Tmsdny, July Mth. 349 



and other treasures of Wilton are made accessible to the public, 

 and of tlie importance of the duties at Court held so long by Lord 

 Pembi'oke, in the performance of which he had shown so many 

 foreign potentates what an English gentleman should be. In a 

 few words LOUD PEMBROKE expressed his thanks, and welcomed 

 the Society to Wilton, expressing his pleasure that the Meeting 

 was so largely attended. 



This concluded the business of the Meeting, and the Members 

 were then conducted by Lord Pembroke over the HOUSE AND 

 GARDENS, the time allotted being all too short to see the pictures, 

 the armour, the marbles, and other well-known treasures of the 

 house. Holbein's Porch, in the gardens, was visited, and two 

 interesting sepulchral cross slabs, found built into the walls of the 

 house, were noticed. The gardens were looking their loveliest, and 

 perhaps in all England there are no nobler gardens of their kind, 

 and here, as with the house itself, the only regret was tliat the 

 programme allowed of too short a time to thoroughly enjoy them. 

 From here a move was made to THE RECTORY GARDEN, where 

 tea was hospitably provided ; and THE CHURCH was afterwards 

 visited, and its many treasures were described by the Eector, 

 Canon Olivier. Attention was especially drawn to the fine col- 

 lection of painted glass, dating from the 13th to the 16th centuries, 

 noting particularly the 13th century windows of the apse, which 

 came from the Ste. Chapelle in Paris, and some beautiful roundels 

 of a later period in the vestry. The twisted marble columns of 

 Italian " Cosmati " mosaic, some of which are now incorporated in 

 the pulpit, were also specially noticed. When the Members left 

 the Church there was but little time left for seeing anything else, 

 and whilst some Members paid a hurried visit to THE CARPET 

 FACTORY, now happily revived after a period of disuse, by the 

 exertions of Lord Pembroke, seconded l»y other gentlemen of the 

 county, where the finest carpets in England — the " Axminster " and 

 " Turkey " fabrics — have been and are still made, others preferred 

 to see THE FELT FACTORY, where the process of manufacture 

 of the finest felt specially produced for piano hammers and polishing 

 purposes was seen and explained by the manager of the works. 



