RURAL ARCHITECTURE. 
355 
directly beneath the living rooms. This has partly 
arisen from the circumstance of the comparative economy 
of this method of constructing them under the same 
roof; and partly from the difficulty of adding wings to 
the main building for those purposes, which will not 
mar the simplicity and elegance of a Grecian villa. In 
the better class of houses in England, the domestic 
offices, which include the kitchen and its appurtenances, 
and also the stable, coach-house, harness-room, etc., are 
in the majority of cases attached to the main body of 
the building on one side. The great advantage of 
having all these conveniences on the same floor with 
the principal rooms, and communicating in such a way 
as to be easily accessible at all times without going into 
the open air, is undeniable. It must also be admitted that 
these domestic offices, extending out from the main 
building, partly visible and partly concealed by trees and 
foliage, add much to the extent and importance of a villa 
or mansion in the country. In the old English style these 
appendages are made to unite happily with the building, 
which is in itself irregular. Picturesque effect is certainly 
increased by thus extending the pile and increasing the 
variety of its outline. 
A blind partiality for any one style in building is detri- 
mental to the progress of improvement, both in taste and 
comfort. The variety of means, habits, and local feelings, 
will naturally cause many widely different tastes to arise 
among us ; and it is only by the means of a number of 
distinct styles, that this diversity of tastes can be accom- 
modated. There will always be a large class of individuals 
in every country who prefer a plain square house because 
it is more economical, and because they have little feeling 
