ftitution, had annoyed them. On the death of Edward, his eldest Son was here first proclaimed king by the name of Edward V. The young monarch and his brother were, however, foons fent for from the Caftle, by their diffembling Uncle, the tyrant Richard; who foon removed these innocent obftacles to his ambition by the most foul and unnatural murder. In the reign of Henry VII. his eldest Son, Arthur Prince of Wales, inhabited the Caftle, in which great feftivity was obferved upon his marriage with Catherine of Arragon; an event that was foon followed, within the fame walls, by the untimely and lamented death of that accomplished Prince. The Castle had now long been the palace of the Prince of Wales annexed to the Principality, and was the habitation appointed for his Deputies the Lords Prefidents of Wales, who held it in the Court of the Marches. It would therefore hardly have been fuppofed, that its external fplendour should have fuffered neglect, if Powell, the Welsh hiftorian, had not related that "Sir Henry Sidney, who was made Lord Prefidente "in 1564, repaired the Caftle of Ludlowe which is the cheefett "houfe within the Marches, being in great decaie, as the Chapell, "the Court-house, and a faire Fountaine." Sir Henry's" munificence to this stately fabric is more particularly recorded by T. Churchyard, in his poem called "The Worthines of Wales," 4to. Lond. 1578. The chapter is intitled "the Castle of Ludloe," in which it is related, that "Sir Harry built many things here "worthie praise and memorie." From the fame information we learn the following particulars. "Over a chimney excellently "wrought in the beft chamber, is St. Andrewes Croffe joyned "to Prince Arthurs Armes in the hall windowe." "Prince Arthurs Armes, is there well wrought in stone, (A worthie worke, that fewe or none may mend) f See Speed's Hift. of Great Britaine, p. 884. And compare Shakspeare, RICH. III. A. ii. S. ii. where Buckingham fays, Me feemeth good, that, with fome little train, Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fetch'd g See Mr. Warton's 2d edit. p. 124. who quotes D. Powell's Hift. of Cambria, ed. 1580. 4to. p. 401. Sir H. Sidney, however, was made lord prefident in the 2d year of Elizabeth, which was in 1559. See Sidney State Papers, vol. i. Memoirs prefixed. p. 86. See alfo Sidney State Papers. vol. i. p. 144. where Sir Henry relates the tuation of Ludlow Caftle, &c. About which "are Armes in colours of fondrie Kings, but "chiefly Noblemen." He then specifies in profe," that Sir. Harry Sidney being lord Prefident, buylt twelve roumes in the fayd Caftie, which goodly buildings doth fhewe a great "beautie to the fame. He made alfo a goodly Wardrobe under"neath the new Parlor, and repayred an old Tower, called "Mortymer's Tower, to keepe the auncient Records in the "fame; and he repayred a fayre roume under the Court house, "to the fame entent and purpose, and made a great wall about "the woodyard, and built a most brave Condit within the inner Court: and all the newe buildings over the gate Sir Harry "Sidney (in his daies and governement there) made and fet out "to the honour of the Queene, and glorie of the Castle. There are in a goodly or ftately place fet out my Lord Earle of "Warwicks Armes, the Earle of Darbie, the Earle of Worcester, "the Earle of Pembroke, and Sir Harry Sidneys Armes in like maner al thefe ftand on the left hand of the Chamber. On "the other fide are the arms of Northwales and Southwales, two "red Lyons and two golden Lyons, Prince Arthurs. At the "end of the dyning Chamber, there is a pretie device how the Hedgehog brake the chayne, and came from Ireland to Ludloe "There is in the Hall a great grate of Iron of a huge height.”—Sir i Viz. Of the following perfons," gallantly and cunningly set out," "Sir Walter Lacie Jeffrey Genyvile Leonell Duke of Clarence W. Smith Bishop of Lincolne Lord Jeff, Blythe Bish, of Coventrie and R. Lee Bp. of Coventrie and Litch- J. Veffie Bp. of Exeter L. P. R. Sampfon Bp. of Coventrie and J. Dadley Earle of Warwick L. P. N. Heath Bp. of Worcester L. P. and Wells L. P. Lord Williams of Tame L. P., Sir Harry Sidney L. P. Sir A. Corbet Knt. Vice-Prefident. Charles Foxe Efquier and Secretorie, "Device of the lord Prefident." Two Porcupines were the ancient creat of the Sidneys. Henry Sidney caused also many falutary' regulations to be made in the Court. In 1616 the Creation of Prince Charles (afterwards King