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ness of such deformity is gradually softened 

 by new boughs and foliage, they often be- 

 come in a high degree picturesque. 



In buildings and other artificial objects, 

 the same principles operate in the same 

 manner. The ugliest buildings are those 

 which have no feature, no character; those, 

 in short, which most nearly approach to 

 the shape, " if shape it may be called/' of 

 a clamp of brick, the ugliness of which no 

 one will dispute. It is melancholy to re- 

 flect on the number of houses in this king- 

 dom that seem to have been built on that 

 model ; and if they are less ugly, it is 

 chiefly owing to the sharpness of their an- 

 gles^ and to their having, on that account, 

 something more of a decided and finished 

 form. The term which most expresses 

 what is shapeless, is that of a lump ; and 

 it generally indicates what is detached from 

 other objects, what is without any variation 

 of parts in itself, or any material difference 

 in length, breadth, or height; a sort of 

 equality that appears best to accord with 

 £he monotony of ugliness. Still, however, 



o 3 



