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KENILWORTH.

HOTEL.-King's Arms, Henry Bursell. INNS.-Castle, Bowling-Green, Globe.

Population in 1851, 3140; Inhabited houses, 692.

Distant about five miles from Leamington, Warwick, or Coventry. Readily accessible by rail.

According to Dugdale, this place derives its name from Kenulph, or his son Kenelm, Saxon kings of Mercia, its original possessors, and "worthe," signifying a dwelling-place. In many old documents of the time of Queen Elizabeth it is improperly called Killingworth. In the reign of Henry I. the manor was granted by the king to Geoffrey de Clinton, his chamberlain and treasurer, who founded the priory and church, and endowed them with a large portion of the estate. The castle was built by this Geoffrey de Clinton, and appears to have remained in his family to the fourth generation. The history of this celebrated fortress will be given under the notice of the castle itself. The town, without presenting any architectural features demanding special notice, has a pleasing aspect of neatness and comfort. Little art is displayed in the arrangement of its buildings, yet its scattered and almost straggling appearance is highly favourable to picturesqueness. Jago thus speaks of the aspect of the town and its neighbourhood:

"Chiefly two fair streets, in adverse rows,

Their lengthened fronts extend, reflecting each
Beauty on each reciprocal. Between

A verdant valley sloped from either side,
Forms the mid-space, where gently gliding flows
A crystal stream beneath the mouldering base

Of an old abbey's venerable walls.

Still further in the vale her castle lifts

Its stately towers and tottering battlements,

Dressed with the rampant ivy's unchecked growth,
Luxuriant."

Kenilworth does not seem at any period of its history to have been remarkable for its commerce or population. The manufacture of horn combs is carried on to some extent here, and there are also some chemical works. Besides the ancient parish church, there is a new place of worship in connection

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with the Established Church. It was erected by subscription in 1852, and is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. This substantial and tasteful edifice stands near the entrance to the village from the Warwick Road. There are two other places of worship in this town-Roman Catholic and Unitarian.

KENILWORTH CASTLE is situated on a gentle eminence on the west side of the town. On his way the tourist may observe, on the left hand, that interesting national "institution," the village stocks, in fair preservation, and capable of accommodating three persons at a time. The approach is by a pleasant green lane. Descending the bill, and crossing a small stream, the visitor reaches the first part of the ruins of the castle. This is the Gallery Tower,* at the south-eastern extremity of the tilt-yard. Only the base and side walls of this tower still remain; and these are so overgrown with underwood, as only to be noticeable on a minute inspection. This was the principal entrance to the castle. The reader of "Kenilworth" will remember that it was here that the gigantic porter resigned his club and keys, on the approach of Queen Elizabeth :

"Dazzled and blind, mine office I forsake,

My club, my key. My knee, my homage take,
Bright paragon; pass on in joy and bliss;-

Beshrew the gate that opes not wide at such a sight as this!"

Proceeding a little farther, and crossing a second stream, a view of the principal ruins is obtained. Turning to the left into Clinton Green, a small wicket gate is reached, by which access is obtained to the castle. On entering, the great Gatehouse first attracts notice. It has been converted into a dwellinghouse; but one apartment on the ground floor is exhibited to visitors (on payment of sixpence.) It contains a curiously carved chimney-piece adorned with the arms and cognizance of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. The apartment also contains other antique decorations. Proceeding onwards into the Base Court, a good view of the whole structure and of the inner court is obtained. But before proceeding to a detailed

"The entrance tower...obtained the name of the Gallery Tower from the following circumstance :-The whole bridge, extending from the entrance to another tower on the opposite side of the lake, called Mortimer's Tower, was so disposed as to make a spacious tilt-yard, about one hundred and thirty yards in length, and ten in breadth, strewed with the finest sand, and defended on either side by strong and high palisades. The broad and fair gallery, destined for the ladies who were to witness the feats of chivalry presented on this area, was erected on the northern side of the outer tower, to which it gave name."-Scott's Kenilworth, chap. 26.

