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

THE ETHICAL

FALLACY

131

gelicaladmonitions, were nowarbitrarilyassociated

with the

Pope,or—should theirseveritybe in any

way mitigated

—

^with the Jesuits. The Gothic, on

the

otherhand—Pugin notwithstanding

—

^was com-

monly

regardedasthepledgeofa Protestantor,

at

theworst,ofanunworldlyfaith. Anditiseasyto

understand that in the days of Bradlaugh and of

Newman, these rectitudes ofarchitectural doctrine

were

ofgreatermomentthanaestheticlaws.

The soil was therefore prepared. The sects had

ploughed uponit theirinsistentfurrows. Andnow

the winds of architectural doctrine blew loudly,

bearing

strange seed. The harvest which resulted

is historic. The Seven Lamps appeared and The

Stones

of

Venice. Themethod ofthe newcriticism

was

impressiveandamazing. Forhere,sidebyside

with plansandsections, mouldings,and allthe cir-

cumstance

of technical detail, the purposes ofthe

universe were clearly,

and perhaps accurately, set

forth,withaprofusionasgenerousas,inthissubject,

ithad

previouslybeen rare. The prophetsSamuel

and Jeremiah usurp the authority of Vitruvius.

They certainly

exceed his rigour. Dangers no less

desperate than unexpected

are seen to attend the

carving of a

capitalorthe buildingofadoor;and

thedestructionof

Gomorrahisfrequentlyrecalledto

indicate

thejust, ifnot the

probable,consequences

ofanerrorinthese

undertakings.