Riassunto esame Letteratura inglese, Prof. Bottone Maria Grazia, libro consigliato Norton Antology, Norton

A DESCRIPTION OF

MILLENIUM HALL

AND THE

COUNTRY ADJACENT

Together with the

CHARACTERS OF THE INHABITANTS

And such Historical

ANECDOTES AND REFLECTIONS

AS

May excite in the READER proper Sentiments of Humanity,

and lead the Mind to the Love of

VIRTUE

BY

'A GENTLEMAN

ON HIS TRAVELS'

SARAH SCOTT

Based on a reprint of the edition

published in Great Britain

by J. Newbury, 1762

A DESCRIPTION OF MILLENIUM HALL

Dear Sir,

Though, when I left London, I promised to write to you as soon as I had reached my

northern retreat, yet, I believe, you little expected instead of a letter to receive a volume;

but I should not stand excused to myself, were I to fail communicating to you the

pleasure I received in my road hither, from the sight of a society whose acquaintance I

owe to one of those fortunate, though in appearance trifling, accidents, from which

sometimes arise the most pleasing circumstances of our lives; for as such I must ever

esteem the acquaintance of that amiable family, who have fixed their abode at a place

which I shall nominate Millenium Hall, as the best adapted to the lives of the inhabitants,

and to avoid giving the real name, fearing to offend that modesty which has induced

them to conceal their virtues in retirement.

In giving you a very circumstantial account of this society, I confess I have a view

beyond the pleasure which a mind like yours must receive from the contemplation of so

much virtue. Your constant endeavours have been to inculcate the best principles into

youthful minds, the only probable means of mending mankind; for the foundation of

most of our virtues, or our vices, are laid in that season of life when we are most

susceptible of impression, and when on our minds, as on a sheet of white paper, any

characters may be engraven; these laudable endeavours, by which we may reasonably

expect the rising generation will be greatly improved, render particularly due to you, any

examples which may teach those virtues that are not easily learnt by precept and shew

the facility of what, in mere speculation, might appear surrounded with a discouraging

impracticability: you are the best judge, whether, by being made public, they may be

conducive to your great end of benefiting the world. I therefore submit the future fate of

the following sheets entirely to you, and shall not think any prefatory apology for the

publication at all requisite; for though a man who supposes his own life and actions

deserve universal notice, or can be of general use, may be liable to the imputation of

vanity, yet, as I have no other share than that of a spectator, and auditor, in what I

purpose to relate, I presume no apology can be required; for my vanity must rather be

mortified than flattered in the description of such virtues as will continually accuse me

of my own deficiencies, and lead me to make a humiliating comparison between these

excellent ladies and myself.

You may remember, Sir, that when I took leave of you with a design of retiring to my

native county, there to enjoy the plenty and leisure for which a few years labour had

furnished me with the necessary requisites, I was advised by an eminent physician to

make a very extensive tour through the western part of this kingdom, in order, by

frequent change of air, and continued exercise, to cure the ill effects of my long abode in

the hot and unwholesome climate of Jamaica, where, while I increased my fortune, I

gradually impaired my constitution; and though one who, like me, has dedicated all his

application to mercantile gain, will not allow that he has given up the substance for the

shadow, yet perhaps it would be difficult to deny that I thus sacrificed the greater good

in pursuit of the less.

The eagerness with which I longed to fix in my wished-for retirement, made me imagine

that when I had once reached it, even the pursuit of health would be an insufficient

inducement to determine me to leave my retreat. I therefore chose to make the advised

tour before I went into the north. As the pleasure arising from a variety of beautiful

objects is but half enjoyed when we have no one to share it with us, I accepted the offer

Mr Lamont (the son of my old friend) made of accompanying me in my journey. As this

young gentleman has not the good fortune to be known to you, it may not be amiss, as

will appear in the sequel, to let you into his character.

Mr Lamont is a young man of about twenty-five years of age, of an agreeable person,

and lively understanding; both perhaps have concurred to render him a coxcomb. The

vivacity of his parts soon gained him such a degree of encouragement as excited his

vanity, and raised in him a high opinion of himself. A very generous father enabled him

to partake of every fashionable amusement, and the natural bent of his mind soon led

him into all the dissipation which the gay world affords. Useful and improving studies

were laid aside for such desultory reading as he found most proper to furnish him with

topics for conversation in the idle societies he frequented. Thus that vivacity, which,

properly qualified, might have become true wit, degenerated into pertness and

impertinence. A consciousness of an understanding, which he never exerted, rendered

him conceited; those talents which nature kindly bestowed upon him, by being

perverted, gave rise to his greatest faults. His reasoning faculty, by a partial and

superficial use, led him to infidelity, and the desire of being thought superiorly

distinguishing established him an infidel. Fashion, not reason, has been the guide of all

his thoughts and actions. But with these faults he is good-natured, and not

unentertaining, especially in a tête-à-tête, where he does not desire to shine, and

therefore his vanity lies dormant and suffers the best qualifications of his mind to break

forth. This induced me to accept him as a fellow traveller.

