The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-26 00:00:00

ROYAL VISIT /54 A.< TO THE 81/OtAik:l7l'
AND DUCHESS OF BEDPORD. \

WOBURI ABBEY, SATURDAY.--For the last lti'c4
most costly and active preparations have been making
here to do honour to the reception of her Majesty, Prince
Albert, and numerous suite, consisting of the principal
Noblemen and Ladies of the Royal Household ; so mag-
nificent an entertainment to Royalty as this is likely to
be has not been given during the present reign, or long
antecedent.
The Royal party (which we learn may probably in-
clude the Queen of the Belgians, their Royal Highnesse
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George
and the Princess Augusta), is expected to arrive on
Monday afternoon, and sojourn in this ducal mansion
until Wednesday, when the Royal cortege is expected to
proceed to Pansanger, the residence of Earl and Coun-
tees Cowper, and to Viscount Melbourne, at Brocket
Hall, in the neighbouring county of Herts.
The Cabinet Ministers, Prince Esterhazy, and the Fo-
reign Ambassadors and finisters with their Ladies, and
a select party ofthe principal Nobility, have been invited
to meet her Majesty. We have seen a list of the invita-
tions, but as several of the distinguished guests may be
prevented being present, it would be premature to pub-
lish it.
From what we have witnessed of the grand prepara-
tions we should feel perfectly safe in asserting that ne
fete of equal splendour and magnificence has been given
to a British Queen since the pompous times of Queen
Elizabeth. We therefore feel justified in giving, in an-
ticipation of this interesting event, those details which
have come within our observation and knowledge at
greater length than we otherwise should have done upon
a more ordinary occasion.
The magnificent and extensive pile of buildings; this
ancient seat of the Russell family, known as " Woburn
Abbey," has real claims to that title ; for on the site of
the present mansion there existed in the early part of
the eleventh century a monastery, founded by Hugh de
Bolebec, a wealthy baron, and which was intended for
monks of the Cistercian order. - The monastery and its
revenues,,in the middle of the sixteenth century, on the
suppression of religious, houses, were, by Edward VI.,
granted to John Lord Russell, who was soon after created
Earl of Bedford, and it has remained in the possession of
the descendants of that family ever since.
The mansion is approached by an elegant portal and
lodge on the Woburn-road, and about forty-one miles
from the metropolis. A drive through one of the most
beautiful and fertile parks in the kingdom, of about three-
quarters of a mile, brings you to this splendid ducal re-
sidence, in every way worthy the. residence of a pri,tish
Peer
*Xis up.ards of tivels-c4niles fn eircurnterem,,' and
surrounded the whole distance by a lofty wall. It is di-
versified by bold. undulations and a pleasing inequality of
surface. Abounding with wood, it affords many delight-
ful prospects of forest scenery, and the several pieces of
water are so united as' to form a noble expanse, bounded
by flourishing plantations. At the present moment, from
the recent rains, its appearance is verdant and luxuriant
in the extreme. This demesne is abundantly stocked
with fine deer.
The present range of buildings has experienced many
considerable alterations, particularly under the last and
two preceding Dukes, to whom the mansion owes its pre-
sent elegant appearance, from designs by tho late Mr.
Holland, the-architect of old Drury-lane Theatre. The
chief façade, or west front, is of the lonic Order, with
rustic basement. The principal suite of rooms on this
side consists of the grand saloon, the State bed-chamber
(to be occupied by her Majesty), draw:rig, and dining-
rooms : the south contains the library (a spacious and
elegant apartment), breakfast room, Etruscan chamber
and the Duke's roomy : the east.eontains the grand ves-
tibule, hall, and domestic offices ; and the north the
grand gallery; French bed-robins, and numerous other
chambers.
This mansion is celebrated for its collection of paint-
ings and objects of vertu, which we shall briefly notice,
in describing the principal apartments to be thrown open
on the occasion of the Queen's visit. They are more
than 20 in number.

In the inner drawing-room and the billiard-room,
there are numerous valuable paintings by Ruysdael, Te-
niers, Pousiin, Salvator Rosa, Cuyp, Jan Steen,
Ostade, and Wouvermans.
North drawing-room—most splendidly arranged, with
silk draperies and hangings, rich cornices, and chande-
liers. It contains paintings by Claude, Cuyp, and land-
scape's by the distinguished English artist, Wilson.
The Grand Saloon.—This magnificent apartment
would stand comparison with any similar in the 'United
Kingdotn, with respect to the elegant and refined taste
displayed in construction and decoration. In addition to
its gorgeous hangings and furniture, it contains the cele-
brated Rembrandt's " Joseph intrepreting the Baker's
Dream," "Dwdalus and Icarus," by Vandyke, and innu-
merable portraits, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, of the most
celebrated characters. It also contains a fine scripture
piece by Annibal Caracci, Guercino, Divrillo, &c.
The North Dining-room—almost equal in elegance to
the north drawing-room ; containing several portraits by
Vandyke of the Bedford family.
Grand Gallery.—This apartment is about 120 feet in
length, by upwards of 20 wide ; it is unparalleled for
the valuable series of historical portraits it contains, and
Unique gems of the ancient masters. Amongst the for-
mer are a fine likeness of Queen Elizabeth, considered
to be the most correct extant, by Horace Walpole.;
" Lady Jane Seymour," " Cecil, Lord Burleigh," the
favourite Minister of Queen Elizabeth ; " Queen Mary,"
by Sir Antonio More ; " Robert, Earl of Essex," " Ge-
neral Monk," afterwards Duke of Albemarle, &c. There
is also a fine Rembrandt, " Abel found in the Agonies
of Death," and other valuable chefs di:mere, by Cor-
nelius Jansen, Zucchero, Betel, Holbein, Hopner, Sir
Grod:rey Kneller, Vetto, Landseer, &c.
The Grand State Bedchamber—most gorgeously fitted
up with rich white satin, Brussels lace, and splendid mir-
rors, for the reception of the Queen. It must convince
the royal and illustrious guests that nothing has been
spared to contribute to the splendour of the occasion, as
well as ..to the convenience of those who have graciously
condescended to visit this unique ducal mansion.
Second drawing-room—principally remarkable for its
rich carvings by Garrard; they are extremely fine bassi-
relievi.

