Out And About: In Derbyshire.

especially in this part of it—and will seek by a little gossip on the line we have indicated to interest in it such of our readers as do not happen to know the places included , and to aAvaken the recollection of those , doubtless the much larger proportion , AVIIO are already acquainted with them .

The tourist student taking this road should not forget his sketch-book , ancl might return by AA'ay of Manchester , Chester , ShreAvsbury , Hereford ancl Gloucester , or Worcester : of this part of the business , however , some other time . Derby , the Derwent-hy , or Derwent toAvn , of the

Saxons and Danes ( first from the Celtic Dim ; Avater ) has little of its old architecture now to show . The ugly red bricks of the locality are at present used Avith little pretence to taste . Few modern redbrick toAvns in England , by-fclie-bye , are pleasing to the sight . A neAV church of some size is growing up

not far from the railway station , the Avest front "inspired" by that of Tintern Abbey . The fine , wellknown Perpendicular ToAver of All Saints' is hampered Avith a wretchedly ugly church tacked on to ifc , by Gibbs , in 1725 . The Albert memorial AvindoAv by Clayton and Bell , Avhich has been set up at the east end of the chancel , is ' richer in colour and

more effective than the majority of modern Avorks . We hacl not an opportunity , hoAvever , to examine it properly . Some modern monuments in the church deserA--e more than a look , including one to that Elizabeth Countess of ShreAvsbury , the noted " Bess of Hardwick , " who built so much

in the county . This remarkable Avoman married four times , and raised herself to greater poAver each time . Her second son , Williani , was the first Duke of Devonshire . It is well knoAvn that a fortune-teller asserted her death should not happen while she continued building . Whether because

of this or not need not be asked ; certain it is she built the original ChatsAvorth , HardAvick , and Oldcotes , and ultimately died during a hard frost , Avhen the men had left off work ! Her character has been variously painted . Fuller speaks of her as a woman of undaunted spirit and wit , beautiful

and discreet , living * a creditable and happy life ; Avhile lodge days she AA'as proud , selfish , and unfeeling , kept her husband in terror , and died immensely rich Avithout a friend . She is said to have set up her own monument in All Saints' Church . It is noticeable how ma ;; 7 good things the Avorlcl owes to people Avho have been called bad by their contemporaries .

Kedleston Hail , Lord Scarsdale ' s place , four miles from Derby town , built by the Adams Brothers , exactly a hundred years ago , lias an entrance-hall of striking character , given by a range on each side of noble Corinthian columns of Derbyshire alabasterAvfth white marble capitals .

, These columns are 25 ft . high . Waagen , in his "Art Treasures , " describes them as " ' of one piece , " and they have that effect , but examination shows that this is not the case , each being in tAvo or three pieces cleverly put together . The ceiling

is poor , the ornaments of genuine "Adelphi character , and the colour of the walls is not well calculated to give the best of effect to the columns ; neA ertheless this hall , 67 ft . long between the AA'alls and 42 ft . Avide , is unquestionably a fine one , and leaves an impression on the mind . The doorways of the withdrawing-room are formed with handsome columns and pediment of alabaster ; the floor of the curved corridor that connects on

each eicle the central building and its six-columned portico , on high stylobate , reached by handsome external flights of steps , with the wings , is an excellent piece of Avork : still , as in most ofthe buildings and art of the time , no bit of sentiment or feeling" is to be found . The inscription , to his friends and himself ( Amicis et 8 ibi ) , is nevertheless a feature in that direction . There are several

good pictures—a head , ascribed to Rembrandt , m the music-room ; a fine Giordano ; a curious laudscape , AA'ith Scripture composition in foreground , by De Momper , Velvet Brughel , and old Franks , conjoined ; a particularly fine Claude ; a head by Salvator Rosa , ancl some others ; but notably the

picture of Daniel foretelling ruin to Nebuchadnezzar , ordinarily attributed to Rembrandt , but by some , and Avith more correctness , as we venture to think , to Solomon Koningk , his Avorthy scholar and folloAver . Rembrandt Avould scarcely have painted , such a Daniel—the blot in the picture . This remarkable Avork was in the Manchester

Great Exhibition , and may be remembered by the deceptively-painted opal in the king's throne , even by those Avho have forgotten the composition . Tradition ancl the houskeeper point to a picture over one of the doors as " Shakspeare , by Vanclyck . " Who would not rejoice if these two

respectabilities could be believed ? Six-and-thirty small works , in Limousin enamel , after a series of Avood engravings by Albert Durer , are so hung as to do them great injustice . Coming out , the Circular Saloon , 42 ft . in diameter , and 20 ft . more than that in height to the eye of the dome , will commend itself to the attention of all who are

interested in planning . The park is charming , and the church , close to the house , shoAvs some bits of Norman work and two monuments below the paving , Avhere in . each case a sculptured head , in full relief , is seen Avithin a quatrefoil opening . Headsin such a positionof smaller size and in

, , loAver relief , are less uncommon . Alton Towers , with its exquisitely beautiful grounds , its hill and dale , art and nature , come here into the route , but we have so recently alluded to its beauties that Ave run on to Ashbourne

Church , noted as a dated example of thirteenth century work . A small brass plate ( perhaps 7 in . by 3-Hn . ) , of some age , UOAV in the church , gives the inscription , showing that the building AA'as dedicated in the year 1241— "In honore set . OsAvaldi , Regis , et Martyris , " & c . The original inscription is engraved in Pegge's Sylloge , and reproduced in the " Companion" to the Oxford