New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-11
SYMBOLISM I'm ARCHITECTURE
CLEVER STUDY IN THE SCIENCE OF PRlal-
TIVE MAN.
ARCHITECTURE. MYSTICISM AND MYTH W. H.
Lethaby With Illustrations by the author rP'
H. 90. Macmillan co.


ARCUITFCrT-RE. MYSTICISM AND MYTH W. r.
Lethaby With Illustrations by the author rP
y. GO. Macmillan co.
This extremely Interesting volume aims " III Il
place which has remained empty TO the present uihe'
f. is proctcally agreed among architects who have
,.diod Tho history Of their art that Mr.. Herbert
Sropcer, essay on the origin OF the styles OF aren't
lecture is not satisfactory. Mr.. Lethabys Wow Is
nis. That one who carefully excludes for the SAKE
of impartial study, the discoveries Of science @Ad en-
deavors 10 think again the thoughts BY which man al
first sought 10 explain the visible world viii see tha
~ progress Of science is merely the framing ana des
rctlon one by one Of series of hypotheses ana thsO
the early cosn0gOneS are one IN kind with the widest
concentrations of Scenccfrom certain appearances 10
frame theory Of explanation, from phenomena ID
cenerdize law This is generous and legitimate VIC"
to take ancient interpretations OF nature uhoer
the guidance Of this principle he examines one oieih
Of The temple the representation of what the antique
man supposed the universe 10 be like sometimes As
If viewed from the outs de- for example IN ulc fgNP
tan pyramids and Eabylonlsn Nggura's' SOMETIMES
from within in the Egyptian and Greek temples ana
medieval churches; sometimes AS a tree whose NUT
was tho stars shining Ike jewels. This temple was
always supposed 10 lie built upon the central point OF
the earhs surface Just rs every tribe conceived its
members 10 be men as distinguished not from beasts but
from all other human beings. IL pointed upward 10
the central point of the ornament where the gods had
their seats and II carefully placed with relation
whence the winds blew. When the discovery was
made that there were planets distinguished
from the fixed stars and the theory was formed that
these planets fixed each in sphere of lis own,
fen the temple of like the old Baby lonals, adj
dctcd 10 the study OF the heavens, was built in seven
grand stem, with tho shrine Of the deity the top
The analysis OF the numeral symbolism in this book
is lust sufficient make wish for more details and
Tor a more systematic treatment How did the Cells
o, Ireland and the NorSemcn come by their notions
OF the value OF seven mystical number, while
they had apparently no astronomy equivalent TO the
ChaIdean science How came the ancient MeXicans
to choose the number nine in place of seven' More
eccentric than all the rest how did the japanese Shin
tosts come by the number eight the symbolism OF
which hardly seems capable of a rational explanation
Perhaps 10 such questions can be expected
until the various sciences relating to primitive man
have reached some broad grounds of agreement.
Meanwhile is 1t at all certain that the ancient Cha
deans were conscious OF mystical interpretations Ike
those put upon their discoveries and inventions IN
later times? A common orrery is In sense 3
symbol Of the solar system. 1t might be made the
centre for elaborate scheme of myths. II the seie
fc age 10 which it belonged happened to be followed
by many unScientfc and Superstitious generations.
But no to whom the machine IS familiar thinks
Of It as anything more than awkward device for
Initiating the motions Of the planets From the point
e view OF people, to quote Mr.. Huxley, quite as
intelligent as and living In as high state Of
civilization that which had been attained In the
greater part Of Europe few centuries ago. il might
have seemed just the natural, practical thing TO put
the evidence Of their scientific learning in form as
gigantic and permanent possible. Their sue
cessors. having lost the scientific impulse, would de-
scend naturally TO alegOry, to pretended wisdom
which never had any existence. From such cor
rIptiOn Of what at the outset very simple might
flow that my sticlsm which in comparatively late times
imagined pavements like the sea. ceilings Ike the
SKY labylinths a. tneNpOrabe the underworld,
windows for every day In the year, candelabra Ike
Jewel bearing trees and pendant eggs, with all the
iancies that could be developed from such objects
Mr.. Lethaby suspects in himself tendency 10 over
prove" Perhaps but the reader will lind more than
one place wl,.Ie tie author has been content WIN
assertion in place OF prooi-for example when
he asserts in the Of Japanese phloogy that the
shinto :" lori roost of the sun 0rd) was buddhist
loan. ssuch statement should be demonstrated or
Ii should not he made.