Never from the godlike deed To rock the cradle of the Day*, From realm to realm the hour proclaim, * The Niger was ascertained by Mr. Parke to roll eastward. THE ROYAL ACADEMY. S. T. MR. SOANE'S LECTURES. Having now considered the origin, progress, and proper application of the column, as well as the Persian and Caryatides, both as externally and internally used in the temples and other works of the ancients; a few observations on various other modes of applying the orders, merit our attentiou. Ulyssus raised a column to his friend, who fell, while sleeping, from the top of the palace of Circe. The Romans used the militares and other columna. Pompey the Great raised trophies and erected triumphant arches commemorative of his victories; and the Romans raised the column of Diulius, to celebrate the overthrow of their inveterate enemies the Carthagenians; as also the columns of Trajan and Antoninus at Rome, and that of Theodosius at Constantinople. With respect to Antis, they were used in the best works of the ancients; as ends of walls, undiminished, and never applied where there were not columns. After various remarks on the application of this accessory of architecture, the Professor shewed their misapplication in the Portico of St. Martin's Church, and remarked the three quarter columns under the portico of Bloomsbury Church, where they are quite useless and misapplied. ""Tis use alone that sanctifies expence, For splendour borrows half her rays from sense," It must be lamented that in that never to be too much admired edi fice St. Paul's, pilasters form a most distinguishing feature of its decoration. In a few houses, however, such as Shaftsbury House, and some of the houses in Great Queen Street, they are well used and appropriate, and form a striking contrast to the paltry excresences, which now rise up, without taste, without proportion, and with every evidence of meagre composition. After commenting on the proper application of ballustrades, which should never be used except when there is a flat roof, as in the Queen's House at Greenwich, Mr. Soane proceeded to make some remarks on Pyramids and Obelisks. Obelisks were either triangular, conical, or square at the base, and diminishing towards the top. According to Diodorus Siculus, two obelisks were placed by Sesostris at the entrance of the temple at Heliopolis. Many have been transported to Rome, the most famous of which are that in the court before St. Peter's, and the two, formerly placed fronting the tomb of Augustus, of which one is now opposite the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and the other on the Monte Cavallo at Rome. Pyramids were placed directly on the ground and formed an entire whole. There was one however on the tomb of Mausolus, which, according to Pliny, was placed over the peristyle, and gradually dimipished towards the top, where there was a chariot and horses. In this, as in the mausoleum near Albano, it loses its original simplicity and propriety of application. To show how architects are sometimes shackled by the taste of their employers, the Professor mentioned an instance, where Lord Darnly left in his will an injunction on his heirs, that they should erect to him a mausoleum, decorated on the exterior with columns surmounted by a pyramid, and the interior ornamented with a dome. These totally opposite incongruities were in some measure reconeiled by the judicious Mr. Wyatt, in his design for this Mausoleum, erected in Cobham Park. From this it is evident, that genius and talent, however distinguished, are not exempt from the shackles of injudicious caprice. It is to be lamented, that the architect is orten obliged to sacrifice the effect of the lateral elevations of his design, to allow for a greater display of ornament in the entrance facade, which is particularly evident in Lansdown House, Berkly Square, in the front of a nobleman's house at White Hall built by Sir William Chambers. Until those who have to controul the erection of our public edifices are able to discriminate and appreciate the powers of those they employ, the absurdly composed columns, exhibited in a former lecture, will be by them as mnch admired, as the incomparable three in the campo Vicino. The young Architect should be unremitting in his zeal, unceasing in his application, for true taste is sbewn in a greater degree, when he is sparing in his use of bassi reliévi, pannels, and festoons, than when he is profuse of the gorgeous trappings of the art. Unseduced by fashiou, and not sedulous of allegory, he should direct the taste of his employer, and urge to him with energy and force the appropriate choice of architectural accompaniment, for without this he will be left to wander in the gloomy caves of Cacus, and ne'er will tread the paths to never dying fame. He should study history, be acquainted with all the customs and manners of the ancients, and endeavour to advance and revive the golden age of the art. Then may we hope to see noble edifices rise and grace the country, honorable to the state, ennobling the artist, and then we shall have "No more in foreign climes to roam In search of models better found at home. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROMONTORY OF BEN GORE, AND ITS STRATIFICATION. This promontory commences at the termination of Bushfoot Strand, where the coast, the general direction of which for several miles had been due east and west, turns to the north-east, and, after being_cut into several semicircular bays, deflects to the S. S. E. and near the old castle of Dunseverick resumes its former rectilineal and nearly eastern direction. The promontory occupies the interval between Dunseverick, and the Black Rock, at the end of Bushfoot Strand, about four English miles; the facades commence at Black Rock, andjincrease in height until we reach Pleskin, where the perpendicular part of the summit is 170 feet, and the precipitous part from the bottom of the pillars to the sea 100. As we proceed on from Pleskin to Dunseverick, the height gradually abates, and is finally reduced to about 100 feet. In this whole space, wherever the precipice is accurately perpendicular, the several strata are easily distinguished from each other, but where the slightest obliquity prevails, a grassy covering is formed, that effectually conceals all be neath it; hence the face of the precipice seems much diversified; the columnar strata in some places only exhibiting detached groups os pillars, while in others they form exten sive collonades. I shall now state the