ing much too narrow for their height; the numerous breaks along the line of the street, the combination of the two orders over the Calton arch, the anomalous capitals of the Corinthian columns on the bridge, and Ionic pilasters in Waterloo Place, and above all, the very strange character of the embankment or screen of the burying ground, display a waywardness of taste, and obliquity of perception, hardly reconcileable with the character of a great artist. This screen consists of a frontispiece of a sort of Grecian Doric columns without flutes, triglyphs, or any of the characteristic attributes or proportions of that order; the intervening spaces contain niches of diminutive size and mean appearance, and the whole indicates the greatest poverty of invention, and a want of that feeling of propriety which manifests itself by adapting character and proportion to circumstance and situation. In our humble apprehension, columns are always understood to support a weight above, pressing vertically; but this screen being really an embankment, meant to resist the lateral pressure of the earth of the burying ground, we conceive that something of an inclined plane with buttresses would have been more appropriate; and it excites our wonder, that with so fine a model before him as the screen of the Register Office, Mr Elliot could have adopted such a design, even putting out of the question the anomalous style of his columns.

With regard to the style of the New Jail, &c. as this edifice has excited the greatest admiration, if not amongst persons of taste, at least with the great bulk of the populace, we are aware that we tread on tender ground, in making animadversions on so universal a favourite; but we cannot so far compromise the interests of sound art, as even to pass over in silence an object which sins so grievous.

ly against good taste. We have already explained what we consider to be the great leading principle of architectonic effect, namely, propriety of character, and breadth and simplicity of parts; a standard by which every style, whether Grecian, Roman, Gothic, Chinese, or non-descript, must be judged; and whether this edifice be an emanation of the fertile fancy of Mr Elliot, or an imitation of some recognised style, it is equally referable to the same principle. Our objections to this building are, first, that the Gothic style should not have been adopted in a situation where the grand features of the Grecian would have displayed themselves to such advantage; and we are confident that some modification of the style of the Courthouses at Glasgow, judiciously adapted to the scite and other circumstances, would have been infinitely superior to the finest possible Gothic structure, and more becoming the lofty pretensions of our Northern Athens. Our second objection is against the building itself, and the gross misconceptions of picturesque effect, and poverty of invention, which it betrays. Let us take for example the great circular tower and its appendages, on that grand precipice, and an analysis of this will sufficiently illustrate the principles of composition by which the whole has been regulated; but it consists of so many amorphous features that we fear words can convey no adequate idea of this grotesque assemblage. The great tower of itself we consider a fine object; but, in order to heighten the effect it would seem, it is closely embraced by a number of smaller ones of various forms and dimensions, square, semicircular, octagonal, &c. which hang round the main one like the allegorical representation of Charity with her children, or Signor Belzoni, of oneriferous memory, supporting his ten men suspended

round his person. Towards the west, a small octagonal tower rises from the ground to a much greater elevation than the principal one; next to this is a square one, half the height; next to wards the north, a semicircular and a square succeed each other; and towards the east, a square tower rising from the ground to half the elevation of the main one, resolves itself into a semi-octagonal; and the wall which surrounds the whole is furnished at proper intervals with other towers, of various forms, from four to six or eight feet in diameter. The gateway of the debtors prison, which is lately erected, is another castellated building; the entrance is defended by towers, so small, that even without making allow ance for the thickness of the wall, they could serve no purpose of defence or accommodation, and too plainly indicate that they are introduced solely for effect. Mr Elliot's Gothic chapel, in York Place, is as good as most other attempts of this kind.

Mr W. Burn has distinguished him self by many handsome buildings, executed in different parts of Scotland, which exhibit a devoted attachment to the pure models of ancient art. The Custom-house at Greenock is one of his greatest works, and is a respectable specimen of the Grecian Doric style, having a very fine portico on the front next the Clyde, which has an admirable effect. The Merchants Maiden Hospital, at Edinburgh, is another building containing the same distribution of parts, but of the Ionic order; it is plain and simple in its composition. These two build ings, like the Court-houses at Glasgow, and Covent-Garden Theatre, consist of a portico in the centre, and wings at proper intervals, and as far as we can judge from the other designs of this gentleman which we have seen, we are of opinion he is not so

successful when he deviates from this arrangement.

