Essay on Caerphilly Castle. 191 



The embrasures are contained witliiu parallel sides, and bear a snocdl 

 proportion to the merlons, which latter are each perforated by a loop. 

 These points may be seen upon the summit of the leaning tower, or more 

 conveniently, upon the northern curtain, towards the north-west bastion 

 tower. 



There are no machicolations, or contrivances for dropping missiles through 

 the floor of a projecting parapet, a contrivance which adds so materially 

 to tlie grandeur of the towers of Warwick. Raglan, &c. Over the eastern 

 middle gate-way, the parapet has indeed a slight projection, being sup- 

 ported upon a table of corbel blocks, but there are no apertures, nor is the 

 projection sufficient to admit of any. This is called a false machicolation. 



The windows, with certain exceptions, are either loops, or, if larger, of a 

 very plain character. In the hall, however, and in the large rooms of the 

 two inner gate-houses, they are very wide and lofty, and have been highly 

 ornamented. The two latter rooms are so much injured, and the windows 

 so mutilated, that it can only be said that what little remains of ornament 

 are seen, resemble, so far as they go, the more perfect ornaments of the 

 hall. In the eastern inner gate-house, however, at its south end, is a small 

 oratory, of an oblong shape, and with a vaulted roof divided into two 

 square compartments, supported by transverse and diagonal ribs. The 

 two windows towards the south are long and narrow, without a mullion, 

 and trefoiled ; their mouldings are only an exterior fillet. This chamber 

 possesses also a small square aperture, towards the north, looking into the 

 great chamber of that gate-house. There are some other windows in the 

 gate-houses, looking towards the interior, which ar^^ much shorter, but 

 otherwise resembling this. The hall windows are lofty, well-proportioned, 

 and unbroken by a mullion j and they open to within four feet of the 

 ground. The exterior moulding of the windows is completely gone ; that 

 of the door was discovered by removing the grass about it. 



Tiie mouldings of the windows are extremely rich, owing to the redu- 

 plication of the bands from the great thickness of the wall. The angles of 

 the moulding are at two depths removed, and their place occupied by a 

 semicircular groove, into which the pomegranate ornament is let at inter- 

 vals, making up the circle by its projection. Beyond each of these bands 

 of pomegranates are pilaster strips, filletted at tlieir angles, aild surmounted 

 by small angular capitals : within is a handsome ogee canopy, enriched 

 with crochets and finials, in a very pure style. 



The inner mouldings of the door resemble these, but are not carried down 

 its sides ; but this needful deficiency has been compensated for exteriorly. 

 Here there are three bands of pomegranates, which no doubt were con- 

 tinued, as in the windows, round the arch ; and between them arc two rows 

 of small disengaged columns, with the circular concave pedestal. Of these 

 only the pedestal remains. 



The corbels, upon which the beam of the roof rested, are composed of 



