I am right against my house--seat of my ancestors.
---Yorkshire Tragedy.
Rookwood Place was a fine, old, irregular pile, of considerable size, presenting a rich, picturesque1 outline, with its innumerable gable-ends, its fantastical coigns, and tall crest2 of twisted chimneys. There was no uniformity of style about the building, yet the general effect was pleasing and beautiful. Its very irregularity constituted a charm. Nothing except convenience had been consulted in its construction: additions had from time to time been made to it, but everything dropped into its proper place, and, without apparent effort or design, grew into an ornament3, and heightened the beauty of the whole. It was, in short, one of those glorious manorial4 houses that sometimes unexpectedly greet us in our wanderings, and gladden us like the discovery of a hidden treasure. Some such ancestral hall we have occasionally encountered, in unlooked-for quarters, in our native county of Lancaster, or in its smiling sister shire; and never without feelings of intense delight, rejoicing to behold5 the freshness of its antiquity6, and the greenness of its old age. For, be it observed in passing, a Cheshire or Lancashire hall, time-honored though it be, with its often renovated7 black and white squares, fancifully filled up with trefoils and quatrefoils, rosettes, and other figures, seems to bear its years so lightly, that its age, so far from detracting from its beauty, only lends it a grace; and the same mansion8, to all outward appearance, fresh and perfect as it existed in the days of good Queen Bess, may be seen in admirable preservation9 in the days of the youthful Victoria. Such is Bramall--such Moreton, and many another we might instance; the former of these houses may, perhaps, be instanced as the best specimen10 of its class,--and its class in our opinion, is the best--to be met with in Cheshire, considered with reference either to the finished decoration of its exterior11, rich in the chequered coloring we have alluded12 to, preserved with a care and neatness almost Dutch, or to the consistent taste exhibited by its possessor to the restoration and maintenance of all its original and truly national beauty within doors. As an illustration of old English hospitality--that real, hearty13 hospitality for which the squirearchy of this country was once so famous--Ah! why have they bartered14 it for other customs less substantially English?--it may be mentioned, that a road conducted the passenger directly through the great hall of this house, literally15 "of entertainment," where, if he listed, strong ale, and other refreshments16, awaited his acceptance and courted his stay. Well might old King, the Cheshire historian, in the pride of his honest heart, exclaim, "I know divers17 men, who are but farmers, that in their housekeeping may compare with a lord or baron18, in some countries beyond the seas;--yea, although I named a higher degree, I were able to justify19 it." We have no such "golden farmers" in these degenerate20 days!
The mansion, was originally built by Sir Ranulph de Rookwood--or, as it was then written, Rokewode--the first of the name, a stout21 Yorkist, who flourished in the reign22 of Edward IV., and received the fair domain23 and broad lands upon which the edifice24 was raised, from his sovereign, in reward for good service; retiring thither25 in the decline of life, at the close of the Wars of the Roses, to sequestrate himself from scenes of strife26, and to consult his spiritual weal in the erection and endowment of the neighboring church. It was of mixed architecture, and combined the peculiarities28 of each successive era. Retaining some of the sterner features of earlier days, the period ere yet the embattled manor-house peculiar27 to the reigns29 of the later Henrys had been merged30 into the graceful31 and peaceable hall, the residence of the Rookwoods had early anticipated the gentler characteristics of a later day, though it could boast little of that exuberance32 of external ornament, luxuriance of design, and prodigality33 of beauty, which, under the sway of the Virgin34 Queen, distinguished35 the residence of the wealthier English landowner; and rendered the hall of Elizabeth, properly so called, the pride and boast of our domestic architecture.
The site selected by Sir Ranulph for his habitation had been already occupied by a vast fabric36 of oak, which he in part removed, though some vestiges37 might still be traced of that ancient pile. A massive edifice succeeded, with gate and tower, court and moat complete; substantial enough, one would have thought, to have endured for centuries. But even this ponderous38 structure grew into disuse, and Sir Ranulph's successors, remodelling39, repairing, almost rebuilding the whole mansion, in the end so metamorphosed its aspect, that at last little of its original and distinctive40 character remained. Still, as we said before, it was a fine old house, though some changes had taken place for the worse, which could not be readily pardoned by the eye of taste: as, for instance, the deep embayed windows had dwindled41 into modernized42 casements43, of lighter44 construction; the wide porch, with its flight of steps leading to the great hall of entrance, had yielded to a narrow door; and the broad quadrangular court was succeeded by a gravel45 drive. Yet, despite all these changes, the house of the Rookwoods, for an old house--and, after all, what is like an old house?--was no undesirable46 or uncongenial abode47 for any worshipful country gentleman "who had a great estate."
