Ex tibris C. K. OGDEN THE VISITANTS' GUIDE WINDSOR CASTLE AND ITS VICINITY. This castle has a pleasant seat. The air Gently and nimbly recommends itself Unto our senses. SHAKSPEARE. 2iltnl)sor : PUBLISHED BY CHAHLES ANDREWS, THAMES STREET. 1827. C. i>Olltt-VlS, PR1NTKR, WINDSOR. ADVERTISEMENT. tna veen, /re0(i&nf/u> uvaed /Aa/ Me vna c/cdoyitumJ o/ Jrt/ru&or Oadtte and ifa vicinity- a/ic wore aaa/itea /or M# Aemdai o/ a resident mam a ccu)tui& vtdUor, //te /vtedent /ud/icafu/n /icu) a&en ivtf/i, a ywtv (^ .jStfi/uwia Mid . <&veru atfenfuM /tad veen /itt'Ja /o < cut accurate ad AgjSt&k / a/nd it id afi&iea fo /uwuc notice ad cz/ct/atect/o/acihfate a ifoana&i in w'-e-tvi?ig //te many, veauti&) of w(/n()or anti ifa nettf/woivrnooa- ana foyme/na a. udt^u/ icorx, o/ re/&ience /or f 201515; CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Notice of the Town. Corporation of Windsor Entrance to the Town ; Parish Church; Guildhall; Theatre Royal; Bridge; Residence of the Naval Knights ; Bachelors' Acre ; Post-oflice Charitable Institutions Page 1 CHAP. II. General Outline of the Castle. Erection by William the Conqueror ; enlargement by sub- sequent monarchs ; the Terrace Parliamentary grant in 1824 for the general improvement of the building Favourable situ- ations for viewing the Castle 13 CHAP. III. St. George's Chapel. Entrance to the Chapel ; curious Inscription Interior of the Chapel ; the Choir ; Carved Work ; Painted Windows ; Royal vault; Tomb of Edward IV. Monuments; Lincoln Chapel ; Henry VI. ; Aldworth Chapel ; Bray Chapel ; Beau- fort Chapel ; Cenotaph of the Princess Charlotte ; Rutland Chapel ; Hastings Chapel College of St. George Chapter- house Order of the Garter Poor Knights 22 TI CONTENTS. CHAP. IV. The Lower Ward. Gateway and Towers Residences of the Canons and Poor Knights Great Cloisters; Monuments Inner Cloisters Royal Mausoleum Deanery , Page 57 CHAP. V. The Round Tower. Entrance; Guard-chamber; Apartments formerly occupied by State Prisoners, with their paintings and tapestry ; view frum the battlements 63 CHAP. VI. The Upper Ward. The State Apartments ; description of the paintings and curiosities contained therein King's arrival at the Castle in 182-1 Notice of the present improvements ; inscription on the foundation stone of George the Fourth's gateway .70 CHAP. VII. T&e Parks and Lodges. The Little Park ; Herne's Oak Frogmore Lodge Great Park ; Long Walk ; Royal Lodge ; Cumberland Lodge Virginia Water Sandpit-gate Windsor Forest Cranbourne Lodge 102 CHAP. VIII. Eton College. Foundation and endowment ; distinguished Provosts ; pre- sent establishment ; election of Scholars for King's College, Cambridge ; the Montem Description of the building ; Great Quadrangle; statue of Henry VI.; Chapel: Inner Quadrangle; Hall ; Library ; Provost's apartments Town of Eton ; Chapel of Ease ; Free-school Ill CONTENTS. CHAP. IX. Vicinity of Windsor. BERKSHIRE. Ascot Place, Beaumont Lodge, Bullocks'- hatch, tLe Willows, Binfield, Bray, Winkfield Park, Pelling Place, Bray, Monkey Island, Billingbear Park, Hollygrove House, Sunninghill Park, St. Leonard's Dale, \Vinkfield -plain, Clevver Cottage, Old Windsor Parsonage and Churchyard, St. Leonard's-hill, Down Place, Old Windsor Manor-house, Fern- hill, Ascot-heath, Royal Stand, Forest Farm, Woodside House, Clewer Park and Church, Winkneld Parsonage, Forest-hill. Sunninghill, Lovell-hill, Silwood Park, Wartield House. BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. Burnham, Hedsor House, Horton, Iver- grove, Datchet, Dropmore House, Langley Park and Church, Slough, Upton, Ditton Park, Cliefden House, Dorney Court, Stoke Poges, Ankerwyke House, Runnymead, Riching's-lodge, Taplow, Stoke Place, Wexham. SCRREV AND MIDDLESEX. Bagshot-lodge, Englefield-green, Egham, Chertsey, Staines, Stanwell, Uxbridge Page 121 APPENDIX A. Coaches to and from Windsor Posting-houses Waggons Pleasure-boats, &c 149 APPENDIX B. Plan of the Choir of St. George's Chapel, with the stalls of the Knights Companions of the Order of the Garter 151 APPENDIX C. Table, stating the names of the Painters whose works are in the State Apartments, with their native place and the dates of their birth and decease 152 THE VISITANTS' GUIDE. CHAPTER I. BRIEF NOTICE OF THE TOWN. NEW Windsor is situated on the eastern border of the county of Berks ; it is distant 22 miles from the metropolis, 19 miles from Reading, 40 from Oxford, and 15 from Hampton Court. Its pleasant situation has rendered it the resort df most of our monarchs from the time of William the Conqueror ; and, in the year 1276, it was declared a free borough. Its present corporation, as established by a charter granted hi the 16th year of Charles the Second's reign, consists of a mayor, justice, ten aldermen, three benchers, sixteen burgesses, a high steward, chamberlain, and the customary subordinate officers. The mayor and justice are annually elected from among the aldermen, and two bailiffs are, at the same time, chosen from among the burgesses. Windsor has sent members B 2 BRIEF NOTICE OF THE TOWN. to Parliament, with occasional omissions, since the 30th year of Edward the First. The right of election is in all the inhabitants of the borough paying scot and lot, six months' residence and rating constituting the necessary qualification. The present members are John Ramsbottom, Esq. and Sir Richard Hussey Vivian, G. C. B. The town, which is well paved and lighted, under the superintendence of sixty-one commissioners, appointed by a local Act of Parliament, is now of considerable size, having been lately much enlarged ; the number of houses is upwards of 600, and its population is computed at between five and six thousand, exclusive of the military stationed here. At the entrance into the town, by the Datchet road, is the commencement of the Long Walk, leading to the Great Park. This noble avenue of which it has been justly said that " imagination cannot picture an approach of greater magnificence, produced by circumstances which ages alone can bring about, and of which ages alone can produce a rival " is nearly three miles in length, and has a carriage drive in the centre, with footpaths on each side, sheltered by a double row of elms. Passing through Park-street to High-street, the attention of the visitor is directed to THE PARISH CHURCH. 3 THE PARISH CHURCH. This spacious and commodious edifice is dedi- cated to St. John the Baptist. Its exterior is in the plain Gothic style; the interior is fitted up with great neatness, and is capable of affording accommodation for 1800 persons. A painting of the Lord's Supper, which was secreted in St. George's Chapel during the civil wars of Charles the First's reign, and which was presented to the parish by his late Majesty, is placed over the communion table; and the rail which incloses the altar is beautifully carved by the celebrated Gib- bons. There is a handsome organ at the west end of the church, on each side of which is a gallery for the children of the Free Schools, and two others, above them, are appropriated to the children of the National Schools. The mayor's seat is on the north side of the centre aisie, and at the east end are two recesses, neatly fitted up, appropriated to her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta and the Members for the Borough. The number of monu- ments is small, and but few of these merit particular notice ; in one of the entrances at the east end is a tablet erected to the memory of Chief Justice Reeve, who died in the year 1736, and was a con- siderable benefactor to the town ; it is ornamented B 2 4 BRIEF NOTICE OF