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

THE ROMANTIC FALLACY

45

manner
ofBerkleySquareorArgyleBuildings.

What

in shortcan
a lord donowadays that is lost in a

great,old, solitarycastle
but skulk about, and get

intothefirst
holehefinds,asaratwoulddoinlike

case

?

'

^

But

the

vital tasteof

the

time could

not

rest

satisfied with archaM)logy. The Gothic forms

were a romantic material, rich with the charm of

history. Could

theybe

fusedwith

thelivingstyle?

BattyLangleythoughttheycould,andbynoother

mind more readily than his own.

'

Ancientarchi-

tecture,

restoredand

improvedbyagreatvarietyof

grandandusefuldesigns,entirelynew,intheGothick

mode

*

;

'

Gothic Architecture, improved

by rules

and proportions.' These were the titles Langley

successivelyaffixedtothefirsttwoeditionsofhis

work.

Theyshowtwoalternativewaysofregardingthesame

question

—

^theGothic,steadiedandsoberedby

'

pro-

portion

'

;

the ancient architecture made various

with Gothic fancies. Here was no question of a

mediaevalrevival,asthenextcenturyunderstoodit,

but a

true attempt at fusion. But then the two

elements to be fused were

utterly incongruous. If

this

was not clear before. Batty

Langley's designs

musthavemadeit

obvioustoallwhowerenotblinded

by

historical enthusiasm. And, on

the whole, the

right inference

was drawn.

'

Gothic Umbrellos to

terminateaview

'

;

Gothicpavilionsfor

'

the inter-

• Letters
  of

ThomasGray,

editedbyD.C.Tovey,vol.I.No,cxiv.