sith my calling is, and hath been such, as that I have scarcely presumed
to peep in at her gates; much less then have I adventured to search out
and know the estate of those houses, and what magnificent behaviour is to
be seen within them. Yet thus much will I say generally of all the houses
and honours pertaining to her majesty, that they are builded either of
square stone or brick, or else of both. And thereunto, although their
capacity and hugeness be not so monstrous as the like of divers foreign
princes are to be seen in the main and new found nations of the world, yet
are they so curious, neat, and commodious as any of them, both for
convenience of offices and lodgings and excellence of situation, which is
not the least thing to be considered of in building. Those that were
builded before the time of King Henry the Eighth retain to these days the
shew and image of the ancient kind of workmanship used in this land; but
such as he erected after his own device (for he was nothing inferior in
this trade to Adrian the emperor and Justician the law-giver) do represent
another manner of pattern, which, as they are supposed to excel all the
rest that he found standing in this realm, so they are and shall be a
perpetual precedent unto those that do come after to follow in their works
and buildings of importance. Certes masonry did never better flourish in
England than in his time. And albeit that in these days there be many
goodly houses erected in the sundry quarters of this island, yet they are
rather curious to the eye like paper work than substantial for
continuance: whereas such as he did set up excels in both, and therefore
may justly be preferred far above all the rest. The names of those which
come now to my remembrance and are as yet reserved to her majesty's only
use at pleasure are these: for of such as are given away I speak not,
neither of those that are utterly decayed (as Baynard's castle in London,
builded in the days of the Conqueror by a noble man called William
Baynard, whose wife Inga builded the priory of little Dunmow in the days
of Henry the First), neither of the tower royal there also, etc., sith I
see no cause wherefore I should remember them and many of the like, of
whose very ruins I have no certain knowledge. Of such (I say therefore) as
I erst mentioned, we have, first of all, Whitehall, at the west end of
London (which is taken for the most large and principal of all the rest),
was first a lodg