Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-09
The Castles of the Nobility in Eng
From Colonel Forney,s Letter. =

GFrom Colonel Forney's letter.
Within few days have visited the
seats of the surrounding nobility, for Strait
tord-on-Avon is literally filled with the
stately castles of the ancient families.
What an unwritten yet unforgotton poem
1t is, the humble grave of Shakespeare in
the center of these ostentatious palaces!
The unpretending poet, safe in his everlast-
ing fame, and the living peer, spending his
millions to keep his dead ancestors from
oblivion. Within a short ride by rail is
'tBlenheim," the gorgeous estate of the
Duke of Marlborough, well described as
''an earthly paradise" TWAS presented by
Queen Anne to the Great Duke after his
glorious victory at Blenheim, and Parlia-
ment voted two millions five hundred
Thousand dollars for its adornment. The
opulence that marked the original gift has
been initiated by the profusion of the sue
ceeding outlays to maintain Its grandeur.
A park of twenty-seven hundred acres
filled with flocks of sheep and herds of
deer-an artificial lake covering over two
hundred acres-plants and flowers from
every quarter of the known world-walks,
waterfalls and fountains-endless statuary
tapestries and paintings nearly two
hundred years old, including ancient mas
ter-pieces of Rubens and 1itian-a library
two hundred feet long containing nearly
eighteen thousand volumes, the whole. of
these luxuries included in a building the
front of which is three hundred and fifty
feet in length-all to do honor to success
full General and his naughty duchess, who,
notwithstanding his victories, is denounced
by Macaulay as corrupt, faithless and
dangerous courier! And all this vast eX-
panse of soil and these priceless luxuries
are left for nine months of the year to the
care of few servants, because the present
owner Can not bear the cost of living here,
while hundreds and thousands of Gods
=. IL 1ka,-, ~ rok
his very gates You thus can have an idea
of what is called the territorial aristocracy
of England. Eight miles from Shakspeare's
grave is the stately castle of the Earl of
Warwick, where, though the grounds are
not so extensive as those of "Blenheim,"
Here, indeed, the Muse of History can re-
call the past and forecast the future; but the
contrast between the enduring renown of a
great genius like Shakespeare and the fleet
ing fame of those who lived only upon
their princes favors remains the same.
f'Kenilworth" is in the same locality. 1
Wandered among its mOSS-cOvered ruins
all unroofed and deserted as they are-and
traced the lines of thehuge structure which
three hundred years ago re-echoed to the
lrevelry of the loyal courtiers and their re-
ltainers, and re-read in the fascinating pages
of Sir Walter Scott the bitter rivalries of
Essex and Leicester, the sad fate of Amy
I1OOodLOs IlC SpICH0iu PlOEAOSS VI <SuSOh
Elizabeth from London, as described by the
Wizard of the North and l fancied the
crowds that thronged the roads and filled
the broad demesne around the residence of
the handsome tavorite. Not far off "Chats-
WORTH" the estate of the Duke of Devon
shire, far more expensive though more
modern than "Blenheim." Here found a
park of two thousand acres and over six
thousand deer; palace of quadrangular
form, with an open court in the middle, in
the center of which is splendid fountain.
1T is impossible, even if it were any part of
my purpose, to describe the works of art
and the money spent to adorn an establish
ment occupied only exceptionally by its
titled owner. The gardens and conserva-
tory are the gems. They were planned and
laid out by Sir Joseph Paxton, who was
formerly a common gardener of the Duke,
and whose. salary was larger than that
of the President of the United States.
Close at hand is Haddon Hall, another old
scastle, with large grounds, and in the same
scircle. is Newstead Abbey, the abode of
Lord Byron, now owned and occupied by
Colonel Wildman, gentleman of cultiva-
stion and taste.