Where Wotton says of staircases (on p. 58) that “the breadth of every single step should never be less than one foot, nor more than eighteen inches,” Wren adds “nor so much as eighteen inches at any time, for if a step exceed twelve, those who have but short [legs] must tread twice upon the same step, especially in descent, which, to women especially, is troublesome, and dangerous to the hasty.” James Wyatt, in the circular staircase of Devonshire House, erred in this way, with exactly the effect that Wren describes. One bears in mind in this connection that Wren himself was of short stature. On p. 55 Wotton discourses of the advantage of luminous rooms: “Indeed, I must confess that a frank light can misbecome no edifice whatsoever, temples only excepted, which were anciently dark, as they are likewise at this day in some proportion, devotion more requiring collected than defused spirits,” on which Wren makes the comment that Christ Church in London was practically nothing but window, and was fitter for a stage than for a church, “although for the kind of building it is a thorough piece of work.” On gardens and their treatment with aqueducts, walks, etc., Wren makes the note, “And for disposing the current of a river to a mighty length in a little space I invented the Serpentine, a form admirably convoying the current in circular and yet contrary motions upon one and the same level, with walks and retirements between to the advantage of all purposes, either of gardenings, plantings, or banquetings ... far beyond the bungarly [!] invention at Hatfield so much liked for pleasure.” Up and down the book there are scattered all manner of other interesting notes. There is a practical thought in Wren’s reference to the very small chimneys in use in Spain, where charcoal was sold by weight. He has evidently had difficulty with smoky chimneys, for to Wotton’s observation, “Then there is a repulsion of the fume by some higher hill or fabrique that shall overtop the chimney,” he makes the significant comment, “As in our buildings here.”