PART III* ARCHITECTURE. 143 



of the possessor is displayed ; which, as observed by Cooper in 

 his " Letters on Taste" may serve to give us some idea of his 

 mental energies. 



SECT. V. OF VILLAGES. 



Numerous circumstances have contributed to lead the labour- 

 ing class to build their cottages near each other. When agricul- 

 ture was the chief employment of man, he would voluntarily 

 adopt this mode from his natural love of society. When pro- 

 perty became known, men would be compelled to it from 

 various obvious causes which it is unnecessary to mention. It 

 is sufficient for my purpose to observe, that they possessed ori- 

 ginally a large quantity of ground, on which each might erect 

 his cottage as he chose. Every individual thus forming his 

 own plan, and often executing it himself, contributed to give 

 existence to that variety in the disposition of these buildings,, 

 which we find in old villages, and which has been so justly ad- 

 mired by lovers of picturesque beauty.. 



In chusing out their given quantity of grounds, which we 

 may suppose to have been part of an extensive common, all; 

 would agree in fixing upon some dry bank near a rivulet, if 



