of ash and elm, rose gradually to a considerable extent, and before him, though yet obscurely seen in the distance, was part of the venerable front of Wyeburne Hall, screened by, and almost hidden indeed, in the depth of its surrounding woods.

Trusting, therefore, to the Wye, which had been represented to him as his best guide, the bard again willingly resigned himself to all those associations and trains of ideas which the uncommon fineness of the evening, and the peculiarities of the scene around him, were calculated to inspire; and it was not until the moon had silvered the walls of Wyeburne Hall, that he found himself at the foot of the lawn, or rather glade, that led gently ascending amidst an irregular line of trees to its very ancient but ample porch. Here, deserting the stream, which took a circuitous sweep once more to the left, to pass through the village situated about a mile behind the site of the manor-house, he soon reached the hospitable roof of his friends.

Montchensey and his daughter had been anxiously expecting him, and the latter had several times during the evening traversed the

lawn, and even skirted the banks of the Wye to a considerable distance, in the hope of seeing him approach; for as the day of his arrival had been previously arranged, they became appre hensive either that some accident had happened from the badness of the roads, or, that owing to the very secluded nature of their situation, he had mistaken his way. It was, consequently, with peculiar satisfaction that, as they were debating upon the propriety of sending out men and horses in search of the belated traveller, they heard Peter's voice, as he swung open the door with singular briskness and vigour, an achievement by the bye of no small difficulty, considering its size and ponderability, announcing the thrice welcome name of Shakspeare.

Few occurrences could have given more sincere pleasure to the inhabitants of Wyeburne Hall, than did the visit of our great dramatic bard; not only as affording them the means of discharging a debt of gratitude casually incurred, but as placing within the archives of their house one of those events of which, as long as human genius is held in due estimation, the noblest families on earth might be proud. Such, at

least, was the light in which the taste and enthusiasm of the Montchenseys, anticipating the verdict of posterity, led them to view the entrance of Shakspeare beneath their roof.

Our poet found his friends, who flew to receive him with all that expression of mingled love and admiration which so remarkably distinguished their attention towards him when visitors at New-Place, in their great summer or withdrawing parlour, a room hung with exquisitely coloured tapestry, and lighted by two very large oriel or porch-like windows, commanding views of the home park, of the windings of the Wye, and of the village spire rising beyond a group of trees.

And here it may be necessary to mention, before we proceed further with our narrative, that Wyeburne Hall was one of those old manor-houses which ranked midway between the embattled castle of the feudal baron, and the mere timber-built, or calimancoed mansion of the country squire. It had been originally constructed of sufficient strength to resist any hasty or tumultuous attack; but the first, or entrance court, together with its massy gateway, had been

removed, and the body of the fabric forming a square with an interior court, was seen rising immediately from the most elevated portion of the surrounding park, which gradually dropped down on three sides to the banks of the Wye, whose stream taking a bold semi-circular sweep in its way to the village, was an object of life and beauty from almost every part of the mansion. It was built chiefly of brick with stone mouldings, had a lofty tower projecting in the centre of its front, and surmounting its porch, and four turrets, one at each corner of the entire quadrangle. The hall, into which you entered directly from the porch, was spacious, had an antique arched roof with sculptured wood of curious workmanship, and was adorned with eight figures of bucks carved in brown wood, and large as life, which were ranged at intervals along its sides. There were, also, on the ground floor of the principal front, beside the tapestried room which we have already mentioned, a library, a back parlour, and a banquetting or dining room, the latter being enriched with several fine pictures from the easel of Hans Holbein. At the upper end of the interior court,

or court of the fountains, as it was called, from two beautiful displays of this kind in its centre, and the lower part of whose sides consisted of open cloisters, was situated, in a direction immediately opposite the hall, a small chapel, elegantly finished in the florid Gothic style; and over the above-mentioned cloisters in each wing was a long gallery, that on the right being hung with a rich collection of family pictures, and above all a suite of chambers; the height, however, of the sides of the court being two stories lower than that of the principal front, whilst the chapel in altitude rose to a level with the en

trance tower.

Such were the prominent features of the architectural arrangement of Wyeburne Hall, a fabric then more than two centuries old, and which, though it had undergone some slight internal changes and improvements, in accordance with the taste of the times, had not been violated exteriorly by the introduction of that incongruous mixture of Grecian and Gothic styles so common during the latter part of the sixteenth and commencement of the seventeenth century.