History of the life and death of John, Earl of Gowrie

170 THE LIFE AND DEATH OF
ninety from south to north. One part of the west
side excepted, where the front gate was, the build-
ings on all sides were complete. Their height ori-
ginally was of three stories and garrets. But the
height on the south range was diminished about a
hundred years before the house was entirely demo-
lished, and great and unknown alterations were
made in the inner parts when the house and gar-
dens began to be used as military barracks. The
large garden extended to the south wall of the
town, at the east of which, viz. at the south-east
corner of the garden, was the ancient turret, called
" The Monks Tower."
In the year 1579 William, the first Earl of Gow-
rie, who is said to have contracted debts by his
taste for grandeur, made some additions to his
house in Perth. In the south range especially, he
constructed a long and spacious gallery, and adorn-
ed it with paintings, which were much admired.
Sir John Ramsay, in his deposition, says, he " re-
mained a certain space beholding that fair gallery
in which he never had been before." At the west
end of the long gallery was a door which opened
into what was called " the gallery chamber," and
adjoining to that chamber was a small room or