ST. JAMES'S PALACE. WE are pleased when we have an opportunity of commending the works of living architects; though we confess, that our observations on subjects of this description, are rather fastidious. The truth is, that our present architects, with all their merit, are deficient in taste rather than in skill. Formerly, these acquirements were more equally balanced, hence in the monuments which the piety and zeal of our forefathers raised, and of which the chief towns of our country still preserve many fine specimens, we observe correct proportions, beautiful but chaste enrichment, elegant sculpture, ingenuity of construction, and solidity of materials, and are charmed with the combination of so much excellence. Without making any invidious comparison, or detracting from the applause justly due to the taste and talent of the present age, it may be observed, that our imitations of ancient architecture in general, fall far beneath their originals. We shall not now stop to inquire into the cause of this inferiority; the fact is evident; at the same time, however, it must be acknowledged, that improvements are daily taking place. Our architects are at length persuaded, that to arrive at perfection, they must closely imitate the models of antiquity. Invention is unnecessary in what is called the "gothic" style. Unless the character of new gothic buildings resembles that of the old, it cannot be approved by good taste; it becomes, in short, a mongrel, or new order, without rules, proportions, or positive beauty. The architect of St. James's Palace was controlled, and willingly controlled, in the new design, by that of the original fabric, which was, and still is, in some respects, remarkable for its simplicity. He was called upon to repair, not to improve; to increase the accommodation of the mansion, not to raise towers, turrets, and gateways, to shame the character of the ancient pile. What has been done has improved the palace, both in its external appearance, and its internal elegance and convenience, far beyond the hopes which mere observers like ourselves could have entertained of the project. The tower and cloister on the north-east side are in strict unison with the ancient building. Where restoration was practicable, it has been effected; and, where restitutions or additions were necessary, they have been performed with strict regard to the surrounding features. What greatly adds to the effect of the new buildings, is, that they are constructed of materials closely corresponding in colour with the ve nerable fabric; time has neither to tinge the brick-work of a dusky hue, nor the masonry of a silver grey, before they can appear agreeable to the sight. On the south-west side of the great tower gateway, facing St. James's-street, much has been done, and much still remains to be effected. The repairs in this part, are mostly in excellent taste; one portion with a slender octagonal turret at each angle, is very handsome; but we regret that the adjoining building, and the arcade, are in the Italian style. We are at a loss to discover the reason for this innovation; pointed arches and windows would have proved full as convenient, and since they would have been more in character with their associate buildings, it is wonderful that they were not preferred. This is the only defect we have to point out, and if we may judge from other alterations now in progress, it will be the only one to merit censure. We have been permitted to pass through the apartments now under renovation; they are chiefly confined to the most ancient parts of the Palace, and are now only distinguished for their curious stone chimney pieces. There are, or were, three of large dimensions and handsome design. On a frieze over the arch of each, and within lozenge-shaped pannels, appeared the badges and initials of King Henry the Eighth, in the following order: Six roses, fleur-de-lis, and portcullis's between two H's, the last surmounted by the royal crown. In another place the date 1538. One of these fine chimney-pieces was accidentally discovered two years ago; it remains in perfect preservation, and its spandrels are richly carved with scroll foliage. Another, exactly similar in form and ornament was uncovered last month, but its entire demolition was witnessed by the writer. The new staircases are handsome, and very ingeniously contrived; they are entirely separated on the ground floor, but are not parted above, excepting by two pillars, whose intervening spaces admit of an uninterrupted view from each to the other. With all its defects and deformities, St. James's Palace remains a curious specimen of the domestic architecture of the sixteenth century. The octagonal staircase turrets of the great gateway, rest on square basements, the angles of which are flanked by small turrets, whose dome tops were renewed some years ago. On the new work in the quadrangle already noticed, the proper and elegant