346 



habitaiion, ^vhich, at the same time that 

 they suggest pleasing reflections to an ob- 

 serving mind, are sure to afford delight to 

 the painter's eye. 



An obvious and easy method of rebuild- 

 ing a village (and one which unfortunately 

 has been put in practice) is to place the 

 houses on two parallel lines, to make them 

 of the same size and shape, and at equal 

 distances from each other. Such a metho- 

 dical aiTano-ement saves all further thousjht 

 and invention ; but it is hardly necessary 

 to say that nothing can be more formal and 

 insipid. Other regular plans of a bet- 

 ter kind have been proposed ; but it seems 

 to me, that symmetry, which in cities, and 

 generally in all the higher styles of archi- 

 tecture produces such grand effects, is less 

 suited to humbler scenes and buildings. 



The characteristic beauties of a village, 

 as distinct from a city, are intricacy, variety, 

 and play of outline : and whatever is done, 

 should be with a design to promote those 

 objects. The houses should, therefore, be 

 disposed with that view, and should differ 



