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A DESCRIPTION OF MILLENIUM HALL
AND THE COUNTRY ADJACENT
Together with the
CHARACTERS OF THE INHABITANTS
And such Historical
ANECDOTES AND REFLECTIONS
AS
May excite in the READER proper Sentiments of Humanity,
and lead the Mind to the Love of
VIRTUE
BY
'A GENTLEMAN
ON HIS TRAVELS'
SARAH SCOTT
Based on a reprint of the edition
published in Great Britain
by J. Newbury, 1762
A DESCRIPTION OF MILLENIUM HALL
Dear Sir,
Though, when I left London, I promised to write to you as soon as I had
reached my northern retreat, yet, I believe, you little expected instead
of a letter to receive a volume; but I should not stand excused to
myself, were I to fail communicating to you the pleasure I received in
my road hither, from the sight of a society whose acquaintance I owe to
one of those fortunate, though in appearance trifling, accidents, from
which sometimes arise the most pleasing circumstances of our lives; for
as such I must ever esteem the acquaintance of that amiable family, who
have fixed their abode at a place which I shall nominate Millenium Hall,
as the best adapted to the lives of the inhabitants, and to avoid giving
the real name, fearing to offend that modesty which has induced them to
conceal their virtues in retirement.
In giving you a very circumstantial account of this society, I confess I
have a view beyond the pleasure which a mind like yours must receive
from the contemplation of so much virtue. Your constant endeavours have
been to inculcate the best principles into youthful minds, the only
probable means of mending mankind; for the foundation of most of our
virtues, or our vices, are laid in that season of life when we are most
susceptible of impression, and when on our minds, as on a sheet of white
paper, any characters may be engraven; these laudable endeavours, by
which we may reasonably expect the rising generation will be greatly
improved, render particularly due to you, any examples which may teach
those virtues that are not easily learnt by precept and shew the
facility of what, in mere speculation, might appear surrounded with a
discouraging impracticability: you are the best judge, whether, by being
made public, they may be conducive to your great end of benefiting the
world. I therefore submit the future fate of the following sheets
entirely to you, and shall not think any prefatory apology for the
publication at all requisite; for though a man who supposes his own life
and actions deserve universal notice, or can be of general use, may be
liable to the imputation of vanity, yet, as I have no other share than
that of a spectator, and auditor, in what I purpose to relate, I presume
no apology can be required; for my vanity must rather be mortified than
flattered in the description of such virtues as will continually accuse
me of my own deficiencies, and lead me to make a humiliating comparison
between these excellent ladies and myself.
You may remember, Sir, that when I took leave of you with a design of
retiring to my native county, there to enjoy the plenty and leisure for
which a few years labour had furnished me with the necessary requisites,
I was advised by an eminent physician to make a very extensive tour
through the western part of this kingdom, in order, by frequent change
of air, and continued exercise, to cure the ill effects of my long abode
in the hot and unwholesome climate of Jamaica, where, while I increased
my fortune, I gradually impaired my constitution; and though one who,
like me, has dedicated all his application to mercantile gain, will not
allow that he has given up the substance for the shadow, yet perhaps it
would be difficult to deny that I thus sacrificed the greater good in
pursuit of the less.
The eagerness with which I longed to fix in my wished-for retirement,
made me imagine that when I had once reached it, even the pursuit of
health would be an insufficient inducement to determine me to leave my
retreat. I therefore chose to make the advised tour before I went into
the north. As the pleasure arising from a variety of beautiful objects
is but half enjoyed when we have no one to share it with us, I accepted
the offer Mr Lamont (the son of my old friend) made of accompanying me
in my journey. As this young gentleman has not the good fortune to be
known to you, it may not be amiss, as will appear in the sequel, to let
you into his character.
Mr Lamont is a young man of about twenty-five years of age, of an
agreeable person, and lively understanding; both perhaps have concurred
to render him a coxcomb. The vivacity of his parts soon gained him such
a degree of encouragement as excited his vanity, and raised in him a
high opinion of himself. A very generous father enabled him to partake
of every fashionable amusement, and the natural bent of his mind soon
led him into all the dissipation which the gay world affords. Useful and
improving studies were laid aside for such desultory reading as he found
most proper to furnish him with topics for conversation in the idle
societies he frequented. Thus that vivacity, which, properly qualified,
might have become true wit, degenerated into pertness and impertinence.
A consciousness of an understanding, which he never exerted, rendered
him conceited; those talents which nature kindly bestowed upon him, by
being perverted, gave rise to his greatest faults. His reasoning
faculty, by a partial and superficial use, led him to infidelity, and
the desire of being thought superiorly distinguishing established him an
infidel. Fashion, not reason, has been the guide of all his thoughts and
actions. But with these faults he is good-natured, and not
unentertaining, especially in a tete-a-tete, where he does not desire to
shine, and therefore his vanity lies dormant and suffers the best
qualifications of his mind to break forth. This induced me to accept him
as a fellow traveller.
