ter resting there, enter the romantic Glade, behind the Seat, called PARADISE ;* which will pleasingly conduct to the path, before traversed, and briefly described in pages 14 & 19. Leaving the Fragments of the Old Home Park Wall, on the left, turn short to the right; (D) where a fine broad Grass Path will be found to run parallel with an Intrenchment on one side, and with a steep-descending Wood, on the other.-Perhaps the best mark for entering this path, which is called

THE GREEN TERRACE,

will be to notice an old Tree, bereaved of its mate; for, till lately, there were two, growing in close union, together. There the survivor stands solitary,—a mournful Emblem of what is frequently seen in human life.-One of the venerable Pair, fell to the ground, under the weight of centuries a few years ago! and its co-eval Partner, "shattered by storms, and worn with age," is fast approaching to dissolution!As the easy bend of this verdant Terrace is slowly paced, the grouping of the Ruins, with their mutilated walls, will be seen to great advantage. Sometimes while contemplating them, the mind will revert to times long gone by, when,

"Big with the vanity of State,

all, within the lordly heritage, was grandeur and magnificence; and sometimes, looking with stedfast gaze at the nearer Entrenchment, the eye will

* See page 14.

convey its talismanic power to the heart, calling forth reflections on days of strife; when the broad Fortification, it sees, was filled with mailed hosts, awaiting the attack of an invading foe:

"Such, and so thick, th' embattled squadrons stood,
With spears erect,-a moving iron wood;

A shady light was shot from glimmering shields,
And their brown arms obscur'd the dusky fields."
POPE'S HOMER.

Or the reflective mind will image to itself, in that space, the invaded and invaders engaged in deadly conflict, "with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood!"*- -Such thoughts will spontaneously arise in every feeling bosom, while is traversed an Entrenchment,† (in some parts 90 feet wide) of a capacity to contain a vast military force; and while is contemplated the Remains of a Castle, rendered not more impregnable by Nature and Art, than, in the era of its glory, it must have been beautiful from its situation, and the extent of its prospects.- -Slowly proceeding along the verdant path, which, by an easy bend leads towards the town, these prospects, notwithstanding their varied character, will fail to draw entire attention from the venerable Ruin that is opposed to them; which, with all its rude and rugged mutilations, will be more admired by the "pondering visitant," than any edifice of unchanged magnificence. Seen through branches

* Isaiah.

+A correspondent Vallum doubtless ran along the N. W. side of the Castle, in the direction of what is denominated the Wilderness.

I

of aged trees, quite accordant with the hoary Pile, the grouping of its broken walls and state-apart

ments,

Its Chapel "window, hollow in the centre,

Shorn of its glass of thousand colourings,

Thro' which the deepened glories once could enter
Streaming from off the Sun, like seraph's wings:'

its remoter Towers, frowning defiance alike to Hostility and to Time-these, from this Walk, which runs parallel with them, form a Picture which will require no graphic or pencil's aid to fix it in the memory.

DUDLEY CASTLE, &c.

PART III.

HISTORICAL NOTICES OF THE CASTLE AND ITS POSSESSORS.

"I doe love these ancient Ruines.

Wee never tread upon them but we set

Our foot upon some reverend Historie."*

WEBSTER'S DUCHESS OF MALFEY.

THAT these simply-beautiful, though almost literally-translated lines, are applicable to this Castle, both its high antiquity, and present appearance incontestibly prove: its antiquity, fixed by Tradition more remote, in the annals of Time, than any other edifice of the kind in England: its present appearance, rendered grand and imposing from the bold eminence on which it stands, and the defined, although ruinated state of many parts, once constituting its dignity as well as its strength.

SITUATION.

Leland, in his Itinerary, says, "Duddeley Castelle is hard on the borders of Wyrcestreshire:

*"Quocunque in loco ingredimur, in aliquam Historiam vestigium ponimus."

but the Castelle itself standith yn Staffordshire." Erdeswick and Plot concur in the same opinion; ratifying a decision that had taken place in the year 1238; when the bounderies of the two counties were settled, and Worcester became a detached independent Bishop's See. It was then determined by the Pope's edict, on the mutual concurrence of Stavensby and William de Cantilupe, that the Town and Churches of Dudley were to be considered within the See of Worcester, -the Castle and Priory within that of Lichfield, Dr. Nash says, "the Castle stands on the confines of Staffordshire and Worcestershire. The Gateway and Wall are supposed to be in Worcestershire." Camden's opinion has already been given:* and the author's amiable Friend Shaw, who died in the midst of his unfinished labours, concurs in that opinion; "though," says he, "the Castle and Priory now pay Land Tax to Worcestershire." This circumstance is of too slender a nature to remove the ancient land-mark, or to induce future writers, who make the fine and opulent Shire of Stafford their theme, to relinquish so rich a prize as this Castle, or to exclude its eventful history from their pages. It is in the Hundred of Seisdon: while the contiguous Town of Dudley is in that of Halfshire, bounded on the east by Tividale, on the south-east by Rowley Regis, on the south-west, and west by Kingswinford,―on the north, and north-east by Sedgley and Tipton.

* See page 33.