to instruct him in the first elements of that art.
Is it his object to bring him up to any of the
more learned professions? he endeavours to
imbue him with the learning necessary for his
advancement in those professions. Few peo-
ple think it worth while to compel their chil-
dren to embrace, contrary to their decided
wishes, any one of the several occupations of
life. But still they endeavour to bias their
ninds in favour of that in which they think
they have the greatest prospect of success,
and they then leave circumstances to work
their way; and generally speaking it is found
that ultimately the parents' wishes are com-
plied with, and that that to which the son
is directed when young, that to which the
mind applies itself when capable of receiving
early impressions, and when the impression
is likely to be durable, is the very occupation
which he follows when arrived at maturity;
and inasmuch as it is the business to which
his mind has been early led, and in which he
has been instructed before his attention was
distracted by other things, it is just the very
thing in which he makes the most proficiency.
Now here again we find man assisted by that
other propensity, in which he differs from the
brute creation. The young of the inferior ani-
mals, as already said, remain but a very short
time under the care of their parents. They
arrive quickly at maturity; they have no in-
tellectual powers to be cultivated; they soon
become independent of the authors of their
being. With man it is just the reverse. It
requires some years before a child could pos-
sibly subsist without the parents' care; it is
very many years before it could, with any
effect, provide for its own support. It follows
therefore, as a law of nature, the wise law of
a beneficent Providence-for when a Christian
speaks of nature, he merely means a mode of
Divine operation—it follows as a law, that,
instead of leaving his parents at an early age,
like the young of birds and beasts, the youth
of the human species remain under the pro-
tection of their father and mother for many
years, during which they acquire all the know-
ledge which their parents have to teach.
Hence proceeds education, the advancement
of knowledge, the improvement of successive
generations (unless retarded by wars and re-
volutions), the cultivation of intellect, much
of that progress of civilisation which renders
man so pre-eminently the lord of creation.
Hence, too, arises that affectionate intercourse
between the parent and the child, abiding
permanently through life, begun in habit,
founded in attachment on the one part, and
gratitude on the other:-

"Thus beast and bird their common charge attend:
The mothers nurse it, and the sires defend;
The young dismissed, to wander earth or air,
There stops the instinct, and there ends the care.
The link dissolves each seek fresh embrace-
Another love succeeds-another race

A longer care man's helpless kind demands;
That longer care requires more lasting bands;
Reflection, reason, still the ties improve,
At once extend the interest and the love;
With choice we fix, with sympathy we burn,
Each virtue in each passion takes its turn;
And still new needs, new helps, new habits rise,
That graft benevolence on charities,
Still as one brood and as another rose,
These natural love maintained, habitual those.
The last, scarce ripened into,perfect man,
Saw helpless him from whom their life began:
Memory and forecast just returns engage,-
That pointed back to youth, this on to age.
While pleasure, gratitude, and hope combined.
Still spread the interest, and preserved the kind."
(To be concluded in our next No.)

THE ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND DECLINE
OF GOTHIC OR ENGLISH ECCLESIAS-
TICAL ARCHITECTURE.'

AMONGST the vestiges of antiquity which abound
in this island, are the visible memorials of those
nations which have succeeded one another in its
occupancy.

To the age of the Celtic race, the earliest possessors of the soil, may be ascribed the erection of these rude structures and temples of all but primeval antiquity, the cromlechs and stone circles which lie scattered over its surface; and these are conceived to have been derived from the Phoenicians, whose merchants first introduced amongst the aboriginal Britons the arts of incipient civilisation. For of these ancient relics the prototypes appear, described in holy writ, in the pillar raised at Bethel by Jacob, in the altars erected by the patriarchs, in the circles of stone set up by Moses at the foot of Mount Sinai, and by Joshua at Gilgal. Many of these structures, perhaps from their very rudeness, have survived the vicissitudes of time, whilst there scarcely remains a vestige of the temples erected in this island by the Romans; yet it is from Roman edifices that we derive, and can trace by a gradual transition, the origin and progressive advance of that peculiar kind of architecture called Gothic, which presents in its later stages the most striking contrast that

can be imagined to its original precursor.