The hall was situated48 near the base of a gently declining hill, terminating a noble avenue of limes, and partially49 embosomed in an immemorial wood of the same timber, which had given its name to the family that dwelt amongst its rook-haunted shades. Descending50 the avenue, at the point of access afforded by a road that wound down the hill-side, towards a village distant about half a mile, as you advanced, the eye was first arrested by a singular octagonal turret51 of brick, of more recent construction than the house; and in all probability occupying the place where the gateway52 stood of yore. This tower rose to a height corresponding with the roof of the mansion; and was embellished53 on the side facing the house with a flamingly gilt54 dial, peering, like an impudent55 observer, at all that passed within doors. Two apartments, which it contained, were appropriated to the house-porter. Despoiled56 of its martial57 honors, the gateway still displayed the achievements of the family--the rook and the fatal branch--carved in granite58, which had resisted the storms of two centuries, though stained green with moss59, and mapped over with lichens60. To the left, overgrown with ivy61, and peeping from out a tuft of trees, appeared the hoary62 summit of a dovecot, indicating the near neighborhood of an ancient barn, contemporary with the earliest dwelling-house, and of a little world of offices and outbuildings buried in the thickness of the foliage63. To the right was the garden--the pleasaunce of the place--formal, precise, old-fashioned, artificial, yet exquisite64!--for commend us to the bygone, beautiful English garden--really a garden--not that mixture of park, meadow, and wilderness[3], brought up to one's very windows--which, since the days of the innovators, Kent, and his "bold associates," Capability65 Brown and Co., has obtained so largely--this was a garden! There might be seen the stately terraces, such as Watteau, and our own Wilson, in his earlier works, painted--the trim alleys66 exhibiting all the triumphs of topiarian art--
The sidelong walls
Around the figured carpet of the lawn;[4]
[Footnotes:
3: Payne Knight70, the scourge71 of Repton and his school, speaking of the license72 indulged in by the modern landscape-gardeners, thus vents73 his indignation:
The ivy'd balustrade, and terrace steep;
On which fantastic creepers used to climb;
While statues, labyrinths76, and alleys pent
Within their bounds, at least were innocent!--
Our modern taste--alas!--no limit knows;
O'er hill, o'er dale, through wood and field it flows;
The Landscape, a didactic Poem,
addressed to Uvedale Price, Esq.
4: Mason's English Garden.]
the gayest of parterres and greenest of lawns, with its admonitory sun-dial, its marble basin in the centre, its fountain, and conched water-god; the quaint79 summer-house, surmounted80 with its gilt vane; the statue, glimmering81 from out its covert82 of leaves; the cool cascade83, the urns84, the bowers85, and a hundred luxuries besides, suggested and contrived86 by Art to render Nature most enjoyable, and to enhance the recreative delights of home-out-of-doors--for such a garden should be--, with least sacrifice of indoor comfort and convenience.
When Epicurus to the world had taught,
That pleasure was the chiefest good;
--And was perhaps i' th' right, if rightly understood,
And in his garden's shade that sovereign pleasure sought.[5]
[Footnote 5: Cowley.]
All these delights might once have been enjoyed. But at the time of which we write, this fair garden was for the most part a waste. Ill-kept, and unregarded, the gay parterres were disfigured with weeds; grass grew on the gravel walk; several of the urns were overthrown88; the hour upon the dial was untold89; the fountain was choked up, and the smooth-shaven lawn only rescued, it would seem, from the general fate, that it might answer the purpose of a bowling-green, as the implements90 of that game, scattered91 about, plainly testified.
