“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 Private or West Library.
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.
In the West Corridor are preserved some highly-interesting Roman inscribed sepulchral stones, and other sculptures. One of these is inscribed:—
“DIS MANIBVS
LUCCIAE · NYMPHICES
QVAE · VIXIT · ANNIS · XVIII
FECIT