Young Americans Abroad
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To-morrow we are to have a treat of the highest kind. We are to spend
the day at Windsor. I feel pretty well acquainted with its history and
associations, but I shall spend the evening with George in brushing up
my information. There is nothing more unpleasant than to find yourself
in the presence of things and places of which you painfully feel an
entire ignorance. If ever we meet again, how much we shall have to chat
over on our favorite topics!
Yours always,
JAMES.
Letter 18.
LONDON.
DEAR CHARLEY:--
It was a fine, clear morning when we started for Windsor by railroad, a
distance of twenty-one miles. The country is fine; but our thoughts were
on the castle. At Slough we took an omnibus, and rode into the town. It
is a pretty, quiet place, of about ten thousand inhabitants. There are
some six or seven streets, and they present but few attractions. The
castle is every thing. You know this has been the favorite residence of
most of the English monarchs, and the scene of many a tournament in the
days of chivalry. The castle was the work of William the Conqueror. John
lived at Windsor while Magna Charta was extorted from him by his barons
at Runnymede. Henry III. did a great deal to the castle, but Edward III.
invested it with its great glory. This was his native place. The
architect he employed was the famous William of Wykeham, Bishop of
Winchester, a man of great genius. He built the noble round tower. This
was in 1315. Wykeham built him a palace worthy of the hero and his noble
son, the Black Prince. Edward IV. built St. George's Chapel, and Henry
VII. and Henry VIII. both made important additions to the fortress.
Young Edward VI. resided here, and did not like its retirement and
gloom. Elizabeth made the terrace and other improvements. When Charles
II. was restored, he brought a foreign taste to the improvement of the
castle, and a great deal of elegancy was attempted, but which poorly
harmonized with the Gothic, baronial style of Wykeham's works.
George IV. was a man of exquisite taste, and he employed Sir Jeffry
Wyatville to carry out the plans of Edward III. and his architect. This
was in 1824, and his immense labors have been successful. These
improvements cost two million pounds sterling. I ought to say that
Windsor Castle was the favorite home of George III., who died here. This
palace stands on a lofty chalk hill, and commands the valley of the
Thames. Around it is the finest, terrace in the world, the descent from
which is faced with a rampart of freestone extending about seventeen
hundred feet. The whole building occupies about twelve acres.
I shall not describe all the towers, for there are some dozen or
fifteen. The round tower of Edward III. is the chief one. Here he
revived the round table of King Arthur, and established the Order of the
Garter. From the battlements of this strong fortress you gaze upon no
less than twelve counties. Prince Albert is constable of this tower.
This was the old prison, or donjon of the castle. Here James I. of
Scotland was a prisoner, and here he wrote his sweet verses and
celebrated Nature's beauties and the praises of his lady-love, Jane
Beaufort. Here, too, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, long suffered, and
sung the sweetest lays. We had a ticket to see the state apartments.
Suffice it to say that we went through the Queen's Audience Chamber, the
Vandyke Room, the Queen's State Drawing Boom or Zuccharelle Room, the
State Ante-Room, the Grand Staircase and Vestibule, the Waterloo
Chamber, the Grand Ball Room, St. George's Hall, the Guard Chamber, the
Queen's Presence Chamber. All these are very, very beautiful. I was
delighted with the Vandyke Room. Here are twenty-two undoubted
productions of this greatest of portrait painters. Charles I. and
Henrietta were favorite subjects with the artist. Here are several of
them and their children, and they are to be found elsewhere. The
equestrian portrait of Charles I. is a truly grand picture. You know the
beautiful old copy, of a cabinet size, which we have in the study at
home: it will please me more than ever, since I know how faithful it is.
That queen of Charles's who made him so much trouble with her Popery and
temper was a wonderfully beautiful woman. I should not soon be weary
looking at her portrait. She was daughter of Henry IV. of France. Her
fortune was hard, to lose a father by an assassin, and a husband by the
executioner. The Gobelin tapestry, illustrating the life of Esther, in
the Audience Room, is very rich. In the State Ante-Room are the most
wonderful carvings of fowl, fish, fruit, and flowers, by Grinling
Gibbons. They are thought to be unsurpassed in this department of art.
