jent, countries; the neceffary effects of fimilar neceffity and
materials j older and younger brothers and filters of the fame
family, conceived, brought up, and bred to more or lefs grandeur,
elegance and perfection, in the Egyptian, Hindoo, and
other artificial grottos and caverns. \The pyramid, the obelilk,
the fpire fteeple and minaret, are evidently bold/ ftupendous
imitations, of the romantic forms of fpiry, towering rocks,
which the imitators of humble huts never prefumed to attempt.
1 The. fiatproef hundred-pillàred Egyptian temple, the
Indian pagoda, and choultry, are as evident copies of the numerous
caverns, cqqI grottos, and excavations in the rocky
banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt, and in the ifland of Ele-
phanta and Salfette near' Bombay. * Gloom and darknefs are
common and ddfirable .to both ; for Fancy works beft when
involved in the veil of obfçurity. The arched vault and lofty
dome was not fuggefted to the Egyptians and oldeft Hindoos
by the grotto and ftered caverns in granite mountains p( they
are the natural forms bf! other caverns, and in particular the
feoaft, the ftrength, ; and glory of more modem Moorifh and
Gothic temples. I f the ftirgleor grouped pillars, in many
of the props and fupports of artificial caverns, fliould appear
heavy, they mùft be regarded as having been originally ^wops
to mountains ; and fuch would be retained in common ufe,
till experience found out eafier and more pleafing proportions j
and till afpiring genius, at the fight of airy and lofty caverns,
dared to give them lightnefs, and all the fanciful forms and
graces o f the Gothic liyJe.
Such are my fentiments on, the origin of thefe different
modes pf architecture. The Grecian cohfeffedly .wks'1^ - 1
gefted by the primitive form of a rural hut hr a champaign
woody country; and the Oriental and Gothic I conceive has
derived its form and its ornaments from thofe- furprizing excavations
which are found in rocky and mountainous regions..
In India thefe heterogeneous fpecies o f building are feldom
found combined; and I mention the inftanee which gave..rife,
toftbis difeuffionas very Angular indeed; ( By what1 means
this unnatural union has taken place it is impoftible to deter-
i-mine; and conje&iire Would only lead us aftray from the object,
of thefe pages, which is a narrative and' defeription of
fa<fts.