has since his to his successor who we understand has adopted much more liberal arrangements there is seldom anything to or complain of as regards the fat of obtaining admission to interesting private houses in england oxford was painted by sir james in some design doubtless of s the purport of which i did not take the trouble to make out � myself with the general effect which was most splendidly and ornamental we were guided through the show rooms by a very civil person who allowed us to take pretty much our own time in looking at the pictures the collection is exceedingly valuable � many of these works of art having been presented to the great duke by the crowned heads of england or the continent one room was all with pictures by and there were works of and many other famous painters any one of which would be to illustrate the meanest house that might contain it i remember none of them however not being in a picture seeing mood so well as s large and familiar picture of charles i on horseback with a figure and face of melancholy dignity such as never by any other hand was put on canvas yet on considering this face of charles which i find often repeated in half and it from the ideal into i doubt whether the unfortunate king was really a handsome or impressive looking man a high thin nose a meagre face and hair and beard � these are the literal facts it is the painter s art that has thrown such pensive and shadowy grace around him on our passage through this of apartments we saw through the vista of open a boy of ten or twelve years old coming towards us from the farther rooms he had on a straw hat a linen sack that had certainly been washed and re washed for a summer or two and gray trousers a good deal worn � a dress in short which an american mother in middle station would have thought too shabby for her darling s ordinary wear this s face was rather pale as those of english children are apt to be quite as often as our own but he had pleasant eyes an intelligent look and an agreeable boyish manner it was lord of the present duke and heir � though not i our old think in the direct line � of the blood of the great and of the title and estate after passing through the first of rooms we were conducted through a corresponding on the opposite side of the entrance hall these latter apartments are most richly adorned with wrought and presented to the first duke by a of they look like great glowing pictures and completely cover the walls of the rooms the designs purport to represent the duke s battles and and everywhere we see the hero himself as large as life and as gorgeous in scarlet and gold as the holy sisters could make him with a three hat and flowing wig in his horse and extending his leading staff in the attitude of next to prince is the most prominent figure in the way of there can never have been anything more magnificent than these and considered as works of art they have quite as much merit as nine pictures out of ten one whole wing of the palace is occupied by the library a most noble room with a vast perspective length from end to end its atmosphere is brighter and more cheerful than that of most a to the old of oxford and perhaps less sombre and suggestive of than any large library ought to be inasmuch as so many brains as have left their deposit on the shelves cannot have without producing a very serious and ponderous result both and ceiling are white and there are elaborate and of white marble the floor is of oak so highly polished that our feet slipped upon it as if it had been new england ice at one end of the room stands a statue of queen anne in her royal robes which are so admirably designed and exquisitely wrought that the spectator certainly gets a strong conception of her royal dignity while the of the statue and feeble doubtless a suitable idea of her personal character the marble of this work long as it has stood there is as white as snow just fallen and must have required most faithful and religious care near keep it so as for the of the library they are within the cases and turn their gilded backs npon the keeping their of wit and wisdom as as if still in the mines of human thought i remember nothing else in the palace except the chapel o which we were conducted last and where we saw a splendid to the first duke and by at the cost it is said of z the design he statues of the deceased and various and and beneath sleep the duke and his proud wife their veritable bones and dust ind probably all the that have since died it is lot quite a comfortable idea that these ancestors still after their fashion the house where their the passing day but the upon the of could not have been unless he palace of his lifetime had become likewise a stately over his remains � and such we felt it all to be after gazing at his tomb the next business was to see the private gardens an scotch under gardener admitted us and led the way and to have a fair prospect of earning the fee all by but by and by another respectable made his appearance and took us in charge proving to be the m person he was extremely intelligent and agree ble talking both and lovingly about trees and of which there is every variety capable of english positively the garden of 