GENERAL REMARKS. 25 



which Julius Caesar slept at the time of his pass- 

 ing through France to invade Great Britain ; 

 which you know is almost two thousand years 

 ago. Buildings of brick and stone several 

 hundred years old are very common in Europe. 

 They are, of course, less so here, because it is 

 little more than 200 years since our ancestors 

 came over here, and began to drive away the 

 savages and erect dwellings. Yet even here 

 you will occasionally find a house nearly 200 

 years old. There are some wooden houses, 

 both in Boston and its vicinity, which are not 

 far from 150 years old. But the dwelling I 

 am going to tell you about has not yet stood 

 half a century. 



ITS BEAUTY. The house I live in is not 

 the most beautiful. It is not indeed without 

 beauty; but how would it compare with the 

 elegant temple of Solomon, in the days of its 

 glory ? or with the Arcade of Providence, the 

 Massachusetts Hospital in Boston, or the Capi- 

 tol at Washington ? Some indeed undertake 

 to say that it is a great deal more beautiful than 

 any of these ! On this point I leave you to form 

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