Part 30

From the south windows of this suite of rooms a magnificent view of the grounds is obtained. Immediately beneath is the spacious lawn, bordered with raised parterres, festoon flower-beds, and sculpture; in the centre of the lawn is a basin with a central and four other fountains. Beyond this is seen the lake, with the “Emperor” fountain casting up its waters to an enormous height, and skirted on its sloping sides with majestic forest trees, and with grassy slopes and statuary; the park stretching out to the right. From the east window of the drawing-room the view is equally fine, but of different character. Here is seen, in all its beauty, the wonderful cascade shown in one of our engravings, the waters of which come rolling down from the dome of the temple to the head of the broad walk in the middle of the grassy slope where it disappears under the ground and is no more seen. To the right and left beautiful glimpses of the grounds are obtained, while beneath the window, to the right, a flight of steps, guarded by two sculptured lions, forms a striking foreground. From this room, besides the doorway which connects it with apartments we have been describing, one door gives access to the grand staircase, and another to the library.

Of the various apartments composing the north and west sides, it will be unnecessary for our present purpose here to speak, further than to say that they are as sumptuously and as tastefully arranged and furnished as such a palace with such a princely owner requires.

The LIBRARY, which is about 90 feet long by 23 in width, and of corresponding height, is one of the most elegant, best arranged, and most perfect libraries in existence. This noble apartment has eight windows in length on its east side, between which are presses for books, surmounted by looking-glass; the opposite side and the ends are also lined with books, and an elegant gallery, to which access is had by a concealed spiral staircase, runs along the ends and one side. The ceiling is white and gold, and is adorned with three large, and five smaller, circular paintings of the most exquisite colouring, by Louis Charon. The mahogany book-cases are divided into presses by gilt metal-columns, from which stand out the brackets supporting the gallery.

The chimney-piece, of Carrara marble, has beautifully sculptured columns with wreaths of foliage, and is surmounted by candelabra, massive vases, and a magnificent mirror. In the glass-cases and table-presses, as well as on the shelves, are preserved, as may well be supposed, one of the richest and rarest collections of books and MSS. which any house can boast. It would be an endless task, and indeed quite out of place in this work, much as we desire to linger in the room, to attempt to give even a very brief _résumé_ of the treasures it contains. We cannot, however, resist the temptation of saying that here is the famous Anglo-Saxon MS. of Caedmon, which is altogether, perhaps, the most important, and the finest MS. of the period. The prayer-book of Henry VII. is highly interesting, both historically and artistically. It is of 8vo size, and consists of 186 leaves of vellum, on several of which are beautiful miniatures in the most exquisite colouring and design; many of these designs, as notably, our Saviour in the act of benediction, the murder of St. Thomas A’Becket, and St. George, are remarkably fine both in conception and execution. It was given by the king, Henry VII., to his daughter, Margaret, Queen of Scotland, mother to the Lady Margaret Douglas, who in turn gave it to the Archbishop of St. Andrew’s. It contains the following among other touching gift lines:—

“Remembre yr kynde and louyng fader in yo^r good prayers. Henry R.”

“Pray for your loving father that gave you this booke and gave you God’s blessing and mine.”

“My good Lorde of St. tandrews, I pray you pray for me that gave you thys bouk. Yours to my powr, Margaret,”

and many other MSS. The _compotus_ of Bolton Abbey, 1287 to 1385; the “Liber Veritas” of Claude Lorraine (for which, we believe, no less than £20,000 was at one time offered); a splendid collection of Wynkyn de Worde’s and Caxton’s printings; a marvellously fine assemblage of early editions;—altogether, as rich, as curious, as important, and as valuable a collection of books as can anywhere be found. We know of no place where we should so much delight to remain as among the literary treasures in this grand library, which has for us many hidden charms.

