpretending as it is in design, and rude in the extreme as to workmanship, presents nothing mean or unworthy; no part of it appears unduly contracted, every dimension completely satisfies the 32.

eye."

p.

The following remarks on Gothic architecture are acute and accurate, and such as one, possessed of a thorough knowledge of its best features, might be expected to make.

"The aim of the Gothic architect seems to have been, to combine the greatest boldness and lightness of construction with a sense both of correct equilibrium and perfect security: the artist who astonishes the spectator without giving him this impression, has not obtained a legitimate triumph, nor, I may say, has he constructed a building suitable to the purposes of devotion; in which neither perplexity nor astonishment at human ingenuity ought to be the feeling forced upon the mind. I cannot, therefore, wholly approve of the enormous pendents of the Tudor architecture; ingenious as may be their construction, yet, inasmuch as their equilibrium appears to depend upon the mere tenacity of material, they betray a lapse from purity of design. In a rerfect Gothic edifice every part will seem adequately and properly sustained; no artifice will be used to conceal or disguise the channels, if I may so express myself, by which the weight of the whole building is conducted to those points where it is to be met by sufficient means of support." P. 6.

With equal truth the author shews why churches, built of other descriptions of architecture, do not possess the merit which he gives to the pointed style.

"Why is it that an Italianising church is unpleasing? Not simply because its details differ from those of a Perpendicular or Decorated one-for those also differ in many respects from each other, and from the earlier styles; but because they do not suggest the same ideas of proper and scientific arrangement; we do not read from them the same lessons of order, taste, and harmony; rich as their effect may be at a distance, when we draw near, the charm vanishes, the eye falls upon a miserable display of wasted labour, and the mind dwells with pain upon the professed abandonment of those principles by which alone art can be advanced, or preserved from falling into decay." P. 23.

our

On the subject of timber roofs Mr. Petit observes, that many of English wooden roofs are very beautiful, and, without question, possess the great advantage of convenience, "for the architect, recurring to his first principles, and treating his materials according to their proper nature, did not think it necessary to arrange his frame-work of wood in the same manner with one of stone.' In this respect our author agrees with the opinion of Mr. Pugin on the same question; but it is not remarkable that two attentive observers of construction should coincide in idea.

Pinnacles are always favourite objects with modern architects; however low their estimate may be, and however naked the church they build, they generally contrive to bedeck their design with some of these appendages, displaying the same vulgar taste as a country wench who had, for the first time in her life, received a present of a profusion of ribbons. The professional architect would do well to follow the sound advice given in the following passage:

"Although it may be that pinnacles are nowhere absolutely necessary, so that the conditions of a stable equilibrium would be imperfect without them, yet they should not be introduced except when they appear to assist by their weight (in however small a degree) the strength of

the edifice." P. 10.

It is pleasing to see that one who has had so much experience in Gothic architecture in France, in Italy, and Germany, should, after viewing edifices of vast magnitude and uncommon grandeur, structures, too, in whose beauties the hands of the spoiler,

whether in the form of the fanatic destroyer, or the affected improver, has never fallen, should turn to the less vast and strikingly beautiful edifices of his own country, and pass on them so eloquent a compliment as the following:

The country that can shew such an entire work as the Cathedral of Salisbury; such a group of spires as that of Lichfield; such towers as those belonging to York, Gloucester, Canterbury, Lincoln; such a composition as the octagonal centre of Ely; that can enumerate, in its churches of a second rank, the steeples of Newark, Grantham, Lowth, Coventry, and the towers of Doncaster, Wrexham, Boston, Cirencester, Taunton- and these not unique, but, for the most part, types and

patterns of numberless others: and that presents a series of village and parish churches, the most venerable and beautiful of any which districts of similar extent, wherever they may be taken, can exhibit, must not be pronounced to occupy a low station among those countries which have contributed their share to the advancement of Gothic architecture." P. 82.

The defects in the construction of new churches are not more to be deprecated than the evils which have fallen upon old ones, whenever they have been subjected to the destructive propensities of modern architects.

"Alas for the building which falls into the hands of an ignorant or presumptuous restorer! I do not speak under the in fluence of any strong antiquarian feeling;