ocably executed. Clear, however, as the architects were on this point, they were not so clear when they began the United Bank building what would do, and the first two stories look like a series of tentative experiments to find out. They were proving all things, perhaps, with the intention of holding fast that which was good. The practice of projecting bowlders, especially in soft sandstone, has already been mentioned as a somewhat slovenly substitute for the expression of vigor by modelling. Bowlders are projected from the piers of this basement in the most ferocious and blood-curdling manner-so ferocious, indeed, that the architects repented them of their bullying behavior. It is like the fear that came upon Snug the joiner of the consequences that would ensue if ladies took him for the king of beasts: "Another prologue must tell he is not a lion." And so the architects seem to have taken the counsel of Nick Bottom: "Half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect,-Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life. No, I am no such thing: I am a man as other men are: and there, indeed, let him name his name; and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner"-that is to say, Messrs. Peabody and Stearns, architects. The "other prologue," which is calculated to re-assure the most timid, is the treatment of the first floor, where not only the asperities of the sandstone are much mitigated, but where a disclaimer of any offensive intention is made in the insertion between the openings of pairs of banded pilasters, between the capitals of which is inserted the novel and pleasing ornament of a key-stone. In order to make sure that they are not strong enough to do any harm, they are not only designed with much feebleness, but they are projected from the face of the wall they might otherwise be imagined to strengthen, and set upon a bracket. Between these Renaissance pilasters are Romanesque entrance arches, in which there is a return to truculence of demeanor; but these are seen to be not entrances at all, but only innocent windows of bank parlors, and the real en trances under them, covered with trefoiled gablets in cast iron, are obviously harmless. It is quite fair to say that up to the top of the first story there is no design in the building, nothing that betrays any evidence of a general intention. But hav ing built thus far in futile search of a motive and of a style, they came upon both, and built over this aimless and restless collection of inconsistent details a purposeful, peaceable, and consistent brick building, a series of powerful piers connected by and sustaining powerful arches, defined by a light label moulding, and enriched at the springing with a well-designed belt of foli "POST" BUILDING.-GEORGE B. POST, ARCHITECT. age. It seems incredible that the authors of this respectable building should be also the authors of the basement on which it stands. At the angle is the ingenious device of a griffin "displayed," and with one wing folded back against either wall, to carry the metal socket of the flag-staff. This feature in all its details is designed with great spirit and picturesqueness. But the architectural impulse fails in the attic story, which should obviously be here the richest part of the building, and which is the baldest, being only a series of rectangular holes, without either modelling or decoration, and without relation in their grouping to the openings immediately under them. By far the most successful, however, of all the recent commercial buildings is the Post building, designed by Mr. Post, and executed, above the blue-stone basement, in yellow brick and yellow terra cotta. The site is an irregular tetragon at the intersection of three streets, and the court made necessary by the depth of the plot, instead of being a well sunk in the middle Mr. of the building, is made a recess in one of the long sides. This arrangement is not only practically convenient, but, like every arrangement obviously dictated by practical convenience, is capable of becoming architecturally effective, and here. becomes so. The openings are admirably well grouped between the powerful piers, and, what is a rare attainment in "elevator architecture," there is abundant variety in their treatment, without the look of restlessness and caprice which generally attends an effort for variety in a manystoried building. The detail enhances the effect of this disposition. It is well adjusted to its function and position, nowhere excessive in quantity or in scale, and nowhere meagre, and it is in itself rich and refined. It is designed in "free Renaissance," that is to say, the designer has undertaken to model the building faithfully according to its plan and construction in Renaissance architecture, leaving out all that he does not want. Haight, as we saw, was able to achieve that result without transcending the lines of academic Gothic. Mr. Post has put his academic Renaissance into the alembic of analysis, and where the analysis has been complete his Renaissance architecture has volatilized and disappeared. We are very sure that he had no real use for the imitations in terra cotta of protruding keystones, for example, and these are almost the only badges left his building of the style with which he started, except the capitals of the pilasters, and the Ionic capitals of the very pretty shafted arcade which forms the attic. But for these comparatively trivial incidents of his work Mr. Post's free Renaissance would have to be classified as Gothic, if it were really necessary to classify it at all except as good architecture. Mr. Post, in fact, has done on his own account what the Romanesque builders did. They too were doing "free classic." They began with classical Roman architecture, and steadily leaving out what they did not want, they arrived at Westminster and Amiens and Cologne. It is strange to see so thoroughly studied a performance as this succeeded by so thoroughly unstudied a performance as the Mills building