HOVINGHAM. SOS 



Worsley, Esq., who was Master of the Board of 

 Works, to his late majesty George III., erected the 

 present modern mansion, on the plan of an Italian 

 villa, and which Arthur Yonng, in his ' Six months* 

 Tour,' thus describes : 



"The approach to Mr. Worsley's house is through 

 a very large stone gate-way, upon which is the fol- 

 lowing inscription ; 



* Virtus in actione consistit.' 



And as this building (the Riding house) looks pretty 

 much like the gable end of a large house, I mistook 

 it at first, with that inscription, for an hospital. The 

 entrance is directly out of the street for coaches, 

 through a narrow passage into a large riding house, 

 then through the anti-space of two stables, and so 

 up to the house door. In the hall is an antique 

 basso-relievo of a bacchanalian group : two bronzes, 

 Hercules grasping Antaeus, and a Hercules and 

 a stag ; likewise a very good portrait of Bishop 

 Williams. The chimney piece is of white sienna 

 marble, with doric pillars ; an instance of the bad 

 effect of pillars without bases, even of that order. 

 The pannels of the room are painted in fresco, 

 sacrifice to Diana, &c." In the library, drawing 

 and dining rooms, are several busts and statues, 

 drawings and pictures. In the gardens, in 1745, 

 was discovered a Roman hypocaust and bath ; and 

 in another place, a small tesselated pavement. 

 There were also found, in making the gardens, con- 

 siderable remains of buildings, evidently proving 

 the spot to have been the scite of a Roman villa.* 



* In 1820 there was also discovered at Hoyingham & 



