APPENDIX 397 



details of the various trades, and was alive to the chances of 

 crooked dealing by the workmen. He deals with the levels of 

 the site and the setting out of the house, which was to be placed 

 central with St James's Street, truly parallel with the frontage 

 line, and set back 160 ft., whereby a court of that depth and of a 

 width of 214 ft. would be obtained. Another lively touch is 

 given by his instructions to the mason regarding the coat of 

 arms in the tympanum of the " frontispiece," the central feature 

 of the front. The description which he incidentally gives agrees 

 with what is shown on the engraving. But more interesting 

 and more entertaining are the reasons he adduces in a draft 

 letter of the I3th February 1665 (1666 new style) to the Lord 

 Chancellor for the cost having exceeded his estimate. The 

 foundations were much deeper than was expected, an old pond 

 having been found on one part of the site, and a vast hole the 

 whole length of my lady's pavilion on another. Severe frost 

 rendered it necessary to take down and rebuild some of the work. 

 My Lord Cornbery caused a foot to be added to the height of 

 the first floor, much increasing, it is true, the nobleness of the 

 effect. The bricks cost more ; the Dutch war increased the 

 price of timber, and the carpenter threw up his contract, leaving 

 himself to the mercy of his employer ; but the plague had in- 

 fected the whole town, and workmen everywhere died. It was 

 agreed, therefore, that by fair words and promises the carpenter 

 should be encouraged to persist in his undertaking, which he 

 only consented to do on a fresh basis of pay, whereby his account 

 was increased by at least one-third more than his original price. 

 In addition to the notes relating to these two houses in 

 particular, there are Notes as to the building of Country Houses, 

 dated 1660, and Rules for the Guidance of Architects, dated 

 1662. These fill many pages, and would have made a much 

 more useful book, had they been published, than Gerbier's 

 " Counsel." Space forbids long extracts, which indeed might 

 prove tedious to all but enthusiastic students of this period ; but 

 three matters are worth mentioning. First, it is recommended 

 that a house should be placed so as to take advantage of 

 existing trees in the approach and lay out, and to obtain a fine 

 prospect. This must be one of the earliest expressions of a 

 deliberate liking for natural scenery. Secondly, Pratt advises 

 those about to build a house " to get some ingenious gentleman 

 who hath seen much of that kind abroad and been somewhat 

 versed in the best authors of architecture, viz., Palladio, 



