He rode to the death of the stag at the age of 80 as well as the youngest 

 of his band, and died at the age of 100 with his sight unimpaired. 



Col. Henry Hastings, second son of Earl Henry, took a very active part on 

 the side of his Royal master in the civil wars. At the head of his troop was 

 displayed a remarkable banner — " Gules, from the fesse, and in pale, nearly 

 extending to the top of the chief, an arch masoned ppr., representing a burn- 

 ing oven fiery furnace. In fesse, or a little under it on a scroll, its ends raised 

 and then bending inwards, points downwards and turned, arg., and shaded 

 vert., lined or, in Roman letters, sable, "Quasi ignis conflatoris," fringed 

 arg. and purple." 



This Henry died in 1666, and was buried near his ancestor, Lord William, 

 in St. George's Chapel, Windsor. 



THE FABRIC AND HISTORY OF THE CASTLE. 



Having traced the descent of the Manor, with your permission I will say a 

 few words on the Castle. 



The erection of the present building is usually attributed to William, Lord 

 Hastings, because he obtained leave to crenelate his house in or about the 

 year 1474. It is quite true that the greatest part of the fabric was constructed 

 by this nobleman, but there are much older portions remaining. 



There are features within the Kitchen Tower of the Decorated period of 

 architecture, viz.: the inner arches and lining of the two east windows — the 

 rising of the vaulting from the corbels, etc. The butteries and the great hall 

 are of a still more remote age; indeed, the inner masonry of "broad and 

 narrow work " must have been constructed by the Belmais family about the 

 end of the 12th century. The treatment of the masonry is very like the work 

 in the lower part of the tower of Mansfield Church, erected about 1 1 50. The 

 grand dining hall is especially interesting. Here, the " broad and narrow 

 work " is visible on every side, shewing its venerable antiquity ; and its ample 

 dimensions silently bear testimony to the grandeur and the hospitality of its 

 earliest possessors. 



At each end of the hall are two engaged shafts or columns of the 

 Decorated style, inserted in the older masonry about the year 1300 — 

 showing that at that time the roof was supported by two series of arches, 

 giving it the appearance of the nave and aisles of one of our old churches. 

 At the western end was the minstrel's gallery, the approach to which was 

 from the rooms above the butteries. Beneath this gallery was a passage 

 connecting both courtyards, as at Haddon. A porch was constructed at each 

 end of this passage in later times. 



A buttress of the Decorated period, c. 1300, supports the north wall of 

 the great Dining Hall. Indications of windows of the same period appear 

 on the outside of the south wall close to the outer margins of the present 

 windows, which were probably inserted about the year 1550, by Francis, 

 Lord Hastings, second Earl of Huntingdon, who married Katharine, daughter 

 of Henry Pule, Lord Montacute, whose magnificent tomb, with their effigies, 



