The Tilt-yard (2) is situated to the North-east of the Castle, which formed the head of the pool; a sluice in the middle of it (formerly arched over) served to drain off the superfluous waters of the lake, which washed the foot of the lists on the West side, while a wall towards the East effectually prevented the horses from swerving on that side, in the martial exercises of the tilts and tournaments that used to be performed here.

At the end of the Tilt-yard, and formerly connected with it by abridge, the ruins of which still remain, there is a piece of ground strongly fortified with a deep ditch and rampart of earth. Over this, till Lord Leicester built the great Gate-house, lay the road to the Castle. The remains of the two stone towers, that stood on each side the entrance, are still to be

But to revert to the Romance of Kenilworth ;-the events on which it is founded are principally connected with the visit of Queen Elizabeth to Kenilworth Castle in 1575. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the unprincipled favorite of the Queen, is the hero of the tale. The author has pourtrayed Leicester in a more favorable light than history warrants, and his atrocious actions are altogether attributed to his creature Sir Richard Varney. Amy Robsart is the daughter of an old English knight and sportsman, Sir Hugh Robsart, who was doatingly fond of her. The Earl of Leicester had carried her off, from her father, and secretly married her; but ambitiously aspiring to Elizabeth's hand, he adopts Varney as his confidant, to effect his purposes. This wretch resolves on removing the youthful Countess, who is the chief obstacle to their advancement.

The Romance opens at an inn, called the Bonny Black Bear, in the village of Cumnor, near Oxford *. It is kept by Giles Gosling. At the close of the day a traveller arrives, whose name is soon discovered to be Mike Lambourne, the innkeeper's nephew. He is a worthless desperado, who had been absent near twenty years. On inquiring after his old associates in villany, the men

tion of Tony Foster and Cumnor Place, his residence, attracts the notice of a stranger, by the name of Tressilian, who is actually in quest of Amy Robsart, his former love. He learns that a lady is confined in Cumnor Place, the result of which is a visit there, where Tressilian discovers Amy Robsart, who passes for the paramour of Varney. He also encounters Varney, when a combat ensues; but the consequences are prevented by the interference of Lambourne. After this, Varney takes Lambourne into his service, and goes to the Earl of Leicester at Woodstock. Tressilian proceeds to Lidcote Hall with the intelligence respecting Amy. On his journey he becomes acquainted with Wayland Smith, a most singular character, who bears the reputation of a necromancer t. Wayland has been a follower of Alasco, a vile quack, who is afterwards found in the train of Leicester, and answers to one of those characters of the Jew and Italian, which it is believed that nobleman maintained to commit his poisoning assassinations. He enters into the train of Tressilian, and accompanies him to Lidcote, where he cures Sir Hugh Robsart of the lethargick disorder, brought on by grief for his daughter. Tressilian is afterwards summoned by his patron, the Earl of Sussex, (Leicester's rival), and proceeds to court to attend him, and also to bring the case of Amy's supposed seduction before the Queen. The Romance here enters more distinctly upon personages of historical note. The leaders themselves, and the contending factions of Leices ter and Sussex are admirably pourtrayed. Leicester is obliged to dissemble, in order to avoid the storm of his royal mistress's displeasure, and when the accusation respecting Amy Robsart is brought forward, he is compelled to sanction the falsehood of Varney, that she is Varney's wife. In

consequence of this, he regains his ascendancy as the favourite; and the Kenilworth Progress is resolved upon, for which, preparations are every where made; however, being ordered by the Queen to bring his lady thither, he is dispatched by his Lord

+ See an account of Wayland Smith, a druidical remain, in p. 198.

to

252

to Cumoor Court, to induce Amy to consent to the disguise of appearing as his own wife, till Leicester's plans are ripe. Varney has an interview with her, and she treats his proposals with becoming scorn. He and his accomplices attempt to poison her, but she is saved by an antidote given by Wayland, and finally escaping from Cumnor under the guidance of that individual, arrives, after several interesting adventures, at Kenilworth on the morning of the day whereon the Queen makes her entry. By a strange fatality, the unhappy Countess is carried in her disguise to the apartment in Mervyn's Tower, which had been assigned to Tressilian; here they meet, and a most affecting scene ensues, in which the equivocal relations of all the parties are more inextricably involved. Tressilian consents to keep the secret of Amy for twenty-four hours; but a letter to Leicester, apprizing him of her situation, unfortunately miscarries; and the scoundrel Varney has Wayland thrust out of the castle that he may carry his infernal plot, unobstructed, into effect. She is afterwards disco

