488 Roman Inscriptions.-Mr. Lauchlin Macleane. currence of BRT (on one inscription*, and of BRIG on another, it is probable may be read either Brigantum or Britanniæ. As the letters EXARG-N occur also on the first of these lastmentioned inscriptions, the reading ex argento seems fully warranted, and may imply that these pigs are what is now called "refined lead." As far as I can learn, the letters TR are peculiar to the two inscriptions of Claudius; upon all others the Emperor's name occurs without such expression; it has hence occurred to me that this lead may have been a tribute imposed by Claudius on countries but imperfectly conquered, as Derbyshire was in his reign; but that when the countries were fully conquered, the lead then fell to the Emperor in his right as Sovereign. The Derbyshire inscription, I am inclined to think, ought to be read-Tiberii Claudii Tributum Lutudaro Britannia (or Brigantum) ex argento. Whether the Sussex inscription should be read in the same manner, will depend on the letter being a P or an L. Should it be a P, would we be authorized in reading it Tribunitiæ Potestatis V. Tributum Britannia, &c.? If there be a line drawn above the v, there can be no doubt of this being the correct reading. In conclusion, Mr. Urban, allow me to say that you would confer a great favour on numbers of your Antiquarian friends, if you would procure and publish in your instructive Miscellany correct drawings of the Roman inscriptions, and other antiquities, which may from time to time be discovered, as was done with so much interest in the early volumes of the Gentleman's Magazine. It is, for instance, particularly desirable to be put in possession of this Pulborough Inscription; of the curious Vase mentioned at p. 627 of the First Part of the present Volume, as being found at the Hawe passage; and of two other Inscriptions since found, and noticed in the August number, pp. 164, 165. Was it known to be your desire to publish such, there can be little doubt that they would be readily communicated to you, and I know not that your graphic illustrations of Antiquities could be employed on more proper subjects. Yours, &c. [Dec. Mr. URBAN, Gray's-inn, Dec. 13. HAVE reason to believe that Mr. Lauchlin Macleane (the true spelling), respecting whom information is desired by Mr. Cameron, in p. 400 of your last month's Magazine, was a native of the North of Ireland. I never heard that he was a Colonel, or held any rank in the Army. If he had been a Colonel, I do not think it likely he would have dropped the distinction. Mr. Macleane was certainly much in the confidence of the first Marquis of Lansdowne, when Lord Shelburne, as the following anecdote will show. His Lordship, in the year 1769, in order to enable Mr. Macleane to raise a large sum of money (15,000l.) gave the latter three bonds for 50001. each. For whose use the money was to be applied, did not, I believe, appear. These securities were negotiated by Mr. Macleane with Messrs. Panchaud, then eminent bankers in Paris; by whom they were transferred to Mr. Thomas Tierney, then residing in Paris, formerly a merchant in London, and father of Mr. Tierney, M.P. The bonds not having been paid when due, Mr. Tierney sued the Earl of Shelburne for the amount, who filed an Injunction Bill in the Court of Exchequer, on the ground of want of consideration or value; but his Lordship did not succeed. This was about the year 1772, to which period my knowledge of the case reaches back. An accommodation, however, tock place; and I think shortly after the end of the first American war, the debt was discharged with interest. Mr. Macleane, according to my recollection of him, was in person tall and athletic, of strong, coarse features, and spoke with a considerable impediment. He perished on a voyage to India about the year 1777. In a relation of matters which occurred more than 50 years ago, due allowance is to be made for possible inaccuracies; but as the earlier events in our lives (and I was then in my teens) are best remembered, I persuade myself that this little narration is correct. What respects the law proceedings can be verified by the records of the Court of Exchequer. A CONSTANT READER. Brother of Mr. James Tierney of London, of the firm of Tierney, Lilly, and Robarts, then of Bucklersbury. Mr. Robarts married Mr. T. Tierney's daughter. Mr. 1824,] Camden Town Chapel, Middlesex. N the extensive and populous Parish or Chapels (in addition to the superb Parish Church) have been erected. The architects of the present Chapel are Messrs. W. and H. W. Inwood, from whose design the Parish Church was built. The whole expense of its erection, including the catacombs (which are large), the clock, bell, organ, furniture, the purchase of the ground (60071.), the railing in, and enclosing it, was rather less than 20,000l.; it will accommodate 1600 persons, and one third of the sittings are free. It was consecrated on the 15th of last July by the Bishop of London. This Edifice, though not large enough to be magnificent, upon the whole possesses that neat and substantial appearance, so desirable in a struc ture designed for a Parochial Chapel. In the plan it resembles the generality of modern Churches. The East and West ends terminating semicircularly. The western front is built of stone, and contains the entrances. In the centre, raised on three steps, which are continued round the basement of the whole building, is a semicircular portico, of the Ionic order, composed of four columns, with antæ, supporting a half dome; the ceiling, marked with lines, radiating from a semicircle. On the cornice are placed the ornaments denominated Grecian tiles, the propriety of which is questionable; it is a species of embellishment very much resembling the battlements of a Gothic building, and, until lately, nothing of the kind was to be seen in regular architecture. The angles of this front are guarded by antæ, as are the jambs of the doorways, the capitals enriched with honeysuckles. A false arch, enclosed within a square head, forms the upper part of the frontispiece of the doorways. Behind the portico is the tower. It consists of a square plinth, from which rises a circular pedestal marked with perpendicular lines, supporting a peristyle of six Ionic columns, surrounding a plain shaft, with a single window in the front. Upon the entablature is a low circular story, raised on steps, containGENT. MAG. December, 1824. 