THE TOWN. with busts of the learned judge and his lady, with attendant figures, one holding a medallion sculp- tured with the attributes of justice, the other weeping and leaning on an extinguished torch. On the north side of the altar is a curious monu- ment to the memory of Edward Jobsou and Elinor his wife, whose effigies, and those of their ten children, are carved in relievo, in the costume of the sixteenth century ; there is no date inscribed upon it. On the opposite side of the church is a tablet in remembrance of Miss Catherine Henley and her mother, both of whom were unremitting in their endeavours to ameliorate the condition of the poor in the town and neighbourhood. An urn is represented on the upper part of the tablet, en- circled by a wreath of cypress, and partially covered by a funereal pall ; beneath is an inscrip- tion containing the names and ages of the deceased, to which is annexed the following Unas from the pen of an eminent dignitary of the church: " Gentle they were, and eminently good, By love united more than ties of blood, By kindred virtues, by a blameless life, And sweet domestic smiles that banish strife, Faith, that exalts this mortal to the sky, And bounteous, kind, long-suffering charity. At that great day, when earth shall yield her dead, The books be opened, and the sentence read, Their Lord's approving voice the just shall hear, And sounds of rapture wake th' obstructed ear." THE GUILDHALL. 5 The tower contains a peal of eight bells, originally presented to the parish by the cofferer of the household to Queen Elizabeth ; but four of them were re-cast during the erection of the present church; this commodious structure was opened for Divine Service on the 18th of June, 1822 ; the expense of its erection was 14,040/. 17*. 3d. The living is a vicarage, in the deanery of Reading and diocese of Salisbury.* Near the church is a meeting-house for a congregation of Independent Dissenters. Towards the centre of the High-street stands THE GUILDHALL. It was erected in 1686, and is a plain brick structure, supported by columns and arches of Portland stone. Statues of Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark are placed in niches at the north and south ends of the building. The interior is well adapted for transacting public business, and is adorned with several portraits, among which is a magnificent whole-length of the present King, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, given to the Corporation by his Majesty, who also, when * A considerable part of the town of Windsor is in the parish of Clewer, a village about a mile distant, to which the old parish church was originally a chapel. {5 BRIEF NOTICE OF THE TOWN. Prince Regent, presented them with portraits of his Royal parents. Quarter sessions are held in this hall in the months of January, April, July, and October, the Corporation having the power of trying all offences except capital felonies. In the area under the building, a pitched market for corn is kept on Saturdays, and there is also a general market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which is well supplied from the surrounding country. There are likewise three fairs, on Easter Tuesday, July 5, and October 24, but the two former are not much attended. Parallel with High-street is Thames- street, in which the THEATRE ROYAL is situated. The exterior is devoid of ornament, but the audience part is exceedingly neat and elegant. It is of a semi-circular form, and contains two tier of boxes, a pit, and gallery, the whole capable of affording accommodation to 700 persons. The proscenium s chaste and tasteful ; two Doric pilasters on each side support an entablature of white marble, which is almost imperceptibly united, by a graceful curve, with the horizontal part of the ceiling. The fronts of the boxes are ornamented with designs from the antique. The ordinances of Eton College restrict the performance of any theatrical entertainments within ten miles of that royal foundation ; and, THE BRIDGE. 7 therefore, the theatre is only opened during the July and Christmas vacations, with the exception of the week when Ascot Races are held, when, by permission of the proper authorities, performances are allowed to be represented. At the bottom of Thames-street is the bridge connecting the towns of Windsor and Eton. It is 200 feet in length, and 26 feet wide, and has three arches of cast iron, springing from piers of granite ; the centre arch is 55 feet span. The top is surmounted by an extremely neat iron balustrade. It was erected in the years 1823-24, at the expense of the Corporation, who, under the authority of an Act of Parliament, levy a toll on all horses and carriages passing over it.* * Windsor owes its name to the serpentine course of the Thames in this neighbourhood, the Saxon Wyndle-shom (wind- ing-shore) having been corrupted to the present term. The young gentlemen educated at Eton College are much attached to aquatic amusements, and twice during the summer (on the 4th of June, in commemoration of his late Majesty's birthday, and on the last Saturday in July, when the senior .scholars are elected to King's College, Cambridge,) splendid regattas take place. On these occasions they go in procession, habited in fancy dresses, in several long boats ornamented with flags, and accompanied with music, to a meadow about three miles distant, where refreshments are provided, and on their return a brilliant display of fireworks is exhibited on an eyot a short distance above Windsor bridge. This spectacle has been frequently graced with the presence of several members of the Royal Family. g BRIEF NOTICE OF THE TOWN. The principal branch streets are Castle-street, Peascod-street, and Sheet-street. The barracks for the infantry are situated in the latter; the building is spacious, and well adapted for its pur- pose, though its situation is too confined to admit of its appearing to advantage ; the apartments will contain nearly 1000 men. The cavalry barracks are at Spital, about a mile distant from the town ; they are not so extensive as those appropriated to the infantry ; but, owing to the open plan of the building, it presents a more pleasing appearance. There are seven smaller streets, St. Alban's-street, Bier-lane, (in which is a chapel in the Wesleyan connexion,) Queen-street, Church-street, George- street, (at the bottom of which is the Borough gaol,) Clewer-lane, and Datchet-lane. Nearly at the end of the latter is the building appropriated for the residence of the Naval Knights. This institution was founded, in 1728, by Mr. Samuel Travers, who bequeathed, by will, the greater portion of his property for the settlement of an annuity of 607. to seven gentlemen, who were to be superannuated or disabled lieutenants of English men of war. Funds were also assigned for the erection of a suitable residence for them. The building consists of seven distinct apartments, a dining-room for the general use of the establish- THE BACHELORS' ACRE. t) ment, and suitable offices. The front, which faces the east, is ornamented with a portico extending its whole length ; and the general appearance of the building is extremely pleasing, when viewed from the north terrace of the Castle. Between Sheet-street and Peascod-street is a plot of meadow ground, called the Bachelors' Acre, which has been long appropriated to the native inhabitants of Windsor as an arena for rustic amusements An annual revel is held upon the green on his present Majesty's birthday, when the successful competitors in the various sports receive a number of prizes. On