221 
pantomime, called the Village Festival, and it closed with an 
uninteresting melo-drama, the Woodman’s Hut. In the first 
piece Miss Lacy, from Covent-garden, personified the character 
of Jane Shore most capitally, and was well supported by several 
of the other actors; the piece, however, is abominable in itself, 
and I can imagine nothing more disgusting than to behold an 
unfortunate being, struggling on the stage in the arms of death. 
In this country, however, it is a favourite piece. They endea¬ 
voured to produce it on the French boards, but it would not take 
at all. The theatre is well fitted up: it has a pit, two rows of 
boxes, and a gallery, which can accommodate a great many spec¬ 
tators; on this occasion it was likewise greatly crowded by a 
noisy mob. I found in the boxes and pit fewer spectators than 
I expected, the decorations are well painted, and the interior 
lighted with gas. The provincial theatres receive generally but 
little encouragement, and their receipts only increase in summer, 
when the large London theatres of Covent-garden and Drury- 
lane are closed, and the celebrated actors there engaged, make a 
trip to the provinces. 
On the 18th of July, at eight o’clock in the morning, I left 
Birmingham in a post-chaise and proceeded by a circuitous route 
to Oxford. I sent on my baggage by the direct course in the 
stage. I went out of my way for the purpose of visiting the 
ruins of Kenilworth and Warwick castles. The distance from 
Birmingham to Oxford by this road is seventy-one miles, the 
turnpike at times hilly, but invariably good. Our route lay 
through Knowles, a very charming country town. Kenilworth, 
on the contrary, is a small ill-looking place, but inclosing splen¬ 
did ruins of the old castle, which have become universally noto¬ 
rious by the romance of Kenilworth. Excepting the ruins of 
Paulinzelle, those of Kenilworth are the most beautiful I ever 
beheld. The castle was built at three different periods. The 
most ancient northern part erroneously called Caesar’s tower, was 
erected about the year 1120, by Geoffroy de Clinton, and was a 
fortress during the early inland strifes between the barons, the 
scene of many important events. Towards the close of the four¬ 
teenth century, it fell into the possession of John of Gaunt, who 
added to it the western and largest wing, called after him Lan¬ 
caster buildings. At a later period Queen Elizabeth bestowed 
it upon her favourite, the Earl of Leicester, who, in 1571, erected 
the southern portion, called Leicester buildings; he also built 
between two towers a tilting yard for tournaments, arid erected 
likewise, the large portico, which now is occupied as a dwelling. 
In this palace he entertained his queen with a splendid feast, that 
lasted seventeen days, and which is described in a particular 
book. After the earl’s death, the castle with its extensive do- 
