1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



265 



||otitl)3 JBqjartincnt. 



HAMPTON COURT. 



We continue our sketches from memoranda taken 

 while, in Europe, for the amusement and instruction 

 of our youthful readers. 



Hampton court, at this time, is one of the most interesting 

 and instructive places in the neighborhood of London to 

 which the public have free access. It is among the first 

 places to which 'the sight-seoing stranger directs his steps, 

 and i.« the holiday resort of thousands and tens of thousands 

 of the tradesmen and artisans of the great metropolis. No- 

 where in England, except in the great exhibition, did we 

 see such an indiscriminate meeting and mingling of the vari- 

 ous classes of society. We spent a whole day there, from 

 early morning till late in the evening, and during that tims 

 we could not estimate within thousands the number of peo- 

 ple that arrived and departed. An immense train of cars 

 would empty out a prodigious load of passengers every half 

 hour ; boats would 

 arrive every hour or 

 two, and discharge 

 thousands of passen- 

 gers ; oranibusses 

 and private convey- 

 ances without num- 

 ber, also. From ev- 

 ery avenue leading 

 to it, strangers from 

 every country in the 

 world, and English- 

 men from every part 

 of England, town 

 and country, poured 

 in to see Hampton 

 Court and its world- 

 renowned beauties 

 and curiosities. 



We look the South- 

 vvestcrn Railway at 

 tiie Waterloo station, 

 passing through Vauxhall, Clapham Common, Wimbleton, 

 Maiden, and Kingston. The distance this way is fifteen 

 miles and the fare about twenty-five cents. The villages 

 are all pretty, quiet, and old fashioned — ivy walls, moss 

 covered tile roofs, and everything just the reverse of what 

 one sees in the villages that we find in the vicinity of New 

 York, or any other American city. The country is quite 

 level, and nearly all the way is devoted to market-garden- 

 ing and orchards. Here we can see acres, and even tens of 

 acres, of a single article ; and some hundred of men, women, 

 and even children, at work in one field. After a ride like 

 this we begin to understand wbere the immense supplies of 

 vegetables come from that supply the markets of London. 



Hampton is a small vilage, and rather pretty, without be- 

 ing really beautiful as we had pictured it. At this time the 

 inhabitants are doing tlieir best to make something of the 

 unusual influx of visitors. Almost every house has a ho- 

 tel or restaurant, and we have not set our foot firmly on its 

 streets till we are deafened with bells and all manner of in- 

 vitations to partake of the creature comforts prepared for us 

 — " It will take you a long time, sir, to see Hampton Court, 

 and you need some refreshments before you go there.'' The 

 English people know how to make cheap excursions ; they 

 carry their refreshments along, and it is a good plan, as was 

 proved to us in Hampton by a very bad and very dear dinner. 



But what shall we say of the Palace ? It was originally 

 founded by Cardinal Wolsev about the >> ear 1815, and is to 

 this day looked upon as his monument. The history of its 

 rise and progress brings before us many of the most remark- 

 able personages and stirring events in English history. Car- 

 dinal WoLSEY, Henrt the VIII., Queen Elizabeth, Crom- 

 well, Annk Boleyn, Queen Mai^y, iScc, are names all in- 

 torwoven-wiih the history of this great edifice, and familiar lo 

 all tlie readers of English history. What a train of thought 

 is awakened as we first approach its gates ! Then when we 

 enter and pass around the magnificent halls where these 

 venerable cliaracters Jield their brilliant levees and banquets, 

 and examine the costly luxuries they had assembled around 

 them, the vast collection of exquisite works of art, on which 

 the most eminent artists the world has ever produced, had 

 expended years of thought and labor ; the portraits that rep- 



resent the forms and features of these distinguished persons, 

 their costumes, arms, &c., we have enough for weeks of 

 contemplation, and if we should undertake to write out the 

 thoughts and feelings suggested, it is difficult to say where 

 we should end. The " Guide to tlampton Court'' shows that 

 there are over 1000 pieces of painting, &c., the work of some 

 2G0 artists whose names and birth places are given. 



There are greaS lessons to be learned here, both in mor- 

 als and art, and it is well that it is now so liberally thrown 

 open and converted, as it were, into a great public school. 

 ^Ve can enter upon no details, for we would neither know 

 where to begin nor where to end. Passing from the castle 

 to the gardens and the grounds, we breathe freer. We are 

 relieved from the deep and solemn thoughts that cannot be 

 escaped in the midst of ancient portraits and objects that look 

 down upon us from every wall, and window, and speaking 

 of the past. We are among the majestic old trees ; we have 

 the noble avenues, the green lawn, gay borders of flowers, 

 and gushing fountains before us, and, we are moreover in 

 the midst of a happy, chattering crowd of people, moving 

 around in group.s, venting their admiration on this or that as 

 their particular fancies dictate. 



A GARDEN SCENE AT HAMPTON COURT. 



The gardens and parks were originally laid out in the old 

 French or Dutch style — straight avenues and walks, regular 

 planting, and trees and surubs pruned into all manner of fan- 

 tastic forms. Shearing of trees is now abandoned — they are 

 everywhere left to themselves ; and the long avenues of 

 majestic Lindens and Chestnuts are perhaps as fine as anj' in 

 the world. The centre avenue in the gardens, which is rep- 

 resented in the annexed figure, is probably one of the most 

 beautiful objects within the domain — at least so it appeared 

 to me. It is very wide, and extends a great distance. The 

 walk is as smooth as marble, and on either side are Yews 

 and Hollies that must have been among the first trees planted. 

 At one time they were all clipped and shorn into various 

 forms, but for many years they have been allowed to take 

 nature's form. Some of them are of great size. One. we 

 observed, covered an area not less than forty feet in diame- 

 ter. Some are completely covered with ivy, and many are 

 in a decaying condition. The grounds are kept well. We 

 had no where met with finer masse,? of flowering plants 

 around the borders. Roses were profusely planted. 



The Great Grape Vine is one of the lions of the place, 

 and nobody thinks of going away until he has seen it. On 

 our way to it we pass through the " Private Garden." 

 Large Orange trees are the most remarkable objects. There 

 are a couple of small green-houses, and a few rare plants 

 called the remains of (iueen Mary's collection. The great 

 Black Hamburg Grape Vine is specially exhibited by the 

 ■gardener, who receives a small fee from visitors. The house 

 is seventy-two feet long and thirty wide on the rafters, and 

 this vine covers every inch of the roof and is loaded in every 

 part with large perfect bunches of fruit. It has produced as 

 much as 2,500 bunches. It is planted outside of the house 

 at one corner, and is carried in through the wall. It Ims no 

 border of any Rind, but appears to be growing under the 

 walks, and the gardener says i-t has received no manures, or 

 dressing of any kind, for many years. The stem at about 

 three feet from the ground is about thirty inches in circum- 

 ference, and the entire length about 120 feet. It is truly 

 an amazing production of this kind. There is X\iemnte and 

 loUderness, too, that aflord much amusement to those who 

 seek for that. 



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