ery expert in their
art. It will add considerably to the expense, and I would not have
incurred it, but that I was sensible of its necessity. The price of the
model will be fifteen guineas. 1 shall know, in a few days, the cost of
the drawings, which probably will be the triple of the model: however,
this is but conjecture. I will make it as small as possible, pay it, and
render you an account in my next letter. You will find, on examination,
that the body of this building covers an area but two fifths of that
which is proposed and begun; of course, it will take but about one
half the bricks; and, of course, this circumstance will enlist all the
workmen, and people of the art, against the plan. Again, the building
begun is to have four porticoes; this but one. It is true that this
will be deeper than those were probably proposed, but even if it be made
three columns deep, it will not take half the number of columns. The
beauty of this is insured by experience, and by the suffrage of the
whole world: the beauty of that is problematical, as is every drawing,
however well it looks on paper, till it be actually executed: and though
I suppose there is more room in the plan begun, than in that now sent,
yet there is enough in this for all the three branches of government,
and more than enough is not wanted. This contains sixteen rooms; to wit,
four on the first floor, for the General Court, Delegates, lobby, and
conference. Eight on the second floor, for the Executive, the Senate,
and six rooms for committees and juries: and over four of these smaller
rooms of the second floor, are four mezzininos or entresols, serving as
offices for the clerks of the Executive, the Senate, the Delegates, and
the Court in actual session. It will be an objection, that the work
is begun on the other plan. But the whole of this need not be taken to
pieces, and of what shall be taken to pieces, the bricks will do for
inner work. Mortar never becomes so hard and adhesive to the bricks, in
a few months, but that it may be easily chipped off. And upon the whole,
the plan now sent will save a great proportion of the expense.

Hitherto, I have spoken of the capital only. The plans for the prison,
also, accompany this. They will explain themselves. I send, also,
the plan of the prison proposed at Lyons, which was sent me by the
architect, and to which we are indebted for the fundamental idea of
ours. You will see, that of a great thing a very small one