The Church of North Leith, with the exception of its splendid Ionic portico, taken from the temple on the Ilyssus, offers nothing worthy of our commendation. Mr Burn, we be lieve, is the first artist who adopted the massive character of the Grecian Doric order in an object of so light a character as that of a spire, and in this particular, as well as other points, we consider this building to betray a want of taste, and a barrenness of resources. Mr Burn is also the architect of St John's Chapel, Edinburgh, a build. ing in the Gothic style, and of a se pulchral monument, in the same style, in the Calton burying ground, which makes a very singular figure, both rom its design and puny dimensions, particularly contrasted with the ele gant form of Hume's mausoleum in its immediate vicinity.

Mr Thomas Hamilton is an artist, who to an intimate acquaintance with the various styles of classic antiquity, adds, in an eminent degree, soundness of judgment, a purity and elegance of taste, and strength of imagination. We have just reason to regret that so few of Mr Hamilton's designs have yet been executed; but we may refer to his celebrated design for Burns's monument, now erecting at the place of his birth, which, when finished, will be an example of the Grecian style, unrivalled for elegance and beauty by any structure Scotland can at present produce. This beautiful gem, designed upon the model of the Choragic monument of Lysicrates at Athens, is a circular building of the Corinthian order, terminating in a dome, and to be surmounted by a tripod of bronze. The Corinthian columns are nine in number, and in the finest taste, and the circular part of the building stands upon a triangular basement,

which contains a handsome chamber suitably ornamented.

Mr William Playfair has distinguished himself as an artist of taste and genius; his principal works are, the new parts of the College of Edin. burgh, which is finishing after his designs, the new Academy of Dollar, and the Observatory on the Caltonhill, belonging to the Astronomical Institution of Edinburgh. Mr Playfair's style displays a sound taste and elegance of composition, which these and many other of his designs strongly attest; but we have had frequent occasion to regret his marked predilection for the Roman, in preference to the Grecian style of architecture.

SECT. XIV.

tion, of nearly two miles in length, lay through many eminences, consisting of immense masses of solid rock, which were to be cut away by the slow operation of mining, and of many declivities, which required to be filled up by embankments. Although we are willing to bestow due praise on this work, both in point of beauty and utility, we cannot disguise the fact, that it has been the scene of many expensive experiments in architecture and engineering, which might perhaps have as well been spared. In our animadversions on the style of Mr Elliot, we have expressed our opinions without reserve on the defects which characterise his works, of which the improvements, as they are called, on this new road, form no inconsiderable part; and although we think that the commissioners have not exercised a sound dis

burgh.

We shall now conclude our article with a slight sketch of the architectural improvements of Edinburgh.

It had long been contemplated, as a measure of public utility, as well as tending to improve the beauty of the town, to throw a bridge over the Calton, in continuation of the line of Prince'sstreet, and thus connect the Caltonhill more immediately with the city. The magnitude of the undertaking, however, prevented its execution, till it was found necessary to take down the old jail, and remove this establishment to the Calton-hill, as the most convenient scite which the city afford. ed; and as the want of a better access to the city by the east had long been felt, these two objects in conjunction, a scite for the jail and a convenient road, fully justified the undertaking.. It was accordingly entered upon with spirit, and is now nearly completed, The road itself was a work of infinite labour and expense, as its line of direc

ideas to be carried into execution, yet what we would wish to consider at present is not a subject merely of taste, which may admit of a diversity of opinion, but a matter of arithmetical calculation, and of acknowledged bungling and mismanagement. A little to the eastward of the Debtors Jail, an embankment was raised to the height of nearly forty feet, faced by a substantial wall of excellent masonry, and extended in a right line to the length of several hundred feet, filling up the ground to a proper level; this wall, which had been raised at a very great expense, was suddenly, and to the surprise of every one, carried away, and replaced by another, the only dif ference in which was, its being three or four feet farther in advance, having a slight degree of curvature, (about. the thirtieth part of the circle,) the great inferiority of the materials, and the very unique style of masonry. The stones of the original work were roughly hewn, disposed in courses of uni

form depth, and of great size the materials of the present embankment were the rough fragments of the rocks of the hill, as they had been disenga ged by the miner, tumbled upon each other in imitation of grotto work, with the utmost attention to preserve the asperities of surface of its various parts. Now, as the highway is upon the top of this wall, its style of masonry cannot be seen by passengers, and by reason of its particular situation, can, indeed, only be seen at a very great distance; we cannot divine, therefore, what could have been the motive for so strange a structure, unless it were to encrease the number of the curiosities of Edin burgh, and to form a sort of counterpart to a hermitage which had been some time before constructed on the rock at Nelson's Monument opposite, by one of the magistrates, but which had disappeared in the same sudden and unaccountable manner. It does not appear that any public explanation was given to the inhabitants, but it was generally understood that this additional expense was incurred in order to increase the interest which the prospect from this part of the road gives, by opening to the eye of the passenger a view of the New Town, particularly of the line of Prince'sstreet, which would be seen by advan cing the road a few feet towards the south. Whether the attainment of this object was really the motive of the commissioners, or worthy the expense thus incurred, we cannot pretend to decide; but no sooner was the road completed, according to the new arrangement, and the much looked-for street rendered visible, than a very singular phenomenon began to appear, namely, a range of buildings on the North Bridge, which completely inter

