own
drawing-room, or, rather, commanded my attendance. A very beautiful room
it is, opening on a terrace, and wainscoted with miniature paintings
interesting from their merit, and interesting from their history. Among
them I remarked a great many,--thirty, I should think,--which even I,
who am no great connoisseur, saw at once could come from no hand but
Stothard's. They were all on subjects from Lord Byron's poems. "Yes,"
said she; "poor Lord Byron sent them to me a short time before the
separation. I sent them back, and told him that, if he gave them away,
he ought to give them to Lady Byron. But he said that he would not, and
that if I did not take them, the bailiffs would, and that they would be
lost in the wreck." Her ladyship then honoured me so far as to conduct
me through her dressing-room into the great family bedchamber to show me
a very fine picture by Reynolds of Fox, when a boy, birds-nesting. She
then consigned me to Luttrell, asking him to show me the grounds.

Through the grounds we went, and very pretty I thought them. In the
Dutch garden is a fine bronze bust of Napoleon, which Lord Holland put
up in 1817, while Napoleon was a prisoner at St. Helena. The inscription
was selected by his lordship, and is remarkably happy. It is from
Homer's Odyssey. I will translate it, as well as I can extempore, into a
measure which gives a better idea of Homer's manner than Pope's singsong
couplet.

For not, be sure, within the grave
Is hid that prince, the wise, the brave;
But in an islet's narrow bound,
With the great Ocean roaring round,
The captive of a foeman base
He pines to view his native place.

There is a seat near the spot which is called Rogers's seat. The poet
loves, it seems, to sit there. A very elegant inscription by Lord
Holland is placed over it.

"Here Rogers sate; and here for ever dwell
With me those pleasures which he sang so well."

Very neat and condensed, I think. Another inscription by Luttrell hangs
there. Luttrell adjured me with mock pathos to spare his blushes; but I
am author enough to know what the blushes of authors mean. So I read
the lines, and very pretty and polished they were, but too many to be
remembered from one reading.

Having gone round the grounds I took my leave, very much pleased with
the place. Lord Holland is extremely kind. But that is of course; for he
is kindness itself. Her ladyship too, which is by no means of course, is
all graciousness and civi