The New York herald., 1871-12-19
WARWICK CASTLE.
The Wreck by Fire Of The Ancient Seat
of the EarlS Of Warwick.
description of One Of The Nest Ancient orna-
ments of the British Empirs-Old and New
Particulars Of the Fire-Kow the Eurn-
ing Oecurred-The Art Treasures
Destroyed and Saved
[Fron the Manchesler Guardlan. pec. ).

Sunday morning last consumed 1t. Time. Wax aud
Cnange have done their worst 10 remove irom Us
the ancient anumarks OF tne past; but all these had
merciuliy passed over the old castle at warwick
ana ie il well nigh scathess. IL was lett by cenu
RES almost intact, untH IN time OF peace fire
arising from CareeSsneSs did that cruel errlnu
which all else hal snrsnk from and one more dis
service OF that sbad mastern IS added 10 the mel
anchoy catalogue OF It's evil deeds IN 1871. Few oil
tne buildings we yer possess had more historic
OF our national history the bold scar OF rock winch
oycrlooks the Avon was chosen py the ancient
BrltOn as c0ign OF vantage from which TO make
stand against the Roman I0c. IN later days tse
Saxons se'zing, as was their wont, on elder ioanda
tons. Ethencha, the Queen OF the Mercians raised
= there mound and castle, OF wnicn traces yer re-
mann. FROM time 70 time this was added to. and
the structure became the nome OF some oil those
whose names are most iilrstrIous in annals.
The Neuburgs- s-io'owers OF William tile Conqueror,
as their ancestors had been Of Rollo displaced the
Saxon possessors, and held it uaill the reign OF
Henry Ill. After several changes through lemale
family, OF whom Gay. .'the black houna o. Arden,n
was the slayer Of PierS GaVeson, tbe faVorite or
Edward II. Here lived MS son. Earl Thomas
Deaucnanp. who led the van at Crecy, who fought
bravely at Poicilers. and who was one OF tho
founders Of the .Aost Noble Order OF the Carter
lie erected the Cssar tower nt warwick. one
OF the finest specimens or the military ell
ainec1ng OF his dN. repete with scientific
construction, a defensive work or rhe highest
military interest Tnis was Quilted by last
Sundays nre. Dountcssly It's massive walls yet re-
main, bur ali the Int erna construction TO have
been destroyed. Another Earl Thomas was great
builder. erecting the Guy tower and extending the
area oil inc castle greatly. His son was created
Duke OF warwick ana KING Of the extensive KING
dom OF the Isle OF Wight lie dying without ISSUE
tine estate passed into tho hands OF the potent
'.kingmnger Richard Nevlllen VINO seems how.
ever, 10 have been too much engaged IA regal man.
ufactures 10 have cared mucn Tor this one OF his
numerous POSSESSIONS. Little therefore. was done
there until II passed INTO the hands o. the unucky
Duke OF Clarence, who ended his days In Il butt OF
MalnseY. HIS work-and there Is much OF II at
Warwick records tie death blow OF military arcnt-
lecture, lor the unfinished northern gateway we
the 1rs, traces OF loopholeS i0r cannon. an en-
gine which soon to change tho character OF all
, our iortreasei ana make castles theneeiurth but
Ual-traps.
In the time OF Henry VIII. 1t became The posses
sion Of the Dudley family; ana Ambrose Dudley, tho
elder brother ol queen E!izaneths lapore, Leices-
ter added greatly TO IL, spending $4,000 OF money
Of bis unlc upon 1t. Oa his death without Issue
the title apsel to the Crown, anu, with The excep
uon u snort revival III TIE person or Lord Rich, III
the time 0i James L., remained dormant until 1862
when William Greylc Lord Brooke was created
Earl oi Warwick. The castle and estates nad how
ever, In queen Eilzabeths timc been granted TO
FuKe Gfeville, who or his tomb described himself
IS servant To queen Elizabeth, counsellor to King
james, and Trend to Sir Phlp sydney" This
Fuke Grevlie was the first or the present family
who held warwick Castle; and lnding 1t much ue.
cayed and partaiiy converied into the common
jail ne spent sZO,U00 upon H. converting it
lnlo, to o,,to Dngdales words, mot only place
most Dfincely seat within THIS fealm,' the when,
until lust sunday mornlng, u has ever since re-
manned. Leicester, the cuurty fav0rte or Liiza-
belh was born To It's hon9rs but made tile now
ruined hehllwCrth It's rival. CasLlc palace ald
prison by times 10 Is now ruin, and every one who
has seen II must feel that they as wen as Lord Wal
WICK have lost prncely treasure. It's modern his
tory Is the history of art. There were stored tho
collections made ny many generations. Pictures
by most OF the great English masters hung upon lts
walls; many, we fear irretrieyab.y lost Dluii King
Hal literally leered from the panel on which Hol-
bein uad translxed MN; by Vaudyke were some
nine or ten uhdoubted pictures, aud among them
portraits OF KING Charles L. ana Queen Henrletfa
Nara. Kubens ielt tlere portrat winch seemed
70 ne ING presiding genius Of The place that or
lector and amateur whose art ana antiquarian.
