126 NOTICES OF THE MEETINGS [ Feb. 20, 
A natural type of the picturesque Gothic Architecture may be 
found in the varied landscape, and of the Greek, in the symmetries 
of the animal creation ; but as in Nature animals, abstractedly sym- 
metrical, are thrown into varied postures and groups, so the 
Greek Architect used the principle of asymmetria in his ichnography ; 
that is, in his ground plan he avoided placing one building directly 
before another, and turned the lines of those which were independent 
of each other to different points of the compass, — thus obtaining 
variety in perspective, fine gradations of light and shade, and an 
expression of individual character among the buildings themselves. 
This principle was illustrated by a plan of the Acropolis of Athens. 
In this irregular oblong figure, extending from West to East, the 
point fixed by the nature of the ground, is the Western Entrance 
where the Propylea stand. The Parthenon placed near the centre 
and highest portion of the area, but towards the Southern edge of 
the rock, is so turned as to offer an angular view from the Propylea. 
The latter building being dependent on the Parthenon, its lines are 
built parallel to those of that temple, and so serve by repetition to 
increase the effect of the principal object ; especially in the general 
views from the West, when the Parthenon is seen above the Pro- 
pylea. At the same time their axes do not coincide, but that of 
the Propylea falls altogether to the North of the Parthenon. The 
Erechtheum, the building of second importance, is placed a little 
North of the axis of the Propylea, and is turned obliquely with 
respect to it, at such an angle as to show its South side distinctly. 
The colossal statue of Minerva Promachus, stood Eastwards of the 
Propylea, and nearly in the direction of its axis, ata distance of about 
120 ft. The pedestal of this statue again was placed somewhat 
obliquely, and there are several platforms at different points and at 
various levels, which served (there is little doubt) as foundations for 
small temples, which converge towards the statue of Minerva Pro- 
machus, thus producing every variety of angle. And lastly, the 
small temple of Nike Apteros on the platform of the Propylea, and 
to the West, is placed at an angle differing by 18° from parallelism 
with it. 
The Erechtheum, a small building, and the Propylea are complex 
in their forms, but the Parthenon (neglecting minute variations) 
is rigidly symmetrical. In large buildings the effect of perspective 
introduces sufficient variety. One of the greatest sources of pleasure 
in Architecture, is the act of reconstructing mentally the real form 
from an image modified by perspective. That this may be possible— 
the square and rectangles simply related to it, and the circle should 
predominate in the ground plan, however much it may be desirable 
to use more varied parallelograms, the ellipse, or figures of greater 
variety in the Elevation, which may be seen from the proper point 
of view almost unaffected by perspective. 
The Greek Doric temple is the one form of building ancient or 
modern which can be pronounced, humanly speaking, perfect. This 
perfection resulted from the concentrated efforts of several ages. 
Not by introducing violent changes after each experiment, and so 
