kept guard in the moat of Warwick | have had as much sodden and roast as he Castle."* might carry upon a long dagger." On his death on the battle-field of Barnet, the earldom was conferred on George Plantagenet, duke of Clarence, who had married Isabel, the daughter of the king-maker. This noble and his son having alike met with violent deaths, the title was given to John Dudley, who was subsequently duke of Northumberland; and nine years afterwards it came into the possession of his second son, Ambrose Dudley, whose eldest son was the celebrated earl of Leicester. The title remained in abeyance till 1618, when it was conferred by James 1. on Robert Lord The estate remained for nearly two centuries in the possession of this family; but in the furious contests which characterised the latter years of the reign of Henry III. the castle was regarded as of such importance, that the king's precept was sent to the archbishop of York and William de Cantalupe, requiring good security for Margery, sister and heir of the earl of Warwick, “that she should not take to husband any person whatsoever in whom the king could not repose trust as in his own self." For this, the strength of the castle was alleged as a sufficient reason. Though now impreg-Rich; and it was then bestowed upon nable to open assault, it was sacrificed to indiscretion. William Mauduit, who was then earl, aware that his enemies were encamped at Kenilworth, neglected to keep a sufficient guard; his fortress was therefore surprised, and, with the exception of the towers, levelled with the ground, while he, with his countess, was carried prisoner to Kenilworth. The family of Beauchamp next came into the possession of the property; and in the reign of Edward III. the walls of the castle were rebuilt, the gateways strengthened, and defended with embattled towers. By him the portion called Guy's tower was erected, which is at the northeast corner of the castle. The marriage of Richard Nevil, the son of the earl of Salisbury, in 1449, and Anne, daughter of Richard Beauchamp, occasioned a transfer of the property. This was "the king-maker," with whose history all are familiar. He was certainly one of the most potent nobles in the English peerage; he was "fierce, fearless, haughty, turbulent, yet with a chivalric honour. An Achilles without his steadiness of purpose, without his accomplishments, not without his boasting or his vengeful spirit." The splendid style of living which he maintained was well calculated to secure the regard of the people, for Stow tells us that "when Richard Nevil attended the parliament in London, he brought with him six hundred men, all in red jackets, embroidered with ragged staffs, both before and behind; and were lodged in Warwick-lane: in whose house six oxen were oft eaten at a breakfast, and every tavern was full of his meat; for who that had any acquaintance in that house, he should "House of Greville," p. 19; following Mag. Rot. 20. Hen. II., etc. a descendant of Fulke Greville, in whose family it remains. The castle was at the time of this grant in a ruinous condition, having been used for some time as a county gaol; and Dugdale says that the repairs cost 20,000l. To the care and taste with which the restorations were conducted, its present proprietors are much indebted. When, from lapse of time, the dilapidations had again become serious, Francis, the late earl, repaired the defective portions with great judgment, and made many additions in harmony with the original pile. The castle stands on the northern bank of the Avon, its foundations resting on the solid rock, and impending over the "classic" stream. Those who have recently enjoyed a visit to Belvoir, where no expense has been spared to keep in perfect repair every portion of the edifice; and especially whose commanding position attracts the admiration of all by whom it is beheld, may feel somewhat disappointed as they look on the dingy walls and lethargic waters of Warwick, as seen on the approach from Leamington. But when they recall the historic associations of the past; when they see the embattled turrets of stone, where in a long-past century the herald at arms demanded the name and purpose of those so hardy as to approach unbidden; or picture to themselves the scenes of war and revelry which have transpired within these walls, they cannot fail to feel an interest in the objects before them, which will preclude any serious occasion of disappointment. The principal entrance to the castle faces the east of the town, and is formed by a passage cut through the rocks, from which but occasional glimpses of the towers and battlements can be obtained. It is not till the great gate-house is passed that its gigantic proportions are seen; a chained dog was long its only warder a noble animal, who lay stretched beneath a great tree, and, as though conscious that he was there merely for show, disdained even to challenge the visitors by a growl. A wall, with all needful defences, encloses the great base-court, and was formerly surrounded by a wide and deep moat; but this, as in many similar instances, is now drained. The oldest portions of the castle present some bold specimens of Norman architecture, while other parts display the less tasteful additions of modern times. At the south-eastern extremity of the long line of buildings is the majestic edifice called Cæsar's tower, rearing