appearances as we approach and coast the promontory trom the westward, noticing in this first view of the precipice every thing that may be considered as general, and reserving (as I did with you) for my return in the contrary direction, a detailed account of the strata taken separately. The first circumstance, that occurs to the attentive observer on his approach, is, that although both the promon-' tors itself, and the strata composing it, ascend to the northward, yet it is not in the same angle, the strata being more inclined to the horizon than the line tracing the surface of the promontory, a fact which I shall account for afterward. From the Black Rock to the Giant's Causeway (about a mile) the materials, and their arrangement, are similar to those of the coast to the westward, viz. strata of table basalt, generally separated by thinner strata sf a reddish sub stance. At the Giant's Causeway a new arrangement commences,. one of the little systems I have mentioned in other memoirs, by the aggregate of which our coast is formed; nature having changed her materials, or their disposition, or both, every two or three miles. To the system of strata comprehended between the Giant's Causeway and Dunseverick I now limit myself, as all the strata composing it emerge between these two points. As we proceed along the coast from the Giant's Causeway eastward, we perceive the whole mass of strata ascend gradually, culminate at the northern point of the promontory, and then descend more rapidly, as the land falls away to the south-east, until having traced them across the face of the precipice we see them immerge separately at and beyond Portmoon whyn dikes. The western side of the promontory is cnt down perpendi cularly, by eleven whyn dikes; the intervals between them are unequal, but they all reach from the top of the precipice to the water, out of which some of them again emerge in considerable fragments; they are all constructed of horizontal prisims, which are strongly contrasted with the vertical pil lars of the strata through which they pass. One of the dikes at Port Coan, on Bengore, half a mile from the Giant's Causeway, is very beautiful: an insulated rock about 160 feet high, and 20 in diameter, stands perpendicular in the middle of a small bay; the main body of the rock is similar to the contiguous consolidated masses; but on the east side a singular whyn dike is joined to it, composed (as they often are) of several walls agglutinated together, with wall-like fragments of other parts of the dike emerging at their base; the solid mass of dike is seen cutting down the precipice to the southward at 150 yards distance. Two other depressions appear as we proceed onwards, one at Portmoon, (see the plate) and the other at the angle where the promontory begins to project from the rectilineal coast; these however are far less considerable in thickness than the preceding, neither of them exceeding. (To be Continued.) COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. CYMBELINE. The beautiful play of Cymbeline, which was played during last season to allow of KEMBLE appearing in Posthumus, has been again produced for the sake of Mr. BOOTH. This is the first good thing Mr. Boor has done since his first entrance on the London boards. We do not mean to pay this compliment to the gentleman's acting, which was as noisy as it need be, and as empty as it could be, but he deserves our thanks for being in any way the cause of the production of Cymbeline. This is the most elegant play of SHAKSPEARE'S, -the most poetical,-the most naturally romantic. It has great variety in language and character, and gives us all the splendour of a court, and all the simplicity of the country. In some scenes it is pastoral to the highest degree. There is that exquisite description of Imogene's beauty as she is lying asleep in her chamber;-this one passage is sufficiently great to justify, as Beaumont would say, the rest of the piece being dull throughout. "Cytherea, How bravely thou becomest thy bed-sweet lily, &c. The scenes in the wood in which the two young princes appear as hunters of deer, with the old soldier " preaching natural sermons" to them, are uncommonly delightful. These two youths in their simplicity resemble Miranda in the Tempest. Mr. BooтH played Posthumus with no true spirit, but with immense labour and bustle;-he clearly proved how easily passion could be counterfeited. Mr. BOOTH is by no means the gentleman enough in voice, step, or action, to perform Posthumus:-There is a general throwing about of himself. His mind and his body are never' agreed, never together, never quiet. His arms, and legs, and eyes are scattered all over the stage,-and we shali expect some night to see one of the theatre's livery servants come on at the close of the play and pick up the fragments of Mr. BOOTH with the forsaken daggers and abandoned letters. We do not mean to say that Mr. BooтH is not a gentleman in the common acceptation of the word;-but he wants that perfect ease, that finished grase of speech and action, which betray the true gentleman to the eye. Mr. Booth's voice, when properly exerted, becomes rude and troublesome. It roars like the sea. It quite shakes the house. Some of his undertones (and here we are reminded of KEAN) are extremely sweet, and visit the ear like pleasant music. Posthumus is not by any means too difficult a part to act:-He is princely,-trustful,-and affectionate,with great personal courage and passion. KEMBLE, we are told, played the character nobly:-Mr. BOOTH takes all the richness out of it,-and "makes it poor indeed." His last scene was the best, but this wauled compactness. Mr. YOUNG as Iachimo very much pleased us. He looked like. noble Italian, and very much reminded us of one or two of the portraits i Vasari. His acting in Imogene's chamber, where he notices the pictures and hangings, and eulogizes the personal beauty of Imogene,--was indeed very serene and perfect;-" "Tis her breathing perfumes the chamber thus, &c."-this ought to have been said by a lover!-The new actress, a Miss COSTELLO, was not Imogene though she pretended to be so :— But asshe has withdrawn herself we shall be excused from theunpleasant task of telling her some truths. We do not like to "asperse the woman," as Lord Duberly terms it, and we are glad when any thing occurs to ensure us an escape from so doing. TERRY, C. KEMBLE, and ABBOTT were very entertaining. AN ACCOUNT OF THE BURNING MOUNTAIN VESUVIUS. This mountain stands about six English miles distant from |