However partial we may be to grand and extensive prospects, they are never advisable for the situation of a house, in which convenience and comfort should doubtless take the lead of every other consideration. The frequent rains, and violent storms of wind, to which all mountainous countries are exposed, have taught the inhabitants not only to choose warm valleys for their houses, but have also introduced a style of architecture peculiarly suited to those situations: the small towns of Llangollen and Corwen, as well as those in the mountains of Switzerland, have all low sheds, or penthouses, under which the inhabitants may take shelter from occasional driving storms. The arcade of Gothic architecture is infinitely more applicable to such situations than the lofty portico of Greece, which is rather calculated for those warm regions where man wants protection from the vertical beams of a burning sun. I hope, therefore, that both the character and situation of RUG, will justify a* design for a new house, which may possess a degree of grandeur and magnificence not incompatible with modern convenience. *[This Red Book having been written in 1793, it was before I had the advantage of my son's architectural assistance; and the design here mentioned was that of my ingenious friend Mr. Wilkins, who built one of the best houses in England for Earl Moira, at DONNINGTON, in a correct Gothic style, and under whom my son was at that time studying: for reasons, which I had no right to inquire into, the plan for the house was not adopted; in every other respect, however, my plans have there been followed in the most gratifying manner.]