Charles I.) to the Principality of Wales, and Earldom of Chester, was celebrated here with uncommon magnificence. It became next diftinguished by "one of the most memorable and honoura "ble circumstances in the course of its hiftory," THE REPREJ SENTATION OF COMUS in 1634, when the Earl of Bridgewater was Lord Prefident, and inhabited it. A fcene" in the Mask pre fented both the Caftle and the Town of Ludlow. Afterwards, as I have been informed, Charles the first, going to pay a visit at Powis Castle, was here fplendidly received and entertained, on his journey. But "pomp, and feast, and revelry, with mask, and "antique pageantry," were foon fucceeded in Ludlow Caftle by the din of arms. During the unhappy Civil War it was garrifoned for the King. In the fummer of 1645, a force of hear 2000 Horfe and Foot, drawn together out of the garrisons of Ludlow, Hereford, Worcester, and Monmouth, were by a less number of the rebels defeated near Ludlow. The Caftle was at length delivered up to the Parliament on the 9th of June 1646. No other remarkable circumstances diftinguish the hiftory of this Castle, till the Court of the Marches was abolished, and the Lords Prefidents were difcontinued, in 1688. From that period its decay commenced. It has fince been gradually stripped of its curious and valuable ornaments. No longer inhabited by its noble guardians, it has fallen into neglect; and neglect has en couraged plunder. The appointment of a "governor, or steward of the caftie, is alfo at prefent difcontinued. Butler enjoyed the ftewardship, which was a lucrative, as well as an honourable post, while the principality-court exifted. And, in an apartment over 1 See Sidney State Papers, vol. i. p. 143. "Sit Henry Sydney to the Lords "of the Councell, with his Opinion for Reformation of the Disorders in the "Marches of Wales :" in which are ftated the great fums of money he had ex pended, and the indefatigable diligence he had exerted in the discharge of his office. See also, in consequence of his care, " Orders sett downé By the Queenes mok “excellent Majestie, with th' Advice of her Previe Counfell, for the Direction "and Reformacion of her Highnes Courte in the Marches of Wales, An. 1576." Sidney State Papers. vol. i. p. 170. &c. P See Mr. Warton's 2d ed. p. 125. See Comas. p. 133. See Sir E. Walker's Hift. Difcourfes. Fol. p. 129. "It will be no wonder that this noble Caffle is in the very perfection of decay, when we acquaint our readers, that the prefent Inhabitants live upon "the fale of the materials. All the fine Courts, the Royal Apartments, Halls, "and Roons of State, lie open and abandoned, and fome of them falling down." Tour through Great Britain, quoted by Grose, Art. LUDLOW CASTLE, See alfo two remarkable Inftances related by Mr. Hodges in his Account of the Cafile. p. 39. 1 When Mr. Grose published his Antiquities, a fort of governor" he says. was still appointed to the Caftle." But fee Mr. Hodges's Account. p. 44. the gateway of the Caftle, that inimitably facetious poet wrote the 'firft part of Hudibras. In the account of Ludlow Caftle, prefixed to Buck's Antiquities, published in 1774, which must have been written many years before, it is faid "Many of the Royal apartments are yet "entire; and the fword, with the velvet. hangings, and fome of "the furniture are still preferved." And Grofe in his Antiquities, published about the fame time, extracting from the Tour through Great Britain what he pronounces a very just and accurate account of this Castle, reprefents the Chapel having abundance of Coats of Arms upon the pannels, and the Hall decorated with the fame ornaments, together with lances, fpears, firelocks, and old armour. Of thefe curious appendages to the grandeur of both, little perhaps is now known. Of the Chapel, a circular building within' the inner court is now all that remains. Over feveral of the stable doors, however, are still the arms of Queen Elizabeth, and the Earl of Pembroke. Over the inner gate of the castle, are alfo fome remains of the arms of the Sidney family, with an infcription denoting the date of the Queen's reign, and of Sir Henry Sidney's refidence, in 1581, together with the following words, Hominibus ingratis loquimini lapides. No reafon has been affigned for this remarkable addrefs. Perhaps Sir Henry Sidney might intend it as an allufion to his predeceffors, who had fuffered the stately fabric to decay; as a memorial also, which