King Charles the first did love Wilton above all places, and came thither every summer. It was he that did put Philip first Earle of Pembroke upon making this magnificent garden and grotto, and to new build that side of the house that fronts the garden, with two stately pavilions at each end, all "al Italiano". His Majesty intended to have had it all designed by his own architect, Mr. Inigo Jones, who being at that time, about 1633, engaged in his Majesties buildings at Greenwich, could not attend to it; but he recommended it to an ingeniouse architect, Monsieur Solomon de Caus, a Gascoigne, who performed it very well; but not without the advice and approbation of Mr. Jones: for which his Lordship settled a pension on him of, I think, a hundred pounds per annum for his life, and lodgings in the house. He died about 1656; his picture is at Mr. Gauntlet's house at Netherhampton. I shall gladly surcease to make any further attempt of the description of the house, garden, stables, and approaches, as falling too short of the greatness and excellency of it. Mr. Loggan's graver will render it much more to the life, and leave a more fixt impression in the reader. [This refers to one of Aubrey's contemplated illustrations. See Chap. XX. (in a subsequent page), Draughts of the Seates and Prospects.-J. B.]
The south side of this stately house, that was built by Monsieur de Caus, was burnt ann. 1647 or 1648, by airing of the roomes. In anno 1648 Philip (the first) re-edifyed it, by the advice of Inigo Jones; but he, being then very old, could not be there in person, but left it to Mr. Webb, who married his niece.
THE PICTURES. In the hall (of old pieces) were the pictures of the Ministers of State in Queen Elizabeth's time, and some of King Henry the Eighth. There was Robert, Earle of Essex, that was beheaded, &c.
At the stairecase, the picture of Sir Robert Naunton, author of "Fragmenta Regalia;" his name was writt on the frame. At the upper end was the picture of King Charles I. on horseback, with his French riding master by him on foot, under an arch; all as big as the life: which was a copie of Sir Anthony Vandyke, from that at Whitehall. By it was the picture of Peacock, a white race - horse, with the groom holding him, as big as the life: and to both which Sir Anthony gave many master touches. Over the skreen is a very long picture, by an Italian hand, of Aurora guiding her horses, neigheing, and above them the nymphes powring down out of phialls the morning showres. Here was the "Table" of Cebes, a very large picture, and done by a great master, which the genius describes to William, the first earl of this family, and lookes on him, pointing to Avarice, as to be avoyded by a noble person; and many other ancient pieces which I have now forgott.
The long gallery was furnished with the ministers of estate and heroes of Queen Elizabeth's time, and also some of the French. In one of the pictures of Sir Philip Sydney are these verses, viz.-
"Who gives himselfe may well his picture give,
Els were it vain, since both short time doe live."
At the 'upper end is the picture of King James the First sitting in his throne, in his royall robes; a great piece, as big as the life; by him on the right hand wall is the picture of William Herbert, first earle, at length, as big as the life, and under it the picture of his little dog, of a kind of chesnut colour, that starved himselfe for his master's death. Here is the picture of Henry Earle of Pembroke and his Countesse; and of William Earle of Pembroke, Lord Chamberlain; severall Earles of Oxford; and also of Aubrey Earle of Oxford, now living; the pictures of Cardinal Wolsey; Archy (King James's jester);……, governour to Sir Philip Sydney; Mr. Secretary Walsingham, in his gown and wrought cap; Mary Countess of Pembrok, sister of Sir Philip Sydney; the last Lady Abbess of Wilton (Lady Anna Gawen), a pretty, beautiful, modest Penelope; with many others now forgotten by me and everybody else.
[The last mentioned name must be erroneous. The Abbess of Wilton at the time of the dissolution of monasteries was Cecily Bodenham, who had previously been Prioress of St. Mary's, Kington St. Michael. - J. B.]
I was heretofore a good nomenclator of these pictures, which was delivered to me from a child eight yeares old, by old persons relating to this noble family. It is a great and a generall fault that in all galleries of pictures the names are not writt underneath, or at least their coates of armes. Here was also the picture of Thomas Lyte, of Lytes Cary; and a stately picture of King Henry the eighth.
The genius of Philip (first) Earle of Pembroke lay much to painting and building, and he had the best collection of paintings of the best masters of any peer of his time in England; and, besides those pictures before mentioned, collected by his ancestors, he adorned the roomes above staires with a great many pieces of Georgeon [Giorgione], and some of Titian, his scholar. His lordship was the great patron of Sir Anthony Van Dyck, and had the most of his paintings of any one in the world; some whereof, of his family, are fixt now in the great pannells of the wainscot in the great dining roome, or roome of state; which is a magnificent, stately roome; and his Majesty King Charles the Second was wont to say, 'twas the best proportioned roome that ever he saw.* In the cieling piece of this great roome is a great peece, the Marriage of Perseus, drawn by the hand of Mr. Emanuel De Cretz; and all about this roome, the pannells below the windows, is painted by him, the whole story of Sir Philip Sydney's Arcadia,† Quaere, Dr. Caldicot and Mr. Uniades, what was the story or picture in the cieling when the house was burnt. At the upper end of this noble roome is a great piece of Philip (first) Earle of Pembroke and both his Countesses, and all his children, and the Earle of Carnarvon, as big as the life, with landskip beyond them; by the hand of that famous master in painting Sir Anthony Van Dyk, which is held one of his best pictures that ever he drew, and which was apprized at 1,000 li. by the creditors of Philip the third earle of Pembrok. Mr. Uniades told me that he heard Philip (first) Earle say, that he gave to Sir Anthony Van Dyk for it five hundred Jacobuses. 'Tis an heirloome, and the creditors had nothing to doe with it, but Mr. Davys the painter, that was brought from London to apprize the goods, did apprize it at a thousand pounds. Captain Wind tells me that there is a tagliedome of this great picture: enquire for it. [A critical account of this picture, which is 17 feet in length by l1 feet in height, and contains ten full-length portraits, will be found in the Beauties of Wiltshire, vol. i. p. 180-187. It was engraved by Bernard Baron in 1740. - J. B.]