music. In a work recently quoted* it is observed, that "his grace determined on having divine service performed in his chapel with all the aid that could be derived from vocal and instrumental music. To this end he retained some of the most celebrated performers of both kinds, and engaged the greatest masters of the time to compose anthems, and services, with instrumental accompaniments, after the manner of those performed in the churches of Italy." It appears that HANDEL. composed not less than twenty of his anthems for the use of this chapel. The morning and evening services were chiefly the compositions of Dr. Pepusch. It may be remarked in this place that the Guards, who attended the Duke to chapel, appear to have been eight aged Serjeants of the army, whom he took from Chelsea College (with which institution he had been connected, as Paymaster General) and who acted as watchmen on the estate during the night.

Passing from the Chapel, the Satirist describes, in some well-known lines, the stately dinner at Timon's Villa, where parade is substituted for comfort and concludes his remarks on the offensive vanity of his host, and the tasteless character of the domain, in the following manner :

"Yet hence the poor are cloth'd, the hungry fed;

Health to himself, and to his infants bread,

The labourer bears what his hard heart denies,
His charitable vanity supplies.

Another age shall see the golden ear

Imbrown the slope, and nod on the parterre,
Deep harvest bury all his pride has plann'd,
And laughing Ceres re-assume the land."

If the character of Timon be really intended for that of the Duke of Chandos, a circumstance admitting of very little.

PART IV.

2S

Hawkins's Hist. of Music, Vol. V. p. 198, 199.

doubt,

doubt, we believe that the charge of " hardness of heart" is

far from being supported by fact. His kindness of temper and habitual beneficence have been often praised, and were never publickly denied, unless with the exception of the above verses.

The lines which predict the speedy restoration of Ceres to her abused territory, were curiously felicitous in prophetical accuracy. The fortune of the Duke experienced some injury from several public speculations, the most important of which was the South-sea scheme, productive of such a wide spread of ruin in the year 1720. He continued, however, to reside at Canons, though, as it would appear, with diminished splendour, till his decease in 1744. His successor, deeming the mansion to be on too extensive a scale for the hereditary fortune of the family, made several attempts to dispose of it entire; but these proving unsuccessful it was taken down, and the materials sold by auction, in the year 1747.†

The site of this vast building, and a large portion of the materials, together with the park and demesne-lands, were purchased by Mr. Hallet, a cabinet maker, who built on part of the ground occupied by the former mansion, a very desira ble villa, which is still remaining.

The building raised by Mr. Hallet is entirely composed of stone, purchased from the wreck of the sumptuous edifice which for a short, yet an envied and a troubled season, proudly stood on the same spot, and engrossed a considerable tract of adjacent ground, now verdant, and "smiling, as in scorn." This is a structure of considerable elegance; of modest but capacious dimensions; and temperately but sufficiently embellished.

In addition to the strong internal evidence, Johnson affirms, in his life of Pope, that the Earl of Burlington, to whom the Poem is addressed, privately said that the character of Timon was meant for this Duke.

+ The grand staircase was purchased for Lord Chesterfield's house in May Fair. An equestrian statue of King George the first, which stood in the park, now forms the central ornament of Leicester Square.

bellished. The house is placed on a gentle elevation, and is surrounded by extensive grounds, from which are attained, at several points, views rather limited but soft and attractive. Stripped of their statues and urns, and restored in part to "the laughing Ceres," these grounds still retain the wide avenue of tall and sheltering trees, in memory of past days of superfluous grandeur; and water, though not resembling in extent "the Ocean," still exhibits a faint trace of the design which" brought all Brobdignag before your thought."

The grandson of Mr. Hallet sold this estate to Dennis. O'Kelly, Esq. who was well known in the sporting world, and whose name is usually mentioned in conjunction with that of his horse, the celebrated Eclipse. Canons is now the property and country-residence of Sir Thomas Plumer, Vice Chancellor of England.†

The Parish Church of Stanmore Parva is a small structure, rebuilt, principally with brick, at the expense of James Duke of Chandos, about the year 1715, with the exception of the tower, a low embattled erection, which is part of the more ancient building. The exterior of those portions of the church re-edified by the Duke of Chandos, contrary to all probable calculation, is quite destitute of ornament, and conspicuous for grave simplicity.

But the internal adornments justify some part of the censure of Pope. The coved ceiling, the walls, and every amenable part of the interior, are coarsely daubed by Laguerre, with representations of saints; the Christian virtues; selections of different historical passages in scripture, &c. In a recess behind the communion-table is placed an organ; and on the back ground are paintings of Moses receiving the law, and Christ preaching. At the sides of the altar are a Nativity and a dead Christ, by Belluchi. The whole of these pictorial decorations are ill-designed and badly executed. It would, indeed,

282

The remains of this famous racehorse are interred in the Park of Canons, † We present ■ view of this seat.