Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Chamber, there is a pretie device how the Hedgehog brake the chayne, and came from Ireland to Ludloe." The device is probably an allufion to Sir Henry's armorial bearings, of which two porcupines were the creft. Sir Henry Sidney caused also many falutary regulations to be made in the Court. See Sidney State Papers, vol. i. p. 143 and p. 170, in which are stated the great fums of money he had expended, and the indefatigable diligence he had exerted in the difcharge of his office.

66

In 1616, the Creation of Prince Charles (afterwards King Charles I.) to the Principality of Wales, and Earldom of Chester, was celebrated here with uncommon magnificence. It became next diftinguished by one of the most memorable and honourable circumftances in the courfe of its hiftory," THE REPRESENTATION OF COMUS in 1634, when the Earl of Bridgewater was Lord Prefident, and inhabited it. A fcene in the Mafk prefented both the Caftle and the Town of Ludlow. Afterwards, as I have been informed, Charles the firft, going to pay a visit at Powis Castle, was here fplendidly received and entertained, on his journey. But "pomp, and feaft, and revelry, with mask, and antique pageantry," were foon fucceeded in Ludlow Castle by the din of arms. During the unhappy Civil War it was garrifoned for the King; who, in his flight from Wales, ftaid a night in it. See Iter Carolinum in Gutch's Collect. Cur. vol. ii. 443. "Wednesday Aug.st 6.th 1645, at Old Radnor, fupper, a yeoman's houfe; the Court difperfed. Thurfday the 7.th to LUDLOW CASTLE, no dinner, Col. Wodehoufe. Friday the 8.th to Bridgnorth, &c." The Caftle was at length delivered up to the Parliament in June 1646.

A few years after this event, the goods of the Castle were inventoried and fold. The Rev. Mr. Ayfcough, of the British Museum, has obligingly directed me to a priced catalogue of the furniture, with the names of the purchasers, in Harl. MSS. No. 4898, and No. 7352: from which I felect a few curious articles.

"In the Princes Chamber. One standing beddftead, covered with watchet damafke, with all the furniture fuitable thereunto belonging, &c. Sold Mr Bafs ye 11.th of March 1650 for 36£ 10s.

"One fuit of old tapiftry hangings cont. in all 120 ells at 2 per ell; Sold Mr Cleam.t ye 18.th January 1650 for 15£.

"In the Governour's Quarter. Two pictures, ye one of the

S

late king, the other of his queen, 10. Sold to Mr Bafs.

S

"One large old Bible, 6. Sold to Mr Bafs.

[ocr errors]

"One old furplice of hollaud, 5. Sold to Mr Bass.

« One dammaske table-cloth in length tenn yards, 2. Sold to Mr Rog.' Humphrey.

$

"A cupp & cover of plate, weighing 35 03. at 5 per o3. 8. 15. Sold to Mr Brown.

£ S

"A pulpitt cloth & a carpett of old crimson velvett & 7 old

£

cufhions, val. at 8. Sold to Mr Brown.

"In the Shovell-Board Room. Nine peeces of green kersey hangings paned wth gilt leather, 8 window curtaines, 5 window peeces, a chimney peece, and curtaine rodds, & three other fmall peeces in a preffe in ye wardrobe val. togeather 25£. WITH

Ye PROTECTOR.

"In ye Hall. Two long tables, two fquare tables with formes, one fire-grate, one fide-table, a court cuppboard, two wooden figures of beafts, 3 candlesticks, & racks for armour, 1. Sold to Mr Bafs."

No other remarkable circumftances diftinguifh the history of this Castle, till the Court of the Marches was abolished, and the Lords Presidents were discontinued, in 1688. From that period its decay commenced. It has fince been gradually stripped of its curious and valuable ornaments. No longer inhabited by its noble guardians, it has fallen into neglect; and neglect has encouraged plunder. "It will be no wonder that this noble Caftle is in the very perfection of decay, when we acquaint our readers, that the prefent Inhabitants live upon the fale of the materials. All the fine Courts, the Royal Apartments, Halls, and Rooms of State, lie open and abandoned, and fome of them falling down." Tour through Great Britain, quoted by Grose, Art. Ludlow Caftle. See alfo two remarkable Inftances related by Mr. Hodges in his Account of the Castle, p. 39. The appointment of a governour, or steward of the caftle, is also at present difcontinued. Butler enjoyed the ftewardship, which was a lucrative, as well as an honourable poft, while the principalitycourt existed. And, in an apartment over the gateway of the Caftle, he is faid to have written his inimitable Hudibras. The

poct had been fecretary to the Earl of Carbery, who was Lord Prefident of Wales; and who, in the great Rebellion, had afforded an afylum to the excellent Jeremy Taylor.

[ocr errors]

In the account of Ludlow Castle, prefixed to Buck's Antiquities, published in 1774, which must have been written many years before, it is faid "Many of the Royal apartments are yet entire; and the fword, with the velvet hangings, and fome of the furniture are still preserved." And Grofe in his Antiquities, published about the fame time, extracting from the Tour through Great Britain what he pronounces a very just and accurate account of this Castle, reprefents the Chapel having abundance of Coats of Arms upon the pannels, and the Hall decorated with the fame ornaments, together with lances, fpears, firelocks, and old armour. Of these curious appendages to the grandeur of both, little perhaps is now known. Of the Chapel, a circular building within the inner court is now all that remains. Over feveral of the stable doors, however, are still the arms of Queen Elizabeth, and the Earl of Pembroke. Over the inner gate of the Castle, are also fome remains of the arms of the Sidney family, with an infcription denoting the date of the Queen's reign, and of Sir Henry Sidney's refidence, in 1581, together with the following words, Hominibus ingratis loquimini lapides. No reafon has been affigned for this remarkable addrefs. Perhaps Sir Henry Sidney might intend it as an allufion to his predeceffors, who had fuffered the ftately fabrick to decay; as a memorial alfo, which no fucceffour mfght behold without determining to avoid its application: "Nonne IPSAM DOMUM metuet, ne quam VOCEM ELICIAT, nonne PARIETES CONSCIOS?"

