Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1868-03-20
SK0TCAES OF RECENT rOREIcN
T0AvE1e.NO.. 2.
HAMPTON COURT PALACE, ETC,

Not many miles from London, up the Riv.
er Thames. is the Palace of Hampton Court,
and my visit to it was one Of much interest
1t was originally built BY the celebrated Car.
dinal WolseY, 10 the early part Of the six.
teenth century, and was presented by him
to Henry VIII, the then reigning sovereign,
over whom be had such extraordinary inAu>
ence. 1t WAS Afterwards greatly enlarged
and besuti6ed for King William I'LL, under
the direction of that famous architect, Sir
Christopher Wren. Il has been thought,
however, that Wren was not as successful in
bis palaces as be was in his cathedrals and
other public buildings. He died here, A. D.
l723. Hampton Court is constructed of red
brick, with stone facings and ornamenta>
tions, and is really vast, splendid mansion.
From the time Of Henry the VIII. to George
H., q period Of more than one hundred and
fifty Years, il was occasionally the residence
Of royalty. It was the birth place of Edward
VI, and daughter Of Oliver Cromwell was
married in il to An English nobleman; and
here Queen Mary. with her Spanishconsort,
Philip H., and Afterwards Queen Elisabeth,
held grand entertainmsnts, masks and tour
nameuts. 1t is nov occupied by nobleusn
of decayed fortunes and court pensioners.
In going through this great historical build>
ing, found many Of the apartments con.
tanning numerous paintings, and other in
teresting objects worthy Of examination. /
noticed canopies of royal thrones. and the
state canopied beds Of King William and
the Princess Charlotte.
In the beautiful gardens and park adjo;n>
ing the Palace are fonnsainss ssis dAeyeE "a ,.se:
sheep, roaming about the green lawns and
woodlands.
A guide accompanied me to the place
where IS kept and carefully nurtured the
largest and most noted .grap-vine in the
world. II is about a hundred years old, and
its trunk is Of the size Of An ordinary tree.
Its numerous branches and branc.I.,s cora.
the walls and ceiling Of large grsr
building. It is very productive, and when
saw it, had about six hundred pounds Of
grapes. II sometimes yields Is many as g.
500 or 5000 clusters. As these grapes nj
pen late in the season, they are generally
sent to Windsor to supply the Queens ia.
bic, after the time for other choice grapes is
past at least this was the case when / was
there.
Near the Palace, there is also what is
the Maze, which has quite an exten>
siye notoriety. It is an intricate serpent>
inc walk, fenced with hedge four or five feet
high: and when . person once enters it,
there is often much difficulty in getting out
Of it, and assistance is usually required.
and walked around through il !; and,
somew shat to my surprise, l extricated my
self without the guides help or direction,
which caused him to speak of my success in
terms of laudaiion. This riddle enclosure,
as il NAV be called, was constructed BY one
Of the former Kings of England for the pur>
pose Of amusing and interesting the gaests
and visitors At the palace.
During this excursion, visited Richmond,
and the exterior of the old Palace. or that
portion Of it which remains Standing. in
which Queen Elizabeth died, and the wins
dows Of the very room; for while the town
of Greenwich boasts the honor OF havirg
been the birthplace Of Z Good Queen Bess"
Richmond claims ,he honor,--if honor it
may be called.-of having been the place of
the same Queens death.
WINDSOR CASTLE, ETC.
Nv first visit to Windsor, and is celebrA-
ted castle, the principal residence OF the roy
al families of England, was one Of great in>
terest. In going to the Palace, from the
Star and Garter Hotel, where l had procur>
ed room, met the Rev. Mr.. Ducking, tu>
tor cf Prince Leopold, one Of the Queens
sons, and be kindly returned with me to the
Palace grounds and to the elevated terrace,
where he pointed out various objects in the
landscape, and gave me much interesting
information. Soon after this, called upon
the dean of Windsor, Wellesley, presenting
to him letters Of introduction. He is, be-
lieve, connected with the Duke Of Welling>
toms family, ana is the Queens principal
chaplain, and resides in portion OF the cas-
tie. Calling servant, be sent him with .
note to the Master of the Queens Houses
hold. requesting permission for me to visit
the State apartments of the Palace. The
permission was kindly granted, noswithstand.
ing the royal family we're then resident
there for the public are generally excluded
unless the Queen and family are absent from
Windsor. / saw Victoria on her return
from ride 10 the Park. The following are
the apartments Of State into and through
which was courteohsly conducted. ! re-
port them in the order that find them CIV
en- IN . description Of the Palace, by Mr..
Parton; "The Queens Audience Cham>
Der, hung with Gobelin tapestry the Old
Bali Room, or vandyck Room, 90 called
from the twenty-five portraits BY that great
artist the Queens State Drawing Room, or
Cuccarelli Room, having niue large paints
ings hy that artist; the State Ants~Room,
the ceiling of which Was painted ~ verrio
the Grand vestibals, With the colossal mar
ble statute Of George vi. By Sir Francis
Chantrey the Waterloo Chamber with thir>
weight fine portraits BY Sir Thomas Law
renee and Sir Martin Archer Shee the
Presence Chamber, . gorgeous room, with
some 6ne Gobelins tapestry; ST. Georges
Room, an immense apartment, in which is
ihe Queens Throne the Guard Chamber,
sli.terinr with arms and emblehas; ind the
Queens Presence Chamber. The furniture
aud decorations Of some Of these rooms arc
magnificent almost beyond description.
In passing through. the conductor desig
mated the apartments occupied BY Napoleon
and the Empress Eugenie when they visited
the Queen. aud the rooE in which the tody
Of Prince Albert lay-in state before its inter
mont. St. Georges Hall, at one cad Q
sbich is the beautiful conopied thrqae, in
teressed me mpch, act only from iss grsa
riee. but alsc from its fne lecorations. Il
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