The architecture of humanism; a study in the history of taste

122 THE ARCHITECTURE

OF HUMANISM

Composite, orin anywayGrecised or

Romanised

;

whateverbetraysthesmallest respectforVitruvian

lawsorconformitywithPalladianwork

—

^thatweare

toendurenomore.'

^

Anewtemper,itisclear,distinguishesthisrhetoric

fromthecriticismwe

havehithertoconsidered.

The

odium theologicum has entered in to stimulate the

technical

controversiesofart. Thechangeof

temper

marks achange, also, in

the

ground ofargument

:

'

Itisthemoralnatureofitwhichiscorrupt.' Fresh

countsare

entered in theindictment,

whiletheold

chargesofdulness,orlackofspontaneity,ofirrational

orunnaturalform, arereiteratedandupheld

before

anew tribunal.

Barren

totheimagination,absurd

totheintellect,thepoetsandprofessorsofconstruc-

tionhaddeclared

this

architecturetobe: itisnow

repugnanttotheconscienceandaperiltothesoul.

Fromtheconfusedwebofprejudice

whichinvests

the appreciation

of

architecture, wehave therefore

todisentangle anewgroupofinfluences,

notindeed

alwaysexisting separatelyin

criticism,butderiving

their persuasive force from a

separate motive of

assent. Theideals ofromanticism

andthelogicof

a mechanical theory are not the sole

irrelevancies

which falsify our direct

perception ofarchitectural

form.

We

see

itethically.

Howdidtheethical

judgmentcometobeaccepted

*TheStones

of

Venice,vol.iii.

chap.iv.

§35.