170 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
have just cause to repent when, perhaps, it is too late. It must be 
admitted, however, that it very often happens that the employer fixes 
the style of architecture himself; he resolves to have a castle, an abbey, 
or an Elizabethan mansion to live in, while totally regardless of whe¬ 
ther his place be suitable or not for either cf those styles of building; 
but having formed such a resolution, it would be a strange thing indeed 
if he did not find some architect or other to give him a plan. Thus 
many anomalies of the kind are executed where pure taste is wanting 
or not exercised. 
I have been led into the foregoing remarks by having seen in the 
neighbourhood of this place a gentleman’s residence highly ornamented, 
but in quite a different style from that of Fairfax Hall. 
This is the celebrated-Abbey, now the property of, and con¬ 
verted into a splendid country residence for, a gentleman of the most 
polished taste. As part of the original buildings, as they stood in the 
time of Henry VII. still remain, a principal new part has been added 
and finished in the original style of architecture in which the abbey 
was first built. Its situation is in a narrow valley and on the bank of 
a lively little stream. We enter the place from the eastward through a 
lofty Gothic arch and massive iron gates flanked by high walls. Pro¬ 
ceeding along the approach or carriage road to the house, the new visi¬ 
ter is kept a considerable time in suspense by passing through a dense 
thicket of lofty trees and holly underwood, causing a kind of solemn 
gloom, till he arrives at the end of a fine Gothic corridor which leads to 
the principal door of the abbey. This approach is very well managed; 
for, passing through twilight from the outer gate and coming so sud¬ 
denly upon an imposing mass of building, compoed and ornamented in 
Bernasconi’s best manner, strikes the stranger most forcibly; and, on 
entering the apartments, we are surprised at their amplitude, and the 
massive character of the furniture, and fittings-up of the interior. 
Every object within reminds you of times long past, but at the same 
time they are all vamped up in every modern elegance. As a retreat 
from the busy scenes of life, it is highly in character. There is no 
prospect from the windows, the views from each being all confined and 
only penetrating a little way into the depths of the surrounding woods, 
which are chiefly composed of pines and cedars and other sombre 
tinted trees. There are about three or four acres of lawn of the freshest 
green turf surrounding the house, on which stand a few immense oaks, 
large cedars of Lebanon, and some very ancient mulberry trees. 
It appears from the mounds still traceable about the buildings, that 
they were once surrounded by a moat, the usual appendage to religious 
establishments in early times. This, however, is now all filled up 
