1818.] Mr. Loudon's Reply to D-t on Curvilinear Hot-houses. number, p. 8, that my letter on curvilinear hot houses, (Vol. IX. p. 313,) is a legitimate subject of criticism. It is indeed both for the interest of the public, and the inventors of new schemes, that they should undergo rigid examination, and free remark, which, whether fair or unfair, whether from illiberal or generous motives, can hardly fail of doing good; either by eliciting new ideas, bringing merit into notice, or preventing both the inventors and the public from being deceived, by mere novelty and specious ness. I freely acknowledge that I consider the sash-bar mentioned in that letter, as a most important article for the improvement of hot-houses, whether of common or curvilinear forms; and as I have elsewhere hinted, I am convinced it will effect a new era in the construction of these buildings. I have found every person without exception, who is conversant with the subject, and has examined the specimens of roofs which I have erected here, nearly as sanguine as myself. Among these I may reckon the first gardeners and engineers in and around London. Other circumstances, and especially some practical proofs of approbation, both in England and France,† may have buoyed up my imagination in its favour to such a height as to prevent me from looking down into its defects; and thus the strictures of bye standers,like D-t, may be of salutary consequence, by hurling me down from the (too) light and airy throne in which that gentleman is good enough to place me,-too happy, if in the tumble I fall on my feet, without being entangled in that "vast extent of flimsy lines" which D--t has spread out for me, like a spider's web, or enveloped in that newly invented snare "glass patch work;" not " that decoration of the face with small spots of black silk," which Addison mentions, but a thing which, like a humane man-trap, is, I have no doubt, intended to catch me alive; and if, gentle reader, I should in this way fall into the hands of D-t, what will be done with me? Surely he would confine "Remarks on the construction of hot houses," 4to. 10 plates, 1817, p. 35. See also "Sketches of curvilinear hot-houses, with a description of the various purposes in horticultural and general architecture, to which a solid iron sash-bar lately invented is applicable," 4to. four plates, 2s. Harding, 1818. + Unfortunately for me Horti adonides are not admitted in that country, otherwise I should have had three notable examples to refer to in and near Paris. 219 me in one of those immense "glass cages," spreading wide their bases, which he just hints at in terrorem at the end of his letter, and in which I might hop from bar to bar under the "direct influence of the sun" by day, and the "chilling effect of the night air" by night, to all eternity; cursing all the while the merits of my own invention, and wishing the sash bar "decomposed and decayed," and the "glass broken." Under all these circumstances, however much I may feel obliged to D-t for having made strictures of any sort, I am sorry I cannot thank him either for affording me any specific information on the subject in general-for disproving any part of my letter, or pointing out any error, defect, or insufficiency in the erections here. I am convinced, therefore, that D-t has merely come forward in a general way to humble and abase me for my own good, and that of the public; and for which, of course, I am about as thankful to him as a starving vagrant would be to the Lord Mayor for sending him to board and lodge in the counter. I shall now develope to the reader the character of the strictures of D-t, in which, in my opinion, he has shewn a singular degree of temerity, by venturing so far into a subject in which he evidently knows so little, and an equal share of bad taste, whilst under the guise of remarking on my letter, and skreened behind the panoply of D-t, he risks assertions evidently or seemingly intended for other purposes than those of science or taste. The following is an instance. It is singular," says D-t, "that Mr. Loudon should have quoted any thing so directly opposed to the scheme of spherical hot-houses, as the judicious observations of Mr. Knight, whose mode of improving hot-houses is certainly much more likely to be of use than the curvilinear ones." Now the weight of Mr. Knight's opinion among the patrons and purchasers of hot-houses is known to every person in Britain; and who is there that on reading the above quotation from D-t would not at once conclude that curvili near or spherical hot-houses were "directly opposed to the opinions of that gentleman? Have you seen any of Loudon's hot-houses? O Yes, Mr. Knight says they are very bad. O d-n them, then, I will have nothing to do with them; I will have the old