On the Great Staircase is a noble colossal marble statue, of that
excellent sovereign, but bad man, George IV. It is by Chantrey. The
Waterloo Chamber is adorned with thirty-eight portraits of men connected
with Waterloo, and twenty-nine of them are by Sir Thomas Lawrence. St.
George's Hall is two hundred feet long, thirty-four wide, thirty-two
high, and contains some fine portraits of sovereigns by Vandyke, Lely,
Kneller, Gainsborough, and Lawrence. On twenty-four shields are the arms
of each sovereign of the Order of the Garter, from Edward III. to
William IV. The Guard Chamber is a noble room, eighty feet in length.
Immediately on entering, we were struck with the colossal bust of Nelson
by Chantrey, A piece of the mast of the Victory, shot through by a
cannon ball, forms its fitting pedestal. Here, too, we saw the busts of
the great Duke of Marlborough by Rysbach, and the Duke of Wellington by
Chantrey, and their two banners, by the annual presentation of which to
the reigning sovereign, on the anniversaries of Blenheim and Waterloo,
they hold the estates of Blenheim and Strathfieldsaye. There are figures
in armor representing the Duke of Brunswick, 1530; Lord Howard, 1588;
Earl of Essex, 1596; Charles I., when Prince of Wales, 1620; and Prince
Rupert, 1635. These suits of armor are the genuine ones which were worn
by these characters in their lifetime. One thing greatly delighted
me--it was the gorgeous shield, executed by Benvenuto Cellini, and
presented by Francis I. to Henry VIII. at the Field of the Cloth of
Gold. The workmanship is entirely beyond anything I had imagined
possible for delicacy of finish. I hardly wonder that kings used to
quarrel for the residence of this artist.
I know, Charley, you are impatient to hear about St. George's Chapel, of
which you have so often expressed your admiration, when we have looked
at the beautiful engravings of its interior, at home. It is very fine,
and should be seen to be comprehended. It is of what is called the
perpendicular Gothic style. The interior is divided by a screen and
organ gallery, into the body of the church, and the choir. These have
side aisles, and in these are five separate little chapels. Two of these
make up the place of transepts, and the other three, and the chapter
house, form abutments at each angle of the chapel. Now, I think, you
can't fail to get an idea of the building.
The choir is filled with the stalls and banners of the knights of the
garter. Each knight has his banner, helmet, crest, and sword.
The great pointed window was _designed_ by our countryman, Benjamin
West. The altar-piece was painted by West. Here is the tomb of Edward
IV., 1483. He lies under a slab of black marble. In 1789, some workmen
discovered his lead coffin, and it was opened, and the skeleton was in
good preservation, and measured seven feet in length. Horace Walpole
obtained a lock of his hair at this time. Here are the graves of Henry
VI., and of Henry VIII. and his queen, Jane Seymour. Also of Charles I.
Lord Byron says of Henry VIII.'s tomb,
"Famed for contemptuous breach of sacred ties,
By headless Charles, see heartless Henry lies"
On the 1st of April, 1813, the coffin of Charles I. was found in Henry
VIII.'s tomb; and I think you will be pleased with an account of what,
transpired. I shall, therefore, copy a paper which is authentic:
"On completing the mausoleum which his present majesty has built in the
Tomb House, as it is called, it was necessary to form a passage to it
from under the choir of St George's Chapel. In constructing this
passage, an aperture was made accidentally, in one of the walls of the
vault of King Henry VIII., through which the workmen were enabled to
see, not only the two coffins which were supposed to contain the bodies
of King Henry VIII. and Queen Jane Seymour, but a third also, covered
with a black velvet pall, which, from Mr. Herbert's narrative, might
fairly be presumed to hold the remains of King Charles I.
"On representing the circumstance to the Prince Regent, his Royal
Highness perceived at once that a doubtful point in history might be
cleared up by opening this vault; and, accordingly, his Royal Highness
ordered an examination to be made on the first convenient opportunity.
