2

As regards style, the preference must undoubtedly be given to theOld English —or rather, Grecian is entirely out of the question, exceptindeed the offices be put quite out of sight, and only the front elevationof the house exposed to view. Or should any other style besides thefirst mentioned be desired, the Italian—not the Palladian, but thatwhich affects porches and turrets rather than porticoes, and projectingroofs rather than entablatures—might be adopted; and by the license itallows, as well as by dispensing with regularity, would afford nearlyequal facilities to the architect, although it would hardly be so generallypleasing, for such a purpose, as something more strictly English .

An inspection of the plan belonging to this design, will not only con-firm what has been above observed, inasmuch as it is obvious that theparlour and the dining room alone, on the ground floor, would form avery insignificant house as a residence; but it will also, it is to behoped, be allowed to display sufficient attention to convenience. Con-nected with the porch, but still independent of the house, is a smalloffice, where the master would transact business, and pay his labourers.The projection thus caused not only gives variety to the elevation, butserves to render the porch better sheltered from wind, and less exposedto view from the farm yards. The porch itself, again, is so inclosed,and so deep as to form an inviting-looking entrance, and would properlyadmit of seats within it. The dining room and the parlour open intoeach other, and are so situated with regard to the rest of the groundfloor, as to be sufficiently detached from the kitchen and other offices,at the same time that they are quite close to the latter; the door of thekitchen being so placed as to admit no view into it from the vestibule,or in passing up stairs. The situation, too, of the staircase is such, thatwhile this part serves to extend the vestibule, without making the latterappear larger than is desirable in a house of this description, it is at asufficient distance from the entrance, a circumstance that should always,if practicable, be attended to, as there are few things which detract morefrom the appearance of privacy, than a staircase close to the outer doorof a vestibule; besides which, it admits sounds to the chambers above.*

* It is but proper to observe, that the plan of the very next design, exhibits an instance of