1791" GRECIA^~AND GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE. 27* 



to enter one of thefe Itruftures, did not feel his mind af- 

 fected with a ftrong fenfation of dignity and grandeur, 

 communicated hy the view of the furrounding objects. 

 Nothing is indeed more common than to hear thofe 

 very perfons, who, from the prejudices they have im- 

 bibed in favour of Grecian architeclure, are perpetu- 

 ally bufied in criticifing and condemning as barbarous 

 and incongruous every particular rcfpe£ling Gothic 

 ftru£tures, acknowledging, at the fame time, that 

 thefe ftruclures never fail to produce this ftriking effect 

 on the mind of every beholder. But if even the forte 

 of habit and prejudice cannot overcome the power of 

 this fuperior charm, we (hall, I think, be forced to ac- 

 knowledge that thofe artilts who have been able to 

 difcover the means by which this effect might be pro- 

 duced, have not been entirely ignorant of the funda- 

 mental principles of the beautiful, and tlie fublime. 



Perfons who are entirely unprejudiced in regard to 

 objects of this nature, and who have never perhaps 

 heard of Grecian or of Gothic architecture, or who 

 know not in what refpects they difl'er from each other,' 

 in general go farther than the others. They, for the 

 moll part, are ready to allow that their minds are, on 

 thefe occ.ifions imprelTed, not only with a fenfation of 

 grandeur and dignity, but with a chearful elevation 

 alfo, that produces an inexplicable fcrenity and pleafure, 

 extremely difllrent from tliat fombre gloom, with 

 wliich t!;oy are afiedl;td on entering under the maifivc 

 vaulted roofs of the few fuperb churches in this ille, 

 wljich are built in the moft fplendid and e:spenfive man- 

 ner, according to the Grecian ftile of archltefturc. 

 If thefe fads are fo, we fliould naturally be led to con- 

 clude, that though the Grecian (truiSlurcs, v^-hen built 

 upon t]ie trueft model, are indeed calculated to pleafe, 

 when viewed from ivithout, yet that, in regard to tlie 

 clegauce of tntir/ial compofition, they are found to be 

 fur inferior to the bcft models :hat rrmain of Gothic 

 arthiuctare. 



