Every individual claims the right of indulging his own taste, in what relates to himself; but, in the public edifices of a country, the honour of the country should be considered. If we were to judge from the public buildings of the metropolis, or from the unfurnished state of its churches and theatres, we might suppose that there were no funds for their completion, or no artists competent to the task of adding ornament to utility. But a very different cause must be acknowledged: so soon as such buildings are in a state to receive the admission fees of their audiences, their purpose is completed. They may be considered as manufactories or warehouses for carrying on a species of traffic, and the external appearance is neglected as useless.