We proceeded on our journey as far as Cornwall, without meeting with any
other than the usual incidents of the road, till one afternoon, when our
chaise broke down. The worst circumstance attending this accident was
our being several miles from a town, and so ignorant of the country,
that we knew not whether there was any village within a moderate
distance. We sent the postilion on my man's horse to the next town to
fetch a smith, and leaving my servant to guard the chaise, Mr Lamont and
I walked towards an avenue of oaks, which we observed at a small
distance. The thick shade they afforded us, the fragrance wafted from
the woodbines with which they were encircled, was so delightful, and the
beauty of the grounds so very attracting, that we strolled on, desirous
of approaching the house to which this avenue led. It is a mile and a
half in length, but the eye is so charmed with the remarkable verdure
and neatness of the fields, with the beauty of the flowers which are
planted all around them and seem to mix with the quickset hedges, that
time steals away insensibly.
When we had walked about half a mile in a scene truly pastoral, we began
to think ourselves in the days of Theocritus, so sweetly did the sound
of a flute come wafted through the air. Never did pastoral swain make
sweeter melody on his oaten reed. Our ears now afforded us fresh
attraction, and with quicker steps we proceeded, till we came within
sight of the musician that had charmed us. Our pleasure was not a little
heightened, to see, as the scene promised, in reality a shepherd,
watching a large flock of sheep. We continued motionless, listening to
his music, till a lamb straying from its fold demanded his care, and he
laid aside his instrument, to guide home the little wanderer.
Curiosity now prompted us to walk on; the nearer we came to the house,
the greater we found the profusion of flowers which ornamented every
field. Some had no other defence than hedges of rose trees and
sweetbriars, so artfully planted, that they made a very thick hedge,
while at the lower part, pinks, jonquils, hyacinths, and various other
flowers, seemed to grow under their protection. Primroses, violets,
lilies of the valley, and polyanthuses enriched such shady spots, as,
for want of sun, were not well calculated for the production of other
flowers. The mixture of perfumes which exhaled from this profusion
composed the highest fragrance, and sometimes the different scents
regaled the senses alternately, and filled us with reflections on the
infinite variety of nature.
When we were within about a quarter of a mile of the house, the scene
became still more animated. On one side was the greatest variety of
cattle, the most beautiful of their kinds, grazing in fields whose
verdure equalled that of the finest turf, nor were they destitute of
their ornaments, only the woodbines and jessamine, and such flowers as
might have tempted the inhabitants of these pastures to crop them, were
defended with roses and sweetbriars, whose thorns preserved them from
all attacks.
Though Lamont had hitherto been little accustomed to admire nature, yet
was he much captivated with this scene, and with his usual levity cried
out, 'If Nebuchadnezzar had such pastures as these to range in, his
seven years expulsion from human society might not be the least
agreeable part of his life.' My attention was too much engaged to
criticize the light turn of Lamont's mind, nor did his thoughts continue
long on the same subject, for our observation was soon called off by a
company of hay-makers in the fields on the other side of the avenue. The
cleanliness and neatness of the young women thus employed, rendered them
a more pleasing subject for Lamont's contemplation than any thing we had
yet seen; in them we beheld rural simplicity, without any of those marks
of poverty and boorish rusticity, which would have spoilt the pastoral
air of the scene around us; but not even the happy amiable innocence,
which their figures and countenances expressed, gave me so much
satisfaction as the sight of the number of children, who were all
exerting the utmost of their strength, with an air of delighted
emulation between themselves, to contribute their share to the general
undertaking. Their eyes sparkled with that spirit which health and
activity can only give, and their rosy cheeks shewed the benefits of
youthful labour.
Curiosity is one of those insatiable passions that grow by
gratification; it still prompted us to proceed, not unsatisfied with
what we had seen, but desirous to see still more of this earthly
paradise. We approached the house, wherein, as it was the only human
habitation in view, we imagined must reside the Primum Mobile of all we
had yet beheld. We were admiring the magnificence of the ancient
structure, and inclined to believe it the abode of the genius which
presided over this fairy land, when we were surprised by a storm, which
had been some time gathering over our heads, though our thoughts had
been too agreeably engaged to pay much attention to it. We took shelter
under the thick shade of a large oak, but the violence of the thunder
and lightning made our situation rather uncomfortable. All those whom we
had a little before seen so busy left their work on hearing the first
clap of thunder and ran with the utmost speed to Millenium Hall, so I
shall call the noble mansion of which I am speaking, as to an assured
asylum against every evil.
Some of these persons, I imagine, perceived us; for immediately after
they entered, came out a woman who, by her air and manner of address, we
guessed to be the housekeeper, and desired us to walk into the house
till the storm was over. We made some difficulties about taking that
liberty, but she still persisting in her invitation, had my curiosity to
see the inhabitants of this hospitable mansion been less, I could not
have refused to comply, as by prolonging these ceremonious altercations
I was detaining her in the storm; we therefore agreed to follow her.