vered by the Queen in the garden, and confesses her marriage with Leicester. Dread confusion ensues; the incensed Princess hardly spares her favourite's life; but the tempest is appeased by new inventions and lies of Varney, who further infects his master's breast with foul suspicions of Amy's infidelity, amounting almost to certainty, so strong in the circumstantial chain of evidence, respecting her stay in Tressilian's chamber. Leicester and Tressilian twice encounter with their swords. The last of these combats leads to the catastrophe. Tressilian is disarmed, and on the point of being slain, when the Earl's hand is arrested by Dickie Sludge (a very entertaining mischievous little fellow), and the too long lost letter from Amy is delivered to him. This explains all, and the distracted Earl speeds away Tressilian, to save poor Amy from Varney's murderous machinations.

The victim of Varney is hurried to Cumnor, and on the way Lambourne is shot by his master, to destroy the evidence of a merciful order, of which he is the bearer from the Earl. At Cumnor, Alasco is found dead in his laboratory, de

[March,

stroyed by the fumes of one of his own infernal preparations. The task of murdering the hapless lady therefore devolves on Varney himself; and he accomplishes it by causing her to precipitate herself down a frightful abyss. The narrative thus termi

nates:

"On the next day, as evening approached, Varney summoned Foster to the execution of their plan. Tider and Foster's old man-servant were sent on a feigned errand down to the village, and Anthony himself, as if anxious to see that the Countess suffered no want of accommodation, visited her place of confinement. He was so much staggered at the mildness and patience with which she seemed to endure her confinement, that he could not help earnestly recommending to her not to cross the threshold of her room on any account whatsoever, until Lord Leicester should come, 'Which,' he added, I trust in God, will be very soon.' Amy patiently promised that she would resign herself to her fate, and Foster returned to his hardened companion with his conscience half-eased of the perilous load that weighed on it. I have warned her,' he said; surely in vain is the snare set in the sight of any bird.'

"He left, therefore, the Countess's

door unsecured on the outside, and under the eye of Varney, withdrew the supports which sustained the falling trap, which, therefore, kept its level position merely by a slight adhesion. They withdrew to wait the issue on the ground-floor adjoining, but they waited long in vain. At length Varney, after walking long to and fro, with his face muffled in his cloak, threw it suddenly back, and said, Surely never was a woman fool enough to neglect so fair an opportunity of escape!' 'Perhaps she is resolved,' said Foster, to await her husband's return.' True!-most true,' said Varney, rushing out; I had not thought of that before.'

"In less than two minutes, Foster, who remained behind, heard the tread of a horse in the court-yard, and then a whistle similar to that which was the Earl's usual signal; the instant after the door of the Countess's chamber opened, and in the same moment the trap-door gave way. There was a rushing sound-a heavy fall -a faint groan-and all was over.

"At the same instant, Varney called in at the window, in an accent and tone which formed an indiscribable mixture betwixt horror and raillery, is the bird caught?' -is the deed done?' O God, forgive us!' replied Anthony Foster. 'Why, thou fool,' said Varney, thy toil is ended, and thy reward secure. Look down into t vault-what seest thou?' I see only a

heap

heap of white clothes, like a snow-drift,' said Foster. O God, she moves her arm!' Hurl something down on her. Thy gold chest, Tony-it is a heavy one.' 'Varney, thou art an incarnate fiend!' replied Foster; 'There needs nothing more -she is gone!' So pass our troubles,' said Varney, entering the room I dreamed not I could have mimicked the Earl's call so well. Oh, if there be judgment in heaven, thou hast deserved it,' said Foster, and wilt meet it!-Thou hast destroyed her by means of her best affections-it is a seething of the kid in the mother's milk.' Thou art a fanati. cal ass,' replied Varney; let us now think how the alarm should be given-the body is to remain where it is.'

"But their wickedness was to be permitted no longer;-for even while they were at this consultation, Tressilian and Raleigh broke in upon them, having obtained admittance by means of Tider and Foster's servants, whom they had secured at the village.

