for departure and arrival; and these must, in a great measure, distinguish the terminus. 

 And though we could scai'cely say what general style of decoration for such a building 

 should be chosen, or what general form and proportions it should have, beyond what utili- 

 ty would demand, yet in the sculptural embellishments a good deal might be done towards 

 indicating its purpose by means of symbols. Rapid flight, speedy change of place, the 

 annihilation of space and time, the unity and amity of distant places, and other associated 

 ideas, might thus find ex^Dression. But the difficulty I have admitted to exist is of less 

 frequent occurrence than is supposed : few buildings are similarly circumstanced to the 

 one I have referred to. An ingenious writer, in a recent work on the principles of archi- 

 tecture, has complained, that to distinguish a clubhouse from a mansion is beyond the 

 power of architecture; a truth we must admit, but without the slightest disparagement 

 to the art. lie has overlooked the fact that a clubhouse is a mansion only for a larger 

 family, and that architecture is not called upon to make a difference where no difference 

 exists. A clubhouse is not a public, but a private building, — for a private societ}'; where 

 a gentleman can have the comfort and accommodation of a private house, just as a cottage, 

 a villa, or a mansion is for the use of a familj'; and it is as far as the public are concern- 

 ed a private house, or mansion; and the passing stranger need not know that it is any- 

 thing else: the expression of "mansion," therefore, is not only what the clubhouse will 

 naturally assume, — it is really the expression it should have. 



But almost every building that has a distinct purpose, may have its distinct and corres- 

 ponding expression, — is susceptible of receiving allegorical or other illustrations of its 

 purpose, so as to indicate that purpose; if, in the first place, it be truthfully adapted, and 

 if the architect has the requisite mastery over the resources of the art. If a Gothic church 

 in its perfection is a petrifaction of religion, a truly designed college will be a similar em- 

 bodiment of literature; a palace, of royalty; an exchange, of commerce. Beautj', howev- 

 er, is not incompatible with anj"-, even with the needful character of a prison, which may 

 suggest ideas of durance and gloom, yet display general forms and proportions on Avhich 

 aesthetic feeling has been exercised. Guided by analogy, — a natural association of ideas, 

 — we may find abundant means of giving at least a general tone to every edifice, in har- 

 mony with its use; among which may be enumerated the arrangement, size, and charac- 

 ter, as simple or decorated, of doors and windows: public buildings, not much divided 

 internally, — consisting chiefly of one great apartment for a large assembly of people, such 

 as churches, chapels, public schools, theatres, concert halls, should have laige and expan- 

 sive doors of entrance, which would not only be convenient, but would assist in characte- 

 rising them, as such doors would be suggestive of the idea of extensive ingress and egress 

 of people. In places of worship in particular, the entrance doors should be prominent, 

 rendered by ornament conspicuous and inviting, and much wider than they generally are, 

 in order to avoid un.seemly thronging and disorder, during the discharge of a congregation. 

 Many instances of insufficient means of egress might be cited, causing the exercise of de- 

 votion frequently to end with a scene too much resembling a Bartholomew fair. Windows 

 are susceptible of great beauty, great copiousness, and truthfulness, and nice inflexion of 

 significance; but in a religious or other building where a solemn or sublime effect is con- 

 templated or sought to be obtained, windows might with great propriety be omitted, or 

 confined to internal courts or gardens, leaving the exterior effect to those grandest of ar- 

 chitectural features — the colonnade and dome. The dome contributes much to palatial 

 dignity, and is expressive of the loftiness and breadth that should characterise great na- 

 tional purposes: having its type in the sublimest of ail earthlj^ spectacles — the firmament, 

 — it can never be surjjassed by any feature of any style, as an element of grandeur. It 



