of a nave, south aisle, and chancel; and, what we trust is not a mere embellishment of the drawing, a screen of oak, surmounted by a cross, appears to separate the chancel from the nave. The roof is of open timber work, composed of trussed rafters; and the entire design, from the excellence of its architectural character, may be regarded as a superior example of church architecture.

1171. New Church, Salton Waldron, near Shaftesbury. G. Alexander.-This edifice consists of nave, aisles, and chan. cel, and a west tower and spire. The architecture is perpendicular, as, we believe, Mr. Alexander's designs generally are; the roofs are of good pitch, and the design exhibits good features.

1187. North-west view of Battersea New Church, now erecting, from the designs of Lee and Bury. J. Bury.

1188. Interior of same-An important structure, apparently of large dimensions, in the decorated style; the tracery is foliated, but late. It consists of a chancel, nave and aisles, with transept to aisles. The tower is at the south-west angle of the nave, and is surmounted with a spire, having spire lights of rather a florid character. The interior is very effective; the arches spring from octagonal columns, the roof is open timber-work, the trusses composed of arched braces, beneath a collar. The organ appears to be placed in a chamber situate within the lower story of the tower. The font is octagonal, panneled, and raised on a platform; below the strings and round the arches are painted inscriptions in illuminated characters, and also at the font and other parts. The structure may, upon the whole, be regarded as a superior specimen of modern church architecture.

1286. Christ Church, Bermondsey, now erecting by G. Allen and W. B. Hays, from the designs of W. B. Hays.-A Norman structure in the modern acceptation of the word, consisting of a nave with aisles, and a tower and spire at the north-west angle of the nave. The interior shews lofty and slender columns with Norman caps, rather awkward-looking imitations of the older examples, which the designers do not appear to have recollected are generally short and thick, circumstances which render them inconvenient when side galleries are designed, as in this structure; therefore, and for the accommodation of these excrescences, the modern Norman attenuated pillar has been invented. The roof is of open timber, and is the only good feature about the design.

(To be continued.)

INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS.

April 26. W. Tite, esq. V.P. in the chair.

A letter was read, from M. de Prangey, of Paris, accompanying some works on Moorish architecture, and in which he gave a description of the ancient sculptured fragments from Nineveh, and a collection of casts from others at Persepolis, lately arrived in the French capital.

A communication was read from Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, accompanying a drawing made by him of the fallen "Tuscan Column," at Baalbek.

A paper by C. Varley, esq. 'On a Method of Ventilating Rooms for Large Assemblies, and also one' On preventing the Emission of Noxious Effluvia from the Sewers into the Streets,' were read.

May 3. W. Tite, esq. V.P. in the chair. -The following office-bearers were elected for the ensuing year :-President, Earl de Grey; Vice Presidents, S. Angell, C. Fowler, and A. Poynter, esqs.; Honorary Secretaries, G. Bailey and J. J. Scholes, esqs.; Honorary Secretary for Foreign Correspondence, T. L. Donaldson, esq.; Ordinary Members of the Council, G. Alexander, H. Ashton, C. Barry, D. Brandon, R. D. Chantrell, T. L. Donaldson, J. B. Gardiner, E. J. Anson, jun., G. Pownall, and J. Woolley, esqs.; Auditors, C. Mayhew and T. Meyer, esqs.; Honorary Solicitor, W. L. Donaldson, esq.; Treasurer, Sir W. R. Farquhar.

May 17. Earl de Grey, President, in the chair, who presented to J. W. Papworth, Fellow, the Medal of the Institute for his essay On the Adaptation and Mo dification of the Orders of the Greeks by the Romans and Moderns;' and to James Bell, the Medal of Merit for his essay on the same subject.

The Rev. Prof. Willis read a paper 'On the Successive Construction and History of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, from Constantine downwards.' After alluding generally to the holy places visited by the pilgrims and grouped together within the walls of the church, and the buildings immediately connected with it, he proceeded to give a brief history of the successive destructions and reconstructions of the church from its original foundation by the Emperor Constantine to the time of its being rebuilt after the fire in 1802. He then described the building as it existed when the Crusaders were driven out of Jerusalem; and by analyzing and comparing the numerous pilgrim writers of the Middle Ages, endeavoured to show the nature of the additions which the Crusaders had made, -and finally the probable plan of the original Basilica of Constantine. The

principal authorities quoted were Bernardino and Zuallardo for the Crusaders' Church; and Seewulf for the building as it existed immediately before the Crusaders began their additions. Prof. Willis also gave his own translation of Eusebius's account of the church, as built by Constantine; and exhibited plans made according to these several descriptions, showing the different states of the building; those portions being tinted the same colour in each plan which appear to have retained their original position during the successive ages that have elapsed since the construction of the first commemorative edifice on the holy site. A model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was exhibited, by favour of Mr. Johns.

May 31. C. Fowler, esq. V.P. in the chair. A Marble from Pompeii, sculptured in relief on both sides, and having pivot holes in the top and bottom edges, was exhibited by Mr. E. Brown, who supposes it to have been used as a window, or to close an aperture.