This was done on the 1st of April last, 1813,--the day after the funeral
of the Duchess of Brunswick,--in the presence of his Royal Highness
himself; who guarantied, thereby, the most respectful care and attention
to the remains of the dead during the inquiry. His Royal Highness was
accompanied by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, Count Munster,
the Dean of Windsor, Benjamin Charles Stevenson, Esq., and Sir Henry
Halford.
"The vault is covered by an arch half a breadth in thickness; is seven
feet two inches in width, nine feet six inches in length, and four feet
ten inches in height, and _is situated in the centre of the choir,
opposite the eleventh knight's stall, on the sovereign's side_.
"On removing the pall, a plain leaden coffin, with no appearance of
ever having been enclosed in wood, and bearing an inscription, 'King
Charles, 1648,' in large, legible characters, on a scroll of lead
encircling it, immediately presented itself to the view. A square
opening was then made in the upper part of the lid, of such dimensions
as to admit a clear insight into its contents. These were an internal
wooden coffin, very much decayed, and the body carefully wrapped up in
cerecloth, into the folds of which a quantity of unctuous or greasy
matter, mixed with resin, as it seemed, had been melted, so as to
exclude, as effectually as possible, the external air. The coffin was
completely full, and, from-the tenacity of the cerecloth, great
difficulty was experienced in detaching it successfully from the parts
which it developed. Wherever the unctuous matter had insinuated itself,
the separation of the cerecloth was easy; and when it came off, a
correct impression of the features to which it had been applied was
observed in the unctuous substance. At length the whole face was
disengaged from its covering. The complexion of the skin of it was dark
and discolored. The forehead and temples had lost little or nothing of
their muscular substance. The cartilage of the nose was gone, but the
left eye, in the first moment of exposure, was open and full, though it
vanished almost immediately; and the pointed beard, so characteristic of
the reign of King Charles, was perfect The shape of the face was a long
oval. Many of the teeth remained, and the left ear, in consequence of
the interposition of some unctuous matter between it and the cerecloth,
was found entire. It was difficult at this moment to withhold a
declaration, that, notwithstanding its disfigurement, the countenance
did bear a strong resemblance to the coins, the busts, and especially to
the picture of King Charles I. by Vandyke, by which it had been made
familiar to us. It is true that the minds of the spectators of this
interesting sight were well prepared to receive this impression; but it
is also certain that such a facility of belief had been occasioned by
the simplicity and truth of Mr. Herbert's narrative, every part of which
had been confirmed by the investigation, so far as it had advanced; and
it will not be denied that the shape of the face, the forehead, an eye,
and the beard, are the most important features by which resemblance is
determined. When the head had been entirely disengaged from the
attachments which confined it; it was found to be loose, and without any
difficulty was taken up and held to view. It was quite _wet_, and gave a
greenish-red tinge to paper and linen which touched it. The back part of
the scalp was entirely perfect, and had a remarkably fresh
appearance--the pores of the skin being more distinct, as they usually
are when soaked in moisture, and the tendons and ligaments of the neck
were of considerable substance and firmness. The hair was thick at the
back part of the head, and, in appearance, nearly black. A portion of
it, which has since been cleaned and dried, is of a beautiful dark-brown
color. That of the beard was of a redder brown. On the back part of the
head it was about an inch in length, and had probably been cut so short
for the convenience of the executioner, or, perhaps, in order to furnish
memorials of the unhappy king. On holding up the head to examine the
place of separation from the body, the muscles of the neck had evidently
retracted themselves considerably, and the fourth cervical vertebra was
found to be cut through its substance transversely, leaving the surfaces
of the divided portions perfectly smooth and even; an appearance which
could only have been produced by a heavy blow, inflicted with a very
sharp instrument, and which furnished the last proof wanting to identify
Charles I. After this examination, which served every purpose in view,
and without examining the body below the neck; it was immediately
restored to its situation, the coffin was soldered up again, and the
vault closed."
This state of things precisely tallied with the account which Herbert,
the faithful servant of Charles, had given as to the place of his
sepulture.
In this chapel, too, is the cenotaph of the late Princess Charlotte,
who was wife to Leopold, now King of Belgium. I do not much admire it.
