Mr. Tate on Dunstanburgh Castle. 95 



drawing the sword or blowing the horn ; but he must beware, 

 whichever he chose, not to cast it away. After a pause he 

 drew the sword ; and then the giant sprung to life, and blew 

 a blast with his bugle, and every marble knight drew his 

 sword and every horse pranced on the floor and rushed 

 towards Sir Guy, who, on seeing the mystic sword turned 

 into a living serpent, quailed with fear, and cast it aside and 

 drew his own blade, and thus failed to break the spell. A 

 shriek of anguish was heard from the tomb, and the hall 

 became dark and silent, and a blow from the giant hunter 

 struck down the knight senseless, who, when he came to life 

 again, found himself lying in the ruined gateway, his steed 

 gone and the aged yew blasted ; while he was thenceforth 

 doomed to wander for ever, in fruitless search of the fair one 

 whom he had failed to deliver from the crystal enchanted 

 tomb. 



Nor sun nor snow, from the ruins to go 

 Can force that aged wight, 



But still the pile, hall, chapel, and aisle 

 He searches day and night. 



But find can he ne'er the winding stair 

 Which he passed that beauty to see, 



"Whom spells enthrall in the haunted hall 



Where none but once may be. — G. M. Lewis. 

 This legend is one of the stories originating in the middle 

 ages, which cluster round the cycle of romance relating to 

 king Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. It is 

 localised with variations in other places in Britain, but always 

 with the incident of the sword and the horn. Elsewhere in 

 Northumberland it is connected with Sewingshields' Pele, 

 which stands also on basaltic rocks, and this version has been 

 well told by Mr. James Hardy of Oldcambus .* 

 * Table Book, II. p. 37. 



PLATES. 

 Plate III. — Plan of Dunstanburgh Castle. 



„ IV. — Great Gate-house and Dongeon of Dunstanburgh 



Castle. 

 ,, V. — Lilburn Tower — Dunstanburgh Castle. 



Scaphander lignarius : Holy Island, June, 1869. A living 

 specimen of this addition to the Mollusca of the Eastern 

 Borders was sent to me by my sister ; unfortunately the 

 animal was extracted. It is not mentioned by Mr. Alder.— 

 Robert C. Embleton. 



