The Castle — Its Architectural Features. g 



latter is a very beautiful apartment, of plain and 

 simple architecture. Adjoining it is a most complete 

 garde-robe. Continuing up the staircase, the top is 

 reached, where steps branch off on either side, leading, 

 the one to the roof and the other to the upper and 

 now roofless room over Queen Mary's. The intro- 

 duction of this room seems to be a change on the 

 original design. On the south front and at the floor 

 level are two corbels, probably the remains of machi- 

 colations continued round the three faces of this 

 projecting part of the castle, while the main flat 

 roof was in all likelihood continued over this part. 

 It is not easy otherwise to account for the corbels 

 referred to. There is further a decided change in 

 the masonry at this level, the stones being smaller 

 and the windows larger in proportion to the size of 

 the room. The rybats, too, are wrought with rounded 

 edges instead of splays, as elsewhere throughout the 

 keep. Doing away with the machicolations, leaving 

 two of the corbels, heightening the wall plumb with 

 the face below, putting on a high pitched roof, and 

 thus gaining a room, are other results of the change. 



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