The exquisite beauty of the windows, and the gorgeous splendor of the
roof, will always make this place live in my memory. The terraces are
very beautiful walks; and from Queen Elizabeth's terrace you have a
noble view of Eton College. Of course, we were pleased to see "the
distant spires and antique towers" which are so celebrated in the lines
of Gray. The college looms up finely, and greatly adds to the prospect.
Eton was founded in 1440, by Henry VI. The number of scholars is about
eight hundred and fifty. This college has produced some of the greatest
men in England, and the young nobility are generally educated here. The
college has two quadrangles, and the chapel is a fine Gothic building.
All this region is beautified by the Thames winding through the valley.
Here is the gem of villages, Datchett, where Sir Henry Wotton and Izaak
Walton used to enjoy the rod and line. No one who has any taste can come
to Windsor and not think of the immortal bard who has made so much
capital out of this place. At all events, we wanted to see Herne's Oak.
We took a carriage and passed the day in riding through the great park,
and took our way through the well-known avenue, called the Long Walk.
This is three miles in length, and has a double row of magnificent
elms. It is directly in front of the south side of the castle, and
terminates in a colossal equestrian statue of George III., standing on
an immense pedestal of blocks of granite. Nothing can exceed in beauty
the beeches of this park, which contains three thousand acres. Immense
herds of deer are seen under the trees. Nowhere have I seen such fine
old trees. Here is a beech-tree thirty-six feet round, seven feet from
the ground! One oak of similar size is called William the Conqueror's
Oak. We went to Virginia Water, the largest sheet of water--that is,
artificial--in Great Britain. We saw the little cottage where George IV.
passed so much of his time. It is a pretty place, but it only shows that
the mind is more likely to be pleased with the simple than the grand.
The gardener at the cottage--which I think is called Cumberland
Lodge--showed us through the conservatory. We did not much admire the
Fishing Temple, or the floating miniature navy. The scenery is charming,
and worthy of Poussin. The walk by the water, to the tavern, cannot be
surpassed. On our return we passed Frogmore, the residence of the
Duchess of Kent; it seems a pretty, unpretending place.
Nothing would repay the tourist better than to pass three or four days,
in this vicinity. Village after village, and villa after villa, claims
the admiration of the traveller; and perhaps England has no more
beautiful rural scenery than may here be found. We had seven or eight
hours of perfect delight upon our ride; and when we reached the White
Hart, at Windsor, we were well prepared for doing justice to an
excellent dinner. Our pleasure at Windsor was much increased by the
company of a gentleman of high literary reputation, and who is
distinguished as the author of several successful works.
Affectionately yours,
WELD
Letter 19.
LONDON
DEAR CHARLEY:--
We are just returned from a most pleasant visit to Sir John Soane's
Museum. This gentleman was an architect, and a most determined
antiquary; and when he died he left his wonderful collection to the
nation, having obtained an act of Parliament for preserving it and
endowing its maintenance. We obtained a government order, and went to
the house which was Sir John's private residence, in Lincoln's Inn
Fields. Never did I behold such a sight. The house is spacious, but
every nook and corner--and it is full of unimaginable ones--is filled up
with precious matters. Here are Roman and Grecian relics; fragments of
vases from Herculaneum; and the far-famed Egyptian sarcophagus brought
over by Belzoni. The latter is made of one piece of alabaster, nearly
ten feet long. It is inscribed all over with hieroglyphics, and cost Sir
John a large sum. I shall see nothing in all Europe that will take my
fancy as much as this museum, I am sure. There are twenty-five distinct
apartments; and if you can find a square foot in the house not occupied,
you would do more than I was able to. The catalogue of this museum I
shall value highly, and that will give you a better idea than I can of
its contents. I had no common pleasure in finding here the original
paintings of the Rake's Progress, by Hogarth, the engravings of which we
have so admired. These pictures were painted in 1734, and were bought by
Sir J. Soane, in 1802, for five hundred and seventy guineas. And here,
too, are Hogarth's great paintings of the Election--a series of four
pictures. These unrivalled works of comic art were bought of Garrick's
widow by Soane, in 1823, for sixteen hundred and fifty guineas! The
collection of paintings is by no means despicable, and we saw a few
pictures not soon to be forgotten. The Views of Venice, by Canaletti,
are very fine; and there are some gems by Reynolds, Danby, Turner,
Hamilton, Lawrence, and Bird. I must tell you how they have economized
room in the apartment devoted to pictures. The ceiling is very richly
adorned with ornaments, forming arched canopies. On the north and west
sides of this room are cabinets, and on the south are _movable planes_,
with space between for pictures. So, in a room of thirteen feet eight
inches by twelve feet four inches, there are as many pictures as could
be placed on the walls of a gallery of the same height, forty-five feet
long and twenty broad. In the crypt is an ancient tomb, and models, in
cork, of tombs, at Capua.
