By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 297 



southernmost alone remained ; though the other has been opened in 

 the restoration. There was no evidence that these windows have 

 ever been glazed, but there were indications of shutters, and these 

 indications remain. It is presumed that (as in other old houses of 

 similar construction and date) they were for the admission of air, 

 and for the exit of smoke, for as there was originally no fire-jilace in 

 the hall, a fire must have been kindled upon the floor, and the smoke 

 must have found its way out as it could : and indeed that this was 

 the case, the blackening of the purlines and rafters, is corroborative, 

 if not (as I almost venture to say) conclusive. Those purlines and 

 rafters are of elm, but the framing of the roofs is wholly of oak, as 

 are all the uprights throughout the whole group of buildings, which, 

 though apparently one, are in fact fotir. 



Of the three upper windows looking towards the street, one only 

 with transomes may be of the time of James I., but it has been 

 thought advisable that these should be carefully repaired and retained, 

 although there is evidence that the original windows were different 

 to these, and probably carried tracery : no portion however of these 

 remains for an example ; and with a wise discretion, which we shall 

 appreciate and applaud, no conjectural restoration of them was to 

 be entertained for a moment. 



As regards the pavement, the oldest portion was composed of un- 

 equal-sized flag-stones, but they were certainly not original, nor have 

 we any trace of the materials of which the floor was composed. 

 In general however it was nothing more than the natural soil well 

 rammed down, and upon this was strewn the dried rushes in winter, 

 and the green leaves in summer, which did duty for carpets.^ 



I should mention here that very lovely tracery was found in a 

 little blocked-up window in the upper room of the North wing, and 

 also fragments of tracery in the oriel window, and that from these 

 patterns all the restorations have been made. In the same upper 

 room of the north wing, there is a round hole through one of the 

 upright timbers, directed downwards, which it is surmised may have 



1 Every traveller in Scandinavia will recollect the juniper and pine branches, 

 with which the floors of the rooms are very generally strewn at this day. 