Passing out from this splendid apartment, is the ANTE-LIBRARY, formed of two exquisitely beautiful little rooms, filled with books of the greatest value and interest. The ceiling of the first or larger room of these is richly gilt, and adorned with paintings by Hayter and Charles Landseer. The smaller apartment is a perfect architectural gem, of apsidal form, the dome supported by a series of columns and pilasters with Corinthian capitals. In this room are some remarkably fine vases on pedestals. From the Ante-Library a door opens on the NORTH STAIRCASE, on which are hung a fine full-length portrait of the late Duke of Devonshire, by Sir Francis Grant; full-length portraits of the Emperor Nicholas of Russia, and of his Empress; Sir Thomas Lawrence’s full-length portrait of George IV. in his coronation robes; and a curious old painting, nearly life-size, of the “Flying Childers,” with the following “certificate” of the age of the horse;—“September ye 28, 1719. This is to certifie that the bay stoned horse his Grace the Duke of Devonshire bought of me was bred by me, and was five years old last grass, and noe more. Witness my hand, Leo. Childers.”

The DINING-ROOM is a large and noble apartment with a slightly “barrel-shaped” ceiling, divided into hexagonal panels filled with roses and foliated flowers richly gilt. The doors, at one end opening into the vestibule leading into the cabinet library, and at the other into the sculpture-gallery, have their cases of white marble, the entablatures supported on massive Ionic columns. The room is lit by five windows on its east side, and opposite to these are two exquisitely beautiful white marble chimney-pieces, each of which has two life-size statues, two by Westmacott and two by Sievier. Around the room are six side-tables; two are of hornblende, two of Siberian jasper, and two of porphyritic sienite. The furniture is massive and appropriate, and the walls display family portraits, chiefly by Vandyke.

The SCULPTURE GALLERY, one of the “glories” of Chatsworth, is entered from the dining-room at one end, and at the other opens into the Orangery. This noble gallery is 103 feet in length and 30 in width, is of proportionate height, and is lighted from the roof. The walls are of finely-dressed sandstone, and the door-cases of Derbyshire marble; the entablatures supported by Corinthian columns and pilasters of various marbles with gilt capitals. Of the precious treasures contained in this gallery it would be impossible, in the space we have at our disposal, to speak at length. We shall, therefore, content ourselves with simply enumerating some of the more prominent sculptures, noting that the pedestals, columns, &c., are all of the most choice and valuable materials. Among the examples here, and in other parts of the mansion, so charmingly and effectively arranged, are the following:—

By Canova, a statue of Endymion sleeping, his dog watching at his feet; a statue of Hebe; a statue of Madame Mère, the mother of Napoleon; a colossal bust of Napoleon; a bust of Madame Mère; a noble bust of the late Duke of Devonshire; some female heads; and a bust of Petrarch’s Laura. By Thorwaldsen, a fine statue of Venus with the apple; a bust of Gonsalvi; _bassi-relievi_ of Day and Night; Priam petitioning Achilles for the dead body of Hector; Briseis taken from Achilles by the heralds; and others. By Chantrey, a bust of George IV.; a bust of Canning. &c. By Schadow, a statue of the Filatrice, or Spinning-Girl; and some beautiful bas-reliefs. By Finelli, a statue of Cupid playing with a butterfly. By Trentanove, a seated figure of Cupid in thought; a relief-profile; a bust of a Vestal, after Canova. By Kessels, a fine statue of a Discobolus or quoit-thrower. By Tadolini, a powerful statue of Ganymede with the eagle. By Albacini, a statue of Achilles wounded. By Pozzi, a fine group of Latona reproaching the shepherds, accompanied by the young Apollo and Diana. By Tenerani, a group of Cupid taking out a thorn from the foot of Venus. By Gibson, a splendid group of Mars and Cupid. By Wyatt, a charming statue of Musidora. By Gott, a statue of Musidora; a colossal bust of Ariadne; and a group of greyhound and puppies. By R. Westmacott, a statue of a cymbal-player; and a bas-relief of Bacchantes springing through the air. By Bartolini, a recumbent statue of a Bacchante; statue of the Venus de Medici; a bust of the Countess Maria Potocka; and the Medici Vase. By Barruzzi, a group of Venus and Cupid. By Prosalendi, a statue of Diana. By T. Campbell, a statue of the Princess Pauline Borghese; a bust of the same princess; a colossal bust of the late Duke of Devonshire; a bust of Thomas, Earl of Newburgh. By Rinaldi, a bust of Ceres and a bust of a Bacchante; a colossal bust of Canova. By Rennie, a colossal bust of Achilles. By Rauch, a bust of the Emperor Nicholas. By Wickmann, a bust of the Empress Alexandra Feoderowna. By Nollekens, busts of C. J. Fox; Francis, Duke of Bedford; William, fifth Duke of Devonshire; and Lord George Cavendish. By Bonelli, a bust of Lady George Cavendish. By Dantan Jeune, a bust of Bellini. Many of the busts here named are in the state-rooms, and besides the sculptures we have enumerated there are many other beautiful examples of this art in various parts of the house and grounds. From the Sculpture Gallery—

