The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-15
IcoPyRIGHT SECURED.
GREENWOOD LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.
EDGBAsToN, BIRMINGHAM,


June Is, 1852.
Nv Dr,s NJ: Yesterday morning | set
ont aarlv with small party of friends, to visit
Worwick Castle and its storied neighborhood.
w" leCt the railway at bennington, where we
,aol a carriage for Warwick. This Leaning
ton a fashionable watering-place which has
been built up almost entirely within the last
thirty wears, is in appearance more like an
American town than any have yet seen. 1t
:. snokcn of here as miracle of rapid growth.
My FIRST full view of Warwick Castle is hung
in nv memory picture Of beauty and grand
our which must be "a JOY forever" As we
rods into the old town, we passed ON noble
stone bridge over the Avon, where the hnest
view is obtained 1t had been running; but the
shower was now past, and the sun out IN daz-
Linz RADIANCE The air was freshened with a
pleasant wind, and sweetened with roses, and
from the tower of an old church near by, mel.
low.toned bells were ringing the morning
chime At our left stood the castle, with It's
DARK battlemented walls, its hoary turrets and
oioantic towers-grand in Its proportions,
beautiful in its surroundings, and glorious in
its historical associations.
A. the Earl of Warwick was at home, we
were obliged to stop ut the porters lodge, while
our cards were sent up to him, and leave ac-
corded to us to see the castle. But we were
well amused by the FORTRESS, who showed up
the famous porridge-pot of the redoutable Earl
Guy. with his armor. sword, shield, helmet
east-plate, walking staff, fiesh-iork, and stir
rup These are a giants accoutrements--the
sword weighs twenty pounds, and the armOr of
the knight and that Of his steed are in proper
ton.
The faith of the old retainer in the marvel
lous legends she rehearsed was quite edifying
She assured us that Earl Guy was nearly ten
feet in height and that he was accustomed to
take his food from that identical porridge- pot
which holds l02 gallons, and which, on the Oc-
casion of the present Earls eldest son Lord
Brooke) coming of age, was filed with punch
three times day for three days, for the people
She is Il curious old dame After receiving his
iordship's graciously accorded permission, We
passed up a noble pavement cut in the solid
rock. some eight or ten feet deep, and prettily
oyergrown with moss and ivy, leading to the
outer court As | walked slowly on, my
thoughts went back three hundred years, when
knights and ladies gay went dashng up this
pass. followed by fair pages and fairer maids,
dainty Ministries and Jolly friars, faithful es-
auires and stout men at arms. could almost
hear the tramp of mailclad steeds, the light
curyetting of palfreys, the clang of armor the
Jingle of gilded brides the laughter of young
gallants and the sweet voices OF merry DANES.
I could almost see the waving of banners and
plumes the fash of shields and arms, and
gorgeous yesture, as the glory of feudal power
and the flush of courtly beauty swept by
Alas for wasted sentiment all too soon as
certained that this rocky pass was constructed
by the late Earl, the castle having formerly
had different approach.
We passed over the draw-bridge, under the
por,-cuis, into the inner court which contains
nearly an acre. The moat is not filed with
water. but OvergrOwn with shrubs and grass OF
the brightest green. The castle surrounds the
court with its walls and immense towers We
were first shown into the great hall, q magnif
cent apartment, hung With old armor, antlers
Sc. Its deep wide chimney, with large blocks
of wood piled i'm the corner, reminded one o
the hospitable hall of Cedric the Saxon bu
the floor of tesseIated marble, and the beauti
full but evidently modern root, efectually
marred the antique effect of the whole. From
the hall we,were shown through the suite Of
state apartments--the ante-rOOm, the cedar
drawng.room, the gilt room, the state bed
room, the state dressing-room, and the great
banaueting hall. These were all rich beyond
description, in pictures, marbles, busts, vases
scagliOlas, cabinets and Ia bles exquisitely in
laid, curiosties and antiques Of all sorts
Among the pictures are many which my heart
stood sill to behold There was Shakespeare.
Leicester Queen Elizabeth, Sir Philip Sidney,
Cromwell, Prince Rupert, IA glorious creature!)
Henrietta Maria and her children, and a
choice number of England's immortal decapi-
tated-Anna Boleyn, Earl of Essex Stanford,
Montrose, Mary Queen of Scots, and Charles
the Martyr who, according to Catholic ira
diton, presented himself to st. Peter with his
head, not his heart, in his hand.
The finest pictures in the collection are, |
think, by Van Dyke. Nothing surely can be
grander. in the way of a portrait than his
equestrian p;sture of Charles |, which hangs at
the end of a corridor, by itself The state bed
room, where stands the famous bed of Queen
Anne, q splendid, comfortlssa,l looking affair, is
hung with quaint faded tapestry, made at
Brussels in 1904. The state dressing room If
an exquisite little apartment. hung with snail
but most valuable paintings its windows com
msnd some lovely views, and Lady Warwick
has shown good taste in approprating it as a
bOudoir
The armry " a curious heterogeneous col
lection, comprising, it seemed to me, every
weapon OF personal offence and defence, OF
every age, over the whole world There hung
the cross-bow of an ancient Briton, by tho tom.
ahawk of an American Indian; a light richly
mounted modern rifle, beside the heavy battle
axe of u Crusader; and next to the velvet
sheathed dagger of Queen Elizabeth Law one Of
Colts murderous revovers. In short, the long
high armory seems one chaotic mass of all the
instruments Of war and assassination which
the genius Of man, aided by Internal inspira
hon, has yet been able to DEVISE.
On our way up to the billiard.room, we were
shown the splendid trappings of Queen Eliza
beth's horse, perchance those he wore at Ken
'worth: and on the billard-table lay heu
maiden Majesty's fiddle, curiousI carved in
strumcnt ia oD old worm-eaten case.
As our time was limited, we did not ascend
s'ther Of the towers, or pass along the walls
Out We visited the greenhouse, where VIC saw
'he famous Warwick vase, brought from Adri
ans villa, Tivoli, by Sir William Hamilton
work OF art which fear cannot appreciate
Aiterward We strolIed through the grounds for
ume-alas, too short a time. Trees more
teautliul aud stately never caught the sunlight
ga tbeir glstenlng leaves, never answered the
winds with continuous murmurs or cast d
gracious shade ON the earth The Cedars OF
Lebanon gave ma % sort Of religious joy an
awe-struck misunderstanding their beauty on
my soul like solemn shadows
81 Mpy's CAureh, Warwick, u principally
celebrated for its beautiful chapel, and as son,
tanning the Beauchamp tombs. in the ckanael
are the marble eihgies Of Thomas Beanchamp
Earl Of Warwick, and his Countess, Catbaripa
Mortimer; of their son Thomas, and his Count
eSs-" they four and no more.p The sarco-
psagus Of tLe poet Sir Fulke Greyil, is in the
napier House. II contains this pithy inscrip-
"on: -Faike Grevii, seyponf 10 Queen Eisabeh,
'o0 s 10 King fumes and friend 10 Sir
'@mP Sidney. Trophaum peeeaii,"
IN. nc Beauchamp Chapel, famous for its ex-