APPENDICES.
APPENDIX I.
REVERENDO PATRI DOMINO CHRISTOPHORO WREN, S.T.D. ET D. W. CHRISTOPHORUS FILIUS HOC SUUM PANORGANUM ASTRONOMICUM D. D. XIII. CALEND. NOVEM. ANNO 1645, p. 73.
Si licet, et cessent rerum (Pater alme) tuarum
Pondera, devotae respice prolis opus.
Hic ego sidereos tentavi pingere motus,
Coelicaque in modulos conciliare breves.
Quo (prolapsa diù) renoventur tempora gyro,
Seculaque, et menses, et imparilesque dies.
Quomodo Sol abeat, redeatque, et temperet annum,
Et (raptum contra) grande perennet iter;
Cur nascens gracili, pleno orbe refulget adulta,
Cur gerat extinctas menstrua luna faces.
His ego numinibus dum cito, atque ardua mundi,
Scrutor, et arcanas conor inire vias,
Adsis, O! faveasque, pater, succurre volanti
Suspensum implumis dirige prolis iter,
Ne male, praecipiti, nimium prae viribus audax
(Sorte sub Icarea) lapsus ab axe ruam:
Te duce, fert animus, studiis sublimibus hisce
Pasci, dum superas detur adire domos.
APPENDIX II.
CHURCHES, HALLS, COLLEGES, PALACES, OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS, AND PRIVATE HOUSES, BUILT AND REPAIRED BY SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN.
Churches.
| S. Alban, Wood Street. | S. Lawrence, Jewry. |
| * All Hallows, Bread Street. | S. Magnus, London Bridge. |
| ” Lombard Street | S. Margaret Lothbury, Pattens, Rood Lane. |
| ” Upper Thames St. | S. Martin, Ludgate Hill. |
| All Saints, Isleworth. | S. Mary, Abchurch. |
| S. Andrew, Holborn. | ” Aldermanbury. |
| ” by the Wardrobe. | ” Aldermary. |
| SS. Anne & Agnes. | ” at Hill. |
| S. Anne, Soho (?). | ” le Bow. |
| * S. Antholin, Watling St. | * ” Somerset. |
| S. Augustine. | ” Woolnoth. |
| * S. Bartholomew, Bartholomew Lane. | S. Mary Magdalen, Old Fish St. |
| * S. Benedict, Gracechurch Street. | S. Matthew, Friday Street. |
| * ” Fink, Threadneedle Street. | S. Michael, Bassishaw. |
| S. Benedict, Paul’s Wharf. | ” Cheapside. |
| S. Bride, Fleet Street. | ” Cornhill. |
| * ” Crooked Lane. | |
| Chichester Cathedral. | * ” Queenhithe. |
| Christ Church, Newgate. | ” Royal, College Hill. |
| * S. Christopher, Threadneedle Street. | S. Mildred, Bread Street. |
| S. Clement Danes, Strand. | * ” Poultry. |
| ” Eastcheap. | S. Nicholas, Cole Abbey. |
| Dartmouth Chapel, Blackheath. | S. Olave, Jewry. |
| * S. Dionysius, Back Church. | S. Paul’s Cathedral. |
| S. Dunstan in the East. | S. Peter’s Abbey, Westminster. |
| S. Edmund the King, Lombard Street. | ” Cornhill. |
| S. Faith (Crypt of S. Paul’s). | Salisbury Cathedral. |
| S. George, Botolph Lane. | S. Stephen, Coleman Street. |
| S. James, Garlickhithe. | ” Walbrook. |
| ” Westminster. | S. Swithin, Cannon Street. |
| S. Lawrence, Jewry. | S. Vedast, Foster Lane. |
* Signifies that the church has been destroyed.
Halls.
| Mercers | Company | Saddlers | Company |
| * Grocers | ” | Cordwainers | ” |
| Drapers | ” | Paper Stainers | ” |
| * Fishmongers | ” | Curriers | ” |
| * Goldsmiths | ” | Masons | ” |
| Skinners | ” | * Plumbers | ” |
| Merchant Taylors | ” | Innholders | ” |
| Haberdashers | ” | Founders | ” |
| * Salters | ” | Coopers | ” |
| Ironmongers | ” | Tilers and Bricklayers | ” |
| Vintners | ” | Joiners | ” |
| * Dyers | ” | Weavers | ” |
| Brewers | ” | Plasterers | ” |
| * Leathersellers | ” | Stationers | ” |
| Cutlers | ” | Apothecaries | ” |
| Bakers | ” | Pinmakers | ” |
| Tallow Chandlers | ” | Coachmakers | ” |
| Girdlers | ” |
Many of these buildings have been considerably altered since Wren’s time, and many are now let as warehouses, or turned to other uses.
