194 
Time did not allow of a walk to ‘‘ Heaven’s Gate,” so the 
party went at once to the house, over which they were shown 
by a courteous housekeeper, who pointed out the more 
celebrated of the portraits, among which are those of Sir John 
Thynne, by whom Longleat House was built, (1567-78) ; 
Lady Louisa Carteret, mother of the first Marquis of Bath, and 
a descendant of Sir Bevil Granville, who was killed at Lansdown 
and “ Tom of Ten Thousand,” who was murdered by Konigs- 
mark’s agents in Pall Mall in 1682. 
One of the chief features of Longleat House is the ceilings, 
all of which are handsome, and some are finely painted. The 
door jambs, one of which is of inlaid marble similar to the 
work in the Taj at Agra, are worthy of notice, and there 
are some splendid white marble chimney-pieces, that in 
the long gallery, which was brought from Florence, being 
especially handsome. The new drawing-room is draped with 
old embossed velvet, while the state dining-room is lined 
with old Spanish stamped leather. And there are several 
pieces of Gobelins tapestry in good condition. At the foot 
of the great staircase are two large stuffed bears, and on the 
landing two very fine receptacles of cloisonné enamel. 
Bishop Ken lived at Longleat after his deprivation for some 
20 years, and many of his books are in the library, where are 
also the four earliest editions of Shakespeare, an early black- 
letter Chaucer (whose first editor was William Thynne, uncle 
to Sir John, who built Longleat), and many more old and 
interesting books. 
Much of the furniture and many of the objects of interest 
were covered up, the family being absent ; but the party being 
small, and the housekeeper patient and obliging, a peep was 
permitted at most of the noteworthy possessions of the house. 
It was disappointing to be told that the gardens are not now 
shown, the permission to view them having been abused by 
some visitors. 
The return drive to Warminster was by the beautiful 
Shearwater Lake and Horningsham. The church at Horning- 
sham, just eyond the demesne of Longleat, where Bishop Ken 
used to worship, was re-built, except the tower, in 1844, and 
does not appear to contain anything of interest. The family 
church of the Thynnes is Longbridge Deverill, where Sir 
John Thynne with others of the family were buried. 
Wedmore, May ist, 1908.—Leaving Bath at 10.30, Cheddar 
was reached via Yatton at 12.27, anda capital wagonette, 

