III. 



CHATSWORTH. 



[Mr. Downing's remarks upon introducing a friend's " Impressions of 

 Chats worth," in the Horticulturist for January, 1847, will well precede his 

 own letters from that place.] 



WHAT one would do if he were a Duke, and had half a million 

 a year ? is a question which, if it could be audibly put by a 

 magician or a fairy, as in the bygone days of wands and enchant- 

 ments, would set all the restless and ambitious directly to air-castle- 

 building. Visions of the enjoyment of great estates, grand palaces, 

 galleries of pictures, richly stored libraries, stately gardens, and 

 superb equipages, would no doubt quickly crowd upon the flushed 

 imaginations of many even of our soberest readers. Each person 

 would give an unlimited scope, in the ideal race of happiness, to his 

 favorite hobby, which nothing but tlie actual trial would convince 

 him that he could not ride better and more wisely than all the rest 

 of his fellow-men. 



We have had placed in our hands some clever and graphic notes 

 of a visit to Chatsworth, the celebrated seat of the Duke of Devon- 

 shire. This place, as a highly artistical country residence, is admit- 

 ted to stand alone even in England, and therefore in the world. To 

 save our readers the trouble of perplexing their own wits to conjec- 

 ture what they would do, if they were burdened or blessed with the 

 expenditure of the best ducal revenue in Great Britain, we beg leave 

 to refer them to the notes that follow. 



We may give a personal relish to the account, by observing that 

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