Colleges.
| Christ Church, Oxford. | Pembroke, Cambridge. |
| Emmanuel, Cambridge. | * Physicians, Warwick Lane, London. |
| Holy Trinity ” | Pembroke, Cambridge. |
| ” Oxford. | Queen’s (?) Oxford. |
| Morden, Blackheath. | Sion, London. |
Palaces.
| Hampton Court.. | Kensington. | * Newmarket. | Winchester. |
Other Public Buildings.
Private Houses.
| Allaston’s, Lord, London. | Fawley Court, Oxon. |
| Bloomsbury, two in. | Marlborough’s, Duchess of, London. |
| Buckingham’s, Duchess of, London. | Oxford’s, Earl of, London. |
| Chichester, two at. | Sunderland’s, Lord, London. |
| Cooper’s, Madam, London. | Windsor, two at. |
This list, which is, I fear, imperfect, only professes to give such buildings as were actually built or repaired; there are, besides, a large number of unexecuted designs.
* Signifies that the building has been destroyed.
APPENDIX III.
Sir Christopher Wren left the rough drafts of four tracts on architecture, which are printed in the ‘Parentalia,’ and a few notes on Roman and Greek buildings, some of which Mr. Elmes transcribed in his ‘Life;’ they are for the most part very technical and are incomplete. The copy of the ‘Parentalia’ now in my hands contains the autograph draft of a Discourse on Architecture, which, as I think, has never been printed; it appears to me to be of great interest. It is therefore given entire, though I regret I cannot give the quaint prints of Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel, Babylon, &c., with which the original is illustrated. The two former prints tally so exactly with the descriptions in the ‘Discourse’—the print of the ark containing a small section, an elevation, and a vignette of a man feeding one of the creatures, besides a large drawing of the floating Ark—that I incline to think they were engraved, either by Wren himself, or from his drawings. Engraving was an art he well understood. He divides with Prince Rupert the honour of the invention of mezzo-tint. The prints are numbered Pl. IV. and V. respectively, and have no signature.
Discourse on Architecture.
Whatever a man’s sentiments are upon mature deliberation, it will be still necessary for him in a conspicuous Work to preserve his Undertaking from general censure, and so for him to accomodate his Designs to the gust of the Age he lives in, thô it appears to him less rational. I have found no little difficulty to bring Persons, of otherwise a good genius, to think anything in Architecture would be better then what they had heard commended by others, and what they had view’d themselves. Many good Gothick forms of Cathedrals were to be seen in our Country, and many had been seen abroad, which they liked the better for being not much differing from ours in England: this humour with many is not yet eradicated, and therefore I judge it not improper to endeavour to reform the Generality to a truer taste in Architecture by giving a larger Idea of the whole Art, beginning with the reasons and progress of it from the most remote Antiquity; and that in short touching chiefly on some things, which have not been remarked by others.
The Project of Building is as natural to Mankind as to Birds, and was practised before the Floud. By Josephus we learn that Cain built the first City, Enos, and enclosed it with Wall and Rampires; and that the Sons of Seth, the other son of Adam, erected two Columns of Brick and Stone to preserve their Mathematical Science to Posterity, so well built that thô ye one of Brick was destroy’d by the Deluge, ye other of Stone was standing in ye time of Josephus. The first Peece of Naval Architecture we read of in Sacred History was the Arke of Noah, a work very exactly fitted and built for the Purpose intended.
It was by measure just 6 times as Long as Broad, and the Heighth was ⅗ of the Breadth. This was the Proportion of the Triremes afterwards. The Dimensions, and that It was 3 Stories high, and that It had a Window of a Cubit Square is only mention’d; but many things sure were of necessity to be contrived for Use in this Model of the Whole Earth.
First, One small Window was not sufficient to emit the Breath of all the Animals; It had certainly many other Windows as well for Light as Air. It must have Scupper-Holes and a large Sink and an Engin to Pump It; for It drew, as I compute, with all its Cargo and Ballast, at least 12 foot Water. There must be places for Insects the only Food of some Birds and Animals. Great Cisterns for Fresh Water not only for Land Animals, but for some Water fowl and Insects. Some Greens to grow in Tubs, the only food of Tortoises and some Birds and Insects; since we certainly have learnt that nothing is produced by Spontaneous Generation, and we firmly believe there was no new Creation. I need not mention stairs to the several Stories, with many other things absolutely necessary for a year’s Voyage for Men and Animals, thô not mention’d in the Story, and Providence was the Pilot of this Little World, the Embrio of the next.
