The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-07 00:00:00

Piince Napoleon's Villa.

The " Roman villa " built some years ago by
Prince Napoleon in the Champs Elysees, and lately
sold, is spoken of in the following manner by the
Union :—" In the point of view of art, or rather
imitation, the house of Diomede appears to us
to have only partially succeeded. The architecture
of the residences of Pompeii was taken as a model,
and as all the Roman houses were constructed on a
uniform plan, a pretty exact specimen of the
domestic architecture of the ancients could be had.
Unfortunately, the inclemency of the climate, the
habits which are the result of it, and the meanness
of the age, have led to certain modifications which
would probably not have been to the taste of a
Roman architect, and which shock all competent
judges. On the whole, neither the Pompeian villa
of which the name has been adopted nor the most
common model of the other houses of Pompeii
have been reproduced. The atrium is dark, con-
fined, and covered in with glass, instead of
being in the open air. The tablinum and fauces
or corridors which served as a communica-
tion between the atrium and the peristylium,
and opened such charming perspectives on the
two extremities of the house, do not exist. The

ieristylium, which was of so great importance in
Roman domestic life, being, properly speaking, the
family sanctuary, is almost sacrified ; it is replaced
by two large rooms without style or beauty, which
open into each other, and are also covered with
glass. They contain neither colonnades nor por-
ticoes, which rendered that portion of the Roman
habitations so noble and majestic. The numerous
small chambers, cubicula, which surround the peri-
stylium and even the atrium, as in the house of
Pansa, at Pompeii, are suppressed in the new build-
ing. There are only one or two rooms for the mas-
ter to the right of the atrium. The lower sides of
the peristylium and atrium are occupied by the
library, kitchen, and dining room, and, further on,
by a sort of Moorish apartment in two or three
divisions, which forms a most unsightly contrast
with the remainder of the building. Imagine a cor-
ner of some alcazar cut out and transformed into one
of the houses of Pompeii, and then may be under-
stood the impression felt on finding this balneariain
at the end of a Roman villa. One is reminded of
the architecture of those rococo Moorish or Pom-
padour cottages which shopkeepers contruct for
themselves in the neighbourhood of large towns
to gratify their innocent artistic tastes. The in-
ternal ornamentation and furnishing are not less
shabby nor more antique than the general archi-
tecture. There are but few objects of taste and
articles of furniture, and those seen there are of
modern shape and quite out of place, such as clocks,
zinc flower stands, moquette carpets, and large beds,
surrounded with curtains. The fire-dogs and can-
delabra seem to have come from the shoe of the
neighbouring ironmonger. What an association !
clocks, soft carpets, and gas in the midst of an
atrium in the Moorish style, and an impluvium with
columns. And, then, how pitiful the details! Cer-
tain statues are supported by a sort of scaffolding
of boards, covered (who would believe it ?) with
hangings of glazed calico. The shows of strolling
players are better treated than this false patrician
villa. As to the works of art, and the ornamental
paintings and statues, they are very mediocre, to say
nothing worse. The paintings are a lamentable
imitation of the antique, and besides three-fourths
of the panels are still empty. The statues are
miserable copies, in marble or bronze of antique
works. Around the atrium was formerly a row
of portraits and family busts, but as they are nc
longer there, it is needless to refer to them. Were
the statues of the mythological personages to dis•
appear also, probably no one would think of re.
I gretting their absence."
0

A NEW JEWISH JOURNAL written in Hebrew
entitled Lebanon, of which the seventh number has jus
reached us, is published by M. S. Guerin, ruo du Petit
Carreau, in Paris.
FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION IN GLAMORGANSHIRE
—The Cwmfelin tin-works, near Swansea, have been Ur
scene of a terrible disaster. A steam-boiler explosion ha
not only caused a vast amount of danger to the works an,
the expensive machinery employed at them, but has als
hurried five of the unfortunate workmen into eternity, au
;mused severe injuries to four or five others. The work
belong to Mr. David Davfes, and they give employment t
as many as 300 hands. Owing to the accident, these wi
be thrown out of employment, at any rate for a time, as tt
works will be brought to a stand-still until the damage I
the machinery, &c., has been repaired. It is thought th:
the money loss to the proprietor will be £2,500, but f:
more is the sad loss of life which has spread a mournfl
gloom over the neighbourhood.
PROPOSED NEw PIERS.—The Board of Trad
have approved several applications for provisional orde
(to be confirmed by Parliament in this Session) for the cot
struction of piers. Among them is the Alexander-pier
Hastings, to be erected opposite Warrior-square and exter
1,200 ft. sea wards; a pier at Llandudno, commencing on C
Church-walks and terminating at high-water mark, fro
which point there is to be a solid embankment of 450 ft., at
thence a pier extending seawards in au easterly directid
1,670 ft.; a pier at Scarborough, commencing on the nori
shore opposite the north end of Blenheim-terrace, and e:
tending seawards 1,000 ft.; at Redcar a pier extending CO
wards 1,200 ft.; at Dawlish a pier near the railway static
extending 800 ft. seawards ; at Penzance a pier opposite ti
Queen's Hotel extending seawards I,oooft. The Board
Trade have also approved schemes for piers at South Bla.c
pool, at West Cowes (to low water), at llornsca, Yorksha
extending: seawards 1,200 ft., at Plymouth (floe), and
throe or four other loss known places.