shape. The case however is directly the reverse of what D-t would wish the reader to believe; I could prove this in private by letters which I have had 220 Mr. Loudon's Reply to D-t on Curvilinear Hot-houses. [Oct. 1, from Mr. Knight, and I here prove it publicly by a quotation from the published writings of that gentleman, in those very publications from which D-t would condemn my designs. "On making a few trials," says Mr. Knight," to ascertain the varieties of forms which might be given to forcing houses, by taking different segments of a sphere, I soon became perfectly satisfied, that forcing houses of excellent forms, for almost every purpose, and of any convenient extent, might be constructed without deviating from the spherical form; and I am now perfectly confident that such houses will be erected, and kept in repair at less expense, will possess the most important advantage of admitting greatly more light, and will be found on much more durable than such as are constructed according to any of the forms which have been hitherto recommended."- Hort. Trans. v. iii. p. 350. Now, Mr. Editor, I can imagine one correspondent attacking another a speculative point, and giving partial statements, in order to elicit further particulars, &c.; but how any reasonable person can justify himself in making the broad assertions so contrary to fact, which D-t has done, and in a matter too where the party condemned is interested in the way of trade, or profession, and the party condemning has not even his name before the public, I cannot conceive. If Dt's taste is as bad in visual matters as it appears to be in morals, I certainly shall not be ambitious of his approbation, either in hot-house architecture, or any thing else. It might prove tiresome to your readers were I to enter equally at length into the rest of D-t's paper, which consists almost entirely of assertions unsupported either by argument or fact; or gross misrepresentations of my letter. I shall give a specimen or two as concisely as possible, and then conclude. "Wrought iron," says D-t," will soon decompose, notwithstanding painting or tinning, and will soon get out of repair and break the glass." The first question is, what space of time is represented by the word soon? D-t must mean soon in comparison with the materials at present used for glass roofs. These are tin and iron bars, hollow copper bars, compound iron bars, (that is, an iron hoop inserted in a groove formed in a moulding of iron) and wood. Now, as to durability, I think no one will be hardy enough to deny that a solid iron bar will last longer than either a hollow bar of copper, or one composed of two pieces of metal, either iron, or iron and tin. The reasons are obvious, and shall be omitted. The next question is, whether a solid iron bar will outlast a wooden bar, and this I leave to be solved by any reader.* "The expense of curvilinear houses," says D-t, "will be nearly double that of houses of the common form, and of the best kind." This is a bold assertion, and as false as hold. What sort of houses D-t considers as “ of the best kind," I am not aware; but I believe it will be generally allowed that till I put up the specimens here, the copper house at Messrs. Loddige's, Hackney, and the copper house at Mr. Allan's nursery, King's-road, admitted more light than any other sort whatever, and their forms are "common." Now, so far from curvilinear hot houses costing more than such houses, I can assure the reader they cost less; and as a proof I state that the price of copper houses is or used to be, (for I have erected more than one of them formerly) from 7 to 88. per foot of roof; and the price of curvilinear houses of similar dimensions does not exceed 6s. per foot of roof.† *This assertion of D-t cannot be contradicted from fact, because metallic bars are but of recent (say 12 years) introduction into hot-houses in England. In Holland and France they have been used, not generally, but occasionally for sixty years; but the hot-houses in these countries are comparatively few. Adanson, in his "Familles des Plantes," published in Paris, 1763, recommends iron bars and Bohemian glass, as admitting most light, and he mentions iron as occasionally used in Holland. There are now, or were in 1815, two large doors in a conservatory in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, filled in with iron bar, which Mr. Thuin says have been there fifty years to bis knowledge, and he has no doubt they will last a century longer. Mr. Thuin is well known to be one of the first, if not the very first gardener in Europe; he has seen the bar, and my schemes for curvilinear hothouses; of both of which he highly approves. + In regard to pines, let it be recollected that the roof of a curvilinear house, with curved ends, will inclose