gatehouse, so that a fugitive could escape to the secret apartments from the furthest extremity of the building.

"Ascending by the same spiral staircase in the gatehouse, we reach the long gallery, measuring about seventy-five feet in length, and twelve feet six inches in width. Some doubt exists as to the uses of the long galleries which are to be found in houses of this date, but there can be little doubt that they were used for the country dances which were so popular with our ancestors. Certain it is that this apartment could not have been used as a picture gallery, for, with the exception of a few feet, the whole of the wall space is occupied by windows, both at the sides and ends. Its roof is open-timbered, and supported by five pairs of principals. From this long gallery a narrow door leads us into the uppermost room over the porch. It is about eighteen feet long and eleven feet wide.

"The great hall is of the early type, with open-timbered roof, and is in its usual place at the opposite side of the quadrangle to the gatehouse. It is about thirty-four feet long and twenty-three feet wide. The roof is divided into two long bays, and supported in the middle by a strong central principal. The kitchens and butteries, with symmetrically arranged doors, are at the west end of the hall. The kitchen fireplace is large enough to roast an ox. It is eleven feet wide and five feet deep. The posts of the screens supported the musicians' gallery, from which there is access to three bedrooms over the kitchens and butteries. The through passage of the hall is protected from draughts by porches at both ends of it. In the north porch is a a most ingeniously contrived. circular staircase, which leads to the musicians' gallery, and to the three bedrooms just referred to.

с

The fireplace of the hall is in a somewhat unusual position, being at the north end of the high table, and there are indications of afterthought in its construction, as in so many other instances. The bay window also, by its plan no less than by the date which it bears, was manifestly added as an improvement many years after the erection of the great hall itself. This bay window, with the contiguous bay of the drawing-room, in their upper parts are joined together in a very unique manner. The picture of the courtyard, given in Nash's Mansions of the Olden Time, gives a clear idea of this remarkable architectural construction, which, according to the inscription given elsewhere, dates from the year 1559.

"These two bays terminate hexagonally on plan. The south porch of the hall, which like the two bay windows is richly ornamented and carved, appears to have been added at the same time. Passing out of the great hall by the usual door at the back of the high table, we enter the eastern wing of the building. In front of us is a winding staircase leading to the bedrooms. On our left hand is the smaller hall, or lord's chamber. On our right is the withdrawing room, the ceiling of which is divided into twelve square compartments by fine ceiling beams. These compartments are enriched with moulded floor joists, the direction of which is changed in each compartment, thus imparting an interlacing effect resembling that which is so much favoured by Japanese artists. The ceilings at Samlesbury Hall are of similar construction. The work is all executed in oak. There is an interesting Elizabethan chimney-piece in this apartment. The chapel is at the south end of this east side of the quadrangle. Its chancel, which is about twelve feet long and eight feet wide, projects beyond the line of the main buildings.