ISOj.] ExtraSfsfmnthePort-foUoofaManofLetters. 1>3() 



er's room, who never appeared more; but 

 as <he was (trift over the f'r:rvants, and not 

 a bone of her was found, it was fupp.)('ed 

 that (he was murdered, and the bo(iy con- 

 Teyed away. The fituation is not eltv.itcd, 

 ^or beiistiful, and little improvements 

 msde of late, but Tome filly ones a" la 

 Chinoifehy the prefent dowager. In good 

 footh, \ can give you but a very iniper- 

 fecl account 5 for, indeed of tlie lord's 

 being gone to dine with the mayor of 

 Gioucclter, as I expefled, I found him 

 in the raidft of all his captains of the mi- 

 litia. I am fo filily ftiyof Grangers, and 

 youngfters, that I hurried through the 

 chaiTibers and looked for nothing but the 

 way «?a/ of every room. I jult ohfcrved, 

 that there were many bad portraits of the 

 family, but none antient ; as if the Bei ke- 

 leys had been comtnifl'aries, and railed 

 themfelves in the lalt war. There is a 

 plentiful addition of thofeof Lord Bei keiey 

 ofStratton; but no knights templars, or 

 barons as old as Edward the I ; yet are 

 there three beds, on whxh there inay have 

 been as friflcy doings three centuries ago, 

 as there prob.Uijy have been within thefe 

 ten years. The room (hewn tor the mur- 

 der of Edward II, and the ' (lirieks of an 

 agonizing king,' I verily believe to be ge- 

 nuine. It is a difmal ch^ml-er, almolt 

 at tr.p of the h'-ufe, quite detached, and to 

 be approaciied only by a kir.d of foot- 

 biidge, and from that defcends a large 

 flight of Ifeps that terminate on ftrong 

 gates, exactly a fituation for a corpj de 

 ^arde. In that room ihey fliew ycu 

 a caft of a face in p!aifh-r, and tell you, it 

 -wa* taken from Edwards. I was not 

 quite (b eafy of faith about that; for it is 

 evidently the face of Charles the I. 



" The fteeple of the church, lately re- 

 built hrandfomely, (lands lomc paces from 

 the body; in the latter are three tomb« of 

 the old Berkeleys, with cumbent figures. 

 The wife of the Lord Berkeley, who was 

 fuppofed to be privy to the murder, has a 

 curious h:ad-gear ; it is like a long horl'e- 

 ftioe, quilted in quatre foils, and, like Lord 

 Toppington'« wig, allows no more than 

 the breadth of a half crown to be difcover- 

 tii of tlie face. — Stiy, I think I millake ; 

 the hulband was a confpirator againft Rich- 

 ard II, not Edward. Hut in ihofe days, 

 loyalty wa« not fo rife as at prefent. 



" From Berkcley-cadle I wtnt to 

 Thornbury, of which the ruins aie half 

 ruined : it would have been glorious if 

 finifhed. I wifh the lurdt of Berkeley had 



retained the fj)irit of jfepofirg till Marry 

 the Vlllth's time! The lituation is li,ie, 

 though that was not the fafliion ; for all 

 the windo>AS of the great aparimcnt look 

 into the inner court. The pro(pc5l wss 

 left to the Ifivants. Here I h.'.d two ad- 

 ventures: I conk! find no !)ody to (hew me 

 about. I favv a paltry houle thjt I took 

 for the ffxton's at the corner of the cLl'e, 

 and bade my fervant ring, and afk, who 

 could (licw ms the cnftle. A voice in a 

 paflion flew fiom a rafement, and ifi'iied 

 from a divine : • WliatI what was k his 

 bufine's to rtiew the caIHe ! go luok for 

 f.)me bo'y elli;! what did the tell iw ring 

 for, as if thehou'e was on fire !' The poor 

 SwiCs came back in a flight, and faid, the 

 doftor had fworn at hiin. Well, we 

 fcramhled over a rto.e (lyle, faw a room 

 or two glazed near the gate, and rung at 

 it. A d.imlei cair.e forth, and (atisSed ouir 

 curiofity. When we had done (t.'eing, I 

 (aid, ' Child we don't know our wav, and 

 want to bedireiteil into the Loo-ion road ; 

 I fee the duke's ileivard yunderat the win- 

 dow; pray dcfne him to come to me, that 

 I may confult him.' She went : hr (food 

 (faring at us at ihe window, and fent his 

 foot-man. 1 do not think Comtnty is refi- 

 dent at Thornbury. As I retuir.ed thr.-ugh 

 the dole, the divine came lunning out of 

 breath, and without his beaver, or band, 

 and calls out, ' Sir, I am come to jurtity 

 tnyu-lf ; your lervaiit fays, I (w..re at him ; 

 1 am nufwenrtr — Lord blefs -ne ! (ilrop- 

 ping his voire) is it Mr. Walpde!' ' Vt« 

 fif, and I think you was Loi :l Beauchamp'a 

 tutor, at Oxfoid, but i nave forgot your 

 name.' ' Holwel!, fir.' ' Oh, yes ;' and 

 then I comforted him and laid the ill- 

 breeding on my footman's being a foreign- 

 er, but could not help faying, ' I really 

 bad taken his houfe for the I'exton's. ' Yes, 

 fir, it is not very good without, won't 

 you pleafe to walk in .'" I did, and found 

 the infide ten times woiTe, and a lean wife 

 fuckling a child. He was making an in- 

 dex to Homer, is going to publifh the 

 chief beauties i and I believe hdd ju(l been 

 reading Come of the de'icate civilities that 

 pal's between Agamemnon and Achilles, 

 and that wh<t my (ervant took for oaths, 

 were only Greek compliments.' Adieu, 

 •' You ke I have not a line more of 

 paper, 



" Your'j ever, 



«« Horace Walpole." 



MEMOIRS 



