Jolly court, Durham yard, in the Strand.†
Jones’ court, Nightingale lane, East Smithfield.†
Jones’ yard, 1. Stony lane, Petticoat lane. 2. Little Swan alley.
Inigo Jones, the celebrated architect, several of whose best designs are described in different parts of this work, has therefore a just claim to our regard in this place. And we are obliged to the ingenious authors of the Biographia Britannica for the following particulars relating to his life and works in general. He was born about the year 1572, in the neighbourhood of St. Paul’s in London, of which city his father, Mr. Ignatius Jones, was a citizen and clothworker. Nothing certain being delivered concerning his education, some very different conjectures have been advanced upon that subject, some having suggested that his education was liberal, and others that he was bound apprentice to a joiner, of which latter opinion was Sir Christopher Wren. But in whatever way he was bred, his natural inclination leading him to the study of the arts of drawing and designing, he distinguished himself early by the extraordinary progress he made in those polite and useful arts, and was particularly taken notice of for his skill in the practice of landscape painting. These admirable talents introduced him to the knowledge of William Earl of Pembroke, who was a great patron of all liberal sciences. His Lordship admiring Mr. Jones’s genius, took him into his patronage, and sent him abroad with a handsome allowance, in order to perfect himself, by viewing and studying the works of the best masters ancient and modern, in Italy and the politer parts of Europe. Thus supported, he spent many years in compleating his education; to which end, chusing the city of Venice for the chief place of his residence, he suffered nothing of real value or merit any where to escape his industry; and the improvements he made thereby gave such an eclat to his reputation all over Europe, that Christian IV. King of Denmark sent for him thence, and appointed him his Architect-general. He had enjoyed this post some years, when that Prince, whose sister Anne had married King James I. made a visit to England in 1606. Mr. Jones took this opportunity of returning home; and expressing a desire to continue in his native country, the Queen appointed him her architect; and being not long after taken in the same character into the service of Prince Henry, he discharged his trust with so much fidelity, that the King gave him the reversion of the place of Surveyor-general of his works. After the death of Prince Henry in 1612, our architect made a second tour to Italy, and continued some years there, improving himself still further in his favourite art, till the Surveyor’s place fell to him. He then returned to England to enrich his country with the fruits of his studies. Soon after his arrival, the office of works being found several thousand pounds in debt, he voluntarily gave up his own dues, and prevailed with the Comptroller and Paymaster to do the like, whereby the whole arrears were absolutely cleared. In 1620, by the King’s command, he took an accurate survey of the surprizing group of stones upon Salisbury-Plain, commonly called Stone-henge, and drew up an account with his opinion of that famous monument of antiquity, which he presented to his royal master, and it was printed. In this account, after much reasoning and a long series of authorities, he concludes at last that this ancient and stupendous pile must have been originally a Roman temple, inscribed to Cœlus the senior of the heathen gods, and built after the Tuscan order, and that it was erected when the Romans flourished here in peace and prosperity in Britain, and probably betwixt the time of Agricola’s government and the reign of Constantine the Great, about 1650 years ago.
On the 16th of November the same year, Mr. Jones was appointed, among others, a Commissioner for repairing the cathedral of St. Paul’s in London. Upon the demise of King James, he was continued in his posts by King Charles I. whose consort also entertained him in the like station. And he soon after formed that most stately and elegant pavilion, the Banquetting-house at Whitehall, which was at first designed for the reception of foreign Ambassadors. The ceiling was painted some years after with the Felicities of King James’s reign, by Sir Peter Paul Rubens, and prints from these by Simon Gribelin were published in 1724. The late Lord Burlington about the year 1740 published a north west view of the palace designed for Whitehall, by Inigo Jones, which is what is called a bird’s eye prospect, or as it is seen by a bird in flying over it, by which artifice all the parts are brought distinctly into view; and in this view the pavilion or banquetting-house appears in its proper place as part of that palace. Several other designs of Mr. Jones’s were executed in this reign, such as Surgeon’s hall, the Queen’s chapel at St. James’s palace, and her Majesty’s new building fronting the gardens at Somerset House in the Strand; the church and piazza of Covent Garden; the first of which is universally allowed to be a master-piece of the Tuscan order, the portico at the west end, majestic in its plainness, and the roof so happily contrived, by extending itself beyond the wall, as both to cast a shade, which adds to the solemnity of the sacred edifice, and at the same time serves to strengthen the wall, by resting thereon its center of gravity. In the last performance he had in view the piazza of Leghorn, but has vastly surpassed the original in the beauty and largeness of his pillars. Our architect also laid out the ground plot of Lincoln’s Inn fields, and designed the Duke of Ancaster’s house, which stands on the west side of that noble square, and which is no inconsiderable instance of the softness and sweetness of his touches. The royal chapel at Denmark House, the King’s house at Newmarket, and the Queen’s buildings at Greenwich, were also of his design. But it does not come within our plan to describe the number or form a judgment upon the excellence of all his buildings, though views and descriptions of the principal of them we have given, which may be seen under their several names, to which we refer.
