Page iv

iv
elegant, lively, and festive style, is se~en in the various ruins of Hercu-
laneum and Pompeii.
  It is not unusual to see Gothic ornaments introduced and intermixed
with those more properly appertaining to the Elizabethan period; a
practice contrary to propriety and reason; and frequently in the same
edifice, even in those laying claim to taste, we see the different styles
of
Gothic, from the early Saxon to the more depraved 'Henry the Eighth's,
mingled together, and forming an indescribable mass, alike discreditable
to the possessor and designer. The same remarks will apply with equal
force to the union of the pure Greek and Roman,--that of the Cinque
Cento; and Gothic specimens of the ill-assorted union are to be found
even in Italy.
  It will be one of the objects of this work to remedy the evil which
has rendered those of the present day so defective, by placing before
the decorator efficient designs, gathered from authorities., It will also
be attempted, by a careful development of the principles of the pic-
turesque as applied to decoration, with respect to form, light, shade,,
and colour, to bring a better character and taste into the style of the
present day.
  Efforts will also be made to define the ornaments and attributes of
Gothic and Elizabethan decoration, as well as those of the French
styles, and to remove the mistaken notion that our forefathers inhabited
rooms in which colour and every other principle was superseded by the
universal use of oak panelling.
   The plates will be accompanied with explanatory remarks, containing
the origin, utility, and properties of the different ornaments; and will
serve to expedite and assist the workman in the execution of the design.