58 <aueen J&arg'g 



of sorrow and endurance, but none more pitiable., were 

 connected with this old castle : its early history is lost in 

 the uncertainty of ages ; no one knows who built it, or 

 why it stands in this wild spot, whether its origin be 

 Saxon or Danish ; except that its first and oldest name 

 was given in commemoration of some forgotten vic- 

 tory. Peverel of the Peak, erected the high tower, with 

 a portion of the walls, and successive chieftains added 

 to the structure, till at length the castle came to be 

 much spoken of for its size and strength. Peverel's 

 tower still remains, with a part of the old building, but 

 that portion of it which more than any other awakens 

 images of bygone days, are the rooms of state, with a 

 small tower on the wall, where the captive queen re- 

 sided; tradition says that she used to spend much of her 

 time in summer on the roof of the tower, watching for 

 signals from Leonard Dacre, who made many attempts 

 to procure her liberation, either by force or stratagem. 

 But the vigilance of the Earl of Shrewsbury was not 

 readily eluded ; and for nine long years did Mary inhabit 

 this stern fortress, and watch from her high tower for 

 succour that never came. 



Ruins are best seen in wintry weather, when storms and 

 thunder are abroad, and the woods are bare of leaves. 

 Such was the fourteenth of October, when some years 

 back, the narrator, saw for the first time, that dila- 

 pidated portion of Winfield castle. The rain had been 

 exceeding heavy in the night, and the wind blew a per- 



