0)6 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



i 



SEPT. 6, igsr. 



It is at all events iiiifDitiiiiate if he has, for it is 

 quite notorious all over Norfolk at least. He lias 

 liiiiisplf inadi' it so, lonq; since, l)y liis " slieep- 

 sliearin)^." This festival, which is now aliamlon- 

 erl on account of his age, was itself, no bad illus- 

 tration of the style in wliicli things are done at 

 llolUain. It wasan occasion, indicated snfficient- 

 ly liy the name, of which Mr (?'oke availed him- 

 self, [)artlv, I suppose, as a gratification of his 

 liospitahle feelings, for which he i- famous, and 

 part'y as an agric-nltnral meeting, for all the |nin- 

 cipal fanners in the county were accustomed to 

 attend. At the same time the nobility, and other 

 distinguished friends of mine host, iin-lnding ma- 

 ny foreigners, were invited. These were enter- 

 tained for three <lays at the place, and shown its 

 entire system. A grand dinner was given each 

 day, at which, of course, nnicli information, as 

 well as amuseiuent, was afforded. One year 1 

 remember reading that there were 500 persons sat 

 down. Among these, was the Duke of Sussex, 

 the late King's youngest brother, ami still living ; 

 the Earl of Albemarle, whose daughter is Lady 

 Coke; Hume, Burdett, Erskine, aiid other distin- 

 guished public men ; and strangers from Nova 

 Scotia, New York, Prussia, Scotland, and almost 

 every country of the realm. INIr Coke is unable 

 now to contiiMie these delightful meetings. The 

 oidy substitute he can make for them, is in his 

 more private hospitality, aiul his house, while he 

 remains here — (i'orn July lo i^larch, perhaps — is 

 always full. 1 noticed, in going over it, that one 

 wing is called '• The Stranger's," and is devoted 

 to guests alone. It is 60 feet by 70, and there 

 are four such wings, which will give you another 

 notiim of the .style of the place. 



The mansion has two fronts, each near 350 feet 

 long, and connected in the centre : forming a sort 

 of letter H, with large airy courts within. The 

 family wing, the kitchen wing, and the chapel 

 wing, with various offices belcw it, are the other 

 three. In the former are the Library and manu- 

 script rooms. The books arc very valuable, and 

 the MSS still more so. The late Mr Roscoe, of 

 Liverpool, was here for weeks at one time, making 

 researches among them, iil a room where a splen- 

 did full length of him by the President of the Roy- 

 al Academy still hangs over the fire-place where 

 ije sat. Ont of the library wind'iws, the view is 

 cbariiiiing. Nothingcan be more English, or more 

 lovely or picturestpte, than the ffoft glossy lawns, 

 spotted with flocks, and graz'tig <lei>r, and rich, 

 round-topped trei's; with the lake, and the grey 

 tower of the Parish ('hurch peering uf) over the 

 woods of its farthest border ; and the fine arch, on 

 the other side, at the end of the front avenue, of 

 two miles in length, which leads one to the mau- 

 sion. I have been all over the house, and amused 

 myself with counting the rooms. In 23 of them 

 are pictures, more or less, great or small, ancient 

 or modern, but mostly a valuable collection, even 

 in the Englisk sense of the word. In the drawing 

 room were a do/.en, for example, besides Nolleken's 

 busts, and a Claude, and a Poussin, were among 

 theni. 'I'he Saloon is 28 feet by 40, and 32 feet 

 high, hung with rich crimson Genoa velvet, with 

 Mosiac tables, gorgeous eandelabras, and two 

 chimney pieces of spotless Sicilian marble, most 

 elaborately workeil. In this room are seven fine 

 pictinc^s, one is by Rubetis, and two by Martin, 

 besides a Vandyke, and a portrait of Fox by Opie, 

 ami of Mr Coke by Gainsborough. In the Stale 

 Apartment are two Guides, a Titian, a Raphael, a 



Claude, a Poussin, and two of Leiy's portraits, in- 

 cluding one of Waller the poet. In the Landscape 

 Room are four of Caspar Poussins, and one of 

 Nicholas, besides a Domenichino, a Salvator, two 

 of Vernets, and seven of Claudes! Some of these 

 are master-pieces, and famous all over Europe ; 

 all of undoubted authenticity. And so I mit;ht go 

 through the rooms. But you have bad enough of 

 this. Let us pass then, through the Statue Galle- 

 ry, (105 feet long) looking as we pass at Chantry's 

 beautiful sculpture of two woodcocks, wf.ich he 

 killed here at one shot, ami thence down the great 

 stair-case into the Egyptian ball, which is 48 feet 

 by 70, walled all ro\ind with the works of Nolle- 

 kens, Chantry and Westmacott, inserted in tablets, 

 and supported by fluted Ionic pillars of variegated 

 marble. Now I shall have a look at the kitchen, 

 having bribed both house-maid and cook to boot. 