If we had been inclined before to fancy ourselves on enchanted ground,
when after being led through a large hall, we were introduced to the
ladies, who knew nothing of what had passed, I could scarcely forbear
believing myself in the Attic school. The room where they sat was about
forty-five feet long, of a proportionable breadth, with three windows on
one side, which looked into a garden, and a large bow at the upper end.
Over against the windows were three large bookcases, upon the top of the
middle one stood an orrery, and a globe on each of the others. In the
bow sat two ladies reading, with pen, ink and paper on a table before
them at which was a young girl translating out of French. At the lower
end of the room was a lady painting, with exquisite art indeed, a
beautiful Madonna; near her another, drawing a landscape out of her own
imagination; a third, carving a picture-frame in wood, in the finest
manner, a fourth, engraving; and a young girl reading aloud to them; the
distance from the ladies in the bow window being such, that they could
receive no disturbance from her. At the next window were placed a group
of girls, from the age of ten years old to fourteen. Of these, one was
drawing figures, another a landscape, a third a perspective view, a
fourth engraving, a fifth carving, a sixth turning in wood, a seventh
writing, an eighth cutting out linen, another making a gown, and by them
an empty chair and a tent, with embroidery, finely fancied, before it,
which we afterwards found had been left by a young girl who was gone to
practise on the harpsichord.
As soon as we entered they all rose up, and the housekeeper introduced
us by saying she saw us standing under a tree to avoid the storm and so
had desired us to walk in. The ladies received us with the greatest
politeness, and expressed concern that when their house was so near, we
should have recourse to so insufficient a shelter. Our surprise at the
sight of so uncommon a society occasioned our making but an awkward
return to their obliging reception; nor when we observed how many arts
we had interrupted, could we avoid being ashamed that we had then
intruded upon them.
But before I proceed farther, I shall endeavour to give you some idea of
the persons of the ladies, whose minds I shall afterwards best describe
by their actions. The two who sat in the bow window were called Mrs
Maynard and Miss Selvyn. Mrs Maynard is between forty and fifty years of
age, a little woman, well made, with a lively and genteel air, her hair
black, and her eyes of the same colour, bright and piercing, her
features good, and complexion agreeable, though brown. Her countenance
expresses all the vivacity of youth, tempered with a serenity which
becomes her age.
Miss Selvyn can scarcely be called tall, though she approaches that
standard. Her features are too irregular to be handsome, but there is a
sensibility and delicacy in her countenance which render her extremely
engaging; and her person is elegant.
Miss Mancel, whom we had disturbed from her painting, is tall and finely
formed, has great elegance of figure, and is graceful in every motion.
Her hair is of a fine brown, her eyes blue, with all that sensible
sweetness which is peculiar to that colour. In short, she excels in
every beauty but the bloom, which is so soon faded, and so impossible to
be imitated by the utmost efforts of art, nor has she suffered any
farther by years than the loss of that radiance which renders beauty
rather more resplendent than more pleasing.
Miss Trentham, who was carving by her, was the tallest of the company,
and in dignity of air particularly excels, but her features and
complexion have been so injured by the smallpox, that one can but just
guess they were once uncommonly fine; a sweetness of countenance, and a
very sensible look, indeed, still remain, and have baffled all the most
cruel ravages of that distemper.
Lady Mary Jones, whom we found engraving, seems to have been rather
pleasing than beautiful. She is thin and pale, but a pair of the finest
black eyes I ever saw, animate, to a great degree, a countenance which
sickness has done its utmost to render languid, but has, perhaps, only
made more delicate and amiable. Her person is exquisitely genteel, and
her voice, in common speech, enchantingly melodious.
Mrs Morgan, the lady who was drawing, appears to be upwards of fifty,
tall, rather plump, and extremely majestic, an air of dignity
distinguishes her person, and every virtue is engraven in indelible
characters on her countenance. There is a benignity in every look, which
renders the decline of life, if possible, more amiable than the bloom of
youth. One would almost think nature had formed her for a common parent,
such universal and tender benevolence beams from every glance she casts
around her.
The dress of the ladies was thus far uniform, the same neatness, the
same simplicity and cleanliness appeared in each, and they were all in
lutestring night-gowns, though of different colours, nor was there any
thing unfashionable in their appearance, except that they were free
from any trumpery ornaments. The girls were all clothed in camblet
coats, but not uniform in colour, their linen extremely white and clean
though coarse. Some of them were pretty, and none had any defect in
person, to take off from that general pleasingness which attends youth
and innocence.
They had been taught such a habit of attention that they seemed not at
all disturbed by our conversation, which was of that general kind, as
might naturally be expected on such an occasion, though supported by the
ladies with more sensible vivacity and politeness than is usual where
part of the company are such total strangers to the rest; till by chance
one of the ladies called Mrs Maynard by her name.
