because he thereby affords a precedent that will be abused by those who possess equal confidence in themselves, with far inferior ability.

Onoph.-You are perfectly right there; and were it in my power, 1 would enact a law to restrain all further innovation in architecture, so as to preserve it in its purity.

Cal. A very notable scheme, Onophronus! If, indeed, beauty could be regulated by weight and measure, what you propose might be feasible; yet even then, I apprehend, it would be found to consult the interests of mediocrity rather than of talent, since it would effectually prevent the latter from distinguishing itself, and keep it down to the level of the former. But, to come to the point at once, pray what is there in this new capital of mine that excites your displeasure so violently? All that I have as yet heard you allege against it is, that it is an innovation, which I of course do not mean to dispute, it being upon that very ground that I arrogate to myself any merit for it. Unless, therefore, you can point out in what respect it is inconsistent, defective, and unsuitable for the purpose for which it is intended, so far from putting me out of conceit with it, you only convince me that I have reason to be satisfied with the success of my attempt.

Onoph.-Pshaw! it is quite idle to attempt to reason with you; you are absolutely incorrigible, Callimachus. Were the thing there you have invented, all that you fondly flatter yourself it is, of what service would it be? We possess already all that we require: as for new inventions in architecture at this time of day, they are mere chimeras. We do not want them, I tell you,-we do not want them; nor will we suffer such conceited gentlemen as yourself to palm your fancies upon us with impunity.

A LETTER TO LORD VISCOUNT GODERICH, ON THE PATRONAGE OF THE ARTS BY THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT. By WILLIAM WILKINS, A.M., formerly Fellow of Caius College Cambridge, R.A. and F.R.S.

[Continued from page 373.]

THE sculptor has scarcely any excitement to emulation, and he must trust mainly to chance and the patronage of individuals for the means of support and the reward of merit.

During the late war opportunities were afforded to sculptors, who had the courage to encounter the chances of competition, of obtaining employ

ment on the monuments of the illustrious dead who had fallen gloriously in their country's cause; and although candidates presented themselves who relied on the character of the members of the Committee, with whom a selection was vested, for impartiality and justice, it was not wholly without distrust as to their capability of discriminating between degrees of excellence; a disadvantage that must always attach to competitions where the judges can only possess a very limited knowledge of art. In the present day, the prevailing custom of competition aims at the very destruction of the Fine Arts; for although on some occasions the committees of reference are composed of unexceptionable characters,-in the majority of instances jobbing and favouritism frequently prevail against the claims of real merit. It is not, however, on common-place occasions, or in the hands of the better classes only, that competitors suffer through the caprice or incapacity of the judges. In an instance of no distant occurrence, a committee composed of persons of high character suffered themselves to be canvassed for their votes of preference in favour of a protégée of an individual who was not a member of the committee. On a still more recent occasion, the conduct of a committee composed of some of the highest titled members of the community has created much astonishment and disappointment, coupled with a suspicion of partiality or favouritism on the part of some of its members, and afforded an illustration of the observation above stated. A committee of sub. scribers, with the Duke of Wellington as the Chairman, was appointed to determine upon and select a design for the monument, now in progress, to His late Royal Highness the Duke of York. The architects to whom application was made on this occasion were those attached to the Board of Works, the academicians and associates of the Royal Academy, and the architect employed by the Duke of Wellington. They were urged with all the known impetuosity of His Grace to present their designs within a month. No reason was assigned for this hasty measure, which obliged most of the architects thus consulted to obtain the assistance of architectural draughtsmen, at a considerable expense, in order that they might be enabled to complete their drawings within this limited time.

However disposed the artists might be to question the taste of the noble Duke, no one hesitated to accept the offer of producing a design; but all appear to have relied with a proper degree of confidence on his character for strict impartiality. Besides, as His Grace acted in concert with Lord Farnborough, Sir T. Lawrence, and some other men of acknowledged experience in such matters, it was reasonably imagined that he would suffer the opinion of these more competent judges to guide his proceedings. Acting on this conviction, and on the supposition that the

competition would be conducted in the manner and with the etiquette usually observed on similar occasions, several designs for a monumental column were submitted to the inspection of the Committee. It was, however, necessary that the opinions of His late Majesty should confirm their decision; and this eventually proved to be contrary to the expressed intention of the Committee, whose preference for a column equal in magnitude to that of Trajan at Rome led them to dictate to the architects the form and nature of the designs to be presented.

His Majesty's wishes on the subject induced the Committee to change their intentions, and fresh designs for a triumphal arch to be placed at the entrance of the Horse Guards were demanded of the artists. This was accordingly done; but still the noble Duke adhered to his preference of the columnar form of monument, and trusted to the chapter of accidents to effect his object.

