r "joyned to Prince Arthurs armes in the hall win"dowe." "Prince Arthurs armes is there well wrought in stone, "To world, that might exceede in wit and spreete; About which "are. armes in colours of sondrie kings, but chiefly noblemen." He then specifies in prose," that Sir Harry Sidney being Lord i Viz. Of the following persons, "gallantly and cunningly set out." "Sir Walter Lacie Jeffrey Genyvile Roger Mortymer Leonell Duke of Clarence W. Smith, Bishop of Lincolne, Lord President of Wales Jeff Blythe, Bp. of Coventrie and Litchfield, L. P. R. Lee, Bp. of Coventrie and Litchfield, L. P. J. Vessie, Bp. of Exeter, L. P. R. Sampson, Bp. of Coventrie and Litchfield, L. P, "President, buylt twelve roumes in the sayd`Cas"tle, which goodly buildings doth shewe a great "beautie to the same. He made also a goodly "wardrobe underneath the new parlor, and re"payred an old tower, called Mortymer's Tower, "to keepe the auncient records in the same; and "he repayred a fayre roume under the court"house, to the same entent and purpose, and J. Dudley, Earle of War wick, L. P. Sir William Harbert, L. P. Gil. Browne [Bourne], Bp. of Bath and Wells, L. P. Lord Williams of Tame, L.P. Sir Harry Sidney, L. P. -Sir A. Corbet, Knt. Vice-Pre- Sir Tho. Dynham, Kat. [Hereford] N. Bullingham, Bp. of Wor cester N. Robinson, Bp. of Bangor Sir J. Crofts, Knt. Controller cellor of Ireland, &c. Charles Foxe, Esquier and Secretorie Ellice Price, Doctor of the Edward Leighton, Esq. "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 set out to the honour of the "Queene, and glorie of the Castle. There are "in a goodly or stately place set 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 "these stand on the left hand of the chamber. "On the other side are the arms of Northwales "and Southwales, two red lyons and two golden "lyons, Prince Arthurs. At the end of the dyn"ing chamber, there is a pretie device how the " hedgehog brake the chayne, and came from Ire"land to Ludloe. There is in the hall a great grate "of iron of a huge height."-Sir Henry Sidney. caused also many salutary regulations' to be made in the court. kDevice of the Lord President." Two Porcupines were the ancient crest of the Sidneys. 1 See Sidney State Papers, vol. i. p. 143. "Sir Henry "Sydney to the Lords of the Councell, with his opinion for "reformation of the disorders in the marches of Wales:" in which are stated the great sums of money he had ex 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 66 next distinguished by one of the most memor"able and honourable circumstances in the course "of its history," the representation of COMUS in 1634, when the Earl of Bridgewater was Lord President, and inhabited it. A scene in the Mask presented both the Castle and the Town of Ludlow. Afterwards, as I have been informed, Charles the First, going to pay a visit at Powis Castle, was here splendidly received and entertained, on his journey. But " pomp, and feast, "and revelry, with mask, and antique pageantry," were soon succeeded in Ludlow Castle by the din pended, and the indefatigable diligence he had exerted in the discharge of his office. See also, in consequence of his care, "Orders sett "downe by the Queenes most excellent Majestie, with th' "advice of her Previe Counsell, for the direction and re"formacion of her Highnes Courte in the Marches of "Wales, an. 1576." Sidney State Papers, vol. i. p. 170, &c. m See Mr. Warton's 2d ed. p. 125. of arms. During the unhappy civil war it was garrisoned for the King. In the summer of 1645, a force of near 2000 horse 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 Castle was at length delivered up to the Parliament on the 9th of June 1646. No other remarkable circumstances distinguish the history of this Castle, till the Court of the Marches was abolished, and the Lords Presidents were discontinued, in 1688. From that period its decay commenced. It has since been gradually stripped of its curious and valuable ornaments. No longer inhabited by its noble guardians, it has fallen into neglect; and neglect has encouraged n See Sir E. Walker's Hist. Discourses, fol. p. 129. "It will be no wonder that this noble Castle is in the C very perfection of decay, when we acquaint our readers, "that the present inhabitants live upon the sale of the ma"terials. All the fine courts, the royal apartments, halls, and rooms of state, lie open and abandoned, and some "of them falling down." Tour through Great Britain, quoted by Grose, art. Ludlow Castle. See also two remarkable instances related by Mr. Hodge in his Account of the Castle, p. 39. |