t their
preservation is not worthy of attention.

For instance: a fine large engraving is laid flat upon the floor; a number
of smaller prints are piled upon it, until the superincumbent weight
cracks the lower glass--but this is of no importance. A valuable picture
is placed leaning against the sharp corner of a table; others are made to
lean against that, till the pressure of the whole forces the corner of the
table through the canvas of the first. The frame and glass of a fine print
are to be cleaned; the spirit and oil used on this occasion are suffered
to leak through and deface the engraving--no matter. If the glass is clean
and the frame shines, it is sufficient--the rest is not worthy of
consideration. An able arithmetician hath made a calculation, founded on
long experience, and proved that the losses and destruction incident to
two white washings are equal to one removal, and three removals equal to
one fire.

This cleansing frolic over, matters begin to resume their pristine
appearance: the storm abates, and all would be well again; but it is
impossible that so great a convulsion in so small a community should pass
over without producing some consequences. For two or three weeks after the
operation, the family are usually afflicted with sore eyes, sore throats,
or severe colds, occasioned by exhalations from wet floors and damp walls.

I know a gentleman here who is fond of accounting for everything in a
philosophical way. He considers this, what I call a custom, as a real
periodical disease peculiar to the climate. His train of reasoning is
whimsical and ingenious, but I am not at leisure to give you the detail.
The result was, that he found the distemper to be incurable; but after
much study, he thought he had discovered a method to divert the evil he
could not subdue. For this purpose, he caused a small building, about
twelve feet square, to be erected in his garden, and furnished with some
ordinary chairs and tables, and a few prints of the cheapest sort. His
hope was, that when the whitewashing frenzy seized the females of his
family, they might repair to this apartment, and scrub, and scour, and
smear to their hearts' content; and so spend the violence of the disease
in this outpost, whilst he enjoyed himself in quiet at headquarters. But
the experiment did not answer his expectation. It was impossible it
should, since a principal part of the gratification consists in the lady's
having an uncontroll