232 REVIEW.-Emerson's Letters from the Ægean. and despair of his manner, when he found, too truly, that he was no longer remembered with the fond affection which he had anticipated. He could not repress his anxiety to remind her of their late attachment, but she only heard his distant hints with astonishment and haughty surprise. He now found that the only step which remained for him was to endeavour to make a second impression on her renovated heart; but he failed." i. p. 48. The end was, that through her aversion he was obliged to forego his suit. She soon after was married to another. Her lover became thoroughly miserable, went abroad and joined the Greeks, is often and honourably mentioned among the companions of Lord Byron at Missolonghi, and was wounded in the action at Sphacteria in 1825. The unskilful management of a native surgeon, while he was in garrison at Navarino, and a fever produced by the malaria of Pylos, combined with scanty diet and bad attendance, brought on a rapid consumption, of which he died at Smyrna, desiring in his last moments that a ring which he still wore on his finger, and inscribed "to the memory of my dear mother," might be buried with him, together with a locket, which was suspended from his neck, and contained a lock of raven hair, -he did not mention whose. i. 55. We have read of an insane jockey in Bedlam, who mistook a woman for a mare, and after his recovery declared that he really took her for one. We are inclined to think that the poor girl had lost her seuses from love for some person, and during her phrenzy mistook the student for him; but upon recovery totally forgot both. We have not an opportunity of consulting Pinel on Mental Alienation, &c. &c. for a better explanation. As dreams are forgotten, so we suppose may be impressions made under aberrations of intellect. The tyrannical treatment of women in the East has its origin in the presumed inferiority of the sex. The Greek is worse than the Turk. The former inflicts present degradation, to inculcate perfect submission; and so little regard does he pay to wife or daughters, that British naval officers have on more than one occasion been solicited to receive the sons of chiefs on board, while daughters and wives have been left to await their fate amongst the lumber of the houses. i.83. Our author makes the following remark upon this subject: [March, "I have invariably observed that the further we progress towards the south in any country, the situation of females becomes more deplorable and unhappy. In northern latitudes alone woman is the better half of creation; as we draw towards more genial climes, she gradually merges into equality, inferiority, a deprivation of her rights and dignity, and at last, in the vicinity of the line, a total denial of a reasouing principle or an immortal essence, which might enjoy in another world those privileges of which she is tyrannically debarred in this." Our author is well supported in these remarks; but it appears from Millar's Origin of Ranks, and other works, that human institutions have much to do with this; nevertheless, where severity of climate compels men to indoor living for their comforts, the women and children acquire of course a more equal and companionable character. In the East, the subordinate situation of women, and the superiority of male children above females, is unquestionably a principle derived from the most remote antiquity; for it occurs in Gen. iii. 16, Jer. i. 37, Levit. xii. 4, 5, John xvi. 21, 1 Cor. xi. 8, 9, xiv. 34, 1 Tim. ii. 11, &c. &c. Grecian beauty has, it seems, disappeared. Our author says, that he never saw a striking figure, and scarce a lovely face, throughout the country. i. 172. Oriental moonlight is excessively splendid. The sky is not, as with us, an ebon concave, gemmed with brilliants, but one calm expanse of saddened blue, so soft that it seems to blend with the outline of the silvery Moon, and so bright, as to form a scarcely distinguished contrast with the twinkling stars. Every object was as distinct as in a northern twilight; the snowy summit of the mountain, the long sweep of the valley, and the flashing current of the river." i. p. 205. We think that the favourite pattern of ceilings, of a blue sky with stars, mentioned by Herodotus, seen in Egyptian temples, and copied in our country churches, might have been originally suggested by this splendid moonlight scenery. The use of wheeled carriages has the effect of producing good roads, and cleanliness in towns; for to the disuse of such vehicles our author ascribes the dirtiness of such places in Turkey. i. 220. It is well known that the palace of Ulysses in Homer was entered through stables, near adjacent dunghills, &c. 1829.] REVIEW.