256 



of architecture appear, or even of Imman 

 habitation. He seems to have thought our 

 pun}^ efforts, unworthy of being alhed with 

 those vast piles of stone, the savage gran- 

 deur of which his pencil alone has truly 

 exhibited ; and that the dens and caverns 

 W'hich they afford, were the proper dwell- 

 ino's for the savasre race, whom he has 

 placed amidst such scenes. But, besides 

 these reasons, drawn from the poetry of his 

 art, he might have had others, more imme- 

 diately drawn from the art itself, which may 

 help to confirm my conjectures with respect 

 to Claude and Caspar. It is obvious that 

 any building of Grecian architecture, either 

 entire, or ruined, would have been out of 

 character in such scenes ; cottages, and 

 hovels, however pictui'esque, too mean and 

 familiar : ruined castles and towers appear 

 to be the buildings most analogous ; but 

 the same reasons that possibl}^ induced Gas- 

 par to avoid ruins, would act with double 

 force upon S. "Rosa. It is, however, very 

 certain, that the same touch, vrhich so pow- 

 erfully characterized tiie solid masses aud 



