Much of this feems appertaining to Parade, and therefore I am glad to leave it to defcribe the reft, which is all for Conveniency; as firft, a covered Paffage from the Kitchen without Doors, and another down to the Cellars, and all the Offices within. Near this, a large and lightfome Back-ftairs leads up to such an Entry above, as fecures our private Bed-chambers both from Noife and Cold. Here we have neceffary Dreffing-rooms, Servants Rooms, and Clofets, from which are the preasanteft Views of all the House, with a little Door for Communication between this private Apartment and the great

one.

These Stairs, and those of the fame kind at the other End of the House, carry us up to the highest Story, fitted for the Women and Children, with Floors fo contrived, as to prevent all Noise over my Wife's Head, during the Mysteries of Lucina.

In mentioning the Court at firft, I forgot the two Wings in it, built on Stone Arches, which join the House Corridors, fupported on Ionic Pillars. In one of thefe Wings is a large Kitchen, thirty Feet high, with an open Cupola on the Top; near it a Larder, Brewhouse, and Landry, with Rooms over them for Servants. The upper fort of Servants are lodged in the other Wing, which has alfo two Wardrobes, and a Storeroom for Fruit. On the top of all, a leaden Ciftern, holding fifty Tuns of Water, driven up by an Engine from the Thames, fupplies all the Water-works in the Courts and Gardens, which lie quite round the House; through one of which, a Grafs Walk conducts to the Stables, built round a Court, with fix Coach-houses, and forty Stalls,

I will add but one thing more before I carry you into the Garden, and that is about walking too; but 'tis on the Top of all the House, which being covered with smooth mill'd Lead, and defended, by a Parapet of Ballufters, from all Apprehenfion, as well as Danger, entertains the Eye with a far diftant Profpect of Hills and Dales, and a near one of Parks and Gardens.

To thefe Gardens we go down from the House by feven Steps into a Gravel Walk, that reaches across the whole Garden, with a covered Arbour at each End of it. Another of thirty Feet broad, leads from the Front of the House, and lies between two Groves of tall Lime-trees, planted in feveral equal Ranks, upon a Carpet of Grafs; the Outfides of these Groves are bordered with Tubs of Bays and Orange-trees.

At the End of this broad Walk you go up to a Terrace, four hundred Paces long, with a large Semicircle in the Middle, from whence is beheld the Queen's two Parks, and a great Part of Surry; then going down a few Steps, you walk on the Bank of a Canal fix hundred Yards long and feventeen broad, with two Rows of Limes on each fide of it.

On one side of this Terrace, a Wall covered with Rofes and Jeffamines, is made low, to admit the View of a Meadow full of Cattle juft under it (no difagreeable Object in the midst of a great City) and at each End, a Defcent in Parterres, with Fountains and Water-works.

From the biggest of these Parterres, we pafs into a little fquare Garden that has a Fountain in the Middle, and two Green-houfes on the Sides, with a convenient Bathing Apartment in one of them, and near another Part of it, lies a

Flower

Flower-garden. Below all this, a Kitchengarden, full of the beft Sorts of Fruits, has feveral Walks in it, fit for the coldest Weather.

Thus I have done with a tedious Defcription, only one Thing I forgot, though of more Satiffaction to me, than all the reft, which I fancy you guess already; and it is a little Closet of Books at the End of that Green-houfe, which joins the beft Apartment; which, befides their being fo very near, are ranked in fuch a Method, that by its Mark a very Irish Footman may fetch any Book I want.

Under the Windows of this Closet, and Greenhoufe, is a little Wildernefs of Black-birds and Nightingals. The Trees though planted by mytelf, require lopping already, to prevent their bindering the View of that fine Canal in the Park.

After all this (to a Friend I will expofe my Weakness as an Inftance of the Mind's Unquietnefs under the most pleafing Enjoyments) I am oftner miffing a pretty Gallery in the old Houfe I pulled down, than pleafed with a Saloon which I built in its ftead though a thousand Times better in all manner of Refpects.

And now (Pour faire bonne bouche, with a grave. Reflection) it were well for us, if this Incapacity of being intirely contented, was as fure a Proof of our being referved for Happiness in another World, as it is of our Frailty and Imperfection in this; I confefs the Divines tell us fo, but though I believe a future State more firmly than a great many of them appear to do, by their inordinate Defires of the good Things in this; yet I own my Faith is founded, not on the fallacious Arguments of Preachers, but on that

adora

adorable Conjunction of unbounded Power and Goodness, which certainly muft fome way recompence hereafter, fo many Thousands of innocent Wretches created to be fo miferable here.

LETTER LXV.

To the Duke of Buckingham.

LINY was one of thofe few Authors, who had a warm House over his Head, nay, two Houses, as appears by two of his Epifties. I believe, if any of his cotemporary Authors, durft have informed the Public where they lodged, we fhould have found the Garrets of Rome as well inhabited as thofe of Fleet-Street; but 'tis dangerous to let Creditors into fuch a Secret, therefore, we may prefume that then, as well as now-a-days, no body knew where they lived but their Bookfellers. It feems that when Virgil came to Rome, he had no Lodging at all: He firft introduced himself to Auguftus by an Epigram, beginning, Natte pluit tota an Obfervation, which probably he had not made, unless he had lain all Night in the Street. Where Juvenal lived, we cannot affirm; but in one of his Satires he complains of the exceffive Price of Lodgings; neither do I think, he would have talked fo feelingly of the Shortness of Codrus's Bed, if there had been room for a Bedfellow in it. I believe with all the Oftentation of Pliny, he would have been glad to have changed both his Houfes, for your Grace's one; which is a Country-house in the Summer, and a Townhouse in the Winter; and must be owned to.

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be the properest Habitation for a wife Man, who fees all the World change every Seafon, without ever changing himself. I have been reading a Description of Pliny's Houfe, with an Eye to yours, but finding they will bear no Comparison, will try if it can be matched by the large Countryfeat I inhabit at prefent; and fee what Figure it may make by the Help of a florid Description.

You must expect nothing regular in my Defcription, any more than in the Houfe; the whole vaft Edifice is fo disjointed, and the several Parts of it fo detached one from the other, and yet fo joining again, one cannot tell how, that in one of my poetical Fits, I imagined it had been a Village in Amphion's Time, where the Cottages having taking a Country Dance together, had been all out, and stood Stone-still with Amazement ever fince.

You must excufe me, if I fay nothing of the Front, indeed I do not know which it is? A Stranger would be grievously disappointed who endeavoured to get into this House the right Way. One would reasonably expect after the Entry through the Porch, to be let into the Hall; alas nothing lefs! you find yourself in the House-ofoffice. From the Parlour, you think to step into the Drawing-room, but upon opening the Ironnailed-door, you are convinced by a Flight of Birds about your Ears, and a Cloud of Duft in your Eyes, that it is the Pidgeon-house. If you come into the Chapel, you find its Altars like those of the Ancients, continually fmoaking, but it is with the Steams of the adjoining Kitchen. The great Hall within, is high and spacious, flanked on one Side with a very long Table, a true Image of ancient Hospitality; the Walls are