character has been given to these appendages, of which a fine original example occurs among the ruins of Rycot House, in Oxfordshire. Each turret of the gate-house of St. James's palace has a door-way, whose spandrels or corners, are carved with peculiar elegance. The dust and dirt of ages having nearly concealed their handsome ornaments, the experiment of cleansing them was tried, and their sculpture now appears in all its original freshness. The public are no less benefited, than the Palace is improved, by the late alterations. In the room of a narrow, crooked passage, leading from the Park into Pall Mall, a broad avenue has been formed. The entrance from the street is guarded by neat iron rails. There is one gateway for the use of foot passengers, and two for the ingress and egress of horses and carriages. The gloomy character of St. James's Palace is now entirely dispelled, and there are few buildings in the metropolis more deserving the attention of the artist. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE. K. FRANCE. The "Biographie des Contemporains," volume 13, contains a number of interesting articles and anecdotes. The following is one of the latter:-" During the revolution, Maury escaped several times, by the wit with which he replied to the fury of his enemies. Once when the mob pursued him, crying, "L'abbé Maury à la lanterne." He set them laughing, by asking, "Y verrez vous plus clair?" Humility did not predominate with him, but he sometimes shewed a noble pride. A minister once said to him, in a pet-" Vous croyez donc valoir beaucoup." He answered," Très peu quand je me considére, beaucoup quand je me compare." The 14th vol. is to contain the biography of Napoleon, and is to appear in about a month. The senior Italian performer, at Paris, Mr. Barilli, broke his leg, a few days ago, by falling down stairs. In 1822, there were 5822 new works produced in France. In 1823, there were 6007, being 185 more than in 1822. In 1822, there were 229 new musical pieces; last year, there were 365. LITERARY IMITATION AND PLAGIARISM. MR. MERTON, THE judicious observations of your correspondent C-,* have very likely created the same feeling in many of your readers as they have in me-one of regret, that a subject of so interesting a nature should have been treated so briefly. I will therefore "take up the thread of his discourse," though not exactly in continuation of the subject, as taking a different view of it, in endeavouring to draw the line where an author may imitate more from accident than design. With the exception of plagiarism, there is no crime in the literary code more atrocious than that of charging an author with it undeservedly. A strong resemblance may exist between one or more authors, and yet the priority of the idea may be as justly awarded to the last as the first. In treating of a particular quality, sentiment, or passion, the same thought is likely to occur to all who treat of it; for this reason, every natural cause will have its effect; an author therefore cannot, perhaps, in many instances, wander out of the path of those who have gone before him; indeed the luxuriance of his fancy, or his experience in mankind, may afford a greater variety of images, and enable him to give different bearings to the question; yet a strong resemblance will generally be found in the observations of men of talent, who have speculated on the same subject. It would therefore be as unjust to charge one author with imitating another, when both are expatiating on the same subject, as it would be to say, that one artist copies another, who paints the same face that the latter is exerting his skill upon, on account of some resemblance between two features. There is, in both subjects, the most ample room for the display of a variety of talent; the author, like the artist, may not depart from the same features; but he has power to put into them a different expression; he can throw grace and beauty into the picture, where before it was wanting; the variation of light and shade are at his disposal; and he can harmonize the whole by a richness of colouring, and a grandeur of effect, which perhaps his predecessor had not genius to prompt, or power to execute. An inference which may be drawn from the sense of a celebrated French critic, poet, and philosopher,+ is very much to our purpose; it is, that if any one conceives a new or extraordinary thought, it by no means follows, that such a thought had never entered into the conception of another individual: the more reasonable way of judging would be, that every man of sense and education, when placed in a similar situation, would think alike; as we see it a law throughout nature, that when men are influenced by the same passion, they generally act alike, although it must be admitted, that the same cause may have different operations, on different individuals, according to their education, or the formation of their minds. There are many instances, where a man may very innocently appear as a * No. 5. p. 72. + Ils croiraient s'abaisser dans leurs vers monstrueux, La raison, pour marcher, n'a souvent qu'une voie. W. L. M. VOL. I. NO. IX. BOILEAU, Art. poét. chant. 