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gem, without the fair-featured finger; is nothing, indeed, in his proper grace anduse : even so his honour accounted of this mansion, till he had placed their tenantsaccording. Had it, therefore, replenished with lively birds, English , French , Spanish ,Canarian, and (I am deceived if I saw not some) African. Whereby, whether itbecame more delightsome in change of tunes and harmony to the ear, or else indifference of colours, kinds, and properties to the eye, I’ll tell you if I can, whenI have better bethought me.

“ In the centre (as it were) of this goodly garden, was there placed a very fairfountain, cast into an eight square, reared a four foot high, from the midst whereofa column up set in shape of two Athlants joined together a back half, one lookingeast, tother west, with their hands upholding a fair formed bowl, of a three footover; from whence sundry fine pipes did lively distil continual streams into thereceipt of the fountain, maintained still two foot deep by the same fresh fallingwater; wherein, pleasantly playing to and fro and round about, carp, tench, bream,and, for variety, perch and eel, fish fair liking all and large. In the top the raggedstaff, which, with the bowl, the pillar, and the eight sides beneath, were all hewnout of rich hard white marble. A one side, Neptune, with his tridental fuskintriumphing in his throne, trailed into the deep by his marine horses. On another,Thetis in her chariot drawn by her dolphins : then Triton by his fishes. HereProteus herding his sea-bulls: there Doris and her daughters solacing a sea andsands. The waves scourging with froth and foam, intermingled in place, with whales,whirlpools, sturgeons, tunnies, conclis, and wealks, all engraven by exquisite deviceand skill; so that I may think this not much inferior unto Phoebus gates, which,Ovid says, and peradventure a pattern to this, that Vulcan himself did cut; whereofsuch was the excellency of art, that the work in value surmounted the stuff, and yetwere the gates all of clean massy silver.”

Page 60. -Gate-House.

Gateways, as well as having badges, were in some instances ornamented withinscriptions on ribands. The entrance to Thornbury Castle is a remarkable exampleof the kind. The upper part, showing the manner of displaying the badges andribands, is represented in the annexed Plate.

Inscription .—Gate toag begun in tfje gere of our Sorb (Sobe 1521, tj)e gcre of theregne of IXing ?£enrg the ITIEI-I. bg me, lebto. Sue of ©ubfungjjam,Icrlle of ?I?arforbe, jetafforbe, anb Xortbampton.

Motto. —©orengabant.