Mr. J. G. Crace read an account of the Palaces of Blois and Chambord, with illustrations of the Renaissance style of art from those buildings. The Palace of Blois stands on the site of a Roman camp, and possesses remains of very considerable antiquity. It passed into the hands of the De Chatillons about 1292, and was sold by that family to the Duke of Orleans, who took possession in 1397. Their descendant became Louis the Twelfth. It was bestowed on Gaston d'Orleans by Louis the Thirteenth, and after his death, it became again the property of the Crown. The palace forms an irregular quadrangle, of which the south side was built by the old Dukes of Orleans, the east by Louis the Twelfth, the north by Francis the First, and the west by Gaston d'Orleans. All these are of different styles of architecture, the early domestic Gothic, the flamboyant or enriched, the Renaissance of Francis the First, and the Franco-Italian of Mansard. Mr. Crace particularly directed attention to the eastern side, -on the centre front of which the canopied recess over the archway was remarked as a beautiful example of the style and illustrations of this and the staircase were given. A description of the interior as it appeared during the time of Louis the Twelfth was quoted from the writings of a chronicler of the time. The famous Salle des Etats, situate on the north-east angle of the building, was fully described, and an account given of the meeting of the States therein during the time of Henry the Third. It was, how ever, to the Renaissance building of Francis the First that the author principally di

rected attention, alluding to the carving and other embellishments that adorn the exterior, especially the external staircase in the court. Of the north front, looking from the court, he also spoke highly; and particularly mentioned the colouring of the window recesses, as throwing out the architectural details with much effect. He then proceeded to describe the Palace of Chambord, situated about four leagues from Blois, and one of the most curious and interesting palaces in France,-supposed to have been designed by Primaticcio. It exhibits in its details the imaginative mind of an artist, rather than the practical science of an architect. The roof, with its forest of towers, studded in every direction with niches, columns, pilasters, gabels, &c., and crowned with the cupola of the grand staircase, which rises above all the rest, forms a picturesque ensemble; and the various noble apartments in the interior, and the grand double staircase, though all suffering from the application of whitewash, still possess powerful attractions for the lover of Renaissance Art.

June 14. in the chair.

Ambrose Poynter, esq. V.P.

A communication was read from A. H. Layard, esq. relative to further discoveries made by him at Nimroud; particularly as to the fact of the employment of colour by the ancient Assyrians in the embellishment of their architecture and sculpture; describing the mode of construction adopted, and stating that it had been satisfactorily ascertained that the buildings recently brought to light are of various epochs; and expressing an opinion that some of those at Nimroud are of much more remote antiquity than those at Khorsabad, and probably of the age of Ninus or Semiramis.

This

'On the Geometric System applied by the Medieval Architects to the proportions of their Ecclesiastical Structures,' by R. D. Chantrell, esq.-The chief object of the paper was to prove that in all the medieval structures a general principle of the most perfect and beautiful proportion pervades the design, and may be recognized by the scientific observer. system must be adopted by the modern architect in order to produce the same successful results. That some general principle of composition had been adopted by the medieval architects is an opinion that has been entertained by various individuals for many years past; and attempts have been made by Kerrich, Essex, Browne, and others to develope it. Their endeavours have been attended with various degrees of success; but according to the author of the paper no one but himself has

Models of a new kind of brick invented by Mr. Merrell, of Woodbridge, were exhibited and explained. The bricks are so shaped as to form internal channels for the passage of air, and consequently produce a thorough ventilation of the wall.

OXFORD ARCHITECTURAL SOCIETY.

May 5. The Report of the Committee stated that their attention had been principally directed to the selection of designs for sepulchral monuments in churchyards, and to the provision of painted glass for the new east window of Dorchester church; and that the Hon. G. F. Boyle had been appointed Secretary in the room of Mr. Lowe, who has left Oxford.

The Rev. W. Sewell, B. D. Vice-President, delivered a lecture on the corruption of Greek architecture preparatory to the introduction of Gothic.

It

May 26. The Report of the Committee chiefly commented on the presents received, which were unusually numerous, including a large number of impressions of brasses, both ancient and modern. was also stated that Mr. E. A. H. Lechmere, of Christ Church, had been elected to the place on the committee rendered vacant by the election of the Hon. G, F. Boyle, as Secretary.

The President then read a communication from J. H. Markland, esq. Corresponding Secretary, on several peculiarities in the Abbey Church of Bath, especially the remains of pillars of earlier date at the east end, which, from the numerous fragments of Roman antiquity found in the city, have been often attributed to that people, but which he showed should rather be considered as fragments of one of the two Romanesque cathedrals, bearing date respectively 1088 and 1140, which preceded the present building. Mr. Markland mentioned the works in the abbey in 1833, which, although they took place before church arrangement was understood, and consequently were open to objection on that score, satisfactorily supplanted in many parts work of bad character, and brought to light several concealed features of antiquity.

