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60 especially when we take into account the limitations of time already referred to, and the natural tendency in such circumstances to make one or two designs serve as far as possible throughout. The main entrance is especially well studied, with the excep- tion of the square blocks which serve as capitals to the engaged columns, and which look curiously bare as compared with the richness of the arch-mould- ings ; and the interest of this central is fully sus- tained by the two semi-octagon porches which support it on either flank. The lines of the dome are fine, especially when we remember that in this case, there being no possibility of an outer and inner dome, the proportion must be made to suit both. The various minarets are characteristic and good. ferred to become regular cids-de-sac. Owing to this want of circulation, while this corner of the buildincr IS a struggling mass of people, courts in out of the In the interior we have similar evidence of study,-

in the squinches of the dome, in the balconies placed in each of the brick towers, in the reception rooms, and indeed wherever detail is admissible.

The main defect of the building we take to be its plan. Much has been said in favour of the grand longitudinal and transverse avenues as forming the ideal j)lan ; experience has shown, however, that such an arrangement inevitably produces congestion of traffic, and in the present instance this defect is heightened by the Grand Hall, itself too limited in accommodation, being placed at one end of the longi- tudinal avenue, with direct entrance to it from the street, and without any adequate independent exit to the rest of the building — passage through the Picture Galleries and Women's Industries Section counting for nothing in a crush. For the same reason the hall is of little use as a passage-way, and the sections re- way corners lie deserted save for the attendants ; and if the wayfarer grows weak in his wanderings, he has need of a ship's compass to find the dining-rooms. This, however, is an architectural fault, not an artistic one, such as is mifortunately furnished by the scheme of decoration. What should liave been the finishing touch to a beautiful design has to a large extent proved its ruin, and the dome, which siiould have been the crowning beauty of the interior, is its crowning defect. Tliis may seem exaggerated language, but that it does not go beyond the truth must be felt by every one who had the opportunity of seeing the dome before it was touched by the painter, and comparing the effect it then had with its jiresent appearance, its ajDparent size reduced by one-half, its beautiful lines disguised, its dignity extinguished. But, we are told, it is in the style, as if, even were this true, it would be any excuse for its vulgarity and crudeness. That it is true is more tiian questionable ; we have never yet seen chrome yellow and prussian blue form the basis of an Eastern scheme of colour, without at least a larsre groundins of white. Moreover, where there are cool deep shadows to take the edge off, blazing, blurring sun-light to suffuse, and, over all, the flickering reflections from the polished tile surfaces to modulate and vary them, colours such as these have a very different effect from what they produce when tattooed, in an uninteresting series of patterns, of huge scale, with ordinary oil paints, on dead dull boards, over a surface many hundred yards square, the whole rendered more emphatic by a clear uninteresting top light, or the glare of a ring of electric