Beautiful plans might be suggested for magnificent buildings, if the designers were alike reckless of cost and of time of construction, and those who had honestly confined themselves to the prescribed conditions felt, with some reason, aggrieved at finding the violators of them applauded and rewarded. Although there was, in the opinion of the Commissioners, much of beauty and genius, and many suggestions of value, yet none of the plans approached their own idea of what was requisite. It was therefore resolved that the Commission should itself originate one, availing themselves of the hints contained in these plans. In the mean time, Mr. Paxton, who had devised and successfully carried out a new kind of architecture, the chief material of which was glass, came to their assistance. He drew the plans of his singular design, and was fortunate enough to find in Messrs. Fox and Henderson a firm capable of supplying all those mechanical details necessary for its success, and even of contracting to execute the work in a period of time so short that it will probably long remain unrivalled in the art of construction. The Commission accepted this offer, and the present beautiful building arose as if by magic. Amongst all the curious and singular products which the taste, the skill, the industry of the world, have confided to the judgment of England, there will be found within that crystal envelope, few whose manufacture can claim a higher share of our admiration than that palace itself, which shelters these splendid results of advanced civilization. The building itself was regularly manufactured. Simple in its construction, and requiring the multiplied repetition of few parts, its fabrication was contrived with consummate skill. The internal economy with which its parts were made and put together on the spot was itself a most instructive study.[8] [8] The reader will find very interesting details and drawings of this manufacture in the “Illustrated London News,” and in the “Expositor.” CHAPTER VIII. PRICES. The great mass of consumers are always anxious to know the _price_ of a commodity. To them it is the most essential consideration in a purchase. The thoughtless rich care little about the price, and those who don’t intend to pay, care still less about it. The most knowing of this latter class, indeed, often deceive the vigilance of honest tradesmen by affecting a peculiar earnestness about cheapness. It is quite true that many well-known articles in great demand have a certain market price, and some a certain fixed price; as for instance, a penny roll. In this latter case the judgment of the purchaser is directed to its size, or its goodness, or to both those qualities together.