Britton, John [Hrsg.]: The fine arts of the English school: illustrated by a series of engravings from paintings, sculpture, and architecture, of eminent English artists ; with ample biographical, critical, and descriptive essays (London, 1812) [Cicognara, 14]

AN ESSAY

TOWARDS A HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION

OP THE

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PAUL, LONDON:

WITH

A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF THE EDIFICES WHICH HAVE PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED THE SAME SITE.

Bv EDMUND AIKIN, Architect.
ILLUSTRATED BY PLATES, FROM DRAWINGS BY

Sfames ZSXnm, &rcf)ttect.

Among the modern works of architecture which adorn and dignify the British
empire, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, London, holds the most distin-
guished place. Even with foreigners it has obtained great celebrity; and in
any enumeration, or comparison, of the religious edifices of Europe, is always
mentioned immediately after the Roman St. Peter's. This building, therefore,
the just boast of a pious and liberal age, forms the leading article in the archi-
tectural department of the present work ; and it will be the endeavour of the
writer of the subsequent essay, after giving a very concise historical account of
the edifices which have previously occupied the same site, to enter into a detailed
examination of the existing cathedral, and to indicate and explain, with freedom

and impartiality, its merits and defects :----merits which we owe to the genius

and profound science of the distinguished architect, and defects partly imputable
to thit law of nature which has denied perfection to human works, and partly to
the prejudices and defective taste of the times.

It has been thought, that during the establishment of the Romans in Britain,
a temple to Diana had occupied the same situation as the subsequent church of
St. Paul, and this opinion is said to have been confirmed by the digging up, at

different times, of the horns and sculls of animals supposed to have been

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