L U D 
from its aides by fix lofty pointed arches on each fide. 
The choir is of large dimensions, and lighted by five lofty 
pointed windows on each fide, and one at the ealt end, 
which occupies the whole breadth, and nearly the whole 
height, of the choir. This great window is entirely filled 
with painted glafs, reprefenting chiefly the legend of St. 
Lawrence, the patron-faint of the church. On each fide 
of the choir Hands a chantry-chapel. That on the north 
exhibits fome very fplendid remnants of painted glafs, 
pourtraying the ftory of the ring prefented by fome pil¬ 
grims to Edward the Confeflor ; which pilgrims, the le¬ 
gend recites were men of Ludlow. The whole of this no¬ 
ble church is ceiled with fine oak, and embellifned with 
carving. It is aa8 feet in length, and 73 in breadth. In 
the chancel are many fine monuments of the lords prefi- 
dents of the council of Wales, who refided in the neigh¬ 
bouring caftle. A variety of tombs likewife appear in the 
church yard; adjoining to which Hands an alms-houfe, 
founded in i486, by Mr. John Hofier, merchant, for aged 
widows and widowers, and rebuilt by the corporation in 
1758. Another alms-houfe, fituated at the bottom of 
Corve-flreet, was founded in the year 1590. The gram- 
mar-fchool, erefted by Edward IV. in Mill-flreet, is a very 
excellent inttitution, where both the ancient and modern 
languages are taught. Nearly in the centre of the town, 
at the top of Broad-flreet, Hands the crofs, a handfome 
Hone building, with rooms over it ufed as a public fchool. 
The market-houfe, in Caflle-fireet, is a large building ; 
beneath which is an area, ferving as a corn-market; and 
the upper rooms, which are very extenfive, are ufed for 
corporation-meetings, balls, aflemblies, &c. The guild¬ 
hall, where the quarter-feflions, &c. are held, is a neat 
commodious modern Hrufture ; and to the vvefi of the 
church Hands a range of buildings, called the College. 
There is likewife a prifon, named Goalford’s Tower. 
But the objeft of greatell interefl in Ludlow, and that 
to which it owes its celebrity and importance, is its caltle, 
which Hands on a bold wooded rock at the north-welt an¬ 
gle of the town. It was founded, according to the gene¬ 
rally-received opinion, by Roger de Montgomery, about 
the year 1130 ; though fome writers maintain it to be of 
earlier origin, aud with reafon, as that perfon died in 1094. 
Much, however, was added by others at different periods, 
particularly by fir Henry Sidney. Robert de Belefine, 
grandfon of the founder, having engaged in rebellion 
againlt Henry I. it was l'eized by that monarch. The 
calile, now made a princely refidence, was greatly aug¬ 
mented in the Strength of its fortifications, and fupplied 
with a numerous garrilbn. In the reign of king Stephen 
it was belieged in confequence of the governor, Gervas 
Paganel, having been induced to efpoule the caufe of the 
.emprefs Matilda. During this fiege, Stephen gave a fig- 
nal proof of his perfonal bravery, in refeuing prince Henry 
of Scotland, who had advanced too near the walls, and 
had been caught from his horfe by a grappling-iron fas¬ 
tened to the end of a rope. In the troublefome reign of 
Henry III. the ambitious Simon Montfort, earl of Lei- 
cefler, feized upon this caltle, in conjunftion with Lle- 
vvellin. From this period nothing remarkable happened 
till tne time of Henry VI. when it was heid by Richard 
duke of York, who laid claim to the crown. Having af- 
.fembled an army of ten thoufand men in the Marches, he 
drew up a declaration of allegiance to the king, pretending 
that this large army was only railed for the Security of the 
public peace. Tii^, however, difciofed the perfidy of 
his views ; for no fooner was he informed of the defeat 
of lord Audley at Bloreheath, but he threw off the malk, 
avowed his pretenfions to the throne, and appointed the 
caltle of Ludlow as a place of rendezvous for his adhe¬ 
rents. Upon this, the king’s forces advanced to Ludford, 
a vill at a little diltance from hence. The king’s troops 
preparing for the attack, the duke’s forces began to dif- 
band. Sir Andrew’ Trollop likewife went over to the 
royal Handard with a large body ; whereupon the duke and 
his two ferns, with the earl of Warwick and other chiefs, 
. $ 
L O W. 7 SB 
fled with precipitation. Edward, his eldeft fon, obtained 
pofleflion of Ludlow in the courfe of the war ; and upon 
his acceflion to the throne repaired it, and made it the 
court of his fon the prince of Wales. Here the latter, 
after his father’s death, was proclaimed king before he re-, 
moved to London, at the mitigation of his uncle, Glocefler, 
whofe barbarous ufurpation is not paralleled in the annals 
of England. Arthur, fon to Henry VII. fixed his refi¬ 
dence at this caftle, and held a court here with valt fplen- 
dour and magnificence after his marriage with Catharine 
of Arragon, afterwards the w ife of Henry VIII. At this 
time the court of the marches for the principality of Wales 
was eflablifiied here, and continued for many years with 
much grandeur and folemnity. The power of this court 
was very extenfive, and confifled of a lord-president, as 
many councilors as the prince pleafed, a fecretary, an at¬ 
torney, a folicitor, and four jultices for the counties of 
Wales. Charles I. when prince of Wales, vifited this 
caflle. It was next diflinguilhed by the veprefentation of 
the celebrated Mafque of Comus in 1634, during the pre- 
fidency of John earl of Bridgewater. This exquifite ef- 
fufion of Milton’s genius was founded on a real incident. 
