Arundel Caslle. 585 



wish to alter are the grates, and, of all the forms we know of, Metthley's 

 (p. 258.) is what we should prefer. There are some good pictures in the 

 other rooms of the house; a charming picture of the amiable Duchess in 

 the Duke's study; a good mummy; landscapes, by Smith of Chichester; 

 and a marriage supper, by Paul Veronese, reduced from an original of the 

 same, 15 ft. by 8 ft., which we bought in Warsaw in 1813 for 9 ducats, and 

 sold in London in 1818, though it had been much damaged by the fire at 

 the custom-house, for 1 50 guineas, 



Haslemere to Arundel. August 15. — The by-roads in this part of the 

 country are very indifferent, which prevents the traveller from having the 

 full enjoyment of scenery which, from its variety and woodiness, is always 

 agreeable, and, from the portions of extreme distance which occasionally 

 intervene, sometimes striking. The entrance of the London road into 

 Arundel is one of the worst town-entrances in Britain, and reminds us of 

 some of the smaller Alpine towns on the Continent, Nothing could be 

 easier than, by a circuitous sweep to the right, to effect an easy and com- 

 modious entrance and exit. The present state of things is dangerous, and 

 creates a prejudice against the nobleman who has, or is supposed to hafve, 

 the power of removing the evil. There are three inns ; but the stranger, 

 if he wishes to see Arundel Castle, is recommended to go to the Norfolk 

 Arms, from whence tickets, as if by authority, are issued for seeing the 

 castle. We hate monopolies of every kind, and therefore cannot approve 

 of this seeming preference, though we believe a sight of the castle would 

 not be refused to any person whatever, and at any time, whose appearance 

 did not forbid the hope of his having the usual fee in his pocket. The 

 Norfolk Arms is a good inn, and we were much gratified to find the land- 

 lady, Mrs. Flood, much attached to natural history. Notwithstanding the 

 direction of this immense establishment, and the cares of a family of three 

 or four children, she continues to collect every description of insect which 

 she can find, and to hatch the eggs of moths and butterflies, in order to add 

 the perfect insects to her collection. This collection is arranged in glazed 

 frames, which are hung up in diiferent rooms of the house. She is fond of 

 drawing, and has made portraits of several of the prize animals fed in the 

 neighbourhood. On the whole, she is a woman of very superior mind, and, 

 in testimony of our respect for her, we have sent her this Number of the 

 Gardener's Magazine, and one or two of the Magaziiie of Natural History. 



Arundel Castle; the Duke of Norfolk. August 14. — This is an excel- 

 .ent place for a critic, since there is milch to condemn, something to admire, 

 and a great deal to anticipate. The only thing which came up to our ex- 

 pectation was the situation of the castle, and the only thing that surpassed 

 it was the variety of surface and facilities for improvements in the grounds. 

 In the elevation of the castle there is not a single good architectural feature, 

 and we should not be far wrong in saying, that the interior did not contain a 

 single room worthy of such a residence. The library, which has been much 

 spoken of, is too narrow and confined, and the mahogany book-cases, like 

 the mahogany four-post beds in the bed-rooms, overloaded with workman- 

 ship. The dining-room is gloomy, and only fit for the winter season : some of 

 the bed-rooms are better, and contain mahogany bedsteads most elaborately 

 worked ; but no workmanship in timber can come up to that of the needle or 

 the loom for a bed roof. The details of almost every part of the castle, both 

 within and without, were executed by workmen and artists brought to re- 

 side on the spot, and are, with very few exceptions, designed or copied with 

 little taste or judgment. The truth is, that the Duke was his own architect, 

 and having nobody to please but himself, caring little for public opinion, 

 and being altogether unlimited in his means, he produced what we see, and 

 probably failed of his object. Had he been guided by a first-rate artist, he 

 at least could not have been blamed by the public ; a man is justified in 

 attempting any thing he can do well; but when he engages in what he 



