Country Residences in Europe and America. By Louis Valooulon 2
Lemoyne. (T. Fisher Unwin. 25s. net.)—The author has spent the past two years, or, we may be sure, a considerable part of them, in visiting and representing by measuring-line, camera, and pencil great houses in Italy, France, England, and the United States, and he here gives the results of his labour. One thing strikes us at once; the "English Places" nearly equal in number those of the three other countries put together,—twenty-two to twenty-four. Mr. Lemoyne, too, tells us that in England—it will be observed that nothing is taken from Scotland or Ireland—the difficulty has been to choose. It is to be noted, also, that in Italy "most of these beautiful villas are now in ruins," while of the five French examples three were once Royal palaces. Of. the, English list all but Hampton Court are private residences. As, to the twelve American places, they are sometimes highly interest- ing—Longfellow House and Mount Vernon, for instance—but as structures they hardly rank with the European. But a century or so will change all that. Mr. Lemoyne has done his work with great care and completeness. In each case he gives a ground plan, and views of the buildings from various points,—he limits himself to the exterior, while including gardens and grounds. His introductions, though brief, are interesting arid' suggestive, especially as to the influence exercised by one country on others, and by the varying circumstances of place and time. An Italian Cardinal built his palace on a hill-slope, an English Baron in a valley.
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