Travels Through North America Part 32

of France, by Patoun.

A small cabinet, called the Compa.s.s Window, adjoins the just mentioned apartment; it takes its name from a painted window. Among the paintings in this room are a battle piece by Schut, a sea-storm by Vandervelde, and several invaluable pieces.

From this cabinet you enter the chapel by a gallery which runs in the rear of the before-mentioned room. I remarked in it a full-length portrait of Charles I. on horseback, by Vandyk, and a half-length portrait of Oliver Cromwell, by R. Walker. The chapel is rather small, contains the arms of the Warwick family, and over the altar Gothic ornaments, carved in wood.

On returning to the large hall, you reach the dining-room through it. It is a splendid, large hall, containing an ancient marble table, and three large portraits of the Prince of Wales, grandfather of the present king, his consort a princess of Gotha, holding George III. in baby-clothes on her lap; a Lord Brook, a copy by Patoun, who, as preceptor to Lord Warwick, was more of an amateur than a painter. These paintings are devoid of taste, and the best things about them are their heavy gilt and ornamented frames. Over the portrait of the princess are the arms of Saxony.

Adjoining the large hall is likewise the breakfast-room. In this room are the following most excellently executed paintings: Charles 1st's children, by Vandyk, and a portrait of a female, by the same artist; two lions, by Rubens; and a full-length portrait of Admiral Tromp, by Rembrandt. Three paintings by an unknown master; the unfortunate Mary Stuart, with her son as a child; a Lord Brooke, and Sir Philip Sydney.

After I had inspected the castle, I pa.s.sed out through a private gate in the lofty wall of the castle-yard, and proceeded to the park over a stone bridge that crosses the dry castle moat. Groves are beautifully interspersed with bowling greens in this park; a solid pebbled path takes you round the park in about half an hour. There are several fine prospects, and the place is well stocked with evergreens, which during the last winter, I had many opportunities of admiring in a state of nature. Three years ago, while journeying for the first time through Great Britain, I could not help admiring in the English parks, the luxurious abundance of evergreens and their lovely growth; but after beholding these plants in their native land, growing in their full vigour, the most splendid English gardens dwindled into insignificance, when compared with the beauties of nature in America. I observed a number of fine lofty cedars of Lebanon, which are to be found in most of the extensive English gardens. In this park there is also a very large hot-house, the plants raised in which are now elegantly distributed throughout the garden. In this hot-house I perceived the celebrated antique vase, the copy of which, in bronze, I had seen at Mr. Thomason's in Birmingham. This remarkable antique was found not far from Hadrian's Villa in the vicinity of Tivoli. It was first purchased by Sir William Hamilton, then English amba.s.sador at Naples, who sold it to the late Lord Warwick. It is of white marble, round in form, and will hold one hundred and sixty-three gallons. It has two handles of entwined vine branches, which with their elegant leaves and heavy cl.u.s.ters of grapes, wind themselves round the upper part of the vase. On the under part is seen the panther's skin, and on it several well finished heads of satyrs, as well as several thyrsus and augur staves. The vase is in a state of high preservation, and only one satyr's head is replaced; the remaining ornaments are not in the least injured.

During my walk through the park, I pa.s.sed along the bank of the Avon, which runs at the foot of the rock, on which the castle is built. On a small black slate, attached to the rock, there is an inscription, stating that a young man, one of the Bagot family, was drowned there while bathing. The unfortunate father has erected this little monument to the memory of his son. On my return to the castle, I ascended one of the towers, called Gay's tower, about one hundred and fifty feet high; this tower is very well preserved, and is provided with fortifications.

In the interior there is a small room, and from the top of the tower there is a fine and extensive prospect.

On my return to the city, the stage for Stratford-on-Avon was about starting; I took a seat, and after eight miles journey, found myself once more on the grand turnpike leading from Birmingham to Oxford.

Stratford is a small, inconsiderable, ill-built town, but celebrated as the birth place of SHAKSPEARE. One of the smallest houses bears the following inscription, "in this house the great Shakspeare was born." It is now a butcher's stall and belongs to strangers, to whom Shakspeare's posterity were compelled by poverty to dispose of it. It is said that he was born in a room of the Upper story; in this apartment are several old pieces of furniture, the existence of which they flatteringly endeavour to trace from the days of Shakspeare, also a poor portrait of the poet, and a copy of his will; and a spectacle case made of the wood of a mulberry tree, which they say was planted by him.

