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$ota3 on some 0\ti Rouses te IBcrfig, 



(Second Paper). 



By George Bailey. 



N these concluding remarks, we desire to call attention 

 to the well-known fact, that there is a meagreness 

 of detail and poorness of design, which characterise 

 all ancient houses in the lower story or ground floor. These 

 give an appearance of top-heaviness, and sometimes where 

 this has been repeated in successive stories, each being made 

 to overhang the preceding one — of absolute unsafety. It is 

 true that the lower story was, in some cases, built of stone or 

 brick, while the stories above were constructed of timber 

 frames, with lath-and-plaster, or boards between ; and in those 

 of a later date, these spaces were filled in with brick-work. 

 These latter, however, had not so great a projection as the 

 former. After both these styles had ceased, the same feature 

 was still perpetuated to some extent by means of heavy courses 

 of bricks, in the form of moulded string-courses, and heavy 

 hoods to the windows ; all these peculiarities of which we have 

 written, must have originated in some necessity. It may 

 naturally be asked, "What could that necessity have been?" 

 Doubtless the exigencies of trade, and the securing greater 

 safety in troublous times may be assigned as reasons in some 

 cases ; but these would only apply to later examples. A third 

 reason may be found in the defective manner of draining the 

 streets, which would cause the ground floor to be damp, and 

 uncomfortable, besides being unhealthy ; especially would this 

 be the case, when it is recollected, that the rain water from 