more base in proportion than a common shed-like house, in which the ends never can be brought into darkened three parts of every day. See a use, or if they are, the house is completely paper of Sir G. S. Mackenzie's, on an economical hot-house in "Caled. Hort. Trans." with the remarks on the same in succeeding papers, &c. 1818.] On Spanish Literature- Francisco de Olivarez. I am now erecting a pine and vine house 50 feet long and 15 feet wide, for V. Stukey, esq. at the above price, and a vinery for S. Chilver, esq. (both of London, and well known,) at one third less per foot, or exactly the price of a wooden roof. From 4 to 68. therefore per square foot of roof; all expenses of painting, glazing, ventilating, &c. included, may be reckoned the price of curvilinear roofs, and whether houses of the common forms, and of the best kind, can be done for half this price, that is 2 to Ss. per foot of roof, all expences included, D-t will perhaps find to his cost, when he adds to his present range of glass, or when he builds, which, in either case, he will of course do in the common for m. "Mr. Loudon is extremely unhappy," says D-t, "in his quotations even on the subject of beauty, as he ranks spheres and eastern domes, and globular projections, &c. among forms that are in themselves beautiful." It is really amusing to observe with what ease and apparent candour this writer presents the grossest misstatements to your readers. "lt was singular," (only "singular,") that he should have quoted any thing so directly opposed to his scheme as Mr. Knight, &c. Now, O miserere mei! I am "extremely unhappy" in having quoted Mr. Allison. Compassionate blame! misericordia vulgi! Poor Mr. Loudon! one would hardly think he could sign his name. What a pity it is that he has not the assistance of D-t in his literary compositions! If the reader will turn to the second paragraph of my letter, No. 52, p. 313, he will find the quotation and its connection, and I venture to assert that never was a quotation made from any writer with more fitness and propriety; no authority could be greater than Mr. Allison's, and no words so peculiarly appropriate for my purpose as those quoted. As to the assertion made in the face of this quotation, that I rank spheres and eastern domes, with forms in themselves beautiful, nobody but D-t It would have ventured to make it. may, without undue severity, be characterised as not less shameless than D-t's other assertions are splenetic. Having just stated from Allison that "the beauty of forms arises altogether from the associations, we connect with them;" it is not likely I should at all believe in the existence of "forms in themselves beautiful," (though probably D-t finds no difficulty in holding 221 both doctrines,) much less refer to artificial forms as such. The fact is, I have only recommended these forms when "according to the magnitude and style of the mansion," but D-t displays too much spleen to admit of candour in his remarks. D-t concludes with conjuring up a picture of a house between two glass cages, spreading wide their bases, &c. but which has no connection with my letter, or any thing I have ever written, designed, executed or intended to execute: he has thereby, however, had an opportunity of using the words paltry and unpicturesque, and concludes with a side hit at my smiths; the whole of which, taken together, has, I hope, given due vent to his spleen. If not, and he should chuse in a succeeding number to pour out the dregs of the vial of his wrath, I hope he will favour your readers with his real signature, that they may know to whom they are indebted for so much advice and instruction, and that I may never walk out without a yard of solid iron sash bar in my hand, to defend myself against the new patent hieroglyphic stricture engine of D-t, or otherwise, as occasion may require. I am, Sir, yours, &c. J.C. LOUDON. Bayswater House, Aug. 25, 1818. ON SPANISH LITERATURE, WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF FRANCISCO DE OLI- IT is surprising that notwithstanding our close connexion with Spain during the late revolutionary contest, the British public should have been made so little acquainted with the state of literature in that interesting country. Several books have appeared of splendid form, costly price, and lofty pretensions, descriptive of the war in the Peninsula ; but not one of them presents any more information, respecting the genius of the people, or the condition of science among them, than if the writers had been engaged in narrating their hurried flight across the Arabian desert. I have travelled much in Spain, and when "havoc had let slip the dogs of war" in every province, circumstances led me into private recesses, where modest merit hid its head, and talent wept unknown. There