At Stratford I took a post-chaise, proceeded on my journey, and at ten o'clock in the evening reached Oxford, which is thirty-nine miles from Stratford. I took up my lodgings in the Star Hotel. As I had seen Oxford three years previous, I merely sojourned there half a day, with the intention of beholding once more, in the Bodlean Library, the lovely portrait of the unfortunate Mary Stuart, painted by Zucchero, and which had formerly pleased me so much that I considered it as the best likeness I had ever seen of that interesting woman. I therefore proceeded to that library: I hurried through the library hall, but made a much longer stay in the gallery of paintings. The sight of the portrait of Mary Stuart renewed all my old impressions, and I gazed intently upon it for a considerable time with the greatest pleasure.

I likewise remarked a collection of seven paintings by Schalk, effects of light, representing the seven mortal sins, very well painted, moreover a number of pieces by English painters, and a number of portraits of the patrons and benefactors of the university, of its chancellors, and several of the most celebrated literati who had resided in the university. Also a few by Holbein, among which, the portraits of Luther and Erasmus, pleased me the most. A full-length likeness of Charles XII. of Sweden, by Schroeder, is uncommonly well finished; of the same size, and next to it, hangs the portrait of Frederic William I.

King of Prussia. The physiognomy of the former, and the entire form, are expressive of the great and original genius of that monarch; there is something abhorrent, pedantic, and tyrannical in the features of the latter.

The library contains several models of Grecian architecture, which are skilful imitations in plaster; also a model of the Parthenon at Athens, which very agreeably recalled to my mind Philadelphia and the Bank of the United States. Here is likewise to be seen a model of the Amphitheatre of Verona, cut in cork, and an elegant collection of the Elgin marble bas reliefs, well imitated in plaster. A full-length statue of one of the Lords of Warwick, in bronze, representing him in a warlike costume, is also well worthy of the attention of travellers.

After having here satisfied my curiosity, I went to the Radcliff Library, which is built in the form of a cupola, in order to enjoy a view of the city from its roof. Fortunately the weather was very clear, which seldom occurs in England, and as there are no manufactories and steam-engines in Oxford, the atmosphere is not obscured by coal smoke.

The city, owing to its ancient university and churches, has a singular appearance, and though I had seen during my travels a great many cities, still I found none to be compared with Oxford. The university, its twenty colleges, and five halls, have the appearance of so many old castles: such is also the appearance of the Bodlean Library, that stands near the Radcliff library. In the court-yard of the former, there is a gate, in which the five orders of architecture are placed over each other, which produces a strange effect. Near the gate are four Tuscan pillars, over these four Doric, above these four Ionic, and again over these four Corinthian, and this strange conjunction is terminated by four Roman columns. Two columns are always joined together. Between the fourth row, the statue of James I. stands in a niche, next which, on the right, as I believe, there is a Minerva, and on the left the university is personified by a kneeling figure, to whom the learned king most graciously tenders his own works. Four thousand students are said to belong to the university, but there were very few then present, it being vacation time. Therefore the city with its ancient buildings, looked rather dull.

At twelve o'clock, noon, on the 19th of July, I left Oxford in the post-chaise, and proceeded to London, which although fifty-eight miles from Oxford, I reached in six hours. It is incredible how fast one travels on this route and how quick they change horses. I was by chance enabled to retain the chaise all the way from Oxford to Hounslow. The moment I arrived at a post-house, a servant came instantly to demand, whether I wished to stop or proceed; no sooner did I answer in the affirmative, than he would call out for horses, and the whole proceeding lasted at the utmost one minute. The leader was brought out, ready harnessed, and put to; the postillion followed on the saddle-horse from the stable, and remained in the saddle while they were gearing the horses; the stable boy then requested his fee, and off we went. During this journey, I was only detained three minutes at each post. They charge for carriage and horses, eighteen pence a mile, and the drink-money, three pence per mile. Since my journeying in this country three years previous, postage had been raised three pence.