The library—which is about 60 feet by 24 wide. The
interesting series of portraits over the cases in this apart-
ment were added by Francis Duke of Bedford, and con-
tain portraits of Titian, by himself; Diogenes, by Saha-
tor Rosa; . Tintoretti, by himself; Rembrandt, 1, andyke,
Jan Steen, by himself; Daniel Myttens and wife, &c.
The Etruscan-room.—This saloon is furnished in a pe-
culiar style, adopted as a museum, and contains, amongst
other objects of vertu; thirteen Etruscan vases of great
antiquity, brought by Lord Cawdor from tho Vattican at
Rome; also fine busts of Napoleon, Charles James Fox,
&c. &c.

From the Duke's suite of apartments, on the south side
of the mansion, a covered way of piazza leads to the
Conservatory—a handsome structure, about 150 feet
in length, containing a great variety of valuable plants :
but what renders it more particularly interesting to the
connoisseur and artist is the " grand vase," generally
better known in modern days as the " Bedford vase,"
and which has been stored in this aromatic museum.
This celebrated bacchanalian was purchased by the late
Duke from the noble collection of Lord Cawdor in 1800,
for 700 guineas. It is of the lotus form (calyx of the
lotus, or water lily), and measures, in diameter of the
mole, six feet five inches. and in height about seven feet.
including the plinth. This superb monument of antique
decoration was dug up some centuries ago amidst the
ruins of Adrian's villa, with the fragments of three other
vases. It was then removed to the villa Lanti, near
Rome. This, and the one at Warwick Castle, are the
only complete rases of the same dimensions and antiquity
extant. The removal of this grand.work of art by Lord
Cawdor, about the year 1780, excited great jealousy
amongst the superintendents and custodi of the Vatican
Museum, then forming under the auspices of the reign-
ing pontiff, Pius VI., who in his resentment threatened
(it is well known) several persons concerned in its re-
moval with the galleys. Amongst the' statues are a fine
theApbioauatzaa
Apollo Belvidere, a Cupid and Psyche, two Venusesoi
recumbent and erectpostures, several busts by C v.',_
and beautiful
singular
Its situation
structure in the Chinese style—the dairy. _
qcuonadrtuecrtsof
taomailemforostmsthis end of the building
glass, and .
is ornamented with stained
is cool and shady, and well adapted
tswalitt:weptuhre"r unique
in appearance.
laid out with great taste, and
The garden grounds
ornam. ented
ire domain are the commodious
characterise this eztee
farms which surround it, , _
but more especially what are
be superfluous
here iptaihi:evFeia-arlmsre. statues, but what particularly
It would
termed the
than allude to what the Bedford family
nliitaeutes
here to do more ~
andof
towards the advancement perfection
have donefacilitate
useful here concentrated. .
useful operations,
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We have derived the above details from personal in-
d other sources. It only remains for us to
spection an
that the most ample and sumptuous arrangements
contrivance tirmivpaooretea;t science
add,
have been made by Mr. Paul Freeman, his Grace's ma
or
dou
o, for the entertainment of the illustrious and-noble
gujiests.
The following are expected to form part of the
Royal suite, viz.:—
The Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Uxbridge, the
Marquis of Headfort, Duchess of Sutherland, Lady
Barrington, Countess of Uxbridge, Lady Lyttelton, Sir
Frederick Stovin, the Maid of Honour in Waiting, the
Queen and Prince's Equerries in attendance.
A squadron of the Bedfordshire Yeomanry Cavalry
will form a guard of honour during her Majesty's stay.
It is now considered almost certain that the Queen
will not visit the Marquis of Westminster at Moor Park
for the present ; nor will her Majesty pay any other
visit during the tour of the ensuing week than to Earl
and Countess Cowper, and to Lord Melbourne.

Her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the Royal suite are
expected to return to Windsor Castle by Friday or Sa-
turday forenoon. In consequence of the Court mourning,
by the death of her Majesty's aunt the late Queen of
Hanover, we understand there will bo no festivities on
these visits, but the entertainments will be principally
confined to sumptuous banquets and splendid re-unions.
The sideboard of gold and silver gilt plate, appertain-
ing to the ancient and distinguished family of the Rus-
sells, has been newly burnished, and in costliness and,
splendour is only to be approached by the services of the
Duke of Northumberland and the Grosvenor family.
It may be acceptable intelligence. to those invited
guests at present resident in town to know that, by
means of the railroad to Leighton, the whole distance by
this route, about forty-seven or forty-eight miles, to the
Noble Duke's mansion, may be performed in a little
more than two hours.—Observer.

We are given to understand that the dispute
which took place some weeks ago between the ship-
owners and the seamen of this port is about to be imme-
diately adjusted. We rejoice at this, for the " strike"
must have been productive of great inconveniences to
the shipowners, and severe hardships to the seamen.—
Whitehaven Herald.