The haste which had hitherto characterized the proceedings of the Committee, to the great inconvenience and cost of the artists, was now exchanged for total inactivity: all further measures were postponed until the month of February, 1831. In this interval the death of the King left the Committee at liberty to follow the bent of their own inclinations, and they availed themselves of the event to resume their original preference of a columnar monument. The Committee soon after this period renewed their sittings, and at one of these a model of the Column of Trajan was selected for execution. The knowledge of the circumstances under which the Committee came to such a decision has baffled all inquiry: the noble Duke is known to have been absent, and Lord Farnborough confined by indisposition. Sir Thomas Lawrence was no more; and another of the Committee, whose name I am bound to withhold, appears to have received no intimation of the meeting in question. The only members who are known to have been present besides the Secretary were a few individuals distinguished for their acquiescence in all the views of the noble premier. The infallibility attached to the measures of the Duke by his admirers is supposed to have influenced a decision made in conformity with the expressed predilection of the Duke, and in favour of his architect. Such is the explanation given of this mysterious affair. No one of the competitors can for a moment harbour a suspicion of unfairness on the part of the noble Duke or Lord Farnborough; they stand fully acquitted of the charge of partiality; but a considerable degree of suspicion has been expressed as to the motives which led to the adoption of the design now in progress. Not the slightest degree of impropriety or incapacity is imputed to Mr. B. Wyatt, who possessed sufficient tact to relieve himself from every degree of responsibility to the tribunal of

taste, and who very naturally availed himself of his savoir faire by confining his efforts to the production of only one design, and that the model of a column existing at Rome; the duplicate of which at Paris, embellished with sculpture by Parisian artists, and executed in bronze, its only recommendations, had been known to have excited the admiration of the noble Duke.

It was not until six weeks after the decision, which was only communicated to the successful candidate, that the other competitors were made acquainted with the selection of the Committee. The official note of the Secretary announcing it, and requiring the several artists to send for their drawings, was couched somewhat in the style of a man who may be supposed to have required from some half dozen of shoemakers, Wellingtons, on trial, and, having fitted himself to his satisfaction, desires them to send and take back their rejected samples*. The noble Duke, accustomed to the promptitude of obedience from all attached to him or his office, appears indeed to have considered the artists as much at his command as the red-coated peons and knights, which he moves at will on the great board of strategetic chess; and was much surprised when some of the architects, resenting the absence of all courtesy on the part of the Committee, determined upon treating the affair as a mere matter of business, and preferred a charge for their designs, which, under other circumstances and on other conditions virtually implied if not expressed on all similar occasions, would never have been demanded.

Thus a monument objectionable in point of taste, erected at a period long subsequent to the era of pure architecture, inappropriate to the object in view, and hideous when stripped of its only claims to our admiration, is selected as the model most worthy of imitation by a Committee who countenance by such an act the charge of the decline of the Arts in England, and thus convey to posterity a lasting libel on the united talents of the architects of the age.

The synod of taste at Paris were fully aware of the worthlessness of the column without sculpture. Denon, in his description of Pompey's pillar, describes this monument and its companion, the Column of Antonius, as "des cylindres colossales, sur lesquelles est fastueusement derolée l'histoire des expéditions glorieuses; et que reduites à leur

"Horse Guards, March 4, 1831.

"General Maitland begs to inform Mr. Wilkius, that the Committee for erecting a monument to the memory of His late Royal Highness the Duke of York, having made their selection, the drawings of Mr. Wilkins will be returned to him whenever he may send for them.

"W. WILKINS, Esq."

simples traits et leur seul dimension, elles ne seront plus que de lourds et tristes monuments."

The selection of this gigantic candlestick, without any strongly marked accessories denoting the purposes of its erection, is further to be condemned on the grounds of inappropriateness, if I may be allowed to use such a term: but perhaps the Committee thought it unnecessary to inquire into the circumstances which led to the construction of the original. The inscription on the pedestal would have informed them that it was erected in order to commemorate a great work of MacAdamization performed by the Emperor Trajan, and not for his measures in the cabinet or his achievements in the field.

It is circumstances of this kind that lead artists to doubt the justice and fairness of decisions on the comparative merits of architectural designs. No architect of any eminence, who is in the possession of a practice sufficient for his support, but feels repugnance in subjecting himself to the chance of a rejection of his design through ignorance or partiality. But although a disgust of the profession is frequently excited from occurrences such as these, the love of architecture and the advancement of the Art is the ruling passion of the true artist; and hence the natural and legitimate desire to see them placed in the way of advancement.

It is a feeling of this kind that prompts me to the effort of an appeal through your Lordship's more powerful interference with the Government of which you form a part, to assist in the formation of a School of Architecture. It has been said that this branch of the Fine Arts has been the only one patronized during the late reign; I must beg leave to deny that architecture has been excepted from the general disregard of the Arts during this period. It is true that one or two personal favourites have been extensively employed by the Sovereign, but the Art has neither been fostered nor cultivated.

The formation of a school has yet to be accomplished; and it is to this primary object that I am desirous of directing your attention. If I do not urge upon you the renewal of your efforts for the removal of the Royal Academy, it is because I have learnt, since the commencement of these pages, that Lord Grey shares in common with Necker the generous sentiments of this great statesman and economist, contained in the passage which I have borrowed from Mr. Millingen's pamphlet, and used as my motto to this Letter. His Lordship is known to have listened, with every degree of encouragement, to a suggestion for an exchange of sites, which will enable him to concentrate the public offices, and at the same time afford to the Royal Academy a greater degree of