breastplates, trophies, symbols and winged boys. His favorite notion was to express lofty thoughts by figures in intense action: Newton's statue is an exception. Serene thought inspires the whole figure." Quarterly Review, 1826.

The monuments which are of this æra have all the peculiarity of a base and pyramid; and all of them are mural. Bernini introduced pyramids upon a shelf—a solid base diminishing upwards, as if intended to last a thousand years, represented by a slab of marble, of one inch in thickness. The first of this kind was introduced into the Chigi chapel, at Rome; but the happy idea soon took flight to Paris; and, as if a matter of course, found its repose in Westminster Abbey. Bernini represented architecture and trees in perspective, and flying draperies as if upheld in the air-foreign as these things are, to the genius or powers of sculpture. The chief models of perfection which were followed in England, although never exactly imitated, were the monuments of the Cardinals Mazarine and Richelieu. The allegorical figures of the size of life, were adopted upon monuments of the largest scale and expense. Rysbrach gives us single figures, such as Britannia and Victory, placed indeed upon the same plinth, but not grouped. Roubiliac, on the contrary, is always theatrical; and his figures combine in one scenic effect. Eloquence, upon the monument of John Duke of Argyll, is in the act of making a public speech: upon that of Lady E. Nightingale, herself and her husband are in a tame domestic character; but the skeleton of Death surveying him from his cave, and marking them as his prey, is animated malignity itself, expressed without the aid of features.

Groups were sometimes made by statues and medallions, on which profiles of certain of the relatives were raised in basrelief. We have likewise a nauseous repetition of weeping cherubs, which support them. This was but a poor expedient to include a whole family. About this time we may observe the names of Gibbs and Kent inscribed on the plinth, and usurping the whole merit of the design, if any there were. Of

this school of Sculpture in particular, it will be candidly allowed, that the exquisite and laboured finishing will always claim its share of deserved praise. While the lovers of the true antique cannot always suppress a smile at so gross a deviation from the canons of Grecian art; yet will be content to allow to this school, an adequate merit, excepting where the works of its professors are rashly compared with the remains, still to be inspected, of the artists of classic antiquity.

CHAPTER VI.

Architects in the Reign of George II.

It was in this reign that Architecture resumed all her rights. Noble publications of Palladio, Jones, and the antique, recalled her to true principles and correct taste; she found men of genius to execute her rules, and patrons to countenance their labours. She found more, and what Rome could not boast, men of the first rank who contributed to embellish their country by buildings of their own design in the purest style of antique composition. Before the glorious close of a reign that carried our arms and victories beyond where Roman eagles ever flew, ardour for the arts had led our travellers to explore whatever beauties of Grecian or Latin taste still subsisted in provinces once subjected to Rome; and the fine editions in consequence of those researches have established the throne of architecture in Britain, while itself languishes at Rome, wantons in tawdry imitations of the French in other parts of Europe, and struggles in vain at Paris to surmount their prepossession in favour of their own errors-for fickle as we call that nation, their music and architecture

prove how long their ears and eyes can be constant to discord and disproportion.*

GIACOMO LEONI,

a Venetian, who had been architect to the Elector Palatine, settled in England, and published a fine edition of Palladio in 1742. He was employed in building several houses, and died in 1746.

[With whatever degree of just criticism this remark is made upon the style of architecture then prevalent in Paris, candour will attribute their due meed of praise to St. Genevieve, St. M. Magdalene, and the Bourse, upon which France may indeed pride herself; and all of which have been erected, since the compilation of this volume.]

[Leoni was patronised by Lord Burlington, who probably brought him to England for the purpose of superintending the edition of the works of Palladio, (2 vol. fol. 1725). He afterwards published Alberti's Architecture, to which he added many of his own designs. The principal of these, dated 1726, was one for a mansion, never executed, at Carshalton, Surrey, for T. Scawen, Esq. of which eight plates are given. His largest undertaking was of a house at Moor Park, Herts, built for Mr. Styles (an enormously fortunate adventurer in the South Sea year) who is said to have expended more than 100,000/ upon that structure. The southern portico has just pretensions to magnificence. Of the houses he designed in different counties, which were principally additions to ancient residences, are Clandon, Surrey (1731); Lyme Hall, Cheshire; and Bodecton Park, Sussex. The last mentioned was destroyed by fire, in 1826. He was buried at St. Pancras, Middlesex, 1746, æt. 60.]

JOHN NICHOLAS SERVANDONI,

Born 1695, Died 1766,

a celebrated architect, resided here some years, though having various talents, he was best known in his own country as a painter. He executed many scenes for the opera, and painted a staircase (in conjunction with one Andréa) at Mr. Arundel's, the corner of Burlington-street, now Mr. Townshend's. He also gave the design of the theatre of fireworks for the peace in 1749, soon after which he returned to Paris. He was born at Florence May 2, 1695, studied under Paolo Panini and Rossi, and was created a knight of the order of Christ. His genius was particularly turned to theatric machinery, of which he gave proofs at Dresden and Lisbon, and especially at Paris, where he was received into the Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and where he contrived magnificent serious pantomimes in the grande sale des machines, besides fine decorations in several operas. An account of those shows may be seen in the fifth volume of the Dictionnaire des Theatres.* His capital work was the

* [Servandoni first distinguished himself as a machinist and scene painter, and was the most celebrated artist in Europe for pyrotechnic construction. He had much employment in different courts, upon occasions of triumph; but being entirely given up to his pleasures he dissipated all that he gained-fell gradually into neglect, and ended a long life, in poverty. We