gies, and under the winning appellation of St. George the Victorious, he was installed among the Christians of the East. These circumstances and the assistance which they imagined they had received from the beatified St. George, at the siege of Antioch, led them to adopt him as the patron of soldiers and tutelar saint of England. He was, as one tradition avers, in reality a Cappadocian tanner, but be this as it may, he has been for many a century a favorite with all sorts and conditions of Englishmen, thus "Our ancient word of courage, fair St. George!" was the invocation of the fierce Crook-Back upon his last battle field of Bosworth, and Shakespeare, with strong, double-edged wit, makes the bold bastard Falconbridge refer to him, as "St. George who swinged the dragon, and e'er since Sits upon horseback at mine hostess door." On entering the chapel, our admiration was excited by the beauty of the architecture, which is elaborately ornate. In one of the chapels is the beautiful cenotaph of the Princess Charlotte, the unhappy daughter of George IV. Here are buried a long line of Royal personages and illustrious heroes "by all their country's wishes blessed." While lingering among the tombs, Addison's beautiful lines recurred to memory: "When I see Kings lying by those who deposed them; when I consider rival wits placed side by side; or the holy that divide the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions and debates of mankind; when I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great day when we shall all of us be cotemporaries and make our appearance together." In allusion to the fact that the rival Kings of York and Lancaster sleep here, side by side, Pope wrote: "Let softest strains ill-fated Henry mourn, And palms eternal flourish round his urn ; The grave unites, where e'en the great find rest, And blended lie the oppressor and the oppress'd." The choir portion of the chapel is appropriated to the performance of divine service and the ceremony of installing the Knights of the Garter. The stalls of the Knights are arranged on either side of the choir-over each stall are mantle, sword, helmet and crest of the Knight by whom it is occupied. Above these is the banner on which are his armorial bearings and at the back of the seat, on engraved brass plates, are recorded his name, style and titles. The brass plates of former occupants for centuries are preserved as a perpetual record.of the distinguished honor each has in his lifetime borne; amongst them is that of Sigismund, Emperor of Germany in 1418, Casimer IV, King of Poland, in 1451, and Robert Peyton, who assumed the surname of Ufford and was Earl of Suffolk in 1349, who was one of the founders of the Order. George III and IV and William IV all died at Windsor and lie in the Royal Dormitory, to the east of St. George's Chapel, where all the members of the Royal family who have died in England have been placed since its application to the purposes of a mausoleum, with the exception of the Duke of Sussex, who, at his own request, was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, and the unhappy queen, wife of George IV, who was removed to Brunswick. One cannot visit such a spot, rife with royalty in its ruins, without its suggesting the moral of the poet: "The glories of our blood are shadows, not substantial things." It sinks deep into our souls that God is "no respecter of persons," and there is "no king saved by the multitude of an host." Such visits seem to urge the admonition upon the mighty and the lowly, "Be wise now, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." It is "appointed unto all men once to die" but after death the judgment! The mind is startled from the engrossing pursuits, the cares and anxieties of this world, and we apply these texts in all their force. How impressively do they counsel the wisdom of seeking pardon and peace from that Saviour by whom alone we are saved. On the next morning we attended service at St. George's Chapel and saw a number of the gallant veterans called the "Military Knights of Windsor," who have residences in the immediate vicinity of the castle and small annual pensions. The only duty imposed upon them being a regular attendance at church and constant prayer for the prosperity of the sovereign. There are two parks at Windsor. The little park nearest the castle, contains 500 acres, which is enclosed by a brick wall. It is studded with clumps of trees and abounds in promenades, the finest being the "long walk," which is lined with elms. Here are the Queen's stables, wherein, like those of Branksome Castle, "a hundred steeds feed free in stall." These stables, plain and substantial, are built on the most approved plan for securing fresh air, light and uniform temperature, for the comfort of the animals. The heat is regulated by a thermometer and is not allowed to rise above 65° Far., or to sink below 50. The system of ventila tion is by openings near the ceilings, constructed so as to prevent a current of air from passing over the animals. The light is uniform and without any glare, and the rooms are ceiled so as to prevent dust from the lofts getting into the eyes of the horses and the ascending gasses from lodging in the hay. The stalls are level and have clay floors-inclined stalls and plank floors have been universally abandoned in England, as they fatigue and injure the horses. The stalls are roomy so as to encourage the aniinals to lie down, and no straw is ever put in them for bedding. The Queen keeps the full complement of forty carriages in different styles and one hundred blooded horses for use while at Windsor. The kennels are near the stables, where Her Majesty's fancy dogs are kept, embracing almost every kind and variety of dog, foreign and native. It is a unique collection in which the Queen is said to take much interest. The dairy and farm buildings are extensive, and combine every accommodation and modern improvement. The great park contains 1800 acres and is much admired for its varied and picturesque scenery. This park was a famous place as early as the 12th century, when Henry II