Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-07-16
miscellaneous.
For the Watchman.
WORKS OF ART.


Mn. EDrroR:-Waltcr Scott who was one
Of the greatest observers Of the works Of ma
ture and Of art has commenced one of the
chapters in his inimitablc romances with the
following language:
"From terraced roof of the Blacquernal
palace there was commanded one Of the most
lovely and striking views which the noigh-
borhood Of Constantinople afforded. e -
On the one hand. the
scene was a masterpiece Of human art The
proud city, ornamented with stately buildings
as became the capital Of the world, Che is
speaking of it soon after the Roman Emperor
Constantine made it his capital "showod a
succession Of glittering spires and orders Of
architecture, some of them chaste and simple
like those the capitals Of which were borrow
cd from baskets-full Of acanthus some de-
irving the huting Of their shafts from the
props made originally to support the houses
Of the earlier Greeks forms simple, yet more
graceful in their simplicity than any which
human ingenuity has been able since 20 invent
With the most splendid specimens which an
cient art could afford Of those strictly classical
marbles were associated those Of later age,
where more modern taste had endeavoured at
Improvement. and by mixing the various or
ders, had produced such as were either COM
posite or totally ont Of rule. The size Of the
buildings in which they were displayed. how
ever, procured them respect; nor could even
the most perfect Judge Of architecture avoid
being struck by the grandeur Of their extent
and effect, although hurt by the incorrectncss
of the taste in which they were executed. d.-
Arches Of triumph towers, obelisks, and
spires. designed for various purposes, rose up
into the air in confused magnifcence while
the lower view was filed by the streets Of the
city, the domeaGc habitations forming long,
narrow alleys, on either side Of which the
houses arose to various and unequal heights,
being generally finished with terraced cover
ings, thick set with plants and flowers and
fountains had, when seen from an eminencc,
a more noble and interesting aspect than is
afforded by the sloping and uniform roofs Of
streets in the capitals in the north of Europe.
In the expression above, ga succession of
glittcring spires and orders of architecture,
some of them chastc and simple, like those
the capitals Of which were borrowed from
baskcts-full Of acanthus' there is q reference
60 the Corinthian order which would be the
next 70 consider in the course that proposed
TO continue in this letter. The illusions to
the baskots-ful of acanthus will be explained
when take up the Corinthian order.
Although in my last letter ! said ! should
continue the description Of the orders in this.
7 have thought proper to defer it, to give
place TO the foregoing extract rom Nal'ei
Scott. confident that whsever reads it atten-
tFeiy VIII oe the oelter aolG 20 appr1cl4'e 'h'
oeanues OF 'he arch''eeturai "f'' ana &c com
P'5ncHu ana remember ''e u''''''o'io"s III 'n'
oraers'
once / Wfo'e my ia't letteI l. nave h"u oo-
caslon 70 observe examples OIL 'ho TWO oruers
tha1 uesclloeo III IT, 'he boilC anu lon'c'
anu as ! cannot Oh course g!'e ui"S'"'nS VI
plates TO Illustrate then, thlhK tnese exam
PIES VII. ana very h!ucn III tne GAPIan"''uh'
nouced tnat IN the brlck Church' al
Montpelier when the kepuohean state Con
Nenton was held, there were two perfect
specimens OF the Ionic ordef IN the pi.lar'
that stand out so prominently on eaeh siue o.
the recess IN winch the organ stands nc
to'~c' that described as resembling tn'
the ladies' curls on the slde oi the mead arc
very conspicuous. There Is a porueo IN iron'
OF the fremont House at ~. Aloahs W'l
Ionic columns ana the large congregations
Ohnrch az burlington IN WnlGh ,l 'ho com
f-onted with Ionic columns.
In front Of the American House at Bur.
lnpton there is a portico constructed strictl,
according to the Doric order. The triglyph.
and metopes which described in speaking o.
this order. arc wrought out with great beaut,
on the hiezc. though the structure is vcr,
small aud unpr6tending There is no hutinl
however of the shafts of the columns. which
the Turks generally used.
Here let me remark that what Walter Scot
saws in the above extract about an order o
architecture being distinguished by the autin.
Of the shafts. does not seem to be warranted
. by anv work in architecture The tradition
may he true that the idea Of futing the shaft
was derived from the props made to support
the lances Of the carly Greeks, but it is nj
less true that the ancients practiced futinq
the columns of all the orders. except the Tus
can. In the two examples Of the Ionic ordei
have referred to at Montpelier and Burling
ton the columns are elegantly futed
The flutes or d,tings are the vertical chan
nels on the shafts of columns, which are nsu
ally rounded above and below In the Dori.
order they arc twenty in number, in the otheI
va. -
10 '''''''' '"o'''! ~.
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