its turret to the height of 147 feet, and supposed to have seen the lapse of at least seven centuries. The line of buildings which faces the river extends more than 400 feet, and presents a stupendous and picturesque mass. From the level of the water to the basement floor, the rock has been cut away in an almost perpendicular face, and is nearly of equal height with the whole superincumbent building, while it is diversified by overhanging shrubs, plants, and mosses. Guy's tower, 128 feet high, and built in 1394, is in good preservation. Its walls are ten feet thick, and it has rooms for its defenders, with loopholes, so as to command a wide extent. It appears to be of a decorated character, and though plain, is perhaps the most perfect remain of the kind in existence, and curious alike as to composition and construction. One of our poets has said: "Now Warwick claims the song; supremely fair A stately range of high embattled walls, Its grandeur, worth, and ancient pomp confess." In a greenhouse is the beautiful and celebrated specimen of Grecian art, known as the Warwick vase. There is something very pleasing to the imagination in the preservation of this exquisite piece of ancient workmanship from the time of Alexander of Macedon, the vase being generally admitted to have been the production of the statuary Lysippus. It was found at the bottom of a lake at the villa of the emperor Adrian, at Tivoli, was purchased by sir William Hamilton, and consigned to his relative the earl of Warwick, by whose liberality it is placed in a situation in which it may at all times be seen by the public. It is probably one of the most entire, and, to a certain extent, the most beautiful specimen of ancient sculpture of which this country is possessed. Its form is nearly spherical, with a deep inverted rim, and it is composed of white marble. Two interwoven vines wreath their tendrils with fruit and foliage round the upper part, and form the handles. The centre is composed of antique heads, which stand in relief; and the skin of a panther, the thyrsus * of Bacchus, and other embellishments, complete the composition. The vase is capable of containing 136 gallons. The park attached to the noble castle is very extensive, and finely adorned with wood and water. A broad gravel walk conducts through the grounds, and is embowered by a rich variety of evergreen foliage; while vistas, designed with great judgment, afford fine views of the castle, the windings of the Avon, and the picturesque scenery of the surrounding country. The neighbourhood furnishes an almost endless variety of opportunities for pleasing excursions, and is diversified by the residences of the Warwick, Clarendon, Leigh, Willoughby, and other families; the ruins of Kenilworth Castle,† Guy's Cliff, and other spots of great interest to the historian, the antiquary, and the tourist. The situation of the town of Warwick on the acclivity of freestone rock which rises on the north side of the river Avon, rendered it well adapted for defensive purposes, and art combined with nature to make the spot impregnable. It is approached from the campaign country, with which it is surrounded, by four principal roads, which are cut through the rock. The chief streets are well built and spacious, and several of them unite in the centre of the town. The most conspicuous of the public buildings is St. Mary's church, which exhibits a singular combination of various styles. Rickman says, that with the exception of the chancel and its adjuncts, it is "a composition of the greatest barbarity; but the chancel is an uncommonly fine This was a pole carried by Dionysius, and by Satyrs, Mænades, and others who engaged in Bacchic rites and festivities. See Athen. xiv. p. 631, a; Vell. Pat. ii. 82; Dionysia, p. 411, a. + See Visitor for November, 1842. specimen of perpendicular work, and the east front is remarkably fine, simple in its arrangement, yet rich from the elegance of its parts and the execution of its details." On the north side are a monumental chapel and vestry; but the great feature of the building is the Beauchamp chapel, erected in 1464. In the centre is a richly executed tomb, with the effigies of Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick; and there are some other monuments, including one of Dudley, earl of Leicester, which is regarded as an historic memento of no small interest. The county hall has a façade of freestone, and is enriched with Corinthian pilasters, and a central portico of the same order, surmounted by a bold triangular pediment. The principal room is more than a hundred feet long and nearly fifty in width, and is very elegantly ornamented. The civil and criminal courts, which are on either side, are neat and commodious. In the neighbourhood of Warwick are the remains of several monastic establishments, and at the eastern and western extremities of the town are gates. Leicester's Hospital was originally a hall belonging to two guilds, and was converted to its present use by the earl for the reception of twelve poor men and a master. In 1813 the salary of the principal was raised from 50l. to 400l. a year, and the number of inmates increased to twenty-two. The college-school was originally founded by Henry VIII., as a free grammar school, and endowed from the revenues of the old monasteries. It is open to all the boys of the town, and has exhibitions of 