Maria, considering the world as centered in her husband, desired no amusements or pleasures that could interfere with his engagements, duties, and ardent wish to fulfil them speedily and effectually; and except two or three plays, a party to Vauxhall, jaunts for a day to some of the adjacent villages, she was entirely domesticated. About the middle of August, however, William finding that his labours were so far advanced as to afford him respite for a few weeks, proposed to carry his wife and Charlotte an excursion, by a route of which the greater part would be new to him, and all beyond the first stage to his fair fellow travellers. The ladies had never seen Windsor; this, therefore, was the first object of their destination. On a Sunday morning early they took the road to Hounslow; changing horses at Cranford Bridge, they hurried over the bleak and dreary heath; and turning Colnbroke, were gladdened with the prospect of the grand and commanding battlements of Windsor Castle, amidst scenery striking and magnificent, at once uniform and diversified; VARIED in the distribution and assortment of the beautiful, the romantic, the sublime, ONE in the interest and impressiveness of the whole. The first care of their conductor was to give them a complete and comprehensive view of the situation and prospects of the royal residence. He therefore led them to the super-eminent elevation of the round tower; where such an extent of space opens on every side to the astonished spectator, and exhibits such a multiplicity of objects, as fill him with amazement, which subsiding sufficiently to permit distinct attention to the several compartments, is changed into delight. After viewing in succession the verdant and wooded ridge of St. Leonard’s Hill; the more gentle eminences, that diversified with dales, line the approaches from the great park; the romantic environs of Runymede, the sacred theatre of vindicated rights; the pastoral scenery of Frogmore; the rich fertility of the northern view long level, by its mantling corns that had now assumed their ripened yellow hue, diversifying the verdure of the southern prospect; fringed with distant woods, and bounded by acclivities, which, without lessening the interest of the nearer scenery, served to limit contemplation to definite objects. Immediately under the eye occupied in that direction, the nurse of British learning raised her venerable head; the Thames, meandring through those woods and dales and lawns, and washing the glittering towers and hills with its gilded streams, beautiful itself, and enhanced every other beauty, and, like the poet’s magic pen, whatever it touched adorned.
To a spectator of genius, a prospect does not merely present the objects that assail his eyes; its chief effect is often by association. Destitute of sensibility and fancy a beholder must be, who reaching the top of Portsdown hill, and descrying the distant Isle of Wight, or the Fareham forest, the former a more prominent, and the latter a more beautiful object, than the flat environs of Portsmouth, would not chiefly regard the town he was approaching, not as a place containing a certain number of buildings, but as the grand receptacle of English strength. Hamilton viewing Windsor transcending every place that he had beheld in the various excellencies of external nature, cultivated, but not overwhelmed by art, now regarded it in a different light; as the seat of royalty, subjecting to the survey of its owner almost every different characteristic of English rural beauty. In its agricultural and pastoral objects it involves the grand inlet of transcending commerce; there its benignant possessor can, with the exultation of conscious patriotism, happy in the accomplishment of its benevolent purposes, say—“these are the pastures and farms of ability, enterprize, and industry, fostered by freedom that is regulated by order, and which having produced opulence, with skilful taste employs part of it in super-adding ornament to utility, and an opulence diffused through various ranks, giving to the mechanic and the peasant those neat and comfortable houses which constitute the many flourishing hamlets and villages that present themselves to the gladdened eye. Before us glides the Thames, wafting merchandize between my inland country and my metropolis, and, even here, long before it imbibes the ocean, it presents a growing scene of the industry and traffic which so eminently distinguish its matured course beyond all other rivers.” “Here,” said our hero, pointing to the chapel, “our Sovereign seeks, in religion, the best support of moderate and virtuous royalty. There learning employs her stores in inuring youth to sound knowledge, just principles, and sentiments which must ever support mingled loyalty and freedom.”
From this general survey they now descended to particularization. They viewed the apartments of the castle, which are decorated with such magnificence of diversified ornaments; contain so numerous an assemblage and exquisite a selection of monuments of the fine arts; combine the best productions of the Flemish and Italian schools, and also shew that English genius taking that course, can excel as well as in any other. From the royal suite of rooms they now betook themselves to the Terrace, to view the Sovereign a private gentleman on his own grounds, frankly mingling with his people, and deriving pleasure from the many and strong testimonies of loyalty, delighted with contemplating the welfare and happiness of its objects. They saw him accompanied by his queen, and surrounded by his family. The scenery, the music, the company, and above all, the royal party, rendered the effect peculiarly impressive. Our travellers spent the whole of that day at Windsor: the following morning they took a ride round the great park, and afterwards visited Eton College. After an early dinner they took the road to Oxford; they were charmed with the romantic beauties between Salt Hill and Henley, where having stopped half an hour, it was the dusk of the evening, when the spires and cathedrals of Oxford presented themselves in solemn grandeur through the gloom of the twilight. The next morning they walked out to survey the venerable city. It was the season of the vacation, and stillness appeared to prevail throughout; every scene seemed retired and sequestered—the chosen abodes of profound reflection and philosophy—
“——Deep solitudes and awful cells,
Where ever pensive contemplation dwells.”