The road lay through a cultivated and woody country, and we traversed several rising grounds. We pa.s.sed many fine large country-seats, surrounded by extensive parks. From Salt Hill, which is a very pretty little place, there is on the right, a charming view of the castle of Windsor, two miles distant, on the lofty round tower of which was displayed the royal standard as a sign that the king was there. The castle has really a very imposing appearance. The large Gothic church of Eton College, recalled unpleasant recollections to my mind. For on my visit to this college, three years past, they showed me on a shelf a number of elegantly tied, long birch rods, with which youth, engaged there in study, are flogged, and for the supply of which, a regular contract is made with the steward. In a handsome village, called Slough, stands the dwelling of the celebrated German astronomer, Herschel; there is still to be seen in the garden, the stand supporting the telescope, forty-eight feet long, by five feet in diameter, with which Herschel made his great astronomical discoveries. Hounslow is a charming town, and very lively, owing to its proximity to London. The number of stages and other carriage, which I met with in this neighbourhood, is scarcely to be credited. This concourse of vehicles, and afterwards the mult.i.tude of country-seats, which follow one another in rapid succession, together with the chain of towns, that continually present themselves, indicated clearly, that I was approaching the greatest city in Europe, and perhaps in the world. I remarked in Hammersmith and in Kensington, a considerable number of new and handsomely built houses, that had been erected within the last three years. We drove through Hyde Park into Piccadilly street, and thence into Albemarle street, where I found excellent quarters in Grillion's hotel.

I made a stay of six days in London. To speak of the circle of my acquaintance in which I moved during my residence in this bustling city, would ill become this book, and to make any mention of London itself would be both useless and superfluous. Consequently, I shall present but a few particulars.

Whoever is obliged to make many visits to London, or whose business takes him to many houses, loses an enormous quant.i.ty of time; to him one day is as nothing. From my hotel to Mr. Goeman's,[II-40] who resides in the city, in the neighbourhood of the East India company's stores, it took me three quarters of an hour. At first to a stranger, a walk of this kind is by no means tedious, on account of the great and strange bustle surrounding him. In the stirring part of the city there is a store in almost every house, and as the English are known to possess much taste in displaying their wares, these stores have an amusing, interesting, and charming appearance. In most of the streets the pavement had been cast aside, and the streets were Macadamised; an improvement which is both beneficial to those who ride, and to the poor-built houses, which, owing to the rolling of heavy carriages along the pavement, were dreadfully shaken. I had long been aware that several merchants and tradesmen decorated their signs with the names of those members of the royal family, by whom they were particularly patronised, viz. corset inventress to the Dutchess of Kent, &c.; this time I remarked in Knight's bridge, on my way to Kensington, a sign bearing the inscription of "only purveyor of a.s.ses milk to the royal family."

Through the medium of Mr. Goeman, I received from the celebrated engineer Brunel, an admission to visit the new tunnel, under the Thames; it was a five miles drive from my lodgings. The entrance is near the church of Rotherhithe. To commence the work they had to dig a round pit seventy-five feet deep, above twenty feet in diameter, and walled in with bricks. In the centre of this pit they have constructed a quadrangular wooden scaffold. On this is erected a pumping machine, by which the spring water that gushes out from the tunnel, is pumped off.

The water collects itself in a basin under the scaffold. The ejection of it is accomplished by means of an iron pump, which draws off the water from the basin, and forces it into an iron tube, which pa.s.ses out from the pit. Another pump and tube is in reserve to be immediately used, in case the former should require repair. In the interior of this scaffold there are two buckets, to hoist the earth from out the tunnel, one of which comes up filled while the other goes down empty. These buckets have four small iron wheels, and rest upon a board. The moment it reaches the top, it is received by a workman, who carries it twenty feet along a railway, to the place for depositing the earth, and after emptying it carries it back on its board; that it may be let down while the other is coming up filled. The place, into which the earth is thrown, is a large wooden receiver, which is erected in the manner of a bridge. In the bottom of this receiver are several holes, which can be opened and closed by means of slides. The wagons destined for carrying away the earth, drive underneath such a hole, the slide then is drawn back, and the wagon is filled with earth and drives off. Up to this time none but silicious earth has been dug out of the tunnel, and this was appropriated to the filling up of the swampy ground, near Southwark. But now they find clay, which is used in burning bricks. The machinery, by which the buckets are hoisted and lowered, and that moves the pump, is set in motion by a species of steam-engine, called the expansive engine, an invention of Mr. Brunel. I did not perfectly comprehend its mechanism, and could only perceive that it occupies a very small s.p.a.ce, and acts with great facility; there are two boilers and two machines, one of which is unemployed, but can immediately be set in motion, whenever any thing happens to the other, so that nothing may stop the work.

