imparting a little more life and motion to the water of the canals, now a sluggish green solution, which can hardly make up its mind to thread the labyrinth, and seems to have exercised a fatal influence on the Venetians since the time when Venice forgot with what great solemnity she celebrated her marriage with the sea. If we wanted to excavate, we should have a hundred million cubic metres of this fertilising mud, which might serve to fill up the hollows or to raise the level of the lowlands and of the dead marshes beyond the confines of the lagoon, and to give growth to vines and grain where now only bedding for cattle, miasma, and mosquitoes flourish. A little excavation made in the canals of Torcello freed for several years the unhappy fishermen of that island from fever. The filling up, carried out by the engineer Piemonte and his associates, over five hectares of lowland which they owned on the Lido, where the rain water stagnated through lack of sufficient drainage, has changed the spot into a first-rate vineyard, doubling its value, and making it suitable for the construction of pleasant villas. The Venetian lagoon has a special need of these life-giving dredgings to counteract the deadening action of the railway bridge and of the dykes which carry forward the port of Lido three kilometres into the sea. There is need also of connecting the little closed lakes, which too rarely feel the benefit of the tide. The mud from the dredging might be put along the edge of the live lagoon, where it could dry and harden, and then afterwards be carried by means of small railroads into the low and damp lands, some of which now cannot be cultivated except by costly artificial drainage. Merely from San Giuliano to the Dosso delle Giare, the estuary of the lagoon offers a district, ten kilometres long by one broad, which could be rendered healthy by being raised; and in this district there would be found homes in Italy for several thousand farmers who now are forced to emigrate, and the country would not lose so many arms able to nourish and defend her. From this point of view, the double benefit to be obtained from the dredging of the canals and the raising of the land ought to be of interest also to the Minister of the Interior, who might employ a penal colony on this work. Besides the canals already existing, others might be made which, when this new land is finished, would serve for the trade of the terraferma. This is not the place to bring together the statistics that prove the commercial superiority of water carriage to land transport, but for him who knows a little history, it would be sufficient to cast a glance at the maps to convince himself that the first factors of prosperity and civilisation of a nation are due to the cutting up of its coasts and to communications with the interior by means of rivers and canals. The new bridge for waggons and foot-passengers, if it were more than a hanging addition to the present one, would obstruct some of the archways, would occupy part of the lagoon surface, and would act like a tentacle of the terraferma, sapping the strength of Venice, similar to that called dei lupi (of the wolves), which the Republic, alarmed by the approach of the malaria, once caused to be destroyed, employing for the work some thousand peasants. The new bridge would be of no commercial utility, but, on the other hand, would be of harm, to Venice; for the need of loading the boats with the merchandise carried in carts would still exist, the need of the military pontoons for the transport of troops to the forts of the city would not disappear, and the boats and little steamers, which now work perfectly, are sufficient for the communications between the Canal Grande and the inhabited spots of the estuary of the lagoons. But once established, this new bridge would be the cause of many other novelties, concession would follow concession, bridges would be levelled, canals would be filled up, other streets would be widened to the very heart of the city, to the great satisfaction of the tribe of middlemen for whose profit this new highway into Venice is to be made; and who, with less inconvenience to themselves, might then sneer at the Rialto, and at the last remaining shadow of the well known and pleasant industry of the merchant of Venice. Some disinterested and outspoken voices have already protested in the name of the artists of Venice against the new bridge: "Why not turn our aspirations to the sea, to that most ancient friend; and why not devote our intelligence and our energies to the limitless ways which she opens before us? Through a development of mercantile activity on the sea, even the artistic side of our city would gain, blooming again with happy youth in the memories of her past; and this conviction which animates a great number of us, ought to overcome the prejudice that our love for Venice is nothing but a love of antiquarians. We love our Venice living and energetic, continuing the splendid traditions of the past, and able, without changing her nature, to accommodate herself to the utilitarian ideas of the day. And it is because of this very love for the living Venice that when we speak of her character, unique in all the world, we do not think of it as restricted to the architectural