8

of the nobility, or even of royalty. Skelton, a coarse but forcible'writer of that time, in his Boke of Colin Cloute, thus describes theirsplendid dwellings:

“ 23uflbtng rogallg®bttr mansions, curiousln

turrrttes anti trn'tf) tourcs,

2Hitf) Sails anti tmtb bourcsSbtretcfomg to the starrrs;

StHt'tf) glass (nintiofns anti bams;

Ranging about tbctr foallcs©lotbrs of goitre anti pallcs.

Srras of rgcbr arrate,dFrcsfjc as flourrs fn ittane.”

Down to the time when Harrison wrote (temp. Eliz.), the houses of theEnglish gentry seem to have been built entirely of timber; but a greatchange, not only in the materials, but in the arrangement of their plans,took place at that period. “ The ancient manours and houses of ourgentlemen,” says he, “ are yet and for the most part of strong timber, inframing whereof our carpenters haue been and are worthilie preferredbefore those of like science among all other nations. Howbeit, suchas be latelie builded are commonlie of either bricke or hard stone, orboth; their rooms large and comelie, and houses of office (domesticoffices) further distant from the lodgings. Those of the nobilitie are like-wise wrought with bricke * and hard stone, as prouision may best be

* The decay of our native forests promoted very much the consumption of bricks.

“ The king (James I .), in the second yeare of his majesty’s reign, upon good advice forpreservation of timber, prevention of all farther excessive increase of buildings in London andthe suburbs, and for reducing all their buildings into a safe, comely, and uniform building,proclamation was then made, straightly commanding, that from that time forward all their