Diverging92 from the garden to the house, we have before remarked that the more ancient and characteristic features of the place had been, for the most part, destroyed; less by the hand of time than to suit the tastes of different proprietors93. This, however, was not so observable in the eastern wing, which overlooked the garden. Here might be discerned many indications of its antiquity. The strength and solidity of the walls, which had not been, as elsewhere, masked with brickwork; the low, Tudor arches; the mullioned bars of the windows--all attested94 its age. This wing was occupied by an upper and lower gallery, communicating with suites95 of chambers96, for the most part deserted97, excepting one or two, which were used as dormitories; and another little room on the ground-floor, with an oriel window opening upon the lawn, and commanding the prospect98 beyond--a favorite resort of the late Sir Piers99. The interior was curious for his honeycomb ceiling, deeply moulded in plaster, with the arms and alliances of the Rookwoods. In the centre was the royal blazon100 of Elizabeth, who had once honored the hall with a visit during a progress, and whose cipher101 E. R. was also displayed upon the immense plate of iron which formed the fire-grate.
To return, for a moment, to the garden, which we linger about as a bee around a flower. Below the lawn there was another terrace, edged by a low balustrade of stone, commanding a lovely view of park, water, and woodland. High hanging-woods waved in the foreground, and an extensive sweep of flat champaign country stretched out to meet a line of blue, hazy102 hills bounding the distant horizon.
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1
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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manorial
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| adj.庄园的 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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renovated
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| 翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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10
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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bartered
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| v.作物物交换，以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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19
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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20
degenerate
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| v.退步，堕落；adj.退步的，堕落的；n.堕落者 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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24
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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25
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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27
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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29
reigns
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| n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期 | |
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30
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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31
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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32
exuberance
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| n.丰富；繁荣 | |
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33
prodigality
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| n.浪费，挥霍 | |
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34
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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35
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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36
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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37
vestiges
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| 残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不 | |
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38
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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39
remodelling
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| v.改变…的结构[形状]( remodel的现在分词 ) | |
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40
distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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41
dwindled
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| v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
modernized
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| 使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的过去式和过去分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法 | |
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43
casements
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| n.窗扉( casement的名词复数 ) | |
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44
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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45
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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46
undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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47
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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48
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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49
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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50
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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51
turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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52
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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53
embellished
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| v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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54
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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55
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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56
despoiled
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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58
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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59
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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60
lichens
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| n.地衣( lichen的名词复数 ) | |
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61
ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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62
hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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63
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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64
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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65
capability
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| n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等 | |
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66
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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67
yew
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| n.紫杉属树木 | |
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68
arcades
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| n.商场( arcade的名词复数 )；拱形走道（两旁有商店或娱乐设施）；连拱廊；拱形建筑物 | |
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69
mosaic
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| n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的 | |
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70
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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71
scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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72
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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73
vents
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| （气体、液体等进出的）孔、口( vent的名词复数 )； （鸟、鱼、爬行动物或小哺乳动物的）肛门； 大衣等的)衩口； 开衩 | |
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74
muses
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的第三人称单数 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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75
mellowed
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| （使）成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 )； 使色彩更加柔和，使酒更加醇香 | |
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76
labyrinths
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| 迷宫( labyrinth的名词复数 )； （文字，建筑）错综复杂的 | |
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77
spawn
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| n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产 | |
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78
vapid
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| adj.无味的；无生气的 | |
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79
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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80
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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81
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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82
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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83
cascade
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| n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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84
urns
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| n.壶( urn的名词复数 )；瓮；缸；骨灰瓮 | |
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85
bowers
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| n.（女子的）卧室( bower的名词复数 )；船首锚；阴凉处；鞠躬的人 | |
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86
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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87
doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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88
overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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89
untold
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| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
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90
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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91
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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92
diverging
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| 分开( diverge的现在分词 )； 偏离； 分歧； 分道扬镳 | |
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93
proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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94
attested
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| adj.经检验证明无病的，经检验证明无菌的v.证明( attest的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；声称…属实；使宣誓 | |
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95
suites
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| n.套( suite的名词复数 )；一套房间；一套家具；一套公寓 | |
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96
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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97
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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98
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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99
piers
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| n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 )；（常设有娱乐场所的）突堤；柱子；墙墩 | |
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100
blazon
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| n.纹章，装饰；精确描绘；v.广布；宣布 | |
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101
cipher
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| n.零；无影响力的人；密码 | |
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102
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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