cepted the gladdening prospect, and cast a gloom and sadness over the western horizon. To those who are unacquainted with the sinister turn which the undertakings of corporate bodies are apt to take, and even to ourselves, whose opportunities of ob servation afforded means of judging more accurately, it was matter of wonder and astonishment, that two undertakings, the one under the special direction of commissioners ap pointed by parliament, the other un der that of the magistrates of Edin. burgh, some of whom formed part of that commission, should have been so completely at variance, and the cause of so much disappointment. We also recollect that the great tower of the jail, of which we have already spoken, derived one of its greatest recommend. ations from the fine effect it would have as seen from Prince's-street, although nothing but the top of it can be seen, owing to the obstruction of this singular range of buildings on the bridge. The road on the Calton-hill, a little to the eastward of this embank ment, affords another instance of the expensive manner in which architectu ral experiments have been made; the New Road at this point is intersected by another, called the Easter Road, nearly at right angles with it; but as their respective levels were considerably different, a bridge was thrown across the Easter road, the one passing through the arch, the other along the bridge. This arrangement being completed, to the astonishment of every one, the arch was suddenly built up, and converted into an ice-house or cellar,* and the road, which was originally destined to pass through the arch, raised to the level of the new road, crossing it at the end of the bridge.

It had long been subject of regret, that the top of Leith-street, adjoining Shakespeare-square, and the Register Office, which had become a very crowded thoroughfare, was so narrow, and it was hoped, that in the improvements then in contemplation, of which the Regent Bridge formed a part, the street front towards the west would be kept considerably behind the original line; but so far from this being the case, the new front was brought considerably in advance, and it was only by the spirited interference of some private individuals that the new fronts of the bridge were sent back to their present situation, after a considerable part of the substructions had been built. As Leith-street and the Regent-bridge meet at a very acute an gle, nearly in the same manner as Corn. hill and Lombard-street, in London, the intervening houses dwindle into a very diminutive front, leaving but little scope for architectural decoration or effect. The vile contracted appearance of the two porticoes that terminate the bridge towards the west, is not altogether to be attributed to Mr Elliot, although we think that a much finer and more appropriate front might have been easily designed for the present limits of the ground.

Another of the boasted improvements of Edinburgh isthe North Bridge Buildings, a work, we believe, originally projected with a view solely to the encrease of the municipal treasury, without any reference to beauty or taste. As far back as the year 1774, the Register Office was begun, from the designs of the celebrated Adam, in a situation which terminated the vista from the Old Town, at the end of the North Bridge; and it had always been regretted that this edifice, to this day the finest specimen of architectonic composition, and of the taste of the artist, which the city possesses, should have been obscured by the intervention

of any object whatever, which at first only obstructed the view of the wings, even at a considerable distance; but as an opportunity offered of encreasing the revenue of the city, by about two hundred and fifty pounds, it was considered unnecessary to give way to any feelings of delicacy where so import ant an advantage could be obtained the magistrates accordingly consented to sacrifice this beautiful edifice, and to permit the erection of a line of buildings, which, both as to its own. intrinsic demerits, and its encroachment on the beauty of the city, will remain an indelible stain, we fear, on the character of the Northern Athens; and the Register Office, a model of general symmetry and individual ele gance, now appears with one wing entirely obscured, the other partially visible, a monument of any thing but good taste and liberality.

Of Mr Playfair's designs for finish. ing the College, we have already taken some notice.

The improvements in Parliament Square are chiefly remarkable for a very singular circumstance, namely, the omission of a carriage entrance from the west, which has induced the necessity of taking down the Tolbooth Church, a fine, Gothic building, a measure, which, we understand, has been resolved upon, in order to supply this deficiency.

We shall conclude with a few ob servations on the proposed National Monument, or Church, now proposed to be erected in the Scottish metropolis, in commemoration of the naval and military achievements of the late war-a subject which has of late occupied much of the public attention. The committee for conducting this business have published a report, containing a plan for the proposed edifice from the designs of Mr Elliot, to which we have several objections to offer; and although it is professed