every flattery that the charms of fifteen could claim. "The tresse of perfect beautie was assailed by Desire, and his four foster children." The combatants on both sides were persons of the first rank: the Earl of Arundel, Sir Philip Sidney, and Sir Fulke Greville were among the challengers; a regular summons was first sent to the possessor of the castle, with the "delectable" song, of which the following is the first part : * "Yeeld, yeeld, d yeeld, you that this foot do hold, Which seated is in spotless honor's feeld, Desire's great force, no forces can with hold; This song being concluded, "two cannons were fired off, one with sweet powder, and the other with sweet water and after were store of prettie scaling ladders, and then the footmen threw floures, and such fancies against the wals, with all such devises as might seem fit shot for Desire.” In the end Desire is repulsed, force to make submission: and thus ended an amorous foolery; which occupy no fewer than six of Holinshed's folio pages in describing. These and other diversions occupied the mind of Elizabeth till she was sixty-seven years of age. On one day she appointed a Frenchman to "do feats upon a rope in the Conduit Yard:" next day she commanded the bear, the bull, and the ape to be bayted in the Tilt Yard. And on Wednesday she had solemn dawncing." "* In the reign of James I. Whitehall, being then in a ruinous condition, was begun to be rebuilt in a princely manner. The Banquetting rooms were begun to be pulled down, and were afterwards rebuilt by James's successor. The building which at present bears the name of the BANQUETTING HOUSE was begun in 1619, from a design of Inigo Jones, Stowe's Annals, p. 1180. Jones, in his purest manner; it was executed by Nicholas Stone, the King's architect; was finished in two years, and cost 17,0007.; though it seems Jones received at that time, for his ingenuity and labour, as surveyor at the works done about the King's Houses, only 8s. 4d. per diem, and 461. per annum, for house rent, a clerk, and other incidental expences." The Banquetting House, however, was but a small part of a vast plan, left unexecuted by reason of the unhappy times which succeeded. It was to consist of four fronts, within a large central court, and five lesser ones between two of the latter, a beautiful circus, with an arcade below: the intervening pillars ornamented with caryatides. The length of this palace was to have been one thousand and one hundred and fifty-two feet, the depth eight hundred and seventy-four feet.* The genius and talents of Jones are clearly marked by the part of the building now remaining: it is a regular edifice, of three stories. The lowest has a rustic wall, with small square blank windows; and by its strength appropriately serves as a basement to the orders of the superstructure. The next story is of the Ionic order, with columns and pilas ters, between which are well-proportioned windows, with alternate arched and pointed pediments. These are surmounted with a proper entablature, on which is raised a second series, of the Corinthian order, with columns, &c. like the other compartments; the columns and pilasters being placed exactly over those of the lower story. From the capitals are carved festoons, meeting with masks and other ornaments, in the middle. Above is an entablature, on which rises a balustrade, intersected with pedestals. The whole is admirably proportioned, and happily executed. The projecting columns have a fine effect in the entablatures, which being brought forward in the same proportion, gives that happy 2 A 4 • The design of this palace is exhibited in four large prints, by Fourdri nier. happy diversity of light and shade so essential to elegant archi tecture. George I. converted the interior into a chapel royal, and appointed select preachers from each university to officiate every Sunday throughout the year, at an annual salary, which, I be lieve, however, is but very small. The chief ornament of this place is the ceiling, painted by Sir Peter Paul Reubens, when he was ambassador at this court. The subject is the Apotheosis of James I. He was assisted by his pupil Jordeans, and had 30007. for his labour. The subject forms nine compartments. The centre represents the monarch on his earthly throne, turning with horror from the · God of War, and the other discordant deities, and giving up himself to commerce and the fine arts. This fine performance, which is done on canvass, is in excellent preservation, and has been more than once repaired. Cipriani received 2000l. for repairing it. Ralph, in his Critical Review of Public Buildings, observes, that this picture is not so generally known as one could wish, but needs only to be known to be esteemed according to its merit. "In short," he adds, " it is but an ill decoration for a place of religious worship; for, in the first place, its contents are no ways a kin to devotion; and, in the next, the workmanship is so very extraordinary, that a man must have abundance of zeal, or no taste, that can attend to any thing beside.” Indeed, it does appear very unaccountable, that such a subject should have been chosen for the ingenuity of the artist: the apotheosis of a King, and of such a King as James! Why, after this, was not the monarch canonized? Yet he who has taken his seat among the gods may well enough be deemed to be beyond the honours of saintship: though the elevation is somewhat abrupt and extreme; but what will not the vanity of mortals drink in-what will not a weak King allow from a flattering subject? In Whitehall Chapel have been deposited the Eagles and other trophies 7 |