Literature.

^ i . fc . ra . tirr . e ,

REVIEWS . Some Account of Domestic Architecture in England , from Richard II . to Henry VIII . B y the Editor of "The Glossary of Architecture . " 2 vols . Svo . London and Oxford : J . ' if . and J . Parker . ARCHITECTURE of whatever style and under each of its varied

forms must always , of necessity , have a peculiar interest for 1 ' reeniasons . On the revival of our Order , in the early part of the eighteenth century , it was the fashion to praise and exalt , at the cost of all other styles , what Bro . Anderson and writers of his stam p chose to designate the " Augustan Style , " bnt which a more correct knowled ge has in the present day termed the Greco-Italian .

With regard to the improvement of our modern secular architecture , Mr . Parker ' s book has arrived just at the ri ght moment , it will go far to counteract the absurd notion that is abroad , which stamps Gothic architecture as an exclusively ecclesiastical , popish , feudal , or foreign style , whilst iu truth it is no more than tlie natural architectural model of the Teutonic race . But while tins is known to the student , the same knowledge has to be instilled into

the masses who have a belief that there is no secular Gothic . In popular feeling every fragment of mediawal work is set down as part of a church or monastery , and the generality of people seem to have no idea that when the Gothic style was in the ascendant it was a living style universally , suited to the wants of all , being equally adapted and used for the church , castle , town hall , manor house , cottage , bridge , and barn . In all of which , various their

as are shapes and ground plans , the same principles of construction ancl details of ornament are identical . Its wonderful versatality allowed of its adaptation with equal success to all purposes , ecclesiastical , military , civil , and domestic . Taking for example Mr . Parker ' s view of Thornbury , no one coulcl pronounce it dark , nor would any one venture to assert that Wingfield , or Gompton W yniate are monotonous . As to the preservation of niediteval domestic remains , it is a much more onerous affair than the preservation of ecclesiastical buildings . Churches arc public buildingsstill applied to their

, original use , and need no change to adapt them to the end for which they have all along been designed . But a house , however ancient , is private property , and a man will " do what he likes with his own ; " so public opinion is not so easily aroused against a man who makes even the most- barbarous changes in his own dwelling , as against a chapter , or a parish , who disfigure the church of which they are the guardians . Again , a meiliaival house

, except a few of almost palatial extent , is a far less striking object than a church , of the same period . The ancient church appeals to the taste of a large portion of the community , while none but professed antiquaries care about mecliaival houses . Then comes another important question , viz ., AVhat is to be clone with mediieval houses ? It is quite clear a lord of a manor in the nineteenth centurycannot liveas he is used to livein an

, , , unaltered manor house of any elate earlier than the sixteenth century . If he lives in it himself , he must make such changes or additions as will ruin its ancient character ; if it sinks into a ' farmhouse , or a cottage , it is exposed to neglect and disfigurements nearl y as destructive . That all buildings of this sort should be kept as unused curiosities , or treated with such extraordinary care as to obviate alterationsis no doubt desirablebut

, very , cannot be expected . AVe have been led into the foregoing observations on perusing the work carefully which treats its subject partl y historicall y , and partly practically ; the latter bciim- subdivided into a twofold

practical object—one , to preserve what is left us of mccliaival domestic remains ; the other to improve the style of modern domestic and civil architecture . Mr . Parker so lucidly puts before us his intentions in this and the previous work , " The Glossary of Architecture , " that it is advisable to let him be heard in bis own language . He says

