52 



GARDENS OLD AND NEW. 



altars at the crossways. Here and there is some old- 

 fashioned " conceit," such as the reproduction of the 

 scene of the willow-pattern plate, with the bridge, the 

 " shell " fountain, the weeping willow and the temple ; 

 the tree with cannon balls on it instead of leaves is 

 the only thing omitted. Sir William Chambers, the 

 advocate of the Chinese garden, was at work here in 

 George III.'s time. As at Kew, where he erected the 

 pagoda, as well as the classic temples, he adorned Wrest 

 with an example of the latter. The waters widen 

 further on almost into a lake, with splendid copper 

 beeches droopingover them. Perhaps the most remark- 

 able feature in these interminable groves is the gigantic 

 size, and especially the height, of some of the trees. 

 There is a spruce fir, which cannot be other than the 

 largest in England. It measures lyift. round the 

 trunk, and towers to a vast height. Its ; 



is 



are very manly and natural too. Embedded in this 

 maze of woods is a long parallelogram of still water, 

 set in a flat margin of smooth turf, and backed by a 

 lofty wall of trimmed yew. Over this on every side 

 droop the boughs of gigantic forest trees, and at one 

 end stands a white statue. It is, perhaps, looyds. 

 long. Nothing could be simpler or more effective. 



The pavilion at the end of the long canal is one 

 of the best examples of garden architecture in this 

 country. It is a lofty octagon, built of brick, domed, 

 and with pedimented caps to the side alcoves, each 

 of which is alternated with a small flattened dome. 

 The interior was formerly elaborately painted, but 

 the charm of the work undoubtedly consists in the 

 exterior elevation. It is pictured in the " Vitruvius 

 Britannicus" and described as "a New Building at 

 y e end of his Grace Y e Duke of Kent's Gardens 



THE BANQUETMG-HOUSE. 



guessed as being at least two centuries and a-half, 

 and the character of its growth and branches suggests 

 high antiquity. In the same grove is the second 

 largest beech in the county, measuring i8ift. 

 in girth, and with a stem as straight, as sound and 

 almost as smooth as a reed. You could walk for 

 hours in this lovely place, constantly seeing fresh 

 beauty. Repeatedly, too, the visitor comes across 

 some memorial of the Duke of Kent, who laid out 

 the walks and grottoes, pools and waters ; or to his 

 children whom he saw buried ; or to one of his 

 friends. The Earls and Countesses, and the Duke and 

 his descendants, all seem to have enjoyed thoroughly 

 what has been called the " lapidary style," and put 

 memorials to themselves, their children, their friends, 

 their artists, and even to their dogs, of which there is 

 a whole necropolis in these grounds. The inscriptions 



in Bedfordshire. Invented by Thos- Archer, Esq re -" 

 The date assigned to it is 1709. In front of it is 

 a fine sundial, on the plate of which is engraved the 

 Duke's coat of arms and supporters, and among the 

 inscriptions in this part of the gardens is one upon a 

 column stating that "These gardens were begun in 

 the year 1706 by the Duke of Kent, who continued 

 to beautify them until the year 1740 ; the work was 

 again carried on by Philip, Earl of Hardwicke, and 

 Jemima, Marchioness de Grey (grand-daughter of the 

 Duke of Kent), with the professional assistance of 

 Lancelot Brown, Esq., 1758-60." Amid trees in a 

 little cleared circle are four ancient moss-grown 

 altars, which were purchased by the Countess de 

 Grey about 1817, and are believed to be genuine 

 "antiques." Across the "serpentine river" (no 

 doubt a result of Brown's " professional assistance"), 



