Westminster in 1712: A Description by Samuel Molyneux

Between 21 June and 3 July 1712 the Spectator published 11 thematically-linked essays entitled ‘the Pleasures of the Imagination’. ¹ For the middle classes such irresistible prose reinforced the case for a moral, philosophical and ideological approach towards art, architecture, history, literature and nature – attitudes that we today would regard as enlightened. However, amongst the well-educated elite such thoughts had long existed. Bonding high-art with power, wealthy connoisseurs forged an obsessive passion for collecting artworks and antiquities and, as a consequence, became duty bound to display their collections to interested third parties. One such connoisseur was Charles Montagu (1661–1715), later earl of Halifax, ² whose celebrated collection was kept in his grace-and-favour apartments in the Palace of Westminster. Of those who saw his collection only one published account was thought to have survived, that of William Nicolson, bishop of Carlisle. ³ Yet, the recent discovery of a copybook of letters originally written by the 23-year-old antiquarian, Samuel Molyneux, later secretary to the prince of Wales, describes not only a rare and privileged visit to Lord Halifax's apartments but also a first-hand account of his tour around the Palace of Westminster in December 1712.     

A Dog Skin from Asthall

A group of associated dog bones recovered from a Romano-British burial, probably late, has been examined in the course of the analysis of the full bone assemblage from this settlement site. The clarity of the deposition, the interpretation of the relationship between the human and animal bone, and the wider background of whole animal skins in archaeological contexts is discussed.     

The new politics of protection? Côte d'Ivoire,Libya and the responsibility to protect

In March 2011, the UN Security Council authorized the use of force to protect civilians in Libya. This was the first time that the Council has ever authorized the invasion of a functioning state for such purposes. International society's relatively decisive responses to recent crises in Côte d'Ivoire and Libya has provoked significant commentary, suggesting that something has changed about the way the world responds to violence against civilians. Focusing on these two cases, this article examines the changing practice of the UN Security Council. It argues that we are seeing the emergence of a new politics of protection, but that this new politics has been developing over the past decade. Four things are new about this politics of protection: protecting civilians from harm has become a focus for international engagement; the UN Security Council has proved itself willing to authorize the use of force for protection purposes; regional organizations have begun to play the role of ‘gatekeeper’; and major powers have exhibited a determination to work through the Security Council where possible. However, the cases of Côte d'Ivoire and Libya also help to highlight some key challenges that might halt or reverse progress. Notably, states differ in the way they interpret mandates; questions are being asked about the UN's authority to act independently of specific Security Council authorizations; the overlap of regional organizations sometimes sends conflicting messages to the Security Council; and there remains a range of difficult operational questions about how to implement protection mandates. With these in mind, this article concludes with some suggestions about how the future challenges might be navigated in order to maintain the progress that has been made in the past decade.     

A SIMPLIFIED METHOD FOR ELASTIC SEISMIC ANALYSIS OF HILL BUILDINGS

Abstract

Buildings on hill slope are highly irregular and asymmetric in plan and elevation. They are subjected to severe torsion in addition to lateral forces under the action of earthquakes. In the present study, simplified 3D dynamic analysis of hill buildings based on transformation of stiffness and mass of various components about a common arbitrarily-chosen reference axis is presented. Few actual hill building problems have been analysed with the simplifed method and the rigorous method of analysis. The results of the two methods of analysis advocate the use of the simplified method in the Code of Practices of different countries. With the use of the simplified method, the configurations for buildings on hill slope can be decided by taking various trial configurations so as to obtain the most economical and safe design from the seismic point of view.     

Breaking the mould: the United Kingdom Strategic Defence Review 2010

With a strategic defence review expected to begin in 2010, this article reflects upon the history of the review in British defence policy and planning. The authors argue that for decades successive defence reviews have followed a process in which policy development moves through four phases: failure, inertia, formulation and misimplementation. This has resulted in a cycle of defence reviews that have proved to be incomplete and unsustainable: a cycle in which each review leaves so much unfinished business that another radical reappraisal of defence policy is soon thought necessary, and a cycle from which a succession of governments have so far proved unable or unwilling to escape. The article suggests that the strategic defence (and security) review promised for the next parliament is in danger of continuing this pattern of policy deficiency. The authors contest that this need not be the case. With a close understanding of the pattern of past reviews it should be possible for the 2010 review finally to break the mould and produce a coherent and above all sustainable defence policy and strategy.