118 Christopher Wren, of East Knoyle, D.D. 
on each side of the east window there was set up the picture of 
Jacob’s dream and his sacrifice; clouds above: Jacob sleeping 
below, and a ladder let down to the earth. On the one side of the 
window, angels holding crowns of laurel in their hands, ascended, 
and on the other side of the window they descended; and under- 
neath were these words written, ‘Let prayers ascend that grace 
may descend.’”” He further saith that “ Dr. Wren did himself pay 
for the work, and used to come every day to overlook it, and give 
directions therein.’ Testified before the Committee sitting at 
Longford Castle, 8th May, 1647. [ Abbreviated. } 
Fret-work, Mr. Wilton tells me, is the same as pargetting, a 
sort of Arabesque ornament found in the ceilings of mansions of 
that date, and also in some country churches. In the latter case, 
when the church and roof happen to be contemporaneous, this par- 
getting is found worked into Gothic forms. The pargetting at 
Knoyle is commended by Sir Richard Colt Hoare. 
That Dr. Wren had not designed to raise any scandal by his 
fret-work, is proved by the fact that while resident at Windsor, 
he wrote to Randall Dominick, (probably his church-warden), 
giving him full authority to remove the whole series of paintings, 
if any offence seemed likely to be taken against them. The Par- 
liament also seems to have taken a view of his case creditable to 
him in every respect, as shewn in the following “ Letter from the 
Committee of Lords and Commons for sequestrations, to the Wilts 
Committee touching Dr. Wren;” without date, but apparently 
written about February, 1647. 
“‘GENTLEMEN.—There are come to our sight several Orders of 
Parliament, and other public certificates, some of them attested by 
our Committee, whereby it appears that Dr. Christopher Wren 
hath been much employed by the Parliament, and hath suffered 
many violences and plunderings in the performance of those em- 
ployments: And likewise that he hath contributed very large sums 
to the service of the State, and been a painful labourer in the work 
of the ministry almost these thirty years :—All which do fully in- 
duce us to believe that he is a Parson far from meriting the doom 
of sequestration, (the punishment of most malignant ministers.) 
