The Portland daily press., 1886-03-03
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.
Especial correspondence Of the rREss.l

Ryde and back to Shanklin. Stopping first
at Newport, we took cab for Carisbrooke,
O ride Of mile and half from the railway
station. The antiquarian, in studying the
construction of this castle, can readily trace
the various stages Of the legendary history
of Great Britain from the occupancy of the
soil by the Britains, Romans and Saxons
down to the periods Of more clearly written
history In very early times. when large
caravans bearing tin used to cross the island
near this place, the Britons undoubtedly had
a rude fortress here, which the Roman en-
perors and each succeeding conqueror added
to and improved. There are many interest
ing events and historical dates connected
with this spot. which. If we were sufficiently
posted to give with accuracy, you would
probably forget them in day. The castle
Il not a mass Of ruins, but so grand and well
preserved that the visitor can easily people
its tilt yard and halls with living beings
AS the massive oaken doors creaked on their
hinges we could picture a long train oil
knights, seated upon gaily caparlsoned
horses, and attended by troubadours ana
pages, tramping into the court yard' 70
be welcomed by the ladies Of the court, way
ing banners from the turret windows. Hill
erto we have pitied the queens ana tnelr
children, as we have visited their cheeriess
abodes that they did not have half the COM
forts we enjoy in our humber homes. Here,
if it had not been for the sorrow tnat shroud-
ed their young lives, we could imagine MAS
ter Harry" the young Duke OF Gloucester,
and the flair Princess Elizabeth" as having
real good times.
hard climb of nearly hundred broken
stone steps brought us to the sammit Of the
old Saxon keep, where we looked out upon a
most beautiful landscape We went to the
window where Charles l. made two attempts
TO escape The first time, when his friends
had laid most skillful plans, he found the
window too narrow for his exit. The Sec
ond time, when he had removed the bars he
went back disheartened at the sight of so
many persons under the walls, for he could
not believe they all were trusted friends.
His suspicious were correct, as some one in
the castle reported all these movements to
Parliament; and in November. 1913, he was
removed at dead of night to prison, from
whence he was carried to his execution. The
family apartments are in a distant part of
the castle, where we entered the room, in
which the Princess Elizabeth was found
dead with her head resting upon her Bible,
the gift Of her father. We recolleet seeing
a,few years since in our art stores at home an
exquisite engraving of this Princess, where
she was represented as sitting in high
wainscotted room before a writing table.
This picture seems to us most artistic In de-
sign and execution now that we are familiar
with the surroundings of her domestic life.
Our visit gave us fresh interest to look up
the details of her imprisonment; and we
could fancy her, in pensive mood, as she
moved about among her guards and servants,
her life and innocence only protected by the
instructive reverence the most brutal natures
feel for such grace and sweetness.
We stopped to look into the well from
whose depth Of hundred and fifty feet two
patient donkeys have drawn the water dur
ing the past century. At the beginning of
the Civil War Carisbrooke was garrisoned
by handful of invalid Royalists, who had
but few days provisions on hand, when
the citizens of Newport, assisted by several
hundred naval troops, besieged the garrison.
and would have destroyed it had not the
Countess Of Portland, the governors wife,
who had fled there with her children, mount
ed the ramparts with lighted torch, where
she ade stirring appeal to the people, de-
claring she would light the first cannon and
be buried with her little ones in the ruins if
the rebels persisted. She won the admira-
ton of the people by her courage and saved
the castle.
THE ROMAN VILLA.
Turning our horse about, we hurried
through the town to see if possible the ruins
of the Roman Villa before train time. Being
directed to the right place we knocked at the
gate Of an immensely high fence, which pre-
vents anybody from climbing up to geta peep
for nothing. A talkative old granny opened
the gate just wide enough to squeeze us in
edgewise, SO afraid was she that somebody
was behind to run the toll We found our
selves in her kitchen garden, one half OF
which Was the tiled floor of the villa, and
probably yielded her richer harvest than
the cabbages and turnips. We did not be-
grudge the shilling to the good dame and
her old man, who helped her out in her story
with such extra touches Of description thai
sometimes we thought he drew very close
lines between truth and fiction. Doubtless
this old couple are pensioners of the Vicar,
and this office is the main dependence Of
their old age. 1t is always amusing to hear
these simple people repeat their well learned
lessons about the great wonders they dis
play. If you stop to consider the prObabili-
| ties and ask question, they are put off the
| track and have to begin at the beginning, or
| they will surely put in the big words in the
wrong place and run against stump, which
upsets them utterly. This villa dates bach
probably to the time Of Vespasian AT diff
ferent times Roman relics have been found
in the soil In this vicinity; but in 1859, while
| digging to lay the foundations for the Wears
| stables, some fine tiles were thrown up which
| attracted the notice Of the antiquarians a
| Newport. The excavations were continued
until the ground floor and fragments of thu
| wall of a villa, a hundred and twenty by fit,
| feet, were opened to view The floor of thu
| best room is paved with one half inch tile,
| of red, black, white and blue colors, laid il
| geometrical figures. with a border of lotu
| leaves and flowers, and a centre-piece of {
| vase of flowers. The walls soon crumble(
Wlen exposed 10 the uaHlpneSS anu IrOSI
| The whole plan Of the bath, sleeping apart
ments and atrium can be readily mapped out
| Where the hypocaust was uncovered tn,
SCOT was clinging to the tiles. The who'll
| lay four feet below the surface, and thu
depth was filed with the debris Of the falleI
| walls and the accumulated rubbish and dus
| of centuries. A few Roman relics wer,
| found, such as coins. bronze rings, knit
blades and bone hairpins, but most of tn
| articles exhumed indicate an occupation o
the soil by ruder people. such as antlers 0
the red deer, coarse pottery, hand mill AM
oyster shells. In one place on the fines
paving there were marks CT very hot fire
| as if the jewellers Of the home In the late
| age, had been wont to cook their yenison il
the hall where the Roman generals had helt
their courtly levess.
| COwRs AND OSBORNE.
! As undoubtedly Victoria will be the last
Queen of England, we thought we must no
lose our opportunity to see a live queen
The ride across the Island is extremely tame
Cowes is little town of winding streets ant
narrow lanes, and would not be known il
the world but for Osborne and the Roya
Yachting Squadron, which holds its regatt;
| in the Madina everv sumrnar Sight Seein,