from it. The first room of this floor has
within it a closet of original pictures, which
yet are not so entertaining as the delightful
prospect from the windows. Out of the se-
cond room a pair of great doors give entrance
into the Salon, which is thirty five foot
high, thirty fix broad, and forty five long.
In the midst of its roof a round picture of
GENTILESCHI eighteen foot in diameter, re-
presents the Muses playing in confort to A-
POLLO, lying along on a cloud to hear them.
The rest of the room is adorned with paint-
ings relating to Arts and Sciences; and un-
derneath divers original pictures hang all in
good fights, by the help of an upper row of
windows, which drown the glaring.

Much of this seems appertaining to pae
rade, and therefore I am glad to leave it to
describe the rest, which is all for conveni-
ency. As first, a covered-passage from the
kitchen without-doors ; and another down
to the cellars and all the offices within.
Near this, a large and lightsome back-stairs
leads up to such an entry above, as secures
our private bed-chambers both from noise
and cold. Here we have necessary dresling-
rooms, servants rooms, and closets, from
which are the pleasantest views of all the

house, with a little door for communication betwixt this private apartment and the great one:

THESE stairs, and those of the same kind at the other end of the house, carry us up to the highest story, fitted for the women and children, with the floors so contrived as to prevent all noise over my wife's head, during the mysteries of LUCINA.

In mentioning the court at first, I forgot the two wings in it, built on stone arches, which join the house by Corridores supported on Ionic pillars. In one of these wings is a large kitchen thirty foot high, with an open cupolo on the top; near it a larder, brew-house, and landry, with rooms over them for servants : the upper sort of servants are lodged in the other wing, which has also two wardrobes and a store-room for fruit : On the top of all, a leaden cistern holding fifty tuns of water, driven up by an engine from the Thames, supplies all the water-works in the courts and gardens, which lie quite round the house; through one of which à grass walk conducts to the stables, built round a court, with fix coach-houses and forty Stalls.

a

I'll add but one thing, before I carry you into the garden, and that is about walking too, but 'tis on the top of all the house ; which being covered with smooth milld Lead, and defended by a parapet of ballusters from all apprehension as well as danger, entertains the eye with a far distant prospect of hills and dales, and a near one of parks and gardens. To these gardens we go down from the house by seven steps, into a gravel-walk that reaches cross the whole gar: den: with a covered arbour at each end of it. Another of thirty foot broad leads from the front of the house, and lies between two groves of tall Line-trees planted in se veral equal ranks upon a carpet of grass: the outsides of these groves are bordered with tybs of Bays and Orange-Trees.

At the end of this broad walk, you go up to a Terrace four hundred paces long, with a large Semicircle in the middle, from whence is beheld the Queen's two parks, and a great part of Surrey ; then going down a few steps, you walk on the bank of a canal

a fix hundred yards long, and seventeen broad, with two rows of Lines on each side of it.

On one side of this Terracę, a Wall covered with Roses and Jafsemines is made low,

to

to admit the view of a meadow full of cattle just under it, (no disagreeable object in the midst of a great City] and at cach end a descent into parterres, with fountains and water-works.

FROM the biggest of these parterres we pass into a little square garden, that has a fountain in the middle, and two green houses on the sides, with a convenient bathing apartment in one of them; and near another

l part of it lies a flower-garden. Below all this, a kitchen-garden full of the best sorts of fruit, has several walks in it fit for the coldest weather.

THUS I have done with a tedious de. scription : Only one thing I forgot, though of more satisfaction to me than all the rest, which I fancy you guess already; and 'tis a little closet of Books, at the end of that green-house which joins the best apartment; which, besides their being so very near, are ranked in such a method, that by its mark a very Irish footman may fetch any book I want.

UNDER the windows of this closet and green-house, is a little wilderness full of black-birds and nightingales. The Trees, though planted by my self, require lopping

already

SA

already, to prevent their hind'ring the view of that fine canal in the Park.

After all this, to a friend I'll expose my weakness, as an instance of the mind's unquietness under the most pleasing enjoyments. I am oftner missing a pretty gallery in the old house I pulled down, than pleased with a Salon which I built in its stead, tho'a thousand times better in all manner of respects.

And now [pour fair bonne bouche with a grave reflection] it were well for us, if this incapacity of being intirely contented was as sure a proof of our being reserved for happiness in another world, as it is of our frailty and imperfection in this. I confess the Divines tell us so; but though I believe a future state more firmly than a great many of them appear to do, by their inordinate desires of the good things in this ; yet Iown my faith is founded, not on those fallacious arguments of preachers, but on that adorable conjunction of unbounded power and goodness, which certainly must some way recompense hereafter, so many thousands of innocent wretches created to be so miserable here.