We proceeded on our journey as far as Cornwall, without meeting with any other than

the usual incidents of the road, till one afternoon, when our chaise broke down. The

worst circumstance attending this accident was our being several miles from a town, and

so ignorant of the country, that we knew not whether there was any village within a

moderate distance. We sent the postilion on my man's horse to the next town to fetch a

smith, and leaving my servant to guard the chaise, Mr Lamont and I walked towards an

avenue of oaks, which we observed at a small distance. The thick shade they afforded us,

the fragrance wafted from the woodbines with which they were encircled, was so

delightful, and the beauty of the grounds so very attracting, that we strolled on, desirous

of approaching the house to which this avenue led. It is a mile and a half in length, but

the eye is so charmed with the remarkable verdure and neatness of the fields, with the

beauty of the flowers which are planted all around them and seem to mix with the

quickset hedges, that time steals away insensibly.

When we had walked about half a mile in a scene truly pastoral, we began to think

ourselves in the days of Theocritus, so sweetly did the sound of a flute come wafted

through the air. Never did pastoral swain make sweeter melody on his oaten reed. Our

ears now afforded us fresh attraction, and with quicker steps we proceeded, till we came

within sight of the musician that had charmed us. Our pleasure was not a little

heightened, to see, as the scene promised, in reality a shepherd, watching a large flock of

sheep. We continued motionless, listening to his music, till a lamb straying from its fold

demanded his care, and he laid aside his instrument, to guide home the little wanderer.

Curiosity now prompted us to walk on; the nearer we came to the house, the greater we

found the profusion of flowers which ornamented every field. Some had no other

defence than hedges of rose trees and sweetbriars, so artfully planted, that they made a

very thick hedge, while at the lower part, pinks, jonquils, hyacinths, and various other

flowers, seemed to grow under their protection. Primroses, violets, lilies of the valley,

and polyanthuses enriched such shady spots, as, for want of sun, were not well

calculated for the production of other flowers. The mixture of perfumes which exhaled

from this profusion composed the highest fragrance, and sometimes the different scents

regaled the senses alternately, and filled us with reflections on the infinite variety of

nature.

When we were within about a quarter of a mile of the house, the scene became still more

animated. On one side was the greatest variety of cattle, the most beautiful of their kinds,

grazing in fields whose verdure equalled that of the finest turf, nor were they destitute of

their ornaments, only the woodbines and jessamine, and such flowers as might have

tempted the inhabitants of these pastures to crop them, were defended with roses and

sweetbriars, whose thorns preserved them from all attacks.

Though Lamont had hitherto been little accustomed to admire nature, yet was he much

captivated with this scene, and with his usual levity cried out, 'If Nebuchadnezzar had

such pastures as these to range in, his seven years expulsion from human society might

not be the least agreeable part of his life.' My attention was too much engaged to criticize

the light turn of Lamont's mind, nor did his thoughts continue long on the same subject,

for our observation was soon called off by a company of hay-makers in the fields on the

other side of the avenue. The cleanliness and neatness of the young women thus

employed, rendered them a more pleasing subject for Lamont's contemplation than any

thing we had yet seen; in them we beheld rural simplicity, without any of those marks of

poverty and boorish rusticity, which would have spoilt the pastoral air of the scene

around us; but not even the happy amiable innocence, which their figures and

countenances expressed, gave me so much satisfaction as the sight of the number of

children, who were all exerting the utmost of their strength, with an air of delighted

emulation between themselves, to contribute their share to the general undertaking. Their

eyes sparkled with that spirit which health and activity can only give, and their rosy

cheeks shewed the benefits of youthful labour.

Curiosity is one of those insatiable passions that grow by gratification; it still prompted

us to proceed, not unsatisfied with what we had seen, but desirous to see still more of

this earthly paradise. We approached the house, wherein, as it was the only human

habitation in view, we imagined must reside the Primum Mobile of all we had yet

beheld. We were admiring the magnificence of the ancient structure, and inclined to

believe it the abode of the genius which presided over this fairy land, when we were

surprised by a storm, which had been some time gathering over our heads, though our

thoughts had been too agreeably engaged to pay much attention to it. We took shelter

under the thick shade of a large oak, but the violence of the thunder and lightning made

our situation rather uncomfortable. All those whom we had a little before seen so busy

left their work on hearing the first clap of thunder and ran with the utmost speed to

Millenium Hall, so I shall call the noble mansion of which I am speaking, as to an

assured asylum against every evil.

Some of these persons, I imagine, perceived us; for immediately after they entered, came

out a woman who, by her air and manner of address, we guessed to be the housekeeper,

and desired us to walk into the house till the storm was over. We made some difficulties

about taking that liberty, but she still persisting in her invitation, had my curiosity to see

the inhabitants of this hospitable mansion been less, I could not have refused to comply,

as by prolonging these ceremonious altercations I was detaining her in the storm; we

therefore agreed to follow her.

