NICHOLAS HAWKSMOOR 



209 



the date " A Sal. MDCCII " on the frieze, so there is evidently 

 some confusion as to the wings. These might have been built 

 after the house and finished in 1713, but in that case they could 

 hardly have been the work of Wren. 



It is noteworthy that the whole of the wings and courtyard 

 were subsequently pulled down, 1 and nothing remains of the 

 original house but the central block. The reason of this destruc- 

 tion was presumably that they were found to be useless and 

 extravagant, as indeed might be expected. The effect has been 

 somewhat spoiled, for the house, unsupported by anything but 

 some buildings wholly 

 unworthy of it, looks 

 gaunt and abrupt ; it 

 seems too grand for 

 its size (Fig. 141). It 

 suffers in fact from its 

 grandeur ; the large 

 windows are suitable 

 enough for the large 

 rooms, but where the 

 exigencies of the plan 

 bring them into small 

 rooms or passages, 

 they are overwhelm- 

 ing. It is interesting 

 to find that Hawks- 

 moor felt this himself, 

 and that in the two 

 ends of the house * 



he departs from the large scale of the main facades. He has 

 collected as far as possible his small rooms at the two ends, 

 and has given them smaller windows, contriving two floors 

 here in the height of one along the front. The plan of the 

 house follows the stately ideas of the time, which took little 

 count of domestic comfort. The hall was treated in an unusual 

 way ; it was formed of three portions, but whereas the middle 

 bay was carried up to the height of two stories, the two end 

 bays were of but one story. The effect was rather fine, as 

 may be seen from the view in Fig. 143. A large floor space 

 was obtained, and also the effect of noble height without the 



1 Baker, ut supra. 



FIG. 142. Plan of Easton Neston. 



