206 LOOSE THOUGHTS ON THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY, &C. 



Other mystifying expedients, which has made the name of archilecl 

 almost synonymous with charlatan. 



In a well-designed building the original expressions, or rather the 

 expression of character, will be the most apparent. And on a first 

 view no part ought to be so conspicuous as to attract the notice of 

 the observer before he has had time to comprehend the whole ; after 

 which the proportions ought to be such that he can transfer his at- 

 tention from the greater to the less in a regular gradation, without 

 any difficulty. 



With regard to the different kinds or styles of Architecture, I 

 imagine the genius or rationale of them is not sufficiently studied. 

 The Grecian is too severe to be used with much propriety in the 

 present age ; in fact, a very great degree of its beauty lies in the 

 effect of light and shade, to which our smoky towns and humid cli- 

 mate are not very advantageous. Besides, the simplicity of form 

 which is so essential a character of it is not suited to our conveni- 

 ence. The ancient Roman or modern Italian are much more suit- 

 able to us ; they are susceptible of any shape and degree of richness, 

 and have several bold features which other styles have not. But 

 Gothic Architecture is the wide field for improvement ; its capabi- 

 lities of form or character have no bounds. The chief fault of mo- 

 dern Gothic lies in its meagreness ; and \n costly buildings, the not 

 preserving a regular gradation of enrichment, from the bold project- 

 ing base to the pierced battlement and crocketed pinnacles. In 

 plain or cheap buildings massiveness ought to be the character, and 

 they ought to look as if considerations of strength and durability, 

 and not poverty, had caused ornament to be overlooked. It is es- 

 pecially adapted to very large buildings, such, for instance, as the 

 Houses of Parliament. In such a case it would, perhaps, be better 

 not to have too much regularity, but to have the appearance of a 

 pile of buildings, rather than one large building. 



Nothing would tend more towards the advancement of Architec- 

 ture than for architects to bear in mind the following opinion of 

 Mr. Addison : — " Music, Architecture, and Painting, as well as 

 Poetry and Oratory, are to deduce their laws and rules from the 

 general sense and taste of mankind, and not from the principles of 

 those arts themselves ; in other words, that the taste is not to con- 

 form to the art, but the art to the taste." 



