Old English Mansions

WHY do distant objects please? It is a question which has exercised many minds. William Hazlitt once had the inspiration to write an essay on the subject, saying, among other things, that the reason for our pleasure is that we clothe distant objects ... Read more

WHY do distant objects please? It is a question which has exercised many minds. William Hazlitt once had the inspiration to write an essay on the subject, saying, among other things, that the reason for our pleasure is that we clothe distant objects with the indistinct and airy colours of fancy. There is truth in this argument when applied to landscape, and still more so in regard to history and antiquities. We look on the distant past as we do on a beautiful sunset, conscious only of warm, glowing reflections. Forgetfulness and ignorance play a great part in our estimate of bygone days and things. The invasion of Britain by Julius Cassar and the later Romans has been the joy of the archaeologist—descendants of those who suffered at the time; and if we wander through Hastings Castle it is the personality of William the Conqueror which inspires us rather than remembrance of the troubles endured by the vanquished. We believe that tribulation, especially that of other people in a previous generation, had compensations. Less