In the progress of examination, we come to the intersection of the nave. and the transept ; and here, instead of four open ings, eight are produced, which afford striking and jiieturestme views in various directions ; and, in this respect, St. Paul's differs from every church with which we are acquainted, the cathedral of Ely only excepted. On the other hand, the junction of the aisles the central area presented difficul ties, which have caused various defects and mutilations in the architecture. The central area, as before observed, is an octa gon, supported by eight piers, with as many apertures; four of which, the middle aisles, are tbrty feet wide, while the others are only twenty-eight feet ; but this dispa rity only exists as bight as the first order of pilasters; at which height the smaller openings are expanded so as to make the main arches all equal. Spandrels between the arches form the area into a eirele. Which is crowned by a large ean Oliver cornice, partly supporting, by its projection, the whis pering-gallery. At this level commences the interior tam bour of the (14 tine, consisting of a high pedestal and an order of pilasters, the intervals of 'a hide are occupied by twenty four N% indows and eight niches, corresponding with the inter columniations and piers of the exterior. All this part is inclined forward, so as to form the frustum of a cone. From a double plinth above the contice of the pilasters, springs the inlet ior dome.
The choir is of the same Corm and architectural style as the body of the church. and is terminated by a semicircular apsis. The stalls, an enclosure, though not remarkable feur elegance of design, are valuable for their ornamental carving, which is by the masterly hand of Gibbons.
In survey ing the decorative parts of the interior of St. Paul's, it must be acknowledged that the general impression is that of simplicity bordering upon meanness and nudity, a defect which implies no censure on the great architect, who has left his work in that state to receive the ornament of painting and sculpture, which the frugality of following times have withheld.
The few ornaments. which exist are, in general, well exe cuted, and disposed with judgment: The soffits of the grand arches, under the cupola, are in the best style of simple and appropriate decoration. The dome is painted by Sir James Thornhill, who has deformed this beautiful vault with an absurd, heavy, and fictitious architecture, serving as a frame to eight pictures, representing so many actions of the patron saint. It is to be lamented, that instead of placing historical paintings in a situation where the spec tator can distinguish nothing but the most obvious and general effect, some other system of decoration had not been adopted.
The design of the cathedral of Si. Paul has been charged with various defects, the chief of which are the following: A v•ant of proportion between the cupola and the body of the building ; the di vison of the exterior into two stories, of orders of columns and pilasters nearly equal ; and the coupling of the columns in the western front : In the interior, the omission of the architrave and frieze of the order, in the spaces between the great pilasters of the nave, for the purpose of raising the summits of the arches above the level of the architrave; the circumstance of the tambour of the dome inclined forward out of the per pendicular; and, lastly, the awkward junction of the side aisles and mutilated arches.
With respect to the general division of the body of the building into two orders of architecture, we have the autho rity of the architect himself, as expressed in the Parentali'a and exhibited in his favourite model, in fiivour of the single order ; lint, with regard to this, he was obliged to yield to circumstances, as the Portland quarries could not aflierd stones of the required dimensions ; this necessity led to another, viz., the coupling of the order.
On an inspection of the ground plan of the building, it will be seen, that the exterior pilasters are placed at intervals corres ponding to the interior piers, an a rra ngem en tw hick could not be deviated from. As to the omission of the architrave of the order, above the arches of the interior, We are infrared in the Parenta lia, that, in this respect, Sir Christopher Wren "always insisted that he had the ancients on his side; and that, in the Temple of Peace, in the great halls of the Baths, and in all the great structures of three aisles, this is done, and for this reason, that in these wide intercolunniations, the a will trave is not supposed to lie from one column to another: but, from the column to the wall oldie aisle, so that the end of it will appear upon the pillar of the inside of the great navis.'"Fhis is a sufficient answer to those rigorous critics, who would subject the com position of a cathedral to the strict rules hich limited the Grecian temples; and it shows that the architect had studied those antique models, which, if' not it the purest taste in point of ornament, were yet the most analogous, in general form, to the edifice lie had to construct. But, though this was the ostensible excuse, it was not the real reason ; for, upon referring to the section of St. Paul's, it will be seen, that Sir Christopher has made the pilasters of the interior a little higher than the exterior columns, which could not be much without incongruity ; and, wishing to give the arches, opening to the aisles, as much elevation, and consequently lightness, as the design admitted, he chose to encroach on the entablature of the order; and thus, by a single alteration from general rules, he improved the offset of his building.