Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth, Vol. 1 (of 2)Wordsworth, Dorothy
General
Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Wordsworth, Dorothy
Authors, English -- 19th century -- Diaries; Wordsworth, Dorothy, 1771-1855 -- Diaries; Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850 -- Family
_Monday, August 22nd._--Immediately after breakfast walked to the Duke
of Hamilton's house to view the picture-gallery, chiefly the famous
picture of Daniel in the Lions' Den, by Rubens. It is a large building,
without grandeur, a heavy, lumpish mass, after the fashion of the
Hopetoun H,[86] only five times the size, and with longer legs, which
makes it gloomy. We entered the gate, passed the porter's lodge, where
we saw nobody, and stopped at the front door, as William had done two
years before with Sir William Rush's family. We were met by a little
mean-looking man, shabbily dressed, out of livery, who, we found, was
the porter. After scanning us over, he told us that we ought not to have
come to that door. We said we were sorry for the mistake, but as one of
our party had been there two years before, and was admitted by the same
entrance, we had supposed it was the regular way. After many
hesitations, and having kept us five minutes waiting in the large hall,
while he went to consult with the housekeeper, he informed us that we
could not be admitted at that time, the housekeeper being unwell; but
that we might return in an hour: he then conducted us through long
gloomy passages to an obscure door at the corner of the house. We asked
if we might be permitted to walk in the park in the meantime; and he
told us that this would not be agreeable to the Duke's family. We
returned to the inn discontented enough, but resolved not to waste an
hour, if there were anything else in the neighbourhood worth seeing. The
waiter told us there was a curious place called Baroncleugh, with
gardens cut out in rocks, and we determined to go thither. We had to
walk through the town, which may be about as large as Penrith, and
perhaps a mile further, along a dusty turnpike road. The morning was
hot, sunny, and windy, and we were half tired before we reached the
place; but were amply repaid for our trouble.
[Footnote 86: The house belonging to the Earls of Hopetoun at
Leadhills, not that which bears this name about twelve miles from
Edinburgh.--J. C. S.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account