179 



meet the Queen expectant. But he was an unfortunate youtli. 

 The atmosphere he had breathed at Hui-stmonceux was corrupting 

 m its evil influence, and he met, through a foolish frolic, a tragical 

 end. Trespassing with some riotous companions for venison in a 

 neighbour's i)ark, an affiay took place, in which a gamekeeper 

 was killed. Lord Dacre and three of his companions were put to 

 death for the murder. 



The estate afterwards passed, through this unfortunate 



nobleman's sister, Margaret, into the Lenuard family. 



with whom it remained till the time of Thomas Lord Dacre, 



who was made Earl of Sussex by Charles IL He followed 



a fashion which was now beginning to prevail, and put sashes 



into the windows of the east side. He had the misfortune 



to come veiy young to the dissipated court of Charles H. (his 



father having been one of that small but noble band of peers 



who gave his voice against the trial of the King). He received 



the questionable honour of becoming the King's son-in-law, 



through his marriage with Lady Ann Fitzroy. He became very 



fond of gambling, and his, extravagance was reckless. He must 



have spent a large sum on the alterations of Hurstmonceux. He 



put oak wainscoting upon the walls in place of the original 



tapestr}', and the magic chisel of Grinling Gibbons added 



rich adornment te it. His extravagance obliged him, however, to 



sell the estate, and thus, in 1708, for the first time, it changed 



owners by purchase. It then became the property of Councillor 



Naylor. His successor was his relative, Dr. Hare, Bisiiop of 



Chichester, who left the castle to his son, Francis Naylor. In 



1775 it came to his half-brother the Rev. Robert Hare. The 



building was then in a state of considerable unrepair, and Mr. 



Samuel Wyatt, the architect wlio spoiled Windsor Castle and 



several Cathedrals, surveyed it, and advised that it was expeilient 



to demolish the interior and employ the materials in building 



new walls to the Mansion in the west of tho Park. Unhappily, 



this was done, and what we see to-day is only the shell of the 



structure — the remains of a magnificent pile needlessly destroyed. 



