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HENTZNER'S Description of WINDSOR CASTLE.

Windsor, a Royal Castle, supposed to have been begun by King Arthur, its buildings much increased by Edward III. The situation is entirely worthy of being a Royal residence, a more beautiful being scarce to be found: for, from the brow of a gentle rising, it enjoys the prospect of an even and green country; its front commands a valley extending every way, and chequered with arable lands and pasturage, cloathed up and down with groves, and watered by that gentlest of rivers, the Thames; behind rise several hills, but neither steep nor very high, crowned with woods, and seeming designed by nature herself for the purpose of hunting. The Kings of England, invited by the deliciousness of the place, very often retire hither; and here was born the Conqueror of France, the glorious King Edward III. who built the Castle new from the ground, and thoroughly fortified it with trenches and towers of square stone; and having soon after subdued in battle John King of France, and David King of Scotland, he detained them both prisoners here at the same time. This Castle, besides being a Royal Palace, and having some magnificent tombs of the Kings of England, is famous for the ceremonies belonging to the Knights of the Garter; this Order was instituted by Edward III. the same who triumphed so illustriously over King John of France. The Knights of the Garter are strictly chosen for their military virtues, and antiquity of family: they are bound by solemn oath and vow to mutual and perpetual friendship among themselves, and to the not avoiding of any danger whatever, or even death itself, to support by their joint endeavours the honour of the society. They are styled Companions of the Garter, from their wearing below the left knee a purple garter, inscribed in letters of gold, with Honi soit qui mal y pense, i. e. Evil to him that evil thinks. This they wear upon the left leg, in memory of one which, happening to untie, was let fall by a great lady, passionately beloved by Edward, while she was dancing, and was immediately snatched up by the King; who, to do honour to the Lady, not out of any trifling gallantry, but with a most serious and honourable purpose, dedicated it to the legs of the most distinguished Nobility. The ceremonies of this society are celebrated every year at Windsor, on St. George's day, the tutelar Saint of the Order, the King presiding; and the custom is, that the Knights Companions should hang up their helmet and shield, with their arms blazoned on it, in some conspicuous part of the Church.

There are three principal and very large Courts in Windsor Castle, which gives great pleasure to the beholders: the first is inclosed with most elegant buildings of white stone, flat-roofed, and covered with lead; here the Knights of the Garter are lodged; in the middle is a detached house, remarkable for its high towers, which the Governor inhabits. In this is the public kitchen, well furnished with proper utensils, besides a spacious dining-room, where all the Poor Knights eat at the same table; for into this Society of the Garter the King and Sovereign elects, at his own choice, certain persons who must be Gentlemen of three descents, and such as, for their age and the straitness of their fortunes, are fitter for saying their prayers, than for the service of war; to each of them is assigned a pension of £.18 per annum, and cloaths; the chief institution of so magnificent a foundation is, that they should say their daily prayers to God for the King's safety, and the happy administration of the kingdom, to which purpose they attend the service, meeting twice every day at Chapel. The left side of this Court is ornamented by a most magnificent Chapel, of 134 paces in length, and 16 in breadth; in this are 18 seats, fitted up in the time of Edward III. for an equal number of Knights. This venerable building is decorated with the noble monuments of Edward IV. Henry VI. and VIII. and of his wife Queen Jane. It receives from Royal liberality the annual income of £.2,000; and that still much increased by the munificence of Edward III. and Henry VII. The greatest Princes in Christendom have taken it for the highest honour to be admitted into the Order of the Garter; and since its first institution, about twenty Kings, besides those of England, who are the Sovereigns of it, not to mention Dukes, and persons of the greatest figure, have been of it. It consists of twenty-six Companions.

In the inward choir of the Chapel are hung up sixteen coats of arms, swords, and banners, among which, are those of Charles V. and Rodolphus II. Emperors; of Philip of Spain; Henry III. of France; Frederick II. of Denmark, &c.; of Casimir Count Palatine of the Rhine; and other Christian Princes, who have been chosen into this Order.

In the back Choir or additional Chapel, are shewn preparations made by Cardinal Wolsey, who was afterwards 1 capitally punished, for his own tomb; consisting of eight large brazen columns placed round it, and nearer the tomb four others in the shape of candlesticks; the tomb itself is of white and black marble: all which are reserved, according to report, for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth; the expences

"This was a strange blunder to be made so near the time about so remarkable a person, unless he concluded that whoever displeased Henry VIII. was of course put to death." WALPOLE.

already made for that purpose are estimated at upwards of £.60,000. In the same Chapel is the surcoat1 of Edward III. and the tomb of Edward Fines Earl of Lincoln, Baron Clinton and Say, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and formerly Lord High Admiral of England.

The second court of Windsor Castle stands upon higher ground, and is inclosed with walls of great strength, and beautified with fine buildings, and a tower; it was an ancient Castle, of which old annals speak in this manner: King Edward, A. D. 1359, began a new building in that part of the Castle of Windsor where he was born, for which reason he took care it should be decorated with larger and finer edifices than the rest. In this part were kept prisoners John King of France, and David King of Scots, over whom Edward triumphed at one and the same time. It was by their advice, struck with the advantage of its situation, and with the sums paid for their ransom, that by degrees this Castle stretched to such magnificence, as to appear no longer a fortress, but a town of proper extent, and inexpugnable to any human force. This particular part of the Castle was built at the sole expence of the King of Scotland, except one tower, which, from its having been erected by the Bishop of Winchester, Prelate of the Order, is called Winchester Tower 2. There are a hundred steps to it, so ingeniously contrived, that horses can easily ascend them; it is an hundred and fifty paces in circuit: within it are preserved all manner of arms necessary for the defence of the place.

