NEWSTEAD ABBEY-THE HOME OF LORD BYRON. BY EMILY A. ADDISON. "The stately homes of England have been immortalised in song and story, and justly so. As a certain author says, "England is pre-eminently the country (compared with the rest of Europe), in which the monuments that embody historical associations, and link the present with a far-reaching past, are most thickly strewn over the whole of its area... The traveller in any English county will be astonished alike at the number as at the beauty of the glorious types and relics of that past on which our present is securely built. Everywhere he will find battle-fields, sites or scenes of historic or romantic interest, abbeys, cathedrals, and those stately and enduring homes and habitations of the great families which originally won pre-eminence by power of brain, and prowess of arm, or ability to govern men in peace, and lead them in war. Architecture and history are closely connected, and as he looks on mansions that have defied the elements for centuries, or noble ruins, magnificent in decay, which were once the abodes of great historic figures, fair and frefrequently ill-starred women, gallant knights, and princely poets, the Englishman feels justly proud of 'a long and storied past'-connected as it is with the romance and poetry of his country." Newstead Abbey, the subject of this sketch, is interesting, not merely on account of its standing in the midst of a legendary neighbourhood, surrounded by the haunts of Robin Hood; nor of its historic antiquity, being founded by Henry II. (as a priory of Black Canons, an order having for their patron St. Augustine, and professing great austerity of life), as some sort of compensation, it is supposed, for the murder of Thomas A'Becket (in one of his poems Byron speaks of it as "repentant Henry's pride"); nor of its having sheltered at different periods such distinguished personages as Edward III., Henry VII., and Charles II.; but also because it is associated with two great names of modern interest-Byron and Livingstone. Newstead Abbey is described by Washington Irving as "one of the finest specimens in existence of those quaint and romantic piles-half castle and half convent-which remain as monuments of the olden times of England." It is situated about ten miles from Nottingham, and four from Mansfield, and not far distant is Fountain Dale, once the abode of Friar Tuck, a favourite and follower of Robin Hood. In front of the park gates stands a magnificent relic of Sherwood Forest, in the shape of a splendid oak tree which is supremely beautiful, both as regards form and size, its spreading branches extending over a large area of ground. A debt of gratitude is due to the liberality and good taste of several gentlemen of Mansfield who, to preserve this oak from destruction, purchased it from the poet's uncle and immediate predecessor-" the wicked Lord Byron." Newstead Abbey came into the hands of the Byron family in the reign of Henry VIII., when for his own temporal interest he destroyed wholesale the monastic institutions of the country. It was granted by the king to Sir John Byron, who was Lieutenant of Sherwood Forest, at that time a distinguished and important appointment. To this Byron refers in his "Elegy on Newstead Abbey:" "One holy Henry reared the Gothic walls, And bade the pious inmates rest in peace; During the civil wars which ended Byrons distinguished themselves by their faithful adherence to royalty. When the "roundheads" came into power, the Byron estates, including Newstead, were placed under sequestration, but immediately after his restoration, Charles II. restored them to their former owner. He After a quarrel with his neighbour, Mr. Chaworth, of Annesley Hall, ending in a duel, in which Mr. Chaworth was slain, "the wicked Lord Byron" who was the fifth baron-was sent to the Tower, and tried by the House of Lords for wilful murder; but a verdict of manslaughter was returned, which was equivalent to an acquittal, as he was a peer of the realm. then retired to Newstead, and became a solitary and savage misanthrope. Not only did he cut down the noble timber of the estate, but, influenced either by pecuniary or malignant motives, he had the deer which browsed in the spacious park destroyed to such an extent that for a time their carcases were offered for sale in Mansfield market at as cheap a rate as forest mutton; until the whole of the noble herd, which it has been estimated numbered no less than twenty-seven thousand-for at that time the park was of immense extent-was literally destroyed. It is not to be wondered at that popular imagination exaggerated into horrors the strange freaks of this strange being, nor that the statues erected in the dark wood, which he planted before his fatal duel with Mr. Chaworth, were called by the country people "the old lord's devils." Ultimately the wood became known as the devil's wood. The statues are leaden representations of the god Pan and a female Satyr. On leaving the turnpike road, and walking