In 1633 Mr. Jones began the reparation of St. Paul’s cathedral, the first stone was laid by Dr. Laud then Bishop of London, and the fourth by Mr. Jones; and, in carrying them on, he added a magnificent portico at the west end, which excited the envy of all Christendom on his country, for a piece of architecture not to be parallelled in modern times. While he was raising these noble monuments of his extraordinary genius as an architect, he employed his leisure hours in designing decorations for dramatic entertainments; and there appeared a fine intermixture of fancy and judgment in his pompous machinery of masques and interludes, which were the vogue in his time. Several of these representations are still extant in the works of Chapman, D’Avenant, Daniel, and particularly Ben Johnson. The subject was chosen by the Poet, and the speeches and songs were also of his composing; but the invention of the scenes, ornaments, and dresses of the figures, were the contrivance of Mr. Jones. By these means he acquired a handsome fortune. But his loyalty, the effect both of his integrity and gratitude, exposed him to considerable losses; and he bore a part in the ruins of his royal master. Upon the opening of the Long Parliament in November 1640, he was called before the house of Lords, upon a complaint of the parishioners of St. Gregory’s in London against him, for damages done to that church; and afterwards, during the usurpation, he was constrained to pay 400l. by way of composition for his estate, as a malignant. After the death of King Charles I. he was continued in his post by King Charles II. But grief, in one of his years, for the fatal calamity of the former, prevented him from doing the latter any actual service, by cutting him off many years before the restoration. He died most probably about Midsummer 1652, and was interred June 26, in the chancel of St. Benet’s church, near St. Paul’s Wharf, London, where there was a monument erected to his memory upon the north wall, at some distance from his grave; but it suffered greatly in the fire of London, Sept. 1666. His age was about seventy-nine years. Mr. Jones left several manuscripts, which have been published since his death. With respect to his character, we are told by Mr. Webb, that his abilities in all human sciences surpassed most of his age. However that be, ’tis certain he was perfectly well skilled in the mathematics, and had some insight into the two learned languages, Greek and Latin, especially the latter, and he had a taste for poetry. However, these accomplishments were no more than the decorations and counterpart of his proper character, which was, indeed, that of an architect, the most eminent in his time. Accordingly he was then, and is still, generally stiled the British Vitruvius; and it is observable that the art of design, little known in England before, was brought into use and esteem by him, under the patronage of King Charles I. and Thomas Earl of Arundel. In short, Mr. Jones was generally learned, eminent for architecture, a great geometrician, and, in designing with his pen (as Sir Anthony Vandyke used to say) not to be equalled by whatever great master in his time, for the boldness, softness, sweetness, and sureness of his touches.
Ireland yard, Black Friars.
Irish court, Whitechapel.
Irish Society, meeting in the Irish chamber in Guildhall. In order to convey a clear idea of this society, it is necessary to trace it from its origin. It must therefore be observed, that in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the province of Ulster, in the north of Ireland, had been greatly depopulated by the suppression of several insurrections in that part of the kingdom; and in particular, the city of Derry and town of Colerain were quite ruined.
To prevent such insurrections for the future, it was thought proper to repeople that part of the country with protestant families; and soon after the accession of King James I. to the throne of England, that Prince, considering this as an affair worthy of his attention, signified his pleasure to some of the Aldermen and Commoners, by means of several of his Privy Council, upon which a court of Common Council was called, and a deputation sent over to view the place of the intended plantation. These deputies being returned, it was agreed in December 1609, that 15,000l. should be expended on the plantation, and 5000l. in the purchase of private interests.