These were reservoirs of theoretic wisdom, whence issued streams that being guided by practical skill and experience, produced most important benefits to society. Here our hero recalled to his mind a reflection he had made at Cambridge, of the benefit that arose from the commixture of religious with literary institutions. He mentioned this remark to his intelligent fellow travellers, and finding a copy of Newte’s tour, read to them a very striking passage on the subject. “Oxford and Cambridge,” says that very able writer, “may be justly considered not only as venerable monuments of ancient times, but as a kind of garrison, established by public authority, for the preservation of loyalty, literature, and religion. If our universities may be thought, in some respects, to check and retard the progress of knowledge, by means of fixed forms, laws, and customs, it is at least equally certain, that they are salutary bulwarks against the precipitate and desolating spirit of innovation. The reverence paid by our ancestors to piety and to learning, strikes us in Oxford as by a sensation, and shews how fit objects these are of esteem and veneration, to the common sense of mankind. For different nations, and races of princes and kings, have concurred, in the course of many centuries, to pay homage to the shrine of saints and the seats of the muses. It is not an easy matter to prevent or shake off a respect for any noble or royal family, whose antient representatives, the founders and benefactors of the different colleges and halls, are brought to remembrance by pictures, statues, charters, and stately edifices. These take fast hold of the ductile mind of the students, and are associated in their memory with many of the most pleasing ideas that have ever occupied their minds. From impressions of this kind, a love of their early haunts and companions, naturally associated together in their imaginations, is nourished in the breasts of the generous youth, and also an attachment to their king and country. Take away these memorials of antiquity, those noble and royal testimonies of respect to sanctity of life, and proficiency in learning, remove every sensible object, by which sentiments of early friendship, loyalty, and patriotism are kindled and inflamed in young minds, and disperse our young gentlemen in other countries for their education, or even in separate little academies and schools in our own, and you weaken one of the great pillars by which the constitution and spirit of England is supported and perpetuated.”
They now proceeded to view the different colleges and libraries. When they were in Pembroke College, our hero observed, that as one of the chief glories of English literature had been educated at this seminary, as a monument that they had fostered so very eminent a pupil, they should erect a statue to Samuel Johnson. They passed several hours in the Bodleian library; they viewed also the various chapels, and were particularly pleased with some of the paintings. The city and university in general impressed our travellers with reverence and awe, and the contemplation furnished to our hero various ideas that he afterwards found useful in his literary pursuits. Having remained a day and two nights at Oxford, they set off for Woodstock to view Blenheim, one of the most signal monuments of national gratitude to an illustrious hero for discomfiting the ambitious enemies of his country. From Woodstock a spacious portal of the Corinthian order conducted them into the park, and opened to them the lake, the bridge, but conspicuous beyond the rest the castle. Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, and like the other structures of that architect, ponderous; the palace of Blenheim, nevertheless, exhibited regularity and proportion. Admitted into the house they found the apartments grand and magnificent, decorated with monuments of genius and of taste, especially paintings. To the spectator who with the exhibitions combined the renowned founder of the Marlborough family, the most interesting were the representations of his heroic actions. The holy family; the offering of the Magi; our Saviour blessing the children; filial affection exemplified in the Roman daughter; return of our Saviour from Egypt; bearing testimony to the genius of Rubens, or an honour to the taste and selection of any nobleman, but have no appropriate relation to that illustrious family more than any other. The same observation will apply to the Dorothea of Raphael; the Pope Gregory and Female Penitent of Titian. But the most appropriate decorations are the battles of Marlborough represented on tapestry. The disposition of the grounds was also extremely skilful; but to the historical or political reader the most interesting portion was, that which either described or alluded to the exploits and victories of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, and especially the lofty column which serves as a pedestal to the statue of the consummate general, and presents an inscription describing the talents and qualities of the head and heart of this extraordinary personage; the atchievements of so efficacious and singular a character, and the effects which they had produced; the following inscription composed by Bolingbroke, appears to be singularly adapted.—
The castle of Blenheim was founded by Queen
Anne
In the fourth year of her reign,
In the year of the christian æra 1705,
A monument designed to perpetuate the memory
of the
Signal victory
Obtained over the French and Batavians,
Near the village of Blenheim,
On the banks of the Danube,
By John, Duke of Marlborough,
The hero, not only of this nation, but of this age,
Whose glory was equal in the council and in the field;
Who by wisdom, justice, candour, and address,
Reconciled various and very opposite interests;
Acquired an influence
Which no rank, no authority can give,
Nor any force but that of superior virtue;
Became the fixed important centre,
Which united in one common cause,
The principal states of Europe;
Who, by military knowledge, and irresistible
valour,
In a long series of uninterrupted triumphs,
Broke the power of France,
When raised the highest, when exerted the most,
Rescued the empire of desolation;
Asserted and confirmed the liberties of Europe.
