160 



ARCHITECTURE. 



BOOK I. 



rally preferable to the rest. The happy art of chusing striking 

 situations seems lost since the days when our forefathers were 

 compelled for safety to build only on islands, isolated rocks, or 

 otherwise almost inaccessible places. It is a lamentable fact, that 

 in Scotland, where good and often romantic situations are so 

 abundant that it might seem difficult to avoid them, and where 

 several architects of considerable merit have appeared, scarcely 

 one of these situations has been advantageously appropriated 

 for more than a century past. 



3dly, The next requisite of a' good situation is, that the views 

 toward the surrounding scenery be agreeable. The great art 

 of accomplishing this lies in disposing the apartments properly. 

 When symmetry is to prevail in the building, this cannot. al- 

 ways be accomplished ; but when it is irregular, which, as for- 

 merly observed, should generally be the case in the country, 

 there can be little difficulty. By means of projections and re- 

 cesses, the principal apartments may easily be contrived so as 

 to comprehend all the chief views, and this in an appropriate 

 manner. The breakfasting room, for example, should front a 

 morning scene, and, present somewhat of a prospect to invite to 

 exercise during the day : the draw T ing-room should be so dis- 

 posed as to shew the effects of the setting sun, &c. In every 

 view, some object should appear sufficiently striking to charac- 

 terize it ; as a hill, a spire, &c. ; for unless this be the case, it 



