with more justice, be reckoned a mannerist : Blenheim seems never to have been absent from his mind when forming designs, for he is always gigantic, but also al ways bold and imposing.
About this time architecture in England received much encouragement, and was considerably improved by the indefatigable exertions and liberal patronage of the Eat of Burlington; we shall, therefore, in order to convey an idea of his taste, give some account of his town resi dence in Piccadilly, London, which, in 1717, was new modelled by him.
The court which the buildings encompass is 180 feet by 130. It is divided from the street by a high brick trail, in the middle of which is a magnificent arched gateway of the Doric order, ornamented by a peculiar sort of rusticated work. Immediately within this gateway, on each hand, is a circular Doric colonnade, which alto gether makes a semicircle. The passage under these is 15 feet wide. The kitchen offices occupy the left hand side of the court; the stables the right. At each end of these ranges there are separate entrances, and a short ar cade connects them with the main building. The middle part of the main building is 86 feet in length ; at each extremity 25 feet projects 10 feet before the middle part. The whole length over the walls is 130 feet ; the breadth at the • xt•emities 66 feet ; in the middle part 53 only. The hall is 30x20 feet ; saloon 20 x20 ; apartment right hand side of the latter 28x20; that on the left 20 x18. In the division, next the left hand extremity, are two 20x20 ; one 20 x13 ; one 18 x15 ; the great staircase 24x21. In the right hand extreme division is the chapel 40x20. The kitchen is 31 x18.
In the elevation, there is at bottom a plain plinth about 4 feet high, the top of which is the level of the first floor, and up to this level there is a front stair, the steps of which are 31 feet long; and as it is all without the face of the projections, at the extremities its landing forms a terrace between them. The face of the first story is rus ticated. and, including the plain belt which passes along the top, is 15 feet in height ; in this story the windows 2.:0(4 are rectangular, with three heavy key-stones in each lintel. Upon the before-mentioned belt course, rises the Ionic order, which, including the entablature, is 24 feet 6 inches high. In the central part of the build ing are 6 three quarter columns, upon each of which the entablature is broken. In each of the projections at the extremities, there are two couple of pilasters, without any nreaks over them. Within this order there is one row
of windows; those in the middle division are rectangu lar 9 x4 with pediments• alternately pointed and circular. In each of the projecting divisions there is a Venetian window. arched in the middle. Upon the entablature, there is a parapet with balusters and small pedestals over the columns.
In the general disposition round the court, the colon nade within the gateway, as seen from the front of the main building, produces an elegant effect ; but the kitch en is situated at a very inconvenient distance from the dining-room. In the main building, from the principal stair not being in the middle, the communications arc in commodious, and its effect as a fine feature is lost. There is also too much thoroughfare, and the apartments arc small. Externally, the front is generally well propor tioned ; the first story, which forms a basement for the order, is not too high, and the upper story being princi pal, corresponds with what we have frequently recom mended. The windows should have been loftier, for there is too much dead wall over them; and not even sta tues on the top, is, in our opinion, a sufficient reason for breaking the entablature ; for by so doing, the columns seem erected for this purpose alone, instead of being, as they ought, an essential part of the edifice. The assem bly room at York, Lord Harrington's house at Petersham, the Duke of Richmond's at Whitehall, and General \Vade's in Cork-street, were from his design.
During this period, Mr Colin Campbell also laboured with much zeal and perseverance. He published an ac count of many works performed by him : our limits will only permit us to notice \Vanstead in Essex. This noble front extends 260 feet ; the basement is well proportion ed, being only 15 feet high. In the principal story is one row of very fine windows; they are rectangular, with pe diments alternately circular and pointed. In the middle there is a magnificent portico of eight Corinthian co lumns, three feet diameter, and a balustrade along the whole front. Internally, on the principal floor, there is a great hall 51 x 36 x 30 ; :4 saloon 30 x 30 x 30 ; two apartments 34X24 ; two 24 x24 ; four 24X20 ; four 22 x 20 ; two 24 x 15; four 15 x 12. A library 34 X 24 ; and a chapel of the same dimensions. slany of those apartments are thoroughfares, particularly the library, which cannot be reached without passing through seve ral rooms.