A UNIQUE BUILDING.

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on account of its architectural grandeur and beauty, but because of the originality of its design and the unusual materials (for the period) employed in its erection. The structure is of bricks, which are peculiarly small, with terra-cotta mouldings. This is one of the earliest, if not indeed the very earliest specimen of the revival of brickwork in any building of consequence since the time of the Romans, but the chief feature of the structure is, of course, the terra-cotta adornments, and it is curious to note that the clay from which these are made is not to be found in the neighbourhood. Lord Marney is said to have imported Italian workmen especially to make this terra-cotta, which proceeding on his part may account for the classic details in the ornamentation, though the quaint dolphins at the top of the flanking towers scarcely seem to belong to this formal style. But though no rigid or particular style has been adhered to, the general effect of the gateway is excellent; manifestly the architect, by his bold departure from previous forms of building, was left a free hand and wisely decided to be original, not only in his general design and ornamentation, but, as before noticed, even in the materials employed.

This mansion of Layer Marney, it is evident, was to have been a notable building, a monument to the greatness of the family. Here we have no slavish copy of preceding work, but something fresh and suitable to the changed needs of the time, a building expressing great individuality, yet happily free from eccentricity, effective without any sugges

tion of straining after effect, and, above all things, dignified an edifice that tells of the genius of its designer and the splendour of the age.

With the kind permission of the owner we mounted up numerous steps to the top of the tower. From this we had a glorious bird's-eye view : near at hand we looked down upon the tallest trees, and far away to the south we caught sight of the silvery gleam of the Blackwater River. Long we rested on that time-worn tower, for we felt in a lazy mood that day, drinking in the beauty of the scene. We gazed upon a wild wooded country stretching from us long leagues to river and distant sea; the landscape that we looked upon is much the same that the lordly builder of this stately tower must have seen when he came here, as doubtless he often did; the hoary old church, almost directly beneath us, stands still as it did of yore, within whose hallowed walls, under stately altar-tombs, the once proud possessors of this splendid home now sleep their last long sleep. It would be difficult to find in all England a spot more suggestive of remoteness than Layer Marney; it is the very embodiment of quiet and peace-dulness, if you will-far removed as it is from the vulgar hurry and rush of the outer world. Henry, Lord Marney, could he rise from his cold marble tomb, might look well around him, and from all that he could gather here, he would imagine in all probability that the world, or this corner of England at least, had changed little in all the fateful centuries that he had been sleeping in his grand tomb, for here no railway is in sight, no sound of

A CHANGELESS COUNTRY.

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steam whistle frets the stilly country air, no telegraph wires stretch across the land, the roads are possibly no worse and no better than they were three centuries ago. Yes, Lord Marney might wake from his long sleep, and, from all he could tell from the surroundings of his former stately mansion, find. the world apparently but little changed; he might think how well his building had lasted and wish to complete it, and perhaps he might wish that his tomb had been better cared for.

CHAPTER V.

Layer Marney Church-Old Altar-tombs-An Ancient Will-An English Earthquake-Rooms once occupied by Famous PeopleAn Historic Farmhouse-A Primitive Letter Box-A Ford on the Road--A Ruined Church-An Ancient Coaching Hostelrie-The Old-fashioned Inn-Inn Signs-Relics of the Past-A Country Church with Tenth-Century Frescoes-Walls six yards thick!— St. Botolph's Priory-A Curious Church Tower.

THE grey old time-hallowed church which stands under the shadow of the grand Layer Marney tower, and which is in truth dwarfed by the majesty and greatness of the latter, is of considerable interest on account of the Marney chapel and the elaborate altar-tombs it contains to that once famous family. It was our good fortune by happy chance to be conducted over this ancient church by the rector of the parish, who kindly gave us every information in his power as to the past history of the building and particulars as to the fine monuments it contains. Our general fate when inspecting such edifices is to be shown round by the clerk, whom, whatever his other desirable qualifications, we have found seldom to take much interest in the office of guide, and who gives you what little information he may in a parrotlike fashion wearisome to listen to, or else does not seem to know anything at all, and hurries you along past objects of interest, careless whether you observe

them or no, and apparently chiefly intent upon backsheesh. But for all there are clerks and clerks.

The tower of Layer Marney church is a massive one of brick, and the vestry is built out in imitation of the porch, a curious and unusual arrangement. The first altar-tomb that we inspected was the earliest in date, being to Sir William Marney, who died in 1414. This, the rector told us, formerly stood in the middle of the chancel, but had been removed some time ago to where it now is. The effigy is carefully carved in alabaster and represents the knight clad in full armour with jewelled belt; the helmet is smooth with chain mail beneath, and on the breastplate is a lion rampant.

O mortall folk! you may behold and se
How I lye here, sometyme a myghty knyght;
The end of joy and all prosperite

Is dethe at last through his course and myght;
After the day there cometh the derke night,
For though the day be never so longe,

At last the bells ringeth to evensong.

Next we came to the beautiful canopied tomb of Henry, Lord Marney, he who built the grand gateway and planned the stately home which was never completed. My Lord Marney is represented in partial armour, rings are shown on his hands, and spurs on his sollerets or steel shoes; the effigy is in strong contrast to the one of alabaster, being of black marble. The panels and terra-cotta work of the canopy are similar in colour and design to the enrichments of the Marney gate-tower, proving beyond reasonable doubt that the same craftsman had been employed to do both.