The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-06-09
For the Register.
Tho Fine Arts.
by PEOF. a BOTr.
3, ARCHITECTURE.

al, and religious beauty of people &C.
cortjag 10 the Godlike. Ii belongs par.
tcularly to religion, aud illustrates i'm
measurable greatness and eternity, tint
by the form, his by the matertai. tits
especially symbolic art. Its greatest
achievements W re produced, during those
times when religious enthusiasm brought
together crowds Of aborers requiring
their accomplishment The religious ori-
gin of Architecture is shown in this fact,
that the Temple from templare or con-
templare.) which was dedicated to the
Architect of the world, and included his
wor.hip, represented the chief laws of all
tho forms which have been impressed on
nature jy that Architect. Religion de-
ternined the mystical, beautiful part of
/ Architecture, but climate made certain
notifications necessary, which one must
not confuse with its different styles. The
essential difference between these styles
is produced alene, by the variety of the
religious tee/ingS in various nations
Notwithstanding the universe is the
model of beautiful Architecture, yet, we
cannot speak of distinct copying Of it,
because we can only SEQ what the horizon
encloses There can he only a symbolic
/ 5dcrH5ed representation, or tieakization
of the Universe the dome of the Temple
representing the canopy of heaven; the
pillars the mountains, and the ground the
vallies.
But nat 0nly in this manner already
indicated, does beautiful Architecture ido-
alize Nature. II follows in its technical
tiles those laws and forms given 6y Ma.
ftfe especially in the construction of
snlle stones do we see the result of the
laws Of gravity. These are fashioned ac-
cording to the original form of crystals.
All their ornaments have higher char
acter, and are not voluntary, artificial dec
orations, therefore in every antique, Egyp-
tisn, Indian or Grecian Temple, in its
smallest details is contained trath, not
an architectural fiction.
Menzel in his description of Rome,
says truly, " The character or style of ev-
cry building is established by individual
circumstances A calculation Of un-
changeable numbers is folly, just as the
beauty of man depends on the proper
tion Of one part with another,) therefore
the Greeks and Indians never founded
their temples upon dead number proper
tions. In the form of every pillar the
limbs and ornaments were determined by
Nature, and not by app0intai rules.
There is not one temple in either nation
of like proportions with another. The
genius of the Greeks bu'ht, while the in
teiiect of the RrmQns CdicNkated
The more skillful, and artistic u pro.
duction is, the more it carries its own ex-
planation within itself, and requires that
one studv in order to understand the
meaning of all its parts We all know
the power of Music, Painting, &C., but
he who sees for the first time the noble
ruin OF the temple of Teus at Athens,
(Which still stands with its Is pillars 30
feet high hears resounding in his inmost
soul new string, he feels charm whose
unknown power rules all his senses, a
Godlike voice speaks out of the pillars
which rise from the lonely desert, dumb
eloqusnce waves around the majestic ruins,
and these regions have a charm, not con-
sisting either in Music, Poetry or Paint
ing, but in the union of all three.
The ancient nations, viz. Indians Egyp'
tians, Greeks, &C., spent all their noblest
vital energies, and all their wealth, on the
erection of public buildings and temples
Sculpture and Painting were used ,cih
Architecture, to form a harmonious whole
All this was atone for the service of Re
ligion, and in this end we recognize the So
luton of the bestowment of the time
powers and property, which were neces
sary TO create such wonders,
Let US ask now what motive it was
which actuated thousands of men, through
several centuries, and probably gratuit
ously, in the production of such immorta
works Slaves* and common laborer
would not willingly erect buildings o
which every stone showed the master hand
and even nation would not for thousand
of years make such immeasurable saeri
fees merely for vain or priestly interests
II was the recognition Of the idea of eter
nifty, which led these nations to Great
Z these immortal works.
The colossal size Of their works eonsti
- - Il.