II. ARCHITECTURE 73

have laid before you would have weight, even were I to ask you to go to some considerable expenditure beyond what you at present are accustomed to devote to such purposes; but nothing more would be needed than the diversion of expenditures, at present scattered and unconsidered, into a single and effective channel. Nay, the mere interest of the money which we are accustomed to keep dormant by us in the form of plate and jewellery, would alone be enough to sustain a school of magnificent architecture. And although, in highly wrought plate, and in finely designed jewellery, noble art may occasionally exist, yet in general both jewels and services of silver are matters of ostentation, much more than sources of intellectual pleasure. There are also many evils connected with them-they are a care to their possessors, a temptation to the dishonest, and a trouble and bitterness to the poor. So that I cannot but think that part of the wealth which now lies buried in these doubtful luxuries, might most wisely and kindly be thrown into a form which would give perpetual pleasure, not to its possessor only, but to thousands besides, and neither tempt the unprincipled, nor inflame the envious, nor mortify the poor; while, supposing that your own dignity was dear to you, this, you may rely upon it, would be more impressed upon others by the nobleness of your house-walls than by the glistening of your sideboards.

52.¹ And even supposing that some additional expenditure were required for this purpose, are we indeed so much

¹ [In the MS. §§ 52 and 53 are different, the illustration referred to in this place being of the window at Oakham (already referred to, p. 19, Plate II.) instead of the one here given. It is probable that the former was the one shown at the lecture, the window from the Hôtel Bourgtheroulde being shown later (see below, p. 77 n.). The MS. passage is:-

“You know, on Tuesday [see § 27 above, p. 50], I said that there was no hindrance to your using the pointed arch in common windows, because the sash-fittings would be inconvenient, since you might fill the pointed arch with a shield of stone and yet not lose its effect. Here is an example of existing thirteenth-century work-a window in Oakham Castle-an example which I have taken from Mr. Hudson Turner’s admirable work on the domestic architecture of the Middle Ages (a work, by-the-bye, which you would find, I believe, as entertaining as it is useful); and in this window you see the real aperture is a simple oblong, which may be fitted with any

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