Frederick Bathurst at Clarendon Park. He was now, as will be seen by extracts from his letters, chiefly engaged on Roman Catholic buildings. His slovenliness in dress at this time amounted to eccentricity. He was in the habit of wearing a sailor's jacket, loose pilot trousers, jack-boots, and a wideawake hat. In such a costume landing on one occasion from the Calais boat, he entered, as was his custom, a first-class railway carriage, and was accosted with a ‘Halloa, my man, you have mistaken, I think, your carriage.' 'By Jove,' was his reply, 'I think you are right; I thought I was in the company of gentlemen.' This cutting repartee at once called forth an apology. The remainder of the journey was most agreeably passed in examining his portfolio filled with sketches just taken in Normandy.

His oddities clung to him through life, but they were of a harmless character, and could easily be overlooked and laughed at by those who knew what a generous nature he possessed, and how straightforward he was in all business transactions, scorning any petty or mean action in his dealings with every one. His utter contempt for dandyism and effeminacy in dress was founded upon acute observation, for he had noticed that those who indulged in such frivolities were generally men of no attainments, and wasted their time in trifling pursuits. In this way he was much tormented by the frequent visits of a relative, a young man, affected in his manners, and showy in dress. Pugin abhorred him, but he was at times forced to endure

his society. To the ladies of his acquaintance Pugin's carelessness in appearance was very distasteful: but when remonstrated with on the subject, he never condescended to give a patient hearing, but cut the matter short by saying: 'It's all very well, my dress will do perfectly.' A friend with whom he was at one time staying, after thus expostulating, retorted, with some amount of warmth, It is not all very well,' and thought that her remarks had made some impression; and true it was, for on the following morning he presented himself in a smart blue coat with gilt buttons, and a buff waistcoat, exclaiming, 'Well, are you satisfied now?' His mother observes, in one of her letters, that if he only knew how to dress, she would consider him an universal genius,' thus showing that this habit began early in life.

Pugin's professional pursuits did not admit of his making many social visits, but he occasionally accepted an invitation. Lord Rr once calling at St. Marie's Grange during its erection, and desiring to make his acquaintance, asked if he would dine with him, to which Pugin assented.

Very well then,' said his

to-morrow at six o'clock.'

Lordship, 'I'll expect you Thither at the time Pugin repaired, and as he was admiring the stately rooms and objects of art and vertû with which they were enriched, his Lordship, who was well known for his simple habits and encouragement of agricultural pursuits, observed, with perhaps generous feeling, that he would as soon live in one of the smallest cottages on his estate as in his

large and magnificent mansion. Upon this, Pugin, jumping up and pacing the room in apparent excitement, exclaimed, 'The d-l you would—the d-1 you would, my Lord; then what is to become of me and all other artists ?'

Whenever any work of improvement in the city of Salisbury, or suggested restorations of the churches were under consideration, Pugin was always ready to give his gratuitous advice or assistance. When the interesting ancient hall, since converted into the showrooms of Mr. Payn, the china manufacturer ('Hall of John Hall') was in course of restoration, Pugin with his own hands executed in colour the coat-of-arms supported by an angel in the end wall of the apartment, and decorated the chimney-piece and other parts of the hall. When the re-seating of the church of St. Thomas was under consideration, he offered some excellent suggestions. Unfortunately they were not adopted, and thus an opportunity for doing the right thing was missed: the present wretched arrangement of pews being substituted for open seats of appropriate character.

In reference to the Cathedral he never ceased to deplore the mutilations to which the magnificent building had been subjected; but knowing how little chance there was of any restoration being effected, he studiously kept aloof from the dignitaries of the church, knowing that his disturbed spirit would be roused by discussions which might arise, and that he might be tempted to launch out in unmeasured terms of invective.

His finest work at this time consisted in the rebuilding of Scarisbrook Hall, Lancashire, for the late Charles Scarisbrook, Esq., one of the richest commoners in England. Here Pugin had money at his command, but unfortunately (as in almost every one of his later buildings) he was hampered in his ideas by the determination of Mr. Scarisbrook to build upon the foundations of the old house. Notwithstanding this the architecture is of the highest merit, and the great hall is quite unsurpassed by any modern buildings of the kind. It is very much in the style of the present Houses of Parliament, and the clock tower bears undeniable resemblance to the present graceful structure at Westminster. The plans fill six large folios, one of which contains exquisitely finished perspective sketches of various parts of the building.

Pugin was now deprived of his father and mother; the former died in December 1832, after a long illness, at the age of sixty-three, and Mrs. Pugin survived her husband but a short time, her decease taking place in 1833. Both were buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's, Islington, the parish where Mrs. Pugin's sister, Miss Selina Welby, had lived for many years. By the death of this lady Pugin became possessed of some property, being her nephew.

CHAPTER IX.

Article in the Times'-Publishes his work entitled 'Contrasts,' &c.— Remarks on the character of the Book-Strictures upon the practices of the Roman Catholic Church-Anecdote referring to Vestments -Erroneous Notions, limiting Art to those in connection with the Roman Catholic Church-Public Opinion upon the Contrasts'— Humorous Songs in reference to the work.

DURING the early part of his residence at Salisbury, and before he inhabited St. Marie's Grange at Laverstoke, Pugin was still in communion with the English Church, and regularly attended divine service in the Cathedral. But after his secession, he frequented the Roman Catholic chapel of the town,-an ill-shaped room, having no pretensions whatever to an ecclesiastical character. This change in his attendance, from the glorious cathedral to the miserable chapel, was a sacrifice of no small kind for a man of Pugin's taste to make. It was out of the question to alter the building, but he did his utmost to impart dignity to the externals of public worship, which were at that time sunk to the lowest level of bad taste.

Many, both in and out of the pale of the Roman Catholic Church, did not scruple to attribute Pugin's conversion solely to the love he had for the outward splendour of the middle ages.