Evening Post. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1932. CHRISTOPHER WREN

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 104, 29 October 1932, Page 12

Evening Post. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1932. CHRISTOPHER WREN

Within ten years of the bicentenary .celebrations of Sir Christopher Wren's death the tercentenary of his birth was celebrated last week—a double honour—which in so short a time could only fall to a man who had lived more than ninety years. It was a long life and a full life, and appears to have been marked for distinction from its earliest years. Evelyn, who was Wren's senior by twelve years and his lifelong friend, notes in his diary that during a visit to Oxford in 1654 lie had "visited that miracle of a youth, Mr. Christopher Wren, nephew of the Bishop of Ely. ' Eight years later he wrote of '"that rare and early prodigy of universal' 'science, Dr. Christopher Wren." At Oxford the scientific bent of this youthful prodigy was being strongly encouraged by "that most obliging and universally curious, Dr. Wilkins," the Head of his college, but so far was Wren from specialising, either at this time or for at least eight years afterwards, that when the Royal Society, of which Wilkins and his pupil were among the principal founders, received its charter on the 22nd April, 1662, the latter was described in the document as "Christopher Wren, Doctor in Medicine, Saville Professor of Astronomy in our University of Oxford." But though preparing a model of the moon, "drawing the shapes of little animals as they appear in the microscope," and a number of anatomical experiments were among Wren's early labours for the Royal Society, it is noteworthy that ■in that very )'ear he was invited by the Dean and Chapter to undertake a survey of St. Paul's, that in April, 1663, he was exhibiting to the Society a model of the Sheldonian Theatre which he was commissioned to build at Oxford, and that he had other commissions in hand from Ely and Cambridge. .

By the year 1663 Wren was thus turning his attention seriously to architecture, yet even in 1665 he had by no means forsaken his old love, for on the 25th January in that year he submitted to the Royal Society an entirely new hypothesis regarding the recurrence of comets. A* six months' visit to Paris (1665-66) seems, however, to have finally determined his choice.

If Wren, went to Paris an arehiteet, says Lena Milman iv one of the best of the biographies, he may be said to have returned an architect.

The building of the Louvre and other great works were then in progress under the Grand Moharque, and all that Wren had to say about his plans before he left was that he counted on seeing a "Monsieur Monsard and Signor- Bernini within this fortnight." Bernini was the architect of the colonnade of St. Peter's, Rome, who was then lending Louis XIV a hand.

Bernini's Design of the Louvre, said Wren after his return, I would have given my Skin for; but the old reserved Italian gave- me- a few minutes view, it "was five little Designs on paper, for which he had received as many thousand pistoles.

With the pistole at lYs Bernini was getting £4250 for his five little de-

signs, representing more than twenty years of the princely salary of £200 which—excepting during the thirteen or more years when half of it was kept back to "encourage" his diligence—Wren was to receive as architect of St. Paul's! -

Despite the old Italian's secretiveness Wren returned from Paris in February, 1666, with a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and enthusiasm which removed any doubts about his life-work. Finding the Royal Society engaged in the investigation of the Great Plague must have seemed like returning to the studies which had preceded the ten years chiefly devoted lo astronomy, but on the heels of the Great Plague followed the Great Fire, which "marshalled him the way that he was going." Before the fire, however, Wren had^ on the Ist May, 1666, laid his report on the condition of St. Paul's before the King, but it was far too drastic in its recommendations to please his fellow-commissioners, and on the 27th August they all attended at the church to see if they really did not know Wren's job better than'he did himself. But before they had had a week to think it over a decision was rendered unnecessary. On the 2nd September, 1666, the Great Fire broke out, and in the course of four days it had laid almost the whole of the City of London in ashes, and devastated an area of about two miles by two. Evelyn, who was one of the commissioners, was prompt to suggest a solution of the immensely i larger problem thus presented, and so was Wren.

Writing to Sir Samuel Tuke some ihree weeks later (27th September), Evelyn said

The King and Parliament are- infinitely zealous for the rebuilding of, our mines; and I believe it will universally be the employment of the next Spring: They are- now busied with adjusting the elaimes of each proprietor, that so they may dispose things for the building after the noblest model: . Every body brings in his idea, amongst the rest I presented his Majesty my owne conceptions, with a Discourse annex'd. It was the second that was scene, within 2 dayes after the Conflagration: But Dr. "Wren had got tho start of me. Both of us did coincide so frequently, that his Majestic was not displeased with it, and it caus'd divers alterations; and_ truly there was never a more glorious Phoenix upon Earth, if it do at last emerge out of these cinders, and .as tlio dpsigne is layd, with Hie present fervour of the undertakers.

Within two days of the fire Evelyn

was ready with his plans for the rebuilding of London, but Wren was ahead of him! And the new London would have been a "glorious Phoenix" indeed, if Wren had had his way. There would have been two great streets, 90 feet wide, converging on a new St. Paul's, one leading straight to the Tower and passing through two squares on the way; the other, lo the Royal Exchange. And a wide quay would have been formed on the river bank from the Tower to Blackfriars.

The spirit of the citizens, as described by Dr. Sprat, was worthy of the capital of the nation whose indomitable courage during the last fifteen months has saved the world from despair.

They beheld, he wrote, the ashes oftheir houses, gates, and temples, without the least expression of pusillanimity. If philosophers had clone this, it had well become their profession of wisdom; if gentlemen, the nobleness of their breeding and blood would have required it: but that such greatness of heart should be found amongst the poor artisans and the obscure multitude is no doubt one of the most'honourable events tlmt ever happened.

But the brave city lacked direction, and Charles 11, though he faced the crisis like a man, was not a Napoleon or a,Lenin.

Thus, was lost, says Milmnn, it is to bo feared for ever, *tha opportunity of placing the Cathedral of London on an esplanade worthy of its consummate design; an esplanade which, we may almost say, Nature, by leaving a spacious level on the summit of the hill, had designated for a commanding and noble edifice.

To which Archdeacon Sinclair, who quotes these words in his "Memorials of St. Paul's " Cathedral,"

adds:—

Think what it would have been if the unequalled splendours of St. Paul's had been approached by a broad, straight* avenue from Fleet Street; if a new Choapside had led straight up to the East End; and if similar avenues had led up to it from the river on the south, and from Aldersgato on the north!

Marvellous as was Wren's actual achievement, it would have been immeasurably greater if London had taken his advice.