The ORANGERY is entered by a massive doorway between two splendidly carved colossal lions, after Canova. It is 108 feet in length and 27 in width, and, beside its myriads of beauties as a conservatory, contains some exceedingly fine specimens of sculpture. From the centre of the Orangery egress is had to the grounds, and at its north end a corridor (in which are some pieces of ancient sculpture and mosaic) leads to the baths and to a staircase which gives access to the banqueting or ball-room, and the open pavilion. These are not, of course, shown to the public; but, nevertheless, a few words may well be added concerning them.

The BALL-ROOM, or BANQUETING-ROOM, as it is sometimes called, is a magnificent apartment, 81 feet long by 30 in width, and very lofty. The ceiling is divided into compartments, each of which contains a beautiful painting set in richly-gilt framing; the whole of the intermediate parts being painted in fresco, with medallions of crest and coronet and monogram of the Duke. Prominent among the subjects on the ceiling are Sir James Thornhill’s “Perseus and Andromeda,” paintings by Louis Charon, and a view of Chatsworth, with allegorical figures in the front. Over this room is the open PAVILION, from which extensive and charming views of the surrounding country are obtained.

The lower, or BASEMENT STORY, remains to be noticed. This, like the other stories we have described, runs round the four sides of the quadrangle of the main building; the basement of the north wing being devoted to the kitchens and domestic and business offices. The grand staircase occupies the inner south-east angle, the grand hall and various private apartments taking up the east side. On the north is the entrance, the sub-hall, the north corridor, and various private apartments. The west front is occupied by the Duke’s private suite of rooms, the Marquis of Hartington’s private rooms, the west entrance, the west staircase, and corridor. The south side comprises the south corridor, the Chapel at the south-west corner, the Oak Room, the south entrance, the Stag Parlour, and other apartments. It will only be our province on this story (having already described the sub-hall, north corridor, and grand hall), to speak of the corridors, the Chapel, and cursorily of one or two other of the apartments on this floor. Passing beneath the grand staircase in the great hall is the “GROTTO ROOM,” the ceiling of which, supported by four massive pillars and twelve pilasters, is divided into compartments; some of them being enriched by the _insignia_ of the Order of the Garter. Opposite the entrance is a boldly and powerfully sculptured fountain-piece, the central subject of which is Venus at the Bath; the accessories being dolphins, crabs, lobsters, fish, and other appropriate objects. To the east of this room is an ante-room giving access to the south-east sitting-room (a charming apartment filled with interesting pictures and other works of art), and to the apartments on the east, as well as to the grounds. On the west is the SOUTH CORRIDOR, from which doors open into the various rooms on this side. In this corridor are several curious old paintings, and it is further adorned with bronzes and some splendidly-carved antique coffers. In the centre of this corridor a door opens into the OAK ROOM, and, although this is not shown to visitors, it is so truly and strikingly beautiful that we cannot resist the temptation of just alluding to it. This was formerly the “Chaplain’s Room,” but by the good taste of its late noble owner was altered and made what it certainly now is, one of the gems of the house. It is lined on all sides with the most magnificent old oak carving of panels, figures, busts, &c.; and the ceiling is supported by four majestic twisted oak pillars, with composite capitals, carved in foliage, and reminding one forcibly of Raffaelle’s celebrated cartoon. The entablature is heraldic: it is composed of thirty shields of arms, emblazoned in their proper colours. The lower part of the “wooden walls” are arranged as book-cases, and above these the panels are doubly filled with a series of beautiful landscapes and sea-pieces, by Carmichael. The centre of the floor, within the oak piers, is of oak parqueterie; the remainder is filled with tiles, in imitation of tesselated pavement. Adjoining this room is the Chapel.

