formed wide and spacious courts.* The great hall, | in the first volume of Hasted's Kent; but judging the chapel, and other stately edifices extended across from the existing remains, it must have been a very this area to the western front. The eastern range inaccurate delineation. The bridge and moat are not comprised the kitchen and other domestic offices, laid down; the outline is quite different from the which were very entensive, and connected with the area now within the walls, and the buildings in the hall by two passages at its eastern end. A ground centre are not shown; neither does it denote any plan, from a supposed survey made in 1509, appears buildings to the south of the hall. which contained many of the principal apartments, is recorded as "handsome;" and extended three hundred and eighty feet, commanding from its windows the beautiful landscape we have briefly described. The design was irregular, and we find in the plan many towers and projecting shafts of chimneys at different spaces, but angular or circular bay windows, of large dimensions and differently clustered, formed its leading characteristics. The basement of a bay window, twelve feet and a half wide, and four feet and a half in bulk, with a triangular wall in front, and the remains of several towers, (which with one exception, were of a square form) may be traced amongst other ruins near the southern extremity. The materials of this front presented that mixture of brick, wood, and stone, so common in old English architecture; but a few scattered ruins, with immense masses of ivy peacefully clustering along the walls of the moat, are all that now exist to record its former importance. Some extensive vaults and drains exist under the western boundary; and the woman who shews the building, told us, that it is popularly believed they extend for a great distance under ground, and that one had been recently traced for a short way in the direction of Blackheath. They are all, with one exception, about three feet in width, and six high to the summit of the arch; and from the great durability of their construction, and excellence of the cement, seem calculated to last for centuries to come. lect, this princely monument of the past had fallen into a state of extreme dilapidation. Its entire demolition had even been spoken of: the south wall was in a tottering and insecure state, and the splendid roof was partially exposed to the weather, and fast hastening to decay. Indeed the Palace had long been abandoned to every species of degradation, the hall having been converted into a barn, for more than a century past; and it is probably from its applicability to this purpose, that it has alone been rescued from the destruction which has swept away almost every other vestige. At last, on the point of ruin, a survey was made in 1828, by order of government, when it was proposed to remove the roof to Windsor: but her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia, of Gloucester, a great admirer of the old palace, and who, we are informed, now frequently visits it, interfered with so good an effect that its partial restitution, under the able superintendence of Mr. Smirke, was proceeded in without delay. The walls and buttresses were strengthened, and the chesnut ceiling (which, except where exposed to the weather, remained perfectly sound) has been substantially repaired with foreign beech, and restored once more to a state of security. These repairs (we believe) were effected at a cost of only £700. The louver has been long removed, but with this exception, and the partial demolition of the parapets, and many of the enrichments, it still retains all its constituent features. The architecture of the north and south sides of the hall, which is built of brick, partly faced with stone, exactly corresponds; it appears, however, from The "faire chapel" is supposed to have been built by Edward the Fourth; it occupied the upper or chief floor, and was probably situated in the line of structures which were united with the hall; but the ruth-Bucke's engraving that the northern parapet was emless hands of man have "left not a rack behind." At the eastern end of the hall a portion of the ancient buildings, connected with the "Kitchener's" department, still remain; which, with more modern additions, form the residence of a Mr. Saunders, who holds an under lease of four hundred acres of crown land here, at present. There are several other remains, and some small buildings of a later date within the en closure. Having thus briefly described the plan of the ancient palace, we come to the Hall, always the most attractive feature, and which is now all that exists to attest the unrivalled skill of the architects of the olden time. From long-continued and shameful neg * In the ground plan, published by Hasted, the principal buildings at the southern end of the west front are distinguished as "My Lord Chancellor, his lodgings." This portion protected considerably from the front, and a bay is laid down in the inner side, which is probably that mentioned above, battled, and the cornice ornamented with sculptured corbels. The whole forms a design of a simple yet imposing character, and is perhaps the most perfect model of an ancient banquetting room which has ever been constructed. It is lighted at both sides, thus differing from Westminster and Guildhall, which are destitute of bays, and, from particular causes, have their windows over the dais and screen. There are ten windows arranged in couples on either side, besides two bay windows of great beauty, on the north and south sides of the dais. The spaces between the windows are divided by buttresses of light proportion, which terminate under the cornice. At the foot of the windows, each buttress has twice the projection of the upper half, and while contributing to the strength of the building, materially adds to its beauty. Every window is divided by a vertical mullion, with out a transom, with a depressed arch for its head. The bays form an oblong square of corresponding di mensions, each containing two magnificent windows in front, and one towards the east. These windows are of lofty proportion and divided by a transom, consisting of arches, with an embattled cornice, whose upright shafts are united to the pillars of the roof, and rest their bases on the sill. On the external side of the bays are three rudely executed heads of men and animals, similar to those which appear on the north cornice.