184 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



blending of the parts, — an intuitive sense of the beauti- 

 ful, in short, which when put in action becomes Art — this 

 feeling it is, which, unconsciously to himself, has guided 

 the mountaineer in the construction of his picturesque 

 dwelling. 



Unpretending, simple as they are, even with all their 

 rustic adornings, they never fail to be admired by the 

 stranger. The pleasing effect they produce on every be- 

 holder arises, in no small degree, from their displaying 

 no disparity between end and means : on the contrary, a 

 sense of perfect purpose is experienced as you look at 

 them ; both the forms and the construction seem to have 

 sprung naturally from the material employed. And they 

 did so : their arrangement was dictated by the various 

 wants and habits of the peasant, and by the climate of 

 the country ; their construction was in accordance with 

 the material used, and adapted to the simple tools, me- 

 chanical contrivances, and particular architectural know- 

 ledge, which the self-taught peasant had at his disposal 

 in building his dwelling. Growing up in this way, — 

 taking a form according to the man's necessities, — not 

 hiding, but rather displaying, the homely material which 

 nature had provided for it, — such a building could not 

 fail of being impressed with a decided character. There 

 is no endeavour to conceal the simple woodwork, or to 

 make it appear of some more valuable stuff than it 

 really is ; nor, above all, are forms or a construction at- 

 tempted, characteristic of, and legitimately belonging to, 

 some other material. The house always looks what it 

 is, the house of a peasant built of wood, fetched perhaps 

 from the neighbouring forest ; nor does it pretend to be 

 anything more. 



With the ornamental part of these buildings it is the 

 same. Here " ornament " is no extraneous thing, but be- 



