102 A HISTORY OF 



double flight of steps extends across the area to the 

 lawn. The greater part of the building is of native 

 stone (quarried at Ardbraccan, in the county of Meath), 

 but the west front, and all the ornamental parts 

 throughout, are of Portland. South of the building 

 are commodious offices and stables. The inside of 

 this mansion in every respect corresponds with the 

 grandeur of its external appearance. The hall is lofty, 

 rising two stories, ornamented with three-quarter 

 columns of the Doric Order, and an enriched entab- 

 lature ; the ceiling is adorned with stucco ornaments 

 on coloured grounds; and the whole is embellished 

 with many rich and tasty ornaments. To the right of 

 the hall are the family apartments ; the whole con- 

 venient, beautifully ornamented, and elegantly fur- 

 nished. Overlooking the lawn is the great dining 

 parlour, 1 and adjoining it, at the north end, is an 

 elegant long room, 2 the whole depth of the house, 

 24 feet wide, called the supper room, adorned with 

 sixteen fluted Ionic columns supporting a rich ceiling. 

 Over the supper room is the picture gallery, 3 of the 

 same dimensions, containing many fint paintings by 

 the first masters, with other ornaments chosen and dis- 

 played with great elegance. The ceiling is arched and 

 highly enriched, and painted with designs by Mr. 

 Wyatt. The most distinguished pictures are — a 

 Student drawing from a bust, by Rembrandt ; 4 " The 

 Rape of Europa," by Claude Lorraine ; the " Triumph 

 of Amphitrite," by Luca Giordano ; two capital 

 pictures by Rubens, and two wives by Van Dyck ; 

 dogs killing a stag; a. fine picture of St. Catherine; a 

 landscape, by Barret ; with many others. 



1 Now the council-room. 2 Now the conversation-room. 



3 For a number of years used as the Society's library. Now the 

 reception-room. 



4 This is a mistake : the picture is not one of Rembrandt's. 



