The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-02-19

3
happiness they enjoy. William and Mar,
made Hampton Court their principal, as il
was their favorite abode. Subsequent mon
archs, down TO George 1, have occasionally
resided at Hampton Court, but nothing oc'
CURED of such character as to be worthy
of mention. And In 1888 the Palac'
and grounds were thrown open to th,
public, fter the custem of the French
and other Continental nations, and thu
people are permitted to visit the galleries
gardens and parks on so many days eacl
week.
The picture galleries contain more thar
two thousand paintings, the most celebrated
IF which are the Cartoons of Raphael
which were painted during the last years O
the great masters life and have been called
the ''glory of England and the envy OF Eu
rope"
Raphael's peculiar genius is displayed in
those great works in various respects. Hi
power of Invention appears 10 the most ad
vantageous light and no where do we so cor
rectly feel how deeply Raphael had pene
trated into the pure spirit of the Bible as ii
these designs.
The first cartoon is the Death Of Ananias
which is distinguished by all the qualities
which constitute and mark the genius o.
painting.
The second is Elymas the socerer struck
blind by St. Paul. Then follows the lame
man, restored by st. Peter and st. John, the
miraculous draught of tishes-St. Paul and
St, Barnabas at Lystra-St. Paul preaching
at Athens and the Last Charge OF Peter
These seven cartoons are all that remain Of
a number sent to Arras that tapestries might
be worked from them. When they reached
there, the weavers commenced their work oil
destruction, by cutting each of them perpen.
dicularly into slips in order to work conVen-
iently after them. In some unaccountable
way after the tapestries were taken to Rome,
the paintings were neglected and re-
NAMED buried in oblivion till Rubens,
who knowing their value, urged King
Charles I to rescue them. Investigations
led to their discovery in cellar at Arras.
All but these seven were destroyed. The
pieces of these were collected and reunited.
Some of the pictures in these galleries are
chef d. QUERIES, but many possess no merit.
The frescoes are by Verrio, with whose Pc
cuIiar style the reader is already acquainted
Wolsey Hall is hung with ancient Tapestry,
Gelineating the history of Abraham. The
first of them represents the appearance oil
God to Abraham, and the Patriarch's bene-
diction, declaring that through him all the
nations of the earth should be blessed-a
fact strangely forgotten by those who at
present cast such obloquy on the unbe-
lieyng Jew. The second represents the
Nativity OF Isaac, and the peculiar ceremo-
nv, still characteristic of the Jews, attendant
on his birth. The third exhibits Abraham
sending out a servant to seek wife for
Isaac, his son. The fourth sets forth the
return of Abraham and Sarah from Egypt,
, <x;ft Of ho Enuntionc In
the fifth is delineated the reception OF the
three angels by Abraham. The sixth shows
Abraham as purchasing the cave of Macpelah
as place of sepulchre for Sarah, his wife.
The seventh represents the separation OF
Abraham and Lot, when they had resolved
on following different courses. The eighth
and last exhibits the Patriach as about te
offer up his son as sacrifice. The tapestries
look as old, if not as familiar, as the history
they hand down.
The pleasure grounds, containing about
flftv acres, are handsomely laid out and i'm
proved and ornamented with vases and jets
d. eau. Three wide paths diverge from the
principal entrance, which are lined witt
trees and fringed with flowers. The garden
for fruits and vegetables contains twelve
acres, in which there Is a grapevine piantee
from slip in 1769 festooned, under glas
house built for its protection, which bear
annually from two TO three thousand bunche
lEof grapes. The gardiner is allowed to charg'
a small fee for showing it to visitors, which
Yields him handsome annual revenue
From the private grounds gateway lead
into Bushy Park, which contains abou
eleven hundred acres and is flve miles II
circumference. Here there is stately ave
nue. of chestnuts in which there is a circula
tod hvya tat
| the goddess Diana. Space does not admi
of any description of this or the other parks
gardens and pleasure grounds, which forr
so charming feature in English scenery.
These grounds and park, which we hav
| said are opened to the public, attract, OWN
| to their proximity to the densely populate
| suburbs of London, large crowds, who ava
themselves of the privilege to spend ola
| wandering beneath the leafy bowers and b
| the sparkling waters. Upon holidays it
tbronged by tens of thousands. On Sun
day the working classes flock hither for re'
and relaxation, the picture galleries bein
opened after ten o'clock for their especl
benefit. The good use to which it is no
turned, cannot fail to exert happy init
ence. upon the minds, manners and taste
OF the people. Though there are many goe
paintings in the galleries and some mast
pieces, it would be difficult to find anywhe
a larger collection of pictorial trash. The
have not been executed by royal academ
clans, some of whom enjoy orld-wit
fame, but who are sneered at on the Cont
nent as England's best-Europe's Wor
painters; on the contrary, these are gel
era:ly the productions of Court favorites, wi
knew much better how to ''crook the pre-
nant hinges of the knee" than to use the
pencils.
Separating at Hampton from the party,
keep an appointment 10 another quarter, '
hurried to Leatherhead, one of the prettie
villages in Surrey, thence to Dorklng, y
loveliest country town in England.
had accepted an invitation to visit Il
Bouchiers, whose ancestors had lived in Vi
ginia previous to the Revolution. Re
Jonathan Boucher, Boucher, as the name
now spelt, was Rector of Hanover, then
St. Mary, Virginia, and subsequently Rect
of st. Anne, Annapolis, previous to l1I
I On the adoption of the Declaration OF IND
pendence Mr.. Boucher, who was Royallst
his political sentiments, returned to Englan
) Some years subsequent to this period
published in London work on the caus
, and consequences of the American Revol
ton. He always retained friendly feell
for our country and people-more partlc
larly the people of Virginia and Maryland
, and transmitted it to his family and INN
, date connections.
With these hospitable friends we remain
some days, during which time we ma
many excursions in the country-one
them to Deepdene, the princely estate OF
/ Hope family. While in this lovely rul
6 district, mixing with the country Peep
we heard much of the territorial aristocra
and the evils attending the present Ia
n laws. The views we then heard nave
e present interest in view OF the agitation
:. both England and Ireland for change
! these laws, rent tenures, &c.
The landless people complained that tn
were entirely ignored by the proprieto
: who rebuked ali who dared, in any WI
e directly or indirectly, to express an oplnl
q about the lands which did not belong
. them and in which, therefore, they have
o concern. The champions Of the people
d serted that the land was originally the prt
e erty of all, but by confiscations and OIL
r. lesalized forms of robbery, at various pc
. DDS in English history, it had found It's "
l. INTO the hands of first one and then anotl
j. ROYAL favoriUe. In process OF time IL
: fallen into possession OF few prlvliee
:. families; the number of Landlords Del
:. only about 10000 in a population OF nea
Is &c. 900, 900. They further alleged tnat
j. is kent in their possession by the law