himself to the ballad flyle rather than to aim at the higher praife of the didactic or complicated fpecies of poetry. His "Will and Jean," and fome other pieces have proved that he has powers well fuited to this lighter kind of compofition, although they may not enable him equally to fuftain a continued flight in the loftier regions of Parnaffus. ART. VI. The Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain, reprefented and Illuftrated in a Series of Views, Elevations, Plans, Selections, and Details of various Ancient English Edifices; with Hiftorical, and Defcriptive Accounts of each. By John Britton, F. S. A. Vol I. and II. 4to. Common Paper. 91. 98. Longman, &c. 1806-1809. THIS elegant and well executed work, which we briefly noticed foon after its commencement*, has now proceeded to two complete volumes, and comprifes, befides many engravings of uncommon beauty and effect, a confiderable quantity of antiquarian knowledge. Nor is it yet completed in the introduction to the fecond volume, we fee the fubject for a third fketched out, confifting of very valuable materials. Mr. Britton has been happy in felecting his patrons, as well as his fubjects. His firft volume is dedicated to the Marquis of Stafford, the fecond to Mr. Thomas Hope : both names endeared on many accounts, to the arts and to artists. The firit of these volumes had a fault, (and we observed no other) which we fee entirely removed in the fecond. The printed accounts were given as detached effays, unconnected by paging, or even by numbers prefixed to each. The fecond volume has the letter prefs regularly paged throughout, which gives it more the form of a book, and is much more convenient for reference. We cannot better give our readers an idea of the matter here prefented for their amufement and * In our XXVIth volume. P. 657. The two first parts only had then appeared. + We fhould mention that a half volume is alfo dedicated to Sir H. Englefield. Many of the plates are alfo dedicated to friends or patrons of the author. information, information, than by drawing up a lift of the subjects, with the number of the plates annexed to each. Vol. I. 1. St. Bottolph's Priory, at Colchester. plates. 2. Dunftaple Priory, Bedfordfhire. Three plates. Three 5. King's College Chapel, Cambridge. Seven plates. 6. An Effay towards a Hiftory of Round Churches, with delineations of four principal Churches of that Construction, namely, St. Sepulchre's Cambridge, St. Sepulchre's at Northampton, the Temple Church London (anterior part of) and little Mapleftead in Effex, illuftrated altogether by twelve plates. 7. An Ellay towards a History and defcription of Stone Croffes; of which no lefs than nineteen are delineated, on feventeen plates. The croffes defcribed are Cricklade, Corwen, Carraton Down, Carew, White Crofs and Blackfriars at Hereford, Malmbury, Gloucefter, Coventry, Cheddar, Chichester, Stourhead, Winchester, Leighton-Buzzard, Glaftonbury, Geddington, Queen's Croís at Northampton, and Waltham. . A Hiftory and defcription of Malmsbury Abbey, Wilts, illuftrated by ten plates. 9. Effay towards a Hiftory and defcription of Colchester Cafile. Three plates. 10. South Ockendon Church, Effex. Two plates. Thefe, with two beautifully engraved title plates, one reprefenting part of Edward the Confeffor's Chapel, in Weftminster Abbey, and the other the door-way to St. Mary's Church at Marlborough, complete the firft volume. Vol. II. 1. An account of Stewkley Church, Bucks, with two plates. 2. St. John's Church Devizes. Three plates. P. 3. 3. St. Peter's Church Northainpton. Three plates. P. 7. 4. An Effay towards the Hiftory and defeription of Henry the VIIth's Chapel, Weftmiafter. Nineteen plates. P. 9. 5. An Effay towards a Hiftory and defcription of the Rife, Progrefs, and Character iftics of Domeftic or civil Architecture in England. P. 53. Illuftrated by forty-four plates; among which are four Views of Windfor Castle, four of Audley End, three of Wollaton Hall Nottinghamhire; and three of Hengrave Hail, in Suffolk. Such are the contents of eighteen parts, or numbers of this work, forming two very handfome volumes; containing in proportion no great quantity of letter-prefs; yet enough to prove that attention has not been wanting to elucidate the fubjects of the work. We fhall introduce, as a fpecimen, a part of what is faid on the fubje&t, of round churches, in the first volume. The origin of round churches in England has been generally attributed to the Jews. This opinion was very prevalent in Cam bridge, till Mr. Effex corrected it by his hiftorical obfervations; which were published in the fixth volume of the Archæologia. Their temple at Jerufalem', he observes, was not of the circular form, neither was the tabernacle of Mofes; nor do we find the modern Jews affect that figure in building their fynagogues. It has, however, been generally fuppofed, that the round church at Cambridge, that at Northampton, and fome others were built for fynagogues by the Jews, when they were permitted to dwell in thofe places; but as no probable reafon can be affigned for this fuppofition, and I think it very certain that the Jews who were fettled in Cambridge, had their fynagogue, and probably dwelled together in a part of the town now called the Jewry; fo we may reafonably conclude the round churches we find in other parts of this kingdom were not built by the Jews, for fynagogues, whatever the places may be called, in which they stand.' As thefe churches are evidently not of Roman architecture, and as they were not erected by the Jews, we are naturally curious to afcertain when and by whom they were built. There appear to be four perfect examples of thefe buildings in England. St. Sepulchre's Church at Cambridge, St. Sepulchre's Church at Northampton, the Temple Church, London; and a small church at Little Mapleftead in Effex, All these, with one that was at Tem, ple Bruer, and one at Aflackby, Lincolnshire, are generally attributed to the Knights Templars*, during their power and prof perity in England. This fingular religious order of knightserrant obtained their organization and form in the vicinity of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerufalem. "It