I have met with many a literary flower bending but not broken by the blasts whistling around, and in spite of the storm, diffusing its fragrance far beyond the narrow, peacewas enclosed. ful vale in which it 222 On Spanish Literature-Francisco de Olivarez. Amongst those with whom I thank fortune for bringing me acquainted, and whose name will one day be better known, is Francisco de Olivarez, the Poet and Historian of Catalonia. Olivarez has the honour to be nearly related to the celebrated Monk, and General Palafox ; · he was born at Zaragosa, and took his degress at Sala manca; but never entered the church for which he was originally intended. The time of his birth, I have (unaccountably) neglected to note in my manuscript; but I suppose him now to be thirty-two years of age. At Salamanca he three times obtained the medal for expositions of the Revelation, left by Gregoire, Bishop of Bayonne, in 1697, and he twice gained the Bachelor's prize for a Poem on the Resurrection. This prize is contended for every three years, and is either a piece of plate, value twenty doubloons, or the sum in specie. Olivarez quitted his peaceful abode with in the walls of Salamanca, and drew the sword as a Lieutenant of the Catalonian Artillery under the renowned Blake. He was present at the sacking of Tarragona, and was wounded in his flight. At Barcelona he wrote his celebrated song, "The Spirit of Cortez ;" and the enthusiasm it gave rise to amongst the soldiers is inconceivable. It rivalled the strains of Tyrtæus, and like his eventually contributed to victory. From Barcelona driven by the French, Olivarez was amongst the few who retreated to Marfa, and endeavoured to defend it against a superior force. The correspondence which preceded its capitulation was conducted by Olivarez; and when the Spanish garrison took post on the height of Rosas, General Blake presented him with a major's commission, and nominated him one of his aides-de-camp in Catalonia and Valentia. This was the summit of his military promotion. When the Castle of Rosas was defended by Lord Cochrane, and a small body of Spa nish soldiers, Olivarez entered it as a volunteer. He was received on board the British squadron, and attached by order of the regency to the staff of the British Colonel Green," employed on particular service in Catalonia." At the capture of the Medas Islands he was wound ed, and conveyed on board the Blossom, British ship of war, where he wrote several addresses to rouse the spirit of his countrymen, which were distributed, [Oct. 1, and had a powerful effect in rousing to arms the young men, who, in despair, had fled to the mountains, imagining Spain and Blake had fallen together. After his recovery, the Regency appointed him to command, in conjunction with the bishop, all the volunteers assembling in the town of Orensa. He then wrote and printed a war song, called, French Barbarity and Spanish Sufferings,"-to which he affixed the appropriate motto, lace. "Allons mes enfans a pillage." At Orensa Olivarez landed to the sound of martial music, and songs of his own, and was carried to the Bishop's palace on the shoulders of an admiring popuThe following day he led the volunteers out, attacked, in combination with some Portuguese, the French posts at Marfa, drove them into that town, and captured two pieces of cannon. On the first of September, 1811, I met him in the Venetian walk of Orensa; he appeared pensive, and told me, "I quit a military life to-morrow, and that for ever." Why?-"I never was partial to it. Necessity alone made me endure it; that necessity no longer exists." Accordingly on the following day he harangued the troops and citizens from the balcony of the palace, and retired in silence, the multitude dispersing in dismay. None ventured either to applaud or condemn; as it was generally believed the church had received him I was not surinto her bosom. prised to find that a der of its mercies Spanish church had its nursing care. bosom more tenthan that of the received him into Matilda de la Costa, was his first cousin. They had been attached from infancy. Her father, who opposed the marriage, fell at Cadiz as colonel of a regiment. An extensive property in Valentia devolved upon his only child. She hastened to Orensa, throwing herself and her all into the Villa Nova; and from thence to Vaarms of Olivarez. They retired to lentia, and are happy. I have been as brief as possible in this narrative. The military exploits of Olivarez are to be found in the chronicles of the times. His literary talents are the theme of applause throughout Spain. In 1815, he published The war in Catalonia," at Seville, in four was Orensa is a Bishop's see; the Bishop not only an excellent divine, but a * Marfa, a considerable market town, soldier, serving in person against the five miles east of Barcelona. enemy. 