alnut began to come into favour a
few years later that beautifully marked wood was almost invariably used
for the choicest and most costly specimens. Thus in 1698 the dean and
chapter of St Paul's cathedral paid the then very substantial price of
L14 for an inlaid walnut long-cased eight-day clock to stand in one of
the vestries. The rapidity with which the new style came into use is
suggested by the fact that while very few long clocks can be certainly
dated before 1690, between that year and the end of the century there
are many examples. Throughout the 18th century they were made in myriads
all over England, and since they were a prized possession it is not
surprising that innumerable examples have survived. Vary as they may in
height and girth, in wood and dial, they are all essentially alike. In
their earlier years their faces were usually of brass engraved with
cherubs' heads or conventional designs, but eventually the less rich
white face grew common. There are two varieties--the eight-day and the
thirty-hour. The latter is but little esteemed, notwithstanding that it
is often as decorative as the more expensive clock. The favourite walnut
case of the late 17th and early 18th century gave place in the course of
a generation to mahogany, which retained its primacy until the
introduction of cheaper clocks brought about the supersession of the
long-cased variety. Many of these cases were made in lacquer when that
material was in vogue; satinwood and other costly foreign timbers were
also used for bandings and inlay. The most elegant of the "grandfather"
cases are, however, the narrow-waisted forms of the William and Mary
period in walnut inlay, the head framed in twisted pilasters. Long
clocks of the old type are still made in small numbers and at high
prices; they usually contain chimes. During the later period of their
popularity the heads of long clocks were often filled in with painted
disks representing the moon, by which its course could be followed. Such
conceits as ships moving on waves or time with wings were also in
favour. The northern parts of France likewise produced tall clocks,
usually in oaken cases; those with Louis Quinze shaped panels are often
very decorative. French love of applied ornament was, however, generally
inimical to the rather uncompromising squareness of the English case,
and the great Louis Quinze and Louis Seize cabinetmakers made some
magnificent and monumental clocks, many of which