ADAM

ADAM, Robert, an eminent architect, was born at Edinburgh in the year 1728. He was the second son of William Adam, Esq. of Maryburgh, in the county of Fife, who has also left some respectable specimens of his genius and abilities as an architect in Hope-town house, and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, which were erected from designs executed by him. And it was perhaps owing to the fortunate circumstance of his father's example that young Adam first directed his attention to those studies, in the prosecution of which he afterwards rose to such distinguished celebrity. He received his education at the university of Edinburgh, where he had an opportunity of improving and enlarging his mind, by the conversation and acquaintance of some of the first literary characters of the age, who were then rising into reputation, or have since established their fame as historians and philosophers. Among these were Mr Home, Dr Robertson, Dr Smith, and Dr Ferguson, who were the friends and companions of the father, and who continued through life their friendship and attachment to the son.

In the year 1754 Mr Adam travelled to the continent, with a view to extend his knowledge and improve his taste in architecture, and resided in Italy for three years. Here he surveyed and studied those noble specimens of ancient grandeur which the magnificent public edifices of the Romans, even in ruins, still exhibit. But he saw with regret, that the public buildings, constructed with more durable materials and greater

greater strength and solidity, had alone been able to resist, during the lapse of ages, the injuries of time, and the more destructive hand of the northern barbarians, whose progress was marked with ruin and desolation. Not a vestige of any of the private buildings of the wealthy citizens, which have been described and celebrated by their writers for their magnificence, now remains; and even the situation of some of the splendid villas of the luxurious Romans is scarcely known. In tracing the progress of architecture and the other fine arts among the Romans, Mr Adam observed that they had visibly declined previous to the time of Dioclesian; but he was also convinced that the liberal patronage and magnificence of that emperor had revived during his reign a better taste for architecture, and had formed artists who were capable of imitating the more elegant stile of a purer age. He had seen this remarkably exemplified in the public baths at Rome, which were erected by him, the most entire and the noblest of the ancient buildings. Admiring the extent and fertility of genius of the artists, from whose designs such magnificent structures had been executed, he was anxious to see and study any remains that yet existed of those masters whose works are striking monuments of an elegant and improved taste, but whose names, amid the wrecks of time, have sunk into oblivion. It was with this view that he undertook a voyage to Spalatro, in Dalmatia, to visit and examine the private palace of Dioclesian, in which that emperor resided for nine years previous to his death, and to which he retired in the year 305, when he resigned the government of the empire. Mr Adam sailed from Venice in July 1754, accompanied by M. Clerisseau, a French artist and antiquarian, and two experienced draughtsmen. On their arrival at Spalatro, they found that though the palace had suffered much from the injuries of time, yet it had sustained no less from the dilapidations of the inhabitants to procure materials for building, and even the foundations of the ancient structure were covered with modern houses. With high expectations of success, they commenced their labours, but were soon interrupted by the jealous vigilance of the government. Suspecting that their object was to view and make plans of the fortifications, an immediate and peremptory order was issued by the governor, commanding them to desist. This order, however, was soon counteracted through the mediation of General Græme, the commander in chief of the Venetian forces; and they were permitted to proceed in their undertaking. They resumed their labours with double ardour, and in five weeks finished plans and views of the fragments which remain, from which they were enabled to execute perfect designs of the entire building.

Mr Adam now returned to England, and soon rose to very considerable professional eminence. In 1762 he was appointed architect to the king, and the year following he presented to the public the fruit of his voyage to Spalatro, in a splendid work dedicated to his majesty, which contains engravings and descriptions of the ruins of the palace. A later traveller, the Abbé Fortis, speaking of the ruins of this palace, says, "I will not pretend to mention the great Roman remains, for which this noble city is chiefly known and celebrated. The lovers of architecture and antiquity are sufficiently acquainted with them by the work of Mr

Adam, who has done full justice to these superb vestiges by his elegant drawings and engravings. In general, however, the coarseness of the work, and the bad taste of the age are equal to the magnificence of the buildings. For all this, I do not mean to detract from the merit of the august remains of Dioclesian's palace. I count them among the most respectable monuments of antiquity now extant." And the historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, in consequence of this observation, after having expressed a high commendation of the work, has thrown out a suspicion of the accuracy of the representations and descriptions. "For the account of Dioclesian's palace, says Mr Gibbon, we are indebted to an ingenious artist of our own time and country, whom a very liberal curiosity had carried into the heart of Dalmatia. But there is room to suspect that the elegance of his designs and engravings has somewhat flattered the objects which it was their purpose to represent. We are informed by a more recent and very judicious traveller, that the awful ruins of Spalatro are not less expressive of the decline of the arts, than of the greatness of the Roman empire in the time of Dioclesian." Mr Gibbon's criticism is scarcely supported by the observation of the Abbé Fortis; and what the latter has advanced on this subject is not perfectly consistent with itself: for while he censures the coarseness of the work and the bad taste of the age, he bestows something like indirect praise, when he adds that, he means not to detract from the merit of the august remains of this edifice, and regards it as one of the most respectable monuments of antiquity now extant. The apparent coarseness of the work is probably owing to the effects of the weather, which have destroyed the smooth polish of the chisel which it originally received; and Mr Adam allows, that, previous to this period of the Roman empire, the arts had visibly declined, but at the same time contends, that the buildings erected in the reign of Dioclesian, exhibit convincing proofs of the stile and manner of a purer age. But of this, the admirer of this elegant art may judge for himself, by consulting the engravings and descriptions, the accuracy and faithfulness of which there seems to be no reason to doubt.

