In 1631, Chatsworth, the scat of the Duke of Devon shire, in Dell)) shire, was begun by Mr Talman. The western front is elevated upon a line terrace, which is ornamented with a range of rusticated columns, having panncls between them, and protected on the top by an iron railing. The basement of the building is rusticated ; there are four Ionic columns in the central part, and four , pilasters on each side of them ; these are 39 feet high, and include two stories ; the windows arc rectangular, hut deformed with clumsy key-stones; there is a pedi ment upon the beforementioned columns; upon the entablature there is a high plinth and parapet, with ba lusters and vases. In the southern front the basement is rusticated ; there are four Ionic pilasters at each ex tremity, but none in the middle ; the windows are rectan gular, with chutney key-stones. In the principal story, which is 18 feet high, there is a hall 74X30; a gallery ; a library 50X25 ; another apartment 40X23 ; a bed-room 23 X23 ; a chapel 50x26 ; and a staircase 30x22; the passages are II feet wide. The interior square which the buildings encompass is 96x73. From the size ul these apartments it will be seen that this man sion is upon an extensive scale, and from the western front being devated on sa fine a terrace, its external appear ance is magnificent and c ommanding. In works of great grandeur, a terrace. judicialle managed, always confers dignit,, atal is, besides, the means of obtaining commo (lions acct ss to the domestic offices in the lower story.
Before we take Ie..% of the 17th century, we shall give a short descrii lion of Montague-house, now the British Museum in London : Being on the model of a French palace, it is a spec imen or the architecture then practised in that country. It was built in 1678, tinder the direction of Monsieur Pouget, a 'lath e of :Marseilles, brought to England on purpose by the first Duke of Montague ; the plan and elevation w ill be found in Plate CIA The buildings surround three sides or a court, which is 163x 155 feet ; on the side next the street is a high brick vvall, hat ing its c xt•rnal lace worked in panncls. having also an entablature worked ill brick ; in the middle of its lot -111 is an arched gate way w ith Ionic pilasters and a pediment, standing be tween two small porters lodges, which project outward before the face of the wall ; over this pun, a) is a rnpo la with a Saracenic dome ; at the distance of 16 feet from the inside of this wall, a row of Ionic columns sup ports a roof, and forms a portico which reaches between the wings; these wings, on each side of the court, arc composed of a range of narrow buildings one story high, which contain stables and various small apartments for domestics ; on the right hand side is a carriage way from the court ; towards the street these wings termi nate in turrets rising above the outer wall, with deep curved roofs, ending in narrow points. The fourth side
of the court is occupied by the main building, whose extreme length over the walls is 216 feet, its breadth 6 feet ; along the whole length it is divided by a brick wall running nearly in the middle of its width ; and, with the exception of the great staircase, the whole is subdi vided by walls passing quite across in a right line be tween the outside walls, by that means forming the apartments on each side of the middle walls of nearly equal dimensions; the staircase, in its length, occupies the space of two apartments. Nothing can exceed the simplicity of this arrangement, but it unavoidably sub jects all the apartments to be thoroughfares, which, although suitable to its present destination, is by no means comfortable in a private dwelling. The great staircase is spacious, and decorated with large historical paintings by Charles de la Fosse, who is considered one of the best colourists in the French school. The land scapes are by James Itosseau.
The hall is 35 x27 feet ; stairs 52X25; apartment op posite entrance hall 35X28 ; two others 30x28; four others 26X24; and two 24 square; the length of the front or entrance stair is 34 feet ; it rises the height of the basement, which is 8 feet. The face of the main building has a break in the central part or projection, and another at each extremity; it has a rustic quoin at each angle ; it consists of two stories, of which the up per windows arc considerably the loftiest : They are rect angular and plain. The entrance door is rectangular, with a flat cornice and deep frieze ; the entablature along the top of the walls is heavy, and has a very singular sort of trusses ; the roof is deep, with Dormer windows, having pointed pediments; over the central break there is a parapet with balusters, and behind this there is a sin gular sort of heavy square dome, with the appearance of rustics at the angles.
The 18th century was opened by Sir John Vanbrugh, a man of bold and original genius, who, after haying re stored fresh life and reputation to the English stage, in troduced into its architecture a style peculiarly novel and imposing. It is probable that the success of his dramatic pieces had inspired boldness, and created that fertility of invention so eminently displayed in his archi tectural works; and the number and wealth of his em ployers afforded, in the course of a few' years, sufficient opportunities to exhibit splendid specimens of his skill; for, in 1713, we find him employed upon Kings Weston, in Gloucestershire ; in 1714, upon Castle llowat d in Vorkshire ; in 1715, upon Blenheim in Oxfordshire; in 1718, upon Eastbury in Dorset ; in 1721, upon Seaton Delaval in Northumberland; and in 1724, upon Grims thorpc, in the county of Lincoln. We shall give a short account of each, and a Plate with a part of the plan and elevation of Blenheim.