In addition to these examples, we shall only mention an elegant small dwelling-house, which has lately been built by William Sibbald, Esq. on the north bank of the river Tweed, at a place called Gladswood, near Melrose in Scotland. The approach is so managed, that the en trance front has only the appearance of being one story high, and the public rooms and principal bed-rooms are upon the same floor ; but the situation being on sloping ground, a space behind the house is cleared, so as to ren der the access to the domestic offices level and ous. The front elevation is constructed with neatly cut and polished stone, and decorated with columns. This charming little villa stands on the 'external angle of a bend of the river, where the banks are singularly bold and well wooded. It commands a view of the town and abbey of Melrose in one direction, and also of the abbey of Dryburgh in another. The Cheviot hills bound a distant prospect in front, while the north and east are protected by a chain of hills, and being immediately sur rounded by well cultivated fields, and an excellent gar den judiciously disposed, we consider this altogether as a perfect model for the villa of a small freeholder.
We are convinced that the reader, who has attentively followed us through this discussion respecting private dwellings, will have a distinct knowledge of their pro gress since the revival of the arts. He will also admit, that sufficient specimens and explanations have been produced, to afford him a perfect conception of the pre sent state and practice of the art, and that by means of the data here selected from the ablest masters, his own progress in designing and executing buildings will be much facilitated. We have placed before him the results of the experience of ages, and his own genius and reflec tion will enable him to proceed to a still higher degree of perfection.
A very excellent specimen of city architecture was displayed about the middle of last century by Mr Wood at Bath. The city at that time consisted of narrow streets and mean buildings. He commenced his operations, by covering the low grounds on the western bank of the river Avon with ranges of buildings, in a regular and elegant style or architecture. These were elevated about 18 feet above the level of the natural ground by artificial terraces raised on arches, and covered with smooth pave ment, and were named Parades. That to the northward is 580 feet in length, and 52 in breadth. From these parades, after ascending the hill to the north-west of the old town, M r Wood formed Queen Square, of houses upon a larger scale than those erected upon the parades, and more ornamented with Roman architecture. The upper or northern side of this square, consisting of pi lasters, columns, and a pediment, and the other sides suf ficiently varied, to avoid the dull monotony found in many modern improvements. flaying by this step disentangled
himself from the old town, lie at some distance from the beforementioned square built a circus, 500 feet diameter, pierced by three spacious streets. Here he introduced a correct and very rich piece of Roman architecture. The houses being three stories above the level of the pave ment, have their fronts ornamented by the three distinct orders of architecture, viz. the Doric, Ionic, and Corin thian, in coupled columns, having their entablatures pass ing along without any break, except where the facade is intercepted by the beforementioned streets. The columns projecting before the face of the walls three-fourths of their diameters, they possess bold relief. The metopes of the Doric frieze, and mutules of the cornice, are en riched. The friezes of the other two orders are plain, but an enriched foliage passes in a range between the Corinthian capitals. The whole presents a bold and rich piece of architecture, and from each of the three streets the spectator has, when entering, a fine crescent oppos ed to him. But we cannot help noticing as a defect the want of a pier, where these line façades terminate at the angles of each street. If the several projections had been thus covered, these orders instead of resembling a screen, %runic! have been converted into an apparently essential part of the edifice, and the piers wmild have still formed a sufficiently distinct partition from the great plainness of the adjacent streets. From this line circus Mr \Vood passed, by one of the before-mentioned streets, to a piece of ground which commands an extensive view of the valley, and there constructed a crescent extending 67o feet. This consists of a plain basement story, sup porting a row of semi Ionic columns placed at equal dis tances, excepting in the centre, where there arc two coupled columns on each side of an arched NI iodow, all the other windows being square and plain. There is no break in either the basement or entablature. At each extremity there is a return on the chord line of the cres ct nt (or segment) for the extent of the width of the houses. Here at each angle there is a column, which had better been a 1.ilaster ; but as the order and columns arc return ed on the kick part of the houses, and are there termi nated by pilasters, which arc continued, the whole is thereby rendered an essential part of the edifice, and not a screen. The appearance or the shafts of the large Ionic columns now quite plain, would be much improv ed by flutings. This crescent, which contains 30 houses, is one of the finest architectural features in England.