0;i GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE, 13 



to reduce even the moil intricate forms of this elaborate flyle to 

 the fame fimple origin. 



In the prefent flate of the queftion, the following inquiry 

 muft be confidered as falling under the denomination of, what 

 is called by Mr Stewart *, " Theoretical Hijfory^' and by fomc 

 French authors, " Hijioire raijonnee ; being an attempt to trace, 

 by conje(5lure, the fteps through which an art has pafTed, in 

 attaining the ftate in which we obferve it. Indeed it is probable, 

 that few inve (ligations have been undertaken, which more com- 

 pletely correfpond to that definition, fince, in moft fubjedls of 

 this kind, many fleps of the progrefs are known, and nothing 

 is required but to fill up, by theory, the interval between 

 them ; whereas, in the prefent cafe, as all direct teftimony is 

 wanting, and as no fteps of the actual progrefs of the art have 

 come to our knowledge, our opinions on the fubjedl, hitherto, 

 can only amount to prefumptions, founded upon the correfpon- 

 dence of the theory with the monuments of the art now in ex- 

 iftence ; and, the more numerous and complicated the cafes are, 

 in which this coincidence takes place, the greater probability 

 there is in favour of the fyftem. 



But, though fuch be the adual fituation of the inquiry, we 

 may hope to fee it, hereafter, affume a different form ; for, 

 Ihould the conjecture, brought forward in the following Eflay, 

 carry with it fufiicient plaufibility to excite a fpirit of refearch 

 among perfons beft qualified to purfue the fubjedl, there is rea- 

 fon x.<y expedl, that difcoveries may be made, of a literary or ar- 

 chitectural nature, by which its truth or falfehood will be efta- 

 blifhed beyond difpute. 



What has juft been faid will, it is hoped, ferve as my apo- 

 logy for having advanced a fyftem, which, ftridly fpeaking, 

 is founded oyi conjedlure alone ; and, on the other hand, for 

 having enumerated a multitude of particulars, many of which 



might 



* Biographical Account of Mr Smith, 