The two fons of the earl, and his daughter lady Alice, 
being on their way from a houfe belonging to their family 
in Herefordlhire to Ludlow, were benighted in Haywood 
forelt, where the lady was loft for a fliort time. The ad¬ 
venture being related to the earl on their arrival at the 
caftle, Milton, at the requeft of his friend Mr, Henry 
Lawes, who taught mufic in the family, wrote the mafque. 
Lawes fet it to mufic, and performed the character of the 
attendant fpirit; the lady herfelf playing the part which 
the had already afted in real life. 
During the civil wars in the reign of Charles I. this 
caftle was for fome time kept as a garrifon for the king. 
In 1645, a fmall part of the royal army was defeated in 
this neighbourhood, and on the 9th of June, in the fol¬ 
lowing year, the fortrefs was furrendered to parliament. 
After the reftoration, the celebrated Samuel Butler, fecre¬ 
tary to the earl of Carbery, then appointed lord-prefident, 
wrote here a great part of his incomparable poem of Hu- 
dibras. From this period nothing remarkable happened 
till the reign of William and Mary, when the Court of 
the Marches was diflbived by aft of parliament, being, 
as therein recited, “ a great grievance to the fubjeft.” 
After this event the caftle gradually fell into decay, and 
was defpoiled of its curious and valuable ornaments. In 
the days of its prosperity it feems to have been one of the 
molt extenfive and Superb baronial fortreffes in Europe. 
It commands grand and extenfive profpefts, and is ftrongly 
environed by embattled walls of great height and thick- 
nefs, with towers placed at convenient diltances. That 
portion of it which lies nearelt the town, was likewife 
defended by a deep ditch. The whole was divided into 
two difiinft parts or courts, one of which contained the 
palace and lodgings, and the other the court of judica¬ 
ture and records, Hables, garden, and other offices. The 
former conftituted what was properly denominated the 
Caftle, and the latter was .called the Green, or Barbican. 
This noble fabric now prefents a mafs of magnificent ruins, 
retaining, however, ample affurances of its former glory. 
Of the chapel, a circular building, In the inner court, is 
all that remains. Over ieveral of the fiable-doors, the 
arms of Elizabeth and the earl of Pembroke are Hill vifi- 
ble ; and over the inner gate of the caltle are the arms of 
the Sidney family, with an inscription beneath. Along 
the fides of the eminence on which thefe fplendid ruins 
are Seated are fome public walks, which were laid out in 
1772, at the mitigation of the co.untefs of Powis. Part of 
Ludlow Cable was recently occupied by Lucian Bonaparte, 
his family, and fuite, while refugees in this country. 
Ludlow is diltant from Church Stretton, fifteen miles 5 
Shrewsbury, twenty-nine; Much Wenlock,-twenty; Cleo- 
bury Mortimer, eleven ; Bridgnorth, twenty ; Bewdley, 
nineteen; Tenbury, nine; Wo.rcelter, thirty-one; Le.o- 
piinfter, eleven; Hereford, twenty-three; Prefteigp,’ fijt- 
5. teen t 