From the moment I saw her, I thought her face not unknown to me, but
could not recollect where or when I had been acquainted with her, but
her name brought to my recollection, that she was not only an old
acquaintance, but a near relation. I observed that she had looked on me
with particular attention, and I begged her to give me leave to ask her
of what family of Maynards she was. Her answer confirmed my supposition,
and as she told me that she believed she had some remembrance of my
face, I soon made her recollect our affinity and former intimacy, though
my twenty years abode in Jamaica, the alteration the climate had wrought
in me, and time had made in us both, had almost effaced us from each
other's memory.
There is great pleasure in renewing the acquaintance of our youth; a
thousand pleasing ideas accompany it; many mirthful scenes and juvenile
amusements return to the remembrance, and make us, as it were, live over
again what is generally the most pleasing part of life. Mrs Maynard
seemed no less sensible of the satisfaction arising from this train of
thoughts than myself, and the rest of the company were so indulgently
good-natured, as in appearance, to share them with us. The tea table by
no means interrupted our conversation, and I believe I should have
forgot that our journey was not at an end, if a servant had not brought
in word, that my man, who had observed our motions, was come to inform
us that our chaise could not be repaired that night.
The ladies immediately declared that though their equipage was in order,
they would not suffer it to put an end to a pleasure they owed to the
accident which had happened to ours, and insisted we should give them
our company till the smith had made all necessary reparations, adding,
that I could not be obstinately bent on depriving Mrs Maynard so soon of
the satisfaction she received from having recovered so long lost a
relation. I was little inclined to reject this invitation: pleasure was
the chief design of my journey, and I saw not how I could receive more
than by remaining in a family so extraordinary, and so perfectly
agreeable. When both parties are well agreed, the necessary ceremonies
previous to a compliance are soon over, and it was settled that we
should not think of departing before the next day at soonest.
The continuance of the rain rendered it impossible to stir out of the
house; my cousin, who seemed to think variety necessary to amuse, asked
if we loved music, which being answered in the affirmative, she begged
the other ladies to entertain us with one of their family concerts, and
we joining in the petition, proper orders were given, and we adjourned
into another room, which was well furnished with musical instruments.
Over the door was a beautiful Saint Cecilia, painted in crayons by Miss
Mancel, and a fine piece of carved work over the chimney, done by Miss
Trentham, which was a very artificial representation of every sort of
musical instrument.
While we were admiring these performances, the company took their
respective places. Miss Mancel seated herself at the harpsichord, Lady
Mary Jones played on the arch lute, Mrs Morgan on the organ, Miss Selvyn
and Miss Trentham each on the six-stringed bass; the shepherd who had
charmed us in the field was there with his German flute, a venerable
looking man, who is their steward, played on the violincello, a lame
youth on the French horn, another, who seemed very near blind, on the
bassoon, and two on the fiddle. My cousin had no share in the
performance except singing agreeably, wherein she was joined by some of
the ladies, and where the music could bear it, by ten of the young
girls, with two or three others whom we had not seen, and whose voices
and manner were equally pleasing. They performed several of the finest
pieces of the Messiah and Judas Maccabeus, with exquisite taste, and the
most exact time. There was a sufficient number of performers to give the
choruses all their pomp and fullness, and the songs were sung in a
manner so touching and pathetic, as could be equalled by none whose
hearts were not as much affected by the words as their senses were by
the music. The sight of so many little innocents joining in the most
sublime harmony made me almost think myself already amongst the heavenly
choir, and it was a great mortification to me to be brought back to this
sensual world by so gross an attraction as a call to supper, which put
an end to our concert, and carried us to another room, where we found a
repast more elegant than expensive.
The evening certainly is the most social part of the day, without any of
those excesses which so often turn it into senseless revelry. The
conversation after supper was particularly animated, and left us still
more charmed with the society into which chance had introduced us; the
sprightliness of their wit, the justness of their reflections, the
dignity which accompanied their vivacity, plainly evinced with how much
greater strength the mind can exert itself in a regular and rational way
of life, than in a course of dissipation. At this house every change
came too soon, time seemed to wear a double portion of wings, eleven
o'clock struck, and the ladies ordered a servant to shew us our rooms,
themselves retiring to theirs.
It was impossible for Lamont and I to part till we had spent an hour in
talking over this amiable family, with whom he could not help being much
delighted, though he observed they were very deficient in the bon ton,
there was too much solidity in all they said, they would trifle with
trifles indeed, but had not the art of treating more weighty subjects
with the same lightness, which gave them an air of rusticity; and he did
not doubt, but on a more intimate acquaintance we should find their
manners much rusticated, and their heads filled with antiquated notions,
by having lived so long out of the great world.