Mr. Dovafton, of the Nursery, near Ofweftry, who visited the Castle in 1768, has acquainted me, that the floors of the Great Council Chamber were then pretty entire, as was the stair-cafe. The covered fteps leading to the Chapel were remaining, but the covering of the Chapel was fallen; yet the arms of fome of the Lords Presidents, painted on the walls, were vifible. In the Great Council Chamber was infcribed on the wall a fentence from 1 Sam. xii. 3. All of which are now wholly gone. The perfon, who fhowed this gentleman the Caftle, informed him that, by tradition, the Mask of Comus was

VOL. VI.

* Cicero pro Calio. fect. 25.

performed in the Council Chamber. Among the valuable collectious of the fame gentleman is an extenfive Account of Ludlow Town and Castle from the moft early times, to the first year of William and Mary, copied by him from a MS. of the Rev. Rich. Podmore, A. B. Rector of Coppenhall in Co. Pal. of Chefter, and Curate of Cundover, Salop, collected with great care from ancient and authentick books. From this interefting compilation I have been informed that the Court of the Marches was erected by Edward IV. in honour of the Earls of March, from whom he was defcended, as the Court of the Duchy of Lancaster had been before by Henry IV. in honour of the house of Lancaster that the houshold of Ludlow Caftle was numerous and fplendid, and that the Lord Prefident lived in great state. The Chaplain had the yearly fee of £.50 with diet for himself and one fervant. The other Officers of the Court had fees and falaries fuitable to their feveral ranks. See alfo Sidney State Papers, vol. i. p. 5, 6. where the "Fees annually allowed to the Counfell and Commiffioners, and the Officers Waiges," An. 3. Edw. VI. are fet forth. The Court confifted of the Lord Prefident, Vice-Prefident, and Council, who were compofed of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Treafurer, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, Lord Treasurer of the King's houfhold, Chancellor of the Exchequer, principal Secretary of State, the chief Juftices of England, and of the Common Pleas, the chief Baron of the Exchequer, the Juftices of Affize for the counties of Salop, Gloucefter, Hereford, and Monmouth, the Juftices of the grand Seffion in Wales, the chief Juftice of Chefter, Attorney and Solicitor General, with many of the neighbouring Nobility; and with various fubordinate officers. See Mr. Hodges's Hift. Acc. of the Cafile, p. 67, 68. From the inedited tour of a traveller in 1635, communicated to me by Jofeph Cooper Walker, Efq. it appears that there was alfo a Secretary to the Court: the office of which was then filled by Lord Goreing, and faid to be worth 3000€. At the fame time, Sir John Bridgeman was the Chief Juftice of the Court. The traveller adds, that, in the absence of the Prefident, the Chief Juftice reprefented the Prefident's person, and kept "the king's houfe in the Castle, which is a prettie little neate castle, standing high, kept in good repaire:" and that he was "invited by the Judge to dinner, and verye kindly and respectfully entertained."

This Court was diffolved by Act of Parliament in the first year of William and Mary, at the humble fuit of all the gentlemen and inhabitants of the Principality of Wales; by whom it was reprefented as an intolerable grievance.

The fituation of the Castle is delightful, and romantick. It is built in the north-weft angle of the town upon a rock, commanding an extensive and beautiful prospect Northward. On the Weft it is fhaded by a lofty hill, and washed by the river. It is ftrongly environed by walls of immenfe height and thickness, and fortified with round and square towers at irregular distances. The walls are faid by Grose to have formerly been a mile in compafs; but Leland in that meature includes thofe of the town. The interiour apartments were defended on one fide by a deep ditch, cut out of the rock; on the other, by an almost inacceffible precipice overlooking the vale of Corve. The Caftle was divided into two feparate parts: the caftlé, properly speaking, in which were the palace and lodgings; and the green, or outwork, which Dr. Stukeley fuppofes to have been called the Barbican. See his Itinerary, Iter iv. p. 70. The green takes in a large compafs of ground, in which were the court of judicature and records, the ftables, garden, bowling-green, and other offices. In the front of the castle, a spacious plain or lawn formerly extended two miles. In 1772 a publick walk round the caftle was planted with trees, and laid out with much tafte, by the munificence of the Countess of Powis. See Mr. Hodges's Hift. Acc. p. 54.

The exteriour appearance of this ancient edifice befpeaks, in fome degree, what it once has been. Its mutilated towers and walls still afford an idea of the strength and beauty, which fo noble a specimen of Norman architecture formerly displayed. But at the fame time it is a melancholy monument, exhibiting the irreparable effects of pillage and dilapidation. TODD.

John, Earl of Bridgewater, and his Family.

JOHN EGERTON, Earl of Bridgewater, before whom Comus was prefented, and whofe fons and daughter, Lord Viscount

« ZurückWeiter »