-Hodgson's History of Northumberland. and it appears that in the houses of the Smyrniots, both Greek and Moslemin, "the tottering staircase, which leads to the most gorgeous apartments, is often approached through a stable, into which the ground-floor of the mansion has been converted; and mud-walled houses, supported by transverse beams of timber, not unfrequently inclose chambers whose gilded cornices, carved ceilings, tinted windows, and splendid furniture, realize all we have read of oriental grandeur." i. 229. Sidonian women are commemorated by Homer (II. vi.) for excellence in embroidery; and it appears that a gentleman's servant, a native of Saide (olim Sidon) wore a sort of tunic covered, especially at the back and arms, with the closest embroidery, and patches of variegated cloth. (ii. 31.) This occurrence reminded Mr. Emerson of Joseph's many-coloured coat, and the prey of divers colours of needlework." (Judges, ch. v. ver. 30.) At Paros Mr. Emerson saw in use a pair of bellows answering to Virgil's description (Georg. iv. I. 170). It consisted of two sheep-skins, united by an iron pipe, introduced into the fire, which were alternately dilated with air, and compressed by an Arab slave, who knelt above them. ii. 181. Ancient bridges are very rare, but in p. 211 we have an ancient bridge thrown up near the ascent of Mount Cythnus, where it was necessary to cross a fissure in the rocks. "The bridge was composed of a few long blocks of stone, made secure at the base, and leaning towards each other, so as to form an acute [say obtuse] angle at their juncture. Over this was strewn the layer of earth and stones which formed the pathway by which we crossed the ravine." ii. 211. This contrivance, says our author, is precisely the same as that at the [artificial] entrance to the pyramids of Gizeh. It can of course be executed only in large stones, and the arch was devised to answer the same purpose with small stones, by means of the wedge principle; and its tendency to throw pressure upon the abutments, because if the arch cannot bend under weight, compression only squeezes its parts closer together. We are obliged to leave many other interesting things, particularly nume rous valuable illustrations of Scripture, from the present manners of the East. GENT. MAG. March, 1829. 233 These may, among various other proofs, be sufficient to show that an cient books can only be explained by contemporary, or as good as contemporary, authors; and that so far as concerns explanation, the Bible can no more be understood by the Bible, than Virgil can by Virgil, or Shakspeare by Shakspeare. Let any man take the strict text of Hudibras, and then the edition by Grey. In fact, the modern notion of self-interpreting books, where manners and customs are intermixed, is an absurdity in se. Shakspeare never was nor could have been understood, till Steevens illustrated him. We have, however, only to hope that this book will meet with the success which its merit and entertainment justly claim. Hodgson's History of Northumberland. (Continued from p. 39.) THE following extract throws great light upon the views and objects consulted in castellation. "And althoughe yt may be thought that the said Castell of Warke cannot where yt standeth be tenable against the sege royall, because that syde thereof where the dongeon standeth, ys not by the nature of the self grounde defensyble from the daunger of mynnery, yet under the correction of suche men of greate experyence & dyscreton as have lately by the kings maties comaundemente vyewed & consydered the same yt woll be very harde (as we thinke) thereabout to fynde a place for all respects more necessary & convenyente for the defence & relefe of that frountier & border, then where the same castell nowe standeth, and the said castell as yt maye (as we esteme) wth the coste of twoo hundreth pounds or lyttle more be repared, amended, & fynyshed, in suche wyse as yt shalbe not onely able to receyve & lodge two hundred souldiours in tymme of warre, wth all their horses, in the myddle warde, but also in the utter warde thereof, releyve & harborowe all the ten'nts and inhabytantes of the said Lordeshippe wth their goodes in tyme of nede. And a garryson of two hundreth men layde there in tyme of warre may do more annyance & dyspleasures to the Scottes, & more relefe to the yf they were in any other place of all the Englyshe inhabytants of that border, then said marches. "And consyderynge the Scottes & especyally the borderers to be men of no great experyence or engyne in the assaillinge of fortresses, as we thinke the said castell myghte be where yt standeth fortefyed in suche wyse that yt well defended mighte be 234 REVIEW.