PROBABLE DATE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAMP ON PRESTBURY HILL, & DESCRIPTION OF POSTLIP CHAPEL. As such, then is the fact, that many encounters have taken place on the summits of the neighbouring hills, and military operations have been carried on to no mean extent; what other conclusion can we draw than that where such circum- ' stances have happened, camps of some kind or other must have been made use of for the protection of those who were the principal actors in those moving scenes. Had the engagements been merely of a predatory character or such as might have taken place between armies, or detachments from armies, in their passage from one part of the kingdom to another, we should readily suppose that camps of the most extemporaneous character would be formed, just to meet the emergency of the moment; but here history steps in to our aid, and shews that there were positions in the neighbour. hood alternately occupied by the Royalists and Parliament forces which required constant surveillance, in order to watch each others movements and to be prepared to afford assistance to those places which were by turns in possession of either party. Two cases, which from their proximity to the present spot are most interesting, afford proofs which will suffice. The first is that of Sudeley Castle, the situation of which, for the information of those who do not know the locality, I will point out. It lies about two miles and a half to the east of the camp, nearly in a straight line with Gloucester and close to the town of Winchcomb, and, in the time of the Rebellion, a place of considerable strength. This castle was frequently occupied, evacuated, and re-occupied, as the following historical notices testify. On Thursday, January 29, 1642, with the concurrence of the deputy-lieutenants, the new deputy Parliament Governor of Gloucester, Colonel Edward Massy, ordered out the horse and canoneers and bringing other troops from Tewkesbury and Gloucester, he laid siege to Sudeley Castle, the seat of Lord Chandos, and the strongest hold in that quarter. Captain Bridges, the governor, at first refused to surrender. "There were in the "castle neere three score souldiers, with provision and ammu"nition sufficient: our men drew up before it in the evening " and made severall shots, and the canon did some execution; "the same night summons was given, the enemy refused to "render upon quarter, but craved time till the next day, the "next morning our men were drawne out to make an assault, "beds and wooll packs were fetched out of the neighbour"hood, which they tumbled before, and saved themselves "from shot: the horse and dragoones came up before the "foot approached the wall, and possest themselves of a gar"den under the castle, and got hay and straw which they "fired, that the smoake driven by the wind smothered the "house, in the shadow of which the ordnance were brought up undiscovered, and planted against the weakest part of "the castle, which when the enemy perceived they sounded a parley, and immediately rendered upon agreement.” In September, 1643, we find the castle again in the hands of the King," The King in the meantime brought a great part of his forces to Winchcomb and Sudeley. His Majesty lodged in the castle." In June, 1664, the castle again changed masters, having given way to the prowess of Colonel Massy in person, who, as it is said, "there performed an acceptable service to his country. He forthwith faced the castle, beat in the enemy, and took twenty horses from under the castle walls, expecting the arivall of Sir William Waller, who came up within a few houres with a large party of horse. And it fell out that the very name of his army and presence shooke them to the surrender of that hold." The next corroborating testimony which we have is the village of Prestbury, of which we find the following mention made. During the civil wars Colonel Massy, Governor of Gloucester, placed a garrison at Prestbury to protect the market of that city, which served also to preserve a communication between the Parliamentary garrisons at Warwick and Gloucester, and to check the King's at Sudeley Castle. Having such indisputable facts before us, knowing the highly advantageous position which the Camp must have afforded, and seeing that these places-Sudeley Castle, the Camp, Prestbury, and Gloucester-form, so to speak, a complete chain, if we are not warranted in coming to the conclusion that both it and the camp on Nottingham-hill were constructed at that period, we may infer with small fear of contradiction, although thrown up at a period long antecedent to the civil war, at least, they formed a most prominent feature in the then offensive and defensive measures. must now refer once more, and at greater length, to a choice little gem of bye-gone times, which has been but barely I glanced at-the ruins of the small chapel at Postlip, the present appearance of which is well delineated in the sketch. A brisk twenty minutes walk brings us to either one of two approaches down a somewhat steep and craggy path, to what, in comparison with the rising grounds on every hand, is a lovely greensward the verdure of which, strong in contrast to the barren appearance with which the downs and sides of the declivities are scantily covered, shows that at some distant time the land, which no doubt formed the cultivated portion of a farm, was made available for the support of its inhabitants, who were occupiers of the large and antiquated mansion, which from a clump of luxuriant trees pushes forth its high gable ends and allures the traveller, interested in objects of antiquity, to a more close acquaintance with its dark grey walls. The spot where the mansion or hall stands is so secluded by the ground which rises in most parts around it abruptly from the little plain, that a person might pass and repass almost within a stone's throw without being aware of its existence in the neighbourhood. It is one of those retired resting places where—with no other companions than birds, whose sweet song rises and falls in mild cadence when the fierce rays of the sun are curtained by the opposing hill, the distant bleating of the sheep as they crop the fine pasturage, and the gentle ripple of the pure fountain as it murmurs and trickles through its stony bed-the mind falls in, as it were, upon itself, and enjoys in silent contemplation those delightful trains of thought which are denied to him who, urged on in the feverish race of ambition, has scarce time to reflect on those ends for which the Almighty Governor of the universe destined him both in this world and eternity. 64 Hackney'd in business, wearied at that oar, "Which thousands, once fast chained to, quit no more, |