"Whoever walks through London streets,"
Said Momus to the son of Saturn,
"Each day new edifices meets,
Of queer proportion, queerer pattern:
If thou, O cloud-compelling god,
Wilt aid me with thy special grace,
I, too, will wield my motley hod,
And build a church in Langham-place."
"Agreed," the Thunderer cries; "go plant
Thine edifice, I care not how ill;
Take notice, earth. I hereby grant
_Carte blanche_ of mortar, stone, and trowel.
Go Hermes, Hercules, and Mars,
Fraught with these bills on Henry Hase,
Drop with yon jester from the stars,
And build a church in Langham-place."
_London Lyrics-New Monthly Mag._
Among all our specimens of contemporary church-building, none has
excited more animadversion than _All-Souls'_, Langham-place, erected in
1822-1825, from the designs of Mr. Nash. Its general effect is
extraordinary and objectionable; but, unfortunately for what merit it
really possesses, many of its assailants have so far disregarded the
just principles of taste and criticism, as to go laboriously out of
their way to be profanely witty on its defects. Song and satire,
raillery and ridicule, pun and pasquinade, and even the coarseness of
caricature, have thus been let off at this specimen of NASH-_ional_
architecture; whilst their authors have wittingly kept out any redeeming
graces which could be found in its architectural details.
The principal features of the exterior were suggested by its situation,
it being placed on an angular plot of ground, between Langham-place and
Regent-street. To afford an advantageous view from either point, the
tower, which is circular, is nearly detached from the body of the
church, and is surrounded by columns of the modern Ionic order,
supporting an entablature, crowned by a balustrade, which is continued
along the sides of the church. Above the portico is a Corinthian
peristyle, the base of which is also that of a fluted cone, which forms
the spire, and is terminated in an acute point. The steeple is complete
in itself, and adapted to its situation, having the same appearance
which ever way it is viewed. This portion of the edifice has, however,
been more stigmatized than any other, although it has been pronounced by
persons of taste and accredited judgment to be the best steeple recently
erected. To our eye, the church itself, _apart_ from the tower, (for
such it almost is) is perhaps, one of the most miserable structures in
the metropolis,--in its starved proportions more resembling a
manufactory, or warehouse, than the impressive character of a church
exterior; an effect to which the Londoner is not an entire stranger.
Here, too, we are inclined to ascribe much of the ridicule, which the
whole church has received, to its puny proportions and scantiness of
decoration, which are far from being assisted by any stupendousness in
their details, the first impression of which might probably have fixed
the attention of the spectator. Indeed, the whole style of the tower and
steeple appears peculiarly illadapted for so small a scale as has here
been attempted.
As we love "a jest's prosperity," we recommend such of our readers as
are partial to innocent pasquinade, to turn to the "Lyric," in a recent
volume of the _New Monthly Magazine_, commencing as above. It is too
long for entire insertion here, but its raciness will doubtless gratify
those who may be induced to refer to it.
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