296 The Forty-Siath General Meeting. 
park, with their quaint towers and cupola-shaped roofs. The first 
of these, known as “ Kent’s House,” is dated 1607, and contains a 
considerable collection of rare birds, all of which were shot on the 
estate. They include a kite, two bitterns, two ravens, ring ouzels, 
hobby, phalarope, &e., &e. The second lodge has over the door 
the inscription ‘‘ Diana her hovs 1600,” and has been well illustrated 
in Blomfield’s “ Renaissance Architecture.” 
From this point the party walked along the river and through 
the very charming pleasure grounds surrounding the mansion. 
On one of the lawns are several fine Renaissance capitals, which 
apparently belonged to the earlier house, destroyed to make way 
for the present edifice. 
Britton, in his “ Beauties of Wiltshire,’ says :— 
“The present house was built on the site of the monastery, from designs of Inigo 
Jones and was finished by Mr. Webb, his son-in-law.” 
Fergusson, however (IHist. of Architecture, vol. iv., 292), says :— 
“ Another design which is ascribed to Jones, but which certainly belongs to his 
son-in-law, is that for Amesbury in Wiltshire which . . . has faults he 
never would have committed. It is interesting, however, as one of the earliest 
examples of the type on which nine-tenths of the seats of English gentry were 
afterwards erected; almost all subsequent houses consisting of a rusticated 
basement, which contains the dining and business rooms; a bel étage, and a 
bedroom storey with attics in the roof. On the basement and running through 
the two upper storeys is the portico—always for ornament, never for use, and 
generally so badly applied as to be offensively obtrusive.” 
After strolling through these delightful grounds, to which theriver — 
gives a special character of their own, some of the Members, by — 
kind permission of the present ocoupier, Mr. Willis, visited the 
building which was formerly Mr. Edwards’ Museum. Here, 
amongst other things, fine oak chests, etc., is still preserved in — 
excellent condition the good fifteenth century oak screen of the 
Church, now the property of the Salisbury and South Wilts 
Museum. It is very greatly to be desired that this screen may 
some day be again replaced in the Church, from which it ought 
never to have been removed. 
At the ANNIVERSARY DINNER, at the George Hotel, thirty-four 
Members and guests were present, a number which increased to 