The Romans having conquered almost the whole of Britain in the first century, retained possession of the southern parts for nearly four hundred years. || During this period they not only instructed the natives in the arts of civilisation, but also with their aid, as we learn from Tacitus, began at an early period to erect temples and public edifices in their municipal towns and cities, though doubtless much inferior to those at Rome. The Christian religion was also early introduced, but for a time its progress was slow; nor was it till the conversion of Constantine, in the fourth century, that it was

Extracted, by permission, from a forthcoming edition (the 5th) of "The Principles of Gothic Architecture Elucidated," by M. H. Bloxam; a book which should be in the hands of all who wish to know the rudiments of the sublime art on which it treats.

openly tolerated by the state, and churches publicly constructed for its worshippers; though even before that event, as we are led to infer from the testimony of Gildas, the most ancient of our native historians, particular structures were appropriated for the performance of its divine mysteries: for that historian alludes to the British Christians as reconstructing the churches which had, in the Dioclesian persecution, been levelled to the ground. || St. Chrysostom also adverts to the churches and altars in this island. In the fifth century, Rome, oppressed on every side by enemies, and distracted with the vastness of her conquests, which she was no longer able to maintain, recalled her legions from Britain. The Romanised Britons, being thus left without protection, and having, during their subjection to the Romans, lost their ancient valour and love of liberty, in a short time fell a prey to the northern barbarians; in this extremity they called over the Saxons to assist them, when the latter, perceiving their defenceless condition, turned round upon them, and made an easy conquest of their country. In the struggle which then took place, the churches were again destroyed, the priests || slain at the very altars,2 and though the British Church was never annihilated, paganism for a while became triumphant.

to which also their names were given, appear to have furnished the plan for the internal arrangement of churches of a large size, being divided in the interior by rows of columns. From this division the nave and aisles of a church were derived; and in the semicircular recess at the one end for the tribune, we perceive the origin of the apsis, or semicircular east end, which two of our AngloSaxon,3 and many of our ancient Norman churches still present.

But independent of examples afforded by some ancient Roman churches, amongst which that of St. Martin at Canterbury is particularly mentioned, and such temples and public buildings of the Romans which were then remaining in Britain, the Anglo-Saxon converts were probably directed and assisted in the simple elements of architecture by those missionaries from Rome who propagated Christianity amongst them; and during the Saxon dynasty architects and workmen were frequently procured from abroad to plan and raise ecclesiastical structures. The Anglo-Saxon churches were of rude construction, and, as far as can be ascertained, with some few exceptions, of no great dimensions, and almost entirely devoid of ornamental mouldings, though in some instances decorative sculpture and mouldings are to be met with. From Towards the close of the sixth century, when the repeated incursions of the Danes, in the ninth Christianity was again propagated in this country and tenth centuries, so general was the destrucby Augustine, Mellitus, and other zealous monks, tion of monasteries and churches, which the NorSt. Gregory, the head of the papal Church, the mans rebuilt when the country became tranquil, originator of the mission, wrote to Mellitus not to that there are comparatively few churches existing destroy the heathen temples, but only the idols which we may reasonably presume, or really know, to found within them. These, and such churches || have been erected in an Anglo-Saxon age. Many built by the Roman or British Christians as were of the earlier writers on this subject have caused then existing, though in a dilapidated state, may much confusion by applying the term "Saxon" reasonably be supposed to have been the proto- to all churches and other edifices contradistintypes of the churches afterwards erected in this guished from the pointed style by semicircularcountry. headed doorways, windows, and arches. But the In the early period of their empire, the Romans || vestiges of Anglo-Saxon architecture have been as imitated the Grecians in their buildings of magni- || yet so little studied or known, as to render it diffitude and beauty, forming, however, a style of greater cult to point out, either generally or in detail, richness in detail, though less chaste in effect; and in what their peculiarities consist. The style columns of the different orders, with their entabla-may, however, be said to have approximated in aptures, were used to support and adorn their public || pearance much nearer the debased Roman style of structures; but in the fourth century, when the masonry than the Norman, and to have been also arts were declining, the style of architecture be- much ruder than the latter; for in the more ancient came debased, and the predominant features con- churches, such as that at Dover Castle, and at sisted of massive square piers or columns, without | Brixworth, we find arches constructed of flat bricks entablatures, from the imposts of which sprung or tiles, set edgewise, which was also a Roman arches of a semicircular form; a rude imitation of fashion. The masonry was chiefly composed of this debased style is perceptible in the remains of rag-stone or rubble, with ashlar, or squared blocks the Anglo-Saxon churches. of stone, at the angles, disposed in courses after a peculiar manner.

The Roman basilicas, or halls of justice, some of which were subsequently converted into churches,

2 Ruebant ædificia publica simul et privata, passim sacerdotes inter altaria trucibantur.-BEDE, Eccl. Hist. lib. i. c. 15.