several occasions of public rejoicing, entertainments have been given in this place to the poorer classes, on one of which (the commemoration of his late Majesty's completing the fiftieth year of his reign) the festival was honoured by the presence of Queen Charlotte and the Princesses. The Bachelors have erected an obelisk in the Acre to record this instance of Royal condescension. The Post-office is in High-street, near St. Alban's-street ; letters are delivered out from the office after eight o'clock in the morning, and must be put in by eight in the evening ; on payment of an additional penny, they are received till hall- past eight. |0 BRIEF NOTICE OP THE TOWN. There is but one more point to which, in the present brief sketch, it will be necessary to advert, namely, the number of charitable institutions. Few provincial towns, of equal extent and popu- lation, can vie with New Windsor in the variety of channels through which active benevolence is assiduously employed in diffusing advantages of every nature to the more humble classes of the inhabitants. The annual income of the endowed charities alone amounts to nearly 750 /., exclusive of the establishments supported by voluntary sub- scriptions. The first institution, in point of an- tiquity, is the Free School, which stands at the north-east corner of the churchyard. It is a neat brick edifice, erected in the year 1706; thirty boys and twenty girls are here educated and clothed. At the bottom of Peascod-street stands the National School for children of both sexes; this building was erected in the year 1819, at an expense of upwards of 1200/., which was defrayed by volun- tary subscriptions. The advantages of this system of education, by which learning, piety, and morality are united, are yearly becoming more apparent ; as a proof of the estimation in which this valuable institution is held by the poorer classes, it is only necessary to state that, since its formation, the number of children who have attended the school CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. ]_-|_ has progressively increased. In the year 1784 a school was instituted under the patronage of her Majesty Queen Charlotte, called the Ladies' Cha- rity ; it is now supported by voluntary subscrip- tions, and twenty girls are maintained and educated for servants. The Dispensary for the relief of the Sick Poor is situated in Church-street ; this charity, which is supported by voluntary subscriptions, has been productive of the greatest benefit to the poorer classes. His Majesty is a munificent patron of this and several other of the charitable institutions. There is also a Ladies' Charity for Lying-in Women, by which deserving females are supplied with requisite aid, pecuniary and otherwise, during the period of confinement. The Society for pro- moting Christian Knowledge and the Bible Society have both active auxiliaries in the district associ- ations of the town. A Provident Institution to receive the savings of the industrious poor was founded in 1816, conducted on principles similar to those which have been so beneficial throughout the kingdom. There is likewise an Institution for assisting the Labouring Classes, which has for its object the amelioration of the condition of this large body of the inhabitants, by inducing them, through industry and frugality, to make small weekly c 2 12 BRIEF NOTICE OF THE TOWN. deposits, in return for which, during the winter season, they receive coals and bread, to an amount considerably exceeding that of their subscriptions. In addition to the above institutions, whose benefits are bestowed without limitation as to the number of applicants, there are, in the town and immediate suburbs, alms-houses for twenty-eight poor persons, which have an annual endowed income of 103/. 17s. ; nearly 100/. is yearly distributed in bread to the poor; and upwards of 200/. is ex- pended in a charity, tounded by Archbishop Laud and enlarged by Theodore Randue, Esq. for ap- prenticing boys, rewarding diligent apprentices, and giving marriage portions to poor deserving maidens. A widow lady of the name of Thomas also bequeathed, by will, dated Jan. 15, 1821, the residue of her property to the Corporation of Windsor, in trust, for an annuity of 51. each to twelve poor widows. By the provisions of the bequest, the annuitants are to be members of the church of England and parishioners of New Wind- sor, and none are eligible under fifty years of age ; the youngest of the present twelve is upwards of seventy. 13 CHAPTER II. GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE CASTLE. THJS majestic structure, which has been so justly termed an emblem of the British constitution, in its strength, its grandeur, and its antiquity, is built upon the summit of the hill on the declivity of which the town stands, and forms a most mag- niiicent feature in the prospect for many miles round. Edward the Confessor granted the site both of the town and castle to the abbey of St. Peter at Westminster ; but the eligibility of its situation for a military post being perceived by William the Conqueror shortly after his assumption of the sovereignty, that monarch exchanged it with the Abbey for some lands in Essex, and constructed a fortress of very considerable size. Henry I. greatly enlarged the building, and erected a chapel, where, in 1122, he celebrated with great state his marriage with his second queen, Adelais of Lor- raine. Henry II. held a parliament in the Castle in the year 1170, which was attended by nearly 14 GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE CASTLE. all the great English barons, William, King of Scotland, and his brother David. During the con- test between King John and the barons, which was terminated by the grant of the far-famed Magna Charta, the former took refuge in the Castle, which, in the year subsequent to the signing of the treaty, was ineffectually besieged by the barons. During the reign of Henry III., the Castle was alternately in the possession of both the contending factions, but, being eventually surprised by Prince Edward, was made the rendezvous of the King's party. Edward I. and Edward II. made Windsor their principal residence ; it was also the birth-place of several of their children, the most celebrated of whom was that prince " famous in history and of great renown," afterwards Edward the Third. The attachment this prince bore to his native place was exemplified by the great attention he paid to the improvement both of the town and castle, the latter of which, with the exception of three towers at the west end of the Lower Ward, was entirely rebuilt by him. A work of this magnitude, it may natural ly be supposed, could not be undertaken at that period without experiencing considerable diffi- culties, especially in the procuring of workmen ; to obviate this lust-mentioned impediment, writs were issued to the sheriii's of the different counties, GENERAL OUTLINE OP THE CASTLE. J5 directing them forcibly to impress the necessary artificers, and send them to Windsor, there to be employed, at the King's wages, as long as should be required. This harsh mandate was several times enforced, particularly in the year 1363, about which period a contagious pestilence destroyed a great number of the workmen. The celebrated William de Wykeham superintended the erection, at a salary of seven shillings weekly, and three shillings per week for his clerk. The new struc- ture, when completed, comprised the whole of the present Upper Ward, including St. George's Hall, the Round Tower, St. George's Chapel (erected nearly upon the