The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-01-17

P"."o'o "ohah, uSeu 10 nOIu feVeIS here
and stubborn James the Second, resided
here now and then, till he was driven by
reused people from throne, palace and
country. William the Third was very
partial to Hampion Court, aud did much
to Improve and adorn it. His queen here
performed prodigious Iabors in the EN-
broidery line, and kept her maids of hon
o' as hard ~ work on chair covers and
bed curtains, as though they were p,or
seamstresses, toiIing for their daily bread.
George the Second and Queen Caro-
line were the last sovereigns who resi.led
A. this palace. 1t is now only occupied
by the officers and servants who have
charge of it-and some dowagers and
poor women Of rank, called in England
"decayed gentIewomen.' To those ladies
the Queen allots apartments, and they
live very handsomely and comfortably
though | should think they would have
rather lonely times. amid the melancholy
grandeur and stiffness of that deserted
old palace.
Over the gateway, by which we enter
ed, are carved the arms OF Cardinal VOL
sey, with Latin inscription, siguifying
"God IS my heip'--a lying motto, rs his
own words afterwards proved, fpr when
dying in disgrace, he exc aimed, If had
served my God half rs faithfully as have
Sc we'd my king, He would not have Civ
en- me over TO my enemies in my old age"
We went up the grand staircase, to
the guarI chamber, and from thence
passed through several suites of noble
rooms, hung with pictures and ancient ta-
pestry, with frescoed ceilings, and carved
and gilded cornceS. The most interest.
ing among the pictures are portraits Of IA.
nous people, kings, queens, princes, he.
roes aud beauties, of whom we real in
history.
But rs there arc more than a thousand
paintings at Hampton Court, of course |
cannot stop to describe any Of these, tho
about many could tell you very strang,
anil romantic stories.
The most magnificent apartment in the
palace, and one of the grandest in the
world, is the great hall, which is one hun
dred and six feet long, forty wide, and
sixty high. The roof is beautifully car
we'd an decorated with the royal arms
and btdges-the walls are hung with
costly tspestry-the windows are richly
stained, and bear the arms and pedgree
Of Henry the Eighth, and his six wives.
From this hall we passed through an
other splendid apartment, called 1.-The
Withdrawing room," down 1.-The queens
stair case," INTO court, containing u pret.
ty fountain, aud from thence into the gar.
den' These are very fine, bu, rather
too atiilly and formally laid oat to suit our
modern taste. | remember one narrow,
gloomy alley, of lockwood, or yew, call.
ed "Qleen M.rv's Walk" after bloody
Mary, who used to take her evening ex-
ercise here alone--marching slowly up
and down in the >aning twilight, medi-
tating, fear, those fright!uI prosecutions,
racking' and burnings of the poCr pro.
testants and trying to steel her heart
against the womanIy pity that would
creep into il, sometimes, in spite Of all
the admonitions Of Cardinal Pole and
Bishop Gariiner--anl the counsels Of her
cruel husband.
The greatest curiosity Of these gardens,
Is Hamburg grapevine, supposed TO be
the largest IN the world. IL alone fills a
greenhouse seyeaty-;wo feet long and
thirty broad--itis itself one hundred and
ten feet long, and is thirty inches in cir.
conference, three feet from the gro oInd.---
1t often bears as many rs two thousand
five hundred punches.
From the green house, we walked down
to the Thames, and then returned through
u beautiful avenue OF linden trees, 10 the
east part Of the palace, where there is a
fountain and basin containing gold and
silver fish, Then we whiled away another
hour in the grounds, the "Lsbyrinth,"
| aud under tile noble chcsnut and lime
trees in the great avenue, which is more
than mile in length, aud then--the goI,
den day was over
THE LADY MARY'S VISION,
A Story Of Hampton Court
Some ten years ago, there resided for a
time, in u pleasant suite Of apartments nj
Hampton Court, young and beautiful
geutlewoman, who was greatly beloved
by all who knew her for her goodness and
her sweet and winning ways. Lady
Mary Hamilton, or "the Lady Mary" as
she WIS called by the pensioners and re-
tdners there, was the youngest daughter
of poor Scottish npb!en III, and the
widow Of a still poorer young officer
Captain Hamilton, soon after bis marriage.
was ordered to join the army in Afghan
istan, aud for several months Jared dan.
ger and death, aud endured frightful hard.
ships, in that dreadful war against u
treacherous aud savage people.
Al last, in skirmish among the noun
tains he was seen to fall under the spear.
thrust Of fierce Afghan chief. aud was
reported as "killed,' though his body wa:
never recovered by his victorious com
ratlcs Ii was supposed that the natives
bad carried him of in their retreat, te
plumber him At leisure.
But the Lady Mary never would give
him up as really dead, and though abs
WAS very soFrowful and anxious for him
she could non be persuaded to put on .