The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-03 00:00:00

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.

There is a moderate and well-reasoned essay in
the present Number of this periodical, on the subject
of "Fixity of Tenure," a subject which has of late
begun to attract the attention of political economists
in no ordinary degree. " Barrow's Life of Sir Fran-
cis Drake," is a well digested notice, accompanied
by copious extracts, of one of the ablest and most
authentic pieces of biography we have had for some
years past. "Literati Orientales" contains some in-
genious specimens of Ottoman poetry. Of the few
remaining articles, the best is that which is quaintly
entitled "Nuts and Nut-crackers."

THE EGYPTIAN HALL, MANSION

HOUSE.

The splendid banquetting room at the Mansion House
known as the Egyptian Hall, in which the Lord Mayor
entertained the dignitaries of the Church yesterday, and
which has always been admired for its extent and bold-
ness of design as one of the finest apartments to be
found in any public building in the metropolis, has re-
cently been subjected to a process of repairing and de-
corating which now renders it also one of the.most
elegant and beautiful.

The series of Corinthian columns ranging along each
side of the hall, surmounted by the rich entablature ap-,
propriate to that order of architecture, and by which the
lofty concave roof is supported, gave to the apartment an
air of nobility which never failed to excite those ideas of
stateliness, and grandeur which are usually associated
with all that pertains to the office of Lord Mayor of
London. The injurious effects of time, however, had
greatly obscured and nearly obliterated many of
these less prominent features, which, though compara-
tively insignificant if regarded in detail, when skill-
fully blended together, become so essential in enhancing
the general effect of a building, or any other object of
art. The works recently executed were, therefore, prin-
cipally directed to the restoration of existing details to
their due degree of prominence ; the addition of some
further ornaments and enrichments where most needed ;
and the harmonising of all the component parts, so as to
ensure an unity and-consistency of appearance through-
out the whole ; and the way in which these intentions
have been carried out reflect the highest credit upon the
taste and skill of all parties who have been concerned in
the management and execution of the repairs.
The whole of the wall And ceilings have been painted
several times, and finished off in a delicate fawn colour,
the chasteness of which is considerably heightened by
being what is technically called flatted, which, by pre
venting the disagreeble appearance of gloss, adds much
to the purity of style and colour. Various ornaments
and decorations attached to the walls and ceilings, as
also the statues occupying the series of niches on that
side of the hall which is opposite the grand entrance,
are picked out in a suitable tint to afford a relief to the
general colour.
The most striking alteration that has been made is in
the appearance of the double row of lofty columns and
pilasters, which extend from one end of the hall to the
other, and the entablature and carved roof, by which they
are surmounted. The length of the hall being about PO
feet, and its breadth 60, there are ten of these columns
and pilasters on each side, standing out, about ten feet
from the walls. The whole of the shafts are being re-cut,
and the arriscs of the fillets and sweep of the flutes made
perfectly true, thus removing many bleinishes and irre-
gularities which before disfigured them. Instead of their
former colour, which was in imitation of Sienna marble,
they are new painted French white, a change which con-
tributes wonderfully to the improvement of the general
aspeCt of the room, while the effect of this delicate
colour is considerably heightened by the whole of the
fillets of the shafts, together with the fillets and smaller
toruses in the bases, and the capitals of the columns and
pilasters, being gilt in pure gold. The several enriched
parts in the entablature, and particularly the cor-
nice, with the enrichments on the modillions, and
rosettes in the soffites, have also, for the first time, been
heightened up in gold, and now present a peculiarly ele-
gant appearance.

The. concave ceiling, which extends the whole length
of the hall, and across from one row of columns to the
other, is divided into forty-five square compartments, or
coffers, each containing a large rosette. In each of these
coffers there has been added an enriched moulding of
egg and tongue, corresponding in form and pattern with
similar ornaments in the entablature; besides which, there
has been placed along the centre of the margins dividing
the coffers bold wreaths, composed of the laurel leaf,
with bands at their intersections. These additional,orna-
ments have entirely relieved the ceiling of the•iiinintiess
which formerly characterised it, and, together with' the
rosettes, being all heightened in gold, make it harmonise
delightfully with the colouring and enrichments of the
entablature and columns.