The third court is much the largest of any, built at the expence of the captive King of France; as it stands higher, so it greatly excels the two former in splendor and elegance; it has one hundred and forty-eight paces in length, and ninety-seven in breadth; in the middle of it is a fountain of very clear water, brought under ground at an excessive expence from the distance of four miles: towards the East are magnificent apartments destined for the Royal Houshold; towards the West is a tennis-court for the amusement of the Court; on the North side are the Royal apartments, consisting of magnificent chambers, halls, and bathing-rooms 3, and a private Chapel, the roof of which is embellished with golden roses and fleurs de lis; in this too is that very large Banqueting-room, seventy-eight paces long, and

"This is a mistake; it was the surcoat of Edward IV. enriched with rubies, and was preserved here till the civil war." WALPOLE.

"This is confounded with the round tower." WALPOLE.

"It is not clear what the author means by hypocaustis; I have translated it bathing-rooms; it might mean only chambers with stoves." WALPOLE,

thirty wide, in which the Knights of the Garter annually celebrate the memory of their tutelar Saint, St. George, with a solemn and most pompous service.

From hence runs a walk of incredible beauty, three hundred and eighty paces in length, set round on every side with supporters of wood, which sustain a balcony, from whence the Nobility and persons of distinction can take the pleasure of seeing hunting and hawking in a lawn of sufficient space; for the fields and meadows, clad with variety of plants and flowers, swell gradually into hills of perpetual verdure quite up to the Castle, and at bottom stretch out in an extended plain, that strikes the beholders with delight.

Besides what has been already mentioned, there are worthy of notice here two bathing-rooms, cieled and wainscoted with looking glass; the chamber in which Henry VI. was born; Queen Elizabeth's bed-chamber, where is a table of red marble with white streaks; a gallery every where ornamented with emblems and figures; a chamber in which are the Royal beds of Henry VII. and his Queen, of Edward VI. of Henry VIII. and of Anne Bullen, all of them eleven feet square, and covered with quilts shining with gold and silver; Queen Elizabeth's bed, with curious coverings of embroidery, but not quite so long or large as the others; a piece of tapestry, in which is represented Clovis King of France, with an angel presenting to him the fleurs de lis, to be borne in his arms; for before this time the Kings of France bore three toads in their shield, instead of which they afterwards placed three fleurs de lis on a blue field. This antique tapestry is said to have been taken from a King of France, while the English were masters there. We were shewn here, among other things, the horn of a unicorn, of above eight spans and a half in length, valued at above £.10,000; the bird of paradise, three spans long, three fingers broad, having a blue bill of the length of half an inch, the upper part of its head yellow, the nether part of a **** colour 2, a little lower from either side of its throat stick out some reddish feathers, as well as from its back and the rest of his body; its wings, of a yellow colour, are twice as long as the bird itself; from its back grow out length-ways two fibres or nerves, bigger at their ends, but like a pretty strong thread, of a leaden colour, inclining to black, with which, as it has no feet, it is said to fasten itself to trees, when it wants to rest: a cushion most curiously wrought by Queen Elizabeth's own hands.

Queen Elizabeth made the Terrace Walk on the North side of the Castle, from which there is a pleasant prospect down upon Eton College, the Thames, and neighbouring country." Pote's Windsor, p. 36. • The original is optici; it is impossible to guess what colour he meant. WALPOLE.

In the precincts of Windsor, on the other side of the Thames, both whose banks are joined by a bridge of wood, is Eton, a well-built College, and famous school for polite letters, founded by Henry VI. where, besides a Master, eight Fellows and Chanters, sixty boys are maintained gratis: they are taught Grammar, and remain in the school till upon trial made of their genius and progress in study, they are sent to the University of Cambridge. As we returned to our inn, we happened to meet some country people celebrating harvest-home: their last load of corn they crown with flowers, having besides an image richly dressed, by which, perhaps, they would signify Ceres; this they keep moving about, while men and women, men and maid-servants, riding through the streets in the cart, shout as loud as they can, till they arrive at the barn. The farmers here do not bind up their corn in sheaves, as they do with us; but directly as they have reaped or mowed it, put it into carts, and convey it into their barns.

REMARKABLE EVENTS IN 1563, 1564, AND 1565.

The City of London was, 1563, so infected with the plague of pestilence, that in the same whole year, that is to say, from the first of January 1562-3, till the last of December 1563, there died in the Cittie and liberties thereof, containing 108 parishes, of all diseases 20,372; and of the plague (being a part of the number aforesaid) 17,404 persons. And in out-parishes adjoyning to the same Citie, being 11 parishes, died of all diseases in the whole year 3,288 persons; and of them of the plague 2,732 persons: so that the whole number of all that died of all diseases, as well within the City and liberties, as in the out-parishes, was 23,660; and of them there died of the plague 20,136 1.

Queen Elizabeth, in 1563, granted by patent all the calamine in England, and within the English pale in Ireland, to her Assay Master William Humphrey, and one Christopher Shutz, a German; and, as the patent sets forth, a workman of great cunning, knowledge, and experience, as well in the finding of calamine,

Stow's Annals.