We must observe, however,
that these difficulties have all been surmounted, and that the illusion
is most complete."
Our limits advise us to quit the principal building, or that
appropriated to the panoramic view, especially as we cannot convey to
the reader an indistinct notion of the curious stair-work, machinery,
and carpentry of the ascents, &c. We were induced to ascend to the
exterior, but the mid-day smoke of the town, and the heavy fog of the
day, spoiled our view. Had it not been so, the numerous buildings below,
with the gardens, &c. would have reminded us that much yet remained to
be seen. We hastened down the staircase, as quickly as the loop-hole
light would allow, (for this part is to be lit with gas,) and returned
to the front court by the large door at which we entered. In the
entrance-hall are two aloes in tubs, one of them of noble size, and we
could not help contrasting this single triumph of Nature with the little
world of art we had just been exploring; and our train of reflection was
unbroken on our entering by the left-hand lodge-door, a range of arched
conservatories, in the centre of one of which is a _Camellia Japonica_,
which produces thirty varieties of flower, and is, perhaps, the most
magnificent specimen in England.
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