394t Mode of connecting the Greenhouse and Library. 



Art. IV. To connect a Greenhouse tuith a Library (in Effect}, at 

 the same Time that one End is built against that End of the Room 

 that contains the Fireplace. By J. R. 



We have applied windows over fireplaces here in many in- 

 stances, and have found them very convenient; and the flues also 

 had a good draught : but we have recently employed a window 

 over a fireplace in a very 'peculiar way, and one that I am certain 

 you would be delighted with. 



The room in which the alteration is made is Mr. Paxton's 

 office, with two windows in front (the longest way of the room); 

 these had to be of ground glass, as the walk to the front door 

 had to pass them. The object of the alteration was to obtain a 

 general view from the window, without the room being over- 

 looked, and also to have a view of the entrance gate ; but neither 

 of these could be acomplished without an opening in that end of 

 the room which contained the fireplace, and against which the end 

 of the greenhouse was built. A window over the fireplace was 

 therefore settled on ; but a difficulty presented itself, which was, 

 that upon certain occasions the room must not appear to have a 

 window in the end, as the greenhouse could not be overlooked ; 

 however, with the assistance of a frame built in the wall, lines, 

 pulleys, &c, we got over this, constructing the affair so that by 

 pulling a seeming bell-rope, we could either have a window, 

 mirror, or neither, over the fireplace at pleasure. The first in- 

 tention was to have both a mirror and window seen at once, 

 the former over the latter ; and when the mirror was drawn 

 down over the window at any time, the space it left was to contain 

 a landscape exactly similar to the actual view from the window 

 when the mirror was up. This would have been a most interesting 

 piece of deception; but it was abandoned, because when the mirror 

 was drawn up it was too high to be of any use, and by having 

 both, it kept the window low : so we contented ourselves with a 

 larger window and mirror, and to use them alternately. The 

 shelf of the chimneypiece forms the window bottom, and on this 

 stands a handsome frame round the opening, which serves as an 

 architrave to the window and a frame to the mirror. Both 

 window and mirror are hung in the manner of common sashes, 

 and they are drawn up into a framework built in the wall by 

 seeming bell-pulls hanging in the recesses on either side of 

 the breastwork, and connected with ropes and pulleys. The 

 mirror and window are each in one sheet of large plate glass, 

 and are drawn down by little bits of brass inserted flush in the 

 under part of the frames with an opening for the finger. When ■ 

 the mirror comes down it shows a frame all round ; but the 

 lower frame of the window sinks into the sill, so that the glass 

 is level with the marble chimney shelf, thereby offering no in- 





