LEA 
retirement, a fhort time before be quitted England, to 
take the command of that glorious expedition which raifed 
him to immortality. 
Mickleham is a village at the foot of Box-hill, between 
Leatherhead and Barking ; and, adjoining the downs, is 
juniper-hill, a handfome houfe, with curious plantations. 
Norbury Park, in the parifh of Mickleham, is the feat 
of William Lock, efq. This eftate was many years pof- 
fefled by the ancient family of Stydolfe, a name confider- 
able in this and the adjoining counties ever fince the con- 
queft. In an old regifter, from 1549 to 1680, is a curious 
licence granted in 1632 by Mofes Wall, parfon of Mickle¬ 
ham, upon the certificate of Lawrence Wright, M. D. to 
the worfltipful lady Francis Stydolfe, to eat flefh during 
lent, and on all fifh-days, on account of her ill health, (lie 
paying all dues for this indulgence. The next year the 
whole family were taken ill, and had the fame licence on 
the fame conditions. This ancient family declining in a 
female, the Tryons came into pofieffion; from them it 
paffed to Mr. Chapman, of whom the proprietor purchafed 
the eftate, with all its manorial appendages. The old 
inanfion-houfe flood on 'the lower fide of the park, near 
the road ; but, being decayed and ruinous, Mr. Lock 
pulled down the greateft part of it, referving the north 
end for his farms, and erected, upon a well-chofen emi¬ 
nence on the oppofite fide of the park, one of the mod 
elegant and beautiful feats in the county. From the 
church-yard, the rifing Hopes of Norbury Park, beauti¬ 
fully variegated with ftately trees, appear to the greateft 
advantage; the park itfelf is extenfive and well diverfi- 
fied ; it is aflerted that, when fir Richard Stydolfe was 
owner, it was famed for containing 40,000 walnut-trees. 
The extent and richnefs of profpedt from the houfe fill 
the beholder with admiration. To the north a large ex- 
panfe of country difplays a varied and magnificent feene. 
The fouth prefents a pidture equally ftriking; elegant vil¬ 
las and plantations on each fide; Deepden, late the duke 
of Norfolk’s, but now belonging to lady Burrell, inajefti- 
cally clofing the view. The hanging hills, adorned with 
ftately beech on the right, contrail with the fine downs 
covered with evergreens, and the chalky crags of Box- 
hill, on the left. Beneath is a fertile vale, through which 
the river Mole filently purfues its courfe, and then finks 
imperceptibly from the fight. The banks of Arno can¬ 
not excel the feene. Mr. Lock’s faloon unites this grand 
amphitheatre of nature with the moft excellent production 
of the late Barrett’s inimitable pencil; an attempt unpre¬ 
cedented. The magnificent feenery with which he has em- 
bellifhed the walls, being artfully managed to appear as a 
continuation of the view, introducing in the weftern com¬ 
partment an afl'emblage of the lakes and mountains in 
Cumberland and Weftmoreland, blended together, forms 
a landfcape expreffive of the moft majeftic idea of rural 
grandeur. The rude crags and diftant fummit of Skid- 
daw are contrafted with the placid meer below, which 
feems genially heated by the warm rays of a fummer’s fet- 
ting fun, rendered more brilliant by the tints of a retir¬ 
ing ftorm, fhadowing the mountain’s fide. The- fecond 
compartment prefents a nearer view of immenfe rocks in 
the dreary complexion of thofe ftupendous deferts; the 
fun here fcarcely affords a ray to cheer the gloomy feene. 
The fire-place forms the third ; here the chimney-glafs is 
fo let into the wall, that, were it not for the real appear¬ 
ance of the hearth, imagination would fuggeft the en¬ 
trance of an elegant arbour. In the fourth compartment 
the feene is continued, but with the placid efteft of even¬ 
ing ferenity; here the fliepherd tells his amorous tale to 
the attentive fair. The figures are happily introduced. 
This feene opens to an organ, with a figure of St. Ceci¬ 
lia, by Cipriani, who painted the landfcape figures—as 
did Gilpin the cattle. The ocean, bounded on one hand 
by hills and rocks, with a variety of charadferiftic accom¬ 
paniments, complete the fifth feene. The ceiling repre- 
Jpnts a correfpondent fky, feen through a circular treil- 
jiage, by Paltorini 5 the carpet refembles a mown lawn. 
