.

Over the sofa is a constellation of beauties which we merely glanced at
as we passed, but which I hope another day to examine. They are some of
the rarest specimens by G. Poussin, Wouvermans, Berghem, Van Huysum,
Polemberg, and others. On a small table was placed an elegantly cut
caraffe of carnations of every variety of colour that you can possibly
imagine. There is nothing in which Mr. Beckford is more choice than in
his bouquets. At every season the rarest living flowers adorn the house.

Next to the dining room is a small salon, which we now entered. Here is
a noble drawing by Turner of the Abbey, according to a plan proposed, but
never carried out. The tower is conical, and would have been even higher
than the one that was completed. "I have seen," I said, "a fine drawing
of Fonthill by Turner, originally in your possession, but now belonging
to Mr. Allnutt, of Clapham. It is prodigiously fine. The scenery there
must be magnificent. The hills and beautiful lake in the drawing give
one an idea of Cumberland." "It is a very fine drawing, but rather too
poetical, too ideal, even for Fonthill. The scenery there is certainly
beautiful, but Turner took such liberties with it that he entirely
destroyed the portraiture, the locality of the spot. That was the reason
I parted with it. There were originally six drawings of the Abbey; three
were disposed of at the sale, and I still have the remaining ones." "Are
they going to rebuild the tower, sir? for when I was last in London,
Papworth, the architect, was gone down to Fonthill to do something
there." "Impossible," he said, "unless it were to be made a national
affair, which indeed is not very likely. It would cost at least 100,000
pounds to restore it. But what can Papworth have done there? It must I
should think be something to the pavilion. I assure you I had no idea of
parting with Fonthill till Farquhar made me the offer. I wished to purge
it, to get rid of a great many things I did not want, but as to the
building itself I had no more notion of selling it than you have (turning
to his architect) of parting with anything, with--with the clothes you
have on."

On the chimney piece, protected by a glass, is a precious Japan vase. We
examined it for some time under its envelope. It seemed to me (for I
know nothing of Japan work) a bronze vessel, richly and most elaborately
chased, and I could not help joining in the praises due to its exquisite