664' Notes on Gardens and Country Seats : — 



nicea, and numerous pelargoniums, the whole mixed with 

 fruit trees. There are several little green-houses, pits, and 

 frames, well stocked with rarities. The whole was in the 

 most exquisite order and keeping. Every advantage was 

 taken of the high brick walls of the gaol for training vines 

 and fruit trees. The governor had also a collection of fancy 

 rabbits, a beautiful cockatoo, &c. The prisoners were wa- 

 tering the plants ; and we can only account for the neatness 

 of the whole from the abundance of hands at the command 

 of the master. On looking through the prison we felt, as 

 we did at Aylesbury, in 1831, the deepest regret at seeing 

 so many persons imprisoned for mere trifles, without any 

 reference to their reformation ; which imprisonment, as 

 the gaoler himself remarked, could only have the effect of 

 making them worse. Great are the reforms that are wanting 

 in this department of national police ; and much remains to 

 be imitated from the French and American practices. How 

 this is to be effected in a country divided into what may be 

 called castes, and where a sympathy for the lower classes in 

 any that are above them is sure to involve obloquy, is what 

 we cannot foresee. Providence, however, wisely orders all 

 things for the best, and everything is advancing, however 

 slowly. After all that has been done in America, however, 

 in the way of prison discipline, it is now found thatpreven ion, 

 by early education, is the only effectual check to crime, next 

 to that of abundant employment. (See Roebuck's Speech on 

 National Education^ p. 7.) 



White Knights, Cholmelcy, Esq. — This place has 



lately been recovered by the family of the original possessors, 

 after an occupation, for seventy years, on an imperfect title, 

 by the Duke of Marlborough and Sir Charles Cockerill. 

 Mr. Jones, who planted the place, and who remained here 

 from the time we first saw it, in 1804, to 1830, is gone to be 

 gardener to the duke at Blenheim ; and the present gar- 

 dener is Mr. Ward, from Downton Castle. We first went 

 over the house-garden ; the alterations made in which are, the 

 removal of some of the hot-houses, particularly the exotic 

 aquariums; the turfing of a number of the groups of flowers, 

 leaving only the shrubs and trees that were in them ; and the 

 removal of all the plants in pots. All these, the hot-houses, 

 and all the removable articles in the grounds, were sold by 

 auction, for the benefit of the mortgagee. Sir Charles Cock- 

 erill, who had advanced 85,000/. to the duke upon the estate. 

 The walks remain as they were, as do a few of the flower- 

 beds which are left unturfed, and the whole of the beds in 

 the botanic garden. The interest excited by the garden, 