I rose the next morning very early, desirous to make the day, which I
purposed for the last of my abode in this mansion, as long as I could. I
went directly into the garden, which, by what I saw from the house, was
extremely pretty. As I passed by the windows of the saloon, I perceived
the ladies and their little pupils were earlier risers than myself, for
they were all at their various employments. I first went into the gayest
flower garden I ever beheld. The rainbow exhibits not half the variety
of tints, and they are so artfully mingled, and ranged to make such a
harmony of colours, as taught me how much the most beautiful objects may
be improved by a judicious disposition of them. Beyond these beds of
flowers rises a shrubbery, where every thing sweet and pleasing is
collected. As these ladies have no taste but what is directed by good
sense, nothing found a place here from being only uncommon, for they
think few things are very rare but because they are little desirable;
and indeed it is plain they are free from that littleness of mind, which
makes people value a thing the more for its being possessed by no one
but themselves. Behind the shrubbery is a little wood, which affords a
gloom, rendered more agreeable by its contrast with the dazzling beauty
of that part of the garden that leads to it. In the high pale which
encloses this wood I observed a little door, curiosity induced me to
pass through it; I found it opened on a row of the neatest cottages I
ever saw, which the wood had concealed from my view. They were new and
uniform, and therefore I imagined all dedicated to the same purpose.
Seeing a very old woman spinning at one of the doors, I accosted her, by
admiring the neatness of her habitation.
'Ay, indeed,' said she, 'it is a most comfortable place, God bless the
good ladies! I and my neighbours are as happy as princesses, we have
every thing we want and wish, and who can say more?' 'Very few so much,'
answered I, 'but pray what share have the ladies in procuring the
happiness you seem so sensible of?' 'Why Sir,' continued the old woman,
'it is all owing to them. I was almost starved when they put me into
this house, and no shame of mine, for so were my neighbours too; perhaps
we were not so painstaking as we might have been; but that was not our
fault, you know, as we had not things to work with, nor any body to set
us to work, poor folks cannot know every thing as these good ladies do;
we were half dead for want of victuals, and then people have not courage
to set about any thing. Nay, all the parish were so when they came into
it, young and old, there was not much to choose, few of us had rags to
cover us, or a morsel of bread to eat except the two Squires; they
indeed grew rich, because they had our work, and paid us not enough to
keep life and soul together, they live about a mile off, so perhaps they
did not know how poor we were, I must say that for them; the ladies tell
me I ought not to speak against them, for every one has faults, only we
see other people's, and are blind to our own; and certainly it is true
enough, for they are very wise ladies as well as good, and must know
such things.'
As my new acquaintance seemed as loquacious as her age promised, I hoped
for full satisfaction, and asked her how she and her neighbours employed
themselves.
'Not all alike,' replied the good woman, 'I will tell you all about it
There are twelve of us that live here. We have every one a house of two
rooms, as you may see, beside other conveniences, and each a little
garden, but though we are separate, we agree as well, perhaps better,
than if we lived together, and all help one another. Now, there is
neighbour Susan, and neighbour Rachel; Susan is lame, so she spins
clothes for Rachel; and Rachel cleans Susan's house, and does such
things for her as she cannot do for herself. The ladies settled all
these matters at first, and told us, that as they, to please God,
assisted us, we must in order to please him serve others; and that to
make us happy they would put us in a way, poor as we are, to do good to
many. Thus neighbour Jane who, poor woman, is almost stone deaf, they
thought would have a melancholy life if she was to be always spinning
and knitting, seeing other people around her talking, and not be able to
hear a word they said, so the ladies busy her in making broths and
caudles and such things, for all the sick poor in this and the next
parish, and two of us are fixed upon to carry what, they have made to
those that want them; to visit them often, and spend more or less time
with them every day according as they have, or have not relations to
take care of them; for though the ladies always hire nurses for those
who are very ill, yet they will not trust quite to them, but make us
overlook them, so that in a sickly time we shall be all day going from
one to another.'
'But,' said I, 'there are I perceive many children amongst you, how
happens that? Your ages shew they are not your own.'
'Oh! as for that,' replied my intelligencer, 'I will tell you how that
is. You must know these good ladies, heaven preserve them! take every
child after the fifth of every poor person, as soon as it can walk, till
when they pay the mother for nursing it; these children they send to us
to keep out of harm, and as soon as they can hold a knitting-needle to
teach them to knit, and to spin, as much as they can be taught before
they are four or five years old, when they are removed into one of the
schools. They are pretty company for us, and make us mothers again, as
it were, in our old age; then the children's relations are all so fond
of us for our care of them, that it makes us a power of friends, which
you know is very pleasant, though we want nothing from them but their
good wills.'
Here I interrupted her by observing, that it must take up a great deal
of time, and stop their work, consequently lessen their profits.
