222 RURAL ARCHITECTURE. 



My money never shall be thrown 

 Away on such a deal of stone, 

 When stone of deal is cheaper." 



And so the greenest of antiques 



Was reared for Knott to dwell in ; 

 The architect worked hard for weeks 



In venting all his private peaks 



Upon the roof, whose crop of leaks 



Had satisfied Fluellen. 

 Whatever anybody had 

 Out of the common, good or bad, 



Knott had it all worked well in, 

 A donjon keep where clothes might dry, 

 A porter's lodge that was a sty, 

 A campanile slim and high, 



Too small to hang a bell in ; 

 All up and down and here and there, 

 With Lord-knows- what of round and square 

 Stuck on at random every where ; 

 It was a house to make one stare, 



All corners and all gables ; 

 Like dogs let loose upon a bear, 

 Ten emulous styles staboyed with care, 

 The whole among them seemed to bear 

 And all the oddities to spare, 



Were set upon the stables. 



Knott was delighted with a pile 



Approved by fashion's leaders , 

 (Only he made the builder smile, 

 By asking, every little while, 

 Why that was called the Twodoor style, 



Which certainly had three doors f) 

 Yet better for this luckless man 

 If he had put a downright ban 



Upon the thing in limine ; 

 For, though to quit affairs his plan, 

 Ere many days, poor Knott began 

 Perforce accepting draughts that ran 



All ways except up chimney : 

 The house, though painted stone to mock, 

 With nice white lines round every block, 



Some trepidation stood in, 



