SOME idea of this venerable and magnificent pile, in which Comus was played with great fplendour, at a period when Masks were the most fashionable entertainment of our Nobility, will probably gratify thofe, who read Milton with that curiofity which refults from tafte and imagination. Mr. Warton, the learned author of this elegant remark, declines entering into the more obfcure and early annals of the Castle; to which therefore I will briefly* refer, trusting that the methodical account of an edifice, more particularly ennobled by the representation of Comus within its walls, may not be improper, or uninterefting.

It was built by Roger de Montgomery, who was related to William the Conquerour. The date of its erection is fixed by Mr. Warton in the year 1112. By others it is faid to have been erected before the Conqueft, and its founder to have been Edric Sylvaticus, Earl of Shrewsbury, whom Roger de Montgomery was fent by the Conquerour into the Marches of Wales to fubdue, and with whose estates in Salop he was afterwards rewarded. But the teftimonies of various writers affign the foundation of this structure to Roger de Montgomery, foon after the Conqueft.

* See Stukeley's Itinerary, Buck's Antiquities, and Grofe's Antiq. Art. LUDLOW CASTLE. An hiftorical Account of LUDLOW CASTLE, by W. Hodges, Attorney at Law, 1794, Another Account published in the fame year, by Mr. Thomas. And the Ludlow Guide, by Mr. Price, 2d edit. 1797.

The fun of this Nobleman did not long enjoy it, as he died in the prime of life. The grandfon, Robert de Belefme, Earl of Shrewsbury, forfeited it to Henry I. by having joined the party of Robert Duke of Normandy againft that king. It became now a princely refidence, and was guarded by a numerous garrifon. Soon after the acceffion of Stephen, however, the governour betrayed his truft, in joining the Empress Maud. Stephen besieged it; in which endeavour to regain poffeffion of his fortrefs fome writers affert that he fucceeded, others that he failed. The moft generally received opinion is, that the governour, repenting of his baseness, and wishing to obtain the king's forgiveness, proposed a capitulation advantageous to the garrifon, to which Stephen, defpairing of winning the castle by arms, readily acceded. Henry II. prefented it to his favourite, Fulk Fitz-Warine, or de Dinan, to whom fucceeded Joccas de Dinan ; between whom and Hugh de Mortimer Lord of Wigmore fuch diffenfions arofe, as at length occafioned the feizure of Mortimer, and his confinement in one of the Towers of the Caftle, which to this day is called Mortimer's Tower; from which he was not liberated, till he had paid an immenfe ranfom. This tower is now inhabited, and ufed as a fives-court.

It was again belonging to the Crown in the 8th year of King John, who bestowed it on Philip de Albani, from whom it de fcended to the Lacies of Ireland, the laft of which family, Walter de Lacy, dying without iffue male, left the castle to his grand-daughter Maud, the wife of Peter de Geneva, or Jeneville, a Poitevin of the Houfe of Lorrain, from whofe pofterity it paffed by a daughter to the Mortimers, and from them hereditarily to the Crown. In the reign of Henry III. it was taken by Simon de Montfort Earl of Leicester, the ambitious leader of the confederate Barons, who, about the year 1263 are faid to have taken poffeffion of all the royal caftles and fortreffes. Of Ludlow Cafile in almoft two fucceeding centuries nothing is recorded.

In the thirteenth year of Henry VI. it was in the poffeffion of Richard Duke of York, who there drew up his declaration of affected allegiance to the king, pretending that the army of ten thousand men, which he had raised in the Marches of Wales, was "for the publick weale of the realme." The event of this commotion between the Royalifts and Yorkifts, the defeat

of Richard's perfidious attempt, is well known. The Castle of Ludlow, fays Hall, "was fpoyled." The king's troops feized on whatever was valuable in it; and, according to the fame chronicler, hither "the King fent the Dutchess of Yorke with her two younger Sons to be kept in ward, with the Dutchess of Buckingham her fifter, where the continued a certain space.”