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notice of the different parts of these magnificent ruins, it will be necessary to give a brief

History of the Castle.-According to the commonly received account, Kenilworth Castle was built by Geoffrey de Clinton, already mentioned, upon whom the manor of Kenilworth had been conferred by Henry I. After having been possessed by three of his descendants, it reverted to the crown. Henry III. bestowed it on Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and his wife Eleanor, the king's sister, for their respective lives. From this time Kenilworth begins to occupy a prominent position in history. When the earl took up arms against his sovereign, it became a great place of resort for the insurgent nobles. In the bloody battle of Evesham, August 1265, in which no quarter was given, the barons were defeated, and Montford and his eldest son slain. His younger son, Simon de Montford, and the remains of the rebel party, rallied at Kenilworth, which became the centre of their operations. In 1266, the king came against Kenilworth with a large force; but for six months it resisted all his efforts. At length the garrison, being much reduced by sickness, surrendered on highly favourable terms. Henry bestowed Kenilworth on his younger son Edmund, whom he created Earl of Leicester and Lancaster. In the reign of Edward I., while Kenilworth was in the possession of this prince, it was the scene of a splendid tournament. The chief promoter of this chivalrous festival was Roger Mortimer, Earl of March. The knights were one hundred in number; and among them were many distinguished foreigners, who had come to England expressly for the occasion. The ladies were also a hundred in number. It is recorded by the chroniclers that the whole party dined at a round table-all difficulties regarding precedence being thus avoided. Edmund of Lancaster was succeeded in the possesion of Kenilworth by his son Thomas, who was beheaded for joining in a rebellion against Edward II. That monarch, however, soon fell before the power of the barons, and was confined in Kenilworth till he abdicated in favour of his son, after which he was taken to Berkeley Castle, where he was murdered. Kenilworth was restored by Edward III. to Henry, brother of the late possessor, as a reward for his services in the rebellion which had placed him on the throne. By his marriage with Blanche, grand-daughter of this earl, John of Gaunt, son of Edward III. and Duke of Lancaster, became the possessor of the castle and estate. This nobleman made large additions to the fortress. When his son, Henry

of Bolingbroke, supplanted Richard II., Kenilworth again became the property of the crown. It continued in the possession of the crown till Queen Elizabeth conferred it on her favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who expended on the castle and the surrounding domains the sum of £60,000 sterling-a sum equal to half a million of our present money. He built the entrance gateway and tower on the north side, and the part of the castle called Leicester's Buildings. He also rebuilt Mortimer's Tower and the Gallery Tower, at the two opposite ends of the tilt-yard. Queen Elizabeth visited Leicester at Kenilworth, in the years 1566, 1568, and 1575. It is the last of these visits that Scott has immortalized. We quote part of his description of the castle as it existed at this period:

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"The outer wall of this splendid and gigantic structure enclosed seven acres, a part of which was occupied by extensive stables, and by a pleasure garden with its trim arbours and parterres, and the rest formed the large base court, or outer yard of the noble castle. The lordly structure itself, which rose near the centre of this spacious enclosure, was composed of a huge pile of magnificent castellated buildings, apparently of different ages, surrounding an inner court, and bearing in the names attached to each portion of the magnificent mass, and in the armorial bearings which were there blazoned, the emblems of mighty chiefs who had long passed away, and whose history, could ambition have lent ear to it, might have read a lesson to the haughty favourite who had now acquired, and was augmenting the fair domain......The external wall of this royal castle was, on the south and west sides, adorned and defended by a lake, partly artificial, across which Leicester had constructed a stately bridge, that Elizabeth might enter the castle by a path hitherto untrodden, instead of the usual entrance to the northward, over which he had erected a gate-house or barbican, which still exists, and is equal in extent, and superior in architecture, to the baronial castle of many a northern chief. Beyond the lake lay an extensive chase, full of red-deer, fallow deer, roes, and every species of game, and abounding with lofty trees, from amongst which the extended front and massive towers of the castle were seen to rise in majesty and beauty."-Kenilworth, chap. 25.

Sir Walter Scott has faithfully as well as charmingly interwoven with his story the particulars of the "princely pleasures with which Elizabeth's visit was celebrated. During the seventeen days of her stay, the queen was entertained by a series of gorgeous spectacles, and by every species

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