site of the one built by Henry I., which was dedicated to Edward the Confessor), and entirely new walls, gates, towers, and battle- ments. Many improvements and alterations were made by the successors of this illustrious monarch. Ed- ward IV. rebuilt, upon a greatly enlarged scale, the chapel of St. George, in which his remains were subsequently deposited, as well as thos^ of his unfortunate rival, Henry VI. Henry VII. made several additions to the Upper Waid, and his son and successor rebuilt the principal gate of the building. During the reigns of Edward VI. and Queen Mary, the Castle was supplied with a Jg GENERAL OUTLINE OF THK CASTLE. fountain of curious workmanship, by which water was conveyed from Blackmoor Park, near Wink- field, a distance of five miles. The most important addition, however, which was made to the edifice prior to the reign of his present Majesty, was the formation, by order of Queen Elizabeth, of a terrace- walk on the north side of the Castle. This noble promenade (which was subsequently enlarged by Charles II. and carried round the east and part of the south fronts) is 1870 feet in length ; it is crowned with a rampart of free-stone, and com- mands a prospect so richly varied and extensive as to be rarely equalled. On the north side, in front of what are termed the Star and Garter apartments, the view comprises the counties of Bedford, Buck- ingham, Berks, Oxford, and Middlesex, including Eton College, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Stoke Park, the river Thames, and a number of gentlemen's seats and villages. The prospect from the south and east sides is more circumscribed in extent, but scarcely inferior in beauty, extending over the Long Walk, Windsor Forest, and the Great Park, and bounded by the richly-wooded scenery of the Surrey hills : " Here hills and vales, the woodland and the plain, Here earth and water seem to meet again ; Not, chaos-like, together crushed and bruised, But, as the world, harmoniously confused." GENERAL OUTLINE OP THB CASTLE. J? The ill-fated Charles I. resided, at the com- mencement of his reign, in the Castle, and held occasional courts in the very apartments, which, towards the close of his eventful career, he was compelled to inhabit as a prisoner. After the Restoration, Charles II. adopted Windsor Castle as his favourite residence, and commenced a series of alterations, the good taste and propriety of which have been since justly called in question. The Gothic windows, which were so much in unison with the character of the edifice, were re- placed by circular French ones, and the general chaste simplicity of the building was materially violated by the introduction of a foreign ornamental taste. It is but justice, however, to add that the interior was greatly improved by the liberality of this monarch ; the royal apartments were richly furnished and decorated, a magazine of arms con- structed, and a number of valuable paintings by the first masters formed into a collection, a pre- ceding one which belonged to his Royal Father having been sold by order of the Long Parliament. The Castle was also a favourite summer residence of Queen Anne and George the First ; the latter monarch was accustomed, during his abode at Windsor, to dine in public, according to the con- tinental custom, every Thursday. Jg GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE CASTLB. "With the exception of trifling occasional repairs, the building remained as it was left by Charles II. till the reign of his late Majesty, who made Wind- sor his principal place of abode. Under his direc- tion, and in great part from his private purse, St. George's Chapel was completely repaired, and a variety of improvements were executed, tending to restore to the Castle its original Gothic appearance. The lamented illness of the King suspended the progress of the alterations for a period of eleven years ; but, shortly after the accession of our pre- sent Sovereign, public attention was called to the necessity of completing the projected improvements, upon a scale of grandeur commensurate with the importance of so venerable and magnificent an edifice. In 1823, the alterations were commenced by pulling down two buildings called Augusta Lodge and Queen's Lodge, the latter of which was erected by Sir William Chambers as a residence for their late Majesties ; neither of these fabrics were distinguished by any architectural beauties, and the situation of the Queen's Lodge in particular having been particularly ill-chosen, as it excluded the fine view of the Great Park and Long Walk, their removal was hailed with general satisfaction. In the spring of 1824, a parliamentary grant of 30U,000/. was voted for the general improvement GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE CASTLB. ] of the Castle, the expenditure of which was to be superintended by five commissioners, the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of Liverpool, the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Farnborough, and Mr. Baring. The most distinguished architects in the country were competitors for the honour of presenting an approved design for the renovation of the building ; and the plans of Mr. Jeffrey Wyatville were finally decided upon. It would be premature in this place to enter into any detail of the new building, which is very far advanced ; but such notice of the improvements will be given, as the various parts of the Castle are subsequently described, as is compatible with their incomplete state. The most favourable situations from which the stranger can observe the Castle are 1. The playing fields of Eton College. From this point of view the whole of the north front is seen to great advantage, comprising Winchester Tower, the Star and Garter Apartments, and Queen Elizabeth's Picture-gallery ; a portion of the building adjoining the latter presents a curious specimen of the style of architecture in vogue at the latter end of the sixteenth century. Near the north-east angle is the new Octagon Tower, the first stone of which was laid on the 12th of August, 1825, and its elevation was completed by the same D 2 20 GENERAL OUTLINE OP THE CASTLE. day in the following year, on which occasion his Majesty, with his wonted munificence, directed a liberal entertainment to be provided for all the individuals, in number above six hundred, em- ployed on this great national undertaking. 2. The fields leading from the little village of Clower, about a mile west of the town. This walk, which lies nearly parallel with the Thames, com- mands a good view of the town, surmounted by the south-west front of the Castle ; the bridge and parish church form pleasing objects from this position. 3. The fields between Sheet-street Road and the cavalry barracks, commonly termed " The Lammas-ground." This situation commands a beautiful view of the south front, including Julius Cesar's Tower, in which is a fine peal of bells, St. George's Chapel, Store Tower, the Keep, Devil Tower, York, Lancaster, Augusta, and Queen's Towers. 4. The path through the Little Park from Datchet to Windsor. This view embraces the east front, comprising the suite of rooms at present preparing for the occupation of his Majesty, in front of which a new pentagon terrace is being constructed, inclosing a space about to be laid out as a flower-garden. At the south-east angle is a GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE CASTLE. %\ tower of uncommon strength and beauty, with corbelled battlements ; and the general outline of the building, from this part of the Park, is so extremely pleasing, especially when seen by moon- light, as amply to deserve the encomium passed on it by a celebrated writer of the present day, who declares it to be "a view which every one who has the slightest taste for the picturesque, ought neither to go abroad nor to die without seeing." 