The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1895-11-21
. TAs CASTLE OF MAcsErH.
Walt to the Tower whore n scotch King
Was Murdered.

neyed into Forfarshire TO visit the
CLAIMS castle. Their were broad pros
poets OF valley, moor and woodland,
and enhancing vistas of the Grampians
before the ancient village OF Glamis
was reached and the battlemented
gateway with its lions and curious
images was passed. Within opened a
splendid park with level meadows and
stately avenues, and in the distance
was one of the oldest castles In Scot
land--t residence OF Lord Strathmore,
famous In the history Of the highlands,
and the apocryphal scene OF the tragedy
of Macbeth. The central tower has
stood since the tenth century, and two
wings were built about it in the seven.
teenth century by the first earl of
Strathmore. The name of the first
builder is unknown, and his work has
been subjected to structural changes
by the architects of the reconstruction
period, who transformed the grim, bat
tlemented castle in the north into
French baronial residence in the style
Of the sixteenth century. Inferior to
Warwick castle In picturesqueness and
scenic surroundings, it appeals more
strongly TO the imagination as a relic
of feudalism, haunted with ghostly
presences and with tragic memories
With its richly furnished drawing
rooms and costly works of art, the in teri
or Of Warwick castle, in spite of its an-
tiquity, impresses the visitor as mag
nificent modern residence, and this
effect Is increased when the liveried
guides conduct large parties through
the apartments, catalogue the paint
ings by old masters, aud estimate the
value of buhl cabinets, tapestries and
mosaic tables. At CLAIMS there are no
professional guides with stale jokes
and auction room rhapsodies. The
visitor, from the moment he enters the
great door at the base of the ancient
tower, Is convinced that it is mystic
rious old castle with secret stairways
and blood.stains on the floors, and
wonders whether, like Sir Walter
Scott, he would like to sleep in the
haunted rooms
One of the three staircases seen in
the basement of the tower leads to the
room where Malcolm IL is reputed to
have been assassinated, and in one of
pointed out as the one on which the
king died. In another bed room Is
shown underneath the floor the en-
trance to a staircase with hidden pas
sages connecting with the. other apart
ments. A secret we'll in one of the
great walls leads 10 an upper room
where prisoners were once confined. |
Every time repairs are ordered some |
discovery is made an unsupported |
staircase or fireplace, or some peculiar. |
ity OF the original design or of the |
work of the reconstruction architects |
which had previously escaped observa-
ton. After cropping through the dim.
lylighted corridors the visitor is readi- |
~ convinced that there is a secret |
apartment known only to the |
lord OF the castle, and half ex-
poets to hear Lady Macbeth sim |
firm Of purpose, give me the dagger" |
or ''the sleeping and the dead are but |
ms pictures. 4 Even when he Is shown
into the room where Earl Beardie |
started game Of dice with Satan,
which was to last until the day of |
he listens intently and al
most fancies that he can hear strange
clicking noise like the shaking of
dice-box, A rare old place is Glamis
castle! 1t does not matter whether /
beth or whether any sovereign, Dun
can or a Malcolm, was ever assassi-
mated within the castle walls. Mys-
terry broods over the ancient feudal
pile. 1t has the scenic setting for by
gone tragedy and ghostly visitations
There are many handsome rooms in
the castle. The dining room Is splen-
did banquet hall, with floor and vain.
scot of oak, richly carved sideboard
and chimneypiece, and with the arms
and notices Of the Strathmores and
families emblazoned on the
aide wall. The great hall is a vaulted
room with massive stone walls, and it
is adorned with coats Of chain mail,
oid-time weapons, and firearms and
trophies. The drawing room
has antique furniture, an immense fire.
place of carved stone, French ceiling
elegantly designed, and portraits by
Sir Peter Lely and other famous paint
ers. In the billiard room there are ad-
ditionaI family portraits and four pam
els In tapestry representing scenes in
the life OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The
chapel Is larger and handsomer than
the one In Warwick castle, and II has
fine stained glass windows, and Bibli.
cal scenes painted In panels upon the
ceiling and side walls Richly fur
nisbod as the great rooms are, 1t is the
central tower, with its spiral staircases
and dark vaulted corridors, that gives