£,r/ / ri all ill ^ tfi faoti ■■■•». SO 



position. It is of finely-cut work, as are many others of the 

 heraldic shields found in different parts of the building. 1 



The earliest drawing I have met with of Wilton House in its 

 Original state, is contained in an early manuscript copy of the 

 Pembroke Terrier, in possession of the late Mr. W. Blackmore. It 

 k merely a pen and ink sketch, and is dated 1563, six years before 

 the death of Lord Pembroke ; a reduced copy is given on the 

 opposite page. This, like most of the early topographical drawings 

 and engravings, is rather an indication of the geueral features of 

 the building than anything else ; the architectural details are very 

 meagre, but there is no reason to doubt that it represents generally 

 what the principal front was at that time. The large court, with its 

 irate-house, was the scene of a grand reception of Queen Elizabeth, 

 by the second earl, a few years later. This was standing at the 

 time of the visit of Cosmo, Grand Duke of Tuscany, in 1669, and 

 the foundation walls were lately found, during some excavations, on 

 the exact lines indicated by the plan. This was the first, but by no 

 means the finest, of the many Wiltshire examples of that interesting 

 period of English architecture which arose after the Reformation, 

 and must not be confounded with the renaissance of Southern Europe. 

 The maguificent Longleat, the stately Longford, Littlecot, and 

 Corsham, were all built within this generation ; not free from foreign 

 influence, it is true, but still having a character of their own which 

 mijjht have been developed into a national style but for the over- 

 powering influenee of the classic taste which ultimately swamped 

 all original efforts. 



The curious architectural erection now standing in the garden, 



1 The greater part of these were probably done in the time of Henry, the second 

 earl, as well as the many shields of arms on painted glass, in a more or less 

 perfect state, which are now placed in the heads of the windows in the cloisters 

 of the house. We leam from Aubrey that u His Lordship was the patron to the 

 men of amies, and to the antiqaries and heralds ; he took a great delight in the 

 study of herauldry. as appeares by that curious collection of heraldique manuscripts 

 in the library here. It was this earle that did set up all the painted glasse 

 seutehions about the house. Many a brave souldier. no doubt, was here obliged 

 by his Lordship ; but time has obliterated their names.'' ^Xatural History of 

 Wiltshire., part ii.. chap, iii.) 