5. Snow Hill. This is an eminence at the further extremity of the Long Walk, on which it is in- tended to place an equestrian statue of King George the Third, of colossal dimensions ; it is now exe- cuting by Mr. Westmacott, and, when completed, will present a noble termination to this fine approach to the Castle. The prospect from this situation is one of the most beautiful in the neighbourhood of Windsor, combining, with the buildings already mentioned, a most luxuriant landscape of the adjacent country.* * The situations above enumerated have been alluded to only as affording favourable points of observation to I In- casual visitant, but it must be obvious that an edifice so extensive and so commandingly situated as Windsor Castle, must present, in the great number of rides ami drives in its vicinity, a vast variety of views calculated alike to please the eye and adorn the sketch-book. CHAPTER TTf. ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. OPPOSITE Church-street is the entrance to the Lower Ward of the Castle. Passing under King Henry the Eighth's gateway, the south front of the beautiful building of the Collegiate Chapel of St. George immediately presents itself to the notice of the spectator. Henry I. erected a chapel upon a part of the site now occupied by the present build- ing, which he dedicated to Edward the Confessor. This having become dilapidated, was rebuilt by Edward III., shortly after he had instituted the order of the Garter, and was by him dedicated to St. George, the patron saint of that order. It was much enlarged and improved by succeeding mo- narchs, particularly Edward IV. and Henry VII., and, during the reign of his late Majesty, under- went a complete repair, at an expense of upwards of 20,000/. Divine Service is performed in the choir twice every day, at half-past ten in the morning and half past four in the afternoon. ENTRANCE OF ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. jg The principal entrance- door is at the west end of the nave, but the one generally used is on the south front, on the right of which is a brass plate let into the wall, with the following curious in- scription : Here lyeth George Brooke, somtyme Yeoman of the Garde vnto K.ing H: the 8, Ed: the 6, Qveene Mary, & vnto Qveen Elizabeth that nowe is, vntill the tyme of his death, who died the 24 of October, 1593, in the 35 year of her Matie raigne. He lyved content with meane estate And long ago prepared to dye : f This is the The idle parson he did hate ) originall Poore peoples want he did svpply. f inscription. Out of a respect both to the memory of the deceased and also to the honour and antiquity of the said guard, this plate was repaired, enlarged, and engraven at the sole charge of Edward Phillips, citizen and merchant taylor of London, and one of the 100 yeomen of the guard to Ring William the III. and Queen Mary the II. of blessed memory, and now to her Majesty Queen Ann, in the 6th year of her reign, and the 52d of his age, A.D. 1707, The said Edward Phillips also served K. Charles the II. and K. James the II. in the General Post-office, and a Yeoman of the Guard to K. George the 1st. Obitt the 24th day of Dec. 1724, in the 69th year of his age. Like Brooke he liv'd and dispence His charity where need appear'd, He much encouraged diligence, And young and old with 's bounty chear'd. Industry him to wealth did raise, Honesty did his life adorn, Trew Briten he was all his days, In fertile Shropshire bred and born. 24 ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. On entering the interior, the admiration of the spectator is immediately excited by the grandeur of its architecture, in which it surpasses several of our cathedrals, and the beauty of the great west window. This fine specimen of stained glass con- tains eighty compartments, each six feet in height; the figures represent Edward the Confessor, Ed- ward IV. and Henry VIII., several of the pa- triarchs and early bishops, and other ecclesiastical personages, interspersed with heraldic bearings, among which the cross of the order of the Garter is frequently displayed. The richness and variety of the colours, the loftiness of the window itself, and the venerable appearance of the Gothic tracery by which its compartments are divided, combine to awaken in the mind those feelings of awe and solemnity so much in unison with the sacred cha- racter of the edifice. The other windows, with the exception of that over the altar, which will be de- scribed in the account of the choir, are of minor importance, in point of size and attraction. The east window in the south aisle represents the Angel appearing unto the Shepherds with the annunciation of the Nativity, and the western one depicts the Birth of our Saviour. The subject of the west window in the north aisle is the Adoration of the Magi. The designs for these windows were fur- THE CHOIR. 25 nished by the late Benjamin West, Esq. and were executed by Mr. Forest ; the first of them is painted in half-tints, and is extremely well adapted to the light which its situation affords.* The stone ceiling of the nave is enriched with a great variety of devices admirably executed, repre- senting the arms of several sovereigns of the order, together with those of some of the most illustrious of the knights companions. Passing from the nave under the organ-gallery, we enter THE CHOIR. This part of the chapel is appropriated to Divine Service, and the ceremony of installing the knights of the Garter is also performed here. The richness of the roof and carved work, the beautiful effect of the great painted window over the altar, and the banners of the kuights surmounting their respective stalls combine to present to the eye an almost un- * These windows were put up between the years 1792 and 1796, previous to which the whole of the chapel had undergone the extensive and complete repair which has been already men- tioned. It was in contemplation to remove the stained glass from the great western window, and substitute in its stead a paintingof the Crucifixion; adesign by Mr. West was approved, and the undertaking was commenced, but, after ten years' unremitting exertions, the death of Mr. Forest, the principal artist, suspended the operations, and it is now doubtful whether they will be resumed. E g(J ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. rivalled union of sublimity and grandeur. The floor is paved with marble in alternate diamond- shaped squares of black and white, and the com- munion table is approached by an ascent of four steps. The stalls of the knights are ranged on each side of the choir, and those of the sovereign and the princes of the blood-royal are under the organ- gallery.* Over each stall, under a canopy of carved work, is placed the sword, mantle, helmet, and crest of the knight ; above these is his banner, on which his armorial bearings are emblazoned, and, at the back of the seat, a plate of brass is affixed, containing his name, style, and titles.