of the earls of Warwick, and was possessed of many estates at the Dissolution. It was then bestowed on Thomas Hawkins, who pulled down the ancient edifice and erected the present building, which is a good specimen of the Elizabethan style of domestic architecture.

The COLLEGE SCHOOL, an antique edifice at the east end of St. Mary's churchyard, was built in the reign of Henry VI., by Richard Beauchamp, and endowed by Henry VIII., for the education, free of expense, of the native children of the town. Two exhibitions of the value of £70 each, for the space of seven years, are attached to this institution, for the education of young men at the university of Oxford.

There are several charitable institutions deserving of mention. SIR THOMAS WHITE'S CHARITY has the object of assisting young tradesmen, "inhabitants, being of good fame," by the free loan of £50 for nine years, on giving good security. The revenue of this charity is upwards of £800 a-year. The ALMSHOUSES are

numerous.

THE TOWN GATES.-The ancient ornamental entrances to the town, called respectively the East and West gates, are in good though not appropriate repair, having been from time to time cased, without any pains to preserve their original character. They are situated at the opposite ends of the main street. The East Gate has over it the chapel of St. Peter, built in the reign of Henry VI., now used as a charity school. The West Gate, called also the Hongyng Gate, has above it the chapel of St. James. This chapel was given to the church of St. Mary by Roger de Newburgh, earl of Warwick. Subsequently it was bestowed by Thomas de Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, on the guild of St. George; and eventually it came into the possession of Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester,

who appropriated it to the use of the brethren of the neighbouring hospital founded by him. There is an oil painting of the Ascension above the communion-table.

Several other public buildings may be mentioned. The COUNTY HALL, erected about the year 1776, is a handsome edifice, with a front ornamented with Corinthian columns. The COURT-HOUSE, erected in 1730, is used for municipal business, town meetings, and occasional festive gatherings. The COUNTY GAOL is a large and substantial stone building, its front displaying little in the way of architectural ornamentation beyond columns of the Doric order. The MUSEUM in the Market-House contains some interesting objects. There is also a respectable PUBLIC LIBRARY.

WARWICK CASTLE.

WARWICK CASTLE, "that fairest monument," as Scott calls it, "of ancient and chivalrous splendour which yet remains uninjured by time," is situated at the south-east side of the town, on a rock, the base of which is washed by the Avon. It is one of the few real old baronial residences still kept up and inhabited; and whether on account of the antiquity of its architecture, the magnificence and costliness of the objects of art which it contains, the beauty of its grounds, or its old historic and poetical associations, it has no ordinary claims on the attention of the tourist. The foundation of this castle is attributed to Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great, in 915. The building erected by this lady was styled the Dungeon, and is supposed to have occupied an artificial mound of earth on the west side of the present structure. Before the Conquest it was the residence of the vice-comites, or lieutenants of the earls of Mercia. Turchill, who

possessed it at the time of the Conquest, and added considerably to its fortifications by direction of king William, was shortly afterwards removed to make way for Henry de Newburgh, constituted the first Norman earl of Warwick. In the war with the barons, which embroiled the latter years of the reign of Henry III., the castle was surprised by the rebels, and, with the exception of the towers, levelled with the ground. It was restored and greatly strengthened by Thomas de Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, in the reign of Edward III. His son, of the same name, built Guy's Tower, in the north-east part of the building, in 1394. Various additions were made from time to time; and it is stated that the foundation of a new tower was laid by Richard III. Sir Fulke Greville, afterwards Lord Brooke, to whom the estate was granted by James I., restored the castle from the ruinous and dilapidated condition into which it had been suffered to fall. He expended the enormous sum, for that time, of £20,000 in repairs and embellishments, making it, as Dugdale remarks, "not only a place of great strength, but extraordinary delight; with most pleasant gardens, walks, and thickets, such as this part of England can hardly parallel; so that now it is the most princely seat that is within the midland parts of this realm." During the Parliamentary war an unsuccessful attack was made on the castle by the earl of Northampton, August 1642. On this occasion it was gallantly defended by Sir Edward Peyto, with a single piece of ordnance, until relieved by Lord Brooke. The castle and estate have continued down to the present day in the family of Greville. The title of Earl of Warwick, however, did not come into this family till 1759, when, on its extinction in the person of the last male representative of the house of Rich, earls of Warwick

and Holland (with whom it had remained since 1618), it was conferred on the eighth Lord Brooke. George, second Earl Brooke and Warwick, grandfather of the present earl, expended vast sums in the adornment of the castle and grounds.

On entering within the principal gateway, the tourist will be invited to inspect the objects of interest contained in the PORTER'S LODGE. These consist chiefly of very imposing relics of the legendary Guy of Warwick. Here are shown Guy's sword, shield, breastplate, helmet, and walking-staff, all of enormous weight and size. The helmet weighs 7 lbs., the shield 32, the sword 20, the breastplate 52. The horse armour

Con

is of a later date, and of lighter construction. spicuous among the relics are Guy's porridge-pot and flesh-fork. The former of these is a large pot of bell metal, capable of containing 102 gallons, and produces a deafening sound when struck with the flesh-fork, which in dimensions resembles a pitchfork. The old woman who has charge of these relics informs the tourist that the porridge-pot is "now used as a punchbowl," she herself having seen it thrice filled and emptied on the occasion of the coming of age of the present Earl of Warwick. Other relics of Guy are an immense rib of the famous dun cow which he killed at Dunsmore heath, the pith of her horns, and one joint of the spine; the tusk and shoulder-blade of a wild boar; his lady's iron stirrups and slippers, etc. Besides these relics, the Porter's Lodge contains a Toledo sword, a Spanish halbert, maces, daggers, bar, chain, and spike-shot, found in the outer court; and a stone coffin found in the inner court.

The approach to the castle is by a winding road cut out of the solid rock, at the termination of which the majestic structure bursts at once on the view. The two

lofty towers immediately arrest the eye. That on the left is Cæsar's Tower, the most ancient part of the building. On the right is Guy's Tower, so named in honour of the famous champion whose relics have just been examined. These will be noticed in a survey of the grounds and exterior features of the building.

The principal entrance to the castle is by a flight of steps through a Gothic porch on the south-east side of the inner court. Here the visitor is admitted into the GREAT HALL. This is the first of a magnificent suite of apartments, the whole length of which can be taken in at a glance from this point. The apartments form a truly noble vista of 110 yards. The Great Hall is 62 feet long, 40 wide, and 35 high. The ancient ceiling was removed in 1830, when the present elaborately-wrought Gothic roof was constructed. In the centre are the arms of the present noble earl, adorned with various insignia. The ceiling is also adorned with armorial bearings of the earls and dukes of Warwick who have been knights of St. George, as well as with quarterings of the noble families with which the earls of Warwick have been allied in different generations. The roof was designed by Poynter of London. The floor will attract admiration, consisting of polished squares of white and red marble alternately arranged in lozenge fashion. This apartment contains ancient armour, weapons, carvings, and other curiosities, all of a very interesting kind. It would be impossible to find room for a list of all the objects of value and interest in this and the other apartments; we must be content with noting the chief of them. Over the fireplace, and on other parts of the walls, are some noble antlers. Over the west door is a large gun of curious and antique workmanship, taken from a Spanish ship by Lord Archibald Hamilton, great grandfather by the