650 
Letters of Anna Seward. 
Lest authors, in prose and verse, which, assisted by the paler flames of the petit? 
the English, Tralian, and French, lan= 
guages boast, contained in neat wire cases: 
ever them the portraits, in miniature, 
and some in larger ow ts, of the favoured 
friends of these cy “rated votaries to 
that sentiment « pié/ exalted the gha- 
sacters of Theseus and Perithous, of 
David and Jonathan. 
Between the picture of Lady Bradford 
and the chimney-piece, hangs a beau- 
tiful entablature, presented to the ladies 
of Langollen Vale, by Madam Sillery, 
Tate Madam Genlis. It has convex mi- 
niatures of herself and of her pupil, Pa- 
mela; between them, pyramidally placed, 
a garland of flowers, copied from a nose- 
gay, gathered by Lady Eleanor in her 
bowers, and presented to Madam Sillery. 
The kitchen-garden is neatness itself. 
Neither there, nor in the whole pre- 
cincts, can a single weed be discovered. 
The fruit-trees are of the rarest and 
finest sort, and luxuriant in their pro; 
duce; the garden-house, and its imple- 
ments, arranged in the exactest order, 
Nor is the dairy-house, for one cow, 
the Jeast curiously elegant. object of this 
magic domaiv. A short steep declivity, 
shadowed orer with tall shrubs, conducts 
us to the cool and clean repository, 
The white and shining utensils that con- 
tain the milk, and cream, and butter, 
are pure “as snows thrice bolted in the 
northern blast.” In the midst, a little 
machine, answering the purpose of a 
churn, enables the ladies to manufacture 
half a pound of butter for their own 
breakfast, with an apparatus , which 
finishes the whole process without ma- 
nual operation, 
The wavy and shaded pravel-walk 
which-encircles this Elysium, is enriched 
with various shrubs and flowers. It is 
pothing in extent, and every thing in 
grace and beauty, and in variety of fo- 
Jiage ; its gravel smooth as marble, In 
one part of it we turn upon a small 
knoll, which overhangs a deep hollow 
glen. . In its tangled bottom, a frothing 
brook leaps and clamours oyer the rough 
stones n itschannel. A large spread- 
ing beech canopies the knoll, and a se- 
milunar seat, beneath its boughs, admits 
four people. A board, nailed tothe elim, 
has this inscription, ’ 
** Ocara Selva! e Fiumicello amato!’* 
te ee 
It has a fine effect to enter the little 
Gothic library, as I first entered it, at - 
the dusk hour. The prismatic lantern 
diffused a light gloomily glaring. It was 
lamps on the chimney-piece, | while; 
through the opened windows, we had a 
darkling view of the lawn on which they . 
look, the concave shrubbery of tall cy- 
press, yews, laurels, and lilachs; of the 
woody amphitheatre on the opposite hill, 
that seems to rise immediately behind - 
the shrubbery; and of the grey barren’ 
muuntain which, then just visible, forms’ 
the back ground, The evening-star had 
risen above the mountain ; the airy harp 
loudly rung to the breeze, and completed 
the magic of the scene. j 
You will expect that I say something 
of the enchantresses themselves, beneath 
whose plastic wand these peculiar graces 
arose. Lady Eleanor is of middle height, 
and somewhat beyond the embonpoint 
as to plumpness;. her face round and 
fair, with the glow of luxuriant health 
She has not fine features, but they are 
agreeable; enthusiasm in her eye, hilarity 
and benevolence in her smile. Exhausts 
less is her fund of historic and traditi- 
onary knowledge, and of every thing 
passing in the present eventful period, 
She has uncommon strength and fidelity 
of memory; and her taste for works of 
imagination, particularly for poetry, is’ 
very awakened, and she expresses all she 
feels with an ingenuous ardour, at which 
the cold-spirited beings stare. Iam in 
formed that both these ladies read and 
speak most of the modern languages: 
Of the Italian poets, especially of Dante, 
they are warm admirers. 
Miss Ponsonby, somewhat taller than 
her friend, is neither slender nor other 
wise, but very graceful. Easy, elegant} 
yet pensive, is her address and manner: 
‘© Her voice, like lovers watch’d, is kind 
and low,”” 
A face rather Jong than round, a coms 
plexion clear, but without bloom, with a« 
countenance which, from is soft melan- 
choly, bas peculiar interest. If her feas. 
tures are not beautiful, they are very 
sweet and feminine. Though the pens 
sive spirit within permits not her lovely 
dimples to give mirth to her smile,’ they 
increase its sweetness, and, consequent 
ly, her power of engaging the affections. 
We see, through their veil of shading 
reserve, that all the talents and accom- 
plishments which enrich the mind of 
Lady Eleanor, exist, with equal powers, 
in this her charming friend. 
Such are these extraordinary women, | 
who, in the bosom of their deep retire= 
ment, are sought by the first characters 
of 
—s a 
