On the contrary, when the building is
of such a class, that it can neither astonish by its beauty, nor impress
by its sublimity, and when it is likewise placed in a situation so
uninteresting as to render something more than mere fitness or propriety
necessary, and to compel the eye to expect something from the building
itself, a gentle contrast of feeling in that building is exceedingly
desirable; and if possible, a sense that something has passed away, the
presence of which would have bestowed a deeper interest on the whole
scene. The fancy will immediately try to recover this, and, in the
endeavor, will obtain the desired effect from an indefinite cause.
[Illustration: FIG. 1. Old Windows: from an early sketch by the Author.]
20. Now, the French cottage cannot please by its propriety, for it can
only be adapted to the ugliness around; and, as it ought to be, and
cannot but be, adapted to this, it is still less able to please by its
beauty. How, then, can it please? There is no pretense to gayety in its
appearance, no green flower-pots in ornamental lattices; but the
substantial style of any ornaments it may possess, the recessed windows,
the stone carvings, and the general size of the whole, unite to produce
an impression of the building having once been fit for the residence of
prouder inhabitants; of its having once possessed strength, which is now
withered, and beauty, which is now faded.
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