through a somewhat wild portion of the park for about a mile, the tourist sees on his right hand a splendid sheet of water, a romantic waterfall, and the ruins of a rustic mill, while on the left, the left, the Abbey, ivycovered, rises in solemn grandeur. It would be almost impossible in the space of this article to speak of all the relics and stories connected with Newstead Abbey. The upper lake, as it is called, which is formed by obstructing the waters of a small river named the Leen a work of great antiquity-was formerly the mill dam of the monks, by which their corn mill was worked, and possesses many traditions and fables. These relate chiefly to the doings of the wicked old lord, and treasures which are supposed to lie hidden in its depths. Some years ago an antique brazen eagle and pedestal were brought up from the bottom of this lake. In the hollow pedestal were found a number of parchment deeds and grants bearing the seals of Edward III. and Henry VII. These documents have all been carefully treasured, and the eagle transferred to Southwell Minster, where it serves as a lectern for a large folio Bible. The dismal-looking pond, enshrouded by yew trees, is also the subject of legendary lore, and is probably as ancient as the abbey itself. At its head is a cold crystal spring, whose waters were much esteemed by the late Lord Byron. The grounds attached to the abbey are picturesque, and well laid out, and after crossing some portion of these we come within the precincts of the ancient chapel. The abbey was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and in a niche of the chapel ruins there still remain a sculptured virgin and child, both in a good state of preservation. Near the chapel stands the marble monument raised by the poet to denote the last resting place of his favourite dog, on whose death he wrote the following lines: "When some proud son of man returns to earth, Unknown to glory, but upheld by birth, The sculptor's art exhausts the pangs of woe, And storied urns record who rests below; When all is done upon the tomb is seen Not what he was, but what he should have been. But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend, The first to welcome, foremost to defend ; Whose honest heart is still his master's own, Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone; Unhonoured falls, unnoticed all his worth, And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven. Degraded mass of animated dust! Ye! who perchance behold this simple urn, I never knew but one-and here he lies." These lines are preceded by this inscription : "Near this spot Are deposited the remains of one And all the virtues of man without his vices. " If inscribed over human ashes, Is but a just tribute to the memory of BOATSWAIN, a Dog, Who was born at Newfoundland, May, 1803, And died at Newstead Abbey, Nov. 18, 1808.' It was Byron's wish that his own body should be buried near his faithful dog, but this wish was not carried out. His remains were conveyed from Greece (where he died in the midst of his patriotic exertions for her emancipation) to Hucknall, a village a mile or two distant from Newstead Abbey, and interred in the family vault in the church there. The story of the poet's life, with its disappointments, and unfortunate domestic relations, his eccentricities, and his wonderful genius, is too well known to require repetition here. Both inside and outside of Newstead Abbey there are memorials of him. He succeeded to the title and to the Newstead property in his eleventh year, and on his first arrival, in 1798, planted an oak tree, in which he ever after took great interest, saying, "As it fares, so will fare my fortunes." When Byron again visited the abbey, in 1807, he found the tree choked up with weeds, and it was this circumstance that caused him to write the following lines: much as left by its occupant. There are in it pictures which adorned his room at Cambridge, likenesses of Jackson the pugilist, who instructed his lordship in the art of defence, and of Joe Murray, his butler. The furniture is very simple. In the corridors there are many Byron relics-the table on which he wrote part of "Childe Harold," swords and sticks, the last cap he wore in Greece, a copy of his earliest poems, autographs, and MSS. The monk's skull used as a drinking cup in Byron's days, and formerly shown as a relic, has been put out of sight by the present proprietor of the abbey, Mr. Webb, who has no wish to preserve the unpleasant tradition connected with it, viz., that as long as the skull remained unburied no male heir would live to succeed to the Newstead estates. Side by side with the Byron relics are those of Livingstone, who on his second visit to England made Newstead Abbey his headquarters, and there wrote his book "The Zambesi and its Tributaries," having met with Mr. Webb and become intimate with him in South Africa. The Wellingtonia, which Livingstone planted in 1864, is shown, as well as Byron's oak, and his room contains the bed on which