Intelligence and Miscellanies. 167 
to their places, and finally cleaned with care, and slightly 
revarnished, 
5thly. As the accumulation of dust arising from sweeping 
so large a room, and what is much worse, the filth of flies, 
(the most destructive enemies of painting,) if not carefully 
guarded against, renders necessary the frequent washing and 
cleaning of the surface of pictures, every repetition of which 
is injurious, I have directed curtains to be placed, which can 
e drawn in front of the whole, whenever the room is to be 
swept, as well as in the recess of the Legislature during the 
ummer, when flies are most pernicious. 
6thly. As nothing is more obvious than the impossibility 
of keeping a room warm and dry by means of fire, so long 
as doors are left open for the admission of the external air, 
I have further directed self-closing baize doors to be prepar- 
ed and placed, so that they will unavoidably close behind 
every one who shall either enter or leave the room. 
en the doors are kept closed, and fires lighted in the 
furnaces below, to supply warm air, I find the temperature 
of this vast apartment is easily maintained at about 63° of 
Fahrenheit ; and the simple precaution of closed doors be- 
ing observed, in addition to the others which I have employ- 
ed I entertain no doubt that these paintings are now per- 
fectly and permanently secured against the deleterious effects 
of dampness. 
I regret that I was not authorized to provide against the 
danger of damage by violence, whether intended or acci 
tal. Curiosity naturally leads men to touch, as well as to 
look at, objects of this kind; and, placed low as they are, 
not only the gilded frames and curtains, but the surface of 
the paintings are within the reach of spectators: repeated 
handling, even by the best intentioned and most careful, will 
in the course of a few years, produce essential damage. But 
one of the paintings testifies to the possibility of their being 
am 
approached for the very purpose of doing injury: the right foot 
unless they employed missiles of some force. 
