Longleat 
court were used again, and still form part of the 
present mansion, though they are for the most part 
concealed behind passages that have been added in 
modern- times, but the original walls and windows 
can be seen in places, and bear some apparent traces 
of fire. Some rude coffins containing skeletons have 
also been found in modern times under tbe floor near 
the grand staircase, which suggest the possible 
existence of many ghosts. 
So Longleat was built, one of tbe few and pur¬ 
est examples of English Renaissance architecture, 
w hich has remained to this day, externally at least, 
unchanged since its erection. I will tell the story of 
the house before describing its leading character¬ 
istics. Queen Elizabeth paid Sir John a visit in 
1575, which must have been somewhat inconvenient 
to him, as an army of workmen must at that time 
have been engaged in building, but the good queen 
was not accustomed to consider the convenience of 
her hosts, or the heavy cost of her entertainment. 
Five years later Sir John died, having erected the 
outer shell of the mansion, leav ing its adornm.ent and 
completion to his successors. His son. Sir John 
Thynne, continued the work. I'he oak screen 
wainscot and mantelpiece of the hall were part of his 
additions, and these are evidences of German influ¬ 
ence, which was in the air, and predominant in the 
latter part of Elizabeth’s reign. I'he name of the 
plasterer and designer of the beautiful ceilings w'as 
Charles Williams, one of the most famous of our 
native craftsmen, who had studied the work of the 
foreigners in Italy, and did some of the vvondrous 
plastering for the palace of Henry VllE, called 
Nonsuch. The flrst Sir John secured his services 
for his noble house. The fame of his brilliant work¬ 
manship traveled far, and soon Sir William Caven¬ 
dish and his lady, the renowned “ Bess of Hardwick,” 
are begging Sir John to send to them the cunning 
craftsman who, they hear, had made “dyvers 
pendants and other pretty things and had flowered 
the Hall at Longleat. ” 
The famous architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sir 
Christopher Wren, left his mark on Longleat by 
designing for Sir James Thynne, the fourth owmer. 
THE SALOON SHOWING MANTELPIECE 
