BRICKWORK. 921 



mock stones. Such a building can never be anything but an 

 unmitigated sham, repugnant to art and incongruous to 

 science ; yet it is a fair representation of tlie average modern 

 building. 



Ruskin lays down the axiom that construction may be 

 ornamented, but that ornament ought not to be constructed ; 

 yet cement fronts of the present time are usually constructive 

 ornament in its most unblushing form. I do not mean to say 

 that cement is not a legitimate building material, even for 

 decorative purposes, — on the contrary, it has many sterling 

 qualities to recommend its use; but the facility with which it 

 lends itself to tlie imitation of stonework is not one of them. 



The practice of plastering exterior wall faces is not 

 altogether of modern origin ; but whenever it was used in 

 former days it was employed in such a manner as to truth- 

 fully proclaim its nature, for no attempt was ever made to 

 imitate stone, or indeed any other material. In order to 

 explain my meaning 1 refer you to the sheet of sketches I 

 have made, where some of the old methods of treating 

 external plaster-work are depicted. 



One indomitable law of nature is always in force, that is, 

 change. Sometimes alterations may be difhcult to discern, 

 at other times their rapidity is more accentuated, and from 

 present indications I believe the near future will see a great 

 cliange in the popular appreciation of brick architecture. In 

 many parts of the Old World a most decided revulsion 

 against the monotonous and insipid tint of cement, and a 

 desire to return to honest brickwork, is manifested. Even in 

 Australia the public seem to be more tolerant of brick facings 

 than formerly, and I feel convinced that a decided preference 

 for good brickwork would soon become more genei'al if sound 

 material of a pleasing tone was more largely produced. 



Unfortunately, our bricks are usually of a very uneven 

 colour, varying in tint to such an extent as to render any- 

 thing like unifoi'mity almost impossible. Even where bricks 

 resemble each other in colour the general tone is usually 

 anything but pleasing, so that sometimes the work will look 

 pale and insipid, sometimes dark and dingy, and at other 

 times fiercely glaring, but seldom of that warm subdued tone 

 which leaves such a pleasant memory in the mind. 



Tuck-pointing. 



In order to overcome uneven colour and objectionable tone, 

 it is usually considered essential that brick laces should be 