70l. to Oxford and Cambridge. The proximity of Leamington has had no small influence on the prosperity of Warwick. As the former rose in public estimation, many of the tradespeople from Warwick opened shops in the new town; but the superior advantages it possessed at length withdrew the capital and business from the one to the other, and with the advance of Leamington, the old town became considerably depressed. So rapid has been the advance of this interesting spot, that within forty years it has been transformed from an inconsiderable village to one of the handsomest and best-built towns in the kingdom. The elegance of its squares, crescents, and terraces, and the width and cleanness of its streets, please the stranger, especially when they are con trasted with many an old country town. It formerly stood on the south of the river, but within the last few years it has extended to the opposite direction, being connected by two handsome stone bridges over the Leam. The waters, to which the town owes its celebrity, comprise eleven different streams, and comprise saline, sulphureous, and chalybeate. The pump-rooms and baths are constantly supplied with water from the springs, and are fitted up with the usual attention to comfort and elegance. The Warwick and Northampton canal passes close to the town, and by its union with other lines of canal communication, gives it the advantages of extensive inland navigation. The increased facilities which have been afforded of access to Leamington and the neighbourhood by the formation of the branch of the London and Birmingham line from Coventry, has given no small impetus to the prosperity of the town; and it is now the resort of great numbers from the surrounding counties, the manufacturing districts, and the metropolis itself. The branch line is about nine miles in length, and 103 from London, being within a three hours' journey by express train. It was constructed under the superintendence of Mr. Robert Stephenson, occupying eighteen months in completion, and costing 170,000l. The line is of somewhat peculiar construction, forming a continual series of ascents and descents. Kenilworth, the only station between Coventry and Leamington, is five miles from the former and about four from the latter; it is situated on the outskirts of the town, and within a stone's throw of the castle. It is built of Kenilworth stone. The Leamington station is elegantly constructed, of Roman Doric style, and is pleasantly situated on the main road between Leamington and Warwick, at a place called Emscott, in the parish of Millverton. One of the principal works on the line is the Milburn viaduct, prettily situated in the centre of a valley, and composed of seventeen arches of red brick faced with stone. A timber bridge, of fifty feet span, unites the roads of LeekWooton, Hill-Wooton, and Stoneleigh, with Guy's Cliff-so named after the celebrated earl of Warwick. The Avon viaduct, a beautiful structure, is composed of nine arches of sixty feet span. The line runs chiefly through the estates of the earl of Warwick and lord Leigh, and the latter has his family escutcheon, in very beautiful style, in granite characters, on the front of one of the bridges. The journey between Leamington and Coventry formerly occupied an hour and a half; it is now accomplished in eighteen or twenty minutes. A direct line is in course of construction from Leamington to Rugby, which will be a considerable advantage to travellers to and from the metropolis. Railways will also be formed to connect Leamington with Birmingham by Henley-in-Arden, by joining the Birmingham and Oxford line, so that a communication will be afforded with the districts to the south. This line will be connected with the London and North Western by the Rugby and Oxford, and the Buckinghamshire Railway, which will terminate both at Bletchley and Aylesbury. When all these, however, will be finished, it is difficult to predict; but the attractions thus furnished by the spot will be then fully rendered available. The facilities now afforded induce many to visit them, while thousands take pedestrian tours, or travel on horseback or in gigs to see the hills and vales of Warwickshire; and in the contrast which is thus afforded to the crowded thoroughfares of the metropolis, or the bustle of the provincial town, they fully reciprocate the sentiment of old Du Bartas: "Oh thrice, thrice happy he, who shuns the care Of city troubles!" | kinds, the kind with the four purple rings on the area of its flat bell, which ever vibrates without sound, and the kind with the fringe of dingy brown, and the long stinging tails, of which I have sometimes borne from my swimming excursions the nettle-like smart for hours, there were at least two species of more unusual occurrence, both of them very minute. The one, scarcely larger than a shilling, bore the common umbelliferous form, but had its area inscribed by a pretty orange-coloured wheel; the other, still more minute, and which presented in the water the appearance of a small hazel-nut of a brownish yellow hue, I was disposed to set down as a species of beroe. On getting one caught, however, and transferred to a bowl, I found that the brownish-coloured, melon-shaped mass, though ribbed like the beroe, did not represent the true outline of the animal; it formed merely the centre of a transparent gelatinous bell, which, though