196 State vf Archhe^ure to the end of 



Grecian nor Gothic, and half embroidered 

 with foliage, were cranimed over frontif- 

 pieces, facades and chimnies, and loft all 

 grace by wanting fimplicity. This mungrel 

 ipecies lafted 'till late in the reign of James 

 the firft. 



The beginning of reformation * in build- 

 ing feems owing to Holbein. His porch 

 at Wilton, though purer than the works of 

 his fucceffors, is of this baftard fort ; but 

 the ornaments and proportions are gracefuil 

 and well chofen. I have feen of his draw- 

 ings too in the fame kind. Where he ac- 

 quired this tafte is difficult to fay ; probably 

 it was adopted from his acquaintance with 

 his fellow-labourers at court. Henry had 

 adlually an Italian architedt in his fervice, 

 to whom I fhould without fcruple afTign the 

 introdudlion of regular architedlure, if it 

 was clear that he arrived here near fo early 

 as Holbein. He was called John of Padua, ^ 

 and his very office feems to intimate fome- 

 thing novel in his pradlice. He was termed 

 Devizor of his majefiys buildings. In one of 

 the office-books which I have quoted, there 



• Brunellefchi began to reform architeftore in the 

 fourteenth century. See Voltaire. EBfl. Univ. vol. ii. 

 p. 179. 



is 



