him, was always poring into."

Mechanically I turned to the shelves by the fireplace, and examined the
volumes ranged in that department. I found they contained the works of
those writers whom we may class together under the title of
mystics,--Iamblichus and Plotinus; Swedenborg and Behmen; Sandivogius, Van
Helmont, Paracelsus, Cardan. Works, too, were there, by writers less
renowned, on astrology, geomancy, chiromancy, etc. I began to understand
among what class of authors Margrave had picked up the strange notions
with which he was apt to interpolate the doctrines of practical philosophy.

"I suppose this library was Sir Philip's usual sitting-room?" said I.

"No, sir; he seldom sat here. This was his study; "and the old woman
opened a small door, masked by false book backs. I followed her into a
room of moderate size, and evidently of much earlier date than the rest of
the house. "It is the only room left of an older mansion," said the
steward in answer to my remark. "I have heard it was spared on account of
the chimneypiece. But there is a Latin inscription which will tell you
all about it. I don't know Latin myself."

The chimneypiece reached to the ceiling. The frieze of the lower part
rested on rude stone caryatides; the upper part was formed of oak panels
very curiously carved in the geometrical designs favoured by the taste
prevalent in the reigns of Elizabeth and James, but different from any I
had ever seen in the drawings of old houses,--and I was not quite
unlearned in such matters, for my poor father was a passionate antiquary
in all that relates to mediaeval art. The design in the oak panels was
composed of triangles interlaced with varied ingenuity, and enclosed in
circular bands inscribed with the signs of the Zodiac.