1818.1 On Spanish Literature-Francisco de Olivarez. volumes. In 1816, he published "Anecdotes of Chiefs employed in the Catalonian war," and "Memoirs of the Spanish Monarchy, from the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, to the abdication of Charles, and the usurpation of Joseph Bonaparte." This work fills six octavo volumes: he has also published "Thoughts on the Comet," a Quixotic Poem, addressed to Folly and Fear; “Time and Tide," an opera performed at Madrid; "The Wanderer's Welcome," a play inscribed by permission to the King; and "Moral Essays on the character of King David, considering his claims to the rank of a prophet." His minor works are numerous; some of which, translated by myself, were printed in the Military Panorama, and appeared in many of the diurnal publications. The talents of Olivarez are not of that brilliant nature which leads the understanding astray by the powers of melodious diction; he never sacrifices sense to sound. The flowers of oratory are thinly scattered in his progress. He seizes them rarely, extracts their internal sweets, but never adapts the glowing hues by which they were enveloped. In poetry his forte is the pathetic; the tender and artless tale, "Blanch of Tarragona," has drawn tears from the most brilliant eyes of Spain. "The Spirit of Cortez" is written in a more lofty style than his other poems; still the general feature is tenderness. The parent, the sister, the wife, sweetheart, and, as he beautifully expresses himself, "The child of love's summer day," are called in to awaken the heart of valour; and the reward promised is not wealth, or rank, the favour of courts and kings, but peace and repose in beauty's arms, exempt from care, encircled by olive bowers, sloping vineyards, citron shaded walks, and pledges of love threading every glade. He is always the poet of nature and love, and idolizes his country as the mistress of his heart. "The Comet," written in Hudibrastic verse, to ridicule the fears of his countrymen, who prognosticated nothing less than the world's immediate destruction by fire, is the worst of his poetical attempts. Humour is unknown to a Spaniard; the gravity of his muscles seldom unbend in a smile. Olivarez could not describe what he never felt. "The Wanderer's Welcome" is a mere vehicle for songs; it has become a "stock piece" at Madrid, and is more admired than it merits. Ferdinand presented the au 223 thor with a royal admission to every library and theatre in his dominions; and what was more gratifying to Olivarez installed him perpetually controuling president of the Royal college at Va lentia-an office which he fills with universal satisfaction, and the salary (two thousand dollars per annum) he annually bestows upon the most meritorious of the poor students or sizars. any As an historian Olivarez will be assigned a high station in the annals of his country. He exhibits a profundity of research, and writes with that freedom, ease, and solidity of observation, which affiliates nearly to the classic style of our amiable Robertson. No traces of the haughty bigoted Spaniard are where discernible. He condemns the bigotry of his countrymen, and reprobates the Pope, for permitting the sale of indulgences, in a manly style of elo quence, when adverting to the miseries of South America. The fall of Spain he attributes to the progress of superstition engendering the weakness which relied on saints and miracles, and neglected the physical strength of a nation well able to guard its own rights, if rights are ever worth guarding. The Cortez and the Regency are alike justly condemned, and he hails the return of the king with joy, whose power he remarks, even if it were unlimited, were a change for the better. One tyrant is preferable to thirty. Sparta groaned under her kings; but expired under the Ephori. On the whole, his history stands unrivalled in Spanish literature, and I wonder much that it has never appeared in an English dress. Situated as the author now is, enjoying in peaceful tranquillity domestic happiness and splendid fortune, whether he will be content to repose upon his laurels, or exert himself to obtain more, is very problematical. The natural indolence of a Spaniard, I fear, will predominate. He himself told me at our last interview, that the visions of his early days were no longer enchanting; he had obtained in his wife and family all he wished in the world, and believed he should trouble the world no more. In a letter, dated September, 1817, he says, “I am here as idle and as happy as a Musselman could desire to be in his paradise. I seldom go to Valentia; Meara, with its brooks and groves, is sufficient for Meara, the country seat of Olivarez, three miles from Valentia, is a perfect paradise. |