;" More than twenty years have elapsed since the editor of the present work first put forth the Glossary of Architecture . One object of that work was to awaken the attention of the clergy and the edueated classes generally to the merits ancl beauties of mediaival ecclesiastical architecture by numerous pictorial representations of the characteristic details of the buildings of each succeeding century , and to afford such information as would facilitate the study of the true principles of the Gothic style . " The object of the present work is also in part to do for the houses of our ancestors what the Glossary has done for their churches—to awaken the attention of their owners , and of all who are concerned iu

them , to the value aud importance of those remains which arc daily disappearing from our eyes—to bring public opinion to boar upon the subject—and to cry shame upon the noblemen and gentlemen who wantonly destroy , or allow their agents to destroy , valuable relics of ancient art , or historical memorials of the highest interest and value . ' - 'But if these works have had any practical effect it has been iu a groat degree incidental ; their primary object was historical , to accustom le to remember the dates of the different stylesand to connect

peop , them with the history of their respective periods . The Glossary was tho first work in ivhich an attempt was made to apply Hickman's system and assign dates to several hundred examples by the style only , where historical dates were not forthcoming . Many of these dates have been confirmed by subsequent investigation , and very few havo been found to be erroneous . " At the present time , also , there seems a desire among the more

educated classes of the country to inquire for themselves into the claims which different styles of architecture have upon us ; and there is no doubt the more the architectural history of the country is studied , the more it will become apparent not ouly that English Gothic was a style by itself , and most suitable for the requirements of this climate and this country in the middle ages ; but also that with fair and proper development and adaptation , it is still the most suited to meet the various requirements ofthe present time . "

If there is one cause for regret in the present volumes it arises from the date at ivhich they stop . AA c should have liked to see them come clown to the Elizabethan , or more properly Tudor style , because the purely mediaival house is not adapted to our present wants , while the Tudor , generally , is a home of considerable comfort and enjoyment , and its forms and arrangements are in no way inconsistent with Gothic principles , but rather arc a

development of the old stock ; and although in the strict architectural sense of the matter , Tudor is a corruption of the mediaival , yet if we revive Gothic architecture , there can be no possible reason why we may not retain the advantages of arrangement and outline of the ' latter , whilst coupling with them the purer details of earlier times . Besides the strictly architectural value of Mr . Parker's labours

, they are invaluable as throwing considerable li g ht on the domestic manners and arrangements of our ancestors . He has , with great care and accuracy , traced out the gradual advance of comfort and increase of accommodation . During the fifteenth century house building , as distinguished from castle building , made great and rapid advances . Towards the end of that period the apparently defensive preparations had sunk into mere traditional custom and

the buildings became more essentially domestic . The hall lost , somewhat of its importance , but the number of other rooms multiplied in proportion . To those who are acquainted with the " Glossary of Architecture , " it is almost needless to comment upon the beauty of execution which distinguishes all Mr . Parker's works . In this work the engravings are most lavishly given , ancl consist of

general views , details , and ground plans—the last an especially useful feature—besides numbers of illustrations from illuminations and rare books , showing how people really lived in the houses described both by the jicn and pencil . Every one who is an admirer of the jiicturcsque , a lover of our old customs , an antiquary , an architect , or a draughtsman , cannot fail to be benefited ancl amused by perusing the above work , even if he tlisajiprovc of returning to a secularized Gothic , which is , to some extent , and formerly was , the English style of architecture .

Great Britain , as It , Is ; Geographical , Topographical , Historical , Statistical , and Commercial . By E . II . JvTor . Atf , Ph . D ., LL . D . Parts 1 and 2 . London : Lane and Co . OUR Bro . Nolan may truly be said to possess the pen of a rcacly writer , and , still better , he may fairly claim the title of one of outmost popular instructors . Scarcely lias he completed his deservedlsuccessful volumes on the Crimean warwhen we find

y , him again claiming the public attention by the elaborate work the first parts of which are now before us . Dr . Nolan has chosen a truly great theme ; to trace the history of the mightiest empire the world has ever seen ; to point out the sources of her wealth and of her power—to describe the enormous influence which she has exercised for good or for evil over the destinies of surrounding peoples—this Is a task to tax the energies ofthe strongest anil

the assiduity of the most industrious . And , turning to the more poetic portion ofthe subject , what a field for description lies open in the recollections attached to so many time honoured spots in our favoured isle—how many heroic actions and glorious episodes arc to be brought again to the memory of his readers . The wonders of geology and mineralogy also , ancl the opinions of the learned upon tliq former condition and , fjityre destiny of this fair