"Anthony Foster fled on their entrance; and, knowing each corner and pass of the intricate old house, escaped all search. But Varney was taken on the spot; and, instead of expressing compunction for what he had done, seemed to take a fiendish pleasure in pointing out to them the remains of the murdered Countess, while at the same time he defied them to shew that he had any share in her death. The despairing grief of Tressilian, on viewing the mangled and yet warm remains of what had lately been so lovely and so beloved, was such, that Raleigh was compelled to have him removed from the place by force, while he himself assumed the direction of what was to be done."

Varney swallowed poison, and was found dead the next morning.

We shall now conclude this interest

ing article with the fatal catastrophe: "Cumnor-place was deserted immediately after the murder; for, in the vicinity of what was called the Lady Dudley's

Chamber, the domestics pretended to hear

groans and screams, and other superna. tural noises. After a certain length of time, Janet, hearing no tidings of her father, became the uncontrouled mistress of his property, and conferred it with her hand upon Wayland, now a man of settled character, and holding a place in Elizabeth's household. But it was after they had been both dead for some years, that their eldest son and heir, in making some researches about Cumnor-Hall, discovered a secret passage, closed by an iron door, which, opening from behind the bed in the Lady Dudley's Chamber, descended to a sort of cell, in which they found an iron chest containing a quantity of gold, and a

human skeleton stretched above it. The fate of Anthony Foster was now manifest. He had fled to this place of concealment, forgetting the key of the spring-lock; and being barred from escape, by the means he had used for preservation of that gold, for which he had sold his salvation, he had there perished miserably. Unquestionably the groans and screams heard by the domestics were not entirely imaginary, but were those of this wretch, who, in his agony, was crying for relief and succour.

"The news of the Countess's dreadful fate put a sudden period to the pleasures of Kenilworth. Leicester retired from court, and for a considerable time abandoned himself to his remorse. But as Varney in his last declaration had been studious to spare the character of his patron, the Earl was the object rather of compassion than resentment. The Queen at length recalled him to court; he was once more distinguished as a statesman and favourite, and the rest of his career is well known to history. But there was something retributive in his death, if, according to an account very generally received, it took place from his swallowing a draught of poison, which was designed for another person.

"Sir Hugh Robsart died very soon after his daughter, having settled his estate on Tressilian. But neither the prospect of rural independence, nor the promises of favour which Elizabeth held out to induce him to follow the Court, could remove his profound melancholy. Wherever he went, he seemed to see before him the disfigured corpse of the early and only object of his affection. At length, having made provision for the maintenance of the old friends and old servants who formed Sir Hugh's family at Lidcote Hall, he himself embarked with his friend Raleigh for the Virginia expedition, and, young in years but old in griefs, died before his day in that foreign land."

At the close of the melancholy catastrophe with which the Romance concludes, the mind is too deeply sunk in gloom; and the intense interest excited throughout is apt to be absorbed in the sad complication of human woes. Some happier circumstances might have been successfully interwoven, in order to excite more pleasurable sensations at the denouement of the tale.

Kenilworth appears peculiarly dramatic in its construction. As a panorama of the age of Elizabeth it is surpassing; and as a work of general interest, worthy of the Writer; but the story on the whole is too tragical for the Revels of Kenilworth.

We have to announce to our Clerical friends the following premiums, offered by the Church Union Society, in the Diocese of St. David's, 1821-1. A premium of 50%. (by benefaction) for the best Essay on "the Scripture Doctrines of Adultery and Divorce; and on the criminal character and punishment of Adultery by the ancient laws of England and other countries." -2. A premium of 251. for the best Essay on "the Influence of a Moral Life on our Judgment in matters of Faith."-If any man will Do his will, he shall know of the DOCTRINE, whether it be of God. John vii. 17.-The Essays are to be sent directed to the Rev. W. Morgan, Vicarage, Abergwilly, near Carmarthen, on or before the last day of July, 1821, with the names of the writers in a sealed paper inscribed with the motto of the Essay.

The Society have adjudged to the Rev. S. C. Wilks, A. M. of Oxford, Author of "Christian Essays," "Christian Missions," and "the St. David's Prize Essay for the Year 1811, on the Clerical Character," their premium of fifty pounds for the best Essay on "The Necessity of a Church Establishment in a Christian Country, for the preservation of Christianity among the People of all ranks and denominations; and the means of exciting and maintaining among its Members a spirit of devotion, together with zeal for the honour, stability, and influence of the Established Church." [This Essay is preparing for the Press.]

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