There were family portraits
and other pictures, and likewise pieces of statuary, along this arched
corridor; and it communicated with a chapel with a scriptural
altar-piece, copied from Rubens, and a picture of St. Michael and the
Dragon, and two, or perhaps three, richly painted windows. Everything
here is entirely new and fresh, this part having been repaired, and never
yet inhabited by the family. This brand-newness makes it much less
effective than if it had been lived in; and I felt pretty much as if I
were strolling through any other renewed house. After all, the utmost
force of man can do positively very little towards making grand things or
beautiful things. The imagination can do so much more, merely on
shutting one's eyes, that the actual effect seems meagre; so that a new
house, unassociated with the past, is exceedingly unsatisfactory,
especially when you have heard that the wealth mud skill of man has here
done its best. Besides, the rooms, as we saw them, did not look by any
means their best, the carpets not being down, and the furniture being
covered with protective envelopes. However, rooms cannot be seen to
advantage by daylight; it being altogether essential to the effect, that
they should be illuminated by artificial light, which takes them somewhat
out of the region of bare reality. Nevertheless, there was undoubtedly
great splendor, for the details of which I refer to the guide-book.
Among the family portraits, there was one of a lady famous for her
beautiful hand; and she was holding it up to notice in the funniest way,
--and very beautiful it certainly was.
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