[Illustration: Holland House, Kensington.]
Since the time of William III., who was the first royal tenant of the
palace, Kensington has been a place of considerable interest, as the
residence and resort of many celebrated men. The palace, however,
possesses little historical attraction; but, among the mansions of the
parish, Holland House merits especial notice.
Holland House takes its name from Henry Rich, Earl of Holland, and was
built by his father-in-law, Sir Walter Cope, in the year 1607, of the
architecture of which period it affords an excellent specimen. Its general
form is that of an half H. The Earl of Holland greatly improved the house.
The stone piers at the entrance of the court (over which are the arms of
Rich, quartering Bouldry and impaling Cope) were designed by Inigo Jones.
The internal decorations were by Francis Cleyne. One chamber, called the
Gilt Room, which still remains in its original state, exhibits a very
favourable specimen of the artist's abilities; the wainscot is in
compartments, ornamented with cross crosslets and fleurs de-lis charges,
in the arms of Rich and Cope, whose coats are introduced, entire, at the
corner of the room, with a punning motto, alluding to the name of Rich,
_Ditior est qui se_. Over the chimneys are some emblematical paintings,
done (as the Earl of Orford observes) in a style and not unworthy of
Parmegiane. The Earl of Holland was twice made a prisoner in his own
house, first by King Charles, in 1633, upon occasion of his challenging
Lord Weston; and a second time, by command of the parliament, after the
unsuccessful issue of his attempt to restore the king, in August, 1648.
The Earl, who was a conspicuous character during the whole of Charles's
reign, and frequently in employments of considerable trust, appears to
have been very wavering in his politics, and of an irritable disposition.
In 1638, we find him retired to his house at Kensington, in disgust,
because he was not made Lord Admiral. At the eve of the civil war, he was
employed against the Scots; when the army was disbanded, having received
some new cause of offence, he retired again to Kensington, where,
according to Lord Clarendon, he was visited by all the disaffected members
of parliament, who held frequent meetings at Holland House. Some time
afterwards, when the civil war was at its height, he joined the king's
party at Oxford; but, meeting with a cool reception, returned again to the
parliament. In August 6, 1647, "the members of the parliament who were
driven from Westminster by tumults, met General Fairfax at Holland House,
and subscribed to the declaration of the army, and a further declaration,
approving of and joining with the army, in all their late proceedings,
making null all acts passed by the members since July 6." (_Clarendon_.)--
The Earl of Holland's desertion of the royal cause, is to be attributed,
perhaps, to his known enmity towards Lord Strafford; he gave, nevertheless,
the best proof of his attachment to monarchy, by making a bold, though
rash attempt, to restore his master. After a valiant stand against an
unequal force, near Kingston upon Thames, he was obliged to quit the field,
but was soon after taken prisoner, and suffered death upon the scaffold.
His corpse was sent to Kensington, and interred in the family vault there,
March 10, 1649. In the July following, Lambert, then general of the army,
fixed his headquarters at Holland House. It was soon afterwards restored
to the Countess of Holland. When theatres were shut up by the Puritans,
plays were acted privately at the houses of the nobility, who made
collections for the actors. Holland House is particularly mentioned, as
having been used occasionally for this purpose.
The next remarkable circumstance in the history of Holland House, is the
residence of Addison, who became possessed of it in 1716, by his marriage
with Charlotte, Countess Dowager of Warwick and Holland. It is said that
he did not add much to his happiness by this alliance; for one of his
biographers, rather laconically observes, that "Holland House is a large
mansion, but it cannot contain Mr. Addison, the Countess of Warwick, and
one guest, Peace." Mr. Addison was appointed Secretary of State, in 1717,
and died at Holland House, June 17, 1719. Addison had been tutor to the
young earl, and anxiously, but in vain, endeavoured to check the
licentiousness of his manners. As a last effort, he requested him to come
into his room when he lay at the point of death, hoping that the solemnity
of the scene might work upon his feelings. When his pupil came to receive
his last commands, he told him that he had sent for him to see how a
Christian could die; to which Tickell thus alludes:--
He taught us how to live; and oh! too high
A price for knowledge, taught us how to die!
On the death of this young nobleman, in 1721, unmarried, his estates
devolved to the father of Lord Kensington, (maternally descended from
Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick.) who sold Holland House, about 1762, to the
Right Hon. Henry Fox, afterwards Lord Holland, the early years of whose
patriotic son, the late C.J. Fox, were passed chiefly at this mansion; and
his nephew, the present Lord Holland, is now owner of the estate.
The apartments of Holland House, are, generally, capacious and well
proportioned. The library is about 105 feet in length, and the collection
of books is worthy of the well known literary taste of the noble
proprietor. Here also are several fine busts by Nollekens, and a valuable
collection of pictures by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Sir Joshua Reynolds, &c.
two fine landscapes by Salvator Rosa, and a collection of exquisite
miniatures.
The grounds include about 300 acres, of which about 63 acres are disposed
into pleasure gardens, &c. Mr. Rogers, the amiable poet, is a constant
visiter at Holland House; and the noble host, with Maecenas-like taste,
has placed over a rural seat, the following lines, from respect to the
author of the "Pleasures of Memory:"--
Here ROGERS sat--and here for ever dwell
With me, those Pleasures which he sang so well.
Holland House and its park-like grounds is, perhaps, the most picturesque
domain in the vicinity of the metropolis, although it will soon be
surrounded with brick and mortar proportions.
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