be more gratifying to speak of the one
thousand and twenty-seven portraits
of kings and princes, and great men
of all classes; with the splendid groups
and views, domestic and foreign, with
which its galleries and state rooms are
filled. These are the real luxuries of
this palace. The best efforts of more
than 250 of the most distinguished
painters, besides the Cartoons of
Raffaelle, are hung round the walls
of this ancient residence of kings.
They are mostly in good preservation.
The cartoons were prepared as designs
for the arras weaver, and furnish the
richest feasts to the real amateurs of
this fine art. No one, of any taste,
in less than a month, could satisfy
himself with the pictures in this place.
Here are all the renowned Admi-
rals, Statesmen, Philosophers, Ora-
tors, Generals, Kings, and Queens, of
three centuries, with the most distin-
guished Ladies of different Courts-
models of female beauty, according to
the standard of the times in which
they lived.
Here are also Apostles,
Prophets, Evangelists, Popes, Bishops
-Bible characters, scenes, groups,
events. Here also are fancy sketches,
with many of the saints of both Eng-
lish and Roman superstition. The
Pantheon and St. Peter's, as well as
the Church of England, have also
contributed to ornament these rooms.
The landscapes introduced are of the
richest character. Sea pieces, fleets,
battles, naval engagements, views of
rivers, mountains, cities, country seats,
&c. furnish matter of reflection for
every mind that visits Hampton
Court, and keeps up a communion
between the living and the dead.

and servants as will keep the entire premises always in the best possible style.

Not a farthing is allowed to be paid to any servant by any visitor, for any attendance which may be given him, in showing him the palace or the surrounding premises. All is as free as the public highways, and a little freer than some of them.

Visitors are arriving every morning by hundreds. They are taken through the palace in groups, or companies, from ten to fifty at a time, as may happen. Their guides give general information on all subjects connected with the history of the rooms and furniture, and are generally as polite and communicative as though they were to be paid for their services by the visitors. Last year the number of visitors is reported as amounting to 170,889. I was pleased to see the good manners of all present during my visit, especially in the care that all took to injure nothing by a single touch of the finger, or by placing a foot on forbidden ground. The only printed inhibitions which I saw were very happily expressed on boards placed at proper points, saying, "Whatever is kept for public use, entertainment, and pleasure, it is the duty of that public to preserve inviolate;" or in words to this effect. The keeper of the private gardens. amounting to some three acres or more, and the keeper of the "maze," without whom neither can be enjoyed, are allowed to receive an optional fee from those who call for their attendance. I have only to regret, in the arangements at Hampton Court And now when all is said that a Palace, that it is kept open on the hasty sketch and a few pages can Lord's day, and that, consequently, a afford, no adequate conception either greater number attend on that day of the palace, or the gardens, or the than on any other. Indeed, exceptpleasure grounds and parks, extend-ing Mondays, more attend on Suning far and wide, can be given. It days than on any other four days of is, indeed, worthy of a great Queen the week. and a great nation, to open all these grounds and treasures to the public, and to retain such suites of stewards

I hope to be excused for the long details I have given of this most interesting of English palaces. It will

K

serve as a standard of reference and comparison in relation to others, and render particular details hereafter unnecessary. It is due to the memory of Charles I. to say, that his collections and additions to the paintings and pictures of Hampton Court are of the finest taste. His collections were the richest in Europe. He was, indeed, an amateur of the first order, and greatly enriched England and Europe by patronizing the fine arts. The first collections of Europe are still adorned with the fruits of his taste and his liberality. I saw, the other day, in the Palace of the Tuilleries, in the Louvre, some of the spoils of his liberality, and wherever they appear, they do honour to his genius and taste.

Brother Henshall and myself spent a day at Windsor Palace. It is 21 miles from London, but we arrived there in about an hour by the railroad and omnibusses. This is usually regarded as the most splendid of the palaces of English sovereigns. It is, indeed, among castellated palaces, a noble structure, and one of the most magnificent in the world. Its towers and castle occupy some 32 acres. It was originally built by William I. but greatly enlarged by successive | sovereigns down to the reign of George the Fourth, whose latter days were spent here. It stands upon a commanding eminence, and surveys a very extensive horizon. The architecture is truly grand and magnificent. We made the tour of the eleven grand state rooms in the palace, which, indeed, are all that are now shown to the public, as the Queen's rooms, occupied by Her Majesty a portion of the year, are not shown. Of those we saw we shall only notice "the hall of Saint George," which is 200 feet long, 34 wide, and 32 high. Its ceiling is Gothic-a flat Gothic arch with ribs or mouldings springing from corbels on the walls. The entire ceiling is divided into thirteen bays, and each of these into twenty-four

smaller ones, containing each two shields, emblazoned with the armorial bearings of all the Knights of the Garter, from the institution of the order down to the present time-a period of 500 years. Portraits of all the sovereigns of England, from James I. to George IV. are placed full-length, on the panels round this room. Every thing here, even the steps to the king's throne on the east end of the room, is of oak. The carpet is of an oak pattern, in panels with a cross in the centre. Three hundred persons could dine with comfort at the table now standing in this hall.

