don. This is the most complete of our ancient baronial residences now remaining; and though not at present inhabited, nor in very good repair, is extremely interesting to the antiquary, from the many indications it exhibits of the festive manners and hospitality of our ancestors, and of the inconvenient yet social arrangement by which their mode of life was regulated.

The high turrets and embattlements of this mansion, when beheld from a distance, give it the resemblance of a strong fortress; and even on a nearer approach, it apparently confines the idea, but, though thus castellated, and assuming the forms of regular defence, it was never, even in its original construction, furnished with any means of effectual resistance. It consists of numerous apartments and offices, erected at different periods, and surrounding two paved quadrangular courts. The most ancient part is the tower over the gateway, on the east side of the upper quadrangle; this was probably built about the reign of Edward the Third; but there is no evidence by which its precise date can be ascertained. The chapel is of Henry the Sixth's time: and the tower at the northwest corner, on which are the arms of the Vernons, Pipes, &c. is nearly of the same period. The gallery was erected in the reign of queen Elizabeth, after the death of sir George Vernon: some of the offices are more modern; but not any portion of the building is of a date subsequent to the seventeenth century.

The principal entrance at the north-west angle, is under a high tower, through a large arched gate

way, that leads, by a flight of angular steps, into the great court. Near the middle of the east side of the latter, is a second flight of steps, communicating with the great porch, over the door of which are two shields of arms carved in stone ; the one containing those of Vernon, and the other, of Fulco de Pembridge, lord of Tong, in Shropshire, whose daughter, and heiress, Isabella, married sir Richard Vernon, and considerably increased the family estate by her own possessions. On the right of the passage leading from the porch is the great hall, having a communication with the grand staircase, and state apartments; and on the left, ranging in a line, are four large doorways, with great pointed stone arches, which connect with the kitchen, buttery, wine-cellar, and numerous small upper apartments, that, appear to have been used as lodging-rooms, for the guests and their retainers. In the kitchen are two vast fireplaces, with irous for a prodigious number of spits: various stoves, great double ranges of dressers, an enormous chopping block, &c. Adjoining the kitchen are various lesser rooms, for larders and other purposes.

The hall must have been the great public dining-room, for no other apartment is sufficiently spacious for the purpose. At the upper end is a raised floor, where the table for the lord and his principal guests was spread; and on two sides is a gallery, supported on pillars. From the south-east cerner is a passage leading to the great staircase, formed of huge blocks of stone, rudely jointed; at the top of which, on the right, is a large apartment

apartment hung with arres, and be hind it, a little door, opening into the hall gallery.

On the left of the passage, at the head of the great stairs, are five or six very large semicircular steps, framed of solid timber, that lead into the long gallery, which occupies the whole south side of the second court, and is 110 feet in length, and seventeen wide. The flooring is of oak planks, affirmed by tradition to have been cut out of a single tree which grew in the garden. The wainscotting is likewise of oak, and is curiously ornamented: on the frieze are caryings of boars heads, thistles, and roses; these, with the arms, &c. prove it, in the opinion of Mr. King, to have been put up after the house came into the possession of sir John Manners, yet before the title of earl of Rutland descended to that branch of the family. In the midst of the gallery is a great square recess, besides several bowwindows, in one of which are the arms of the earl of Rutland impaling Vernon, with its quarterings, and circled with the garter, &c.; and in another, the arms of England, similarly encircled, and surmounted with a crown. Near the end of the gallery is a short passage, that opens into a room having a frieze and cornice of rough plaster, adorned with peacocks and boars heads, in alternate succession: an adjoining apartment is ornamented in the same manner; and over the chimney is a very large bas-relief of Orpheus charming the beasts, of similar composition.

All the principal rooms, except

the gallery, "were hung with lace arras, a great part of which sa remains; and the doors were cocealed every where behind the hangings, so that the tapestry was to be lifted up to pass in and out; only, for convenience, there were great iron hooks, (many of which are still in their places,) by means whereof it might occasionally be held back. The doors being thus concealed, nothing can be conceived more ill-fashioned than their workmanship; few of these fit at all close; and wooden bolts, rude bars, and iron hasps, are in general their best and only fastenings *."