-)- The * A plan of their present disposition is given in the appendix. t At the decease of a knight, his sword, banner, and other insignia are taken down, but the plate remains as a perpetual record of the distinguished honour he had borne. Some of the older plates are worthy attention, affording curious specimens of heraldic engraving. Among them will be found those of Sigismund, Emperor of Germany, in the reign of Henry V. ; Casimir IV. King of Poland, temp. Henry VI. ; the Duke of Buckingham, Lords Hastings, Level, and Stanley, and Sir Richard Ratcliffe, so celebrated for the prominent parts they acted in the spirit-stirring times of Richard the Third ; the accomplished though unfortunate Earl of Surrey in Henry the Eighth's reign ; Charles V. Emperor of Germany and his gay and polished rival Francis I. of France ; Queen Elizabeth's favourite Sir Robert Dudley, afterwards Earl of Leicester, her sagacious counsellor, Lord Burleigh, and other illustrious names of a more modern period. Up to the present date, there have been 644 knights of this order, which, as the learned Selden observes, " exceeds in majesty, honour, and fame, all chivalrous orders in the world." THE CHOFR. ff] stall of the sovereign is distinguished from those of the knights companions, by having a canopy and curtains of purple velvet, embroidered with rich gold fringe, and his banner is also of larger dimen- sions. On the pedestals of the stalls the history of the life of our Saviour is represented in uncom- monly rich carved work, and on the front of those under the organ-gallery is the history of St. George, the patron saint of the order. In 1814 an addition was made to the number of knights, and six new stalls were in consequence added, in front of which are carved the attempt of Margaret Nicholson to assassinate his late Majesty, the procession of the King to St. Paul's on the great day of thanksgiving for his recovery from indisposition in 1789, the interior of the cathedral on that occasion, and a representation of the Queen's charity-school. On the outside of the upper seat of the stalls is a broad girth, which is continued on both sides of the chapel ; on this is carved in Saxon characters the following psalm in the Latin language, which is supposed to be intended as a supplication for the sovereign of the order : The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble ; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee. Send thee help from the sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Zioii. Uemember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Grant thee according to thine own heart, aud fuliil all thy counsel. We will rejoice in thy 2g ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners ; the Lord fulfil all thy petitions. Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed ; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and gome in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. Save, Lord ; let the king hear us when we call. The great painted window over the altar was designed by Mr. West, and was executed by Messrs. Jarvis and Forest between the years 1785 and 1788. The subject is the Resurrection of our Saviour, which the artist has divided into three compartments ; in the foreground of the central division, the soldiers who were guarding the se- pulchre are represented gazing with mingled terror and surprise on the ascending figure of the Re- deemer, who is preceded by an angel ; a number of cherubims, among whom the painter has intro- duced a portrait of Prince Octavius, one of the infant sons of their late Majesties, are represented in the clouds. In the compartment on the right, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome are approaching the sepulchre with the necessary ointments and spices for the process of embalming the body ; and on the left, the disciples Peter and John are hastening to the place of interment, ala.ined by the rumour that the body of their beloved Lord and Master was missing. This very THE CHOIR. 29 beautiful window, the masterly execution of which deserves the highest praise, is seen to best advan- tage in the forenoon ; but, at any period of the day, the " dim, religious light" it sheds upon the choir admirably harmonises with the general cha- racter of the building. The three windows on each side of the altar contain the arms of the sovereign and the knights companions of the order at various periods of time between the years 1782 and 1812, The arms of each knight are encom- passed with the star and garter, and surmounted with his crest and coronet ; the George is beneath, affixed to a blue riband on which the Christian name and title are inscribed. Above the com- munion table is a painting of the Last Supper, by Mr. West, executed by the desire, and at the pri- vate expense, of his late Majesty ; it is in his best style of colouring, but has been objected to, on account of the figure of Judas being too prominent, and his intended treacherous dereliction from his Divine Master being too evidently pourtrayed in his countenance. The wainscot at the altar is uncommonly rich ; the arms of Edward the Third and the first knights companions are carved with great accuracy and neatness, and are interspersed with ears of corn, fruit, pelicans, symbols of the order, and other appropriate devices. 3Q ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. In the royal vault in the choir, which is near the altar are the remains of King Henry VIII. and his queen, Lady Jane Seymour, King Charles I., and an infant child of the Princess George of Den- mark, afterwards Queen Anne. Upon opening the vault for the interment of the latter, the coffins containing the remains of these royal personages were discovered, but no further research was made at that period ; in April, 1813, however, his pre- sent Majesty, then Prince Regent, determined that a full investigation should be made, the exact place of interment of the unfortunate Charles the First being involved in considerable mystery. The coffin was consequently opened in presence of his Royal Highness and some other distinguished individuals, when the correctness of the surmise was ascertained beyond all question. The coffin of Henry VIII. contained only the skeleton of that monarch ; and as no additional historical facts were likely to be obtained by opening that of his consort, the vault was then closed up. Adjoining the altar, on the north side of the choir, is a gallery, now termed the Queen's Closet, which was fitted up for the accommodation of their late Majesties to attend Divine Service in the year 1780 ; the curtains, chairs, and other appurtenances are of garter blue silk, and the windows are painted TOMB OF KING EDWARD IV. g| with various passages from Holy Writ ; a portrait of Charles II. and various minor decorations are also introduced. Underneath this is the tomb of King Edward IV., over which is erected a monument of wrought steel, representing a pair of gates between two battlemented towers. This curious and highly- finished specimen of art is said to have been exe- cuted by Quentin Matsys, a blacksmith of Antwerp, who subsequently devoted his studies to the art of painting, in which he acquired considerable repu- tation. At the interment of this monarch, trophies of gold and precious stones were hung upon his tomb ; but in 1642, after the defeat of King Charles the First at Brentford and his subsequent retreat to Reading, the republican forces despoiled it of its wealth. On the back part of the moDumeiit, in the north aisle, is the name EDWARD IV. in raised brass letters on a black marble slab, over which are his arms and crown, supported by che- rubims. On a flat stone, at the base of the tomb, is inscribed in Old English characters iting <2t)foarD tu'j anD "Eltjabet!) and on a stone adjoining, in like characters, is eorge, Hhtfe* of $, anD fiftj) Daughter of hospital of St. Anthony, in London, and the offerings at Sir John Shorne's shrine, at North- maston in Buckinghamshire, estimated at 500 1. per annum, being appropriated to the service of the Crown. Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth made additional gifts of land, and, in the reign of the latter monarch, the statutes were consolidated and arranged nearly as they remain at the present time. The establishment consists of a dean, twelve canons or prebendaries, seven minor canons, thirteen lay clerks, of whom the organist is one, and ten choristers ; there are likewise a steward, treasurer, steward of the courts, chapter-clerk, chaunter, verger, two sextons, two bell-ringers, a clock- keeper, and a porter. The chapter- house, in which the business of the College is transacted, is at the north-east end of St. George's Chapel ; it is orna- mented with a whole-length portrait of Edward the Third, in his robes of state, holding a sword on which the crowns of France and Scotland are dis- played, in allusion to the conquests of those coun- tries achieved by that warlike monarch. On one side of the portrait is the two-handed sword of this sovereign, which is of the extreme length of six feet nine inches. 54 ORDER OF THE GARTER. The " most honourable and noble order of the Garter," as it is justly termed in the ritual of the Collegiate Chapel, was founded by Edward III. ; but the particular circumstances which gave rise to it are involved in mystery. The very motto of the order has caused much antiquarian research, but without elucidating any satisfactory data from which its origin can be ascertained. The first installation took place in the Chapel of the Order, on St. George's Day, 1349 ; this saint was chosen as the more immediate patron of this knightly institution ; but at the ceremonial, Edward the Third caused an invocation to be addressed to the Virgin Mary and the Holy Trinity, beseeching them " to animate by their inspiring influence and preserve by their efficacious power his illustrious confraternity." The number of knights was limited to twenty-five with the sovereign, and continued thus till the year 1786, when the number of sons of his late Majesty tending to restrict this honourable distinction, it was ordered that the princes of the blood- royal should be reckoned as knight-companions, without reference to the original number. The insignia of the order consist of the garter, mantle, surcoat, hood, star, George, and collar, the two latter of which were added by Henry VIII. The garter is of blue velvet, bordered with gold, and embroidered INSIGNIA OF THE ORDER, 55 with the motto Honi soit qui mal y pe/tse ; it is worn below the knee. The mantle is a deep blue ; it was originally made of woollen cloth, but in the reign of Henry VI. velvet was substituted ; it is lined with white taffeta, and the left shoulder is adorned with the cross of St. George, embroidered within a garter, which is radiated with silver beams. The collar is composed of links of gold, garter- shaped, with the letters of the motto in the same metal ; the ground is an enamelled blue, and a rose is placed in the centre of each link. The George is pendant from the collar, and displays the figure of the saint on horseback, combating with the dragon ; this part of the habit is enriched with precious stones. The officers of the order are the prelate, who is always Bishop of Winchester ; the chancellor, Bishop of Salisbury ; registrar, Dean of Windsor ; Garter King at Arms ; and the usher of the Black Rod. No installation has taken place since April, 1805. Edward III., from that high sense of military honour, which formed so distinguishing a feature in his character, founded an establishment for the maintenance and comfort of a select number of knights, whose circumstances had become reduced. They were twenty-four in number, and were origi- nally called milites pauperes, but their subsequent 56 POOR KNIGHTS. title has been Poor Knights of Windsor. By the charter of incorporation, they were united with the Dean and Canons of St. George's Chapel, but dif- ferences arising between the respective parties, ao act passed in Edward the Fourth's reign, rendering them separate bodies. From this time their num- bers decreased, no funds being assigned for their maintenance, until Edward VI., as executor of his father's will, vested 6007. per annum for the sup- port of a new establishment for thirteen poor knights. Houses were built for them in the following reign, and Queen Elizabeth confirmed all former grants, and caused a code of regulations to be drawn up for the government of this institution. Sir Peter le Maire, in the reign of James I., bestowed lands to the amount of 230/. per annum for providing dwelling-houses and means of support for five additional poor knights ; and the number has not since been altered. Their habit is a red gown, with a mantle of blue cloth, embroidered on the left shoulder with the cross of St. George. CHAPTER IV. THE LOWER WARD. THE Lower Ward of the Castle is far more extensive than the Upper, and includes within its circuit the following towers ; Winchester, which is at the eastern end of the north terrace, and is at present the residence of Jeffrey Wyatville, Esq. ; Store Tower, otherwise called the Lieutenant's, from its being occasionally occupied by that officer ; it is nearly opposite the Deanery, and presents a venerable and pleasing appearance from the pro- fusion of ivy with which it is mantled ; the Gate- way Towers, part of which has been fitted up as a guard-chamber for the detachment of military on duty at the Castle, together v.ith apartments for the commanding officer ; Salisbury, the residence of the bishop of that diocese, as chancellor of the order of the Garter ; Garter, a small square tower on the west front ; and Julius Caesars, now more generally termed the Belfry Tower, from its con- taining a peal of eight fine-toned bells. The ward I 5 THE LOWER WARD. is divided into two parts by St. George's Chapel, on the north of which are the residences of the eccle- siastical officers of that establishment, and on the south and west the houses of the poor knights. Those on the royal foundation are on the right of the entrance-gateway,* and are divided by a low square tower, called Garter Hall, which is the residence of their governor ; the buildings on the west are occupied by the knights on the foundation of Sir Peter le Maire. The residences of the minor canons and lay clerks are at the west end of St. George's Chapel ; the first dwellings on this site were built by Edward IV. in the shape of a fetter- lock, which was one of his royal badges, and are now commonly denominated " The Horse- shoe Cloisters." Near the north transept of the chapel is an entrance door and embattled wall, with vacant * This gate was built by Henry VIII. and was defended by a portcullis and a drawbridge over the Castle ditch, but during the late reign, it was repaired and greatly altered. At the foot of the hill, a short distance to the south of this entrance, is a stone archway, with the inscription " Elizabeths Reginae, 1572." This gate, as late as the period of the civil wars, was a principal entrance of the Castle, the roadway within it being battlemented, and running parallel with the moat; but when the latter was filled up, and the ground levelled and converted into a lawn, several dwelling-houses were erected on this part of the hill. During the progress of the recent improvements, some of these have been pulled down, and it is understood that the remaining ones, together with the gateway, will eventually be removed. THE GREAT CLOISTERS. 