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CHAPTER XIII.

HAMPTON COURT PALACE (continued).

"A place which Nature's choicest gifts adorn,

Where Thames' kind streams in gentle currents turn,
The name of Hampton hath for ages borne ;

Here such a palace shows great Henry's care,
As Sol ne'er views in his exalted sphere,

In all his tedious stage!"-CAMden.

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Early Reminiscences of Hampton Court Palace-Description of the Building-The Principal Entrance-Wolsey's Courts-The Clock Tower Court -A Curious Timepiece-The Great Hall-Theatrical Entertainments given here-The Withdrawing Room-The Kitchen Court-The Fountain Court-Sir Christopher Wren's Alterations and Additions to the Palace-The Chapel-The State Apartments - The "Beauty Room-The Tapestry Gallery-The Cartoons of Raffaelle-The Gardens-The Wilderness and Maze-The Home Park-The Royal Stud House-A Narrow Escape of the Palace.

IT is remarked in OLD AND NEW LONDON that although Windsor Castle is unequalled as a royal residence of the type of a medieval stronghold, yet Hampton Court is, after all, but a poor substitute for the Château of Versailles. Nevertheless, few places possess more attractions than Hampton Court. Its interest is not that of old feudal associations: it was never half-palace, halffortress. It was never surrounded by a moat, nor could it ever boast of a drawbridge or frowning battlements and watch-towers; all these things had been banished by "society" when Hampton Court palace was founded. The better portion of it, as we have shown in the preceding chapter, was the creation of that princely-minded churchman-the last of that race of English dignitaries who combined in themselves the powers and attributes of the priest and the noble. Founded by a cardinal, continued by one king, completed by another, and since inhabited by many of royal blood and station, and containing within its walls some of the finest efforts of the painter, and the most elaborate productions of the obsolete but beautiful skill of the workers of tapestry, Hampton Court palace is a building that well repays the visitor. Nor are these attractions confined to the palace itself: its parks and gardens, extending to many hundreds of acres, are equally attractive, and afford plenty of scope for the most reflective mind to ruminate upon, or for the most frivolous to carry out the best of his enjoyment in his own peculiar way.

The Rev. A. C. Cox, in his "Impressions of England," writes :-" In the grounds of the palace, and in Bushey Park, I found a formal grandeur, so entirely becoming a past age, and so unusual in this, that it impressed me with a feeling of melancholy the most profound. Those avenues of chestnuts and thorns, those massive colonnades and dreamy vistas, wear a desolate and dreary aspect of by

• See Vol IV., p. 122.

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gone glory, in view of which my spirits could not rise. They seemed only a fit haunt for airy echoes, repeating an eternal Where? Nothing later than the days of Queen Anne seems to belong to the spot. You pass from scenes in which you cannot but imagine Pope conceiving, for the first time, his 'Rape of the Lock,' into a more trim and formal spot, where William of Orange seems likely to appear before you, with Bishop Burnet buzzing about him, and a Dutch guard following in the rear. Then, again, James the Second, with the Pope's nuncio at his elbow, and a coarse mistress flaunting at his side, might seem to promise an immediate apparition; when once more the scene changes, and the brutal Cromwell is the only character who can be imagined in the forlorn area, with a file of musketeers in the background, descried through a shadowy archway. Here is a lordly chamber, where the meditative Charles may be conceived as startled by the echo of their tread; and here another, where he embraces for the last time his beloved children. There, at last, is Wolsey's hall, and here one seems to behold old Bluebeard leading forth Anne Boleyn to a dance. It still retains its ancient appearance, and is hung with mouldering tapestry and faded banners, although its gilding and colours have been lately renewed. The ancient devices of the Tudors are seen here and there in windows and tracery, and the cardinal's hat of the proud churchman who projected the splendours of the place still survives in glass, whose brittle beauty has thus proved less perishable than his worldly glory.