In the year 1768 Mr Adam obtained a seat in parliament. He was chosen to represent the county of Kinross; and about the same time he resigned his office of architect to the king. But he continued his professional career with increasing reputation; and about the year 1773, in conjunction with his brother James, who also rose to considerable eminence as an architect, he published another splendid work, consisting of plans and elevations of public and private buildings which were erected from their designs. Among these are Lord Mansfield's house at Caenwood, Luton house in Bedfordshire belonging to Lord Bute, the new Gateway of the Admiralty Office, the Register Office at Edinburgh, &c. which are universally admired as precious monuments of elegant design and correct taste. The Adelphi buildings at London, which are also striking examples of the inventive genius of the Messrs Adam, proved an unsuccessful speculation. The wealth and power of a nation were perhaps only equal to so extensive an undertaking: it was too great to be attempted by private citizens.

The buildings which have been more lately erected from

from the designs of Mr Adam, afford additional proofs of the unlimited extent of his invention, and the amazing fertility of his genius. Those parts of the new University of Edinburgh which have been completed, and the Infirmary at Glasgow, need only be mentioned in proof of our remark. The latter edifice we have often beheld and contemplated with those feelings of admiration, elevated to a kind of rapturous enthusiasm, which the rare union of perfect symmetry and elegant disposition of parts combined with inexpressible beauty and lightness into one whole seldom fails to inspire. We have also seen and admired elegant designs executed by Mr Adam, which were intended for the South Bridge and South Bridge Street of Edinburgh, and if they had been adopted, would have added much to the decoration of that quarter of the town; but being considered unsuitable to the taste or economy of the times, they were rejected.

Strange incongruities appear in buildings which have been erected from designs by Mr Adam. But of these it must be observed, that they have been altered and mutilated in the execution, according to the capricious fancy and vulgar taste of the owners; and it is well known that a slight deviation changes the character and mars the effect of the general design. A lady of rank was furnished by Mr Adam with a design of a house, which, after being executed, he was astonished to find out of all proportion. On inquiring the cause, he was informed that the pediment which he had designed would not admit a piece of rude sculpture which represented the arms of the family, and by the date which it bore incontestably proved its antiquity. It was therefore absolutely necessary to enlarge the dimensions of the pediment, to receive this ancient badge of family honour, and sacrifice the beauty and proportion of the whole building. We have seen a large public edifice which was also designed by Mr Adam; but when it was erected, the length was curtailed of the space of two windows, while the other parts remained according to the original plan. It now presents a heavy unsightly pile, instead of that elegance of proportion and correctness of style which the faithful execution of Mr Adam's design would have probably exhibited.

To the last period of his life, Mr Adam displayed an increasing vigour of genius and refinement of taste; for, in the space of one year preceding his death, he designed eight great public works, besides twenty-five private buildings, so various in their style, and beautiful in their composition, that they have been allowed by the best judges, sufficient of themselves to establish his fame unrivalled as an artist. The present improved taste, which now pretty generally prevails in our public and private edifices, undoubtedly owes much to the elegant and correct style introduced by Mr Adam. His fertile genius was not confined merely to the external decoration of buildings; it displayed itself with equal effect in the internal arrangement and disposition of the apartments, and in the varied, elegant, and beautiful ornaments of chimney pieces and ceilings. But not only did he introduce a total change in the architecture of the country, the manufactures also which are in any way connected with decoration, experienced a considerable degree of improvement by the

exercise of his inventive powers. His talents extended beyond the line of his own profession; he displayed in his numerous drawings in landscape, a luxuriance of composition, and an effect of light and shadow which have rarely been equalled.

He died on the 3d of March 1792, by the bursting of a blood-vessel, in the 64th year of his age, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His funeral was attended by a select number of friends, some of them of distinguished rank, who esteemed him while living, and who wished to express this last mark of regard. The many elegant buildings, public and private, erected in various parts of the kingdom, from the designs of Mr Adam, will remain lasting monuments of his taste and genius; and the natural suavity of his manners, joined to the excellence of his moral character, secured to him the affectionate regard of his friends, and the esteem of all who enjoyed his acquaintance.

James Adam, whom we have already mentioned as associated with his brother in many of his labours, died on the 20th October 1794.

Adam's Apple, a name given to a species of CITRUS. See BOTANY INDEX.

Adam's Bridge, or Rama's Bridge, in Geography, a ridge of sands and rocks, extending across the north end of Manara gulf, from the island of that name on the north-west coast of Ceylon, to Ramencote or Ramankoil island, off Raman point.

Adam's Needle. See YUCCA, BOTANY INDEX.

Adam's Peak, a high mountain of the East Indies, in the island of Ceylon, on the top of which it is believed the first man was created. It is in the form of a sugar loaf, and terminates in a circular plain about 200 paces in diameter. The summit is covered with trees, and has a deep lake which supplies the principal rivers of the island. The mountain is seen at the distance of twenty leagues from sea. It is situated in N. Lat. 5. 55. E. Long. 80. 39. See ADAM.

ADAM or ADOM, a town in the Perrea, or on the other side of the Jordan, over against Jericho, where the Jordan began to be dried up on the passage of the Israelites, (Joshua).