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the hall, where he dined, and dressed his meat." As soon as the comfort
of
flues was known, the building of them became a custom in all good
houses, but in the reign of Elizabeth all the houses of the nobility had
not
been provided with them, so that we frequently meet with the complaint,
that the rooms appropriated for the queen's ladies during her progress, had
no chimneys. Harrison, who seems, like many persons in the present day, to
have been devoted to old customs, complains of the introduction of chimneys
as an unnecessary luxury, and defends the old plan of lighting fires in the
centre of the room, because the smoke tended to preserve the wood of which
the houses were constructed, and men were less afflicted with rheums and
other pains, to which the pampered body is subject.         In spite, however,
of every objection, the custom gained upon the people, and as though
proud of the improvement which had been made, the chimney shafts became
important decorations of the exterior, and the chimney-piece of the interior
of every dwelling. Some of the massive chimney-pieces of this period, richly
carved in marble, are still in existence, and afford convincing evidence
of the
gorgeous and princely decoration of the English mansion in the days of
Elizabeth.
   In this work several designs in the Elizabethan style have been given,
from which, in connection with what has now been stated, the decorator may
gather such an acquaintance with the principles of the style, that he will
have no difficulty in applying its leading features in his own designs. For
libraries it is admirably suited, as we have attempted to show in the design
given in Plate XIII. Rich oak carvings may be considered one of the pecu-
liarities of the period, and in a library they are introduced with much
advantage, as a great variety of colour is to be avoided, not only because
the
decorator should endeavour to obtain a quiet and repose essentially necessary
for places devoted to study, but also because a sufficient amount of colour
is
obtained from  the books with which the apartment is furnished.      For
other
apartments the style is also well suited, but the judgment of the architect
will be required in its application.