163 



An object of a sober tint unexpectedly 

 gilded by the sun, is like a serious counte- 

 nance suddenly lighted up by a smile; a 

 whitened object, like the eternal grin of 

 a fool*. 



I wish, however, to be understood, that 

 when I speak of white-wash and whitened 

 buildings, I mean that glaring white which 

 is produced by lime alone, or without a 

 sufficient quantity of any lowering ingre- 

 dient; for there cannot be a greater, or a 

 more immediate improvement, than that 

 of giving to a fiery brick building the tint 

 of a stone one. No person, I believe, has 

 any doubt that stone (such as Bath and 

 Portland, and many others which pass 

 under the general name of free-stone) is 

 the most beautiful material for building; 



* Even very white teeth (where excess of whiteness is 

 least to be feared) if seen too much, oftea give a kind 

 of sill)' look, that seems to belong to the part itself : no- 

 thing can be more characteristic of that effect, than Mr. 

 Walpole's well known expression of " the gentleman with 

 the foolish teeth." Those gentlemen who deal much in 

 pure white-wash, might well be distinguished by the same 

 «?onapliment being paid to their buildings, 



M 2 