[Footnote II-40: A respectable London merchant, and native of Flanders, to whom I am much indebted for very important services.]

Around the wooden scaffold, stairs run down to the bottom of the pit.

My guide, Mr. Armstrong, who inspects the work under Mr. Brunel's direction, conducted me. When arrived at the bottom of the pit, we found ourselves at the entrance of the tunnel, which then ran already, one hundred and twenty feet under ground, to the bed of the Thames. It was conceived that about one-third part of the work had been completed. The tunnel consists of two vaults for two pa.s.sages, one of them is for carriages pa.s.sing in, and the other for those going out. Along the part.i.tion wall of those two vaults, there is on each side a somewhat elevated side-walk for pedestrians; this wall is open in some places in order to admit of a communication between both walks. It is lighted by means of portable gas, which is contained in copper barrels.

The manner that the work is conducted, cannot be clearly explained without a drawing. The scaffold, upon which the workmen stand who are employed in digging out the earth, consists of thirty-six small boxes, lying in three rows above each other. This scaffold is at the end of the tunnel, and rests exactly against the earth to be taken away. There are three men in each box, one to break the ground with a pick-axe, the other to shovel it out of the box, and the third to throw it on a cart, in which it is carried into the pit, whence it is raised in the buckets.

For the safety of the workmen, cross-timbers are used to prop up the earth that is to be dug out. The first workman, on beginning his excavation, removes the upper beam and hacks out the earth behind it; which done, he takes away the second beam, and removes the second tier of earth, then the third, &c. If sufficient earth, about a foot wide, has been dug away from behind the first box, then the two boxes adjoining, begin the same operation. During this time the masons are not idle; for they continue working in the same proportion at the vault which has to support the earth above the tunnel. When, however, all the earth before the whole scaffold has been taken away, it is moved forward by means of steel screws. Both above and below the scaffold there are iron plates, with sharp edges, to facilitate the moving of it. On this plan the work proceeds at the rate of two feet in twenty-four hours; it is hoped that it would be completed in two years time; they have been over a year already working at it. I regret very much my not having met with Mr. Brunel, who is likewise the inventor of the block-machine at Portsmouth, and other very useful engines.

In Leicester square there were two fine panoramas; one representing the city of Edinburgh, and the other that of Mexico;[II-41] the former panoramic view was taken from Caltonhill, and I recognized every place, owing to my having been there three years previous. In beholding the second, I regretted anew that my affairs during the last winter did not permit me to undertake a journey to Mexico. The beautiful blue sky reminded me of the happy days I pa.s.sed in New Orleans, and I recognized the lofty Andes from the description, which I have so often read of them. Mexico deserves, if I am to judge from the panorama, to be called the city of palaces, as it is generally styled. In order to give an idea of the manners of the people, the artist gives a representation of the circus on the great square during the time of a bull-fight, and not far from it a procession.

[Footnote II-41: [Now exhibiting in New York.]--TRANS.]

At Regent's place a diorama was to be seen. You are conducted into a pretty dark round saloon, and you perceive there, through a square hole, a painting that is lighted in a manner which cannot be discovered. The painting represents a church in Scotland called Rosslyn chapel. You seem to be at the entrance of the church, and you see that the sun darts his beams from the side and causes multifarious shades, on account of the bushes and trees in front of the windows of the church. In the rear of the church you see a small door, leading to a yard, planted with underwood, and in the back ground, a Gothic building. By and by the sun disappears, and you perceive by the effect of light, that a storm is approaching; then you see the effect of rain, and after this disappears, you enjoy the finest sunshine. The illusion is so perfect, that you seem to hear the rain. In the interior of the church several objects are represented with the greatest accuracy, viz. a part of a scaffold, to which ropes are attached, a basket with tools, &c. The Gothic pillars of the church display a particularly handsome view.

After having contemplated this painting for a considerable time, a signal is given with a bell. The floor on which the spectators stand, turns to another opening through which you have a view of the city of Rouen, in France. Now the same effects of light as in the other piece are displayed, and you imagine yourself to be in the place, which is represented to your sight. But the first piece made the best impression on me. The finest part of this diorama is the representation of interior parts of buildings.

