556 Descriptive details of the [July, 



mahogany hand-rail, each staircase receiving light from four painted 

 glazed windows. 



14. Within this range is a corridor or passage, twelve feet wide ; 

 leading to the wings of the edifice, divided into compartments, and so 

 contrived, that by shutting two doors the communication with the 

 wings is cut off, without any interruption to that between the other 

 portions of the building. 



35. From the centre of the corridor a large door opens into a cir- 

 cular room fifty feet in diameter ; to the right and left of which (on 

 entering) is a room fifty-two feet by twenty-five feet ; the three com- 

 prising one suite of apartments, separated from the wings by the open 

 courts, (noticed in paragraph 10.) The circular room is of the Corin- 

 thian Order, taken from the temple of Jupiter Stator at Rome. The 

 Order is in height thirty feet six inches, with pedestals of four feet 

 six inches. From the entablature, on a line with the frieze, springs a 

 cupola of masonry, with sunk panels, ending in a painted glazed sky- 

 light twenty feet in diameter, the height from the floor to the opening 

 of the skylight being fifty-six feet, and to its apex sixty-two feet. The 

 room is decorated in its circumference by four large covered recesses, 

 over which are long panels, eight pilasters, and four large doors ; over 

 which last are oval openings occupied with pierced screens of arabesque, 

 cut in single slabs of stone. All the mouldings and compartments are 

 richly carved and ornamented, in conformity with the rules of the Order 

 of which the apartment is composed ; and, whether as regards the effect 

 of the whole, or the exquisite finish of the details throughout, it is 

 impossible to speak too highly of what has been accomplished. There 

 is nothing to add and nothing to alter : the architect and builder have 

 done their work perfectly. 



16. To the south of the above suite, is a grand colonnaded saloon, 

 measuring one hundred and eighty-seven feet six inches in length, 

 susceptible of division at pleasure into three apartments, by means of 

 sliding doors, eighteen feet two inches wide, the leaves sliding into 

 cases, faced on both sides, from the bottom to the top, with mirrors. 

 The general width of this saloon is fifty-five feet, the centre space 

 within the bases of the columns being twenty-five feet. Beyond either 

 extremity of the saloon is a geometrical stone staircase, five feet three 

 inches wide, with railing, as before described, communicating with the 

 apartments of the wings. 



17. The wings do not correspond internally with each other : both 

 are divided into apartments of various suitable dimensions, each hav- 

 ing a spiral stone staircase at either corner, with baths, dressing 

 rooms, &c. 