"Yet let no one suppose the magnificence of Hampton Court to consist in its architecture. Onehalf is the mere copy of St. James's, and the other is the stupid novelty of Dutch William. The whole together, with its parks and with its history, is what one feels and admires. I am not sure but Royal Jamie, with his bishops and his Puritans on either side, was as often before me when traversing

Hampton Court.]

WOLSEY'S COURTS.

159 the pile, as anything else and for him and his the area of the outer court are barracks and suchconference the place seems fit enough, having like offices; the greater part of the right side is something of Holyrood about it, and something open towards the river. In front are two other scholastic or collegiate also. Queen Victoria gateways-that to the left leading to the "kitchen should give it to the Church, as a college for the court," the other conducting to the first quadrangle. poor, and so add dignity to her benevolence, which This chief gateway is in excellent keeping with the has already turned it into a show for her darling older parts of the building. It is flanked with 'lower classes.' I honour the queen for this con- octagon towers, pierced with a fine pointed arch, descension to the people; and yet, as I followed over which are cut, in high relief, the royal arms, troops of John Gilpins through the old apartments, and above them projects a large and handsome and observed their inanimate stare and booby ad- bay window, framed of stone. miration, it did strike me that a nobler and a larger benefit might be conferred upon them in a less incongruous way. Perhaps the happiest thought would be to make it for the clergy just what Chelsea is to the army and Greenwich to the naval service."

As we pass round the open courts and issue from under the low archways, we almost expect a robed and chained official of "the cardinal's" splendid household admonishing a "clerk of the kitchen," or conversing with a "gentleman of the chamber;" nor would it startle the ear of fancy to hear the silence broken by the hearty, but coarse, laugh of "bluff King Hal" himself, sauntering familiarly with the cardinal, during one of those visits when the monarch came to Hampton to enjoy the hospitality-and, alas! to envy the splendour of his host. We wander into the blooming, though rather formally-disposed gardens; and as we saunter up a shady avenue we can almost hear the rustle of the silks and brocades of a group of lords and ladies attending the royal Anne.

In imagination it is easy to picture to oneself the Watteau-like group formed by the Belindas and Sir Plumes of the age when Pope wrote his " Rape of the Lock"; when French glitter was spread over Dutch uniformity, as they loiter by the side of the canal, the beaux elaborately complimentary, and the belles condescendingly attentive, yet with a dash of something that keeps familiarity at fan's length. But it is time now to pass from these fanciful themes to a description of the reality.

Through this archway is entered the first of Wolsey's courts remaining. There were originally five courts, the three first of which were pulled down to make way for William III.'s great square mass of brickwork. The writers who saw the palace in its glory describe it in entirety as the most splendid palace in Europe. Grotius says:"Other palaces are residences of kings; but this is of the gods." Hentzner, who saw it in Elizabeth's time, speaks of it with astonishment, and says:— "The rooms, being very numerous, are adorned with tapestry of gold, silver, and velvet, in some of which were woven history pieces; in others Turkish and Armenian dresses, all extremely natural. In one chamber are several excessively rich tapestries, which are hung up when the queen gives audience to foreign ambassadors. All the walls of the palace shine with gold and silver. Here is likewise a certain cabinet, called 'Paradise,' where, besides that everything glitters so with silver, gold, and jewels, as to dazzle one's eyes, there is a musical instrument made all of glass, except the strings."

The two courts which remain are said to have consisted only of offices; and, indeed, in old views of the palace the first court is represented much lower than the next, which did not itself nearly equal the stateliness of the rest. Mr. Howitt, in his "Visits to Remarkable Places," observes that "the old dark red brick walls, with still darker lines of bricks in diamond shapes running along them the mixture of Gothic archways and square mullioned windows-the battlemented roofs, turrets, and cupolas, and tall twisted and cross-banded chimneys, all are deeply interesting, as belonging to the unquestionable period of Wolsey-belonging altogether to that Tudor or transition style when castles were fast turning into peaceful mansions, and the beauties of ecclesiastical architecture were called in to aid in giving ornament where before