The CHAPEL at Chatsworth, which occupies the south-west angle of the mansion, is perhaps the most striking and peculiar to be seen in any of the “stately homes” of our country. Its arrangement also—for its altar is at the _west_ end—is somewhat unusual, and its decorations are of the most exquisitely beautiful character. This elegant chapel is 47 feet 4 inches in length by 23 feet 10 inches in width, and in height it occupies two entire stories, reaching from the ground-floor up to the floor of the upper, or state-room, story. At its east end, midway in height, and communicating with the gallery of paintings and with the billiard-room, is a gallery supported upon two massive pillars of black marble, with white marble capitals and bases. The chapel is lighted by three windows on the upper story. The floor is paved with marble, and the altar-piece is also of marble; the pillar and steps of black, and the remainder of white marble. On the sides are two fine figures of Faith and Hope, by Caius Gabriel Cibber (father of Colley Cibber), who was much employed at Chatsworth from 1688 to 1690, or thereabouts, and who, besides these marble figures, carved two large Sphinxes, statues of Pallas, Apollo, a Triton, and other figures. The top of the altar-piece is exquisitely sculptured with cherubs and festoons, and at the sides are vases of flowers. In the lower pediment or recess is a dove, and there are also some charming figures of cherubs, &c.; under the recess is a most chaste and beautiful bust of our Saviour.

The chapel is wainscoted throughout in its lower story with cedar, which, besides its beautiful rich colour, gives a peculiar yet very grateful odour to the place, and accords well with the subdued light and its general effect. The reading-desk also is of cedar. The ceiling and the upper story of the apartment are painted in the same remarkably fine manner as those of the state-rooms, by Verrio and Laguerre; the subjects being, “The Incredibility of St. Thomas,” “Christ and the Woman of Samaria,” “Christ Healing the Blind,” and the “Ascension of our Saviour.” There are, also, figures of the Christian attributes, Justice, Mercy, Charity, and Liberality.

The great glory, artistically, however, of the Chapel at Chatsworth, and, indeed, as we have already said, of the state-rooms of this noble pile, are the splendid wood-carvings which adorn its walls and the heads of its upper doors. Between the large panels of the cedar walls are exquisite pendants, ten in number, and others occur on each side of the altar. The pendants consist of flowers, fruit, foliage, and corn, festooned and entwined with drapery in the most free and graceful manner, and so true to nature in every detail as to be deceptive. Over the doors in the gallery are fine figures of Cupids with musical instruments. These, and some of the pendants, we engrave.

And now it becomes necessary to say a word or two as to the authors of these and the other exquisite carvings which adorn the rooms of Chatsworth. Those in the chapel, as well as some others, are generally believed and generally stated to be by Grinling Gibbons; and if marvellous skill in execution, masterly conception, delicate handling, and purity of design, be any special characteristic of the work of that great genius, then, most assuredly, there is sufficient in these examples to lead the most able judges to appropriate them to him; judgment, however, and popular belief must not be allowed to usurp the place of facts, and it is an undoubted fact that in the accounts of the building of Chatsworth, although the names of all the more noted artists and contractors appear, that of Grinling Gibbons does not, it is stated, once occur; still it is possible that work might have been done by him, and it is conjectured that as the sum of £14 15_s._ was paid to Henry Lobb, the carpenter, for cases in which some _carved work_, statues, and pictures, were conveyed to Chatsworth from London, this carved work _might_ be by Gibbons.

The principal wood-carvers were Thomas Young, William Davies, Joel Lobb, and Samuel Watson, to the latter of whom is undoubtedly due the credit of much of the work which has of late been ascribed to Gibbons. Those who have admired the exquisite carving of flowers, dead game, fish, nets, festoons, &c., in the State Dining-room, to which we have alluded, and have considered them to be by the master-hand of Gibbons, will perhaps learn, with some little surprise, that they are the creations of the genius of Watson (a Derbyshire worthy), and his co-labourers, Lobb and Davies. The following is the memorandum relating to the agreement as to this work, contained in the original book of work done by Watson from 1690 to 1712. “Sept. 9, 1692. Joel Lobb, William Davies, and Samuel Watson agreed with the Earl of Devonshire to execute in lime-tree, the carving of the great chamber, to be done equal to anything of the kind before executed, for which they were to receive £400; this carving consists of flowers, wreaths, dead game, cherubs,” &c. The original designs by Watson for some of the carving in this room (as well as in others) are preserved.

