The Mount near Wilton. 507 



number of shores and shackles, that is, stakes and ties) on the 

 field, to divide the ninety compartments into ten subdivisions each : 

 so that 900 persons may have 900 separate flocks exposed for 

 sale at the same time. There are usually from 90,000 to 100,000 

 sheep penned at one time. 



Mr. Flooks's house is a model of comfort, convenience, and 

 arrangement within, and the external elevation is plain, but in 

 perfectly good taste. In the grounds his object has been to dis- 

 play specimens of different descriptions of garden ornaments, 

 and more especially of the Italian open parapets formed by tiles. 

 The first hint for these Mr. Flooks took from Lord King's, at 

 Oakham Hall, near Cobham, noticed in a former volume ; but 

 he has greatly varied them in consequence of having his own 

 brick and tile works, in which he can have a variety of forms 

 moulded at pleasure. Some of these parapets are 9 in. in thick- 

 ness, and others only 4 in. The appearance of the latter is very 

 handsome, and the cost in this neighbourhood does not exceed 

 Qd. the superficial foot. The cost of the others varies from Qd. to 

 \s.\ the coping, in these cases, being brick and tile; but when 

 the coping is of stone or composition the expense is greater. 

 Mr. Flooks having introduced this description of parapets, and 

 also grass steps to terraces, they are at present quite the fashion 

 in this part of the country ; and, as generally happens in similar 

 cases, they will no doubt be often applied in situations where 

 they are by no means appropriate. This, however, only shows 

 the natural love which exists of variety and beauty, and it ought 

 to afford hints, both to architects and their employers, to dis- 

 criminate between what is suitable and what is unsuitable, and 

 for this purpose to store their minds with ideas on the subject. 

 For example, a gentleman may have a Gothic house, like the 

 beautiful villa erected at Wilton for Lord Pembroke's steward, and 

 may wish, after seeing those of Mr. Flooks, to have some garden 

 fences of an architectural character. His first impression would 

 doubtless be to imitate them ; but, on second thoughts, it would 

 occur to him, that their appearance would not be in harmony 

 with the ornaments of his house ; in other words, though con- 

 nected locally, they would be disconnected architecturally and 

 artistically, and would not indicate that unity of system, or of 

 working of the same mind, which is necessary in the productions 

 of every art to constitute a whole. What is he to do then ? 

 Either invent forms corresponding with those displayed in the 

 ornamental part of his house, or have recourse to the established 

 forms of that particular variety of Gothic architecture in which it 

 is built. Mr. Flooks has covered his walks with a gravel almost as 

 beautiful as that of Kensington, which he has been at the expense 

 of biinging from a considerable distance, with a spirit which we 



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