The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

. Fd i eee ee ———EE en eee 2 The seonery amidst which it is situated, is impot- ing and beoutiful,—giving to the entire masa of wuilving and all its accompaniments an air truly Vicfuresque. The long line of castellated structure forming the western side of the castle, stands upon tko very verge of the river's bank; and in some parts the masonry itself is washed by ite limpid waters. Tho front of the edifict, which is at righ‘ angles with the stream, commands a southern view of sweeping valleys undulating like a rolling ocean of the brightest green, the uniformity of which 1s however broken by proves of a darker verdure, as if they were islands dotting the vast expanse. White cottages and village-steeples, peoping from amongst the dense foliage of those woods, enhance the pic- turesque beauty of tHe scene, and all those broad lands, far as the eye ‘can reach, constitute the lordly domain of Saxondale. Qn hk Ue ee a eee see 5 8-eP THY MYSTERIES OF THD COURT. They are the most ancient parts of, the castellated structure: but the :ooms which they contain are attended to with great care, and are nhown as curi- osities to all gucsts visiting tho castle. These rooms appear to have been furnished and to have bven fitted up in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries,— blending the rude contrivances of tho two latter Henrys’ time with the moro refined improvements of the Elizabetht.o age. The walls of many‘ of these disused’ apartments aie hung with tapestry, .for the most part torn and tattered: the furniture consists of similar tapéstry-work or Utrecht velvet | edvering the oaker’ chairs, somo of which are elo. | rately carved. But to preserve thie furniture and tapestry from falling into completa decay, frequent fires are lighted in the rooms, and constant attention is paid to them. ‘ ; One ‘or two more features in Caxondalo Castle On the castern side of the castle—the one farthest‘; must be mentioned era we enter upon our story. removed from the river—two magnificent rows of ancient trees, evidently tic growth of centuries, form an avenue beneath the luxuriant foliage o which it is aweet to find shelter from the seorching summer's sun, oF to ramble in the retreshing cool- ness and mystic screnity of evening. This avenue borders the spacious gardens, in the cette of which there is a lake surrounded by ornamental buildings, and having an immense greenhouse at the farther extremity,—all in a gothic style, and harmoniszi with tne architecture of that side of the castle itself. Beyond the gardens, which are laid. out with taste and elegance, lic the shrubberies ap? plantations; and thence the rolling landscapes “extends, as above described, until bounded by the horizon. The interior of tho castle required @ two-fold description. One portion of it,—nakhnely, the whole of the front, and all that side overLoking¢he gar. dens,~-ie tueed for the habitation of ‘he inmates; and ig fitted up with the sumptuous magnificence, ‘refinemetit, and taste of modern splendour, yet in a manner to he'rmonize admirably with the antiquated stvle of the architecture. The joorways, the witi- dows, the chimney-pieces, and:the cornices, are all carved of sculptured in the richest mantier, and are inwrought with armorial bearings and decorative devices. The entrance-hall is of immense extent, with a double row of marble pillars on each sido, and having an elaborately groined ceiling. The pavement of this hall is of variegtted marbKs. At the extremity facing the high folding-doors ‘at the entrance, a mgnificont staircase is seen rising to about the mid-height of tho hall;tand from that point it branches into two equally handsume flights, one winding to the right and the other to the loft hand. Onc leads to the state-anartments and draw- ‘ng-rooms: the other-4o a landing, whence open the library and picturo-galicfy. Bie walls all up these staircases are decorated with armorial] devices, and ornamented with sufts of armour and statucs. From a long corridor, stretching the whole length of that line of the building which overlooks the gar- dens, and which js called the Eastern Side, opéa the sleeping apartments intended for the family, visitors, and guesta. The chambers of the nfimerous depen- dants communicate from 4 similar gallery over-head. So much for the inhabited portion of Saxondale Castle: but the whole of the Western Side, over- 1 Joking the river, and that end which may be termed ‘the back of the building, have long been disused. Gomme. - ° = ae | The first #% tho chapel, which is situated in the western side overlooking the River Trent. Not having been used as a place of worship for some centuries, its Catholic appearance has not been dis- turbed: the altar-yiece, with.all its Roman emblems and appurtenances, has therefore been preserved with as much jealous care as the tapestried chambers in the same part of the bvilding. There are several fine old pictures, represerting’ sacred subjects, in this chapel; and in tho vestiary are prescrved some interesting specimens of Roman Catholic cancnical costume. From this vestiary a low door opens upon a dark, narrow, and precipitate staircete, made of stone and winding down the circular shaft of a tower. At the bottom of this staircase there are vaults stretching to a considerable distance beneath the western side, and even upder the bed of the river. These subterraneans Were doubtless used as plaaw cf penance—perhaps even of more terrible punishment—in those Catholic times when a purtion of Saxondale Castle was tenanted by the holy fathers of a monkish order. ; In a cloister branching out from the chapel, and on the same level with it, are several tombs and monuments, enclosing the rerfains of some of tho earlier scions of the house of Saxondale. In the middle of this cloister stands a colossal figuro, earved in black marble, ranresenting a watrior in complete armour with. his vizor closed, and reputed to, have been the image of the founder of the -Sazondalo atily in the earliest times of the Tudors. Theap- [earanoe of this giant-statue, in its sable gloom, but ina natural life-like attitude, with the left hand upon the hip, and the right arm extended as if me- nacingly pointing towards the door, is well calcu- lated to prodyce g, startling effect upon tho visitor who, unwarned of its presence .there, enters that cloister for the first time, ‘and beholds the colossal image uprearing its huge form in the midst of the - dim cathedral-light which pervades the place. The readtr must not fancy that from this long description of ‘Saxondalo Castle we aro about to en- tertain him with the gloomy mysticism or the dark hofrors of a romance of the olden time: but.it was necessary for the purposes of cur narrative to record these details in respect to,the ancestral seat of @ family which is destined to play no mean part upon the stage of our story. , Without further prelt.ce, therefore, wé will proceed to state that in the yoar 1825 does our rdrrative Ops. : ) : re a 264 mm 2 _aa COLUM LOAO© SS (CO)