There are some precious _souvenirs_ of Napoleon to be seen,--as
portraits, miniatures, pistols, &c.,--a fine collection of painted
glass, and a countless lot of antiques, intaglios, autographs, and
watches. If ever you find yourself in London, I charge you, get to this
same place for a long morning. In the afternoon we took steamer and Went
to Greenwich, five miles from town, to see the Hospital for Seamen.
Charles II. built this place for a royal palace,--and a noble one it
is,--but William and Mary gave it up to the use of old and worn-out
seamen; and as England owes every thing to Jack Tar, it seems fit that,
when old and crazy, his last days should be made comfortable. A very
large income arises from the exhibition of the fine picture gallery here
to be seen. Here is quite enough to please any one who is curious, and
to gratify boys amazingly; and this you will credit when I tell you some
things that we saw. The coat and waistcoat worn by Nelson when he was
killed, on the Victory, at Trafalgar; models of celebrated ships;
original painting of Sir Walter Raleigh; Sir Cloudesley Shovel, who was
lost, with all his crew, on the Scilly Islands, in Queen Anne's reign;
Admiral Kempenfeldt, lost in the Royal George, 1782; Lord Nelson; Lord
Collingwood; and almost all the great naval commanders of Great Britain.
Then, too, there are large paintings of the great sea fights. One of
Trafalgar, by Turner, is very fine, and so is a large one of Nelson's
death.
There is a room besides all I have alluded to, called the Nelson Room,
and which illustrates all his history; and there are, all about the
rooms, some exquisitely fine colossal busts, executed by Flaxman,
Bailey, and Westmacott. The chapel is thought to be one of the most
beautiful in England. The entire of this great national glory is kept in
the cleanest manner; and the only thing to complain of is a want of
politeness in the guides. This is in contrast to other places; for we
have found the guides very kind and civil at all other places. We have
recently visited the Queen's stables, by order from Mr. Lawrence. Every
thing was very clean and spacious. Some of the horses were exceedingly
beautiful. The harness-room made a display. The cream-colored horses
belonging to the state carriage are noble animals. I believe they are
brought from Hanover, or came originally thence. The state carriage is
an immense lumbering affair, made of carvings and gold. It must be of
great weight. The sides are richly painted. It is never used but at the
opening of Parliament and similar occasions. The queen's carriages which
are ordinarily used are numerous and very elegant, but in good taste.
One of our number--you may guess who it was--sadly wanted a hair from
the tail of the queen's favorite riding horse. The riding school is
spacious, but not much better than a private one that we know in New
York.
We took dinner one day at Soyer's Symposium, at Gore House. Soyer is the
great master of ceremonies in London for all matters of the _cuisine._
Gore House was once the home of Wilberforce and Lord Rodney, but is
better known as the residence of the late Countess of Blessington. It is
now a hotel. The grounds are extensive, and the trees are some of the
finest around London, and I have never seen a lovelier spot of the same
size. It is alive with blackbirds, thrushes, linnets, and goldfinches.
