Birds. 157" 



Puget, a native of Marseilles, and an artist of the first eminence 

 in his time, was sent over from Paris by Ralph, first Duke of 

 Montague, for the sole purpose of constructing this splendid 

 mansion." 



The ground-floor consisted of twelve rooms, and was devoted 

 to the Library of Printed Books, to which " strangers were not 

 admitted, as the mere sight of the outside of books cannot 

 convey either instruction or amusement." 



" The companies, on being admitted, according to the 

 regulations," says the "Synopsis" of the year 1808, "are 

 immediately conducted up the great staircase, the decorations of 

 which have been lately restored. The paintings on the ceiling, 

 representing Phaeton petitioning Apollo for leave to drive his 

 chariot, are by Charles de la Fosse, who in his time was deemed 

 one of the best colourists of the French school, and of whom 

 there are many valuable performances in Finance, amongst which 

 are the paintings on the cupola of the dome of the Invalides, 

 which are ranked among the admiranda of Paris. The land- 

 scapes and architectural decorations are by James Rousseau, 

 whose particular skill in perspective has at all times been held 

 in high estimation." 



" From the great staircase strangers are conducted into the 

 first room of the upper storey, containing a miscellaneous collec- 

 tion of modern works of art, from all parts of the world. The 

 ceiling of this room, representing the Fall of Phaeton, is painted 

 by La Fosse." 



On this upper floor were twelve rooms (see " Synopsis," p. 4). 



Room I. was devoted to modern works of art. Boom. II. was 

 "empty "in the year 1808, its contents having been removed 

 into other apartments upon the transfer of the collections of 

 Antiquities into the new building. 



Booms III, IV., v., VI., and VII. were occupied by the 

 collections of Manuscripts. 



The Saloon seems to have been unutilized for exhibition-cases 

 at that time, but it must have been a fine room. We read in the 

 same "Synopsis" (p. 15) : — "The dome of this grand apartment 

 was painted by the above-mentioned La Fosse. It has generally 

 been described as representing the Apotheosis of Iris ; Walpole, 

 in his " Anecdotes of Painting," deviates still further from 

 the truth by naming the subject the Apotheosis of Isis ; but 

 the most probable conjecture is that the painter meant it to 

 exhibit the birth of Minerva, that goddess fully attired being the 



