Heretofore all gentlemen’s houses had fish ponds, and their houses had motes drawn about them, both for strength and for convenience of fish on fasting days. The architecture of an old English gentleman’s house, especially in Wiltshire and thereabout, was a good high strong wall, a gate house, a great hall and parlour, and within the little green court where you come in, stood on one side the barne: they then thought not the noise of the threshold ill musique. This is yet to be seen at severall old houses and seates, e. g. Bradfield, Alderton, Stanton St. Quintin, Yatton-Keynell, &c. Fallersdowne, vulgo Falston, was built by a Baynton, about perhaps Henry the Fifth. Here was a noble old-fashioned house, with a mote about it and drawbridge, and strong high walles embatteled. They did consist of a layer of freestone and a layer of flints, squared or headed; two towers faced the south, one the east, the other the west end. After the garrison was gonn the mote was filled up, about 1650, and the high wall pulled down and one of the towers. Baynton was attainted about Henry the Sixth. Afterwards the Lord Chief Justice Cheyney had it About the beginning of Queen Elizabeth, ….. Vaughan of Glamorganshire bought it; and about 1649, Sir George Vaughan sold it to Philip Earle of Pembroke. Longleate House is the most august building in the kingdome. It was built by [Edward] Seymor, Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector,* tempore Edward VI., who sent for the architects out of Italy. The length is 272 foot, the breadth 172 foot; measured by Mr. Moore, Clericus. It is as high as the Banqueting house at Whitehall, outwardly adorned with Dorick, lonick, and Corinthian pillars. Mr. Dankertz drew a landskip of it, which was engraved. Desire Mr. Rose to gett me a print of it. *[This statement is erroneous. Maiden Bradley, which is not far from Longleat, has been a seat of the noble family of Seymour for many centuries, and they have an old mansion there; but the family never possessed Longleat. The latter estate, on the contrary, was granted by King Henry VIII. to Sir John Horsey, and Edward Earl of Hertford, from whom it was purchased by Sir John Thynne, ancestor of its present proprietor, the Marquess of Bath. In 1576, Sir John commenced the splendid mansion at Longleat, which some writers assert was designed by John of Padua. The works were regularly prosecuted during the next twelve years, and completed by the two succeeding owners of the property. See Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain, vol. ii.—J. B.]