. An encyclopædia of gardening; . d nations of antiquity, let us not hastily reject everyother style as devoid of congruity, or unsuitable for being applied fo constructions of useor beauty. 7234. TJie origin of the different styles of architectttre are usually traced to imitations oftemporary structures formed of timber or of rough trees ; and thus the Grecian column,with its capital ornamented with foliage, has been called an imitation of the trunk of apalm, with the petioles of its recently dropped leaves still adhering; the Gothic archesand tracery have been likened to wicker-work, or the
. An encyclopædia of gardening; . d nations of antiquity, let us not hastily reject everyother style as devoid of congruity, or unsuitable for being applied fo constructions of useor beauty. 7234. TJie origin of the different styles of architectttre are usually traced to imitations oftemporary structures formed of timber or of rough trees ; and thus the Grecian column,with its capital ornamented with foliage, has been called an imitation of the trunk of apalm, with the petioles of its recently dropped leaves still adhering; the Gothic archesand tracery have been likened to wicker-work, or the intersecting branches of an avenue ;and the Chinese style to the imitation of a tent supported by bamboo. But the imitationof nature is the last thing that occurs in the progress of improvement; and though theabove opinions may not be without their use as a sort of hypothesis for composition ; yetit appears much more probable that styles of building have taken 705their origin, jointly from the ma-terials the country afforded, and. the wants of the people. Ac-cording to this hypothesis, theGrecian may be consideredfounded on the use of planks ofstone, in the same way as beams of timber (Jig. 705. a) ; the Gothic, by the use of smallstones, held together by their position (b); and the Hindoo, by the use of small stones,held together by superincumbent weight (c). The Doric temple (Jig. 706.) is easilytraced in this way to its prototype of wood ; but though the idea be supported by theaiithority of Vitruvius, it should never be considered as any thing more than mereconjecture. 7235. The progress which architecture has made in Britain, in modern times, is matterof greater certainty; and Repton, vdth his usual taste, has furnished an ingenious Book IV. FORMING THE SCENERY OF RESIDENCES. 1013 the partiality of individuals, in affixing different degrees of importance to each consideration. Hence it isobvious, that there can be no danger of sameness in any two designs conducted on prin
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade18, booksubjectgardening, bookyear1826