is the general opinion of writers, that this facred ftruc, ture was built by Helena, the mother of Conftantine the Great ; but, unfortunately, none of these writers have identified the part then built, or defcribed its fize, character, or ftyle of architecture, "The Templars had numerous other places of refidence in England, where they eftablished Preceptories &c. In Strype's edition of Stow, 1720, Vol. I. p. 270, it is faid that they had temples at London, Cambridge, Bristol, Canturbery, Dover, Warwick, &c." Befides Befides, we are informed that Charlemagne (A. D. 813) rebuilt this venerated edifice. The eaft end,' obferves Mr. Effex, I take to be of his building, containing the femicircular tribune; but the intermediate part, between it and the fepulchre, is more modern, and might be rebuilt when the church was restored, in the year 1049, after it was defaced by the Saracens towards the end of the tenth century.' Bede, fpeaking of this structure, defcribes it as a large round church, with three walls and twelve pillars; but the precife difpofition of thefe walls and pillars is not fpecified. The round part of the prefent building materially differs from this defcription. It confifts of a femicircular wall, which attaches to a large mafs of buildings on the east, and a little within the wall is a circular colonnade, confifting of fixteen columns and piers, with an open space for four others, towards the eaft. The circular part of the building is of Roman architecture, and its roof, which is moftly of cedar, gradually diminishes from its bafe upwards, and terminates with a round aperture. This fhape is rather fingular, as it differs from the ufual form and conftruction of domes or cupolas. The other parts of the building confift of feveral chapels, oratories, paffages, towers, &c. and on the fouth fide is [are] difplayed feveral examples of pointed arched doors and windows, with correfponding clustered columns. Sandys, Le Bruyn, and Maundrell, who have all vifited this place, are fo extremely vague and unfatisfactory in their refpective accounts, (I cannot apply the term of biftory or defcription) that .they prove more tantalizing than gratifying to our curiofity. "This facred ftructure was revered, by the holy knights, above all earthly objects; their enthusiasm had endowed its every stone with marvellous qualities; and they foolishly fancied it a fecure paffport to heaven, if they lost their lives in defence of the building. As it was their province to protect Chriftian pilgrims against the Saracens, and as they were originally inftituted and ftationed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, it seems extremely probable that they would imitate that structure, when they were afterwards distributed in companies over Europe, and when they had occafion to erect a new church. This appears actually to have been the cafe with those that settled in England; for we have already feen that they had circular churches at feveral places, and fome of thefe were dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre, or Sanctum Sepulchrum." Part III. p. 8. This account is rational and fatisfactory, and the ignorant, but very natural corruption of Sanctum Sepulchrum, into Saint Sepulchre, provokes a fmile. The note on this paffage fpeaks of a church of this denomination, at Brindili, which is alfo round. We believe, however, that there are churches fo dedicated, in London, and elsewhere, that have not any circular part. This, however, forms no objection to the opinion of Mr. Britton, and may have happened in various ways; as, for inftance, by perfons who were not Templars, and confequently not fo attached to the original church, choofing to dedicate to this famous Saint Sepulchre. The fourth part, or number, of the first volume, commences with the Effay on ancient ftone croffes, which 'contains many proofs of diligent research. Croffes, according to Mr. B. were fometimes placed as marks for the boundaries of diftricts, of church property, and of fanctuaries, of which he gives feveral inftances. They were alfo monumental; or commemorative of important events, as battles, &c. There were fome railed as pulpits for public preaching, but of these the inftances appear to have been few in this country; the most famous was that called Paul's Crofs in London; and there was another in Spital Fields. There were also Market Croffes, fome of which inclofe fpaces for fhelter to the perfons who met there, Funeral Croffes, were me morials where the bodies of eminent perfons halted in their way to interment, fuch as those well known ftructures erect-ed by Edward I in honour of his Queen Eleanor, three of which, out of fifteen, ftill remain; namely at Geddinton, Northampton and Waltham. The number of croffes mentioned, as well as thofe delineated, under these several heads, renders the effay very interefting, But the fubject moft abundant in materials and leaft preoccupied, in any fyftematic form, is the "hiftory of domef tic or civil architecture in England," which is taken up at p. 53. of the fecond volume; and illuftrated by an abundance of fine engravings, which will remain as valuable me. morials of many curious and magnificent ftructures, when the manfions themselves fhall long have ceafed to exift. The author takes up the subject from the earliest period, and continues it to the end of the feventeenth century. In his introductory remarks, he touches, but not perhaps, with fufficient clearnefs, on the utility of fuch refearches; but of the multitudes who delight in them there are few probably who require to be convinced that their curiofity is rational as well as pleafing. Nor can any reafon be affigned why we should not as eagerly enquire concerning the habitations of our Anceftors, as concerning their language, habits, cuftoms and opinions. The permanent remains of thofe habitations offer a fair field of enquiry for the Antiquary; while those which yet remain entire may be delineated in all their parts. Of the Anglo-Roman Villas or houfes, it cannot be expect ed that much can be faid, yet what Mr. Britton has offered on the fubject appears to us to deferve attention. He diffents 6 entirely |