Except in the cases of some royal domains, the examples of such venerable edifices are becoming more and more scarce; partly from the prevalence of bad taste, that generally accompanies wealth suddenly acquired, and partly from the propensity which dictates the pulling down and rebuilding, rather than preserving and restoring the ancient specimens of former magnificence. This erroneous practice is further increased by the fashion of detaching the mansion from its natural dependancies, rather than combining it with them. Amongst these, perhaps, there was none deemed more appropriate, in old times, than the church or chapel, or family place of burial and worship. This, so far from casting the gloom which modern times have annexed to such combinations, was formerly considered as an object of pride and pleasure to the living, by combining the associated remembrance of many generations of the same family.