If we had been inclined before to fancy ourselves on enchanted ground, when after being

led through a large hall, we were introduced to the ladies, who knew nothing of what had

passed, I could scarcely forbear believing myself in the Attic school. The room where

they sat was about forty-five feet long, of a proportionable breadth, with three windows

on one side, which looked into a garden, and a large bow at the upper end. Over against

the windows were three large bookcases, upon the top of the middle one stood an orrery,

and a globe on each of the others. In the bow sat two ladies reading, with pen, ink and

paper on a table before them at which was a young girl translating out of French. At the

lower end of the room was a lady painting, with exquisite art indeed, a beautiful

Madonna; near her another, drawing a landscape out of her own imagination; a third,

carving a picture-frame in wood, in the finest manner, a fourth, engraving; and a young

girl reading aloud to them; the distance from the ladies in the bow window being such,

that they could receive no disturbance from her. At the next window were placed a group

of girls, from the age of ten years old to fourteen. Of these, one was drawing figures,

another a landscape, a third a perspective view, a fourth engraving, a fifth carving, a

sixth turning in wood, a seventh writing, an eighth cutting out linen, another making a

gown, and by them an empty chair and a tent, with embroidery, finely fancied, before it,

which we afterwards found had been left by a young girl who was gone to practise on

the harpsichord.

As soon as we entered they all rose up, and the housekeeper introduced us by saying she

saw us standing under a tree to avoid the storm and so had desired us to walk in. The

ladies received us with the greatest politeness, and expressed concern that when their

house was so near, we should have recourse to so insufficient a shelter. Our surprise at

the sight of so uncommon a society occasioned our making but an awkward return to

their obliging reception; nor when we observed how many arts we had interrupted, could

we avoid being ashamed that we had then intruded upon them.

But before I proceed farther, I shall endeavour to give you some idea of the persons of

the ladies, whose minds I shall afterwards best describe by their actions. The two who

sat in the bow window were called Mrs Maynard and Miss Selvyn. Mrs Maynard is

between forty and fifty years of age, a little woman, well made, with a lively and genteel

air, her hair black, and her eyes of the same colour, bright and piercing, her features

good, and complexion agreeable, though brown. Her countenance expresses all the

vivacity of youth, tempered with a serenity which becomes her age.

Miss Selvyn can scarcely be called tall, though she approaches that standard. Her

features are too irregular to be handsome, but there is a sensibility and delicacy in her

countenance which render her extremely engaging; and her person is elegant.

Miss Mancel, whom we had disturbed from her painting, is tall and finely formed, has

great elegance of figure, and is graceful in every motion. Her hair is of a fine brown, her

eyes blue, with all that sensible sweetness which is peculiar to that colour. In short, she

excels in every beauty but the bloom, which is so soon faded, and so impossible to be

imitated by the utmost efforts of art, nor has she suffered any farther by years than the

loss of that radiance which renders beauty rather more resplendent than more pleasing.

Miss Trentham, who was carving by her, was the tallest of the company, and in dignity

of air particularly excels, but her features and complexion have been so injured by the

smallpox, that one can but just guess they were once uncommonly fine; a sweetness of

countenance, and a very sensible look, indeed, still remain, and have baffled all the most

cruel ravages of that distemper.

Lady Mary Jones, whom we found engraving, seems to have been rather pleasing than

beautiful. She is thin and pale, but a pair of the finest black eyes I ever saw, animate, to a

great degree, a countenance which sickness has done its utmost to render languid, but

has, perhaps, only made more delicate and amiable. Her person is exquisitely genteel,

and her voice, in common speech, enchantingly melodious.

Mrs Morgan, the lady who was drawing, appears to be upwards of fifty, tall, rather

plump, and extremely majestic, an air of dignity distinguishes her person, and every

virtue is engraven in indelible characters on her countenance. There is a benignity in

every look, which renders the decline of life, if possible, more amiable than the bloom of

youth. One would almost think nature had formed her for a common parent, such

universal and tender benevolence beams from every glance she casts around her.

The dress of the ladies was thus far uniform, the same neatness, the same simplicity and

cleanliness appeared in each, and they were all in lutestring night-gowns, though of

different colours, nor was there any thing unfashionable in their appearance, except that

they were free from any trumpery ornaments. The girls were all clothed in camblet coats,

but not uniform in colour, their linen extremely white and clean though coarse. Some of

them were pretty, and none had any defect in person, to take off from that general

pleasingness which attends youth and innocence.

They had been taught such a habit of attention that they seemed not at all disturbed by

our conversation, which was of that general kind, as might naturally be expected on such

an occasion, though supported by the ladies with more sensible vivacity and politeness

than is usual where part of the company are such total strangers to the rest; till by chance

one of the ladies called Mrs Maynard by her name.

From the moment I saw her, I thought her face not unknown to me, but could not

recollect where or when I had been acquainted with her, but her name brought to my

recollection, that she was not only an old acquaintance, but a near relation. I observed

that she had looked on me with particular attention, and I begged her to give me leave to

ask her of what family of Maynards she was. Her answer confirmed my supposition, and

as she told me that she believed she had some remembrance of my face, I soon made her

recollect our affinity and former intimacy, though my twenty years abode in Jamaica, the

alteration the climate had wrought in me, and time had made in us both, had almost

effaced us from each other's memory.

There is great pleasure in renewing the acquaintance of our youth; a thousan