OLD HOUSES OF DERBY. 3 1 



Large's Almshouses, Plate V., are of Hanoverian style, of 

 the reign of George II. ; they are dated 1760. 



Besides these old houses in Derby, of which we have given 

 illustrations, there are not a few in the neighbourhood. At 

 Burnaston may be seen quite a number of pretty half-timbered 

 cottages, and a very fine old farm-house ; and at Breadsall will 

 be found several cottages. 



We have been much gratified to see the excellent restoration 

 which has been made of the Old Hall at Breadsall ; it is 

 eminently satisfactory, and Sir J. H. Crewe may be well con- 

 gratulated on the good taste which dictated the preservation of 

 that old family relic. Generally, " restorations," as they are 

 popularly designated, are " destructions." How many interest- 

 ing old Churches have been " restored " quite away, and a 

 new structure erected ? the sight of which only causes reflections 

 of anything but an agreeable nature, and gives rise to expres- 

 sions not at all flattering to the perpetrators of such acts of 

 stupid vandalism. But while the unnecessary destruction of 

 old places and things is condemned, it must not be understood 

 that we are in favour of tying men down to a slavish imitation 

 of such remains in designing others ; there is far too much of 

 this already. We are surrounded on all sides by valuable 

 materials from which to construct something new ; therefore, 

 let each man act according to his own idiosyncrasy in all 

 matters of art, without the trammels which would-be critics too 

 often endeavour to throw around it. The more the mind is 

 filled with these fragments, so to speak, the more likely is it, 

 by combining them, to produce new and pleasing forms and effects, 

 just as by a shake of the Kaleidoscope new forms are produced, 

 although it is only from the same bits of glass, and the same 

 in number ; but by re-arrangement producing new and pleasing 

 patterns — so will the independent mind, if it has free play, 

 discover original designs. By not being condemned to work 

 after a set of traditions, genius will succeed in producing end- 

 less variety and novelty ; but if it be tied down to tradition, 

 and to work according to a certain set of what may well be 