LEA 427 
The whole is admirably connedled with a view from the 
windows, and adapted to convey a claffical idea of a per¬ 
fect landfcape. The water to fupply the houfe is raifed 
by an engine, from a depth of 361 feet. 
Bookham, or Great Bookham, is a village near Leather- 
head. Here are the fine feats of vifeount Downe and — Lau¬ 
rel, efq. The church of this village was built by John de 
Rumerwick, abbot of Chertfey,in 1340. At Polefden, in 
the parifh of Great Bookham, is the noble feat of the late 
fir William Geary, bart. but now of Richard Brinfley She¬ 
ridan, efq. fituated on an eminence, commanding a beau¬ 
tiful prolpedl. Behind the houfe are the fineft beech- 
woods imaginable. 
Effingham, three miles nortli-eaft from Leatherhead, 
was once, according to tradition, a populous place, in 
which were fixteen churches. There are certainly proofs 
of its having been much larger than it is at prefent; for 
wells and cavities like cellars have been frequently found 
in the fields and woods here; and in the church are feve- 
ral old flails and monuments. Here is the late feat of ge¬ 
neral Delancey, which he built himfelf, furrounded by 
his own eftate, where the beauties of nature and art are 
moft happily combined. This beautiful place has been 
recently given up by the general to commiffioners, for 
the purpofe of liquidating a debt due to government- 
Between Leatherhead and Guildford are Eaft and Weft 
Horiley: they are about a mile afunder. 
LEATH'ERN, adj. Made of leather: 
The wretched animal heav’d forth fuch groans. 
That their difeharge did ftretch his leathern coat 
Almoft to burfling. Shakefpeare's As you like it. 
In filken or in leathern purfe retain 
A fplendid fhilling. Philips. 
LEATH'ERY, adj. Refembling leather.—Wormius 
calls this cruft a leathery fkin. Grew. 
LEATHES WATER, a lake in Cumberland, between 
Amblefide and Kefwick ; called alfo Wythburn, orThirl- 
mere-water. It begins at the foot of Helvellyn, and fkirts 
its bafe for the fpace of four miles, increafed by a variety 
of paltoral torrents, that pour their filver ftreams down the 
mountains’ fides, and then join the lake. The range of 
mountains on the right are tremendoufly great. Helvel¬ 
lyn and Cachidecam are the chief; and, according to the 
Wythburn fhepherds, much higher than Skiddaw. It is 
however certain, that thefe mountains retain fnow many 
weeks after Skiddaw; but that may be owing to the fteep- 
nefs of Skiddaw’s northern fide, and fhivery furface, that 
attracls more forcibly the folar rays than the verdant 
front of Helvellyn, and fo fooner lofes its winter cover¬ 
ing. A thoufand huge rocks hang on Helvellyn’s brow, 
which have been once in motion, and are feemingly 
prepared to ftart anew. Many have already reached the 
lake, and are at reft. The road fweeps through them- 
along the naked margin of the lake. The oppofite fhore 
is beautified with a variety of crown-topped rocks, foine 
rent, fome wooded, others not, rifing immediately from,, 
or hanging towards, the water; and all fet off with a back¬ 
ground of verdant mountains, rifing in the nobleft palto¬ 
ral ftyle. Its fingular beauty is its being almoft inter¬ 
fered in the middle by two peninfulas, that are joined 
by a bridge, in a talle fuitable to the genius of the 
place, which ferves for an eafy communication among 
the fhepherds that dwell on the oppofite banks. At 
the fixth mile-poft, from the top of an eminence,, 
on the left, there is a good general view of the lake 
and vale ; but the moft pidlurefque point is from an 
eminence behind Dalehead-houfe. This end is beauti¬ 
fully decorated with two final 1 iflands, dreffed with wood* 
and charmingly placed. The lake terminates fweetly 
with a pyramidal rock, wooded to the top; and oppofite 
to it, a filver-grey rock, hanging over its hafe towards the 
lake, has a fine effedt. The road after this leads through, 
the narrow green vale of Legbertlnvate, divided into finall 
inclofures, peopled with a few cots, and nobly terminated 
H- 
