No. 15. KlNGSBURY, THE RESIDENCE OF THOMAS HARRIS, EsQ. KINGSBURY, which is situated on the Edgeware Road, near the village of that name, may be described as a grass farm, the grounds of which have been ornamented by plantations of select trees and shrubs, and the house enlarged by additional rooms. To one of these rooms a large conservatory is attached, and with this conservatory is connected a series of green-houses and hot-houses, containing, as is well known, one of the finest collections of plants in this country, managed by Mr. Beaton, one of our first botanical gardeners. To a person accustomed to live in the confined limits of a London street house, it is a great luxury to get possession of a group of farm buildings, where there is ample room to make additions on every side. The secret of enjoying this luxury consists, in a great measure, in adding, rather than in altering; because it may be laid down as a fundamental principle, that it is quite impossible to get all the advantages of a new house by altering an old one. Any old house, however, that is not in a state of decay, may be rendered comfortable and commodious (though not well arranged) by additions. When these additions are made under the direction of an architect of taste, very picturesque effects may frequently be produced: but there are not many architects, of the old school, at least, who understand how this is to be managed; in short, how the additions to an inelegant house may be made elegant, and the effect of the whole group, however irregular, rendered symmetrical. This is not the place for going into details, but we shall do this so far as to observe, in order to give an idea of the data on which we found our opinion, - 1. that no object, either in nature or art, can be truly beautiful that is not symmetrical; 2. that there is a regular symmetry, and an irregular symmetry, and that all picturesque assemblages belong to the latter class; 3. that every symmetrical object consists of three parts, the centre or axis, and the sides; and. 4. that in assemblages of low buildings, such as those of a farm-house and offices, where the sides are given and the axis is wanting, it may be supplied by an Italian or other tower, campanile, or clock turret.
