The Portland daily press., 1900-11-13
HISTORIC HATFIELD HOUSE
The Home of the Marquis OF s.Ii.bury
a Noted Place for Centuries.

aNoted Place for Centuries.
Hatfield House, the home OF the Mar.
quis OF Salisbury, has been for many
years one Of the notable homes Of Eng
land, and the rumor to the effect that the
prime minister contsmplates partial
retirement from office brings the ancient
pile to public attention, says the New
York Tribune. Hatfisld House became a
place OF interest more than seven centur-
les ago, and since that time 1.-THE crown,
the matre and the coronet have success.
sively held sway over its destinies"
The present structure was reared In
ths days of James / but some parts OF
the building antedate that period Nota-
BILE among these old parts OF Hatfield 10
the "palace," which WAS the home of
Princess Elizabeth In the reign OF her
sister, Qnsen Mary Ths estats lies In
the county Of Hertfordy about 20 miles
from london. 1t belonged TO the saxon
kings until 1t was given by King Edgar
to the monastery OF st. Ethelrida, at Ely
The manor house became the residence
OF the prelates, and was occasionally used
as n royal rasidsuca until the reign OF
Henry VIII when IL was decided TO the
crown Prince Edward, afterward ed
ward VI, lived at the palace. and 1t lie
said that he was there when the news
of his father death reached him, and
that mis- accession to the crown took place
ut the stately hall. A few years after he
became king the young monarch con-
veyed Hatfield to his sister, the Princess
Elizabeth, aftsrward Queen Elizabeth,
and the she lived under surveillance
through the greater part OF Queen Mary's
reign.
1t was ct Hatfield that Elizabeth re-
ceived the news Ct Mary's death, and the
place Is still shown where she fell upon
her knees and exclaimed: III Is the
Lords doing, and 10 Is marvellous In our
eye s.'r The Latin phrase, "A Domino
faetum est istud, et est mirabils ocuIis
nostris." was adopted by Elizabeth as a
motto for her gold coins, and thus the
place became identified with the coinage
of the realm, On the day following the
death of Mary several members Of the
Queens council waited on her at Hat
| field She received them kindly, and was
especially gracious to Sir William Cecil,
who became Lord Burleigh, whom she
appointed on that day secretary OF state.
1t was ut Hatfield, also, that Elizabeth
received the proposal OF marriage from
| the King of Sweden for his son Eric.
In the third year of the reign OF James
/. he exchanged Hatfield for the house,
manor and park of Theobolds, with his
minister, Sir Robert Cecil, afterward
Earl of Salisbury, whose des endant, the
present Marquis OF Salisbury, now owns
frha HstsssHd uousa cf tndav Ia a brick
structure, vast in extent.
The house forms three sides or square,
| the hollow part turned toward the south
The centre Is looked upon as q fine spsci-
men of the Psfiadin style, and, although
of mixed architecture, Is highly pleasing
TO tine eye. The wings are massive and
com Daratively plain, supported at each
corner by square turrets 10 feet high
There Is q central tower over the grand
| entrance, which is also 20 feet high. Tbs
| third story OF the central tower contains
| a clock and the armorial bearings Of the
founder, with she date 1911, in which
year the present house was finished. The
southern front Is 800 feet long and the
centre is 140 feet The wings are 80 feet
wide. and project 100 feet from the CEN
| tire
The hall Is spacious and lofty. IL
leads to the gallery, III which many in
| tereshfng relics of former days are pre-
ssrved, Including the saddle cloths used
| by "Qneen Bes5H and by Sir Robert
Cecil, the first Earl Of Salisbury. One
OF the most notable parts Of the palssial
| house Is the grand staircase. 1t occupies
| a spacs OF 80 by u feet, and has tive land
| ings. On the wallis are portraits OF the
Ceciis by Lely, KniIlsr, Vandyke, JUG
chero, Reynolds and others. A marble
bust of Lord Burleigh Is over the en-
trance to the dining hall. The marble
hall, 80 by 80 feet In dimensions, pam
q. sId fa
| try and lit by an oriel window, is anoth-
er notable feature of the house. Here
among the armorial bearings. badges,
decorations and relies are two banners
presented to the owner of Hatfield by the
| Duke of Wellington. They were part OF
the spoil brought from Paris IN 1874.
a magnihcsnt staircase leads TO the
most elaborate room In the building.
known as the great chamber, which was
King James's room. The furniture and
the six chsndeiiers ara gilt. the curtains
ara white satin, ths furnteurs covering
crimson velvet, and the Administer car pat
has an Eiizabethan design worked In
brown, gold. scarlet and blue. This
| room contains Reynolds's portraits Of
| Queen Charlotte and George Ill. The
gallery, 20 fset wide, extending the whoie
length Of the south front, and the books
manuscripts and documents pertaining
to the history of England, ara other i'm
poreant parts or Hatfield House. In the
library ara the oak cradle OF Queen Eliza
beth, the original proclamation OF Sir
Robert Cecil declaring james OF Scotland
King of England, a purse once the prop
erty OF James l., and hundreds OF equally
| interesting relics Of the days when Hat
| HE'LL was q favoribe retreat for royalty.
In the days when the insolence OF John
Brown made Windsor Castle uncomforta-
BILE for them, the Empress Frederick and
her husband were frequent visitors at
Hatfield House. At all times since the
| present owner became tho lord of the
place an Invitation to Hatfield House has
been highly priced.