CLEVELAND HALL. 53 



dining room of handsome proportions, and which I 

 was informed was only used on great occasions. 

 There were several good portraits in it, and over 

 an immense slab of blue marble, was a large 

 picture of Charles the First, seated with his chil- 

 dren around him. The ornamented chimney-piece, 

 however, appeared to me the most interesting thing 

 in the room. It was composed entirely of white 

 free-stone, and reached nearly to the top of the 

 room. Several grotesque heads were carved upon 

 it, and one of them was so like a late statesman, 

 equally celebrated for his genius, his great talents, 

 and his unbounded fondness for conviviality, that 

 my companion determined to make the resemblance 

 complete, having taken the opportunity when he 

 dined in the room, of throwing a glass of wine over 

 the face. 



Beyond the dining room we entered a tapestried 

 sitting room ; the tapestry, with the chairs, were all 

 worked by one of the members of the family, who 

 duly recorded thereon that she was ' Sarah Blount, 

 ' spinster, aged sixty.' Worthy and industrious 

 old lady ! The sight of her red parrots, crowing 

 cocks, and bouquets of flowers must have afforded 

 her infinite delight. 



From this room we entered a noble gallery 160 

 feet in length, ornamented with numerous portraits 

 of warriors, statesmen and others of the olden 

 times, some looking terrible in their armour, and 



