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alabaster of Sir Thomas Wendesley, in plate armour, who was 

 killed at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. In one of the porches 

 is a collection of upwards of fifty old tombstones, with sculptured 

 crosses and other emblems, but without any inscriptions. These 

 are supposed to belong to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. 



Mr. Patterson described Haddon Hall, a large Elizabethean 

 mansion, no longer inhabited, but kept in repair, the projjerty of 

 the Duke of Rutland. It is beautifully situated on the River 

 Wye, and is a famous haunt of artists. Many romantic histories 

 cling to the old walls of Haddon, which, at the time of the 

 Domesday survey, belonged to Henry de Ferrars, of the family 

 of the great Earls of Derby ; afterwards was given by William 

 the Conqueror to William Peveril, the famous "Peveril of the 

 Peak." It afterwards belonged to the Avenalls, and finally 

 passed into the possession of the families of Vernon and Manners. 



Mr. Patterson next gave some description of Chatsworth, 

 " the Palace of the Peak," with its park, woods, gardens, con- 

 servatories, fountains, sculptures, pictures, curios, all equally 

 unrivalled. The master-pieces of art to be seen here would alone 

 repay one for the trouble of a visit to Derbyshire. 



The caverns for which Derbyshire is famous were next de- 

 scribed by Mr. Patterson, three of which he visited : viz., Poole's 

 cavern, near Buxton, and which has the advantage of being 

 lighted with gas ; the Blue John cavern or mine, from which 

 the fluor spar, or Blue John, is obtained, of which the beautiful 

 ornaments are made ; and the great Peak cavern at Castleton, 

 the entrance to which is in a deep gorge below the ruins of the 

 square keep of Peveril' s Castle. In exploring the two latter 

 caves, the guides and visitors carry candles ; and blue lights, 

 pistol shots, &c, are fired at certain places to produce effects, 

 which are sometimes very startling. In the Peak cavern, which 

 is said to be a mile long, a river, sometimes seen and sometimes 

 only heard, springs from the remote end, finds egress at the 

 mouth of the cave, and flows through the village. The Blue- 

 John mine is much more perpendicular ; — the visitor descends 

 from one great natural chamber to another by steps cut in the 

 rock, sloping passages, or ladders. These caves are all in the 

 limestone rock, and are more irregular in form than can be con- 

 ceived. They are, of course, lined with stalactites, and the floor 



