Although Sir C. Wren was chiefly employed in pub lic works, yet Hampton Court, Winchester Palace, and that designed for St James's Park, prove, that his clas sical taste and scientific skill were equally eminent in every department of his art.
The next architect of eminence was Sir John Van burgh, whose chief works are, Blenheim, (see Plate CLXXIX.) Castle Howard, Grimsthorpe, Seaton Dc lava], and King's Weston. In all these splendid edi fices there is much genius displayed, and in all of them the architect of Blenheim is distinctly to be traced. He was too much a mannerist. In the smaller buildings his defects are more conspicuous ; and his heavy arches, clumsy arch stones, and glaring semicircles, are in many instances unpardonable and disgusting ; but from this heavy charge there are some exceptions, as in the fine garden front of Castle Howard.
The interior of the houses at this time were too much sacrificed to great halls, staircases, and galleries. These commonly occupied about one-third part of the principal edifice, and rendered the other two divisions cold and uncomfortable.
The Earl of Burlington, at his houses in Piccadilly and at Chiswick, produced beautiful specimens of Pal ladian architecture. Holkam and Houghton, in Norfolk, are magnificent edifices, but partake, perhaps, too much of the French style. \Vanstead, in Essex, by Colin Campbell, has more architectural merit. Stowe, in Buck inghamshire, is a splendid monument of the taste of Vis count Cobham and Lord Camelford ; and Wentworth, in Yorkshire, reflects equal credit upon William, Ear) of Stafford. These, and many other habitations, show the perfection to which domestic architecture was carried in England. The estimation in which it was then held, is evident from considering, that not only men of the first talents and taste, but noblemen of the first rank in the kingdom, both encouraged and practised it.
Hitherto the restored Roman architecture had been formed entirely upon that furnished by the modern Ita lian architects, and was frequently employed without just discrimination as to the different characters of the build ings. This lecl to the introduction into apartments of
delicacy, decorations which the ancients had only used in those of great dignity and magnitude. But about this time, some very ingenious artists of this country, not satisfied with this translation of taste, were prompted to examine the ruins of those ancient edifices where archi tecture might be found in the greatest purity and splen dour. With this view, Messrs Wood and Dawkins visit ed Balbec and Palmyra ; Stuart and Revet, Greece And the coast of Ionia ; and Robert Adam, the Emperor Dio clesian's palace at Spalatro in Dalmatia. In order effec tually to accomplish the objects of their missions, they not only ascertained the outlines of the several buildings, which they examined by actual measurement, but they determined the precise dimensions of each particular member and decoration. They each of them published, in a splendid style, the result of their labours, which' furnished the rudiments of a new school, drawn immedi ately from the most refined works of the ancients.
Mr Adam, on his return to England, was for many years very extensively employed, and thereby had many opportunities of adorning his country with edifices con structed upon the principles of this newly acquired man ner. Keddlestone in Derbyshire, Luton Park in Bed fordshire, (sec Plate CLXXX.) Kellwood in Middlesex, and Shelburne House in London, reflect much credit on his genius and taste. In these works, the refined style of the ancients is introduced with great propriety, and the decorations are applied with a delicacy which was before unknown. But the Palace of Dioclesian, which formed the principal object of his study, was decorated to profu sion, and was, upon the whole, an instance of the bad style into which the Romans had degenerated. His manner accordingly partakes too much of this original : His de corations, though exquisitely fine, are frequently too pro fuse ; and many particular features accord ill with the outlines of correct Greek architecture. The street archi tecture of the Adelphi, and the gateway to Sion House, are instances of these defects.