The Book of Trinity College Dublin 1591-1891Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
History
The Book of Trinity College Dublin 1591-1891
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
While this work was going on, bequests of £1,000 were left to
build an ornamental front and tower at the west end of the old
Hall; and the well-known architect, Cassels, did so, close to,
but a little west of, the site of the present belfry, in 1745.
In this the present great bell, cast at Gloucester in 1742, was
hung.[80] The aspect of the court, therefore, upon entering the
gate, was that of a small square, closed towards the east with a
building much nearer than the present belfry. The centre of this
east range had the ornamental front and belfry of Cassels’ design,
which, according to the extant plan, must always have been ugly,
and looks very top-heavy.[81] The north and south sides of this
Front Square (built 1685) were of inferior character; while the
small quadrangle beyond, on the south side, including the Provost’s
lodging, was still the original structure of Queen Elizabeth’s
time. The bell tower was taken down as unsafe, and the Hall
removed, at the close of the century. We see, therefore, that in
this great building period there were many serious mistakes made.
There was so much work of the kind going on all through the city,
that there must have been a scarcity of competent artisans, and
much hurry. The buildings which remain are indeed solid and well
finished; but when we attribute these characteristics to all the
Dublin buildings of that date, we forget that their bad work has
long since perished--what was done well and carefully is all that
has remained. While Cassels was building his unsound tower, he
erected another pretty building according to a bequest of Bishop
Stearne--the Printing-House, from which issued in 1741 an edition
of seven dialogues of Plato, in a good though much-contracted
type (which is still preserved in the office), and on good paper,
but disfigured by a portentous list of errata. The book is now
rare, and in request among bibliographers. A few years later, neat
editions of Latin Classics issued from the same press.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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