Wohmi Abbey. 561 



is by no means essential to the most dignified actions, and the most munifi- 

 cent hospitality, and we question if, in half a century hence, the establish- 

 ment of a duke, perhaps even of a British king, will differ much from that 

 of a private man of fortune. It is absurd to suppose that people, when 

 they become free and enlightened, will bolster up a king so highly as 

 they did when they were ignorant, and, comparatively speaking, slaves ; or 

 that the enlightened king of an enlightened people should set any value 

 on such bolstering. Formerly, a wig was considered as essential to a phy- 

 sician as it is now to an advocate or a judge ; but the physicians have laid 

 aside their wigs for some time, and both the clergy and the lawyers will 

 soon follow their example. 



The fine circumstances at Woburn Abbey are, the extent and variety of 

 surface of the park, its unequalled oak groves and evergreen plantations, 

 the commanding situation of the house, the judicious distance and good 

 effect in the view of the village of Woburn, and the beauty of certain pieces 

 of water, as seen from the house. Add to these established features the 

 more recent ones of the grass garden, thornery, nursery, the Northumbrian 

 farm, dairj', aviary, the sculpture galleries, heathery, the very complete kit- 

 chen-garden now forming, the salicetum, rockwork, flower-gardens, chil- 

 dren's gardens, and other improvements in the pleasure-ground ; and the 

 ornamental cottages, with their gardens, in the outskirts of the park, and 

 the principal points of interest will be enumerated ; but to describe any of 

 them at present is what we cannot undertake. We hope the Duke of Bed- 

 ford will authorise his learned librarian, his local draughtsman, and his head 

 gardener, to draw up a description of the whole place, and to publish it at 

 a moderate price, accompanied by a general plan and memorandum views 

 for the benefit of visitors. The profits of sale might go to a fund for aged 

 and infirm servants. We take the liberty of suggesting that, at such places as 

 Woburn Abbey, Wentworth, Blenheim, Stowe, Arundel, and all show places 

 where there is a public day for showing the house and grounds, there should 

 be a portion of that day, say the first time of going round with company, 

 which may commence at nine o'clock, set apart for those who cannot afford 

 to pay. Thus the poorest and humblest individuals would acquire ideas, 

 and be made happy by the gratification of a natural curiosity. We think, 

 also, that in all gentlemen's seats which are considered show places, it 

 would be much more honourable to their owners, and procure more impar- 

 tial attention to strangers from their servants, to allow the payment for the 

 sight to be voluntarily dropped into a box, as in the case of some foreign 

 show-buildings and gardens,than to have it paid like a physician's fee, as at 

 present. This box might be opened at certain times, and the money appor- 

 tioned either among all the servants, or chiefly to the aged and infirm, or 

 applied to some other benevolent or enlightened purpose. A portion of 

 the money received in all the gardeners' boxes we would appropriate to the 

 garden-library; and another portion, from the house-boxes, for the supply 

 of books or newspapers for the servants' hall, or for a house-servants' 

 library, or general servants' reading-room. There ought to be one such 

 reading-room about all first-rate places. The custom of dinner-guests giving 

 money to the servants of their hosts on leaving his house, is nearly done 

 away with ; and it is time that the expectations of the housekeepers of 

 show-houses (we know cases where, some years ago, the housekeeper would 

 take nothing less than gold, and had this intimated to strangers by previous 

 notice from her maid) should undergo the changes required by the age. 

 We shall, probably, have more to say on this subject when we come to 

 speak of Arundel Castle and Blenheim ; in the mean time, we protest against 

 any thing we have said having any particular application to Woburn Ab- 

 bey, or to our treatment there or elsewhere, which, with very few excep- 

 tions, has always been perfectly satisfactory. 

 Vol. V. — No. 22. o o 



