In other apartments, pargetting of the same general character as distinguishes the rooms in Hardwick Hall itself is to be seen over the fire-places. In one place a figure or two; in another, animals of the chase; in a third, a moated and fortified building; in another, armorial bearings; and in yet another, the same motto—now from the dangerous state of the walls and floors not discernible—which occurs on the fine old table described in our last— “The redolent smell of eglantyne We stagges exault to the devyne”— will be noticed, and all of the highest order of workmanship. Of the moated and fortified building just alluded to, we give an engraving on our initial letter, and beneath it, we have added the arms of the present noble house of Cavendish. We have, on a previous page, spoken of the marvellous aptitude for business, and the careful attention to even the minutest details of expenditure, &c., evinced by the Countess of Shrewsbury, and we purpose now to make this a little more evident by giving some particulars of the erection of Hardwick Hall built by her. The Hall, as it now stands—for it is, in every essential part, just as the countess left it—was, it is thought, commenced about the year 1576, and finished in 1599. The book of accounts of the wages paid is very curious and interesting, and gives the names of all the various wallers, ditchers, stone breakers, labourers, &c., with the gardeners, thatchers, moss-getters, &c., employed by the countess between January, 1576, and December, 1580. The accounts are made up every fortnight during that time, and all the items are carefully ticked off with a cross by the countess, and each fortnight’s accounts signed by her. Of one of the signatures we have engraved a fac-simile: it reads—“thre ponde hyght pence. E. SHROUESBURY.” [Illustration] Of the items of which this fortnight’s accounts, amounting only to £3 0_s._ 8_d._ are composed, we copy the following:— “This fortnight work begane one Munday beinge the xxjth of January, viz.:— George Hickete xj days v_s._ vj_d._ his mane xj days iij_s._. viij_d._ and his boy xj days iij_s._ viij_d._ Robert bucknail vj days ij_s._ his mane vj days xviij_d._” In the park are some remarkably fine old oak and other forest trees, round which almost countless herds of deer may be seen browsing. Some of these trees are of gigantic size, of considerable girth, and of great beauty. Our engraving on page 139 gives a distant view of the Hall, with some of these fine trees in the foreground. [Illustration: _Hault Hucknall Church._]