Ii8 on education. f'^^y S'* 



have been in a great measure disregarded, and the con- 

 trivances that have been adopted in former times to 

 give strength and stability to the fabric, along with 

 certain internal conveniences, have been ridiculed 

 as the monstrous innovations of barbarism and igno- 

 rarce. Many structures which have been dignified 

 with the stile of Gothic, as in scorn, while their stu- 

 pendous magnificence extorts the reverential awe 

 of cbe Ignorant critic, who laughs at the absurdity 

 of those parts of the structure which he deems mon- 

 strous and uselefs ornanents, owe their stability, to- 

 gether wuh that inexplicable magnificence of effect, 

 to those very parts which ins^tead of being usclefs. 

 ornaments, as the unintormcd critic vainly suppo- 

 ses, are parts of the most indispensible utility. He 

 knows not on what principles superadded weight 

 can be made to contribute to apparent lightnefs, as 

 well as real strength, and therefore presumptuously 

 blames what he cannot comprehend The very 

 principles which constit ;te the strength of an arch, 

 indiffeient circumstances, have been so otally dis- 

 regarded in architecture, as never yet to have been 

 explained ; so that the most glaring imperfections 

 in this respect have been often earnestly recommen- 

 ded PS efsenn il improvements, and sometime.^ car- 

 ried into actual practice in the construction of brid- 

 ges .^ We cannot therefore too soon correct these 

 ^urtful absurdities, and the efoie cannot make too 

 much haste to institute the course of lectures her^ 

 proposed. 



