eight o'clock in many of the old cities of
England; and in the cathedral town of Gloucester
it is up to this day regularly rung out at St.
Michael's Church at the great Cross, where the
four principal streets meet. It is pretty certain
that an article either of brass or iron, shown as
a Couvre feu, or Cover fire, in some collections,
is a kind of occasional or portable oven, put
over bread baking on the hot embers or ashes
under it, and simply employed as a means of
keeping in or concentrating the heat. It is
manifestly too small for the purpose of
extinguishing the monster fires used at a period,
the fuel of which consisted of large billets of
wood. To this primitive chimney-piece, or
bonfire, as we might well call it, succeeded the
huge chimney, in which you could sit below, and
see the stars above— at least when the state of
the weather was not so tempestuous as to drive
you from your star-gazing. These chimney-
pieces generally sloped off from the ceiling of
the room to perhaps about five feet from the
stone hearth, which was raised some few inches
more or less from the floor.

This slanting shape formed a canopy over
the fire; and a very handsome feature in a
room it frequently was. It was generally
highly and richly decorated, especially in
Belgium and other parts of the Continent. In
England, remains may still be seen in many
of our ruined castles. A very fine specimen of
this kind is given in De Haig's views; another
may be seen at the Hôtel Cluny, in Paris;
another in our own collection at the Kensington
Museum. The late Mr. Pugin adopted this style
in the house he built at Ramsgate, and
unquestionably those who imitate the period of
architecture to which they belong, would do
well to follow the example. No such house
could be in good taste otherwise— and it may
always be so decorated as to redeem it from
coarseness.

Where the slope terminated, which was at a
point bringing it between four or more feet
from the wall, a border or frieze descended
straight downward for fifteen or sixteen inches;
this was often very floridly carved in stone,
some subject in figures, forming, perhaps, a
procession or historical tale, being generally
chosen. Sometimes, heraldic blazonings, shields,
crests— in other instances masks and foliage—
were introduced, as taste or fancy suggested.
In some cases, a movable border was
substituted; this generally consisted of a straight
drapery of tapestry or needlework, generally the
latter, and often the work of the ladies of the
family. Its effect was rich and striking, when
combined with, a pair of splendid fire-dogs,
nearly four feet high, of tine brass, called
latten, or latyn, sometimes of iron, very richly
wrought and of fine design. Occasionally they
were of silver, as may be seen at Knole,
Hatfield, and other places; thus fashioned, they
gave an air of nobleness and grandeur to the
whole, which modern grates and chimney-pieces
can hardly compete with, beautiful and highly
finished as they unquestionably are. There was
also an appearance of comfort, coziness, and
good cheer, in these hospitable-looking hearths,
that we miss in the present diminished
receptacles for fires. The fuel was supported by a
fire-back, often richly cast in iron. Frequently
the highly embossed arms of the family, at other
times some hero of the day, would appear on
horseback; in others, mythological subjects
formed the design. A very fine pair of these
fire-dogs may be seen now in the great hall at
Knebworth, the abode of Sir Edward Bulwer
Lytton, in whose family they have been since
the reign of Henry the Seventh. They are of
fine old latten, upwards of four feet high, and
have the supporters of the family arms, two
angels, at the foot.

This kind of chimney-piece may now be seen
in Switzerland, where the advantage of the
canopy covering, may be still tested in use.
Overhanging as it does the hearth, advancing,
indeed, into the room, the fire can be brought
much more forward than any other arrangement
would allow of; consequently, the heat is more
diffused over the apartment, and the family can
almost surround the fire— embracing it, as it
were, front and sides. The fanciful Swiss
cottage at the Colosseum, Regent's Park, has a
good imitation of these Swiss chimney-pieces.

It was considered an improvement to do away
with this sloping fashion of chimney. Accordingly
we find the next in succession descending
straight downward with the wall, but this
was the utmost extent of the improvement, if
improvement it may be called. Its jaws gaped
wider, forming as it were a cavern; the huge
opening stretched in width to twelve or more
feet, and was sustained in the more rude
structures by a cross-beam of oak, about five feet
from the ground; or at least always of
sufficient height to be in no danger from the flaming
mass below.

In many of these chimney-pieces, or rather in
the chimney corners or sides, an arched recess
was cut or originally built, in shape like those
beehive chairs still to be seen in the halls of the
larger mansions of London, vis-à-vis with the
state sedan-chairs, now no longer in use, and in
which the hall porter ensconces himself.
Generally one of these snug and warm berths
occupied one side of the chimney; in other cases,
two; the great width of the hearth placing the
berth at sufficient distance from the fire to
prevent its occupant from being roasted alive. The
yule log, called in some counties— in Worcestershire,
Herefordshire, and perhaps Gloucestershire
—a brun, formed an important and necessary
ingredient in making up the fire. This combustible
fire-back was an essential thing, in
consequence of the deep-set fire-hearth; it was
almost a little room in itself—a boudoir of
fire. The log was generally of very large size,
being either the root or part of the body, of
some big tree, and it generally required the
strength of three or four men to bring it in.
It was not merely at Christmas that this sacrifice
was offered to the fire, though a more
magnificent specimen was always chosen at the