Most certainly Noah was divinly qualified not only as a Preacher of Righteousness but the greatest Philosopher in the ‘Historia Animalium’ that ever was; and it was Work enough for his whole Family to feed them, and take care of the young Brood; for in a year’s time there must be a great increase in the Ark, wch was food for the Family, and the Beasts of Prey.
The first Peece of Civil Architecture we meet with in Holy Writ is the Tower of Babel. Providence scatter’d the first Builders, so the Work was left off, but the Successors of Belus the son of Nimrod probably finished It and made it His Sepulchre, upon his Deification.
It was built of Burnt Brick Cemented with Bitumen.
Herodotus gives us a surprizing Relation of it wch being set down by measure is not beside our subject to observe. It consisted of Eight several Stories; the First was one Stade, or 625 foot square, and of the same measure in Height upon which were rais’d seven more, wch if they were all equal with the First would amount to 2,500 foot, which is not credible: the Form must be therefore Pyramidal and being adorn’d on the outside with Rows of Galleries in divers stories diminished in Height in Geometrical Proportion; so the whole Mass would have the Aspect of Half an Octaedron, which is that of all the Egyptian Pyramids.
These Corridors being Brick wasted in more than 1600 years: and it was these which Alexander actually began to Repair, not the whole Bulk, as I suppose.
How Herodotus had his measures I question, for He flourish’d but 100 years before Alexander’s Conquests of Babylon, so it was then 1500 years Old.
I proceed next to those mighty Works of Antiquity the Wonderful Pyramids of Egypt yet remaining without considerable decay after almost 4000 years: for 2000 years agoe, they were reckon’d by Historians of Uncertain Original.
I cannot think any Monarch however Despotick could effect such things meerly for Glory; I guess there were reasons of State for it.
Egypt was certainly very early Populous, because so Productive of Corn by the help of Nile, in a manner without labour. They deriv’d the River when it rose, all over the Flat of the Delta; and as the People increas’d, over a great deal of Land that lay higher. The Nile did not always Flow high enough for a great Part of the then inhabited Country, and without the Nile, They must either Starve or prey upon those who had Corn; This must needs create Mutiny and Bloodshed, to prevent which it was the Wisdom of their ancient Kings and Priests to Exact a certain Proportion of Corn, and lay it up for those who wanted the benefit of the Rivers when it disappointed their sowing.
Thus Joseph lay’d up for seven years, and sur’ly He was not first: this Provision being ever so essentially necessary to support the Popularity and consequently the Grandure of the Kingdom; and continued so in all Ages, till the Turks neglected all the upper Canales except one which still suppli’d Alexandria. Now what was the consequence? It was not for the Health of the Common People nor Policy of the Government for them to be fed in Idleness: great Multitudes were therefore imploy’d in that which requir’d no great Skill, the Sawing of Stone Square to a few different scantlings, nor was there any need of Scaffolding or Engines, for hands only would raise them from step to step: a little teaching serv’d to make them set Line: and thus these great Works in which some Thousands of hands might be imploy’d at once, rose with Expedition: the difficulty was in mustering the men to move in order under proper Officers, and probably with Musick, as Amphion is said much about the same Age to have built the walls of Thebes with his Harp; that is Musick made the Workmen move exactly together without which no great weight can be moved, as Seamen know, for the Sheet Anchor will by no means be moved without a fiddle to make men exert their United force in equal time: otherwise they pull one against another and lose great part of their force.
The next observable Monument of great Antiquity which yet remain is the Pillar of Absolom.
By the description given of it, and what I have learnt from Travellers who have seen it, we must allow it to be very Remarkable though not great.
It is compos’d of seven Pillars six about in a Hexagon, and one in the middle and the Tholus solid, a large Architrave, Frize and Cornice lie upon the Pillars which are larger in proportion to their height then what we now allow to the Tuscan order, so likewise is the Entablature larger.
This whole composition though at least 30 foot high, is all of the one Stone, both Basis, Pillars and Tholus cut as it stood out of the adjacent Cliff of white Marble.
I could wish some skilful Artist would give us the exact dimensions to inches, by which we might have an idea of the Antient Tyrian manner; for it was probable Solomon by his correspondence with King Hiram employ’d the Tyrian Artists, in his Temple; and from the Phœnicians I derive as well the Arts as the Letters, of the Graecians, thô it may be, the Tyrians were Imitators of the Babylonians, and they of the Egyptians. Great Monarchs are ambitious to leave great Monuments behind them, and this occasions great Inventions and Mechanick Arts.
