The Press.
London, England, 1858-12-25 00:00:00

THE PRESS, DECEMBER 25, 1858.

type of the Englishman on horseback who
figures in some of the popular pictures of the
period.-1n 1791 he again went to Portugal,
but the well-known book on the Monasteries
of Alobaca and 13atalha, published in 1835,
is the only record of his stay. Back at Fonthill
in 1796, he found sportsmen would come into his
park, so he built a wall seven miles long and
twelve feet high to exclude them. Within this
inclosure he soon afterwards began the structure
associated with his name. The old house at
Fonthill, a pile of Palladian architecture, was
spacious and splendid, but he fancied it damp.
The plan of the new one was that of a cross,
measuring two hundred and seventy feet from
east to west, and three hundred and twelve feet
from north to south. One limb of the cross
shorter than the rest was occupied by a hall
sixty-eight feet by twenty-eight ; tne others
contained galleries, libraries, and private rooms.
From the intersection rose an octagon tower to
the height of two hundred and seventy-six
feet. This was twice rebuilt, and, as everybody
knows, fell down after all. Once it took fire,
and the owner, standing " apart on a hill retired,"
pleased himself with watching the pile that blazed
as if with the sacrifice of Carathis. Beckford's
mother had died while the works were proceed-
ing, and he then paid a third visit to Portugal.
During his absence the contractor laid the foun-
dation of the tower, but neglected to turn arches
under it, though money had been paid for the
purpose. Long after, when it had changed hands,
a man who had been clerk of the works sent for
Beckford to his death- bed, and confessed to him
the fraud that had been practised. The comple-
tion of the house and park occupied many years,
and in fact it was never entirely finished. The
entire cost, exclusive of materials, was 273,000/.
In December, 1800, he gave a magnificent noc-
turnal fitte, at which Nelson, and Sir William and
the second Lady Hamilton, were present. Work-
men were impressed from all parts of the country,
and the building was carried on by torchlight.
Nothing was omitted which could enhance the
effect of the preparations. A winding road, cut
through the woods, conducted the company, to
the tune of solemn marches from a military band,
from the old mansion to the new. Suspended
lamps and waving flambeaux cast a fitful light
on the route, and threw the massive projections
and deep recesses of the Abbey into unwonted
effects of light and shade. Vast illuminated gal-
leries, where fictitious heraldic emblazonments
darkened the windows, wearied the sight with
their long perspective. The furniture was
antique, ebony and ivory, and the food was solid
and "Early English" in character. Chimneys
piled with baskets of pine cones and armfuls of
fir-branches threw the gleam of their odorous
flames on sideboards loaded with massy gold and
silver plate. Mysterious figures in hooded
gowns—

Lampadss igniferas manibns retinentis dextrin,
Lumina nocturnis epulis ut suppeditentur,—
stood in the angles of the staircases. Music from
invisible hands behind crimson draperies woke
sudden and startling strains. And after the ban-
quet the syren Emma deligthed the eye with one
of the tableaux in which her husband's classical
taste had carefully instructed her. Agrippina
carried in a golden urn the ashes of Germanicus,
and drew tears from some of the company by the
extreme naturalness with which she appealed to
the people, supplicated the gods, or wept over the
young lady, taken from the audience, who repre-
sented her daughter.

Just after these festivities the horizon of this
Wiltshire Caliph was darkened by its first cloud.
A West India estate, producing 12,000/. a year,
was swept from hint by an adverse decree in
Chancery; and the costs of the suit, combined
with other minor embarrassments, and large defal-
cations through the agents who naturally battened
on so rich a patron,:reduced his income by at least
30,0001. a year. Still, however, he went on build-
ing, improving, and collecting. Living entirely at
Fonthill, and devoting himself to literature and
art, his life was without events of any impor-
tance up to 1823, when he found his income so
much reduced that he determined to part with
the house, and go to live at Bath. Ten thousand
copies of his catalogue were sold, but the
choicest specimens of viral accompanied their
owner to Lansdow•n, where he built a tower
for them 'at the top of the hill, whence he
amused himself with looking over the downs