341 



TOin its Tieatnos^ and cokxur, is remarkably 

 pleasiriLi'. • It is no less picturesque, when 

 in OSS j, ragged, ^nd sunk in among the 

 rafters in decay ; a species of that charac- 

 ter, lioweveV, which the keenes-t lover of it," 

 would rather see on another's property than 

 on his own. But between the two periods of 

 neatness, and of pictnres(^ne decay, particu- 

 larly in the approach towards the latter, 

 thatch has something of a damp dirty look ; 

 and, what would often induce me to prefer 

 tile or slate, that dampness is increased lx)th 

 in reality and appearanee, by trees or climb- 

 ing plants hanging or creeping over it : 

 whereas anv coverins: of a hard material, 

 may without injury be half concealed by 

 cither of them ; and it rarely happens' that 

 there is any thing in the look of a cover- 

 ing, that could make one regret its partial 

 concealment. 



In all that relates to cottages, hamlets, 

 and villages, to the grouping of them, and 

 their mixture with trees andcHmbing plants, 

 the best ihstruction m'ay be gained from the 

 works of the Ihitcb and Flemish masters ; 



