length, the breadth, the height, the windows, raife each of them feparately an emotion. These emotions are fimilar; and though faint when felt feparately, they prom duce in conjunction the emotion of concord or harmony, which is extremely pleasant, On the other hand, where the length of a room far exceeds the breadth, the mind comparing together parts fo intimately connected, immediately perceives a difagreement or disproportion which difgufts. But this is not all. Viewing them, feparately, different emotions are produced, that of grandeur, from the great length, and that of meannefs or littlenefs from the fmall breadth, which in union are difagreeable by their difcordance. Hence it is, that a long gallery, however convenient for exercife, is not an agreeable figure of a room. We confider it, like a stable, as deftined for ufe, and expect not that in any other refpect it fhould be agreeable.

Regularity and proportion are effential in buildings deftined chiefly or folely to please. the eye, because they are the means to produce intrinfic beauty. But a skilful artist U u VOL III.

will

will not confine his view to regularity and proportion. He will also study propriety, which is perceived when the form and ornaments of a ftructure are fuited to the purpose for which it is appointed. The fenfe of propriety dictates the following rule, That every building ought to have an expreffion corresponding to its destination. A palace ought to be fumptuous and grand; a private dwelling, neat and modeft; a playhoufe, gay and fplendid; and a monument, gloomy and melancholy. A Heathen temple has a double deftination: it is confidered chiefly as a house dedicated to fome divinity; and in that refpect it ought to be grand, elevated, and magnificent: it is confidered alfo as a place of worship; and in that refpect it ought to be fomewhat dark or gloomy; because dimness produces that tone of mind which is fuited to humility and devotion. A Chriftian church is not confidered as a houfe for the Deity, but merely a place of worship it ought therefore to be decent and plain, without much ornament a fituation ought to be chofen, humble and retired; because the congregation, during

worship,

worship, ought to be humble and difengaged from the world. Columns, befide their chief deftination of being fupports, contribute to that peculiar expreffion which the destination of a building requires: columns of different proportions, ferve to exprefs loftinefs, lightnefs, &c. as well as ftrength. Situation alfo may contribute to expression: conveniency regulates the fituation of a private dwelling-house; but, as I have had occafion to obferve*, the fituation of a palace ought to be lofty.

And this leads me to examine, whether the fituation of a great houfe, where the artift is limited in his choice, ought in any measure to regulate its form. The connection betwixt a great house and the neighbouring grounds, though not extremely intimate, demands however fome congruity. It would, for inftance, difpleafe us to find an elegant building thrown away upon a wild uncultivated country: congruity requires a polished field for fuch a building; and befide the pleasure of congruity, the fpectator

Chap. 10.

Uu 2

is

is fenfible of the pleasure of concordance from the fimilarity of the emotions produced by the two objects. The old Gothic form of building feems well fuited to the rough uncultivated regions where it was invented. The only mistake was, the transferring this form to the fine plains of France and Italy, better fitted for buildings in the Grecian tafte. But by refining upon the Gothic form, every thing in the power of invention has been done, to reconcile it to its new fituation. The profufe variety of wild and grand objects about Inverary, demanded a house in the Gothic form; and every one muft approve the tafte of the proprietor, in adjufting fo finely, as he has done, the appearance of his house to that of the country where it is placed........!,

The external ftructure of a great house, leads naturally to its internal ftructure. A large and fpacious room, receives us commonly upon our entrance. This feems to me a bad contrivance in feveral respects. In the first place, when immediately from the open air we step into fuch a room, its fize in appearance is diminished by contraft: it looks

Hook's little compared with the great canopy the fky In the next place, when it recovers its grandeur, as it foon doth, it gives. a diminutive appearance to the rest of the houfe: paffing from it, every apartment looks little. This room therefore may be aptly compared to the fwoln commencement of an epic poem.

Bella per Emathios plufquam civilia campos.

In the third place, by its fituation it ferves only for a waiting-room, and a paffage to the principal apartments. And yet undoubtedly, the room of the greateft fize ought to be referved for company. A great room, which enlarges the mind and gives a certain elevation to the fpirits, is deftined by nature for converfation. Rejecting therefore this form, I take a hint from the climax in writing for another form that appears more fuitable. My plan is, first a handsome portico, proportioned to the fize and fashion of the front: this portico leads into a waiting-room of a larger fize; and this again to the great

room,