Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/561

 MAGDALENS HOUSE 545 FOURTH PERIOD- about the house is l64>4> on a quaint dial stone (Fig. 964), standing 011 a terrace on the south side of the house. One shield on this stone has the Wardlaw arms. Whoever designed this house, it must be regarded as a very successful modification of the Scottish style. The north front and the staircase retain many features of that style, while the south front (Fig. 965) shows how a simple Renaissance style may be judiciously ingrafted on it. Both in plans and elevations Pitreavie is a fine example of what might have resulted from a combination of early Renaissance with Scottish architecture had the latter not been speedily driven from the field by the introduction of the heavier and more classic forms of the later Renaissance. The lady of the third Baronet of Pitreavie was Elizabeth Halket from Pitfirrane, another fine old house in the neighbourhood. She was, it i& now generally believed, the authoress of the ballads Hardyknute and Sir Patrick Spens. The estate passed from the Wardlaws into the pos- session of the Blackwood family, and from a MS. note-book lying in the house it would appear that in 171 3, if not earlier, Sir Robert Blackwood was proprietor. He is designated as " of Pitreavie," and Lord Dean of Guild of Edinburgh, as also a " Bailzie of said Burgh, and Merchant there." The note-book extends from 1676 till 1718. The house has been deserted for many years, but has not been allowed to fall into ruin. MAGDALENS HOUSE, HADDINGTONSHIRE. This interesting and beautiful design is a good example of a mansion on a small scale, built on the same general plan as Castle Stewart and Pitreavie (Fig. 966), i.e. with a central oblong main body and two wings projecting to the front. This building being only two stories in height, the ground floor was utilised as dwelling-rooms, and not raised on a base- ment of vaulted cellars, as is generally the case. The entrance doorway was in the octagonal turret in the re-entering angle of the south wing. We are informed by Mr. Hislop, the present proprietor, that the door was of oak, studded with nails, and had a rasp knocker or tirl-pin, now in the Antiquarian Museum, but wrongly labelled, the Hamiltons of Preston Tower not being the proprietors of Magdalens House. The entrance turret also contains the main staircase. From the entrance door the passage opens directly into the hall, an apartment of 32 feet in length by 18 feet in width. It has a large handsome fireplace with the monogram and arms of the proprietor and his wife carved on the lintel (Fig. 967). The windows in the outer wall being on the ground floor, are kept high above the ground, and are small. In order to get as much light as possible from these, the inner portion of the wall between VOL. II. 2 M