244 THE bear's head kc, 



" the same, in time of our renowned ancestors, been 

 "burnt and destroyed ; and likewise the inhabitants 

 " of the same have been, both by night and day, 

 " stripped of their goods and chattels ; and many of 

 " the same inhabitants being by the same enemies 

 " carried away into foreign parts, have there, in the 

 " said cases been miserably enslaved, until they had 

 " paid fines and ransoms, kc." 



Therefore the Mayor and Commonalty were 

 allowed to " strengthen the aforesaid borough, and 

 " wall it round anew with stone, and build towers 

 " in the walls," — " and also to build battlements on 

 " the walls and turrets," &c. 



It is not likely, however, that the little forts now 

 standing, are of so ancient date as this, though we 

 do not happen to have at hand any reference to the 

 period of their erection. They are, however, doubt- 

 less older than the battery called Queen Anne's, 

 which, in its turn, we should judge to be older than 

 the Citadel, the latter having been erected by Charles 

 II. By whomsoever erected, however, it has long 

 been allowed to go to decay; and, althougli the 

 smell and sound of gunpowder are still frequently 

 perceived there, it is only in blasting the rock behind, 

 and making the sooner way for its fall. Hitherto 

 the battlements and the platform which bore the 

 cannon have been respected ; and there is a good 

 walk along the latter. There is even a seat, shaded 

 by one of the thorn bushes which so strikingly mark 

 the operation of the S. W. wind : and here our vete- 

 rans may resort, smoke their pipes, and talk over the 

 wars and politics of other days, under the enlivening 

 reminiscences of the occasional smoke and report of 

 a rock blasting within, and the small shot falHng 

 about their ears. 



Its form, an irregular curve, and its port holes for 

 14 guns, are best seen from the sea side ; which 

 view we have chosen for our engraving. 



