S On GOTHIC JRCHlTECrVRE. 



the natural form has undergone little or no variation, fince 

 it confifls of the hard outward fkin of a gourd, of the fame Ihape 

 in which it grew upon the plant*. 



This laft claft of forms has been introduced, by Imitation, 

 into works compofed of fhapelefs materials. Thus we have fil- 

 ver cups in the form of thofe made of ftiells, and fruit-difhes 

 of ftoneware in the form of bafkets. The ancient Peruvian va- 

 fes of pottery are executed in exa(5l imitation of gourds ; a prac- 

 tice which had probably fucceeded the ufe of goxirds as bottles. 

 In fuch cafes, the defedl of real characfler in the objedl is fup- 

 plied by a fidltious one, which, in the hands of a man of geniiis, 

 is often produdlive of the moft happy efFe<fls ; fince it enables 

 him to confer upon his. work the merit of confiftency, and truth 

 of charadler ; qualities, which influence the mind of the fpec- 

 tator as powerfully, when founded on fidlion as on reality. 

 For we judge of fuch a work, as we do of a romance, in 

 which we are fcaixely lefs interefted than if we believed it to be . 

 true. 



We may now confider the application of thefe principles to 

 every kind of ornamental architedlure. As (tone is not natu- 

 rally poflefled of any peculiar fhape, and as the ufeful objeft 

 propofed, by ftrudlures formed of it, may be accomplilhed in 

 various ways, very great latitude is left to the invention of 

 the artift. We fee, accordingly, that, in every country where 

 much refinement has been introduced, great pains have been 

 beftowed. in ornamenting ftone buildings, with figures repre- 

 fenting variovis natural objecfts. It would feem, that the la- 

 titude has e.vei) been too great ; for experience Ihews, that the 



artift 



* Even in this c;ife, however, the natural form undergoes a certain degree of 

 iDodificatlon, by the device employed to produce the neck of the bottle. The 

 fruit, while fmall and tender, is furrounded with a firing, which remaining during 

 iits growth, prevents the part, thus bound, from fwelling with the reft. 



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