As you enter, you find a vestibule, which is called the cupola of
Jupiter Tonans. Through this you pass to "the hall of architectural
wonders," then to "the Blessington Temple of the Muses." This apartment
leads to "the Transatlantic Ante-Chamber," which is adorned with all
sorts of American emblems. Then there are, in succession, "the Alcove of
White Roses," "the Birth of Gems," and other rooms of great
gorgeousness. One room is the "Palace of the North," which is apparently
made entirely of ice, and out of the wall of which is issuing a polar
bear. In the pleasure grounds is a "baronial hall," one hundred feet
long, fifty broad, and thirty high; and besides this an enormous tent,
called "the Encampment for all Nations." Here, at a table four hundred
feet long, fifteen hundred persons can be dined at a cheap rate. A
table-cloth for this affair cost Soyer two hundred pounds sterling. We
had a very pleasant dinner with the Rev. Dr. Harris, President of New
College, whose works are so well known in America. The room we occupied
was "the Alcove of White Roses." The Symposium stands near to the
Crystal Palace, and accommodates the strangers admirably. That dinner
was two days ago, however; and I am reminded that another is necessary
today, and must leave off to prepare for it.
I am yours truly,
JAMES.
Letter 20.
LONDON.
DEAR CHARLEY:--
Yesterday we visited the two great ecclesiastical edifices of the
metropolis,--St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey,--and I will
endeavor to convey to your mind some idea of the impression which they
left upon my own. These structures are by name familiar to you, and you
have seen engravings of the mighty dome of St. Paul's and the double
towers of the Abbey. I had often gazed on these pictured
representations, but I find that they did not convey to my mind any
adequate notions of the originals. Like the Pyramids, or our own
Niagara, they must be seen to be understood. In so vast a place as
London, it is absolutely necessary for sight-seers to adopt something
like system in their arrangements; so we agreed to devote one day to the
examination of the metropolitan Cathedral Church, and of the ancient
edifice in which the monarchs of England are crowned. We quitted our
hotel at nine o'clock, and, pushing our way through the hurrying crowds
of the Strand, speedily arrived at Temple Bar. We then turned down a
dingy, narrow passage, on our right hand; this led us to the Temple,
which is like a little town of itself, and is almost exclusively
inhabited by lawyers. It was amusing enough to notice the gentlemen in
powdered horse-hair wigs and flowing black robes, like a clergyman's,
who every now and then emerged from some open door, and flitted across
the courts, each having a bundle of papers tied with red tape, or a book
under his arm. Whilst occupied in observing these Templars of modern
times, the tones of an organ fell on my ear, for we were close to the
Temple Church, one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in the world. The
early morning service was not concluded so we entered without ceremony.
Externally, the building has little in the way of architectural
decorations to recommend it. It is low, destitute of tower or steeple,
and surrounded by gloomy-looking lawyers' offices. But no sooner had we
crossed the threshold than a scene of surpassing beauty burst upon us. I
should here tell you that this edifice, which is intended for the
exclusive use of members of the Temple, is very ancient. The church
formerly belonged to the Knights Templars. It was built in 1185, and the
choir was added in 1240. For years and years the building was neglected
by the legal gentlemen; but in 1839 it was proposed to restore the
former glories of the place, and the outlay of seventy thousand pounds
has caused it to stand out in all its pristine beauty. The form of the
church is octagonal. The ceiling, sides, and altar are all decorated in
the mediaeval style. The pipes of the organ dazzle you with their purple
and golden splendors. The floor is of encaustic tiles. On the walls are
displayed the names and coats of arms of those members of the Temple who
have been raised to the dignity of judges. On all these objects the
sunshine, streaming through superbly-painted windows, produced quite a
kaleidoscope effect. The _coup d'oeil_ was almost too dazzling, and
strikingly contrasted in my mind with the primitive simplicity of our
New England churches. In this church I found that some great men had
been buried. The learned Sir John, Selden, the author of "Table Talk;"
Howell, whose old letters we have so much enjoyed together; Gibbon the
historian, and Oliver Goldsmith, lie just outside the church. The
preacher of this church is called the master of the Temple, and the
great Hooker once held this post. Having gratified our curiosity by an
inspection of this gem of church architecture, we quitted the building,
and, after a pleasant stroll through the Temple Gardens,--a sweet spot,
and spoken of by Shakspeare as the place where the distinction of the
Red and White Roses was first seen,--embarked on one of the river
steamboats, which rapidly conveyed us to Blackfriars Bridge.
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