C>62 



the correspondence between the parts being 

 also much less obvious than in Grecian ar- 

 chitecture, the whole has often an appa- 

 rent irregularity, and from these circum- 

 stances many Gothic structures, even in 

 $*eir entire and perfect state, display a 

 marked picturesque character. That cha- 

 racter, however, cannot but be end'eased 

 hy decay : abruptness and irregularity are 

 two of its principal sources, and conse- 

 quently every building must be more pic- 

 tatesque in a ruinous state, than it was when 

 entire ; for, in a perfect habitable building, 

 however abruptly and irregularly the lines 

 of the walls and roofs may cross each other, 

 yet each break which decay occasions in 

 them, at once encreases both their irregu- 

 larity and their abruptness. 



Of all ruins, those of the ancient Greek 

 and Roman buildings'areon many accounts 

 the most interesting : In no other buildings 

 are 'the rival qualities of grandeur and 

 beauty so happily united; and to that union 

 is added the prejudice in favour of their 

 high antiquity, and of their being the pro- 