scarce visible even in the bowl, proved a most efficient instrument of motion. Such were its contractile powers, that its sides nearly closed at every stroke behind the opaque orbicular centre, like the legs of a vigorous swimmer; and the animal, unlike its more bulky congeners-that, despite of their slow but persevering flappings, seemed greatly at the mercy of the tide, and progressed all one wayshot as it willed, backwards, forwards, or athwart. As the evening closed, and the depths beneath presented a dingier and yet dingier green, until at length all had become black, the distinctive colours of the acelpha-the purple, the orange, and the brown-faded and disappeared, and the creatures hung out, instead, their pale, phosphoric lights, like the lanterns of a fleet hoisted high to prevent collision in the darkness. Now they gleamed dim and indistinct, as they drifted undisturbed through the upper depths, and now they flamed out bright and green, like beacon torches, as the tide dashed them against the vessel's sides. I bethought me of the gorgeous description of Coleridge, and felt all its beauty: "They moved in tracks of shining white, Within the shadow of the ship I watch'd their rich attire- BROCKY, THE VILLAGE LAWYER. THERE is much truth in this French proverb: "The sure way to be deceived is to believe ourselves more cunning than the rest of the world." The character of "Brocky, the lawyer," as he used to be termed by his neighbours, may be offered as an apt illustration of this truth. "Brocky, the lawyer," was not a lawyer in reality. He had never been initiated into the mysteries of the law; had never perhaps seen even the binding of the elaborate works of Coke and Littleton, or Chitty, or any of the great masters of the law; and certainly he had never read their learned contents. "Brocky the lawyer" was, in fact, a tradesman who set himself up for an oracle in all matters appertaining to the law, without ever having troubled his head with anything in the shape of a book, or being instructed therein by a "A long head," according to common report, had " Brocky the lawyer." Was any villager in difficulties; did he stand in fear of that most dreaded personage, the bailiff; or did he want to overreach his neighbour, he was sure to consult "the lawyer." He had such "a long head:" no one could measure its length or fathom its depth. Yet, strange to say, wise as Brocky the lawyer" was in the law, he was scarcely ever unentangled from its meshes. I remember a tall man, wearing a glazed hat, who often used to be seen walking up our village with a majestic air, and long strides, and people used to run to their doors or their windows, to see which house he was going to visit. That noted personage was the sheriff's officer, and it was by a rare chance that he passed the door of "Brocky the lawyer." An unwelcome visitor he was, no doubt; but the doors could not be locked against him, and, however unwelcome, he must be received. There is no withstanding the power of the law; nor is there any means by which one can evade its officers. A man may, indeed, lock himself up for a time, as "Brocky the lawyer" used to do; but, sooner or later, the sheriff's officer was sure to find out his hiding-place, and deliver into his hands his credentials in the shape of a writ. It was wonderful, however, to see how well and how long "Brocky the lawyer" stood his ground. People thought he would now certainly be ruined, when they saw the man with a glazed hat darkening his doors; but though he was often "sold out," yet he rose again like another phoenix from his ashes. It was this that gained him so much celebrity as a man with "a long head." Notwithstanding, the secret by which "Brocky the lawyer" so long kept his ground was by no means so profound as was imagined. It was more by craft and dishonest practices than from wisdom. When "sold out," there were yet means by which he could again well replenish his shop. His credit was gone among those who had received a shilling in the pound; but the world is wide, and there were many ignorant of his devices, and hence his shop was soon filled again with goods. People stared at the full supply offered to their view in the windows, and were often tempted to go in and purchase some articles, just to see whether the shelves were as full as the windows indicated. And full they were, to their utter astonishment: but then they attributed the marvel to his "long head." man with a glazed hat might strip him of everything; but still "Brocky the lawyer" was too knowing for him. He could fill his shop as quickly as "Mr. Sheriff's-officer" could clear it out. was, in fact, more than a match for the man with the glazed hat: he had such a long head." The He Such was the general opinion of his character. Some few saw it in its true colours, and spoke of it with reprehension; but they were deemed uncharitable: others attributed his repeated failures to misfortune; but they knew nothing about it. He was not unfortunate; or if he was, his "long head" enabled him to stand his ground. Thus years rolled away. But there is an end of all things, however stable they may appear; and a house built on the sand cannot expect to be enduring. The name of " Brocky the lawyer" had so often been gazetted, that it became a name known and noted in the commercial world in no very favourable light. A man who often deceives, can |