The Caftle was foon afterwards put into the poffeffion of Edward, Duke of York, afterwards King Edward IV., who at that time refided in the neighbouring Caftle of Wigmore, and who, in order to revenge the death of his father, had collected fome troops in the Marches, and had attached the garrison to his caufe. On his acceffion to the throne, the Caftle was repaired by him, and a few years after was made * The Court of his fon, the Prince of Wales; who was fent hither by him, as Hall relates," for Juftice to be doen in the Marches of Wales, to the end that by the authoritie of his prefence, the wild Welfhmenne and evill difpofed perfonnes should refraine from their accustomed murthers and outrages." Sir Henry Sidney, fome years afterwards, obferved, that, fince the establishment of the Lord Prefident and Council, the whole country of Wales had been brought from their difobedient and barbarous incivility, to a civil and obedient condition; and the bordering English counties had been freed from those spoils and felonies, with which the Welch, before this inftitution, had annoyed them. See Sidney StatePapers, vol. i. p. 1. On the death of Edward, his eldest fon was here first proclaimed king by the name of Edward V.

In the reign of Henry VII., his eldest fon, Arthur, Prince of Wales, inhabited the Cattle; in which great feftivity was obferved upon his marriage with Catherine of Arragon; an event that was foon followed, within the fame walls, by the untimely and lamented death of that accomplished Prince.

The Castle had now long been the Palace of the Prince of Wales annexed to the Principality, and was the habitation ap

"As touching the firft Councel established in the Marches of Wales, it is conceived by the best and most probable opinions among Antiquaries, that the fame began in or about 17°. Edward IV. when as prince Edward his Son was fent into the Marches of Wales, under the tuition of the Lord Rivers his Unckle by the mother's fide, at what time alfo John [Alcock] Bishop of Worcester was appointed Lord Prefident of Wales." Percy Enderbie's Cambria Triumphans. Fol. 1661. p. 343.

pointed for his Deputies the Lords Prefidents of Wales, who held in it the Court of the Marches. It would therefore hardly have been fuppofed, that its external fplendour fhould have fuffered neglect, if Powel, the Welch hiftorian, had not related that "Sir Henry Sidney, who was made Lord President in 1564, repaired the Caftle of Ludlowe which is the cheefest house within the Marches, being in great decaie, as the Chapell, the Court-houfe, and a faire Fountaine." See Mr. Warton's fecond edit. p. 124, where he quotes D. Powell's Hift. of Cambria, edit. 1580. 4to. p. 401. Sir H. Sidney, however, was made lord prefident in the fecond year of Elizabeth, which was in 1559. See Sidney State Papers, vol. i. Memoirs prefixed, p. 86. Sir Henry's munificence to this stately fabrick is more particularly recorded by T. Churchyard, in his poem called "The Worthines of Wales," 4to. Lond. 1578. The chapter is intitled "the Castle of Ludloe," in which it is related, that "Sir Harry built many things here worthie praife and memorie." From the fame information we learn the following particulars. "Over a chimney excellently wrought in the best chamber, is St. Andrewes Croffe joyned to Prince Arthurs Armes in the hall windoe." The poet alfo notices the "Chappell most trim and coftly fure:" about which "are Armes in colours of fondrie Kings, but chiefly Noblemen." He then fpecifies in profe, "that Sir Harry Sidney being lord Prefident, buylt twelve roumes in the fayd Castle, which goodly buildings doth fhewe a great beautie to the fame. He made alfo a goodly Wardrobe underneath the new Parlor, and repayred an old Tower, called Mortymer's Tower, to keepe the auncient Records in the fame; and he repayred a fayre roume under the Court house, to the fame entent and purpose, and made a great wall about the woodyard, and built a most brave Condit within the inner Court and all the newe buildings over the gate Sir Harry Sidney (in his daies and governement there) made and fet out to the honour of the Queene, and glorie of the Caftle. There are in a goodly or stately place fet out my Lord Earle of Warwicks Armes, the Earle of Darbie, the Earle of Worcester, the Earle of Pembroke, and Sir Harry Sidneys Armes in like maner: al thefe ftand on the left hand of the Chamber. On the other fide are the arms of Northwales and Southwales, two red Lyons and two golden Lyons, Prince Arthurs. At the end of the dyning