94 Mr. Tate on Dunstanburgh Castle. 



west by the compass ; and with an entrance on the west, and 

 another on the south into the chancel. Such remains ate 

 confined to a limited space near the gate-house ; and scarcely 

 any other traces of buildings appear, excepting foundations 

 on the eastern part, most probably enclosures for cattle. 

 From the limited amount of accommodation within the castle, 

 it appears to have been less fitted for the residence of a great 

 baron than for defence and occasional refuge; but when 

 garrisoned by a large number of soldiers, there would be 

 temporary wooden erections for lodging them. 



The scenery connected with the castle is impressive from 

 the dark frowning high cliff — the great pillared rocks — the 

 deep gully up which rushes the sea, producing a crashing 

 gurgling sound, not only from the break of the waters, but 

 also from the rolling of stones over each other. When, how- 

 ever, the sea is lashed into a storm, it breaks with fearful 

 violence on the rocks and throws up great masses of water, 

 white with foam, which on some occasions is driven over the 

 castle walls. Fit scene this to excite the imagination and 

 give birth to, or localise romantic legends. Our own utili- 

 tarian age has lost faith in marvels; but the time has 

 not long past, when a solitary antiquary or tourist, rambling 

 among the ruins of Dunstanburgh in the gloaming, would 

 have been regarded as the Wandering Knight, who haunted 

 the castle, always seeking but never finding the object of his 

 love. Thus briefly runs the legend, which has been told in 

 verse by G. Monk Lewis, and by James Service of Chatton. 



The knight Sir George Guy, having lost his way in a 

 stormy night, sought refuge in the ruined gateway of the 

 castle. He had tied his horse to a lonely yew, and was 

 leaning on the side of the archway gazing on the raging 

 tempest and listening to the hoarse bellowing of the Rumble- 

 churn, when a mystic hand holding a lighted lamp appeared, 

 and a hollow voice called upon him, if he was a brave knight, 

 to attempt the deliverance of a spell-bound fair lady. Guided 

 by this hand he ascended a winding stair leading into a 

 magnificent hall, in which were a hundred marble armed 

 knights, sitting on a hundred brazen steeds, tied to a hundred 

 marble columns ; and in the centre of the hall was a crystal 

 tomb, in which was confined an enchanted lady of great 

 beauty, guarded by a gigantic marble hunter, on whose side 

 was a sword and around whose waist was a horn. The 

 hollow voice told Sir Guy to dissolve the spell, either by 