The Norman style succeeded the Anglo-Saxon about the middle of the eleventh century, and is 3 Brixworth Church, Northamptonshire and Worth Church, Surrey.

distinguished by a greater display of geometrical foliage is of frequent occurrence; but the tooth science and constructive art. The masonry is || moulding, though sometimes found in late Normassive, and the surface is relieved by projecting || man or Semi-Norman work, may be considered as or receding members. Plain in its early state, the most characteristic ornament of this period. this style is, at a more advanced stage, adorned Spires now first made their appearance, and many with a profusion and considerable variety of pecu- church towers of Norman masonry received this liar mouldings admirably adapted to it, and though beautiful addition. The prominent features of this heavy and inelegant, it is often rich in ornament, || style are simple, elegant, and light; the decorative and always interesting. members comparatively few: it prevailed generally throughout the thirteenth century, and is usually designated the Early English.

A common characteristic of the Norman style is the semicirular or segmental arch, which is to be met with also in the rare specimens of Anglo-Saxon masonry. The Norman churches appear to have much excelled in size the lowly structures of the Saxons, the cathedral and conventual churches being frequently carried to the height of three tiers, or rows of arches, one above another.

The Norman style, in which a great number of churches and monastic edifices were originally built or entirely reconstructed, continued in its general features without any striking alteration till about the latter part of the twelfth century, when a singular change began to take place; this was the introduction of the pointed arch, the origin of which has never yet been satisfactorily explained, or the precise period of its appearance clearly ascertained. The lightness and simplicity of design to which the Early Pointed style was found to be afterwards convertible was in its incipient state unknown, and it retained to the close of the twelfth century the heavy concomitants of the Norman style, with which, indeed, it was often intermixed; and, from this intermixture, it may be designated the Semi or Mixed Norman.

||

||

The first change in the Norman style of building resulted from the introduction of the pointed arch, formed in many instances by the intersection of || semicircular ones; it displayed the general Norman ornaments: the zig-zag, billet, and other mouldings, rested on massive piers, and still retained many Norman features. But from the time of its introduction to the close of the twelfth century, the pointed arch was gradually superseding the semicircular; and from about the commencement of the thirteenth century, as nearly as can be ascertained, semicircular arches were, few exceptions, altogether discarded.

with very

Towards the close of the thirteenth century á gradual transition took place from the chaste and simple Early English to a richer and more ornamental mode of architecture. This was the style of the fourteenth century, known by the name of the Decorated English; it commenced in the reign of Edward the First, but chiefly flourished during the reigns of Edward the Second and Edward the Third, and in that of the latter it attained a degree of perfection unequalled by preceding or subsequent ages. Some of the most prominent and distinctive marks of this style occur in the windows, which were greatly enlarged, and divided into many lights by mullions, with the tracery running into various ramifications above, which formed the head into numerous compartments, either of geometrical or flowing tracery. Triangular or pedimental canopies and pinnacles, more enriched than before with crockets and finials, yet without redundancy of ornament, also occur in the churches built during this century.

In decorative detail, the stiffly sculptured foliage of the preceding style was superseded by foliage more closely approximating nature. A peculiar ornament, the ball-flower, prevailed at this period so generally, as to be considered a characteristic of the style: the mouldings increase in number, and the churches built during this period, whether examined in general outline or detail, exhibit a far greater degree of real beauty and chaste conception than is to be met with in any other.

In the latter part of the fourteenth century another transition, or gradual change of style, began to take place, in which an obvious distinction again occurs in the composition of the windows, some of which are very large: the mullions, instead of The mode of building with semicircular arches, || branching off in the head in a number of curved massive piers, and thick walls with broad pilaster || lines, are carried up vertically, so as to form perbuttresses, was now laid aside; the pointed arch, pendicular divisions between the window-sill and supported by more slender piers, and walls strength- || ened with graduating buttresses, of less width but of greater projection, were universally substituted in their stead. The windows, one of the most The frequent occurrence of panelled compartapparent marks of distinction, were at first long, ments and the partial change of form in the arches, narrow, and lancet-shaped: the zig-zag and other || especially of doorways and windows, from the simNorman mouldings were now discarded. In deco- || ple pointed arch of the two preceding styles, to the rative detail, a peculiar kind of stiffly sculptured || obtuse, four-centred, or Tudor arch, together with

the head, and do not present that combination of geometrical and flowing tracery observable in the style immediately preceding.

of these peculiar features introduced as accessories in church architecture.