Knowledge II does homage 10 sun BY means
OF the hruit.'Ble society DobsOn. Inc founder of
uf Vk
was represented lhere by maslcFls but unnamed
used 10 napg IN the now destroyed Countess draw
ing room, 50 we ear for lis tate; ana some excellent
dining room, now also dcstroyei. Titan aud Mn.
bore lbe name OF ,sDhael-onc OF these purchase
by the present Earl, having every mark OF peing
genuine picture, SO lar rs mucn G the work was
concerned, but probably completed by MS rupll
Rd0l,o GhirandaJO. Yet Its pictures were almost
the least Of the treasures Warwick held. From tno
helmet OF one or Xerxes' SOLDIERS down TO the re-
linked iron man down to the uun Jerkln OF Lord
Brooke, the leader Of the Parliamentary forces,
almost every change OF defensive armor repre-
seuteu llere. Eary Greek and late Gotnc sculpture
broke the dusky glamor OF so much metal Work.
Tables cf priceless pieifU aura work bore them
most glorious collection OF Limoges enamel OF the
highest art, and which was tho great atration OF
each exhibition or this lost process whenever it
was displayed. II IL be true that the only artice
saved rom the great hall was q Flemish carving
alter the celebrated picture OF Rubcns, represent.
Ing the battle 0i tho AmaGons, all this priceless col
lection has disappeared Tor ever.
SO lar as We can yet iearn the fire seems TO have
broken out IN the private apartments or the Count
eSs. These. though OF no great size, were trea-
sure house OF art. The drawing room was pancllei
round wih the nncst FleAcn carving OF the Time of
Louis XVI, rescued from the destruction OF Purls
under NJ Haussoman, and was nung with choice
works OF modern art, collected by Lady Warwick.
herself an arist OF great ABILITY. Tnc library pos.
seased goody store OF sixteenth and seven
teenth century literature and throasnout tho
the presence OF nrt lleanings from almost every
city OF Europe. me state apartments, which arc
~ The other end OF the great hall scem ID have
capea. and with them, 1t IS TO be hoped, many heir
looms when have accumulated during the seyen-
tcenh nnd eighteenth centuries. The armory,
when situated 1T ihis eni Of the hut ding, we
uust has also becn preserved. In II was fine col
lection 81 early weapons, especially firearms, the
invention. Revolvers oi the sixteenth century, mi.
tranleurs In immature OF worry early date ana
weapons setting iortn the principe o. the Lancaster
gun were a there. In fact there was not q sipge
Yard Of the walls OF this Que old storehouse Of his
tory which did not tell some tale III the history OF
human Invention and mark somo progress Of tne
human mind Casket ana contents alike were
wick Castle We have received national!
ioss--a loss no Time, no labor and no skill
can ever replace. Aud whya As usual. care.
ICs5 worknleB and no water IL Is too late 10 sug
gest remedy wnen he evil has wrought It's end.
else with the tan towers OF Thomas tic Bcaucnamp
AZ hand, win river and mIll at their base cis
terms OF water nlignt have been there. WorHnlcn
nothing VIII make careful aud there s hardly an
from their nccdessucss Mt the same tme. there Is
hardly one but might have q preventive means ut
lesson 1t Is now possible 10 learn from 1t MAJ be
conned and thai those who have tho custouy or the
possession OF 20 mucn history may be prevailed on
10 take steps In nle 10 prevent such holocaust as
this at warwick Castle. II sympathy could llgntcn
Lord Warwick's oss he may rest assured that there
IL not an intelligent person IN England-indeed, IN
Europe--who does not mourn with him; but we
wound add 10 our sympathy for him timely warn.
Ing others that sncD fate may for tile future bo
prevented.
Additional Particulars OF the Fire.
In addition TO tho particulars already given re.
gardlDg tho fire at Warwick Castle On sunday VIC
have the following from correspondents az Leam-
tngton:-
workmen were engaged yesterday ia oarting away
the debris fr III the ruins the private apartments,
tile baronial hall and the banQueting nal, which
were destfOyed by the disastrous IRE al warwick
Castle on sunday. As the st smouldcrtng material
was turned over, any vestges OF the arin0Ty buried
beneath the roof OF the grand hall were picked out
and carefully stored away LOT iutufe cXaul'na.ion.