WARWICK CASTLE : KBNILWORTH : STEATrORD-ON-AVOJf. 49'7 



ft wide bridge with a mossy stone balustrade, 3»d here, lookipg 

 upward, 



•' Bppomed high in tufted trees, 

 Towers ^nd battleflaent^ he sees.'! 



The banks of the stream are finely flanged with foli^e; beyond 

 ihem are larger trees ; ppon the rising ground in the rear grow lofty 

 ^nd venerable chestnuj:^,' oaks, and elms ; a,nd over this superb fore- 

 ground, rises up, grand and colossal, the huge pile pi gray stone, 

 softened by the effects of time, and the rich masses of; cljmbprs that 

 / hang like floating drapery about it. For a few wioments you Ipsg 

 slgh-t of it, and the carriage suddenly stops before a high embattled 

 wall, whejfe the porter answers the knock by slpwly unfolding the 

 massive iron gates of the portal, Driving through this gate\vay you 

 wind through a deep, cut in the solid rock, almost hidden by the 

 masses of ivy that hang along its sides, and in a few moments find 

 yourself directly before the entranpe front of the castle. Whoever 

 designed this, front, piade up as it is of lofty towers and irregular 

 wall, must have been a poet as well as architect, for its, composition 

 and details struck me as having the proportions and congruity of ,fi 

 fine spene in' nature, which we feel is not to be measured afld defined 

 by. the ordinary rules of art. And as it rose up before me, hoary 

 and venerable, yet solid and complete, I could have believed that it 

 was rather a magnificent effort of nature than any work of mere 

 tools and masonry. >, 



In the central tower opened anpther iron gate, and driving 

 through a deep stone archway, I found niyself in the midst of a 

 large open space of nearly a couple of acres, carpeted with the 

 finest turf, dotted with groups of aged tyees and shrubs, and sur- 

 rounded on all sides by the castle walls. This, is the inner court- 

 yard of the castle. Around it^ forming four sides, are grouped in 

 the most picturesque and majestic manner, the varied forms and 

 outlines of the vast pile, partly hidden by the rich drapery of ivy 

 and old mossy trees. On the most: sheltered side of the circular 

 walk which surrounds this court-yard, among many fine evergreens, 

 I npticed two giant Arbuimes (a shrub.whieh I Jiave vainly attempt- 

 ed to aocUmatize in thp northern*States,) more than thirty feet higli, 



