The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-08 00:00:00

NOES-57.

Anstey, Thomas Glyn, G. C. Pilklngton, Janes
Bagshaw, John Goold, Wnydham Reid. Colonel
Barrington, Viscount Heald, James Renton, John C.
Bass, M. T. Heywood, James Ricardo, Osman
Boldero, H. G. Hamby, John Sanders, Joseph
Cayley, Edward B. Jackson, William Seymer, Henry Ker
Chaplin, W. J. Johnstone, Sir.J. Smollett, A.
Clay, James Lacy, H. C. Sotheron, T. H. S.
Clements, C. B. Locke, Joseph Stephenson, Retitett
Cobbold, John C. Lowther, Colonel Stuart, B.
ColYlle, C. R. Lushington, Charles Thicknesse, Ralph
Cubitt, William March, Earl of Tyler, Sir G.
Denison, Edmund Marshall, W. Verney Sir H.
Mullings, J. R.
Villiers. Viscount
ilrodudgiaGs, Sir C. Napier, Joseph Walmsley, Sir J.
Emlyn, Viscount Nicholl, J. Westhead, J. B.
Estcourt, J. B. B. O'Connell, M. J. Williamson, Sir K.
Floyer, John Ogle, S. C. =Amis.
Freshfield, J. W. Parke, C. W. Bpeoner, Richard
Gallwey, Sir W. P. Pet°, Samuel Ricardo, J. L.

SION HOUSE.
This suburban mansion of his Graco the Duke of
Northumberland was on Tuesday thrown cpea,,ly the
liberality of the Noble proprietor to the publit; who
were afforded an opportunity of viewing the state
apartments and promenading through the conservatories
and spacious pleasure-grounds, a privilege which we un-
derstand will be continued while the Groat Exhibition

remains open.
Sion Reuse, as must be well known to all
above bridge excursioniste, stands on the north
bank of the Thames a little beyond Brenttord. The
grounds are extensive and beautifully laid out, and the
mansion is so placed that owing to the windings of the
river it may be said to have two river fronts, the south
and the library wings. Exteriorly it exhibits little of
architectural decoration or embellishment, forming a
massive-looking solid square of yellow stone with a bat-
tlemented top. Like Northumberland House, Charing-
cross, the Duke's town residence, and Buckingham
Palace, the square is hollow, which enebles all the
rooms to be thoroughly lighted and ventilated The
interior court is filled with fruit trees, fl wets, and flawer-
ing shrubs, and is termed "the Nuns' Garden," Sion
House being the site of an ancient religious order mice
eetablished here. It was one of the last convents sup-
pressed, and obtained some celebrity from the circum-
stance of the remains of Henry VIII. being deposited
here for a night, when the luntral cot- lige was en i:s
way to Windsor. S:aading ab ,ut halt a mile from the
main road between Brentford and Hounslow, its exact
po,ition is little known to the cesuel traveller on the
high road, althoueh for a long period the inba-
bitants of Brentford and Isleworth have, by the
permission of the Duke, " a right ot way" across the
grounds in front of the principal entrance. Proceeding
through the main avenue, and crossing a rustic bridge
thrown ever a sheet of water in the park, a circular
gravel walk conducts to the main entrance under a lofty
portico. The entranoe-hall is of fine proportions, the
flooring of black and white-chequered marble, and it is en-
riched by several statues from the antique, among which
the dying gladiator, in bronze, may be referred to as a
be eutiful work of art. To the right of this is
an apartment termed the vestibule, supported on
pillars of verd and antique marble, bromeht by the pre-
sent Duke's grandfather from Italy, and said to have
been taken out of the Tiber. The flooring is of nsossie,
and is an exquisite specimen of inlaying, and is highly
polished. Tne ceiling is divided into carved sad deco-
rated compar ments. Next to this is the state dining-
room, painted in French white and gold, the niches d
t along
the sides of the room are filled with statues, w.e
tables and consoles are inlaid with mosaic. At the far-
ther end are two marble busts of Leopold Saxe Coburg
(the present King of the Belgians), and the Princess
Charlette, by Turnerilli. The state drawing-room,
which.. stands next, is a light and elegant apartment of
large dimensions, hung with crimson damask embroidered
in silver, with the chairs, couches, ottomans, Scc.,
en
suite; the ceiling is painted on medallions by Angelica
Kauffman with highly-enriched and gilded borders.
Oue of the most interesting and beautiful ornaments of
this apartment is a cystal vase on a carved gold
pedestal. It was presented to the Duke of Northum-
berland when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, by the ladies
of that country, as a token, which the pedestal indi-
cates, of " Ireland's gratitude." The vase was designed
by Lady Caroline Stanhope, and presented to his Grace
by the Duchess of Leinster. The base of the pedestal
is a stag's bead in Irish oak. There are also ornaments
in Kilkenny coal, and various other productions of tie
country. Surmounting it is a female figure representing
Erin, with the national harp in dead silver, and above
all a phoenix holding a large pearl in its beak. The
gold, silver, emeralds, diamonds, the pearl, and
all the component parts of this unique and
classical ornament are said to be Irish produc-
tions. The slabs of the side tables are mosaics taken
from the ancient Roman baths. The colonnade,
a noble apartment, running the entire length of the
building and looking out upon the river, is sometimes
called the library. It is painted in light blue and gold,
and over the windows are medallions of the eleven
Dukes of Northumberland, other conapartments on the
opposite side being filled with paintings by Angelica
Ksuffa3an, the colours of which are as fresh and bril-
liant as the day they were laid on. At the further
end is an ottoman formed of a singular trophy
found at the palace of Lahore, and sent to this coun-
try by Lord Hardiuge. It is somewhat like a
state bed, piled with cushions, the pillars being of
solid silver curiously carved, and is said
~to
.
have belonged to Ackbar, ono of the meet
tinguished Indian princes of the sixteenth century; -1'1"
turrets that terminate this wing are formed into
little
d taffeta,
boudoirs, one of them being hung with inand fiow„ra,
covered with paintings of birds,
the work of the Dowager Duchess offruNto'rthumberlaud.
The other closet is rem erkable for an excellent and ef-
fective copy of Martin's Belshersta.r;satFeetest, painted on
apartments con-
fiel
ichesiixer tetuyl portraitsfl yby andosu sire faf.
glass as a transparencpyi.ct.urTroeh.
tain a large number of of the h
mily groups of members o
Northumberland. The painting
Sir Joshua Rey colds, Barry, an Irish er-
LelY, Vandyke, of the present Duke, who
was to wbom the grandfather
poritraito.
was also Lord-Lieutenant of Irelrd, sat forr his
Ono room, called King Charles s room oais per-
traits of the unhappy Monarch and most of the mem-
bers of his family. a number of the tipe and glowieg
Court beauties of the succeeding reign, and a portrait of
the ninth Dal of Northumberland, who spent many
years of his life in the Tower. At the foot of the graull