 Take the plate alone for a specimen. One little 

 room, say 10 feet square, is devoted to it, and filled 

 with it. Here is a silver vase of beautiful work- 

 nianship, a present to Mr Coke, from the farmers 

 of Norfolk, (near 150 of whom are his tenants,) 

 and which cost them S3500. Here are eight large 

 solid soup-tureens, with stands to each, all mas- 

 sive. Of plates I see. in one pile 16 dozen, of 

 which, each weighs, I should say, 20 ounces. — 

 Ami then the breakfast and tea-services, which 

 are used every day — the profane vagabonds! But 

 why talk about trifles? Here is a mere salver, for 

 the aide-board — shield-shaped — for show ; and 

 here are several mere ; and not one of them costs 

 less than hundreds ; not to mention these four ice 

 basins, wliich came at 1000 guineas ! However, 

 I am getting tedious, and shall trouble your pa- 

 tience no more at present. 



TENTH ANIVUAI- PAIR OF THE AMERICAN IN- 

 STITUTE. 



This Exhibition of American productions will 

 be held at JViblo's Garden, in the City of N. York, 

 October 16, 1837. 



Gold and Silver Medals, Diplotnas, and other 

 rewards, will be bestowed on the same liberal 

 princi|)les, as on former occasions. Exhibitors 

 are requested to deliver their articles at the Gar- 

 den, on Friday, the 13th of October. Such as 

 are intended for competition, must be brought on 

 the 13th or 14th, that they may be arranged and 

 examined before the opening for the admission of 

 visitors, which will be on Monday, the 16tli of 

 October, at 12 o'clock. 



The njan.agers are gratified to be able to state, 

 that notvvithstaiuliiig the lamentable contrast be- 

 tween this and last year, in the business affairs of 

 our country, the applications from those intend- 

 ing to exhibit, are as numerous as ever, evincing 

 that the spirit of emulation has not yielded, but 

 remains in full vigor, and promises, from the 

 abunilant resources of skill and invention, a dis- 

 play as ample and variegated as in seasons the 

 most properous. The desolating revulsions of 

 conuncrce, have powerfully impressed our fellow- 

 citizens with the necessity of clinging more close- 

 ly to our own dontustic resources, and of produc- 

 ing, by the aid of native genius and industry, those 

 necessaries and convcnieiUH^s requisite lo compe- 

 tence, cornlbrt and itulependence. 



These consiflerations si;em to have imparted 

 fresh stimulus to ingenuity, and opened a brighter 

 prospect of future improvement and display than 

 ever. And why should not a reasoning, calcula- 

 ting, self-confiding people arrive at such conclu- 



sions ? The elements of wealth remain unbar m 

 ed by the revulsions of trade. Abundant harvests 

 bear testimony that the laws of vegetation are be-i 

 yond the influences of an unsound currency. The 

 muscular as well as the mental energies of a great 

 and increasing nation of freemen, are unbroken. 

 Dormant industry, refreshed by a short repose, 

 will slart again, with accelerated motion and ac- 

 cumulated power. There is everywhere mani» 

 feslations conclusive that we may safely rely on 

 our own ample and independent resources. Our 

 country, though in its infnicy, presents a popu. 

 lation sufiicient for an empire more ingenious and 

 more industrious than any other that has ever ex- 

 isted. With such a people, and with a fertile 

 territory embracing all climates, we cannot fail, 

 with suitable incitements, to rival any and all oth- 

 er countries in the great work of improvement, 

 and civilization. 



Well conducted public fairs signally contribute 

 to these results. Impressed with these views, the 

 public, for nine successive years, have counte- 

 nanced, cherished and supported the Exhibitious 

 of the American Institute, as their favorite insti- 

 tution, and we trust they will continue with their 

 accustomed zeal to cherish and sustain it. 



'1 he farmer is invited to exhibit his useful im- 

 plements, and the rare, curious and extraordinary 

 productions of his agricultural culture. To the 

 manufacturer and artist, we look for specimens of 

 the choice pi'oductions of the factoi-y and the 

 workshop ; and the innunjerable varieties of taste 

 and genius, mingled as usual, vvith the ornamen- 

 tal and delicate workmanship of female hands 



Apinopriate places will be provided for all the 

 varieties, from every department of industry, 

 whether minute or bulky, natural or artificial. — 

 Suitable preparations will also be made for en- 

 livening the scene with the animating influences 

 of moving machinery. 



The friends of National Imiu'ovetnent through- 

 out the country, are respectfully invited to join 

 in this anniversai-y celebration of Industry and 

 the Arts. 



MANAGERS : ' 



T. B. WAKEMAN, 

 ADONIRAM CHANDLER, 

 MARTIN E. THOMPSON, 

 JOHN MASON, 

 ED. T. BACKHOUSE. 

 JAMES HAMILTON, 

 E. D. PLIMPTON, 

 W. P. DISOWAY, 

 TIMOTHY DEWEY, 

 GEORGE BACON, 

 DUDLEY MARVIN, 

 JOHN SAMPSON, 



WILLIA.M HASLEY, ^ 

 JAMES MILLER, 

 STEPHEN DOD, 



J, 



of 



New- 

 York. 



J 

 of 

 Newark, 

 N.J. 



JOHNSON, of Brooklyn, L. L 



[C7" Editors of Newspapers will confer a favori 

 on the .\merican Institute, many of iheir reader'Sj 

 ami the public, by giving this circular one or more! 

 insertions. 



03?° For any infornialion that njay be required,| 

 address T. B.Wakd:man, Corresponding Sec. at the 

 Re|)ository of the American institute, 187 BroadJ 

 way, where specimens of rnamifactures, modelsJ 

 machines, &c., are received, free of expense, anq 

 exhibited daily. 



