Hitherto we have seen spacious porticos placed at an inconvenient distance from the ground ; halls and saloons occupying a great proportion of the middle of the main building ; most of the apartments rendered thorough fares ; ceilings thrown into deep compartments ; walls covered with heavy tabernacle frames ; and both these, and doors, windows, and chimneys, loaded with clumsy stucco ornaments : all this proves, that magnificence more than comfort or convenience has been consulted. The imitation of the Italian arrangement and decoration seems also to hate exclusively occupied the attention of the architect ; but, having acquired a facility in the ex ( rcisc of the art of imitation, the next step was to accom modate his works to the climate in which they were to be placed, and render them suitable to the wants and habits of the occupiers. This opened a new and exten sive field for genius and taste, and the changeable dis position of a wealthy society afforded sufficient opportu nities for introducing variety. We shall now give a short description of several mansions constructed in this im proved style, and also adduce some engraved specimens.
Amongst the earliest and most successful practitioners of this new mode, was Robert Adam : he discovered the impropriety of introducing into private dwellings the gigantic proportions and decorations of Roman temples; he noticed also the too rigid adherence to the Greek or ders in all situations, however ill adapted ; he endeavour ed to correct these defects by introducing variety in his external facades, modelling pilasters, entablatures, sculp tures, and other decorations, to suit each particular work and situation. For the interior he introduced a greater
variety of forms into his apartments, likewise light and gay finishings, as painted ceilings, slender mouldings, pilasters and friezes tt ith light grotesque stucco and paint ed ornaments, and fanciful and delicate foliage. It can not be denied, that he, in various instances, transgressed the limits of propriety; but is it surprising, that, imme diately after having broken the trammels, he should not always confine himself within the strict boundary of cor rect taste ? and it will be admitted that he is delicate and gay, even amidst a profusion of ornaments, many of which might have been spared ; as at the entrance into the Ade1phi, and the gate to Sion House.