Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-08-10
The Duke of DevOnshire's Chats.
worth.

IL
worth.
There is nothing comparable to it in Eng
land, and l suppose it is altogether the
finest place belonging TO private individ-
ual in the whole world. Princes are the
guests of the Duke, and his palace and
grounds are such as royalty only would
command. But so many descriptions of it
have been made that | will be very brief
with mine.
The Duke is the lord OF tract of coun-
try here, some thirty or forty miles in ex-
tent, but his park of 1000 acres, with T.
900 deer ranging in it, is the seat OF his an
cestral halls. These the present Duke has
enlarged and adorned with prodigallty Of
wealth, and a refinement of taste without a
rival in the realm. The man who design
ed the Crystal Palace is his agent here, and
now is Sir Joseph Paxton, whose salary is
greater than that of the President of the
United States, and 10 this position he has
risen from being common gardener on
the place. He married the housekeeper's S
niece, and with good wife got 500,
900, not bad to take and now though the
engineer Of the Duke, he is bafonet, and
lives in good style not far from the palace.
The entrance hall is grotto of Derbyshire
marble, and wrought with amazing skill and
finish: splendid pictures hang around the
walls, and curiosities, Of great value, from
Rome and Greece, are tastefully disposed.
The sketch-gallery is extensive, exhibiting
the various schools of art and along the
halls as we were conducted by youthful
female guide, we were pointed to paintings
by the old masters, many of which might
be with more propriety veiled, when par
ties of ladies and gentlemen are gazing at
them. One piece of statuary was inimlta-
bly, beautiful: mother rising from the
tomb, with her babe in her arms-a resur-
rection to life and glory. The gallery OF
statuary has the master pieces of Thorwals
den, Canova, Chantrey. fine head of Ed
ward Everett by Powers, anG Hebe, so
little and sweet that she seemed just flying
away. And then we walked through the
gardens and that Conservatory which was
the germ of the Crystal Palace, and saw
the Banyan tree, and the Brazil Pine, the
Cocoa-nut Palm, and the Australian Palm,
and multitude of rare and gorgeous plants
and trees, the odors Of which were not less
fragrant than the Groves of Araby the best.
AT our command, as we came out of this
tropical cline, the waters from lofty pre-
cipice came pouring down; the fountains
leaped into the air, and the ralnbows hung
around them in the glowing sun. These
fountains are of various forms, the Parasol
is beautiful and still more so is the willow
tree, from all the leaves of which the streams
descend like summer showers. But this
gives you no idea of the scene. When
Victoria, or the Russian Princes visit Chats
worth, these grounds by night are lighted
with tens of thousands OF various colored
lamps suspended among these trees: the
fountains rush 270 feet into the air: these
artificial rocky glens are alive with music,
and Oriental magnl6cence is thrown into
the shade by the nightly splendors of this
royal scene.
Not far from the front entrance of the
ducal palace, and close by the river Der
went, and the Chatswcrth Bridge stands an
ancient tower surrounded by moat, which
is filled with water, forty stone steps lead
up to the entrance, and within great trees
are growing from the earth thus high above
the level of the ground below. Here, Ma
ry Queen of Scots, was lonely prisoner
for thirteen years in those old days OF vi
olence and blood. They are past, ahd peace
now smiles in living beatty all around
Nature has lavlshed her most munlticeni
charms, and art has fairly spent her pow
ers to make this the fairest Of all her works
On this old tower sat and thought OF all
the hours in my memory, including youth
manhood, age, not one was ever spent IN
such luxury Of the beautiful as this. And
then cried out, and the groves heard me
go earth thy splendor and thy beauty how amaz
ing,
Whene'er, anew, | turn to thee intently gazing
With rapture exclaim how beautiful thou art!
How beautiful"
And it was meet to look up to the clear
blue vault above and say,
go, if now so great the glory;
! In the heavens and earth we see;
What delight and joy forever
|
As | left the old tower steps on which
had been resting; and walked out on the
bridge, an aged man was tottering along OF
staff; bade him good evening, and ht
said to me, touching his hat,
"You admire this place-bave you look
ed at the statues on the buttresses OF tht
bridge :"
looked over the wall and saw them, ant
he continued,
Zone of them is man with child il
his arms-the other is young woman: ant
there is story about them
"An1 will you tell it to me?''
ut is said that the daughter Of the noble
:-==-.-, in time long ago, had the misfor
tune 10 become mother, but she was nj
wife. In the dead Of night she left the pal
ace to throw herself and babe into TIT
stream but her fond and wretched fathe
followed her, and seized her as she was a
bout to fall. These statues tell the tale.
Just then the carriage came up that wa
to take me from these delightful seats
Happy man, said, ttlst be the owner O
: this vast domain. Alas he is an old bach
elor, sixty-three years old last Saturday,
No wife, no child, to share and afterward
enjoy these hills and halls. | would no
give my Mary for them all. No, no, not
3 God bless you lamb Of my love :-pulchr
fila pulchiore matre-God bless you both
and all who with you to night are prayin'
for him who is far away. Wide seas ant
wide seasons will divide us, but you ar
; mine, my flock, my jewels, and l would no
be the duke or king without you: no, no
,; not |. And when our king shall make hi
Jewels up, and gather his lambs in his arms
I;fJ soa ~, ;awals all sparklino in b;s crowf,