Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/352

 THIRD PERIOD 332 DUNDAS CASTLE century to extend the accommodation. No sooner apparently was the castle built than it was found to be too small, and the awkwardly shaped north-west wing had to be added to provide a kitchen, as well as additional chambers. That this is an addition is evident from the way in which the doors leading to it from the staircase have been slapped in the original wall. FIG. 284.- Dundas Castle. View from the South-West. A fine piece of Renaissance work, comprising a fountain and a sun- dial, stands in the pleasure-ground adjoining the castle (Figs. 285, 286). This originally formed the centre of a parterre enclosed with walls of hewn stone, having a baiiqueting-house at each corner ; but nothing of all this, except the fountain, now remains. It is a beautiful work of art, both as regards workmanship and design. The great mass of the surface carving is in low relief, with masks projecting boldly at intervals. The cornice on the top does not seem to be the original one ; at all events, it has a crude outline, entirely unlike the spirited details of the other parts of the monument. It will be observed that the central portion of the cornice is projected on elaborately carved trusses on three sides.