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The
soft
and
gentle
river
Don
sweeps
through
an
amphitheatre
,
in
which
cultivation
is
richly
blended
with
woodland
,
and
on
a
mount
,
ascending
from
the
river
,
well
defended
by
walls
and
ditches
,
rises
this
ancient
edifice
,
which
,
as
its
Saxon
name
implies
,
was
,
previous
to
the
Conquest
,
a
royal
residence
of
the
kings
of
England
.
The
outer
walls
have
probably
been
added
by
the
Normans
,
but
the
inner
keep
bears
token
of
very
great
antiquity
.
It
is
situated
on
a
mount
at
one
angle
of
the
inner
court
,
and
forms
a
complete
circle
of
perhaps
twenty-five
feet
in
diameter
.
The
wall
is
of
immense
thickness
,
and
is
propped
or
defended
by
six
huge
external
buttresses
which
project
from
the
circle
,
and
rise
up
against
the
sides
of
the
tower
as
if
to
strengthen
or
to
support
it
.
These
massive
buttresses
are
solid
when
they
arise
from
the
foundation
,
and
a
good
way
higher
up
;
but
are
hollowed
out
towards
the
top
,
and
terminate
in
a
sort
of
turrets
communicating
with
the
interior
of
the
keep
itself
.
The
distant
appearance
of
this
huge
building
,
with
these
singular
accompaniments
,
is
as
interesting
to
the
lovers
of
the
picturesque
,
as
the
interior
of
the
castle
is
to
the
eager
antiquary
,
whose
imagination
it
carries
back
to
the
days
of
the
Heptarchy
.
A
barrow
,
in
the
vicinity
of
the
castle
,
is
pointed
out
as
the
tomb
of
the
memorable
Hengist
;
and
various
monuments
,
of
great
antiquity
and
curiosity
,
are
shown
in
the
neighbouring
churchyard
.
When
Coeur-de-Lion
and
his
retinue
approached
this
rude
yet
stately
building
,
it
was
not
,
as
at
present
,
surrounded
by
external
fortifications
.
The
Saxon
architect
had
exhausted
his
art
in
rendering
the
main
keep
defensible
,
and
there
was
no
other
circumvallation
than
a
rude
barrier
of
palisades
.
A
huge
black
banner
,
which
floated
from
the
top
of
the
tower
,
announced
that
the
obsequies
of
the
late
owner
were
still
in
the
act
of
being
solemnized
.
It
bore
no
emblem
of
the
deceased
's
birth
or
quality
,
for
armorial
bearings
were
then
a
novelty
among
the
Norman
chivalry
themselves
and
,
were
totally
unknown
to
the
Saxons
.
But
above
the
gate
was
another
banner
,
on
which
the
figure
of
a
white
horse
,
rudely
painted
,
indicated
the
nation
and
rank
of
the
deceased
,
by
the
well-known
symbol
of
Hengist
and
his
Saxon
warriors
.
All
around
the
castle
was
a
scene
of
busy
commotion
;
for
such
funeral
banquets
were
times
of
general
and
profuse
hospitality
,
which
not
only
every
one
who
could
claim
the
most
distant
connexion
with
the
deceased
,
but
all
passengers
whatsoever
,
were
invited
to
partake
.
The
wealth
and
consequence
of
the
deceased
Athelstane
,
occasioned
this
custom
to
be
observed
in
the
fullest
extent
.
Numerous
parties
,
therefore
,
were
seen
ascending
and
descending
the
hill
on
which
the
castle
was
situated
;
and
when
the
King
and
his
attendants
entered
the
open
and
unguarded
gates
of
the
external
barrier
,
the
space
within
presented
a
scene
not
easily
reconciled
with
the
cause
of
the
assemblage
.
In
one
place
cooks
were
toiling
to
roast
huge
oxen
,
and
fat
sheep
;
in
another
,
hogsheads
of
ale
were
set
abroach
,
to
be
drained
at
the
freedom
of
all
comers
.
Groups
of
every
description
were
to
be
seen
devouring
the
food
and
swallowing
the
liquor
thus
abandoned
to
their
discretion
.
The
naked
Saxon
serf
was
drowning
the
sense
of
his
half-year
's
hunger
and
thirst
,
in
one
day
of
gluttony
and
drunkenness
--
the
more
pampered
burgess
and
guild-brother
was
eating
his
morsel
with
gust
,
or
curiously
criticising
the
quantity
of
the
malt
and
the
skill
of
the
brewer
.
Some
few
of
the
poorer
Norman
gentry
might
also
be
seen
,
distinguished
by
their
shaven
chins
and
short
cloaks
,
and
not
less
so
by
their
keeping
together
,
and
looking
with
great
scorn
on
the
whole
solemnity
,
even
while
condescending
to
avail
themselves
of
the
good
cheer
which
was
so
liberally
supplied
.
Mendicants
were
of
course
assembled
by
the
score
,
together
with
strolling
soldiers
returned
from
Palestine
,
(
according
to
their
own
account
at
least
,
)
pedlars
were
displaying
their
wares
,
travelling
mechanics
were
enquiring
after
employment
,
and
wandering
palmers
,
hedge-priests
,
Saxon
minstrels
,
and
Welsh
bards
,
were
muttering
prayers
,
and
extracting
mistuned
dirges
from
their
harps
,
crowds
,
and
rotes
.
One
sent
forth
the
praises
of
Athelstane
in
a
doleful
panegyric
;
another
,
in
a
Saxon
genealogical
poem
,
rehearsed
the
uncouth
and
harsh
names
of
his
noble
ancestry
.
Jesters
and
jugglers
were
not
awanting
,
nor
was
the
occasion
of
the
assembly
supposed
to
render
the
exercise
of
their
profession
indecorous
or
improper
.
Indeed
the
ideas
of
the
Saxons
on
these
occasions
were
as
natural
as
they
were
rude
If
sorrow
was
thirsty
,
there
was
drink
--
if
hungry
,
there
was
food
--
if
it
sunk
down
upon
and
saddened
the
heart
,
here
were
the
means
supplied
of
mirth
,
or
at
least
of
amusement
.
Nor
did
the
assistants
scorn
to
avail
themselves
of
those
means
of
consolation
,
although
,
every
now
and
then
,
as
if
suddenly
recollecting
the
cause
which
had
brought
them
together
,
the
men
groaned
in
unison
,
while
the
females
,
of
whom
many
were
present
,
raised
up
their
voices
and
shrieked
for
very
woe
.