What the Architecture was that Solomon used we know little of, though Holy Writ hath given us the general dimensions of the Temple, by which we may in some manner collect the Plan but not of all the Courts.
Villapandus hath made a fine Romantick Piece after the Corinthian Order, which in that age was not used by any Nation: for the First Ages used grosser Pillars then Dorick. In after Times they began to refine from the Dorick, as in the Temple of Ephesus (the United Work of all Asia) and afterwards improved into a Slenderer Pillar, and Leavy Capital of various inventions which they called Corinthian. So that if we run back to the Age of Solomon, we may with reason believe they used the Tyrian manner, as gross at least as the Dorick, and that the Corinthian manner of Villapandus is meer fancy: Nay when long after Herod built the Atrium Gentium, he that carefully considers the description in Josephus will find it to be a Tripple Portico, and thick Pillars of the grosser Proportions which being whole stones of an incredible Bulk—our Saviour’s Disciples admired them: Master, said they, see what stones are here! Titus would have sav’d this noble structure, but a soldier throwing a torch upon the Roof which was Cedar planks covered with Bitumen, it easily took Fire and consumed the whole Building. All the City was thus covered flat with Bitumen (easily gathered from the Lake of Sodom) and upon the flat roofs the Jews celebrated under Palm-boughs the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Body of the First Temple was gilt upon Bitumen, which is good Size for gilding and will preserve the timber. The Roof and Cedar Wainscot within being carved with Knotts was gilded all over with a thick Leaf, so I understand the word Overlay’d; for if it was cover’d with plate apply’d over the knots and Imbossments the gold nails to fix it on would have increased the Weight of the plate, whereas the quantity of the Nails is reckoned but small in Proportion. The Doors might be plated over and nail’d, and the Hinges and Bars, called Chains, might be solid; for these were afterwards stripp’d when the Egyptians pillaged the Temple in the Reign of Rehoboam.
That Herod did more than the Upper Portico doth not appear, for the substruction under the Portico was certainly Solomon’s Work. The whole Hill Moriah was wall’d upright by him from the bottom of the Valley which render’d a broad Area above for all the Buildings of the Courts. This is the work in which were us’d stone of 10 and 12 Cubits, call’d as well they might Costly Stones.
Now it may well be inquired how in an uneven craggy Country, as it is about Jerusalem, such mighty Loads of Stone could be brought. I shall give my thoughts.
Solomon had an Army of Labourers in his Works; now suppose 12 Cubits long and 2 broad, and 1 thick, this would amount to 648 of our solid feet, which in marble would be 64 Tuns and more. Eight men can draw a Tun, but the ground being hilly, we will allow 10 men to a Tun which would be 640 men. Now how all these men can be brought to draw together I show as follows. First, 10 men draw in a Rope (as bargemen with us) at the end of this Rope is a Spring-tree (as our Coachmen use for ye two fore Horses) to each end of which is a rope so 20 men can draw in the second rank; each rope hath again its Spring-tree, and so on to a sixth rank each rank doubling the number and supposing 10 men to govern the rest (possibly with Musick) makes the number 640 men; and this will be found readier than capsterns, and by this means much vaster stones may be mov’d and even by Barbarous People without Engins. I cannot otherwise see what need Solomon had of such great multitudes of Labourers as Threescore and ten Thousand Bearers of Burdens, and Fourscore Thousand Hewers of stone in the Mountains, &c. Probably too they were employ’d by Months, and the rest were by turns to till the ground and bring food for the Labourers that the Country Work might proceed.
The Walls of Babylon were most stupendious Works, built with Brick and Cement with Bitumen; the Height of them, according to Herodotus, was Two Hundred Royal Cubits, and the Breadth Fifty; which in our measure (reckoning every Royal Cubit with Herodotus 1 foot 9 inches which is 3 inches above the common cubit measure) makes the Height 375 foot and the Breadth 93 ft. 9 in.
In these Walls were one hundred gates of Brass with Ornaments in Architecture of the same metal. Besides the first Wall, (which was encompassed with a wide and deep Foss always supply’d with water the sides of which were Lin’d with Brick) was an inner Wall built of near the same strength, thô not altogether of the same Breadth.
The extent of the City must add to the Surprise which being a Square contained a Front on every Side of one hundred and Twenty Stadia, that is Fifteen of our miles, and makes up in the whole Threescore miles.
