Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/21

 THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND

FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

INTRODUCTION.

object of this treatise is to endeavour to trace the historical sequence of the various phases of Architecture which have prevailed in the old castles and houses of Scotland, and to try to define and explain the different styles of building adopted at different periods from the twelfth century till the revival of classic architecture in modern times. The various styles of our ecclesiastical architecture have been well ascertained, and their distinctive features defined, and every one knows how much additional interest is given to the study of our old churches by a knowledge of the history of their architecture. On visiting an ancient church, one not only admires its beauties, but naturally and at once assigns it to one or other of the Gothic periods, and marks wherein its details resemble or differ from those of other contemporary examples. An infinite variety of interest is thus imported into every portion of the building, into every ornament and every moulding.

Although many excellent and well-known illustrations of our baronial and domestic architecture have been published, there is no systematic treatise on their architectural history. It is scarcely even recognised that the architecture of our castles and houses has a definite historical sequence. The interest of these buildings would therefore be very largely increased if their various styles and epochs, with the characteristics of each, can be distinctly defined. One would then know what points to specially examine, and what to look for, in order to be able to place each building, or portion of a building, in its appropriate niche, and to compare the various examples with each other, and with the corresponding buildings of other countries. Besides, nothing can be more interesting and instructive than to follow the records of our national history contained in these old castles, and to note the manners and customs of our ancestors at different epochs as reflected in them.