by the same architect. But possibly ten-story buildings which must be built in a year will not wait for architects to mature designs which would make the buildings of interest to students of architecture as well as to investors. What-parture, and it seems time that such of ever the cause may be, the result is unfor- the victims of it as are artists who take tunate, for after the grandiose and some- serious views of their art should ask themwhat swaggering Roman gateway and the selves why they continue to work in a portcullis which it incloses have been tak- style which has never produced a monuen out, the rest of the Mills building may ment, and in which it is impossible to dissafely be thrown away. The portcullis is cern any element of progress. In doing really an interesting piece of iron-work Queen Anne have they done anything both in design and in workmanship, al- but follow a fashion set, as fashions in though in both it is distinctly inferior to millinery and tailoring are set, by mere such a piece of work as the nondescript caprice? The professional journal which beast in cast iron that performs the hum- is the organ of the architects in this counble office of holding a sign in Cedar try has indeed declared that "architecture Street, and that might have been wrought is very much a matter of fashion," and arin the thirteenth century, so grotesque, so chitects who take this view of their calling skillful, so charged with the spirit of ar- will of course build in the fashion, as they tistic and enjoyed handicraft it is. [See dress in the fashion, in spite of their own initial letter.] knowledge that the fashion is absurd. So the new departure is still but a de- But it is impossible to regard an architect who takes this view as other than a tradesman, or to discuss his works except by telling what are the latest modes, in the manner of the fashion magazines. It seems impossible for architects who take this view of their art to take their art seriously, anything like so seriously, for example, as they take their incomes. But for architects who love their art and believe in it, the point of "departure" is much less important than the point of arrival, and by such architects the historical styles of architecture will be rated according to the help they give in solving the architectural problems of our time. We have seen that an architect who starts from Renaissance architecture and an architect who starts from Gothic architecture, if they faithfully scrutinize their precedents, and faithfully discard such as are inapplicable, in arriving at free architecture will arrive, so far as style is concerned, at much the same result. If this process of analysis were to be carried on for a generation, it would be as difficult, and as purely a matter of speculative curiosity, to trace the sources of English and American architecture as the sources of the composite and living English language, which is adequate to every expression. We have been blaming the architects for accepting the forms of past architecture without analyzing them. But, indeed, if architects had been analysts, they would generations ago have recognized in their work that we do live in times unknown to the ancients, whether of Athens in the fifth century before our era, or of Western Europe in the thirteenth century of our era; that within the limits set by fact and reason there is ample room for the exercise of all accomplished talents, and verge enough for the expression of all sane temperaments, while without these limits nothing can be done that will stand the test of fact and reason, which is the test of time; that "effects" can not precede causes, and that the rudest art which is sincere is living and in the way to be refined, while the most refined art that has lost its meaning can never be made alive. The recognition of these things would have prevented a vagary like the frivolities and affectations of the new departure from attaining any vogue, but it would also have prevented the establishment of any technical styles in modern building, and instead of reproducing "examples" of one historical style and then of another, and then of a mixture of two, architects would be producing and writers would be discussing works of the great art of architecture. A CASTLE IN SPAIN. CHAPTER XXXI. IN WHICH THE WHOLE PARTY FIND THEMSELVES IN A HAUNTED CASTLE. T the opening of the door and the Aound of the roof, Ashby started back and retreated. He was very much puzzled at the Irish brogue, and could only think that a stray Paddy might be among the Carlists. However, there was no time to wait, so he sought to regain the fire-place. But as he did so a figure came in his way, arms were flung about him, and a low faint whisper came close to his ear: "Oh, Assebi! I am Dolores; that other is Mrs. Russell. Fly, or you are lost!" Here was a new shock for Ashby, but he did not lose his presence of mind. The new-comer was still at the door. He was not followed. All this he noted as he stood for a moment or so holding Dolores in his arms. ceed her amazement and terror when "his Majesty" came in behind her at the very moment when she supposed herself to be in "his Majesty's" arms. It was unintelligible-nay, even frightful. "Weren't you-your Majesty-herejust now?" she stammered. "Me? Us? Here? Divil a bit av us! We've just come," was the reply. "But who was it? Some one was here." "Some one ?" said "his Majesty." "Oh, maybe it was our r'y'l footstep.' "No-but some one was talking Span As for Mrs. Russell, nothing could ex- surprise. 66 WHOROO, LADS! THIS BATES THE WORRULD, SO IT DOES."-[SEE PAGE 587.] "The ghost!" groaned Mrs. Russell. "Oh, your Majesty! Oh, my own one! Oh, save me! Don't-don't let it come near me!" And flinging her arms around the royal person, Mrs. Russell clung to it, sobbing hysterically. "Shure-whisht, will yez, or ye'll waken up the gyerruls," said the monarch. "I'll protect yez, if ye'll let me, so I will." "Oh!" said Mrs. Russell, clinging more closely, "do you hear that?" |