Mr. URBAN, M April 3. AY I requeft the pleature of your readers' company in a little circuit round Hanwell church, to admire with me the tafte with which the grounds are difplayed? The village of Hanwell is at fome diftance South of the church: but the approach to it is pleafant in fummer, and dry in winter. The faithful attendants of a pleafing landscape, trees, are not wanting for a back-ground to the neat lightcoloured walls of this edifice, and its elegant little cupola *. The fchoolt partakes of the neatnefs and beauty of the furrounding buildings: the plan is fimple, and its pointed windows give it an antique Gothic air. After paffing the door of Mr. Glaffe's hofpitable dwelling, a fcene burfts upon the view which few fpots in the en virons of the metropolis can vie with. A ferpentine walk, kept in the most perfect order, leads from the houfe to the bottom of a fteep defcent, where a ruftic temple terminates it. A vaft variety of shrubs and trees intervene at pleafing dif tances, and in one part become quite impervious to the fight, except in a fpot where an opening through the foliage difclofes what appears to be an unbounded fheet of water, but in reality is an arm of the river which winds in this charming valley. On one fide of the walk ftands the decaying king of the foreft, grand in his old age, noble and majeftic in his vigour. He receives in his capacious trunk the delighted vititor, and fhews him, through the chafms time and the tempeft have made, woods, water, hills, and pafture. Harrow and its steeple, furmounted by *The church was built in the year 1782, during the incumbency of the late rector, Dr. Glaffe, having within it two fide ailes and a gallery. The altar-piece and its accompaniments are finished in a light and elegant manner; and there is a richly-painted window on the North fide of the altar. This, I find on enquiry, has been placed in its prefent fituation fince the publication of Mr. Lyfons's work, as well as a beautiful mufal tablet near the font, the only monument to be feen in the church, on which is the following chafte and appropriate infcription, which may prove an agreeable entertainment to many of your readers, who, while they admire the compofition, will perhaps recollect that they are in the neighbourhood of very claffical ground. FREDERICO. COMMERELL VIRO. PROBO, MITI. OMNIBVS. AFFABILI QVI HEILBRVNNI. IN. GERMANIA, HONESTA. STIRPE. ORIVNDVE LONDINI. RES. MERCATORIAS DILIGENTER. ET FIDELITER. ADMINISTRAVIT PRID. ID. APRIL. ANNO. CHRISTI. M.DCC.LXXXX.Vitt. AETATIS. SVAE. LXXX. II. ST. SEPVLTUS. EST. IN. HOC. TEMPLO QVOD PIE. SANCTE. QVE VIVVS. FREQVENTAVERAT IOANNES. GVLIELMVS. COMMERELL FILIVS. SVPERSTES PATRI. BENE. MERENTI H.M. PONI, CVRAVIT. Erected the last year, the former ancient edifice having been blown down by a hurricane. For fome curious particulars refpecting this ancient foundation, I must refer your readers to Mr. Lylons. GENT. MAG. April, 1809. ftormy |