By C. H. Talbot, Esq. 359 
be an example of the Italian Renaissance in the purity of its early 
introduction, I could trace any analogy to the work of Sherington’s 
architect at Lacock. On that occasion, my inspection was confined 
to the exterior of the house, and to such parts of the interior as are 
identical in style, and I failed to trace the slightest analogy ; but, 
on the other hand, had I then seen the house for the first time, 
-without any preconceived opinion, or knowing anything of its 
_ traditional history, I should have set it down as not earlier than the 
time of James I. It seemed difficult to believe that the author of 
the design could be the same man who built Somerset House, in the 
reign of Edward VI., for, if so, he must have altered his style greatly 
in the interval. 
However, on the occasion of the late visit of the Society to 
Longleat, on reaching the leads, and gaining a view of the inner 
courts, I at length found the analogy I was in search of. I first 
noticed, inside the house, the occurrence of a peculiar square stop 
to the chamfer, on the jambs of one of the doorways, which 
occurs on all the doorways of Sherington’s work, with the 
original hook for suspending the door, which showed me that I had 
come to some work of the same class. The stop in question is, how- 
ever, perhaps, a late Gothic rather than a Renaissance feature. Then, 
emerging on to the leads, I found a great deal more of the same 
: class of work remaining. The sections of the mouldings of the 
___ windows seem to be identical with many of Sherington’s, and the 
doors have similar cornices! over them. The majority, if not all, of 
the numerous turrets are of this work, though some of them have 
been altered. In general, they have doors opening on to the leads, 
and one of them, of an octagonal form, and of which the upper room 
has a window in each of the sides, and such a door of entrance, re- 
yhinded me of the upper room? in the tower which Sherington built 
1Tn one case there are two small stone spouts to carry off the water from the 
top of this cornice, a contrivance of which there is no parallel example at Lacock. 
? That is, the position of the rooms and the arrangement of the windows and 
door are similar, but that in the turret at Longleat is much the smaller of the 
two. That at Lacock contains one of the carved stone tables above alluded to, 
and seems to have been intended as a kind of pavilion, commanding as it does 
*a rather extensive view. 
