302 The History of Longleat. 
Gloucestershire, who was immediately created Baron Thynne of 
Warminster, and first Viscount Weymouth. This nobleman held 
the property for thirty-two years, from 1682 to 1714; and from the 
chronicle of the alterations in the house, it appears that he had a 
considerable share in them. The domestic chapel was now finished. 
It was consecrated 19th August, 1684: the sermon (from 2 Chron. 
vii. 16.) being preached by Richard Roderick, B.D., of Christ 
Church, Oxford, and Vicar of Blandford Forum, Dorset; after- 
wards printed, with a dedication to his Lordship. 
Large improvements, in the taste of the age, seem to have been 
made in the gardens. Indeed it would almost appear as if the first 
ornamental garden of any size was made at this time. The style 
adopted was the Dutch, introduced into England by William and 
Mary. Lord Weymouth laid out his ground according to the plan 
shown in the old engraving of the house by Kip: groves and long 
avenues, with vistas and artificial mounds, were planted; the 
original /eat was widened at intervals into fish-ponds, all rigorously 
angular; flower beds were described in chequered and geometric 
figures; the very gooseberry and currant bushes in the kitchen 
garden drilled to grow in squares or parallelograms, trimmed up as 
stiff and stately as lords and ladies at the court of the Hague. 
From the front door of the house, a long raised terrace, on a level 
with the highest step, projected forward to the entrance gates. 
Lord Weymouth had been, (about 1657) at a time when he had 
no prospect of succeeding to this estate, a student of Christ Church, 
Oxford, under Dr. Hammond and Dr. Fell. A biographical notice 
in the peerage speaks of him as a person of strict piety, honour, 
and integrity. Good qualities are unfortunately so indiscriminately 
bestowed in biographies, that the eye is apt to pass over them as 
matters of course. But we have the best ground for believing that 
in this instance the eulogy was well deserved. For, though we had 
no other and corroborative testimony to show what manner of spirit 
he was of, still we should perhaps be able to form a not very erro- 
neous opinion, recollecting this one only thing. At the early age 
of eighteen or so, in the little world ever found within the precincts 
of an university, Mr. Thynne was the friend and companion of 