a great profusion of minute ornament, and angular mouldings mostly of a description not before displayed, are the chief characteristics of the style of Hence many of our country churches, which the fifteenth century, which, by some of the earlier were repaired or partly rebuilt in the century sucwriters on this subject, was designated the Florid, ceeding the Reformation, exhibit the marks of the though it has since received the more general ap-style justly denominated Debased, to distinguish it pellation of the Perpendicular.

from the former purer styles. Depressed and This style prevailed till the Reformation, at nearly flat arched doorways with shallow mouldwhich period no country could vie with our own ||ings, square-headed windows with perpendicular as regards the number of its religious edifices, erected in all the varieties of style that had prevailed for many preceding ages. Next to the magnificent cathedrals, the venerable monasteries and collegiate establishments, sumptuously endowed in every part of the kingdom, most justly claim the pre-eminence; and many of the churches belonging to them were deservedly held in admiration for their architectural grandeur and elegance of design.

The suppression of monasteries tended in no slight degree to hasten the decline and fall of our ancient church architecture, to which other causes -such as the revival of the classic orders in Italy— also contributed. The churches belonging to conventual foundations, built at different periods by the monks or their benefactors, and in decorating which from time to time in the most costly manner, the monastic revenues and private offerings were to a large amount expended, were now seized by the crown, reduced to a state of ruin, and the sites they occupied granted to dependents of the court. The former reverential feeling on these matters had greatly changed; and the retention of some few of the ministerial habits, such as the square cap, the cope, the surplice, and hood, which were deemed expedient for the decent ministration of public worship, gave great offence to many, and was one of the apparent causes which led to that schism amongst the reformers, on points of dis

cipline, which afterwards ended in the subversion,

for a time, of the rites and ordinances of the Church
of England. Any attempt, therefore, towards beau-
tifying and adorning (other than with carved pul-
pits and communion-tables or altars) the places of
divine worship, which were now stripped of most
of their former ornamental accessories, was by
many regarded and inveighed against as a popish ||
and superstitious innovation; and a charge of this
kind was at a later period preferred against Arch-
bishop Laud. Parochial churches were therefore
repaired, when fallen into a state of dilapidation, in
a plain and inelegant manner, completely at va-
riance with the richness and display observable in
the style just preceding this event.

Details, originating from the designs of classic architecture, which had been partially revived in Italy, began early in the sixteenth century to make their appearance in this country, though as yet, except on tombs and in woodwork, we observe few

mullions, and obtuse-pointed or round-headed lights without foliations, and a general clumsiness of construction, form the predominating features in ecclesiastical buildings of this kind: and in the reign of Charles the First an indiscriminate mixture of Debased Gothic and Roman architecture prevailing, we lose sight of every true feature of our ancient ecclesiastical styles, they being superseded by that which sprang more immediately from the antique, the Roman, or Italian mode.

THE VISION OF THEODORE, The Hermit of Teneriffe: found in his Cell. By DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON.!

Son of Perseverance, whoever thou art, whose curiosity has led thee hither, read and be wise. He that now calls upon thee is Theodore, the Mermit of Teneriffe, who, in the fifty-seventh year of his retreat, left this instruction to mankind, lest his solitary hours should be spent in vain.

I was once what thou art now, a groveller on the earth, and a gazer at the sky; I trafficked and heaped wealth together; I loved and was favoured; I wore the robe of honour and heard the music of adulation; I was ambitious, and rose to greatness; I was unhappy, and retired. I sought for some time what I at length found here, a place where all real wants might be easily supplied, and where I might not be under the necessity of purchasing the assistance of men by the toleration of their follies. Here I saw fruits, and herbs, and water, and here determined to wait the hand of death, which I hope,

when at last it comes, will fall lightly upon me.

Forty-eight years had I now passed in forgetfulness of all mortal cares, and without any inclination to wander farther than the necessity of procuring sustenance required; but as I stood one day beholding the rock that overhangs my cell, I found in myself a desire to climb it; and when I was on its top, was, in the same manner determined to scale the next, till, by degrees, I conceived a wish to view the summit of the mountain, at the foot of which I had so long resided. This motion of my thoughts I endeavoured to suppress, not because it appeared criminal, but because it was new; and all change not evidently for the better, alarms a mind taught by experience to distrust itself. I was often afraid that my heart was deceiving me, that my impatience of confinement arose from some earthly passion, and that my ardour to survey the works of nature was only a hidden longing to mingle once again in the scenes of life. I therefore endeavoured to settle my thoughts into their former state, but found their distraction every day greater. 1 Printed in the Preceptor, 1748.