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190 detailing some recent discoveries at Boughton House, Northamptonshire, the seat of the duke of Buccleugh, chiefly erected by Peter Puget, in the time of Ralph, duke of Montague, ambassador at the court of Lewis XIV. The ceilings of the hall and state-apartments were painted by De Verrio. Mr. Ferrey observed, " My object in these remarks is to call attention to the more ancient part of the structure. The present great hall of the mansion is lofty and well proportioned, the ceiling is coved and elaborately painted. The hall is entirely lighted from the south side, and opens into a small quadrangle; there are evident traces in this court of a much earlier building, although the general design of the exterior parts has been accommodated to suit the more modern style; string-courses, eaves, mouldings, and window labels (skilfully as they have been incorporated with cornices and window dressings of Roman character), can clearly be defined. The only parts of the exterior of the former baronial residence which remain unaltered are the copings, summer-stones, and gable ornaments at each end of the great hall referred to. The spindles still remain on the gable turrets, but the vanes have long since been destroyed. My attention having been arrested by these remains I mentioned the circumstance to the duke, who encouraged me to prosecute my investigation further. Ladders were then procured, and perceiving small windows in each gable, which had been blocked up, I had one opened and entered the roof under which the ceiling had been painted by De Verrio. I thought it not improbable that the roof of this hall would be curious, and I was not disappointed in my anticipations. On procuring a light I found that the oak roof was of most beautiful design, and in good preservation, and a roof of no common interest. Owing to the obstructions offered by the modern timbers and iron ties which suspended the painted ceiling, I was unable to make out completely the design, and cannot speak confidently whether the roof consisted of hammer-beams at the feet of the principal rafters, but I am inclined to think it did not, but that the principal rafters were connected with elaborately moulded carved timbers' which formed an arch under the collar-beams like the roof of the archiepiscopal hall at Croydon and the hall at Abbey Milton, Dorset. I found no appearance of a louvre, and indeed many large halls of this date are without such features. The spandrels above the collar-beams are filled with varied tracery. The arched braces under the purlins are cusped, and the faces of the lower range ornamented completely with sunk quatrefoils, and other devices. At one end of the roof is a couplet window, now blocked up, and at the other end a trefoiled window of very pleasing design; the character of this latter window is evidently ecclesiastical, and both by its form and mouldings may be clearly assigned to an earlier date; it is a window of very good early Decorated form, probably taken from the chapel which once formed an adjunct to this ducal residence."

The Rev. B. Belcher, of West Tisted, Hants, communicated the following particulars regarding the church of Warnford, in the same county, and the interesting commemorative inscriptions which are there to be seen. The attention of the Committee had been directed to some peculiarities in this