xcept that which
necessarily beats into its own area. This protection, in its most usual
form, is a mere dripstone moulding carried over or round the head of the
aperture. But this is, in reality, only a contracted form of a true
_roof_, projecting from the wall over the aperture; and all protections
of apertures whatsoever are to be conceived as portions of small roofs,
attached to the wall behind; and supported by it, so long as their scale
admits of their being so with safety, and afterwards in such manner as
may be most expedient. The proper forms of these, and modes of their
support, are to be the subject of our final enquiry.

[Illustration: Fig. XLVIII.]

Sec. III. Respecting their proper form we need not stay long in doubt. A
deep gable is evidently the best for throwing off rain; even a low gable
being better than a high arch. Flat roofs, therefore, may only be used
when the nature of the building renders the gable unsightly; as when
there is not room for it between the stories; or when the object is
rather shade than protection from rain, as often in verandahs and
balconies. But for general service the gable is the proper and natural
form, and may be taken as representative of the rest. Then this gable
may either project unsupported from the wall, _a_, Fig. XLVIII., or be
carried by brackets or spurs, _b_, or by walls or shafts, _c_, which
shafts or walls may themselves be, in windows, carried on a sill; and
this, in its turn, supported by brackets or spurs. We shall glance at
the applications of each of these forms in order.

Sec. IV. There is not much variety in the case of the first, _a_, Fig.
XLVIII. In the Cumberland and border cottages the door is generally
protected by two pieces of slate arranged in a gable, giving the purest
possible type of the first form. In elaborate architecture such a
projection hardly ever occurs, and in large architecture cannot with
safety occur, without brackets; but by cutting away the greater part of
the projection, we shall arrive at the idea of a plain gabled cornice,
of which a perfect example will be found in Plate VII. of the folio
series. With this first complete form we may associate the rude, single,
projecting, penthouse roof; imperfect, because either it must be level
and the water lodge lazily upon it, or throw off the drip upon the
persons entering.

Sec. V. 2. _b_, Fig. XLVIII. This is a most beautiful and natural type,
and is found in all good architecture