House and Garden 
THE HALL 
Godfrey Webster at the beginning of the 
last century. I he subjects are taken from 
1 asso’s Gerusalemme Liberata. 1 here are 
some fine portraits of the Webster family 
painted by Reynolds, Lawrence, Romney and 
Murray. On the dais stands the Abbot’s 
Chair, beside which two figures in armour 
stand sentinel, and at the other end is the 
minstrel’s gallery. It is a noble room wherein 
many a king and earl and knight have en¬ 
joyed the Abbot’s hospitality, and wherein 
the spoiler of the Abbey held his feast when 
he heard the “curse of Cowdrey.’’ Next we 
view on the south the new wing called Queen 
Elizabeth’s wing. Formerly on this site 
stood part of the Abbot’s lodging, recon¬ 
structed by Sir Anthony for the accommo¬ 
dation of the Princess Elizabeth. He was so 
great a favorite of his royal master that he 
was appointed guardian to his daughter, who, 
however, on account of the courtier’s death 
never came to Battle. The present building 
is modern, and was erected by the Duke of 
Cleveland in 1858. It contains a noble 
library. 
A remarkable feature of the west front is 
the curious carving of the gargoyles. I 
noticed three mediaeval minstrels, close shaven 
with long hair and flat caps, one is playing a 
mandolin, another a harp and the third a 
fife and drum. On the string course are 
four grotesques; others, I am told, have 
disappeared. There is a weird winged figure 
with the legs of a goat, a fierce lion, the 
broad fringe of its mane resting on its fore¬ 
paws, a hooded monk grinning from ear to 
ear. The carving is bold and free, though 
somewhat coarse and rough, and full of 
humour and spirit. There are curious full 
length little figures on the battlements, with 
their feet dangling down, looking quaint and 
strange. These figures are unique. 
Ascending the stone steps leading to the 
Upper Terrace, we stand on the site of the 
old Guest House or Hospitium of the Abbey, 
where the strangers who flocked for enter¬ 
tainment to the Monastery were lodged. 
This was presided over by the hosteller who, 
in another house, was required to have the 
qualifications of “facility of expression, ele¬ 
gant manners, and a respectable bringing up; 
and if he have no substance to bestow, be 
may, at any rate, exhibit a cheerful counte¬ 
nance and agreeable conversation, for friends 
are multiplied by agreeable words.” Here 
clean cloths and towels, cups and spoons, 
mattresses, blankets, sheets, pillows and 
quilts were always in readiness. Beneath 
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