There are two royal parks around this palace-one containing 500 acres, extending four miles in length down to the Thames. There are many noble and interesting trees in it; amongst these yet survives the Herne's Oak, mentioned in the "Merry Wives of Windsor." The great park contains 1800 acres, and is stocked with thousands of deer. In this is a beautiful avenue of trees, called "The Long Walk," extending three miles down to Snow Hill. There are also lakes or fish-ponds in it, of which I cannot speak particularly. If Windsor be the most august and imposing of English palaces, I must be allowed to say that Hampton Court is the most beautiful.

Having noticed Buckingham, St. James's, Hampton, and Windsor Palaces, with Kensington and Whitehall, I need not add to these the Marlborough House, the Somerset House, or the Palace in the Isle of Wight, at which the Queen spends some part of the summer. It is said to be a beautiful summer residence. But I may be asked, why dwell so long on these? why expatiate on such displays of worldly grandeur and of worldly glory? I have what I presume to call good and relevant reasons. I desired to see the glory of England, and to give a glimpse of it to my readers, as a text for our reflections. All that the world can bestow

on man is shown in these displays of regal magnificence. And who can find, or who has found in these pageants any more than king Solomon found and displayed almost three thousand years ago?" Vanity of vanities! all is vanity!"

If

wretched, who have not a house, nor a home, nor a place to lay their heads. I find industrious working men, sometimes Christian men, heads of families, with four or six children, working from twelve to fifteen hours per diem, for eight or ten shillings per week. This is the whole avails of their labour. From this ten shillings they pay house rent, or cellar or garret rent-clothe themselves— feed themselves and their families. Of these, too, I learn there are many, very many, in all the towns and cities and their suburbs. The country has its thousands and tens of thousands of such cases.

A hosier by trade earns his seven and sixpence or nine shillings per week. A good field hand told me he got twelve pounds, some sixty dollars per annum, out of which he

The youthful face of England's Queen is as care-worn as that of any mother in America who can show such five lusty children as those of her Majesty. Palaces, and gardens, and parks, and promenades, and all the peculiar treasures of kings, cannot soothe a troubled conscience, relieve an aching heart, or sweeten the bitter cup of anguish which all must taste, soon or late, in life's weary pilgrimage. But how do these artificial and fading glories delude their possessors! The Queen of England can scarcely be expected to know herself. She is surrounded with flatterers and wor-supported a wife and two children. shippers, in whose incense she lives, and moves, and thinks, and acts. it was said by the Great Teacher, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter the kingdom of heaven," may we not rationally infer that it will be much more difficult for Kings, and Queens, and Lordbishops, to enter into heaven? As the Queen of proud England and the Head of her Church, how can she feel as a Christian! How can she humble herself, and become as a little child! True, indeed, there is many a Duchess, and Marchioness, and Lady in England, still more elated, glorified, and worshipped, as she imagines, in her own circle. And many a gay commoner of the untitled women in England and America, in the midst of her worshippers, is altogether intoxicated, and beyond the point of sober reflection. Still, with all these admissions, there is no lady in England so much in danger from simple position, as the very clever, prudent, and popular Queen Victoria!

In the cities, especially in London, I see thousands of little children in the streets, bearing all the insignia of squalid, wretched poverty. In passing and repassing, I find myself often counting the numbers that I see in one street abandoned to wretchedness and degradation. No school for them -no table-no bed-no book—no teacher. I dare not presume to estimate their numbers; but there certainly is a fearful multitude. For every Prince, and Lord, and Nobleman, there are likely thousands of these. For every palace, there are multitudes without a cottage, a hut, or a home. I ask myself, Is this the price of a splendid monarchy! Are these the conditions in which royal palaces are reared! Are hierarchies and Gothic Cathedrals- -are Lordbishops and Metropolitans, with their St. Pauls' and St. Peters', the fruit or the cause of so much ignorance, poverty, and crime? If so, then let me have a land without palaces, a country without splendid parks and But I have another view of this gardens, cities without Gothic temsubject to present. I also make my-ples, a nation without Lords, and a self acquainted with the poor and community without beggars, starva

tion, and pestilence.-Your father, with us; the unveiled spiritual glomost affectionately,