PREFACE.

“ I have considered the days of old .”—Psalm lxxvii. 5.

“To boke some new thing”* is now a task of no mean diffi-culty, and one as much above my ambition as it is above mypowers to accomplish; nor have I aimed at more here than em-bodying characteristic examples of the beautiful, though long-neglected Architecture of my own country with the observa-tions of sucli intelligent writers as have treated of the subject,and showing that English Architecture is still the most applicablefor English habitations.

I must repeat what has been frequently urged in my formerpublications, namely, that the object in view is not to exhibitspecimens of hovels and cheap structures, but to com bine in oneedifice as many Architectural features as can with propriety beblended : thus affording hints of what may be separated and usedas occasion shall require. It may also be necessary to observe,that when I have recommended this particular style of Architec-ture as an economical style, I have only wished to be understoodthat it is so as compared with the buildings of ancient Greece

* Gower’s “ Confessio Amantis ” was written at the request of King Richard II .who, in a conversation with the Poet, on board the royal barge on the river Thames ,desired him to “ boke some new thing,” i. e. to write a new book.— J. P. Andrews’History of Great Britain.