Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/610

428 his information from some book which happens to cite, as illustrative of an account of Early English figure and canopy windows, engravings selected from continental examples only. In another place, the author, in describing the glass of the fourteenth century, states that, in the canopy work, "Pedestals, strictly speaking, were never used." (p. 40.) Yet, in the Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral, all the canopies in the glass, which is of the first half of the fourteenth century, are furnished with pedestals directly copied from sculpture. We cannot afford space to pursue the subject further, and to point out numberless minor inaccuracies which pervade the descriptions of all the styles; but we cannot help feeling that the defects of the letter-press might have been, in great measure, cured, had the descriptions of the styles been illustrated by copies of original examples, instead of Mr. Warrington's own designs. He tells us in one place (p. i.). That the use of the present illustrations "had an accidental origin;" in another (p. iv.), that as "it is necessary to improve public taste, or art itself can never be generally improved," and as "it is by the production of good modern works that this must principally be effected, hence the author has chosen to give a series of his own designs, which have actually been executed by himself, (knowing as he does, that they are all composed on the most rigid principles of ancient art,) rather than to add to the number of ancient specimens which have from time to time appeared." Mr. Warrington, we are glad to find (p. i.), proposes in a subsequent volume to publish a number of illustrations, "from ancient authorities only;" but as these are to consist merely of details, we cannot but regret that the labour and expense bestowed on the illustrations of the present volume, should not have been applied in increasing the number of engravings of entire original windows,—the scarceness of which is so severely felt by all who study the subject,—rather than in perpetuating designs, most of which, we fear, are more calculated to mislead than to instruct. A few selections will suffice to prove this. The very first plate, given in illustration of the glass of the twelfth century, the "altar window, Bromley St. Leonard's," displays two palpable anachronisms. Each of the outer lights is in a style some sixty years later than that of the glass in the centre light. The third plate, "the altar window St. Peter's Church, Stepney," would have been more instructive had Mr. Warrington told the reader the dates of, as well as his authorities for, the various parts of the design, especially of the centre light. The author tells us, (in a note to p. 10,) that the medallion subjects in this window are less faithful to style than some of the other examples, "from being required to avoid conventionalism as much as possible." We therefore abstain from making any remarks on them. Of the illustrations of the thirteenth century, the "Design for the East windows of the Choir of Chichester Cathedral," shows a singular admixture of the foliaged ornaments of the twelfth, or early part of the thirteenth century,