The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and
Instruction, by Various

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Title: The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction
Volume XII. F, No. 325, August 2, 1828.

Author: Various

Release Date: November 29, 2003 [EBook #10332]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE MIRROR

OF

LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.

No. 325.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1828. [Price 2_d_.

ALL-SOULS' CHURCH, LANGHAM-PLACE.

Vol. XII. F

ALL-SOULS' CHURCH,

LANGHAM PLACE.

"Whoever walks through London streets,"
Said Momus to the son of Saturn,
"Each day new edifices meets,
Of queer proportion, queerer pattern:
If thou, O cloud-compelling god,
Wilt aid me with thy special grace,
I, too, will wield my motley hod,
And build a church in Langham-place."

"Agreed," the Thunderer cries; "go plant
Thine edifice, I care not how ill;
Take notice, earth. I hereby grant
_Carte blanche_ of mortar, stone, and trowel.
Go Hermes, Hercules, and Mars,
Fraught with these bills on Henry Hase,
Drop with yon jester from the stars,
And build a church in Langham-place."

_London Lyrics-New Monthly Mag._

Among all our specimens of contemporary church-building, none has
excited more animadversion than _All-Souls'_, Langham-place, erected in
1822-1825, from the designs of Mr. Nash. Its general effect is
extraordinary and objectionable; but, unfortunately for what merit it
really possesses, many of its assailants have so far disregarded the
just principles of taste and criticism, as to go laboriously out of
their way to be profanely witty on its defects. Song and satire,
raillery and ridicule, pun and pasquinade, and even the coarseness of
caricature, have thus been let off at this specimen of NASH-_ional_
architecture; whilst their authors have wittingly kept out any redeeming
graces which could be found in its architectural details.

The principal features of the exterior were suggested by its situation,
it being placed on an angular plot of gro