he slept, the table on which he wrote, whereon are the inkstand and other writing materials used by him. In the corridors are swords and knives he used in Africa, a spear which was thrown at him in his last journey, a photograph of the hut where he died, a piece of bark in which his body was wrapped, and his cap, with its faded gold band, brought home by his faithful attendants. As he inspects these relics, the visitor to Newstead Abbey cannot fail to be struck by the similarity of the memorials of the two great men who for some time resided there; yet what a contrast is presented by their lives! Both, at the outset of their career, had to bear a struggle with poverty, and ere they passed away from earth both had attained a world-wide renown. The whole of Livingstone's life and conduct was actuated by a simple Christian faith, and the result was an unselfish and untiring devotion to the The most perfect means of communication are provided by five patent safety-catch hydraulic elevators, which, running noiselessly right through fireproof brick walls, ascend to even the roof promenade. In addition, a fireproof iron staircase, enclosed in solid brick and stone, and passing through iron doors on every floor, ascends from basement to roof. Every floor has its own exclusive balcony on the inside, looking down upon the grand central court and carriageway. Watchmen patrol every part of the building every half-hour, both day and night; and a patent electrical telltale instantly reports at the head office, unknown to the watchman, any neglect or omission on his part. Ventilation is provided for by means of 2042 ventilating tubes, which go right through to the roof from every room, bath-room, and closet in the building, thus ensuring constant purity and sweetness of atmosphere. In addition to the foregoing, the various flues from fireplaces have been ingeniously arranged to command a constant supply of fresh, and to assist in carrying off the vitiated, air. A pneumatic despatch-tube runs from several parts of each floor to the main office on the basement. By means of this, all letters, parcels, messages, etc., are conveyed below, or sent up with the greatest facility; and it is almost needless to add that the system of electric bells is most complete. On the basement floor the visitor finds the hotel office (65 by 55 feet), breakfast room (110 by 55 feet), grand dining-room (150 by 55 feet), music and ball-room (65 by 55 feet), ladies' reception parlour (40 by 40 feet), reading-room (40 by 40 feet), billiard-room (65 by 40 feet), hairdressers' room (40 by 40 feet). In addition to these there are committee and general rooms provided for the use of corporate and kindred bodies, which are fitted with every luxury and convenience; and as far as the commercial man is concerned, his peculiar wants are actually anticipated. From the second floor up, the whole space is occupied by private diningrooms, reception rooms, ladies' grand drawing and music rooms, bedrooms, etc., etc., each bed-room being provided with its own exclusive bath-room and closet. The arrangements as regards privacy are so admirably organised, that a family of any number, preferring hotel life to housekeeping, as many Americans do, can Occupy a suite of rooms, combining the seclusion of a private residence, with the many accommodations of a perfect hotel. In traversing the grand suites of rooms on the second and third floors, the visitor will imagine that the luxurious surroundings of some Oriental potentate have been imported to California for his especial use and comfort. In observing the magnificent results of the skill which the various artists have shown in designing the high class furniture, one cannot resist the conclusion that the late æsthetic movement has initiated a new era, in all that is beautiful and useful, in meeting domestic wants. The cuisine, as may be supposed, is most perfect. It matters little whether the visitor be a Britisher, wanting his rump-steak underdone; an Italian, with peculiar ideas regarding the treatment of his macaroni; or a Turk yearning for his sherbet and coffee, Mr. Sharon's chef is alive to all their peculiar idiosyncracies. The ordinary dining-room, when ready for the reception of guests every evening, is a sight to be remembered; but when it is set out for some great "high-toned banquet, then, indeed, if you are lucky enough to possess an invitation, you will imagine the treasures of the old world have been placed in requisition to ornament and beautify the ordinary appointments. The grand central court, which is paved with choice and handsome marble, offers a most delightful retreat to those who after dinner may wish to enjoy a cigar, or even the dolce far niente. Between each pair of columns surrounding the court, cosy nooks, shaded by beautiful tropical plants, and provided with Oriental chairs that tempt you to rest whether you wish to do so or not, invite the tired business man to throw off the cares of the day. And when to these attractions are |