The chapel is in the south-west angle of the great court; from which the entrance leads under a low sharp-pointed arch. It has a body and two aisles, divided from the former by pillars and pointed arches. In the windows are some good remains of painted glass; and the date Millesimo CCCCXXVII. By the side of the altar is a niche and basin for holy water. An ancient stone font is likewise preserved here. Near the entrance into the chapel stands a Roman altar, about three feet high, said to have been dug up near Bakewell. The inscription is nearly obliterated, but was given by bishop Gibson, as

follows:

DEO MARTI BRACIACE OSITTIVS CECILIAN

PREFECT

TRO....
VS.

The park, originally connected

is mansion, was ploughed cultivated about thirty years he gardens consist entirely of ranged one above another; ring a sort of stone ballustrade. ospects from one or two ns are extremely fine; and vicinity of the house is ping group of luxuriant old

Derby: and the latter, sir John Manners, knight, second son of Thomas, first earl of Rutland of that name. By this marriage, Haddon, and the other estates in this county, that had been held by the Vernons, became the property of the Manners', and have regularly descended to the present duke of Rutland.

Haddon Hall continued to be the principal residence of this family till the beginning of the last century, when it was quitted for Belvoir-castle, in Lincolnshire. In the time of the first duke of Rutland, (so created by queen Anne,) seven score servants were maintained here, and the house was kept open in the true style of old English hospitality, during twelve days after Christmas. Since that, it has occasionally been the scene of mirth and revelry; and the cheerful welcome of former ages, so far as the despoiled condition of the mansion would admit, has not been wanting to increase the pleasure of the guests. The last time its festive board was spread, was shortly after the conclusion of the late peace, when nearly 200 couple danced in the long gallery.

manor of Haddon was, soon *he conquest, the property of venells, whose coheirs mar› Vernon and Basset, in the of Richard the First. The s continued to enjoy half the in the time of Edward the . The heiress of Vernon ed to Franceys, who assumed urname of Vernon; and the of the estate was the entire rty of sir Richard Vernon, in y the Sixth's time. This genn was speaker of the parlia, held at Leicester in the 1425, and was afterwards coned governor of Calais, in which > he was succeeded by his son, was appointed constable of and for life, and was the last on that held that important e. Sir Henry Vernon, his son successor, was governor to ce Arthur, heir apparent to ry the Seventh; and is said have frequently entertained the Ice at Haddon. Sir George non, the last male heir of this ly, became so distinguished his hospitality, and magnificent de of living, that he was locally ned King of the Peak. On his th, in the seventh year of queen zabeth, his possessions descended his two daughters, Margaret 1 Dorothy: the former married Thomas Stanley, knight, second of Edward, the third earl of

vent it from being washed away, and by resorting to every other expedient which could suggest it

self.

This soil, which is a reddish clay, wherever it is of any depth, is essentially of a good quality; consequently their laborious efforts had been rewarded, in these partial and chosen spots, by an abundant produce of fruits, corn, and vegetables. The grapes which were presented to us at our repasts, were uncommonly fine and large: at the season of the vintage the vineyards nust have had a pleasing aspect in this land of rocks and mountains.

We were told by the priests of an extraordinary threat made by Bonaparté, namely, that should he ever obtain possession of Jerusalem, he would plant the tree of liberty on the spot on which the cross of Jesus stood; and would bury the first French grenadier who should fall in the attack in the tomb of our Saviour.

From the terrace of the convent in which we were lodged, we had a fine view of the Mount of Olives, of Mount Sion, and indeed of every part of the city, the extent of which has been so much diminished in modern times, that the circumference is reckoned not to exceed four English miles. The walls and habitations are in excellent repair; and the former are provided with several small square towers. Near the entrance gate is a castle denominated David's Tower, the stones in the inferior part of which are very massive, and apparently of great antiquity.