Skirting the picturesque green, or common, of Hampton, the visitor enters the palace through an archway in the western quadrangle-that portion of the edifice appropriated, for the most part, to families who have obtained small Government pensions, with apartments in the palace. The west front exhibits, to some disadvantage, the monastic style of architecture, with all its stateliness and gloom. The pillars of the principal gate-strength had only been required." way are surmounted by a large lion and unicorn, as supporters of the royal arms, and each of the side gates by a military trophy. Along the left side of

Of late years attempts have been made here and there at a restoration in the original style of such portions of the original structure as required

and showing the time of day or night as it passes the twenty-four figures-two sets of twelve-painted on the stonework within which the dial revolves. The diameter of this outer immovable circle on the

repair; and quite recently the fine oak gates, which | month (only twenty-eight for February), the third the had been laid aside as lumber for many years, have signs of the zodiac, and on the rim, with 30 degrees been re-hung, after careful repair, at the entrance for each space filled by a sign, a circle divided into gateway; they are of massive dimensions, are 360 parts. A long pointer, with a gilded figure of ornamented with the usual linen-fold pattern, and the sun attached, projecting from behind the second are evidently of Wolsey's time. The outer face of disc, shows on this third or outermost disc of the the gates is pierced with shot and bullet-holes, dial the day of the month and the position of the which may have been occasioned during skirmishes sun in the ecliptic. This pointer performs another in the civil wars, when fighting was going on out-duty, acting like the hour-hand of an ordinary clock, side the palace between the Cavaliers and Roundheads; or, as has been suggested, the holes may have been made through the gates having been set up as targets for the villagers of Hampton. The work of restoration has included the vault-stone is 9ft. Sin., and the figures of the hours, ing and flanking turrets of the gateway, and also the vaulting to the gateway of the second, or Clock-tower Court, which we now enter. This court, called also the "middle quadrangle," is somewhat smaller than the former, measuring 133 feet from north to south, and about 100 from east to west. It received the name of the Clock Court from an astronomical clock which adorns the gateway on the east side. This curious and antique timepiece was removed some years ago, but in 1880 the dial was replaced, and now, with new works by Messrs. Gillett and Bland, again shows not only the hours of the day and night, but also, among other things, the day of the month, the motion of the sun and moon, the age of the moon, the phases and quarters of the moon, and other interesting matters connected with the lunar movements. The dial is composed of three separate copper discs of different sizes, with a common centre, but revolving at various rates. The smallest of these is 3ft. 3in in diameter, and in the middle of this is a slighly projected globe, painted to represent the earth. The quarters marked on the centre disc by thick lines are numbered with large figures, and round the edge this disc is divided into twentyfour parts, a red arrow painted on the second disc pointing to these figures, and showing at once the quarter in which the moon is and the time of southing." Next to the figure of the earth in this centre disc, a circular hole, 1oin. in diameter, allows a smaller disc travelling behind to show the phases of the moon. On the second disc, 4ft. 1in. in diameter, but of which only the outer rim is seen, are twenty-nine divisions, and a triangular pointer, projecting from behind the central disc, shows the moon's age in days. The largest of the three discs is 7ft. 10in. in diameter. There are many circles painted on so much of the rim of this as is seen, the inner, or―following the order above observed, and proceeding from the centre-the first circle, giving the names of the months, the second the days of the