5Q niches, belonging to a building called the New Commons ; it was erected in the seventh year of Henry the Eighth's reign, by Doctor James Denton, Canon of Windsor, for the use of the stipendiary priests and choristers who had no place assigned them in the College to keep their commons in, and was fitted up by him with a complete culinary apparatus, but is now occupied as a dwelling-house. A vaulted passage forms an entrance to the Great Cloisters, in which are several memorials of de- ceased poor knights ; upon the north side, on a plate of copper let into the wall, is the following inscription : Near this place lyeth the body of Captain Richard Vaughan, of Pantglass in the county of Caernarvon, who behaved him. selfe with great courage in the service of King Charles the First (of ever blessed memory) in the civill warrs, and therein lost his sight by a shott ; in recompence whereof he was, in July 1663, made one of the Poor Knights of this place, and dyed the 5th day of June, anno Domini 1700, in the 80th yeare of his age. A stone bench runs round three sides of these cloisters, the inner front of which is formed by pointed arches, which are divided at the top by Gothic tracery into four compartments; some of these are ornamented with quatrefoils. Near the east door of the chapel is a tablet to the memory of the late venerable Sir Isaac Heard, Garter King at Arms, and on the west side of the passage lead- i 2 THE LOWER WARD. ing to the Castle-hill, is the following meaiovial of royal g^titude : King George III. Caused to be interred Near this place the body of Mary Gaacoin, Servai.t to the late Princess Amelia, And this tablet to be erected, In testimony of His grateful sense of The fait !i ful service And attachment of An amiable young woiuan To his beloved d.iugh er, Whom she survived only three months ; She died the KKh oi February, 1811, Aged 31 years. On the north of the Great Cloisters is a passage leading to the lanc-r Cloisters, which are inhabited by the prebendaries <>' Tojiib-hc-u.se, which was evicted bj Henry "V II. i>s a burial-place for himself and his successors. Upon his subsequent determination to erect a chapel at Westminster Abbey for the same purpose, this building remained neglected until Cardinal Wolscy obtained a grant of it from Henry VIII. Wi(h the same profusion of expense which marked ail the public acts of his life, he began to prepare it as a receptacle for his remains, but, upon his disgrace, it again reverted to the Crown. Charles I. intended to tit up the structure as a royal mausoleum, but the troubles of his reign interposed, and, in 1646, it was plundered by the republican army; on the accession of James II, that monarch caused it to be fitted up as a chapel for the performance of Roman Catholic worship, and Verrio was employed to execute a highly- ornamented ceiling, but in a popular commotion which soon after ensued, the windows and internal decorations were destroyed. It thus remained till the reign of his late Majesty, when it was deter- mined to construct a royal cemetery beneath it ; for this purpose an excavation was made in the strata of chalk which forms the principal foundation of the buildings in the Castle, to the depth of fifteen feet, and covi'cs-'oud'iig 1 i-i length and width with the dimensions of the building. On each side of Q2 THE LOWER WARD. this are the receptacles for the bodies, which are formed by Gothic octagonal-shaped columns, sup- porting a range of four shelves. There are five niches at the east end for the reception of coffins, and twelve low tombs are erected in the centre of the mausoleum to receive the remains of the sove- reigns. The entrance is in the choir of St. George's Chapel, near the altar, from which a subterraneous passage leads to this solemn resting-place for the illustrious deceased. Her Royal Highness the Princess Amelia was the first personage whose body was deposited in this tomb-house, since which the Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Cobourg, Queen Char- lotte, the Duke of Kent, and his late Majesty have been interred here ; the bodies of the infant princes Alfred and Octavius were also removed hither from Westminster Abbey. The apartments of the Deanery, which is at the east end of the Tomb-house, are spacious and com- modious, particularly oiie called the garter- room, in which the knights robe preparatory to the cere- mony of installation. In this room is a very curious anticfue screen, of large dimensions, containing the arms of Edward III. and the knight-companions from the institution of the order to the present period ; the respective quarterings are emblazoned on the shields with great neatness. CHAPTER V. THE ROUND TOWER. BETWEEN the two wards of the Castle stands the Keep, or Round Tower, which is built on the summit of a lofty artificial mount, and was anciently surrounded by a fosse, which is now in part filled up, and the remainder converted into a garden. This stately structure is the residence of the go- vernor or constable of the Castle, an office that possesses very extensive authority, both civil and military. The custody of all distinguished state prisoners was confided to his care, a duty which occasionally involved great responsibility ; during the reign of Edward III., John, King of France, and David, King of Scotland, captives of that monarch and his intrepid queen Philippa, jointly shared the sorrows of confinement within these walls. The Earl of Surrey, so distinguished for his love of polite literature, was also subjected, for some trifling violation of the ecclesiastical canons, to a rigorous imprisonment within, to use his own g4 THE ROUND TOWER. phrase, " the may den's tower."* The Mareschal de Belleisle, who was taken prisoner during- the German wars in the reign of George IT., was the last state prisoner confined here ; after his release, the Mareschal resided for some time et Frog-more Lodge. The first governor of the Keep v, as Walter Fitz-Other, ancestor of the Earls of Plymouth, who was one of the knights of William the Con- queror, and was appointed by him to this office with the title of castellan, since which the noble family above named have prefixed " De Windsor" to their other titles. The situation has been filled by a number of distinguished individuals, and is now held by the Earl of Harrington. A flight of 100 stone steps, at the summit of which a piece of ordcance is let into the wall com- manding the whole range of th^ stab ease, forms the ascent to iJ3 main body of the building. At tb.3 top of these, an arched gateway leads into the principal apartments of the Tower, and at the sides are openings upon a curtain battery, which is mounted with seventeen pieces of cannon, and is * The maiden tower was a name common to castles at that period, and signified the principal tower ; the word is a cor- ruption of the old French mayne, great. Maidenhead, a small corporate town on the banks of the Thames, about live miles from Windsor, derives its name from the same source, its proper title, " Maydenuyihe," signifying a great port or wharf on the river. THE GUARD-CHAMBER. (J5 the only part of the Castle which is thus fortified. The entrance is through a square paved court, in which is a reservoir, formed in the reign of Charles the Second, to receive the rain water from the upper leads. In the year 1784 an engine was also erected here for raising water upwards of 370 feet ; the contrivance was extremely simple, but it has not effected the desired purpose. THE GUARD-CHAMBER Is the first room into which the visitant is intro- duced ; i