islands. I have added the Ogam alphabet. These letters themselves have a decorative and rather Moorish effect. If there should be no Arthurian dado, this border might still run round the room, conveying the owner's favourite maxims, proverbs, or quotations. Where the dado is adopted, I should suggest that each figure design be separated from its neighbour by a rather wide piece of conventional design, as No. 4 or No. 8 in the illustration. The oak, mistletoe, and vervain (wild verbena), are the most suitable plants to introduce, of course drawn conventionally; the colours most connected with the ancient Britons are green and gold. Tennyson's account of life in those days is filled with colour and glitter; but this should be subordinated to the uses of the room and the taste of the decorator. If the story of Arthur is introduced, the gold dragon should not be forgotten-the sign of kingly authority, the "Pendraig." Perhaps some who read this believe that the histories of Arthur and Guinevere, of Merlin, of all the knights and ladies, including the mysterious Lady of the Lake, are only a series of fairy stories artfully disinterred by our Laureate, and rendered by him the subjects of entrancing verse. The old proverb says, "Seeing is believing," and I have myself seen a stone* inscribed to "Sagram," one of Arthur's knights, the sweet Sir Sagramore alluded to by Vivien in her unpleasant

* In the old Abbey of St. Dogmael's, near Cardigan.

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historiettes. This stone, though the words on it have been cut there at least thirteen hundred years ago, and though it has always been exposed to the weather, -and very bad weather too,-is still unstained and unmossy, and the letters are still sharp and clear. The inscription is engraved both in Roman and Ogam characters, and affords a valuable key to the latter. Merlin's Grove-in an old oak of which he was entombed by Vivien's arts—is still to be seen near Carmarthen; and and Caerlon-on-Usk abounds with memories and relics of Arthur, the great king still dear to the hearts of his countrymen.

The Ogam (formerly written Ogham, and pronounced Oggam) alphabet consists of intersecting lines. I believe that this very ancient manner of writing is still used in the remoter parts of Wales; a fact that seems to bring us closer to the far-off days when Arthur was king and Ogam was his character.

II. CLASSICAL.

THIS is naturally the style in which the frieze, dado, etc., should be introduced. The wall seems generally to have been divided into panels, with a Greek border (as the Key pattern) running round each one, and some mythological figure or figures in the centre Three colours are quite sufficient-the ground colour of the wall, the colour for the pattern and figures, and the black outline. The dado was darker than the rest of the wall; it was usually, I believe, of a dark-red colour. Those who live within reach of the British Museum will have no difficulty in finding every particular about ancient Greek and Roman art preserved there; and in the Crystal Palace there is to be seen the fac-simile of a Pompeian house, a short study of which will be found of infinite use. The sudden destruction which overwhelmed Pompeii has preserved to us the actual houses, decorations, and furniture which were used by the Italians eighteen hundred years ago. But every one cannot go to Pompeii and study in the house of Sallust; every one, however, can read the works on painting and sculpture by the elder Pliny (in books xxxiv., xxxv., and