would probably never have appeared to so much advantage, had her afflictions been less. How much, my friend, should the purifying and ennobling fruits of affliction, which have so often been manifested in every rank of life, reconcile us to them. How merciful is it in our heavenly Father to dash from our lips the intoxicating cup of uninterrupted success, when he sees that its fumes would strip us of our reason, and unfit us for an intercourse with himself. How valuable and important is the religious sentiment, which can, by producing acquiescence and resignation, extract good out of evil, or rather rectify our erroneous judgment, and teach us that nothing is in itself really evil, which carries forward the moral discipline of

man.

I think I cannot more appropriately conclude this letter, than by transcribing the following translation of Mary's celebrated Sonnet on leaving France-it is from the pen of the late John Baynes, Esq.

Ah! pleasant land of France, farewell;
My country dear,

Where many a year

Of early youth I lov'd to dwell,

Farewell for ever, happy days,

The ship that parts our loves conveys

But half of me. One half behind

I leave with thee, dear France, to prove
A token of my endless love,

And bring the other to thy mind.

No comment is necessary to point out the simplicity and tenderness of this thought. Farewell, and believe me to be your affectionate and faithful friend, &c.

DEAR MADAM,

LETTER IX.

Lea-wood, August 11, 1803.

-a

WE have seen the celebrated CHATSWORTHparty of seventeen were formed, and, as it is fifteen miles from this place, we set out immediately after breakfast. The road passes by Matlock baths, through Hackney-lane, by Darley church and its neat little parsonage. We then pass the village of Rowsley on the left, and, on the right, Stone Cliff, an old house, finely situated, and once the residence of Mr. Etherington, who, some years ago, fell a victim to the passion or affection of a deserted female. Edensor is the parish in which Chatsworth is situated, and has a neat church, dedicated to St. Peter. The place is small, and many of its inhabitants find employment and support at Chatsworth. The family, however, are not often there, and the general appearance of the apartments is that of a neglected abode.

This noble mansion has but a heavy appearance, and I cannot say that it impresses one with an idea of great magnificence. It is built round a large square court, and has two principal fronts..

After passing the porter's lodge, we were conducted, through a long court, to the ante-room, and from thence into another court, round which the apartments are built-on the two opposite sides is a colonnade-large festoons of armour and mili tary trophies, entwined with branches of palm and flowers, carved in stone, adorn the outside of this interior front, and, in the centre of the court, is a fountain, with a statue of Orpheus, or Arion, in the middle.

The hall is finely painted, mostly by Vario. The long side is Cæsar offering a sacrifice; the end is his death in the senate-house-the figure of Brutus is very fine; on the ceiling is his apotheosis, and reception amongst the gods.

A fine flight of steps, all of Derbyshire marble, occupies the upper end of the hall, and by them we ascended to a long gallery, which leads to the chapel. This is sufficiently spacious, and handsomely fitted up. The floor is marble, and the seats are made of cedar. The carved work, which is exquisitely beautiful, and, which appears more or less in all the principal apartments, was executed by Cibber and Gibbons.. On each side of the altar are the statues of Faith and Hope, the work of Cibber, the draperies of which are uncommonly fine, The walls are covered with

paintings. On the side opposite the windows, the principal miracles of our Saviour are represented in one long group-the sensations of pain, and beamings of hope, in those who are only approaching the Redeemer, are finely blended; and in such as are actually restored, ease and gratitude as fully depicted. The ceiling contains the Ascension; and, over the altar, is a fine painting of the incredulity of Thomas.

From the chapel, we entered a large room fitted

in a modern style. It is hung with a figured silk taberet, the furniture of the same. The glasses are very large and handsome, and the slabs of statuary marble uncommonly fine. Other rooms, in this story, contain a few portraits, and some other pictures, worthy of notice.

In the attic story, we first entered the Painted Chamber, ornamented by the pencil of Sir James Thornhill. The principal picture is the Rape of the Sabine Women-in this there are some very interesting figures. Exquisite carvings, and a few good paintings, adorn the several rooms on this story. In one of the closets is a picture by Salvator Rosa, of the Discovery of Ulysses in the Island of Lemnos. In one of the larger rooms are the chairs and stools used by their present Majesties at their coronation; they are of white satin beautifully flowered, and were a perquisite of of fice to the late Duke of Devonshire, as Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold to George III. In one of the chambers upon this story is also the

bed upon which that excellent prince, George II. breathed his last-the posts are plain oak, the furniture crimson damask, and now greatly fadedthis also was a perquisite of office.

The last rooms we saw were those called the apartments of Mary Queen of Scots: it is certain, however, she could never have seen them, for the present house was not built till above a century after her death; but in all probability they are erected in the same place where the apartments, which she actually occupied in the old mansion, stood. In the bed-chamber is a crimson velvet bed, and an old carved arm-chair, which, we were told, were really used by the royal captive-I rather doubt this, for, though evidently old, and much tarnished, they seemed too modern for that period. The articles shewn at Hardwick, as the work of Mary, or as actually used by her, appear to have higher claims of genuineness. There is no doubt but that, in the old mansion of Chatsworth, Mary was some years a prisoner; her second letter to Pope Pius, dated October 31, 1570, was written from thence.

Chatsworth House stands in a wide and deep valley, and near the foot of a high mountain, which is covered with wood. At the highest point of this eminence is a square building, with a rounded tower at each corner, called the Hunting Tower, or Stand. The top is covered with lead, and, though it is ninety feet high, in the valley only the top of it can be seen; from thence its