beauties which are her pride, but as embracing all that marvellous fairyland which gives everything, from St. Mark's to its further shores, a mysterious fascination and an expression of ineffable harmony. To destroy this without most urgent reasons would be a crime. "For in fact the works of Titian, of Tintoret, of Veronese, of Carpaccio, of the Bellini, and of all our great men, have in these surroundings, in this royal frame, as it were, their complement, their reason for existence, their commentary, fruitful of inspiration to the artist, inspiring the noblest ideals in whoever has a heart that hears the voice of the past, and through this faculty has his genius opened and brightened before the hopes of the future." But I fear that these generous endeavours will not avail; and since it is not the Venetians alone who are interested in causing the vital conditions of this wonderful city to be respected, we turn to all those who know and love her, begging that they should use what authority and influence they possess in defending her lagoons. REVIEWS. LXXIV. (195) EXETER. Exeter: the Cathedral and See. (Bell's Cathedral Series.) By Percy Addleshaw, B.A. 80. Lond. 1898. Price 1s. 6d. [Messrs. George Bell & Sons, York Street, Covent Garden.] This is a neatly got up and profusely illustrated guide-book, containing a large amount of information, which, with careful revision, would become the diocese. It is, therefore, appropriate that it should seem most beautiful to the dwellers in the villages and hamlets beyond the city, giving them, as it were, a kind of property in the building, which they might not have felt had it been less visible." Why the author should assert that "a closer view is at first most disappointing" is not apparent, for the surrounding "dwelling-houses of such disparate character" were long ago removed, and of late years the quaint old row of considerably enhanced in value, especially as the first aim of the work is stated to be accuracy. In this feature, however, it is somewhat lacking; which is to be regretted, as the author, in recognising that places derive one of their greatest charms from historical association, has interwoven some extremely interesting facts about the personages concerned with the buildings he describes, and has thus produced a very readable book. Passing from the builders to their work, it is claimed that "the best views of the building are those to be got from a distance. In some ways this is not without compensation; for the cathedral church was, and is, not only splendid as a building, but the centre of the spiritual life of collegiate houses in the Calendarhay has unfortunately followed suit. The west front as a façade is subjected to adverse criticism, but the assertion that "the part above the screen is the work of Grandisson" is probably incorrect, if it is meant that this portion was entirely built by him. And here it may be remarked that some explanation is afforded of the curious appearance of this west front, if it is proved that Grandisson only remodelled the Norman or Transition work; the walls still stand, altered and re-clothed by that prelate, and this the investigations of Canon Edmonds have lately made clear to be the case. One looks in vain for any detailed description of the Chapter House, containing, as it does, some beautiful early English work, as well as a very fine Perpendicular wooden roof. This is passed over in favour of the Episcopal Palace, of which a photographic view is given in the nature of a puzzle to be solved by looking through the wrong The Photochrom. Co. Lt 1. Photo. THE GUILDHALL, EXETER. side of the page. There are many much more interesting points about the Palace than the no longer existing prison; and surely the books and charters, in which Exeter is so rich, should not have been dismissed with a five-line reference in the paragraph about St. Andrew's Chapel. Returning to the nave, the author rather misses the point, for the charm of Exeter interior lies in the harmony of the whole composition, the balance of parts being so well maintained that it affords a sense of completeness that is wanting in many larger and loftier edifices, and this effect is gained without monotonous repetition, for the variation of detail is sufficient to sustain the interest. When the author proceeds to a description of the nave, it becomes evident that he has viewed it through the eyes of others. Instead of "little of the Norman masonry is now to be seen," he would, on examination, have discovered that the walls of the nave aisles are Norman, also that the glorious vaulting is not of wood (except to the towers). Technical description has been generally avoided; but seeing" that there is not a vestige of carving on the pier caps, from which (not from the corbels) the arches spring, the following would have been better omitted also: "The nave is supported by thirty clustered pillars of Purbeck marble, showing various tints of blue and gray. The bases of the pillars are of three courses of moulding, and the capitals, though very simple, are admirably carved. On corbels of beautifully wrought foliage rise fourteen wide arches, seven on each side, graceful in form and rich with mouldings corresponding with the arrangement of the pillars that