I was delighted at the fine view of the newly-finished buildings of Regent's park, the construction of which was begun during my visit three years ago. This new quarter consists of palaces. At Mr. Ackermann's store I enjoyed a sight of the greatest variety of fancy articles. It is only to be regretted that the works published at his establishment are so very expensive. I had the pleasure of becoming personally acquainted with Mr. Ackermann, this venerable philanthropist is plain in appearance, but is very interesting in his conversation. He spoke much with me about my happily finished travels, and invited me to his country-seat; but I was obliged to decline this invitation on account of the short time which remained at my disposal. I next visited the store of another German, a cutler and manufacturer of surgical instruments, Mr. Weiss; he is a native of Rostock, but already more than thirty years established in this city, and particularly in making surgical instruments, he is said to be the first manufacturer in England. He showed me several apparatus and instruments, among which there was one for removing a stone, without the necessity of performing the operation of cutting. He showed me the cast of a stone as large as a chesnut, which had been extracted from the bladder of a man, without any cutting operation. Moreover, he showed me a poison pump of his own invention, by means of which, poisons that have been swallowed, may be extracted from the stomach. This machine consists of a bra.s.s tube which contains the pump; to this is attached a long tube of elastic gum, which terminates in a sack of the same substance provided with holes. This tube is pa.s.sed through the throat into the stomach, and when the sack has entered the stomach, the poison is pumped through the flexible tube into the bra.s.s one. By turning the handle of the pump the gum tube is closed; then it is forced down again, by means of which another valve on the other side of the bra.s.s tube opens, and to this another elastic tube is attached, through which the extracted poison is ejected. Then the handle is turned a second time, which closes this valve and opens the first one, leading to the tube that is fixed in the stomach, and the operation is continued until no poison is left in the stomach. Mr. Weiss told me, that some weeks ago, by means of this instrument, his son had saved the life of a girl, who had taken a considerable dose of a.r.s.enic in a fit of amorous desperation.

The English n.o.bility give, at certain times, in the British inst.i.tution, Pallmall street, a public exhibition of their collections of precious paintings. Just now there was the king's collection of paintings from his palace, Carlton-house, because they were about to demolish this palace, and in its place erect an edifice after the model of the Parthenon at Athens, which is calculated to contain the works of English artists. This is a fine idea, and certainly encouraging for the artists of this nation, but it is a pity that it causes the destruction of this elegant palace. The British inst.i.tution is a building which consists of three large halls, and which receive their light from above. The collection mostly contained paintings of Flemish artists, some English, and a few Italian and French. There were seven pieces by Rubens, amongst which I particularly noticed his own likeness and that of his first wife, finished in the same manner as those in the collection of Mr.

Schamp at Ghent, and at Warwick Castle; besides these, a landscape with figures, representing the history of St. George, with the portraits of Queen Henrietta Maria and Charles I. for whom it was done. Seven paintings by Vandyk, among which the portraits of Charles I. in three views, which his lady had sent to the statuary Bernini at Rome, to finish the bust of the king therefrom. A sketch, studies of horses and hors.e.m.e.n, of remarkable value, and a full-size portrait of Gaston de France, and two portraits of Queen Henrietta Maria, which, like that of her unfortunate husband, I might call unavoidable, because it is to be found almost in every collection of paintings in England. I found seven pieces by Rembrandt, among which were several excellent portraits, and his own; they were all easily distinguished by his particular colouring.

Fourteen paintings by Teniers, collections of people; small portraits; a view of the towns of Holland, and a couple of landscapes, one of which represents likewise, the artist, his wife, and his gardener; a real ornament to this collection. One of these pieces, representing a village festival, had been on the artist's harpsichord. I admired two other pieces, in the same style, by J. Ostade, and seven by A. Ostade; six by Jan Steen. One of the latter, very excellently finished, represented an elderly man, just rising from bed, who is listening to the reproaches of a young girl, for his n.i.g.g.ardliness; she holds forth to him a trifle of money, and an old woman is urging him to be more generous. Four effects of light, by Schalken, and a portrait by Holbein, are likewise worthy of attention. Nine pieces by Wouverman are easily distinguished by the white horses, representing skirmishes and country scenes. Seven pictures by Mieris are to be known by their fine keeping. Three pieces are by G. Douw, one by Slingelandt, and five by Metzu. A landscape by Ruisdael, and two by Hobbema, attracted my particular attention, as well as eleven pieces by Vandevelde, representing sea-pieces, landscapes, and views of several cities of Holland; two of the latter are finished by him and Vanderheyden jointly; I observed likewise, four very fine pieces by Vanderwerff, one of them representing the Roman Mercy, the other a concert, the third Lot with his daughters, and the fourth two children.

