48 Rev. J. W. Dunn on Warhworth. 



of investigating the precincts in question. He found to his 

 grief, the truth of the proverh, " that it is the early bird that 

 catches the first worm" — for, on his setting forth one morning, 

 in his own dilatory fashion, after the procrastination of a day 

 or two, he discovered to his surprise, as also to his dismay, 

 that a deep trench had been dug where he was intending to 

 burrow, and that, whatever may have lain there, had been 

 abstracted. One thing loomed dark and mysterious above 

 the ground, which he had not before noticed — the dark blue 

 round stone, which now so innocently reposes beneath the 

 shadow of the Lion tower. It is stated that the family of the 

 early bird became suddenly rich, and that years afterwards, 

 a capacious kettle was fished out of the Coquet which had 

 once evidently pertained to the castle, and which it is sup- 

 posed had held, whilst under the protection of that blue 

 stone, I know not what of golden pieces, the buried god- 

 send of which the early bird became the fortunate possessor. 



The Keep — *^ a marvellous proper donjon of eight towres 

 joyned in one house together," — rebuilt upon the site of an 

 earlier one by the son of Hotspur, the second Earl, between 

 the years 1415 and 1454, will next demand our notice, and 

 has been, by competent judges, considered to be a perfect 

 model of .architectural skill. 



Externally, one cannot but regret the necessity which, 

 some years ago, required the removal of a large portion of 

 the weather-beaten old stone work and the substitution of 

 new facings of ashlar. This new cloth upon an old garment 

 detracts hugely from its romance to a fastidious eye. How- 

 ever, admitted to the interior, we are soon appeased. The 

 lordly dining hall — the butteries — the kitchen with its vast 

 chimney spaces — the chapel — the impluvium, which the 

 the ancient survey calls " a lantern which both receyveth the 

 water from divers spouts off the lead, and hath conveyance 

 for the same, and also giveth light to certain lodgings in 

 some parts" — the dungeons, one of which is so constructed 

 as to be a trap and a pitfall under a state of siege — and in 

 their turn, the apartments of the ladies where rusty nails here 

 and there still indicate that the walls have been adorned with 

 tapestry — the rooms which the Duke of Northumberland has 

 fitted up with tapestry and furniture of antique mould — all 

 these will, in their course, arrest attention. You will pro- 

 nounce, I feel assured, that it would require days to take your 

 fill even here, and you will reluctantly return into the court- 

 yard, where other remains of the building await your inspec- 

 tion. 



