, 1889-02-28
who Would Want sToTsa
The Queens Homes.
WINDSOR CASTLE.

Windsor Castle is the most stately
existing memorial of the ancient
glory of England. 1t has been de-
scribed time and time again, SO that
it needs no description. It is as
familiar to English speaking folk the
world over as their own alphabet.
The rude woodcut in the thumb
worn spelling-book of our childhood
first makes us acquainted with its
exterior outlines and hencsforth our
interest in it increases as the pages
|ot Ensland's eVentiul story are un-
folded to US. It eliminates when
once we have trodden its lofty ter
races, slopes, steps, and embattled
towers; stood on the threshold, and
Razed in admiration al the choir, of
its beautiful chapel; and wandered
hither and thither in its grand do
main of park, forest, and lovely
pleasure grounds. But our interest
never ceases nor ever will as long
as we reverence the traditions of
the past, and the people take a be-
coming pride in preserving to future
generations such worthy memorials
of her past history. However much
men may nowadays differ IN their
political creeds, they are as one in a
desire for healthy instruction and
temperate enjoyment. No palace
will yield more Of each than the
castle which crowns the hill Of Royal
Windsor.
Londoners, indeed, are so famili
with written descriptions of the castle
that few go to see it. Foreigners,
Americans, and holiday-folk, princi-
pally women, are its most frequent
visitors. And these probably make
the pilgrimage more because the
Queen chiefly resides there, and
with a hazy notion that the state
apartments lead into the private
apartments "where the Queen lives,
ye know than from any real interest
in its story. We have heard OF an
official, who, taking a party OF some
400 members Of Parliament to the
Tower of London, to view certain i'm
proyements effected there, found
that not fifth part of his company
had ever been within it. We have
heard OF servant Of the Queens
household who had never had the
curiosity to go over Buckingham
Palace, though he had passed third
of his life there. Similarly, We make
no doubt that large proportion Of
English men and women who hap
pen to be residents in London. with
in easy reach of it have never taken
others to see Windsor Castle for
themselves.
The massive round tower of which
the eye takes note long before you
reach its foot-the old time residence
of the Constable, who once held
watch and ward over prisoners of
state-dates from the Saxon line of
kings.
A recent writer in depicting Wind
sor, has truly said: 'The imaginative
mind here wanders over vast tracts
of the past, and beholds as in mir
ror. in pageants Of chiyalry, the cor
onations of kings. the strifes of sects,
the battles of armies, the schemes of
statesmen, the growth of q rational
civilization, and the everlasting
march of thought"
We may no more rightly describe
Windsor Castle as the home of Queen
Victoria than the grim faced Tower
OF London as the home of Queen
Elizabeth. Windsor is the principal
Of the Queens state palaces. 1t is
the oaly palace in England worthy
of the Queen of England; for as she
now reigns oyer more than a hum
dred millions of people, so this csstle,
rising lofty and gigantic above
other dwellings that seem but pig
mics in comparison, commands the
admiration of the world. In this
light as an historic royal residence
replete with interest, albeit the most
familiar to the majority of her sub
jects of all the Queens palaces, we
include it in these chapters on the
Queens homes, for it is associated in
many important events in her life
and reign.
Interiorly, as we have said, there
is similarity in all palaces. A pro-
fusion of gliding and more or less ol
elaborate and handsome ornamental
ton is the common characteristic oi
all. We have collections of works o.
art, statuary, busts, vases, and tapes
tries, beautiful furniture and taste
ful decorations. splendid rooms ant
stately halls, endless corridors ant
numberless passages. There ar,
marble tables and costly cabinets
splendid examples of inlaid ant
carved work, magnificent COLDER
candelabra and great cut-glass chan
ldaliers- satin damasks OF all shade
rs, wonderfully-worked car
| cunningly designed side