489 ing the clock and dials, and finished with a cupola, enriched with scrollwork, and terminated with a pedestal supporting a cross-patée. This small turret is one more example of the failure of modern architects in raising lofty buildings-the whole effect of the tower is destroyed by the abrupt termination. The architecture of this Chapel is marked by some striking differences from the usual detail of the Ionic order. The shafts of the columns are not fluted, but the naked appearance of a plain surface is relieved by perpendicular beadings, which supply the place of the fillet, and diverge in half-rounds at the top and bottom. The neck of the capital is enriched with open flowers, and the sides of the volutes embellished with the tendrils of the honeysuckle. The usual attic base which has hitherto been used in the Ionic order, has given way to one formed of an assemblage of numerous small mouldings. These variations are creditable to the architects, and shew that they have consulted the first authorities, instead of plodding on in the beaten track of others-would that our "Gothic" designers would follow their example. The South and North parts are uniformly plain, of brickwork, finished by an entablature in stone, and broken only by a single series of round-headed windows enclosed within square architraves of stone. The semicircular projection at the East end is also built of stone, and has three windows; two small wings are here added to the main building, collateral to the circular projection, united by a corridor, accommodating itself to the cir cular termination. On the piers are triple coronets and vases, in low relief, and within are flights of stairs leading to the vaults. The accompanying engraving (Plate I.) shews a South-west view of the building. The interior is very neat, approaching to elegance. The ornaments and mouldings are sparingly, but tastefully applied. The galleries are supported by Ionic columns of the same character as the portico. The altar is situated within the circular recess at the East end; above it are four Ionic columns, attached to the piers between the windows. The pro priety 490 Architectural Improvements in Westminster. priety of placing the altar in a recess is unquestionable, and the circular form seems the most elegant for the purpose; the happy effect of this arrangement is seen in the parish church, where the altar is decidedly the best feature in the building. The roof, which is flat, covers the whole interior in one surface. In a larger edifice this would appear a great defect; it is not so here, where a second series of columns, if proportioned to the size of the building, would be insignificant. The face of the ceiling is marked with lines, in imitation of beams, into large pannels; on the intersections are flowers in low relief. The pulpit and reading-desk are on opposite sides, and display no particular architectural character; they are only mentioned as shewing a deviation from the modern fashion of introducing two pulpits. Upon the whole, as this edifice promises less, there is perhaps less to censure than in some larger and more expensive buildings. There is a soli dity about its exterior which is not often met with in modern erections; and when the neatness and simplicity of its architecture is contrasted with the buildings of about a century back of the same materials; the heavy red brick, of which the Churches of that period were usually built, shews to great disadvantage against the light tint of the modern work: and the hideous in and out stone-work of the angles has found an elegant substitute in the classical antæ. And although upon the whole Grecian architecture is not the most appropriate for Churches, it is but just to say that Camden Town Chapel holds a respectable rank among the edifices of the day. Its pretensions are modest, and its excellence is on that account the more likely to be fairly appreciated. É. I. C. Mr. URBAN, Westminster, Dec.7. readers; but others of a more finished [Dec. first introduced by the erection of an Italian building in St. Margaret-street, which being left unfinished, the necessary wing was lately erected under the superintendance of J. Soane, esq. R.A.; and at the same time the remains of the New Palace (destroyed by fire, temp. Henry VIII.) in which the Court of Exchequer was held, was replaced by a building corresponding to the wing of the other; which, abutting as it did on the beautiful Gothic entrance of the Hall, presented a very unsightly appearance. The discussion in the House of Commons upon this subject has been already detailed in your pages. Here I cannot resist remarking, that, whatever faults may have existed in the building, in an architectural point of view, Mr. Soane is certainly not liable to any blame for that style of building being adopted in preference to any other by the gentlemen whose province it was to decide. In consequence of the debate, a Committee of Taste was appointed; and the report of Mr. Bankes, as Chairman, displays a knowledge of the subject, and great taste combined with sound judgment. The Committee resolved to have the façade pulled down, and one erected of Bath or free-stone corresponding with the entrance to the Hall. This erection is now in progress, under the direction of Mr. Soane. At the angle of New Palace Yard, and on the site of the old brick tower, is an octagonal one of larger dimensions, and plain workmanship. The windows on the West or front of St. Margaret's Street, as far as finished, are divided into two stories of two bays by mullions of light tracery. But the object of my present communication is not to criticize these buildings, but to record the improve. ments which are just completed in the Parochial Church of the House of Commons, under the able direction of J. H. Taylor, esq. Architect. In repairing churches, the object should be to restore as possible to their original state, and to preserve the inscriptions, and other memorials of the dead, with all that scrupulous care which is due to the most sacred deposits. The practice of beautifying churches, to the detriment of these relics, has been of such common occurrence, as to cause considerable agitation at the bare mention of the idea. So many sacred memorials have been |