THE WREKIN. 197 



quartered in one of them, I should have needed all my Yankee 

 capabilities to guess in what way I could make a good use of 

 it all. 



There is a story told of two members of our Legislature, who 

 came together from " the rural districts," and were fellow-lodgers. 

 One of them was rather mortified by the rough appearance of his 

 companion, who was of the "bone-and-sinew" sort, and by way 

 of opening a conversation in which he could give him a few hints, 

 complained of the necessity which a Representative was under to 

 pay so much for "washing." "How often do you shift?" said 

 the Hon. Simon Pure. " Of course I have to change my linen 

 every day," he answered. " You do ?" responded his unabashed 

 friend. " Why, what an awful dirty man you must be ! I can 

 always make mine last a week." 



The ball-room, or ancient banqueting-room, was a grand hall 

 (120 feet long, I should think), with a good deal of interesting 

 old furniture, armor, relics, etc. It also contained billiard-tables, 

 and other conveniences for in-door exercise. A secret door, cut 

 through the old oak wainscot which lined its wall, admitted us to 

 the private apartments. 



We peeped into a kind of broad well into which prisoners used 

 to be lowered, like butter, for safe keeping, and ascended to the 

 battlements of one of the towers, from which there is a very ex- 

 tensive and beautiful view, extending, it is said, into sixteen 

 counties. A gauzy blue swelling on the horizon was pointed to 

 as the Wrekin, a high mountain the highest in midland England ; 

 hence the generous old toast, " To all around the Wrekin." We 

 were let out through a narrow postern, which gave us an oppor- 

 tunity to see the thickness of the wall : it was ten feet and in 

 some parts it was said to be sixteen of solid stone and mortar. 

 The castle was a border fortress of Wales, on the dyke or ancient 

 military wall between that country and England, remains of 