This memorial, so clear, so strong, and so appropriate, our hero regarded as peculiarly adapted to its glorious subject.
Having viewed whatever appeared most worthy of inspection in Blenheim castle and park, our travellers returned to Woodstock, where they dined, and, in the evening, set off for Whitney, whence, that night, they reached Bybury in Glocestershire. Here they found a very good inn, and a young woman, who did not officiate as a servant, paid her respects to the ladies; upon seeing this person, our hero thought her very handsome, and after his Maria, one of the most charming girls he had ever beheld; and they afterwards found, upon enquiry, that she was reckoned the beauty of the vale of Evesham. They learned that the most commodious apartment for supper was a public room, where several parties were sitting at different tables. There had been, it seems, a play in an adjoining barn; and the greater number of the spectators were at supper in the wide and extensive theatre; but a few of the higher order were promoted to the dining room, and our travellers overheard some dramatic criticism. A decent substantial looking man declared himself extremely delighted, and was proceeding with particulars, when a great, stout, portly figure entered in a dress which appeared to be an old sailor’s jacket bespangled with whip-cord, and whispering something to the waiter, was shewn to a box facing that of Hamilton. The company was at first silent, and then began a clapping, but not so loud as to prevent the waiter’s voice from being heard bawling, “eggs and bacon for the ghost, and a pot of mild ale,” and soon after, “for the queen, a glass of crank hot and strong, beef steaks and onions for Ophelia.” Hamilton having heard this order, conceived that the gentleman in the blue jacket, though really so abounding in flesh and blood, was intended to be the ghost of the elder Hamlet. Accordingly he accosted him; “I find, sir, that by being too late, these ladies and I have missed the performance of a very excellent tragedy.” “Yes,” replied the other, “if you know any thing of London plays, you would have been astonished with us.” “You acted the ghost, sir.” “Yes, and Laertes.” “But had you not to change your dress?” “No; I had no dress to change with. I should indeed have taken off the armour, but the taylor was on the stage playing the king.” “Where is your Hamlet?” “Gone home to supper with the sexton, who acted the part of the grave-digger. I assure you, that bating his now and then forgetting his part, our Hamlet is a capital actor; but here comes the fair Ophelia bearing a mug of porter.” The mistress of the Danish Prince was arrayed in a green jacket and a red petticoat, that proved Monmouth-street to extend to distant parts of the kingdom. But as she was a fine likely girl, her habiliments appeared to the best advantage, and she sat down by a young farmer, who appeared smitten with her charms, while she seemed nowise to discourage his addresses, and it required no ghost to discover what would be the result. Our hero thought he had seen her somewhere, and as some parts of the conversation induced the ladies to retire, he entered into discourse with the representative of Hamlet’s royal sire, and Ophelia and her new acquaintance having left the room, he enquired whence she came. The actor replied, that she came to Worcester several months before with an Irishman; they called themselves Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton, but he believed that was not the real name of the man; and farther, that he much doubted whether the woman had any title to his name, be it what it might. The man sometimes acted and sometimes preached: he was engaged to deliver a sermon the following day at Tetbury, where he had made several female converts. Madam often joined him in his spiritual exercises, for she had a good pipe, and was an excellent hand at an hymn; and being a handsome clever lass, was as graciously received at the love feasts and communion of saints by the men, as her holy partner was by the women. “Pray,” said our hero, “what is this Mr. Hamilton’s figure?” “A very tall stout fellow, with a mark on his cheek, which he said he got in defending himself against a dozen of robbers, for he draws a long bow.” Hamilton, as our readers will readily conceive, concluded this sacred dramatist to be no other than his worthy connection Mr. Roger O’Rourke, and resolved to repair to Tetbury in sufficient time to participate of the spiritual food which this noted cook had provided.