510 Notes of a Gardening Tour in 1833. 



steps, which lead to a cloister, which surrounds a square open 

 court. This cloister contains an extensive collection of antique 

 sculptures, including statues, busts, therms, and relievos. We 

 believe there is scarcely a more extensive collection in England 

 than that in this cloister, and in the other parts of the house, 

 though there are more costly articles in the sculpture galleries 

 at Woburn Abbey and Deepdene. There are a number of good 

 rooms, and in particular the saloon, which is a double cube of 

 30 ft. on the side. The ceiling of this room is coved, and the 

 measurement of 30 ft. is not from the floor to the cornice, but 

 to the highest part. The views from the windows to the grounds 

 give no adequate idea of the extent of the park, because the 

 latter is too much crowded with trees near the house, and be- 

 cause there is an architectural seat, very improperly placed as a 

 termination to a short broad walk, conveying the idea to a 

 stranger that there is a public road, or some interruption, or 

 object to be concealed, behind. The view to the Palladian 

 bridge, and that to the fine old cedars is good, and is heightened 

 in effect by the rising grounds in the distance, well clothed with 

 wood. The view from the library to the architectural flower- 

 garden is the best of its kind; in the centre walk there is a 

 fountain, and it terminates at the distance of several hundred 

 yards in a building from a design by Hans Holbein, which was 

 once the entrance porch to the house. It is in the impure Gre- 

 cian style of that artist's time. In descending from the house 

 to the grounds, the first cause of regret is the want of an archi- 

 tectural basement, but ill atoned for by placing some pedestals 

 and vases on the naked grass. The flower-garden alluded to 

 has an excellent general effect ; the descent to it is by a broad 

 flight of steps from the library, and it has on one side an open 

 pillai'ed building, elevated so as to command a view of the whole 

 garden, and of the park scenery beyond. This scenery consists 

 chiefly of cedars in the foreground; and their effect, in connexion 

 with the fountain, and with the vases and other objects in the 

 flower-garden, has a grand and Oriental air. The walks in the 

 garden are bordered with yew tree boards rounded on the edges, 

 instead of stone : these have been found to last ten years with- 

 out repair. The beds are overgrown with shrubs or otherwise 

 in an unsuitable state, the family not having resided here for 

 several years. To have the proper effect, such a garden ought 

 to be planted with low growing flowers, each compartment a 

 mass of one sort, and every sort removed as soon as it goes out 

 of flower, and supplied by another. The garden would then 

 be looked down upon like a carpet from the library, and from 

 the terrace walk which borders it on two sides. Proceeding from 

 this garden to Holbein's porch, there is a strip of shrubbery on 

 the right, the front of which is exceedingly well managed, in 



