The Sun.
London, England, 1817-03-07 00:00:00

ROYAL ACADEMY.

We resume our notice of the Lectures of the
Professor of Architecture, I‘lr. SOANg. He 'be-
gait last night with an accurate and detailed de-
scription of,SCVerid of the orders of Architecture,
as laid down by VITRUVIUS, and particularly ad-
verted. to the component parts of the Tuscan Or-
der, which he illustrated by a reference to the Ar-
chitecture of :Ist. Paul's Church, Covent-Garden,
and other edifiers. lie particularly described the
Arch of Titus at Rome, and 'explained the eircum-
stanc'e which led to its erection ; namely, the vi-
sit of Tiros to Jerusalem, and'his destruction of
the Temple of Solomon. The opportunities of
this visit were preserved, and a new Order, called
the Composite, or Roman, was brought. back,
and generally adopted in p'ublic edifices, as em-
bodying the bertuties..of the old Orders ; whereas,
in tact, it departed frortr them, and, like others,
Only deviated from the capital of the Corinthian
Ofder by ,the clumsiness of its pates. 'The. Pro-
fessor, with great. force, reviewed the modern
Orders,of.Aiel4itecture ; and with a tree arid bold

judgment touched upon the gniss and glaring im-
perfections. of the fashions of sire day.. lie wa.,
paiticularly severe upon the visionary taste and
style which predominated in the reign of ,Louts
NI V. 'and which, as he obst.rved. was not con-
tined to'France. lie also reviewcdthe systems
of Mr. A DAms awl Monsieur
.LA ROC u, and
treated with an indulgent hand the errors %% hid,
were intermixed with 'notch infOrmation. Air.
SoANH paid little deference to the'French ant!u r
who conceiveli he hail made a discovery by cap-
ping a column ;with the figure of the ostrich' fea-
ther .14:aitted bflbe Prince of Wat.Es at the batik
of Cresiy, and which the author conctived•wits
unique cliscnvery, the proportional Witty of which
the ancients had failed to discover. The French
author conceived his discovery new in all its plot's,
and entirely'unkubwn to the ancients. This'af-
fectation of the modern artist, over the ancient,

Mr. StwAsE ehiquently exposed, by applying it to
the, poetical lativage of our great Diamatist, that
before such pretensions were started, the' caudi-
'date should tie able—
,..To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, •
Throve perfume on the violet.". •
The Li'arued Liecturertheu entered into an ela-
borate description of the Greek style of architve-
titre and described the Greek
.Temples at. Me-
mphis, Palinyra,.llalleee, and 'other places. lie ex-
plained the classification of the arrangement ioa(!e
.11 the ancients roe placing the Slat,lie.3 of Jupiter,
Juno, Mercury, Bucchus,, feaus, &c. which. were
placed according to the distinct character.of each.
The same classic , turn of arrangenientr was ob.
servable in the whole style of the architecture of
the ancients, whether public or private. In fact,
this system constituted-what !night be.called the
costume of painting. The Professor strongly
cuodemed the strange admixture that prevailed in
the works of modern architects of eminent talent,
for:instance, the 'Venetian screens that were in-
troduced in the c.lot-hicCathedrals or INIGO loses
and 6ir CnatsToenEß WeeN, all admi.x"ture that
was more discordant than the Roman and Grecian
architecture in the Pictures of CLA&De ailtl NUS-
slit', for there picturesque effect was -sotnetinir's
produced, 'Whith redeemed the error. He ad--
verted, as happy specimens Of the 'historic style
in painting,
,to the celebrated production:of Re.
gulus, by Mr. Presideot %Vital': in which. the
architecture of the scenery, and admit irible group-
log of the subject, conveyed a hilt idea of the
Scene which it was the object of 11te Artist to-re-
present. The Lealled Professor concluded by
giving an elaborate and technical description of
the different-Orders of Architecture to which his

--•--
discourse applied, and 1)y. illustrating; them by an
exhibition of a tnittiber of clay high: IY-fiiii hell
at chit ect oral drawings. t
We. Cannot but recur to the scientific, elegant,
and eloquent etilogium, that Mr. 601,/,,ta pro.
nounced- on Tim PANTlicon Itome, which lie
denominated." the wonder of the .Pagan trot Id,"
reminding us of the beautiful and emphatic tri-
bute of AK ENsitiE, which may well be opposed to
the churlish spleen of SMoI.LILT, wise declared it
to he " huge CoelcAlt:"—,
6, Marti how the dreaci PANTUEON stands,
Anthi the Doter: of tuoLivro
Avoid the iqs of idle state,
• flow siolplyi• how sevetey great."

The Learned 11 °lessor delivered this lecture,
enlivened.autl• diversified by classical quotations,
with some Truitt out..revery(' SHAKAISPEAUR I With
lire 4)11 WhiCh' %toned to ICStlit from con-
'scions tr tit and rectitude. lie received warm ap-
plause from a Hurnerolgs auditoiy.