Samuel Watson was born at Heanor, in Derbyshire, in 1662, and is said to have studied under—indeed to have been an apprentice of—C. Oakley, in London. Soon after completing his apprenticeship he commenced work at Chatsworth, and here he continued to be employed, as the accounts show, until 1712, only three years before his death, which took place in 1715. He was buried at his native village, Heanor, where a tablet remains to his memory, bearing the following verse:—

“Watson is gone, whose skilful Art display’d To the very life whatever Nature made; View but his wondrous works in Chatsworth hall, Which are so gazed at and admired of all You’ll say ‘tis pity he should hidden lie, And nothing said to revive his memory. My mournful friends, forbear your tears, For I shall rise when Christ appears.

“This SAMUEL WATSON died 29th March, 1715, aged 53 years.”

There is nothing, so far as we are aware, to show by whom the carvings in the chapel were executed, but they have been pronounced by competent judges, and by no less an authority in late years than Mr. Rogers, to be the work of Gibbons. The probability is they are by him, and it is also equally probable that he was the presiding genius of the place, supplying designs, and, besides working himself, directing the labours of others. We regret that space will not admit of our speaking at greater length upon this tempting and fascinating subject; but, giving one or two engravings of portions of the carvings,[39] we must now pass on to say a few words concerning the exquisite modern decorations of the private library and rooms adjoining.

The WEST LIBRARY and the LEATHER ROOM are, without exception, the most purely elegant and chaste in their fittings and decorations of any apartments we know, and nothing could possibly exceed the purity of taste displayed in them. The ceiling of the Library is delicately frescoed in arabesque foliage, and groups of figures in rich colours, and the spaces between the book-presses are similarly decorated. Among the decorations of the ceiling are several beautifully painted medallion-heads of Virgilius Maro, Marcus Tullius Cicero, Horatius Flaccus, Titus Livius, and others: over the book-cases are also medallion-portraits, supported by figures and foliage, of famous poets, with appropriate sentiments: thus, over Shakspeare occurs “Exhausted worlds and then imagined new;” over Milton, “A Poet blind yet bold;” Byron, “The wandering outlaw of his own brave land;” Scott, “The Ariosto of the North;” Chaucer, “Well of English undefiled;” Thomson, “As Nature various, and as Art complete,” and so on. The doors of this and the adjoining room are so arranged with imitation book-backs, that, when they are closed, it is impossible to see any means of egress or ingress. The books on these doors (like those in the Great Library) have fictitious names, many of which, written by Hood, although perhaps not in good keeping with the excellent taste of the rest of the fittings, are extremely amusing, and worthy of his inimitable vein of humour. Of these it is difficult to resist giving an example or two. Here they are:—“Horn Took on Catching Cows;” “Wren’s Voyage to the Canaries;” “Dyspepsia and Heartburn, by the Bishop of Sodor;” “Dibdin’s Cream of Tar;” “Minto’s Coins;” “Merry’s Gay;” “Esterhazy on Spring Fogs;” “Inigo Jones on Secret Entrances;” “Hyde upon Wood;” “Macadam’s Rhodes;” “Egg, by Shelley;” “Skye, by McCloud;” “Bramah’s Rape of the Lock;” “Beveridge on the Beer Act;” “D. Cline on Consumption,” and many others.

The “Leather Room” has its walls and ceiling formed entirely of embossed leather richly gilt; the ceiling heightened in medallions with blue ground and relief-painted figures, and with richly decorated pendants. Adjoining these rooms is the West Entrance, the floor of which is of mosaic, and the ceiling bears an allegorical painting of the Arts; in the centre is Architecture, holding a drawing of the west front of Chatsworth, crowned by Fame, and beneath are Cupids with plan of Chatsworth, and compasses, &c. In the coving are Cupids, and on the walls hang some interesting pictures.