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

50

THE ARCHITECTUREOF

HUMANISM

tecturewasconcentrateduponthis

alone.

\

Beckford,

at Fonthill, finding in the Georgian

mansion he

inherited no adequate

stimulus to the raptures of

imagination,instructedhisarchitect

Wyatttodesign

'

an ornamental building which should have the

appearance of a convent, be partly in ruins and

yetcontain some weatherproof

apartments.'

^

\

The

scheme at length developed into vast proportions.

ImpressivegalleriesofflimsyGothicdelightedtheir

masterwith vaguesuggestionsof the HallofEblis,

andatower,threehundredfeetinheight,roseabove

them
to

recalltheorgiesofthewicked

Caliph. Five

hundredworkmenlabouredhereincessantly,byday,

and withtorchesin the night. But thewindblew

uponit,andthewretchedstructure
fellincontinently

to the ground. The ideal of a monastic palace

'

partly ruined' was ironically achieved. And the

authorof Vathek,contemplating

inthetorchlight

his

nowcrumpled,

butoncecloud-capped,pinnacles,may

stand for the romantic failure

ofhistime—^forthe

failure of the

poetic fancy, unassisted, to achieve

materialstyle.

/It formsnopartof

ourschemetodwelluponthe

phases of the mediaeval

revival. They exhibitthe

>Vide The

Life

and

Letters

of

William

Beckford,byL.Melville.

Beckfordrebuilthistower,

butitagainfell

toearth. Hislife(1760-

1844)

bridgestheinterval

betweenWalpole

andRuskin,andisan

admirableexampleof

fiieromanticspirit

atitsheight. Vathekand

Fonthillexhibititspowerand

itsweakness.