'There is nothing in that,' continued the good woman, 'the ladies'
steward sends us in all we want in the way of meat, drink and firing;
and our spinning we carry to the ladies; they employ a poor old weaver,
who before they came broke for want of work, to weave it for us, and
when there is not enough they put more to it, so we are sure to have our
clothing; if we are not idle that is all they desire, except that we
should be cleanly too. There never passes a day that one or other of the
ladies does not come and look all over our houses, which they tell us,
and certainly with truth, for it is a great deal of trouble to them, is
all for our good, for that we cannot be healthy if we are not clean and
neat. Then every Saint's day, and every Sunday after church, we all go
down to the hall, and the ladies read prayers, and a sermon to us, and
their own family; nor do they ever come here without giving us some
good advice. We used to quarrel, to be sure, sometimes when we first
came to these houses, but the ladies condescended to make it up amongst
us, and shewed us so kindly how much it was our duty to agree together,
and to forgive everybody their faults, or else we could not hope to be
forgiven by God, against whom we so often sinned, that now we love one
another like sisters, or indeed better, for I often see such quarrel.
Beside, they have taught us that we are generally in fault ourselves;
and we find now that we take care not to be perverse, our neighbours are
seldom in the wrong, and when they are, we bear with it in hopes they
will bear with us when we are as much to blame, which we may be sure
enough will happen, let us try ever so much to the contrary. Then the
ladies seem so pleased when we do any kindness to one another, as to be
sure is a great encouragement; and if any of us are sick they are so
careful and so good, that it would be a shame if we did not do all we
can for one another, who have been always neighbours and acquaintance,
when such great ladies, who never knew us, as I may say, but to make us
happy, and have no reason to take care of us but that we are poor, are
so kind and condescending to us.'
I was so pleased with the good effect which the charity of her
benefactors had on the mind, as well as the situation, of this old
woman, whose neighbours by her own account were equally benefited by the
blessings they received, that I should have stayed longer with her, if a
bell had not rung at Millenium Hall, which she informed me was a summons
to breakfast. I obeyed its call, and after thanking her for her
conversation, returned with a heart warmed and enlarged, to the amiable
society. My mind was so filled with exalted reflections on their virtues
that I was less attentive to the charms of inanimate nature than when I
first passed through the gardens.
After breakfast the ladies proposed a walk, and as they had seen the
course I took when I first went out, they led us a contrary way, lest,
they said, I should be tired with the repetition of the same scene. I
told them with, great truth, that what I had beheld could never weary,
for virtue is a subject we must ever contemplate with fresh delight,
and as such examples could not fail of improving every witness of them,
the pleasure of reflection would increase, as one daily grew more
capable of enjoying it, by cultivating kindred sensations. By some more
explicit hints they found out to what I alluded, and thereby knew where
I had been, but turning the conversation to present objects, they
conducted us to a very fine wood which is laid out with so much taste
that Lamont observed the artist's hand was never more distinguishable,
and perceived in various spots the direction of the person at present
most famous for that sort of improvement.
The ladies smiled, and one of them answered that he did their wood great
honour, in thinking art had lent her assistance to nature, but that
there was little in that place for which they were not solely obliged to
the latter. Miss Trentham interrupted her who was speaking and told us
that as she had no share in the improvements which had been made, she
might with the better grace assure Mr Lamont that Lady Mary Jones, Miss
Mancel, and Mrs Morgan were the only persons who had laid out that wood,
and the commonest labourers in the country had executed their orders.
Lamont was much surprised at this piece of information, and though he
would have thought it still more exquisitely beautiful had it been the
design of the person he imagined, yet truth is so powerful, that he
could not suppress his admiration and surprise. Every cut in it is
terminated by some noble object. In several places are seats formed with
such rustic simplicity, as have more real grandeur in them, than can be
found in the most expensive buildings. On an eminence, 'bosomed high in
tufted trees', is a temple dedicated to solitude. The structure is an
exquisite piece of architecture, the prospect from it noble and
extensive, and the windows so placed, that one sees no house but at so
considerable a distance, as not to take off from the solitary air, which
is perfectly agreeable to a temple declaredly dedicated to solitude. The
most beautiful object in the view is a very large river, in reality an
arm of the sea, little more than a quarter of a mile distant from the
building; about three miles beyond it lies the sea, on which the sun
then shone, and made it dazzlingly bright. In the temple is a picture of
Contemplation, another of Silence, two of various birds and animals, and
a couple of moonlight pieces, the workmanship of the ladies.
Close by the temple runs a gentle murmuring rivulet, which flows in
meanders through the rest of the wood, sometimes concealed from view,
and then appearing at the next turning of the walk. The wood is well
peopled with pheasants, wild turkeys, squirrels and hares, who live so
unmolested, that they seem to have forgot all fear, and rather to
welcome than flee from those who come amongst them. Man never appears
there as a merciless destroyer, but the preserver, instead of the
tyrant, of the inferior part of the creation. While they continue in
that wood, none but natural evil can approach them, and from that they
are defended as much as possible. We there 'walked joint tenant of the
shade' with the animal race; and a perfect equality in nature's bounty
seems enjoyed by the whole creation. One could scarcely forbear thinking
those happy times were come, when 'The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young
lion, and the fatling together, and a young child shall lead them. The
wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert
shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.'