Another stupendious Fabrick of I think also Tyrian architecture, was the monument of Porsenna, King of Etruria. This Sepulchre we have describ’d by Pliny, with the particular Dimensions in Feet which I have accordingly Delineated.
First, a Basis of squar’d stone fifty foot high rais’d the Pile above any vulgar contiguous Buildings which being solid only in those Parts that bore weight was so contriv’d within-side as to form a very intricate Labyrinth, into which whoever enter’d without a clew of thread would not be able to find the way out. Upon this Basis stood five Pyramids of 150 foot high; Four in the Angles, and one in the Centre; Bodies call’d Pyramids thô it is manifest they must have been so cut off as to have a large space on the Top to carry a Second Story of Four more lofty Pyramids of 100 foot high; and over them a third Order of Five more. Now how these could be borne is worth the consideration of an architect. I conceive it might be thus perform’d securely.
Set half Hemispherical Arches, such as we make the heads of Niches, but lay’d back to back, so that each of these have its Bearing upon three Pyramids of the Lower Order, that is two angular ones and the middle Pyramids; and these cutting one another upon the Diagonals will have a firm bearing for all the Works above.
Pliny mentions a Brass Circle and Cupola, lay’d upon the Five Lower Pyramids, not I suppose to bear anything, but chiefly for Ornament, and to cover the stone work of the Arches upon the strong Spandrells of which if another Platform were rais’d upon that might the upper structure be built and the whole have a stupendious effect, and seemingly very open. Pliny took his Description of this extraordinary Pile from the Measures set down by Varro, a diligent and therefore credible author, who probably might have taken his Dimensions when it was standing before the absolute conquest of Etruria by the Romans; the summary then of this prodigious Edifice (erected to show the Vanity of the Eastern Monarchy could be exceeded by the Italians) may be thus compriz’d.
The Basis of the whole was 300 ft. square, and 50 ft. high; upon which stood Five Pyramids each of 75 ft. square at 150 ft. high; upon which rested the Brazen Circle and Cupola, stil’d by Pliny Petasus, (which I take to be a Brass Covering securing the Arches) from which hung little Bells by Chains, which sounded as they mov’d by the Winds.
The Four Pyramids of the Second Order of 100 ft. high standing upon the Circle or Brim of the Petasus as upon an Entablature, were evidently the Four First Angular Pyramids continu’d to an Apex, or near to a Point, so each will be in all from the Basis 450 ft. high, and rise as high as the Petasus; above which was again a Platform containing the Third Order of Five more Pyramids, of which the four angular Pyramids rested firmly upon the keys of the Diagonal Sections of the half Hemispherical Vaultings, which were called by the Ancients Conchae resembling the heads of Niches joyn’d back to back. This Platform I take to have been round as being the Horizontal Section of the Petasus; and the Bases of the Five Upper Pyramids would be contiguous, and thus would be of the same shape and as high as the same below, as Varro asserts with some suspicion, fearing how they would stand, but I with confidence, the Proportions persuading, which indeed are very fine.
The Heighth to the Breadth of the Basis is 6 to 1. The Heighth of the Pyramids to the Brass Petasus is 2 to 1, but taking in their whole heighth it would have 4 to 1, but allowing the Point of the Pyramid to be taken off (as it ought) and allowing for the Brasen Brim and Bells it will be 250 foot, above which was the Floor that bore the Five upper Pyramids of 4 to 1, so the Heighth is 550 foot as 6 to 11.
I have ventured to put some Ornaments, at ye Top belonging to the Tuscan superstition, (They then us’d not Statues) They are Golden Thunderbolts, so the whole will be 600 foot high, that is double to the Basis and the Heighth to the Brass circle will appear half the Face, or like the Façade of a Tuscan Temple, to which the Breadth of the Brim of the Petasus and the Bells supply the Place of an Entablature:
I have been the longer in this Description because the Fabrick was in the Age of Pythagoras and his School, when the World began to be fond of Geometry and Arithmetick.
N.B. In all the Editions of Pliny for Tricenum read Tricentinûm as the sense requires.
At the end of the Discourse on Architecture is an elevation, drawn in pen and sepia, of the tomb of Mausolus, as Sir Christopher supposed from Pliny’s account that it must have been constructed. It is drawn to a scale, with indications of statues, of which he supposed there to have been forty-eight. It is remarkable how closely Sir Christopher’s conjectural elevation tallies with what recent excavations have brought to light.