chancel much decayed, and the old wooden tower ready to fall, the parishioners began to repair it, and taking down the wooden tower, Sir Thomas Lyttleton, father of the first peer, gave them a quantity of stones from the ruins of the hall, to build a new one. New windows were also made at the same time; but though these have added much to the comfort and commodiousness of the chapel, they have destroyed much of its air of antiquity. A great improvement indeed took place, by Sir Thomas railing in a sufficient space of ground for a burial-place, as bodies formerly had always been interred in the chapel. From such repeated alterations, it is not to be expected that many memorials of tombs, or armorial windows should remain; and though Habyngdon's MSS. contain a very long list, yet it appears that the greatest part were destroyed in the civil wars.

A few miles further to the westward the tourist approaches the classic ground of

HAGLEY,

so justly called by the immortal poet of the seasons, the

"-British Tempe! There along the dale,

With woods o'erhung, and shagg'd with mossy rocks,—

There on each hand the gushing waters play,

And down the rough cascade white dashing fall,

Or gleam in lengthened vista through the trees.—

A late tourist has well described the approach, when he says that the face of nature is here suddenly changed into the lovely and picturesque; as here the road from Bromsgrove creeps through a deep hollow way cut out of the rock, that rises on each side crowned with shrubs and trees, and admits through the lengthened excavation, a pleasing vista of diversified scenery. This road brings the visitor to the VILLAGE of HAGLEY, where of course he will take up his quarters at the Lyttleton Arms' a neat inn, with excellent temporary accommodations. The pleasantest rout from this to the park, is to proceed a little way through the vil jage, and turn to the right on the Birmingham road, which cuts

the

the grounds into two unequal parts. This leads him past some pleasant villas, particularly a large modern seat on the left, and the Gothic rectory, which is so situated as to appear part of the grounds, and at the same time to enjoy all the advantages resulting from this situation, as many of the ornamental buildings are on this side of the road.

Near this a stile, on the right hand, leads into the paddock, past the offices and gardens, which are convenient, but have nothing particularly deserving of examination, except to the mere botanist; and thence to the back front of the house, where a door in the basement story gives an opportunity of applying to the housekeeper for admission, which is always readily granted.

The present house, which has been well designated as a pleasant living one, and a well designed mean between the vast piles raised for magnificence, and those smaller ones, in which convenience is alone considered, is a plain and even simple, yet classical edifice, and though low in the park, is yet above the adjacent country, which it overlooks to a very distant horizon. It is surrounded by a lawn, of fine uneven ground, and diversified with large clumps, little groupes, and single trees; it is open in front, but covered on one side by the Witchbury hills; on the other side, and behind, by the eminences in the park, which are high and steep, and all overspread with a lofty hanging wood.* The lawn pressing to the foot, or creeping up the slopes of these hills, and sometimes winding along glades into the depth of the wood, traces a beautiful outline to a sylvan scene, already rich to luxuriance in massiness of foliage, and stateliness of growth.

Having walked round the house in order to form an idea of its situation, we shall now refer to the accompanying plate for its elevation and façade, merely stating that its form is a parallelogram, and that its south front is adorned with a light and elegant of steps, from the platform of which the prospect is Those who have seen Nottingham Castle, will observe a great similitude in this instance between the two houses.

double range very extensive.

Whately on Gardening, p. 196 et seq.

Το

To examine the house in the interior, it is usual to commence with the basement story, and to enter the Bath, a cool, commodious apartment, fitted up for its ostensible purpose, and lined with shells, spars, &c. like a grotto. This leads into the Evidence-room, filled with presses, containing leases and other documents, necessary to the operations of Quarter-day, which is always held in this apartment.

The present house was built by the first Lord Lyttelton, not on, but near to the scite of the ancient family mansion, an old-fashioned structure of the sixteenth century, which had been the hidingplace of two of the gunpowder-plot conspirators, Stephen Lyttelton and Robert Winter, who were betrayed, however, in a few hours by an under cook in the family; and Humphrey Lyttelton, the owner of the house at that time, who had received them into his protection, has been said to have escaped punishment solely by discovering the others at Hinlip. This, however, we have reason to disbelieve, from a careful examination of several MS. accounts of the transaction, now in the British Museum. A view of the old mansion is preserved in this apartment; and here is also a view of Rockingham Hall, in the village, mentioned as the rectory, the seat of the Rev. Harrington.

ness.

The HALL, which we now proceed to, is thirty feet square, and the visitor is immediately struck with its simplicity and neatThe chimney-piece is a handsome work in white marble, supported by two figures of Hercules, extremely well executed; but, as has often been the fate of genius, the artist died in distress. Here too are an elegant relief of Pan courting Diana, by Vassali; several casts in scagliola of Bacchus, Venus, Mercury, and a Corybant; some antique busts; two busts of Rubens and Vandyke by Rysbrack; and two very curiously carved mahogany tables, which cost 2001. Here too is a book, in which each visitor writes his name on going away.

The LIBRARY is thirty-three feet by twenty-five, and elegantly fitted up as a domestic apartment, and the cieling or namented with scrolls of stucco. Over the book-cases, which