the buildings, which have either been added entirely or have been repaired by his lordship, the cipher E. E.-(Edward, Lord Ellenborough)—and the Earl's coronet.

"At the left extremity of the first quadrangular court at Sudeley, is a fragment evidently of a much earlier date than any other part of the castle." The manner the stones are wrought and put together, appears to have been entirely different from any other portion of the ruin. Indeed it is supposed that this formed a part of a building nearly contemporaneous with the time of Stephen, before the castle was built, and concerning which Leland, in his "Itinerary,” observes, there had been a manor place at Sudeley before the building of the castle, and the platte is yet seen in Sudeley Parke where it stode." What remains consists of a low embattled tower, which has on one side been enlarged for the reception of an interesting oriel window in the Tudor style, said to have been placed there by Lord Seymour, giving light to a small apartment denominated the " nursery." This apartment is supposed to have been the private room of the Queen, Katharine Parr, two small doors from which open into the interior of the building, opposite to the oriel window, one of them doubtless afforded egress from the apartment to the banqueting-room; the other most likely was the entrance to a passage which, after traversing some little distance, led by a staircase to the cloister underneath, and was continued from the castle to the royal stall in the chapel, that stands at the rear of the castle. Near the window of this apartment, also in the tower wall, are to be seen the unmistakable marks of two cannon shots, indeli

ble proofs of the kind of artillery made use of by Cromwell's forces when they laid siege to the castle.

i

fod a

lo av

nist la gu gaivigoitia bodotorw omoa ni eqsiz "Lo! there it stands, as stands a lofty mind. 10-af107 Stern, but unstooping to the baser

All tenantless, save to the crannying wind,busqa,e09Jov "And holding dark communion with the cloud.

"There was a day when at
Banners on high, and ba
"But they that fought are in a

And the black battlements may bear no future blow.” 20 lt.

Of all that remains of Sudeley Castle, there is not one portion gives a better idea of the original magnificence of the building-as it was before the rage of the enemy reduced this once fine fortress to a heap of ruins, and the

desolating hand of time laid his destructive influence upon the pile, which in the shortness of human foresight had been calculated to remain for ever what it originally was, a tower of strength and a refuge for those who were its lords;— than the inner court. The antiquarian, as he gazes upon the remnants that are left, must at once feel himself convinced that here many splendid apartments formerly existed; the remains are so striking as to convince even casual observer of the ancient magnificence of the place. The portions of the windows, in what was the banqueting-room, demand our close attention, for their like is to be met with in but very few ruins, or in buildings that at the present day exist in all their pristine beauty. Their fan-like tracery eliciting eulogiums upon the architect, who has left us a memento of what art is capable, when encouraged by the bounty of the rich. How many are the sons and daughters of Genius, who are left to eke out a miserable existence, perhaps in some wretched attic, giving up all their energies to works of art, with all the determination of religious devotees, spending their best years on labours, which are not found to contain anything worthy of merit, until death has united them with the common lot of mortality. Then, alas! when too late, the gorgeous funeral, the splendid tomb, the chiseled epitaph, trumpet forth the fame of him who, as far as the necessaries of life were concerned, was left to exist on a pittance unequal to that of the common street beggar. Yet these are facts which few will have the hardihood to deny. According to Leland, the windows of the banqueting hall were glazed with beryl, a species of mineral

somewhat analogous to those crystalline masses known by the name of emerald, a splendid green in colour, never varying in its shades: but beryl is found in much larger crystals and varies in colour from green to blue, yellow and white. What may have been the colour of that used at Sudeley, cannot now be ascertained, but may be presumed to have been white, if not yellow, a colour likely to heighten the gorgeous effect of the hangings with which this room was no doubt hung; and the light so received would tend to increase the grand effect the lofty ceiling formed with ribs, supported upon corbels, whose bases were completed by angels bearing shields, on which the arms were emblazoned in all the gaudy colouring of the heraldic art, would present. The remains of these are still to be seen. Underneath is the Great Hall, in extent quite equal to the one just mentioned. This, no doubt, was the general resort of the members of the family, and the retainers who were commonly located within the castle walls; excepting such occasions when the overflowing hospitality of the baron called together his friends and vassals, for the celebration of those banquets which formed, in olden time, a leading feature in the princely state then kept up. It is to these stated assemblages we owe, no doubt, many of those domestic re-unions that occur in our own day, and whose cheering influence is never more delightfully felt than when hoary Christmas covers the earth with a white mantle, and the domestic hearth brightens and sparkles by the aid of the yule log. We have no reason for supposing that this hall was inferior in magnificence to the former,

though perhaps the style of furniture may have been somewhat different, abounding, it is likely, to a greater extent with trophies of war and of the chase. "Near to this, in the angle formed by the north-east end of the banqueting-room, are the few relics of a chamber, which tradition states was the dormitory appropriated to the use of royalty.”

The domestic offices of the castle were contained in the opposite side of the quadrangle; and none will err who view the spot-and behold the jaws of the immense chimney exhibiting unmistakable marks of frequent and ardent service and judge this to be the place where the cook exercised his sway over the kitchen, bedecked in all the culinary pomp of white cap, apron, knife and steel. Here many an affray took place, as the poor affrighted turn-spits were hunted about with imprecations loud and menaces of a greasy ladle, to do their duty in whirling the ponderous roasts which were required to satisfy the keen hunger of the guests. Such were not the days when matters of this kind were done by halves-nothing less than whole sheep, and occasionally oxen, would be sufficiently noble to deck the space which a twelve-feet wide fire-place would require.

At each corner of this court was a lofty embattled tower; three only remain at present-the "Watch Tower," the "Keep," and the "Water Tower." This latter is also called "Portman's," or more correctly "Portmier's Tower," the expense of its erection having been defrayed out of ransom money which Ralph le Boteler received for a French Admiral, of the name of Portmier, whom he took prisoner in a naval engagement. This Ralph le Boteler was created