* The principal doorway, or entrance, to the Hall faces the north, and consists of a square frame, protected by a cornice, with an arch deeply recessed within its mouldings, resting on pillars. The spandrels are enriched by a beautiful pattern of tracery, encircling the rose en soleil, a celebrated badge of Edward IV., which is executed with great delicacy. At the opposite end of the passage, formed by the remains of the screen, another doorway, consisting of a plain arch, opens to the south. Another badge of Edward IV. will be noticed in the interior; and it may be here remarked, that independently of the general style and details of the building, which closely assimilate to that which prevailed in the latter half of the fifteenth century, the appearance of these heraldic devices certainly gives great strength to Mr. Buckler's assumption, that the Hall was built by this monarch, who, we are told by Lambarde, "to his great cost repaired his house at Eltham." We now enter the Hall from a doorway in the screen, and the surpassing effect of the ceiling immediately calls forth our warmest feelings of admiration. A great portion of the carved work, which enriched it, has been removed, but the leading features remain entire, and form a design of extraordinary beauty. The principal beams of the roof (which are seventeen inches square) rest on the summit of the walls. Every one of the seven frames thus formed, includes a wide-spreading arch, within and intersected with which are the handsome arches composing the essential features of the design, and the side segments, resting on brackets, which terminate on stone corbels most beautifully formed. These segments, joined to horizontal beams attached to the side cornice, themselves assume the form and answer the purpose of brackets, since they sustain the main arches, whose elegance is much increased by the pendant corbels by which they are upheld. The remaining space between the arches and the apex is occupied by open wrought tracery."+ The effect of this roof in a room * Buckler. The south bay is filled up with boarding externally. Buckler. The pendant corbels have all disappeared; but an engraving appears in Mr. Buckler's interesting History of one hundred feet in length, thirty-six in width, and fifty-five feet high, may be conceived, but cannot be adequately described. The frame-work which supported the louver was in the third division from the upper end. A bold cornice, with numerous mouldings, crowns the summit of the walls; and the stone work over and between the windows, being designed to be always uncovered, is carefully executed. The extensive space below, once covered with tapestry, is constructed with brick; handsome stone brackets, which anciently supported trophies, appearing on either side. On advancing to the western end of the hall, the bays have a striking effect. The ceiling of these recesses is ornamented with stone tracery of most beautiful execution, chiefly composed of roses and foliage, and resting its clustered springers on the capitals of slender shafts which, at the extremities, are united with the mouldings of the windows, and rest on a plinth below. In the ceiling of the north bay are three specimens of the rose en soleil; and that to the south displays an intersected ribbon, and the device of the falcon and fetterlock, another badge of Edward IV., supported by four angels, with expanded wings. The door-cases, which led from the bays to the withdrawing and other rooms, may be traced in the interior. The At the opposite end of the Hall, the shattered remains of the screen, which is advanced ten feet six inches into the apartment, present a sad contrast to its former magnificence. It was divided into five spaces, but the tracery has been destroyed, and the main pillars and beams form the principal remains. two largest spaces had each an arched entrance into the hall, enriched with a beautiful frieze; opposite to which, in the eastern wall, are two stone door-cases with plain arches, formerly the outlets to the kitchener's departments. The fading light of day cast a mysterious gloom through the aged edifice, as we turned to depart. What a change had the corroding hand of Time wrought before us! Once the abode of the princes and nobles of the land, the resort of the high-born the Palace, of a solitary specimen of exceeding richness and beauty, which fell in 1818. "It was destroyed prior to the date of any drawing or engraving of the palace now known; but, as the hearth was not substituted by a recessed fire-place 'in the side wall, it is probable that the old method of warming the room was adhered to till its desecration, and that afterwards the louver was removed as useless."-Buckler. + Some remains of the cement over which the tapestry was hung can yet be traced. For a drawing of this screen, see "Archæologia," vol. vi. cavalier and courtly dame, the theatre of parliaments; it now presents an heterogeneous display of agricultural instruments, straw, and rubbish. As the autumnal wind moaned through the broken interstices of the windows, we could almost fancy that we heard the voice of the past mournfully bewailing its fallen fortunes. The dais, once graced by the frequent presence of royalty, has long been humbled to the dust; and those tables which had groaned under the princely hospitality of the olden time, have given place to an uneven earthen floor and piles of lumber. The light of heaven no longer streams through the stained glass of its lofty windows (now replaced with broken bricks ;) chaff and cobwebs cover the stately arched roof and clustering tracery, the walls, once