New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-17
LITERARY WILTSHIRE.
Wdton House and Beckfords Font
hM-A Bit of Italy.
Bishops Fonthill. Wits, September 8

and atmosphere. There may not be name OF
unique -eminence, there is in warwick
shire or the Wordsworth country, or Tenny-
sons Lincolnshire and Isle of Wight, 'or Kings
ley's North Devon or the land of Lorna Doone;
yet the serene radiance Of galaxy Of minor
lights will not be lacking. wiltshire has been for
generations the birthplace and refuge Of poets,
philosophers and men of letters. Sir Philip Sid
ney wrote a portion Of his Arcadia" IN the
beautiful grounds of Wilton House the splen-
did home of the Herberts, where Shakespeare
and company of strong players were to fol-
low him in entertaining royalty; and flustra-
lions for the work are shown on the walls.
and privileged visitors allowed to see his
favorite tree in the garden and lock Of hair
which Queen Elizabeth sent to him. Addison
was born near Stonehenge; George Herbert
wrote his best hymns in the rectory Of Bemer-
ton Church. near Salisbury; Crabbe's grave was
dug at Trowbridge where he had enjoyed jolly
old age; Cocridge sought release in the chalk
downs from the bondage Of opium; Dryden,
Thomson and Wordsworth were frequent Wis
itors in the shire, and Thomas Moore found
snug retreat in cottage near Bowood and was
buried there
The great Chatham lived near Old Sarum;
lord Clarendon, born not far away, at Dinton,
wrote his history near by at Hatch House be-
yond Fonthill the earlier chronicler, William
of Malmesbury was trained in Wiltshire mon
Nstery and Thomas Hobbies was born among
ie Marlborough downs. Sir Walter Raleigh
had strange adventures on the southern border
near Sherbourne; the judicious Hooker compiled
his laborious work in rectory not far from
Salisbury; Izaak Walton fished in the chalk
streams; Henry Fielding ran through a small
estate and a large pack of hounds Mere;
Arnold of Rugby went to school at Warminster;
DR.. Priestley worked out his scientific expert
sents at Colne, and Sydney Smith kept the
sble in roar when he stayed at the country
houses. Nor should the antiquaries be forgot
Zen. wiltshire has bred many of them, Aubrey,
Huntington, Britton and Tanner among them,
and General Pitt-Rivers's museum on the Dor
get border offers adequate proof that primitive
art has not lost its destinations for thoughtful
minds.
Not even Wilton House, with its traditions of
princey patronage of art and literature and its
splendid Van Dycks and Pembroke marbles,
could ever have rivalled the Fonthill treasures
and expenditures. Two millionaires, father and
son, had passion for collecting books paint
ings and sculpture and each built palace and
stocked it with works of art. The elder Beck
ford, inheriting a vast West Indian fortune, and
earning the friendship of Chatham and great
popularity among the London merchants, gave
the most brilliant fetes which had ever been
known in Wiltshire. The younger Beckford.
wasting a fortune a castle in Portugal, set
tied down at FonthiIl and acquired celebrity
from his revels of extravaganza and IMPROVE
dence He began by rebuilding his fathers
mansion enlarged scale and by selling the
expensive art treasures and furniture be-
queathed TO him and replacing them with more
Fumptuous works. and he ended by condemning
the site as too near the large lake. and conse-
quently damp, and building on higher ground
new abbey with a tower 800 feet high. When the
tower fell through lack of thoroughness in con-
struction he replaced it almost as hastily with
another which toppled over after he had lost
the bulk of his fortune. The spacious grounds
were laid out and decorated at lavish cost and
surrounded with high walls 10 keep out tres
passers and sportsmen; and the art collections
were steadily enriched by purchases from Paris
and Italy. A brilliant amateur, who had ex-
cited the admiration of Byron by his Oriental
imagery and opulence of style, he gradually
neglected all interests except collecting and be-
came an eccentric dilettante, living in secusion
like hermit, toying with costly trifies OF vertu
and rummaging in crudite lore.
The younger Beckford, whose coming of age
had been celebrated with bonfires on the hills