no fucceffor might behold without determining to avoid its application: "nonne IPSAM DOMUM metuet, ne quam VOCEM ELICIAT, nonne PARIETES CONSCIOS?" A "gentleman, who vifited the Castle in 1768, has acquainted me, that the floors of the Great Council Chamber were then pretty entire, as was the ftair-cafe. The covered steps leading to the Chapel were remaining, but the covering of the Chapel was fallen: yet the arms of fome of the Lords Presidents, painted on the walls, were vifible. In the Great Council Chamber was inscribed on the wall a sentence from i. Sam. xii. 3. All of which are now wholly gone. The perfon, who fhewed this gentleman the Caftle, informed him that, by tradition, the MASK OF COMUS was performed in the "Council Chamber. From the valuable collections of the fame gentleman I have been alfo favoured with feveral curious extracts, relating to the earliest history of the Castle, and to its connexion with the history Buck's Antiquities. vol. ii. p. 3. Mr. Hodges, in his Account of Ludlow Caftle, obferves more generally that " it was in one of the outer towers of this caftle that Butler wrote his incomparable Hudibras." p. 42. s See Mr. Hodges's Account of the Castle, p. 29. The Ludlow Guide, p. 32. And Harl. MSS. 6121. fol. 40. t Cicero pro Cælio. fect. 25. Mr. Dovafton of the Nurfery, near Oswestry. Mr. Warton fays in the Hall, or in one of the Great Chambers. 2d. ed. .124. X of the Marches. The Welsh, or Ancient Britons, were never wholly conquered, but were by degrees at length driven into the mountainous and inacceffible part of this Ifland, whence, under their kings and princes, they made frequent incurfions on the bordering inhabitants; which was the occafion of this and many other caftles to be built, for the defence of the country against the Welth. Several towns and caftles on the frontiers of Wales were built about the time of the Norman conqueft; from which, it has been alfo 'faid, that the poffeffors frequently fallied into the low or flat countries, and exceedingly molefted the Welth. "When the Title of Mercia was extinguifhed in the Monarchy of the whole Ifle, the name from the nature of the thing was still retained in the counties bordering upon Wales and Scotland, from the known Saxon word mearc, fignifying a note, or mark, and by way of common speaking at last applied to boundaries of counties. Hence came the title of Lords Marchers, who procured their feigniories by right of conqueft, having an authority from the king for that end. For, the kings of England, perceiving the difficulty of effecting the conqueft of Wales by any great army, offered to several English nobility and gentry the grant of fuch countries, as they could win by their own force and expence, from their enemies the Welth. They alto permitted them and their heirs to hold the land conquered of the Crown, freely, per Baroniam, with the exercise of royal jurfdiction therein. They were therefore ftiled Lords, or Barons Marchers. But the foundation of their title was by affumption and permiffion, and not by grant: for no record of any grant having been given to a Lord of the Marches, to poffefs the authority annexed to that dignity, is to be found in the Tower, or in other parts of England. The tenure of thefe conquered lands, however, was precarious; as it frequently happened, that "those eftates of which they had taken poffeffion, were recovered by the Welth; either by compofition with the kings of England, or by the power of arms. In the Marches bordering upon England, the frequent disputes between b An Account of Ludlow Town and Caftle from the most early times, to the first year of William and Mary, copied by Mr. Dovafton from a MS. of the Rev. Rich. Podmore, A. B. Rector of Coppenhall in Co. Pal. of Chester, and Curate of Cundover, Salop, collected with great care from ancient and au thentic books. y Owen's British Remains. 8vo. Lond. 1777. p. 10. z Mr. Dovalton's MS. ■ Owen's British Remains. p. 8. b. The lords of the marches held under the kings of England, by the tenure of ferving in wars with a certain number of their vaffals; and of furnithing their caftles with ftrong garrifons, and with all military implements.-They poffeffed in all cafes, except the power of granting pardons for treafon, Jara regalia. See Warrington's Hift. of Wales. 3d ed. vol. i. p. 370. 380. c Owen's Brit. Rem. P. 8. d Ibid. p. 9. e Warrington's Hift. of Wales. 3d edit. vol. i. p. 378. |