Like (Alm ancient religious edifices, this cathedral had numerous dependencies; some of which were, the chapter house, an octagonal building, of a rich and elegant pointed style, and surrounded by a cloister. two stories in height, of great beauty ; the clocher, or bell-tower, standing at the east end of the chnrch-vard, a very ancient building, to which had been added, about the time of I lenry Ill., a spire of timber and lead ; it contained four large, bells, which, with the spire and an image of St. Paul, having been staked at hazard by henry were won and taken down by Sir Niles Partridge.
It being at length determined to erect a new cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren was nominated to the superintendence. To t'orin a just estimate of the talents of the architect em ployed in conducting a work of such magnitude and national importance. it is necessary to consider those preliminary steps and contemporary which !mist ever influence or control the proceedings of an architect 'We shall, therefore, condense from his posthumous collection, the Purentalia, an account of the formation of the design of the present church.
Before the great tax upon sea-coal, which did not com mence till Nay, I670, it was expected that the expenses of the building, would be defrayed by voluntary contributions . alone, and theret'ore it seemed expedient to restrict the plans to an edifice of moderate bulk. rpon these considerations, the architect prepared a design and model of a structure, with a choir, vestibule, porticos, and a lofty dome. This was applauded by some persons as containing all that was I necessary for the church of a metropolis, being of a beam iful figure, and capable of erection at an expense that iniclit reasonably have been compassed ; but being designed in the IZoman style. it was not so well understood and relished by others. thought it deviated too much from the old cathe dral form ; while some wished for more magnificence. and were inns-Winn- that the principal church in London should be inferior to any similar structure on the continent. The architect, enlarging his ideas, endeavoured to the connoisseurs and critics with a grand colossal design, after the best style of the Greek and IZoman architecture. This being much :kindred by some persons of distinction, a highly finished model in wood, n ith all its proper ornaments. was made, which was carefully preserved. and at length deposited in a room over the morning.-prayer chapel of the present edifice. Sir Christopher always appeared to set a higher value On this than on any other he had made ; Ina the prevailing prejudices still interfered. and the architect finally turned his thoughts to what was called a cathedral form, but so modified as to reconcile, as nearly as possible, the Gothic to the new mode of architecture. Thus the
design of the present edifice was formed ; and, being ap proved of by king Charles II., a warrant was ksitcd under the privy seal for beginning the work. ',May 1, 1 5. The first stone was laid on the 21st of June and the works were prosecuted wit-h Si) 11111C11 vigour, that, within ten years from the commencement, the walls of the choir and side aisles were finished, with the circular porticos at the north and south sides, and the great pillars of the dome, Were conducted to the same height. Some diflienhies now occurred in procuring funds for the prosecution of this great work, but, through the operation of the coal duties, they all vanished ; and, in the year 1710, the last, or highest stone, at the top of the lantern, was laid by JI r. Christ(Ther Wren, son of the architect. Thus, by a fortune unusual to edifices of such magnitude and labour, this, church was completed in thirty-five years, under the direction of one architect ; and, as it has been commonly reinalked as a singular coincidence, by one master-mason. Mr. Strong; and under one bishop of London, Dr. penny Compton.
On investigating the exterior of St. Paul's cathedral, we find the general form to lie that of a Latin cross, with an additional arm. or transept, at the west end, to give length to the principal point, and a semicircular pr, jection at the east end, for the altar; there are also at the north-east, south.cast, north-west, and south-west angles of the cross, square projections. which, besides containing staircases and vestries, serve as immense buttresses to the dome. 'Fills is extremely different, both in proportion and general effect, to the plan of St. Peter's at Rome, where the cross-shape is scarcely marked externally. The first object of attention is the western front, which is distinguished by a portico of two orders, the Oninthian supporting the Composite of grand dimensions and rich arrangement. A noble flight if steps, of black marble, forms 0 basement to this portico, which is ter minated at the summit by a pediment. On each side of the front is a steeple ; one serving as It be] fry, and the other as the clock-to NV er singly considered, these may be said to want repOSe, but yet they are picturesque; and their spring ing forms not only harmonize with the cupola in the distant . view, but also give effect and elevation to the western front, to which they particularly belong. Nor are they parts of considerable beauty.