Christmas season. It was renewed as its
gradual waste might render necessary. The
surface next the fire glowed with a slumbering
heat, which never died out, night nor day,
until at last it was reduced to such small dimensions
as to be no longer fit for its purpose.
It was then raked forward among the smaller
billets and embers, and another monarch of the
woods reigned in its stead. These monster
chimneys were not without their domestic uses: their
sides were lined with noble flitches of bacon,
hams, chaps, &c., which were hung there to
undergo the last process of curing. In this primitive
but matchless way, an ample store of this
relishable food was prepared for the largest
establishment, and thus it obtained a flavour far
more exquisite than any attainable by any
other artificial or more rapid means. The
birds, too, would make use of the top of the
chimney as a warm berth in which to build
their nests, but sometimes, overpowered with
the smoke, would fall fluttering into the fire
below.

These very extended hearths became
afterwards somewhat less, and in the reigns of
Elizabeth and James the decoration and
consequence of chimney-pieces reached their greatest
splendour; they were vast, massive, and elaborate,
extending from floor to ceiling; and the
observer could not fail to be struck with the
remarkable resemblance there was between the
monuments of the period and the chimney-
pieces.They might have changed places and
have been equally appropriate for either
purpose, more particularly when the latter were of
stone or marble, as was often the case.
Hatfield, the residence of the Marquis of Salisbury,
is singularly rich in these grand structures.
They are mostly of marble, and in the finest
taste of the period. Chimney-pieces of the
Elizabethan time, and that of James the First,
are to be found in many of the fine mansions of
England, carved in oak; and they may be, as
the dealing phrase is, " picked up" by some
fortunate discoverer, in his rambles into distant
country towns. The palace of Fontainebleau
boasts of several elaborate examples of this kind.
Some of the sculptures are in stone, mostly
representing mythological figures as large as life,
and are very fine. In the centre of one huge
entablature is inserted a handsome clock, giving
a useful look to the elaborate ornamentation
which surrounds it. Over another chimney-
piece rises Henri Quatre, life size, in marble
state, seated on a prancing charger.

In Charles the Second's reign, Grinling
Gibbons executed some fine chimney-pieces: at
least that portion of them which was above the
jambs, and in which generally at that period
were inserted paintings— frequently portraits;
in some cases these were removed, and
looking-glasses substituted. Though the real chimney-
piece might be said to be below this, the richly-
carved frame above it gave such an architectural
elevation to the whole that it might with
propriety be considered as forming a portion of the
chimney-piece itself, though not constructed
upon the decided plan of those earlier
examples already mentioned. Since the time of
Queen Anne, chimney-pieces have been
gradually losing their altitude and progressing
downward, till they have descended very low.
This being the case, according to the general
run of fashion, we may expect their gradual rise
again; and another generation or so may see
them claiming acquaintance with the ceilings
once more. Architecturally speaking, this would
be a great gain in effect; for, though fashion in
houses, as in dress and other matters, reconciles
us to all changes, however tasteless and
unpalatable they may be at first, still there is a
certain staple grandeur in some designs that
never fails to excite our admiration. Whether
the grandeur be of the age of the Pyramids, or
be Grecian, Roman, Saxon, Gothic, or
Elizabethan, it is not for a day: it is for ever.

In process of time, the space occupied by the
fire became gradually still more contracted; coal
came into more general use; grates occupied the
place of the old fire-dogs; they were movable,
and the sides of the chimney were frequently
lined with Dutch tiles, in small squares;
sometimes a large tile, filling the whole space, was
employed. The grates themselves were often of
good design, displaying much elegance in
engraved work, and also in an open cut pattern; they
were of polished steel, brass, or Teutonic metal;
they are even now much in request.

About the period of George the Second's
reign, and until towards the middle of George the
Third's reign, an elegant and graceful adaptation
of marble and carved woodwork united, was
introduced into the fashioning of chimney-pieces.
The jambs and inner piece in these instances were
of marble, and round these, and forming the
mantelpiece also, carved woodwork was
introduced: the sides or uprights being generally
pillars, which, if not exactly classical, were still
appropriate and effective. These pillars
supported a piece of carving, often of very elegant
design— either very delicate foliage, birds, urns,
or figures, with festoons of flowers gracefully
looped up, falling over the subject. At a certain
house on Falstaff's Gad's-hill there is an
admirable specimen of these chimney-pieces: perhaps,
as good a sample of this very tasteful decoration
as can be found. In this instance, the
interior margin is of marble; the sides, two fluted
pillars supporting an entablature, the two
extremities of which form two projections over
the capitals of the pillars, and upon this projection
are carved figures playing music; in the
centre is an oblong medallion elaborately carved
in figures, representing some subject from
Roman history; these two end projections,
together with the centre one, leaves a sunken
panel on each side, upon which is introduced an
urn, with foliage playfully entwining in wreaths
about it; over this, are some rich mouldings
forming a cornice; and above, is a design which
fills the space to the ceiling— a rather unusual
thing in this kind of embellishment. It consists
of a large oval medallion of framework encircling
a graceful female figure— of Ceres, perhaps. This