It is almost needless to mention that, in these exten-
sive improvements and decorations, all the incidental
'appurtenances of the Hall have received a proportionate
degree of attention—such, for instance, as the frames and
mouldings of the large looking-glasses at each end,
which have been newly gilt, and the splendid cut-glass
lustres and chandeliers, which have been also cleaned
and rehung, and their brackets and supports regilt.
The effect of the whole has been to render this truly
noble apartment more than ever deserving of the com-
mendation bestowed on it by that eminent j udge in matters
of taste, George the Fourth, who, when Prince 'Regent,
repeatedly remarked that the Egyptian Hall at the Man-
sion House was one of the finest roems he had ever seen.
The whole of the works have been executed according
to designs and specifications prepared by Mr. Bunning,
the present architect and surveyor of the Corporation.
The Lord Mayor and the members of the Committee of
General Purposes, particularly Deputy Thomas, their
Chairman, have paid much attention throughout the pro-
gress of the works, and have reason to congratulate
themselves upon the satisfactory result. The contractor
was Mr. Joseph Taylor, who, during the last Mayoralty.
fulfilled a contract admirably for extensive repairs and
decorations in other parts of the Mansion-house. The
amount of the late contract was nearly 1,400/. ; and,
notwithstanding the extent and beauty of the works, the
amount has not been exceeded by the addition of the
slightest sum for "extras," a circumstance which speaks
much for the professional accuracy and judgment of the
gentleman who designed and executed them.

THE DECORATIONS of the NEW
ROYAL EXCHANGE.

The following are the heads of the last report made to
the Gresham Committee upon the subject of the addi-
tional decorations proposed to be made to this great na-
tional edifice alicut to be opened :
"TO THE JOINT COMMITTEE FOR GRESHAM AFFAIRS."
"In obedience to an order from this Committee en the
report of Mr. Tite, in relation to that additional sculp-
ture which he thought desirable for the decoration of the
New Royal Exchange, whereby it was resolved, that an
amount not exceeding COOL he appropriated for that pur-
pose, and it be referred back to Mr. Tite further to con-
sider the subject, and to report to and advise with the
SO-Committee thereon, we, whose names are hereunto
subscribed, your Sub Committee do certify, that we have
been attended by Mr. Tite, who was heard with respect
to various additional decorations for the New Royal Ex-
change, both of a sculptured and other characters, and
who submitted for our consideration the propriety
of erecting statues of her Most Gracious Majesty,
Queen Victoria, of Queen Elizabeth, and of Sir
Thomas Gresham, and of making such other statues as
might be deemed most appropriate for the vacant niches,
and also for the north and south fronts of the edifice ;
and that the Royal arms, with supporters should also be
placed in a conspicuous situation, and was heard at
length in explanation of his views ; and we having
taken the subject, as well as the situations where several
of the proposed statues should be placed, into considera-
tion, agreed with Mr. Tite's suggestion, and were of
opinion they should be forthwith procured, and placed
as under :

" The statue of her Majesty Queen Victoria in the
centre of the merchants' area.

" The statue of Queen Elizabeth at the south-east, and
of King Charles the Second, which stood in the centre
of the area of the late Exchange, at the north-east corner
of the merchants' area.

" The statue of Sir Thomas Gresham, the eminent
founder and patron of the first Exchange, in the great
niche over the east entrance ; and
" The Royal arms above the doorway at the west
entrance.

" By which arrangement the statues of the three-Sove-
reigns, in whose reigns this national edifice had been
erected, would appropriately decorate the exterior.
" We thereupon directed Mr. Tite to apply to several
artists for sketches and estimates; and, in consequence
of Mr. Tite's applications, UT received proposals.—
(Here follow the details.) Your Sub-Committee having
considered the said proposals, approve of the principal,
subject to such alteration as may, on farther considera-
tion, be deemed expedient, and recommend that direc-
tions be given for the works, when finally approved, to
be proceeded on with as little delay as possible.
"Amongst other considerations combined with the
decoration of the new Exchange, Mr Tite submitted to
our notice the propriety of having a tesselated or Mosaic
pavement for the merchants' area, instead of the pave-
ment contemplated by the contract. He also submitted
a design, showing the nature of such pavement; and. we,
your Sub-Committee, having duly considered the same,
recommend that tessalated or Mosaic pavement be pro-
vided for the said area, the pattern fur the same to be
submitted to and approved by your Committee.
. "In the course of our proceedings, Mr. Tite brought
under consideration the propriety of adopting an em-
bellishment in the ceiling of the ambulatory, by a series
of encaustic painting or paintings in wax in the forty-six
compartments thereof, and laid before us a design
by Mr. Frederick Long, for executing the same, which
we inspected and heard him in explanation of, and we
were also informed by him where works of a similar
nature had been executed in this country.
"We referred also to the second report of the Com-
missioners on Fine Arts, in which allusions are made to
this style of painting, and, deeming the subject worthy
the attention of the Committee, have directed Mr. Tite
to make a special report thereon, to which we beg to
draw their serious consideration."
The Joint Gesham Committee having taken the report
of the Sub-Committee into consideration, and Mr. Tite
having sent in a report, approving all the suggestions
and proposals contained in it, adopted it unanimously, and
voted the additional sums, which were stated to be ne-
cessary to carry out the great object of affording appro-
priate and highly-finished works of sculpture for the
embellishment of the building. . . , . .