Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-19
Mr.. DowNING's LETTERS FROM ENGLAND.
FROM TIE HolrIcuLrunIsr.


which led me. while in Bedordshire, to make visit 10
Woburn Abbey.
This considered of the complete estates and e.
adjustments in the kingdom. Ills fully equal to chatsooy,
but quite in another way Chatsworh is
rather Is the concentration of every thing that European
art do to embesh and render beautiful great country
residence Woburn Abbey is thoroughly English; that is,
it does not aim at beauty much grandeur Of extent and
substantial completeness united with the most systematic and
thorough administration Of the whole Besides this inte-
rested much the home for exactly three centuries Of the
family which has adorned its high station by the highest
tues and especial devotion TO the interest Of the SOIL
The present Duke Of Bedford is of the largest and
scientific farmers in England, and his father, the late
Duke, not only enthusiastic agriculturst but the
greatest arbocuust and bosnst Of his day. whose works.
both practical and literary made their mark upon the age
The Wobun estate consists Of about thirty thousand
of land There is fine park Of three thousand You
enter the approach through snguary rich Of
green's composed Of belt perhaps hundred feet broad,
sopng down like amphheatre Of foliage from tall Nor
spuces and pines in the back ground rich hoes and
Portugal aues in 'front.' This continues perhaps half mile,
and then you leave it and wind through open park,
cous and grand for couple of miles. ill you reach the abb
bey This not building in antique style, but grand
and massive pile in the classical manner built about the mid
die Of the last century the e Of the old abbey have
said this place seemed to essentially English. The first
sight OF the house is peculiarly Il is built Of Portland
stone, and has that NOISY dscoored look which gathers
about modern buildings in this damp climate and which
we in America know nothing Of under pure and bright
Skies where the freshness Of remains unsuied almost
any length of time.
Wobum Abby large palace, and containing it does
the accumulated Injuries Of art renemen and comforts of
old and wealthy family (ih income of nearly million OF
money you will surprised when say that have
nothing with which compare it, Indeed besve Woburn is
complete house in England
ing good DEAL when you remember that there twenty
thousand private houses in Grea Britain larger than Pre-
sdens house. To get idea Of it you must imagine
square mass about which, the side
fronting the Parkthere is little to impress you, only the ap
pearance of large size and air of simple dignity Imagine
this qusdanguar pile three stories high the Park
'front.' and stories high the garden rear, and
two hundred feet in length each sde The drawing
oor though in the second story, therefore exactly
level with the gardens and pleasure grounds Ia the
and the whole of this large floor occupied with unbroken
suite Of superb rooms picture galleries,
music-room library, &c. projecting and recedng, and steal
ing out and in among the delicious scenery Of the pleasure
grounds in the most agreeable There is noble
library with twenty thousand volumes gallery one hundred
and forty feet long, filled with fine sculpture, among other
things the original group Of the three graces, BY Canov
and sort Of wide CORRIDOR running all around the quadrangle,
led with cabinets Of natural history works Of art &C., and
forming the most interesting indoor walk in dull weather
Pictures by the great masters, especially Portraits these
very rich in, and among other things, noticed casts i'm
plaster Of all the celebrated animals that reared here by
the late duke
Now, imagine the quadrangle continued in the
side next the sculpture gallery. through colonnadeke side
series Of buildings including riding ennes court &C.,
quarter of mile the stables which Of themselves
larger than most country houses imagine hot-houses and
Conservatives without number connected with the house by
covered passages combine the utmost comfort and
beauty imagine aviay, consisting Of cottage and the
grounds about fenced in and filled with all OF Birds
Of brilliant and beautiful plumage imagine alage dairy, fit
ted up in the Chinese style, with fountain in the middle
lxI-
private garden Of bowers and ells work, embosomed in
creepe which belongs especially to the Duchess and you
have kind Of sketchy outline Of the immediate accessories Of
Woburn Abby.
They occupy the space Of little village in themselves, but
you would gather idea of the luxury and comfort they
Afford did you for moment forget that the whole managed
with that order and system which nowhere to be found
perfect in England must add, to give you another idea
Of the establishment that hundred beds made up daily
for the family and household aone exclusive of guests The
pleasure grounds which surround three sides Of the house, and
upon which these open, beautiful and complete
that you must permit to dwell upon them little. They
sonsst Of series Of different gardens merging into the
other to produce delightful variety, and covering
space of many acresabout which walked in 50 bewdered
state Of delight that am quite unable 10 say how large
they know, however, that they contain avenue of
araucaras backed by another of Deodar cedar in the most
luxurious growth each line upward Of thousand feet long
fine specimen Of the latter tree, twenty-five or thirty feet
high attracted my attentions and there another twenty
five feet of he beautiful Norfolk Island pine growing in the
open ground with the shelter Of glazed frame in winter
These pleasure grounds however, interested most in that
portion called the American gadenssvea Of sopng
velvety turf hicky dotted with groups Of rhododendons,
azaeas, c forming the richest masses Of dark green foliage
that it is possible conceive In the months Of May and
June when these in full bloom this must be scene of
almost dazzling bliancy. The soil for them had all been
formed artial, and consisted Of mixture Of peat and
white sand which the hododendrons and kamias seemed
to thrive admirably.
Besides this scene there garden composed wholly Of
heahs the beds in the turf species in each bed and
full Of delicate bes parterre flower garden, in which
striking effect produced by contrasting coored quite
black with rich (gong in the vases Of scarlet
raniums. also garden devoted wholly to willows,
and another gssses-boh the most complete collections Of
these two genera the wordhe taste Of the former Duke
and with which was familiar beforehand, through the
Salctum Wobernense," and Mr.. Sncaips work on the
/" Grasses Of Wob~n."
The park the richest in large evergreens Of any that
have The planting taste Of the former Duke has
produced the present moment after growth OF nifty OF
sixty years. the superb results The cedas Of Lebanon,
the most sublime and venerable Of all trees and the grandes
all evegeens, bore off the palmhough all the rare pines
and frs that were known to arborcuurists halt century
ago are here in the greatest perfection including hoes and
Portugal aures which accustomed to think Of asshrubs
with great trunks like timber trees and magnificent heads o.
glossy foliage. grand old silver fir has straight trunk
eighty high and lover Of trees could spend weeks here
without exhausng the arb0cutural interest OF the park
alone-whch s to be sure ten or twelve miles round
very picturesque in the park, enclosed and
forming little scene by ITSELF called the Thonery 1t il
an abrupt piece Of ground covered with wdookng copse
Of old thon haz dog woods, and fantastic old oaks and
threaded by walks in various directions. In the centre 10
complete little cosge with the neatest Scotch kitchen, little
paor and furniture inside and sort of fairy flower garden
outside. -,