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Roman numerals, are 9in. in length. About the original clock very little is known, and even the name of the maker is not to be found in any of the works in which information on a matter of so much interest would be looked for. The date of its construction is known, and but little more. On a bar of the wrought-iron framework to which the dial is fixed is to be found, deeply cut and distinctly engraved, "N.O., 1540." One other evidence of its antiquity is derived from an entry, mentioned by Mr. E. J. Wood, in his "Curiosities of Clocks and Watches," of a payment made in 1575 to one George Gaver, "serjeant painter, for painting the great dial at Hampton Court Palace, containing hours of the day and night, the course of the sun and moon," and so on, though the author has not given a reference to the record in which he found this fact set down. Since Master Gaver exercised his art in decorating the dial-face, many clockmakers, it seems probable, from time to time repaired and altered the works; for Dr. Derham, describing the condition of the clock in 1711, when it had been recently repaired by Mr. Lang Bradley, of Fenchurch Street, said it had been found that the original pricked wheel and pinion had been removed, by some ignorant workman, as he supposed. Judging from the numbers given by Dr. Derham of the toothing of the wheels, the clock, it appears, even with the changes made by Mr. Bradley, could not have performed its functions accurately. It is not unlikely that the astronomical clock had long been useless, for as early as the year 1649 another clock-face had been placed on the other side of this gate-tower, over the entrance to the Great Hall, and a striking part had been added to the works of the clock.

In 1835 the works of the old clock were removed, but what became of them is not known. On the works of the clock removed in 1880 was found the following inscription :-"This clock, originally made for the Queen's Palace in St. James's Palace,

Hampton Court.]

A CURIOUS TIME-PIECE.

161

and for many years in use there, was, A.D. 1835, of the gateways of this court are adorned with the by command of His Majesty King William IV., arms of Henry VIII., whilst on the face of the altered and adapted to suit Hampton Court Palace octagonal turrets on either side of the archway are by B. L. Vulliamy, clock-maker to the King;" and busts of the Cæsars in terra-cotta. These, with on another plate on the clock--" Vulliamy, London, other medallions in the adjoining court, were the No. 352, A.D. 1799.” The motive-power of this gifts of Pope Leo X. to Cardinal Wolsey. Over clock had evidently not been sufficient to drive the archway leading into the Clock Court are in addition the astronomical dial, and the useless the arms of Wolsey, together with his mottodial had been taken down and stowed away in a "Dominus mihi adjutor"-"God is my helper." workshop at the palace, the gap left being filled by The south of the Clock Court is occupied by the a painted board. When Mr. Bland, of the firm of Great Hall. This splendid apartment was builtGillett and Bland, who had been commissioned by or at all events completed-by Henry VIII., whose the Office of Works to make a new clock, examined arms and cognisances enrich the ceiling, after the the wheels by which the dials were to be moved, he death of Wolsey. The archway forming the found by the number of teeth in some of the entrance to the hall has a rich fan-traceried roof. wheels that the astronomical clock could not This handsome groined ceiling, having become possibly have served its purpose. New wheels ruinous and in danger of falling, was restored in were therefore cut. The new works drive both the 1880, the greatest care being taken to preserve and astronomical dial and the hands of the ordinary reproduce the exact form and details of the original. clock-face on the opposite or western side of the The apartment is reached by a short flight of stone tower. In the mechanism many ingenious con- steps. The following details of the hall are quoted trivances have been employed, and the clock is from Mr. Jesse's able description of the building, guaranteed not to vary more than five seconds a in his "Summer's Day at Hampton Court: "week. The bells are in the little hybrid classical "The dimensions of this very noble room are cupola of painted wood which disfigures the nobly--in length 106 feet, in breadth 40 feet, and in proportioned Tudor tower of Cardinal Wolsey's height 60 feet. The roof is very elaborately palace. That on which the hours are struck weighs about 18 cwt., and two smaller bells chime the quarters. The large bell has plainly at some time been hung for ringing, and was probably fixed for striking when the two small bells, which were brought from another tower of the palace, were placed with it. In size, the clock-i.e., the mechanism within the clock-chamber-is, giving over all measurements, 7ft. 6in. long, 3ft. 6in. wide, and 3ft. 6in. deep, the main wheels being 14, 16, and 16 inches respectively in diameter. The clock face, of slate, on the west side of the tower, is 5ft. 8in. in diameter. It may interest the visitor to know that the small circular space, 3ft. in diameter, above the square clock front, now filled with a slab of slate, on which is cut the monogram of William IV., was, as the form of the brickwork behind shows, filled at an earlier period (probably until Vulliamy's clock was put up) by a clock dial, perhaps the one spoken of in a description of the palace in 1649 quoted by Mr. Wood. It is said that in the "clock-case upon the Great Hall there is one large bell and a clock under it, very useful for the whole house, having a fair dial or finger, upon the end of the said Great Hall, facing in the Great Court."