Mr. Markland also laid before the Meeting a drawing of the interior of the west end of Swainswick church, Somersetshire, into the body of which the piers supporting the tower are, as it

insulated. Similar instances of this, which has been termed " a beauty of unfrequent occurrence," may be found in the churches of Little Addington, Northamptonshire, and Nun Monkton, Yorkshire.

Mr. Lechmere exhibited some drawings of stained glass remaining in the Priory church of Great Malvern, which, when perfect, represented King Henry VII. and his Queen, Prince Arthur, Sir Reginald Bray, Sir John Savage, and Sir Thomas Lovell. The inscription beneath, as being erected during the lifetime of the persons commemorated, commences with "Orate pro bone statu" instead of "Orate pro animabus." The only figures remaining in a perfect state are those of the Prince and Sir Reginald Bray, who are both represented kneeling at low desks, which are usually called faldstools, and have been figured as such, though Mr. Lechmere expressed some doubt as to that being their correct designation. (These are engraved in Carter's Ancient Sculpture and Painting.)

The Rev. Henry Thompson, M.A. Corresponding Secretary, read a paper on the parish church of Wrington, Somerset, one of the finest village churches in England, and an admirable example of the rich and elegant style of Perpendicular prevalent in that county. The tower especially, is, perhaps, unsurpassed for harmony of composition and delicacy of detail. The manor and church of Wrington being formerly dependencies of the abbey of Glastonbury, there can be little doubt but that the present fabric is owing to the munificence of that house. The exact date is uncertain; but from traces of an earlier roof remaining against the tower within, it would seem that the latter was built before the present nave. The chancel is, for the most part, a relic of an earlier building, and is much inferior in size and richness. The east window is transition decorated, from geometrical to flowing tracery.

Mr. Freeman made some remarks corroborating Mr. Thompson's statement on the great merit of Wrington church, with which he was well acquainted. He alluded to other Somersetshire churches, which were much spoiled by the retention of the smaller and earlier chancels, instancing Gatton, where the effect of a most lofty and magnificent nave is much deteriorated by the low arches of a preceding building remaining under the central tower. This church was remarkable for a west front far surpassing the usual parochial model, even when the church is large and of the cross form.

Mr. Lucas exhibited his models of the proposed restoration of William of Wykeham's monument. Considerable difficulty had been experienced in ascertaining how to supply the loss of some of the figures in the niches around the sides of the tomb; he had at length inserted angels bearing shields. The models are painted and gilded.

RESTORATION OF ST. JOHN'S GATE. On the 14th June the Council of the College of "Freemasons of the Church" gave a conversazione, to which admission was obtained by a payment, to be applied towards the restoration of St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell. The rooms were crowded, and Sir Walter James, Bart. took the chair.

Mr. J. Wykeham Archer addressed the meeting at some length, in a discourse relative to the object of the assembly. He likewise explained the general objects and pretensions of the Architectural College of Freemasons of the Church, describing the title adopted by the society as one not intended to express any conformity with the general body of freemasons, but rather as indicative of the professed views of the college, viz., the recovery, maintenance, and furtherance of the free principles and practice of architecture; such having been, in their opinion, the principles of the early fraternities so designated, and who by their labours, under the authority of the Pope, and according to the resolutions of a Council held for the pur

pose in the 13th century, introduced a general and uniform change and improvement into the system of ecclesiastical architecture, from which resulted the early Pointed Style, a style perfect and beautiful in a scientific and artistic view, and peculiarly appropriate in its application to the spirit of the Christian faith. It was likewise stated, that, in addition to the above views, the Freemasons of the Church made it an object of their exertions to preserve, and, if necessary, to effect the restoration of such architectural remains of antiquity as might be threatened with demolition unnecessarily, or should be endangered by decay, or, through neglect or local circumstances, have become inaccessible to the public. Hence their efforts towards the restoration of the gate of the Knights Hospitallers, in Clerkenwell, which was ordered, in accordance with the directions of the Street Improvement Act, either to be demolished entirely, or, as an alternative, to be covered over with compo.

The recovery, progress, and present hopeful aspect of the gate were described, and a strong appeal was made for an extension of the necessary means. The lecturer then proceeded to give a summary of the history of the Priory of St. John, and of those other circumstances which render the Gate-house interesting. A further subscription of 107. 10s. on the part of Messrs. Reid was announced, 31. 38. from Sir Walter James, and, in addition to other subscriptions, several pounds were procured by the sale of tickets.

further explanation of the monument at Gavr' Innis, in Britany, together with some rubbings from those of its sculptured stones which he considered the most interesting. A remarkable peculiarity in this monument consists in the interior faces of several of its component stones being engraved with concentric curves resembling eels or serpents; and others with those instruments called celts, or small ovals pointed at one end, but so placed as to give an appearance of their being hieroglyphic characters. There are only two other instances of the kind on record, viz., one formerly near Gavr' Innis called the Pierres Plates, now destroyed, and the one at New-Grange, in Ireland. Another distinctive feature is a sort of staple made in the stone at about three feet from the ground, by three holes communicating with