not only kept his deer here, as the legend goes, but "diverse strange beastes, which were sent unto hime from foreigne countries farre distante, such as liones, lepardes, linxes and porkupines." The park is at present well stocked with deer and pheasants which furnish excellent shooting and a constant supply of game for the Queen's household. In this park lie the Home and Shaw farms, two of the model farms of Prince Albert. The only work of art in the park is a colossal equestrian statue of George III, which terminates the "long walk" at a distance of at least three miles from the castle. There is a handsome school building near the farms in which the children of the servants connected with the castle and property are educated. It was established by Prince Albert The boys receive a good English education and are instructed in the practical operations of farming and gardening, while the girls are taught sewing, ornamental needle work and domestic affairs. In the southern extremity of the grounds lies the celebrated lake entitled Virginia Water, the lovely natural scenery of which has been heightened by the aid of art. A road has been constructed around the lake, so that all the best views may be seen in an afternoon drive. The shade trees are principally larch, pine and fir. At the head of the lake the road crosses an embankment having a rustic stone fence on one side, covered with moss and ivy, and from which a road leads over a bridge across the water and to the Fishing temple, an elegant pavilion, surrounded by grounds or namented with fountains, flowers, plants and statuary. is painted in various colors and ornamented with dragons and other grotesque figures. This building was erected for the use of George IV and those members of his family and household who were fond of angling. The lake is sufficiently large to admit of piscatorial amusements upon a large scale. În a romantic glen below the lake stands a fine ornamental ruin styled "the temple of the gods." The scenery here is singularly wild and sweet. It is a kind of sacred valley of delightful solitude, which makes one dream of nymphs and shepherds. man. A more delightful country than that in the vicinity of Windsor we have nowhere looked upon. The scenery, though not romantic, is extremely pleasant. The winding Thames pursues its course through fertile meadows and well cultivated fields, with a back ground of sloping hills and woodland heights. A favorite resort of the pent-up denizens of London for a day's outing, a thoughtful man finds abundant material for study, whether wandering beneath the wide spreading trees of the parks, basking in the sunshine of the castle walls or walking along the streets of the good, quiet town. Not only will the busy crowd of passers by, the scenes of excitement presented, and the incidents of each moment suggest reflection, but the houses will be as books with open leaves full of moral instruction and practical hints. Those dwelling places are proofs and expressions of ingenuity, skill and social habits. and thus they illustrate the superior nature, the inventive mind, and the soul of sympathy and affection with which God has endowed How diversified are the habitations in architecture, style. and appearance! under what different circumstantes, from what various motives, for what diversified ends were they planned and built? They remind one of the innumerable forms, the many tinted hues of man's condition, characteristics and feelings. What changes have occurred since the edifices were reared! What a new era has dawned on our civilization since yonder time-worn mansion was raised! How many have passed into eternity since then! What changeful aspects have the families within those walls presented from time to time! People have come and gone, children have been born, parents have died: the rooms have witnessed weddings and funerals, joys and sorrows. The contrast between the outward look of some of these abodes and the inner feelings of the occupants, how startling! Here perhaps, where all seems so splendid, where many a proud equipage sweeps up to the door and powdered footmen rise at the rap, and distinguished visitors are announced and aristocratic names echo in the halls, hearts are wasting with ambition, envy, disappointment, fear, shame, remorse; whereas in yonder humble tenement, peace may dwell, for "Faith shuts the door at night, and mercy opens it in the morning." The houses of princes and peasants exhibit alike the same moral phenomena. Here we bid adieu to our didactics, to Windsor, the town and castle. Windsor Castle! Its antiquities and its pleasantness cannot be comprehended in a visit. Its annals, memoirs, legends, would fill volumes and they must be pondered ere one can enter into the spirit and philosophy of its history, or understand the famous men who have figured in its courts. Let no one, however, be kept back from a visit--not even the bird of passage, or the summer tourist, for the visitor of a single day will see much to deeply interest, though he may see more that he does not understand. He will come away in any case with a fund of knowledge which, though a little mixed and undigested, is yet strangely pleasing. Stored up in the memory these experiences will constitute the agreeable musings of old age. If at times when recalling the past, melancholy should mingle with the retrospections, as is apt to be the case, it will be found to have something in it sweeter even than pleasure. CHAPTER VI. THE INAUGURATION OF THE SECOND WORLD'S FAIR IN LONDONTHE FINE ART DEPARTMENT-AMERICAN EXHIBITORSLETTER TO THE TIMES-NEW-MADE FRIENDS. The opening of the great international exhibition of 1862 occurred during our sojourn in London The only notes of this grand affair which we have are in the form of two brief letters to a friend in Virginia, from which we make the following extracts: "The international exhibition was inaugurated in this place on the 1st of May. Nothing could have been more propitious than the weather on the opening day. The sky was calm and cloudless, the air bright and genial. For weeks before the 1st, a continuous |