LIFE OF MYTTON. 21 



lop ! The plantations, also, all made by Mr. Mytton, 

 and to the extent of three miles, nearly encircle 

 the domain, and afforded shelter to the superfluity 

 of game which it was his ambition to possess. 



The mansion-house, without pretensions to mag- 

 nificence, is replete with every comfort and con- 

 venience for a country gentleman's establishment ; and 

 is much more commodious than it appears to be, 

 from the offices being for the most part detached. 

 It contains a hall, in which there was a billiard- 

 table, with a library on one side and Mr. Mytton's 

 dressing-room on the other; and an excellent dining 

 and two drawing-rooms, connected with each other 

 by double doors, complete the downstairs suite. 

 There also was — oh ! I write that word with sorrow 

 — a small but excellent collection of pictures, which 

 the catalogue of them showed had been collected with 

 great care, as ornaments to these, now naked, walls ; 

 and a thousand guineas were offered, in my presence, 

 for one of them,* but nobly refused by the owner 

 of it. The gardens are most excellent, and, to 

 complete the sketch of this, to me, sort of earthly 

 paradise, there is in the grounds surrounding the 



* " Joseph Escaping from Potiphar's Wife." 



