as many counsellors as the Prince pleased; a secretary, an attorney, a solicitor, and four justices for the Principality of Wales. Two courts, one for the northern, and the other for the southern Marches, were formerly established in England, similar in form though not perhaps equal in importance. Of these, the learned Sir Thomas Smith, Secretary to Queen Elizabeth, gives the following account. "King Henry the eight, ordained first a President, counsailours and judges, one for the Marches of Wales, at Ludlow, or elsewhere: another for the north parts of England, at Yorke, where bee many causes determined. These two are as bee Parliaments in France. But if there bee any matters of great consequence, the partie may move at the first, or remove it afterwards to Westminster Hall, and to the ordinary judges of the realme, or to the Chancellour, as the matter is. These two Courts doe heare matters before them part after the common Law of England, and part after the fashion of the Chancerie." And Richard Baxter, who lived here about the year 1630, as servitor to the chaplain of the Council, observes on this establishment as follows. "The House" says he, "was great, there being four judges, the king's attorney, the secretary, the clerk of the fines, with all their servants, and all and many all the Lord President's servants, more; and the Town was full of temptations, through the multitude of persons, counsellors, attornies, officers and clerks, and nuch given to tippling and excess." From these remarks we may form a tolerable idea of the great resort of strangers to this place, as well as of the moral habits of the people, when the Town flourished in the height of its prosperity, supported by the splendour of its court. In attempting to arrange a connected narrative of such particulars as are to be found in general and local histories, relative to Ludlow and its vicinity, some important, and it is hoped not uninteresting accounts have been collected. Great and celebrated characters have in a succession of ages, dignified the princely towers of Ludlow with their presence; and from its vicinity has arose the most considerable branch of the royal family of Plantagenet; which family, with occasional intermissions, flourished in regal greatness, though often stained with the blood of its own children, during the space of 330 years. History is the great teacher of wisdom to mankind; and its lessons are deduced alike from the crimes and the virtues of those who are raised to stations of high responsibility. The families of kings are more generally distinguished by the former, and by a succession of misfortunes misfortunes which strongly excite pity: this is peculiarly the character of the line of Plantagenet. The seventh and eighth Henry's, conscious of the just claims of this rival house, pursued the unfortunate relatives of the family till the name became extinct. The last male was Edward Earl of Warwick, a child of most unhappy fortune, nursed in a prison from his cradle, and unjustly put to death by Henry VIII.; and the last of the name was the sister of this unfortunate nobleman, a lady not more distinguished by her high birth, than by her piety and virtue. quietly submitting to her unjust and infamous sentence, but struggling with the executioner, she was forcibly dragged to the block, by the hands of a ruffian entangled in her hoary locks, made venerable by nearly eighty years; a spectacle of horror which must have raised compassion in all hearts susceptible of noble and generous impressions. Not BRIEF Biographical Sketches OF THE PRESIDENTS OF WALES, &c. &c. ANTHONY Woodville Lord Rivers was "President of the Prince of Wales' Council" in the year 1473. He was brother to Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV. and the most accomplished nobleman in the court of that monarch. To him was intrusted the education of his nephews, the two young Princes. He married the daughter and heiress of Thomas Lord Scales (who was Seneschal of Normandy, and a valiant and active soldier in the French wars,) on whose death in 1460 he was in his wife's right summoned to Parliament as Lord Scales. That he was complete master of those high feats of chivalry so much in repute in those days, we may learn from the old chronicles. And in the moneth of Juny followynge, were certayne actes and featys of warre warre doone in Smythfelde, atwene sir Antony Wydeuyll, called Lord Scalys, vpon that one partye, and the Bastarde of Burgoyne, chalengour on that one partye: of whiche the Lorde Scalys wanne the honour: for the sayde Bastarde was at the firste course rennynge, with sharpe sperys overthrown horse and man, whiche was by the rage of the horse of the sayde Bastarde, and not by vyolence of the stroke of his enemy, and by a pyke of iron, standynge vpon the fore parte of the sady of the Lorde Scalys, wherewith the horse beynge blynde of the Bastarde, was strykon into the nose thrylles, and payne therof mounted so hyghe vpon the hinder feet, that he fyl bakwarde. Vpon the seconde day they met there agayne vpon fote, and fawght with theyre axes a fewe strokes. But whan the Kyng sawe that the Lorde Scalys hadde auantage of the Bastarde, as the poynte of his axe in the vysoure of his enemyes helmet, and by force therof was lykely to have born hym over, the Kyng in hast, cryed to suche as hadde the rule of the felde, that they shulde departe theym: and for more spede of the same, caste downe a warderer which he then helde in his hande: and so were they departed to the honour of the Lorde Scalys for both dayes." Fab. Chron. A. D. M,IV,LXVII. He was a most valiant soldier, and constantly employed |