The collection is likewise rich in paintings of animals; there are four capital works by G. Potter, one of them representing two hogs, as true as if they were living. A piece by Hondekoeter, representing a chicken, belongs likewise to this cla.s.s, as well as ten pieces by Cuyp, in which the landscapes are very well finished. Among these I enjoyed particularly a camp-scene with a horseman in the fore-ground, engaged in currying his horse. Six very good pieces, by Berghem ought not to be omitted, nor a handsome sea-piece by Buckhuizen, with a view of Briel in the back-ground.

Besides these pieces, there is a good collection of other paintings of the same school, but it would lead me too far, to mention them all. From other schools there are but a few and of less value. A landscape with sheep, by t.i.tian; Christ taken down from the Cross, by Michael Angelo and Venusti, and another piece by Gonzalez. Among the paintings of modern times, I found the portrait of Garrick and his wife, by Hogarth; a domestic scene, by Greuze, and several pieces of an Italian painter, Zeffani. One of them, which has become more generally known by the copperplate of Bartolozzi, represents the Royal Academy of London, and the other the Gallery of Florence, with the portraits of several Englishmen of note, who sojourned at that time in Florence. By the same artist I saw two pieces, representing the interior of two royal palaces, with the children of George III. and their mother. These tasteless pieces, compared with the before-mentioned elegant paintings, make an unpleasant impression. I saw eight pieces by Sir Joshua Reynolds, among which his own portrait and two full-size portraits of the Portuguese Chief Marshal Count von der Lippe, and of the English General Marquis of Granby. These two pieces are masterly works, and full of expression. You distinguish in the countenance of Count von der Lippe and in his whole posture, his profound and enterprising spirit, and in the features of Lord Granby his great benevolence, which procured him in the army the name of the soldier's friend. The features of the count excite respect, while those of the lord claim your attachment. I was much less pleased with the historical pieces of Sir Joshua. The most handsome of the newer paintings was undoubtedly the interior of the choir of a Capuchin chapel by the French painter Granet. The expression of the countenances of the monks is unparalleled; in some you see piety, in others listlessness; another couple make sport of the exceeding piety of a monk, kneeling in the middle of the hall; the countenance of a young, tall, stout monk, is the personification of fanaticism. Near the altar stands a monk in the sacerdotal habit, with two choristers and tapers in their hands, the monk singing a hymn. The light is very well executed; it enters through a large window in the back ground, and makes a fine effect on the bare crown of the head and the gray beard of the priest. I think this piece one of the finest of the whole collection. I saw here a great many gentlemen and ladies, and it is said to be fashionable to visit this splendid gallery in the afternoon.

On the 26th of July, (the anniversary of the day on which I first landed on American ground at Boston,) I went to the custom-house for the purpose of taking pa.s.sage for Ostend on board the steam-boat Earl of Liverpool, Captain Peak, which was laying there at anchor. At the custom-house I was quite surprised. I expected to see the splendid, newly-erected palace for the offices of the custom-house, the same which, three years ago, I had admired so much, and instead of it, found nothing but ruins. They said that the foundation had not been well enough examined upon which the custom-house had been built by contract; the building cracked, the large, splendid hall was near falling down, and in order to prevent this accident, they were obliged to demolish the centre building; both wings of the building were yet supported by beams, but they soon will have to demolish them likewise, in order to build an entirely new house. The gentleman who made the contract to have the house built, lays the blame of this bad work upon the architect, and he upon a commission, under whose control he acted.

The Earl of Liverpool, of one hundred and thirty tons, with two engines, left London at eleven o'clock, A. M., and on the next morning at six o'clock I landed at Ostend. At four o'clock, P. M. I proceeded by the way of Bruegge to Ghent. During this journey I remembered an observation which I had heard frequently in America, that upon an American visiting Europe for the first time, nothing makes a greater impression than the old monuments, which trace the time past for many centuries, and which are a proof of the prosperity and good taste of preceding generations.

I found this observation perfectly true, by my own feelings on returning from America, which exhibits none but new objects, and has nothing but a bustling present struggling for future improvement.

On the 28th of July, at four o'clock, P. M., I arrived at Ghent.

THE END.