The present work was originally designed to form a volume in Burns Select Library and was written at the suggestion of the proprietor of that scries. Circumstances which have since occurred have caused it to appear in another form, and be transferred to another publisher. These would not have been alluded to even in this brief manner, had it not seemed advisable to account for the delay thus caused in the publication of a work which was advertised full two years ago, and the manuscript of which was actually complete in January, 1848. And still more, the circumstances under which the work originated, and those which have since occurred, have had a considerable effect upon the character of the volume itself. Had not its composition been proposed to me from a completely external source, without any suggestion or thought on my part, I do not say that a work of this kind might not at some time or other have appeared from my hand, but it might not have been for many years, and would probably have been on a somewhat different plan. Indeed it was not without deliberation that I undertook a work that might seem presumptuous in one who has indeed given his best attention to architectural study, and lias some familiarity with the examples of his own country, but to whom those of other lands are known by report alone, and to whom several branches of the subject were total darkness. To Hindoo, Egyptian, orS aracenic architecture I had then given no attention whatever.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the ori