1er. K plagiarist: by that word I understand, one who uses the words and sentiments of another (knowing them to be such), as his own. The human mind has different methods of acquiring knowledge; among the foremost are those of reading, observation, and precept. Whatever it thus acquires, is legitimately its own. Where does knowledge spring from? is it natural or acquired? A man may have higher powers than the rest of mankind, but still if they are not cultivated, he may be said to know nothing. If it were possible, that the source of the thoughts and sentiments of every individual could be examined, we should, perhaps, find them not to spring from the impulses of his own mind, but rather from impressions received from the opinions of others. A bold and striking image; a singular, or beautiful thought; is the most likely to impress itself on the imagination; and there it will remain, long after the author and book are forgotten. Is it therefore possible, that when his own thoughts become blended with others, that an author can precisely distinguish what are really his own notions, and what he has imbibed from the works of another? If he adopts them, as his own, and they are in unison with his ideas, and agree with the sentiments he has on the subject, they are unquestionably his; and it would be both absurd and unjust, to deny him that merit, although the claim of priority may be due to another. Direct plagiarism has, perhaps, existed more in the latter ages than formerly. High as we must acknowledge the capabilities of the authors of antiquity, from the proofs which are handed down to us, yet we are not to suppose that they were above that species of fraud. Vida, in his art of poetry, indeed, bears our argument out, in justifying an occasional resemblance of two authors on the same subject Aspice ut exuvias veterumque insignia nobis Terence, who has been accused of many depredations, says, "Nihil est dictum quod non sit dictum prius." Solomon indeed says, "there is nothing new under the sun;"" perænt qui ante nos, nostra dixerunt." That there was not such a frequent recurrence, we may more justly attribute to policy; when we recollect, that before the art of printing was discovered, literature was confined within so small a sphere, as to give but little chance of any depredation remaining undiscovered. In one of the sonnets of Petrarch, there is the following beautiful thought; Zrefiro torna; é 'l bel tempo ramena: E i fiori, e 'l herbe sua dolce familigia. Which has met with more coincidence of ideas, or perhaps more imitators, than any gem in the wreath of poetry. Milton, who soared into the heavens for fit subjects to display his powers, and whose soul was above the common objects of the world, has condescended to borrow, as the analogy is too close to admit of a supposed coincidence of thoughtSeasons return, but not to me return, Day or the sweet approach of eve or morn. PAR. LOST. Lord Lyttleton, Waller, Gray, Bruce, Savage, Russell, and many others of less note, have adopted the same image. There is an instance, however, more in favour of a similarity of thought in the works of one of Genius's most favoured sons, whose early muse indicated as much originality as any of our most celebrated bards. I allude to the ill-fated Kirk White. Yon brook will glide as softly as before, Yon landscape smile-yon golden harvest grow, No! while nature possesses a charm, the memory of her favoured child will be linked with it. While Genius looks up with admiration, or Pity possesses a tear, she will not refuse to drop it over the grave of youth, and hope" withered in their first spring"-White will not be forgotten. Peace to his manes. 3. BYRSA. The French word bourse, signifying a purse, or exchange, is derived from the Carthagenian Byrsa, which was a citadel in the middle of Carthage, on which was the temple of Esculapius. Asdrubal's wife burnt it when the city was taken by the Romans: when Dido, the celebrated and unfortunate queen of Carthage, came to Africa, she bought of the inhabitants as much land as could be encompassed by a bull's hide. After the agreement, she cut the hide in small thongs, and enclosed a large piece of territory, which she called Byrsa (Bupra), a hide, Virg. Strab. 17. MAXI It is a Solicitude in hiding failings, makes them appear the greater. safer and easier course frankly to acknowledge them. A man owns that he is ignorant and unlearned-we admire his modesty. He says that he is old-we scarce think him so. He declares himself poor-we do not believe him. SIC VITA. Like to the falling of a star, DR. KING. Dr. Henry King was born 1591, and died 1669; he was chaplain to James I. and Bishop of Chichester. |