British Achitects.—New Materials For Their Lives.

of stripping a bequest , and in such a season of sightseeing , of much of its value , holds out little temptation to other would-be benefactors . With equal propriety Lords Westminster and Charlemont might have been compulsorily required to lend their Hugarths to the South Kensington caterers ; or the Soane trustees may eA en now , on such a precedent , be called upon to

send the Belzoni Soane Sarcophagus to the trustees of the British Museum : from Lincoln ' s-inn-fields to Bloomsbury is not very far . Happily , how to get the jgarcophagus out of Soane ' s house into the street , without pulling the house half clown , is indeed a difficulty , and Avould form a fitting subject for a paper to he read at the next meeting of the Eoyal Institute of British Architects . PETER CUK ' K'IN & IIAM ..

The Queen's Cross, Northampton*

THE QUEEN'S CROSS , NORTHAMPTON *

It is pleasing to be able to record that , with the revival of Gothic architecture in our country , a great and manifest improvement has taken place Avith respect to memorials of the dead . Many are now to be found , not only chaste and appropriate iu design , but Ohristian-like in character . This , I think , is especially true with reference to memorial Avindows of which are trul

, many y beautiful and expressive , and eminently calculated to improve the taste and , Avhat is of far higher importance , to aid in the cultivation of the moral ancl religious feelings of the people . I might cite many examples of the former also , in proof of my opinion , but will content myself with one . What can be more beautiful , what more appropriate , than the exquisite monument by Mr . Scott

G . G . , reared in the heart of that city , for ages renowned as the seat of learning aud piety ? I allude , of course , to the memorial of those great and noble men Avhose names have long since been added to the vast catalogue of that noble army of martyrs Avho UOAV swell the chorus , " We praise Thee , 0 God . " Be this , however , as it may , I think it cannot be disputed that the

monument to which I have the honour of calling your attention to-day is one of ihe most chaste , graceful , elaborate , and , withal , beautifully appropriate specimens of memorials of the dead to be found in the United

Kingdom , or any other part of the Avorld . Its appropriate , beauty as a work of art is rendered more sublimely beautiful from the recollection that it stands on the Avayside hill , not only as a memorial of one Avho is no more , but , at the same time , a visible and tangible manifestation of conjugal affection . It is not my business to indulge in the sentimental ;

neither have I the time , if I had the inclination , to give you the history of memorial crosses in general , or of the Queen ' s Cross in particular . The history of the latter has been ably written by the Rev . 0 . H . Hartshorne , Mr . Britton , ancl others : and , as most of yon , no doubt , are as well or better acquainted with these than myself , I shall refrain from attempting the historical , and confine

myself to a description of a few particulars arising out of a discussion Avhich took place on the occasion of the late visit of the British Archaeological Association to our town a few Aveeks ago . In consequenceof that discussion I have been induced , ivith the assistance of my sons and Mr . Irvine , the able clerk of the works at StSepulchre ' sto make lans

. , p , elevations , and detail drawings of the Queen's Gross , from actual admeasurement . The plans and elevations are drawn to a scale of one inch to the foot , and most of the detail tho full size of the original . I may perhaps be induced to publish these draAvings ; but , whether or

not , I intend to present copies of them to our Architectural Society if the committee Avill do me tho honour of accepting them ; ancl I shall do so Avith the fullest assurance that , being in possession of such a society , they will become a guarantee that in any future restoration of this beautiful memorial no deterioration Avill be allowed to occur , other thau that which may already

exist . It will perhaps be as gratifying to most of those whom I have the honour to address as it is to myself , to learn that the several restorations of Queen ' s Cross have been carried out in a faithful and judicious manner . After the most careful examination , Ave have arrived at the conclusion that no material alteration of the general character

of the structure , or of the detail connected therewith , has eA'er taken place . Indeed , so carefully , perfectly , and , upon the whole , so faithfully have the restorations been executed , that , had it not been for the varieties of stone used in the several restorations , it would have been difficult to ascertain precisely where some had been effected . Moreover , our examination has ascertained the fact that

there is so much of every part of the original still remaining , that a structure exactly like the original might be made from these remnants . The drawings now before you , even of the most minute detail , have been made from portions of the original masonry . With your permission , I will UOAV proceed to the discussion to Avhich I have referred , ancl which will form the

basis of the residue of my remarks . In consequence of the sweeping assertions of Mr . Roberts , the architect , on the occasion of the meeting of the Archaeological Association at Northampton , I was induced to address a letter to our localjournals somewhat in opposition to these assertions , and I must confess that I was highly amused Avith Mr . Robert ' s reply . It was kind and gentlemanly , it is true ; but , instead of meeting my observations by argument and facts , he says , " Fancy the outcry that would be made if our favourite

Titians , Raffaelles , Hogarths , and Turners ivere to have each a few square feet cut out , and replaced with new canvass and copies of the original . " No doubt there would be an outcry , and very properly so to ; aud I should be one of the first to join in the chorus ; but there is no parallel in the illustration in the case before us . Who Avould be such a barbarian , I had almost said

barbarian and idiot , as to cut out a few square feet either from a picture or statue , or even from a stone monument , for the sake of putting it in again ? But I ask Mr . Roberts , that if he possessed a " real Titian , Raffaelle , or Hogarth , " and by accident , or by the effect of the ruthless hand of time , a rent or some other damage occurred to the icturewhether he Avould not

p , hail with delight aud satisfaction the artist who should , by great skill and judgment , restore the defect , while leaving the residue of the original untouched and uninjured in all its original beauty aud purity ? I am fond and proud of the glorious works of our forefathers in every department of art , and am prepared to venerate them ; but I am free to confess that I am

not so antiquated iu my fondness , pride , ancl veneration , as to allow them to become defunct rather than lend a helping-hand towards their proper and legitimate preservation . I have said that , in my opinion , the restorations at Queen ' s Cross have , upon the whole , been carefully and faithfully executed ; ancl , with all due deference to Mr .

Roberts , who says that no precedent could bo found for one title of the last restorations carried out by Mr . Blore , I still maintain it . One of the most extensive restorations , I apprehend , took place in the year 1713 , in the reign of Queen Anne , as witness the Latin inscription upon a tablet placed upon the cross at that time , a translation of which is as follows : — " For the perpetual commemoration of conjugal affection the honourable assembly of magistrates or justices of the county of Northampton resolved to