support them." The author's condemnation of "the system of erecting large unsightly tablets" will be approved by all art lovers, who would also no doubt admire the simplicity of one of the latest memorial brasses-that to the late Bishop of Japan. Among so many capital matter-offact photographic illustrations, as well as sketches of more artistic kind, it is a pity that Britton's old plan should have been inserted unaltered, being far from up-to-date, as is also the description of the so-called Leofric's Tomb, which was removed years since. The chantry of the Holy Ghost is not in the South Tower, and there does not seem to be any substantial reason for supposing the present building to be one of the most ancient portions of the cathedral; for its construction demonstrates the contrary. Further, the font was reinstated in its old position in the nave a few years ago. There is no door to the Close from the Speke chantry, it having been blocked at the restoration. Recent investigation has shown that there is no crypt below St. Edmund's Chapel; on the other hand, the author, like most other writers, overlooks the crypt beneath St. James's Chapel. In the arrangement of the book the sequence of some of its paragraphs is peculiar -for instance, there does not seem any particular reason why from the south transept the visitor is directed to the ambulatory at the east end of the choir, while the next part described is St. Radegund's Chapel outside the western door. With regard to the two seventeenth-century monuments in the ambulatory it is noted "Both are extremely beautiful." This is of course a matter of taste, but it is difficult to see wherein their beauty consists, especially as one of them covers up the greater part of a very fine mural painting, the remains of which are more interesting, from an The Photochrom. Co. Ltd. Photo. THE "PATTESON PULPIT, EXETER. artistic standpoint, than the ponderous monument. And in referring to the monuments it is not made clear that the effigy on Bronescombe's tomb is of much earlier date than the canopy over; while the figure mentioned as Barthomæus (Bartholomæus) Iscanus is not in armour, and has a double-bodied head at the feet. The figure of Bishop Stapeldon holds a book, and not a crook, in the right hand. To printer's errors may possibly be attributed the substitution of Caer Wise for Caer-wise; Hollar for Holker; Secklade and Lochlade for Lechlade; Dupont for Duport, and Patterson for Patteson; and from the same source may arise the statement that the arches of the sedilia are 50 feet high instead of 10; and also that the revenues of the See in Bishop Veysey's time were £100,000, unless it is meant relatively to presentday value, for the income was rated in 1535 at £1,566 14s. 6d. (vide Oliver). Musicians may forgive the omission of any description of the new pulpits, but scarcely the want of reference to the organ; while artists will smile at the conjecture that the panel paintings on the choir screen may "date from the same period as the screen itself." Leaving the Cathedral, a few pages are devoted to the city, and a plate is given of old houses in Fore Street (not North Street, as printed), also of the old Castle gateway, which was, however, stripped of its ivy three years ago, and a large part of it rebuilt, thus losing much of its picturesque appearance; but the unveiling of the masonry enables its early characteristics to be seen. A good print is given of the front of the Guildhall, which was built in 1593 (not 1464, the latter being the date of the hall itself). Library Construction, Architecture, Fittings, and Furniture. By F. S. Burgoyne, M.A. Vol. II. of the Library Series edited by Dr. R. Garnett. 80. Lond. 1897. Price 6s. net. [George Allen, 156, Charing Cross Road.] This volume, which is the second in the Library Series edited by Dr. R. Garnett, deals with the various problems of library planning and construction, and with the fitting up of the different rooms and departments, and cannot fail to be of service to the architect who has to design and erect this class of building. In the early chapters the writer lays down certain general principles in reference to site and plan, lighting, and a variety of matters bearing upon the comfort of readers and the satisfactory working of the building, the result of the experience of the general body of librarians, which is now very considerable. On some points there is not a universal consensus of opinion, but in very many there is not only a practically unanimous opinion as to what should be done, but as to what is to be avoided. The system on which a library is to be worked is not, as a rule, determined by the architect, but it should be clearly settled and understood before the plans are put in hand; and the chapters relating to book-cases, fittings, and catalogues, which are exceedingly clear and complete, will enable him, once the system to be used is fixed upon, to determine what space is required for storing, cataloguing, and issuing a library of any definite number of books. The author lays great stress upon the necessity, in almost all cases, of providing, from the very purchase of the site, for space and accommodation for the easy extension of the buildings. The later chapters of the book give some account |