The Street Architecture of London. 183 



cross. Paved covered ways, as in Paris, are most desirable. 

 Having agreed upon these points, we now, to our dismay, ap- 

 proached the subject of public fountains, and our companion 

 inquired why we had not pointed out in our rambles some of 

 the many which he understood had lately been erected ; we 

 never felt more ashamed in being obliged to reply that we 

 could not point out a single one deserving his notice, and that 

 we had purposely avoided what we had hoped he had over- 

 looked. Our friend saw our chagrin, and referring to the 

 architecture of our recent buildings, he observed that he 

 thought our medievalists had run wild in their productions ; 

 that buildings of that style when carefully studied and not 

 caricatured were most picturesque, and formed a pleasing con- 

 trast with the classic and Italian ; that in respect of our Italian 

 designs they were in most instances wanting in the careful 

 study, which is expected from the hands of a travelled and 

 accomplished architect. 



The last day of our friend's visit was reserved for a bonne 

 bouche ; adejeune a la fourchette at Richmond; a visit of course 

 to the Tunnel, and a white bait finale at Greenwich, with a 

 previous two hours round the Hospital, followed by a glorious 

 sunset, completely smoothed down all the little disappoint- 

 ments he had met with in our street architecture. We made 

 our adieus at the London and Dover Railway Station, with a 

 promise on our parts to make the return visit to Paris next 

 year at the great National expositiou. 



