Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/528

 THIRD PERIOD 508 FALKLAND PALACE Billings and others as " French." The details of the latter period are quite different, and they very timidly and slowly encroached upon the old native style ; whereas here we have fine French detail and good carving suddenly introduced in a manner which can only be accounted for in some such way as that above described. The corridor at Falkland is added in a similar manner to that at Linlithgow, and the design of the lower windows in the former is some- what in the same style as those of the latter. Of the east side of the quadrangle only part of the inner wall remains (Fig. 434). This is sometimes ascribed to James v., but the work is altogether coarser than and inferior to that of the south side. It is evidently an imitation, but a very imperfect one, of the south side, and is more probably of the time of James vi. RESIDENCE OF THE KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM, LINLITHGOW. Town houses of this period are rare in Scotland, but we have, or rather had, an excellent example in this building, which we regret to observe has quite recently been entirely demolished and removed to make way for " modern improvements." This took place notwithstanding strong protests from the Antiquarian Society of Scotland and the Glasgow Architectural Association, and we understand that even the Town Council of Linlithgow were aroused by the Vandalism which threatened to sweep away from their good town this unique and important edifice. But all protests were in vain. It should be mentioned that there is no historical ground for maintaining the ordinary tradition that this building was the Hotel of the Knights Hospitallers. Mr. Waldie, in his minute and valuable little work on the history of Linlithgow, is of opinion that it was either an almshouse or a leper-house. Like all the town mansions in Scotland pre- vious to the last century, and like the private residences or hotels on the Continent still, this mansion consisted of buildings surrounding a courtyard (Fig. 436). There was a block of buildings fronting the main street, with an arch- way leading to the courtyard. At the height of one story above the inner archway there occurred (Fig. 437) three projecting corbels, with Fio. 436. Plan of First Floor.