Ornamental Hermits of Eccentric Modern England – Articles – House of Lore – Hermitary
Men of eccentric bent and material substance took up the practice of installing on the grounds of their estates an "ornamental hermit." An ornamental hermit was not a real hermit, as the name suggests. An ornamental hermit was a man employed by the estate-owner to reside in a contrived hermitage for a period of time and make scheduled appearances on the grounds to the pleasure of the employer and to be seen and marveled at by guests.
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