The Romans, either unable to compose in the simple elegance and beauty of the Grecian style, or feeling its want of adaptation to the multifarious usages of a more luxurious state of society, created for themselves what is generally considered a less beautiful and perfect, yet which is certainly a more rich, varied, and, if we may use the term, accommodating style. The Roman style is distinguished from its prototype by the introduction of arched openings over the doors and windows, story piled over story,-often with columns of different orders-instead of the simple unbroken line of the Greek edifices. In decoration, the buildings in this style vary from plain, unornamented exteriors, to the most highly decorated facades; and instead of being confined to the few fixed principles of the Greek, the greatest latitude is often observed in the proportions, forms, and decorations of buildings in the Roman style. These very circumstances, while they rendered the style less perfect as a fine art, or for public edifices, gave it a pliability or facility of adaptation, which fits it more completely for domestic purposes. For this reason, a great portion of the finest specimens of the modern domestic architecture of the other continent is to be found in the Roman style.* (* Perhaps the finest facade of a private residence, in America, is that of the "Patroon's house," near Albany, the ancient seat of the Van Rensselaer family, lately remodelled and improved by that skilful architect, Mr. Upjohn, of New York.)