covered with gorgeous tapestry, and adorned with trophies of the chase or battle, present a naked and mouldering front to the melancholy wind; and the "stroke of the flail" sounds strangely sad amidst the recollection of martial music. Verily, as we view these things we feel more forcibly than ever the saying of the preacher, "One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but all is vanity." VYVYAN. we have directed the attention of our readers, (vide p. 272) in a previous article. Here, between lateral projections of beautiful foliage, wrought with great spirit and freedom, is sculptured in bold relief, A Woodman proceeding to kis labour. On one shoulder, he carries his axe, or bill, and on the other his provision wallet, which is partly slung by a brace from his coat collar, and partly held by the handle of a long-bladed adze. He wears thick gloves, and loose half boots; whilst his rosary hangs from his girdle, as being still mindful of his religious duties, though engaged in the common affairs of life. A congenial air of seriousness is impressed on the lineaments of his face, and the entire character is well imagined and appropriately executed. AMONG the wonders of the Peak, Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, has always been enumerated. Behind Chatsworth, nearly at the summit of a steep, rocky, and thickly-wooded hill, stands the building which is represented in the cut. square tower, having at each angle a round turret, | have formerly advanced. Thus the door and winwhich rises above the tower itself, and is surmounted dow follow the same principles in internal as in exby a small dome. There is nothing otherwise remark-ternal composition; and even the tall column, with able in the architecture of this building. The windows its shadowy arch, is in some degree anticipated in noare most of them blocked up with masonry. The door ticing the columnar dressings of doorways and porchis approached by a flight of low steps. Its use, at entrances. Indeed, where the decorations of interpresent, is to bear the flag of the Duke of Devonshire, nal architecture become minute, there is scarcely as lord lieutenant of the county. It is built on a level any feature observable on the outside of a building spot of ground, and from its elevated situation affords which has not its parallel within. This is especially an extensive view over the park and the surrounding the case, (for instance,) in the gorgeous shrines and hills. chantries which adorn many of our larger ecclesiastical edifices, and which frequently exhibit a complete epitome of Pointed architecture. There is, however, one important object, of internal arrangement, which is perhaps the first to arrest and to impress the attention upon entering any edifice of a decorative character, namely, the ceiling, or otherwise the exposed roof. On this, the style in question delights to lavish its mazy beauties and inventive resource, and in so doing has left us varieties of study applicable to every case ;-of these we will briefly notice the principal, belonging either to the department of Masonry or to that of Carpentry. Hunting towers were, in former times, frequently built in the neighbourhood of the residences of the great, for the purpose, we are told, of "giving the ladies of those days an opportunity of enjoying the sport of hunting." This at Chatsworth, probably, is as old as the first house. Stukeley, in his Itinerary, gives a view of a Hunting tower at Audley End, in Essex, which in his time (1722), was in ruins. "Not far off," he says, "by Audlenhouse, upon an eminence, is a great Roman camp; a Hunting tower of brick now stands upon it.' This is a square tower; and, like that at Chatsworth, is situated upon an elevated spot, overlooking much of the surrounding country. The Hunting Tower at Chatsworth is now called The Stand. It is mentioned in Bray's "Tour" in 1782, and he says that it was then called "The Hunting Tower." It seems, however, to have long had its present name, as it is called "The Stand" in the map in Speed's Description of Britain, made in 1666. In the traditions of the place, it is connected with the name of Queen Mary of Scotland, who was confined for some time at Chatsworth. Similar traditions are connected with an old building near the river, (the Derwent,) surrounded by a moat, and including a garden, which is now called "Mary's Bower." T. W. REMARKS ON THE MODERN USE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL IN the notice already taken of this subject, we have Of Stone ceilings, the first in order is the simple pointed, groined and ribbed. The choir of Exeter Cathedral, together with many others, exhibits some good workmanship of this kind in a plain form; but the finest specimen in this country of simple-ribbed groining, is that of the choir-ceiling of Gloucester Cathedral, presenting, as it does, to the view a labyrinth of lines, and a rich field of study for the composition of knots and of foliage. We have also examples of the fan-groin," with tracery; as adapted to the outline of the simple arch; but these are for the most part confined to works of a more diminutive character. In stone ceilings following the curvature of the four-centered or obtuse arch, we have instances of the plain groin, as before, so frequent as to need no illustration. We have also in some cases the continued vault without groining, but with ribs springing across it, enriched with compartments of tracery, as is exemplified in the ceilings of some large recesses in Henry the VII's Chapel and other places. Lastly, we have the fan-groined ceilingsometimes of a simple and less obvious character, with plain ribs ornamented with knots at their in By the term "fan-groined," the general reader will understand that kind of ceiling formed of compartments in which the ribs, springing from one point, branch out in all directions so as to form ordinarily a semi-circular sweep, unlike the common groin which is produced by the intersection of one vault with another. Examples will be adduced hereafter. |