At the verge of this wood, which extends to the river I have mentioned,
without perceiving we were entering a building, so well is the outside
of it concealed by trees, we found ourselves in a most beautiful grotto,
made of fossils, spars, coral, and such shells as are at once both fine
and rustic; all of the glaring, tawdry kind are excluded, and by the
gloom and simplicity preserved, one would imagine it the habitation of
some devout anchoret. Ivy and moss in some places cover, while they seem
to unite, the several materials of the variegated walls. The rivulet
which runs through the wood falls down one side of the grotto with great
rapidity, broken into various streams by the spar and coral, and passing
through, forms a fine cascade just at the foot of the grotto, whence it
flows into the river. Great care is taken to prevent the place from
growing damp, so that we sat some time in it with safety, admiring the
smooth surface of the river, to which it lies very open.
As the ladies had some daily business on their hands which they never
neglect, we were obliged to leave this lovely scene, where I think I
could have passed my life with pleasure, and to return towards the
house, though by a different way from that we came, traversing the other
side of the wood. In one spot where we went near the verge, I observed a
pale, which, upon examination, I found was continued for some acres,
though it was remarkable only in one place. It is painted green, and on
the inside a hedge of yews, laurel, and other thick evergreens rises to
about seven or eight feet high. I could not forbear asking what was thus
so carefully enclosed. The ladies smiled on each other, but evaded
answering my question, which only increased my curiosity. Lamont, not
less curious, and more importunate, observed that the inclosure bore
some resemblance to one of Lord Lamore's, where he kept lions, tigers,
leopards, and such foreign animals, and he would be hanged, if the
ladies had not made some such collection, intreating that he might be
admitted to see them; for nothing gave him greater entertainment than to
behold those beautiful wild beasts, brought out of their native woods,
where they had reigned as kings, and here tamed and subjected by the
superior art of man. It was a triumph of human reason, which could not
fail to afford great pleasure.
'Not to us, I assure you, Sir,' replied Miss Mancel, 'when reason
appears only in the exertion of cruelty and tyrannical oppression, it is
surely not a gift to be boasted of. When a man forces the furious steed
to endure the bit, or breaks oxen to the yoke, the great benefits he
receive from, and communicates to the animals, excuse the forcible
methods by which it is accomplished. But to see a man, from a vain
desire to have in his possession the native of another climate and
another country, reduce a fine and noble creature to misery, and confine
him within narrow inclosures whose happiness consisted in unbounded
liberty, shocks my nature. There is I confess something so amiable in
gentleness, that I could be pleased with seeing a tiger caress its
keeper, if the cruel means by which the fiercest of beasts is taught all
the servility of a fawning spaniel, did not recur every instant to my
mind; and it is not much less abhorrent to my nature, to see a venerable
lion jumping over a stick, than it would be to behold a hoary
philosopher forced by some cruel tyrant to spend his days in whipping a
top, or playing with a rattle. Every thing to me loses its charm when it
is put out of the station wherein nature, or to speak more properly, the
all-wise Creator has placed it. I imagine man has a right to use the
animal race for his own preservation, perhaps for his convenience, but
certainly not to treat them with wanton cruelty, and as it is not in his
power to give them any thing so valuable as their liberty, it is, in my
opinion, criminal to enslave them in order to procure ourselves a vain
amusement, if we have so little feeling as to find any while others
suffer.'
'I believe madam,' replied Lamont, 'it is most advisable for me not to
attempt to defend what I have said; should I have reason on my side,
while you have humanity on yours, I should make but a bad figure in the
argument. What advantage could I expect from applying to the
understanding, while your amiable disposition would captivate even
reason itself? But still I am puzzled; what we behold is certainly an
inclosure, how can that be without a confinement to those that are
within it?'
'After having spoken so much against tyranny,' said Miss Mancel,
smiling, 'I do not know whether I should be excusable if I left you to
be tyrannized by curiosity, which I believe can inflict very severe
pains, at least, if I may be allowed to judge by the means people often
take to satisfy it. I will therefore gratify you with the knowledge of
what is within this inclosure, which makes so extraordinary an
impression upon you. It is, then, an asylum for those poor creatures who
are rendered miserable from some natural deficiency or redundancy. Here
they find refuge from the tyranny of those wretches, who seem to think
that being two or three feet taller gives them a right to make them a
property, and expose their unhappy forms to the contemptuous curiosity
of the unthinking multitude. Procrustes has been branded through all
ages with the name of tyrant; and principally, as it appears, from
fitting the body of every stranger to a bed which he kept as the
necessary standard, cutting off the legs of those whose height exceeded
the length of it and stretching on the rack such as fell short of that
measure, till they attained the requisite proportion. But is not almost
every man a Procrustes? We have not the power of shewing our cruelty
exactly in the same method, but actuated by the like spirit, we abridge
of their liberty, and torment by scorn, all who either fall short, or
exceed the usual standard, if they happen to have the additional
misfortune of poverty. Perhaps we are in no part more susceptible than
in our vanity, how much then must those poor wretches suffer, whose
deformity would lead them to wish to be secluded from human view, in
being exposed to the public, whose observations are no better than
expressions of scorn, and who are surprised to find that any thing less
than themselves can speak, or appear like intelligent beings. But this
is only part of what they have to endure. As if their deficiency in
height deprived them of the natural right to air and sunshine, they are
kept confined in small rooms, and because they fill less space than
common, are stuffed into chairs so little, that they are squeezed as
close as a pair of gloves in a walnut-shell.
