Nothing, on the contrary, can be more injurious than the slightest
influence of the _humors_ upon the edifice; for the influence of what is
fitful in its energy, and petty in its imagination, would destroy all
the harmony of parts, all the majesty of the whole; would substitute
singularity for beauty, amusement for delight, and surprise for
veneration. We could name several instances of buildings erected by men
of the highest talent, and the most perfect general taste, who yet, not
having paid much attention to the first principles of architecture,
permitted the humor of their disposition to prevail over the majesty of
their intellect, and, instead of building from a fixed design, gratified
freak after freak, and fancy after fancy, as they were caught by the
dream or the desire; mixed mimicries of incongruous reality with
incorporations of undisciplined ideal; awakened every variety of
contending feeling and unconnected memory; consummated confusion of form
by trickery of detail; and have left barbarism, where half the world
will look for loveliness.
167. This is a species of error which it is very difficult for persons
paying superficial and temporary attention to architecture to avoid:
however just their taste may be in criticism, it will fail in creation.
It is only in moments of ease and amusement that they will think of
their villa: they make it a mere plaything, and regard it with a kind of
petty exultation, which, from its very nature, will give liberty to the
light fancy, rather than the deep feeling, of the mind.
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