About two o'clock we went to the church, called the Church of the Sepulchre, as being built over the holy sepulchre, in company

with the superior of our convert, with whom, I should observe, r had made an arrangement to ve Bethlem on the following morning Escorted by several of the reveres fathers, we passed through a solenn and grand cutrance, into a lofty and capacious building (somewhat less than an hundred paces long, and not more than sixty wide), supported by several very large marble pillars of the Corinthian order, and the dome of which was built of the cedar of Lebanon. Preparations having been made for our visit to this sanctuary, it was lighted up with more than usual splendour, and had a very striking and awful effect. In the centre of the building is the holy sepulchre, which is now cased over with marble for its better preservation. But for this precaution, indeed, it would ere this have been broken into fragments, which the pilgrims would have carried off as so many precious relics. The sepulchre, we are told, was at first a cave hewn in the rock under ground; but the rock having been since cut away in every direction, it appears now in the form of a grotto above ground. In bestowing on it a close inspection, we met with the stone on which they told us the angel was seated when Mary sought the body of Jesus. This stone had been removed from the entrance. small building, or chapel, in which the sepulchre is enclosed, was lighted by several large and handsome lamps, a certain number of which are always kept burning. We were next conducted to all the interesting places which respected our Saviour previously to his death; such as the spot where he was confined before his trial and condem

The

nation;

nation; that where he was scourged, and the crown of thorns placed on his head; that where he was nailed to the cross, &c. We saw the fissure in the rock which was rent by the earthquake at the time he gave up the ghost, together with the place where the soldiers cast lots for his garments, and the spot where his body was embalmed.

The whole of this very extensive building, in which the Greeks, Latins, Armenians, and Copts, have each respectively a chapel, stands on Mount Calvary. We visited each of these chapels. Near to that which was built by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, in commemoration of the finding of the cross on which our Saviour was crucified, we saw the cavern which was formerly the grand reservoir of water that contained the cross. In the middle of the Greek chapel stands a marble basin fixed on the ground, which the Greek priests told us was not only placed in the centre of the pile of buildings, but in the centre of the universe. This beautiful chapel is built of yellow and white marble; and several of the columns are of verd antique. We next proceeded to the chapel where Mary visited Jesus, the pavement of which is of beautiful marble, inlaid and ornamented with much taste. In the course of our inquiries we saw the tomb of Baldwin, governor of Jerusalem, who was killed during the crusades.

The beauty and grandeur of these buildings do great credit to the age in which they were executed. Over the gate which led us to the elegant structure, erected by the order of St. Helena, in which the holy se

pulchre, and the memorable spots I have noticed above, are enclosed, we saw the vestiges of several pieces of fine sculpture, together with a considerable number of marble and granite columns, of the Corinthian order, and other architectural decorations.

The Armenian church, a fine and elegant structure, was ornamented by several good scriptural paintings. The fathers pointed out to us the spot where the head of St. James was deposited, after he had been decapitated at Caissa.

We rose at five in the morning of the 18th, and went to the chapel, where mass was performing. We breakfasted shortly after, and at seven o'clock left Jerusalem on our way to Bethlem, accompanied by the superior and several of the monks belonging to the Latin convent, in which we had taken up our residence. On our quitting the city, we passed Mount Sion, on which the walls of the city are partly built, and which is separated by a valley from the hill where Judas Iscariot sold Jesus for thirty pieces of money. The road winds over a part of this hill. After an hour's journey, we reached a convent built by St. Helena, from whence we had a view of Bethlem, the road leading to which is extremely rocky, and of a very dreary appearance. On approaching, the Dead Sea was in our view. Bethlem stands on a lofty mountain, the soil of which abounds in chalk and marl. The inhabitants came out to welcome us on the road; and this was done by the women, by a most hideous shrieking noise, accompanied by gestures and distortions, which it would be disticult to describe. On our passage

through