'This miserable treatment of persons, to whom compassion should secure
more than common indulgence, determined us to purchase these worst sort
of slaves, and in this place we have five who owed their wretchedness to
being only three foot high, one grey-headed toothless old man of sixteen
years of age, a woman of about seven foot in height, and a man who would
be still taller, if the extreme weakness of his body, and the wretched
life he for some time led, in the hands of one of these monster-mongers,
did not make him bend almost double, and oblige him to walk on crutches;
with which infirmities he is well pleased, as they reduce him nearer the
common standard.'
We were very desirous of seeing this enfranchised company; but Mrs.
Morgan told us it was what they seldom granted, for fear of inflicting
some of the pains from which they had endeavoured to rescue those poor
creatures, but she would step in, and ask if they had no objection to
our admission, and if that appeared really the case she would gratify
us.
This tenderness to persons who were under such high obligations, charmed
me. She soon returned with the permission we wished, but intreated us to
pay all our attention to the house and garden, and to take no more than
a civil notice of its inhabitants. We promised obedience, and followed
her. Her advice was almost unnecessary, for the place could not have
failed of attracting our particular observation. It was a quadrangle of
about six acres, and the inward part was divided by nets into eight
parts, four of which alternatively were filled with poultry of all
sorts, which were fed here for the use of the hall, and kept with the
most exact cleanliness. The other four parts were filled with shrubs and
flowers, which were cultivated with great delight by these once
unfortunate, but now happy beings. A little stream ran across the
quadrangle, which served for drink to the poultry, and facilitated the
watering of the flowers. I have already said, that at the inward edge of
the pale was a row of evergreens; at their feet were beds of flowers,
and a little gravel walk went round the whole. At each corner was an
arbour made with woodbines and jessamine, in one or two of which there
was always an agreeable shade.
At one side of the quadrangle was a very neat habitation, into which a
dwarf invited us to enter, to rest ourselves after our walk; they were
all passing backwards and forwards, and thus gave us a full view of
them, which would have been a shocking sight, but for the reflections we
could not avoid making on their happy condition, and the very
extraordinary humanity of the ladies to whom they owed it; so that
instead of feeling the pain one might naturally receive from seeing the
human form so disgraced, we were filled with admiration of the human
mind, when so nobly exalted by virtue, as it is in the patronesses of
these poor creatures, who wore an air of cheerfulness, which shewed they
thought the churlishness wherewith they had been treated by nature
sufficiently compensated. The tender inquiries the ladies made after
their healths, and the kind notice they took of each of them, could not
be exceeded by any thing but the affection, I might almost say
adoration, with which these people beheld their benefactresses.
This scene had made too deep an impression on our minds not to be the
subject of our discourse all the way home, and in the course of
conversation, I learnt that when these people were first rescued out of
their misery, their healths were much impaired, and their tempers more
so; to restore the first, all medicinal care was taken, and air and
exercise assisted greatly in their recovery; but to cure the malady of
the mind, and conquer that internal source of unhappiness, was a work of
longer time. Even these poor wretches had their vanity, and would
contend for superior merit, of which the argument was the money their
keepers had gained in exhibiting them. To put an end to this contention,
the ladies made them understand that what they thought a subject for
boasting, was only a proof of their being so much farther from the usual
standard of the human form, and therefore a more extraordinary
spectacle. But it was long before one of them could be persuaded to lay
aside her pretensions to superiority, which she claimed on account of an
extraordinary honour she had received from a great princess, who had
made her a present of a sedan chair.
At length, however, much reasoning and persuasion, a conviction of
principles, of which they had before no knowledge, the happiness of
their situation, and the improvement of their healths, concurred to
sweeten their tempers and they now live in great harmony. They are
entirely mistresses of their house, have two maids to wait on them, over
whom they have sole command, and a person to do such little things in
their garden as they cannot themselves perform; but the cultivation of
it is one of their great pleasures; and by their extraordinary care,
they have the satisfaction of presenting the finest flowers of the
spring to their benefactresses, before they are blown in any other
place.