The south side of the Clock Court is partly concealed and disfigured by a colonnade, supported by pillars of the Ionic order, the design of Sir Christopher Wren. The oriel windows above each

timbered, and richly decorated with carvings of several of the royal badges and with pendent ornaments, executed in a style which shows that the Italian taste had already made considerable advances in this country.

"Seven capacious windows on one side, and six on the other side, with a large window at each end, all placed considerably above the floor, throw a fulness of light throughout the apartment. A bay window on the daïs, extending from the upper part of the wall nearly to the floor, contributes very essentially to the cheerfulness of the general effect. This window has been enriched by Mr. Willement with compartments of stained glass, containing the arms, initials, and badges of King Henry VIII., the arms and motto of Queen Jane Seymour, 'Bown'd to obey and serve,' and the full insignia and motto of Wolsey, 'Dominus mihi adjutor.' On the lower part is seen the following inscription-'The lorde Thomas Wulsey, Cardinal, legat de latere, Archbishop of Yorke, and Chancellor of Englande.' The whole of the stained glass in the hall and in the presence-chamber is modern, and of Mr. Willement's fashioning and framing.

"It was, if we may trust tradition, upon one of the panes of glass of this window that Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, so famous for the tenderness and elegance of his poetry and for his martial nature, wrote some lines with a diamond on the

"fair Geraldine"; and it is told, with what certainty we know not, that the first play acted in this hall was that of 'Henry VIII., or the Fall of Wolsey.' Shakespeare is said to have been one of the actors in this play.

"Above the entrance-door, leading into the presence-chamber, or withdrawing-room, has been inserted a richly-carved stone bracket, inscribed Seynt George for merrie Englande,' on which, in full panoply, stands our patron saint, surrounded by a halo of ramrods, transfixing with his spear his antagonist, the dragon. On each side of this stands a smaller bracket, bearing figures clothed in bright plate armour. These figures were placed here by permission of the Board of Ordnance from the stores in the Tower. He has also arranged a fine group of armour under the east window.

"Between each of the side windows there is a noble pair of the horns of deer, with finelycarved heads of the animal, and carved wreaths round each of them. These horns, which form a part of a large collection, were probably placed in the hall in the reign of Henry VIII., when it was called the Hall of Horns. have been preserved in the palace, and the

tioned. From the under part of the side windows to within a few inches of the pavement, the walls are covered with tapestry of such excellent design, and such costliness of material, that it may be

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INTERIOR OF THE GREAT HALL.

original colours have been restored as nearly as it was possible to do so. Over the horns are banners, having the devices of Henry VIII. and the arms of Wolsey, and of his several benefices, painted on them. The stringcourse above the tapestries has also been enriched with the rose, portcullis, &c., in colours. The most interesting, however, of the decorations to be seen in this truly regal apartment have yet to be men

safely asserted that its parallel does not exist in Europe at this time. Three pieces hang on each side of the hall, and two others at the daïs end.

"For round about the walls yclothed

With goodly arras of great majesty,

Woven with gold and silke so close

That the rich metal lurked privily, As feigning to be hidd from envious eye;

Yet here, and there, and everywhere, unwares

It shewed itselfe and shone unwillingly;

Like a discoloured snake, whose hidden snares Through the green grass his long bright-burnished back declares.'" SPENSER.

This noble apartment is commonly spoken of as "Wolsey's Hall," but it was probably only designed by him. Mr. Brewer, in the "Beauties of England and Wales," says that "it has been supposed that

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