-Hodgson's History of Northumberland. [March, able to withstande the Scottes armye to suche tyme as an armye mighte be p'pared wthin this realm of England, and avaunced thyther for rescues of the same. And yf yt were the kings maties pleasure, we thinke there might be wthin the cyrcuyte of the said castell a strong towre or kepe devysed and made for the savegarde of suche mens lyves as were wthin the said castell when in extreme nede shoulde chance, and that towre to be prepared, fortefyed, and kept only for suche a purpose. The speciall decayes of the said Castell of Warke of necessytie requysite to be repared in brefe tyme. "Fyrste, the walls of the chefe towre or doungeon muste be cov'ed wth leade for poservynge of the same from the rayne water that falleth, and by estimacon that woll take four fother of leade or lytle more. "And where for lacke of cov'ture of the same heretofore, as yt ys thoughte the wall of the said tower ys ryven in two places, whiche muste be amended, and for the better assystance of the same two stronge buttresses to be rased from the grounde, one joyninge to eyther syde of the said tower. "Also there ys a longe house that was devysed & never fynyshed wthin the mydle warde of the said castell, whereof the walles be rased of lyme & stone, and nether rooffe, floores, nor cov'ture standinge upon or in the same. That house was devysed for the lodgynges of two hundredth souldyours in warre tyme. "There ys also another longe house wthin the said castell, wth stables uuderneth, and garners above, whiche would be better rep'elled both in the coverynges, floores, partycons, & other necessaryes requysite to the same. "The bullwarkes within bothe the utter & inwarde warde, wch at the last sege of the said castell was for the instante necessytie made of dovett turves & earthe ware, requyset to be made of lyme & stone, for the better and more durable contynuance of the same. Other defences we find to be towers with and without barme-kins*, and even little stone houses, deemed a great releyffe to the tenants of a place, but easily burnt down, if the walls were too low (p. 184); barmekyns to be added to every tower (188), a little tower, the parson's mansion, and also a defence of the town (192); a bastell house (p. 216), one, we suppose, of timbers; and strong houses, "made for "Barmekyns for the savegarde of their cattals, so sone, as there ys any apperance or suspecion of warre. (p. 187.) They were covered in the rooffe, and floores and walls of the barmekyn." P. 192. the most part the utter sydes or walles of grett sware [q. square?] oke trees, strongly bounde and joyned together w'th great tenor of the same so thycke harde, mortressed, that yt wylbe very w'thoute greatt force and laboure, to breake or caste downe any of the said houses, the tymber, as well of the said walles as rooffes, be so greatt & cov'ed most p'te w'th turves and earthe, that they wyll not easyly burne or be sett on fyre. (p. 233.) Lastly, among these minor defences, we shall mention one which we think illustrates our ancient camps placed upon the brows of hills. "Symondburne ys a-greatt and strongely buylded towre standynge very defencyble upon the corner of an hyll, envyrouned upon thre q'ters thereof w'th a depe staye hyll almost inaccessible, so that a barmekyn wall of a meane height sett upon the toppe of that hyll, were defencyble enough so farre as the said hyll stretches, and where the hyll ceases there must the barmekyn be made higher and stronger." P. 235. We shall conclude these illustrations of ancient castellation, with a survey of Norham, which explains the causes of certain important parts in the construction. "That Castle, for lacke of contynuall reparation, is in much decaye, for the first utter walles of the inner ward toward Scotland endlong the banke of the river of Twead, be much corrupted, by occasion that the said wall hath not been covered with leade, but that the rayne water fallinge thereon, hath alwais discended into the wall, and by contynuance hath soe putryfied the lyme and stone of the same, that theire hath sundry peices fallen forth of the same. And more is like so to doe, and as appeareth a smalle battery on that north syde from Jeynham in Scotland opposite thereunto, would bringe downe that longe wall endlong, the halle and kitchen from the new wall at the staire or turnepike uppon the north east corner of the said inner warde unto the end of the oven in the kitchen, which is a full quarter of the saide inner warde; and leaveth all the reste thereof open to the sight of Scotland. The said inner warde of that Castle is in no place flancked, save by a little bulwarke or casamata made in it towarde the utter warde, which flanketh betweene the gates and the doungeon, and may with hagbuttes beat a good parte within the utter warde. Albeit the poynt of that litle bulwarke is (by no meanes) warded or flanked. The dungeon of that Castle hathe beene a verye large and strongly baylded tower of great hight, whereof almoste the one halfe hathe beene decayed and fallen longe sithence. It is flanked in 1929.) REVIEW-Hodgson's History of Northumberland. no place save that the said litle bulwarke flanketh a great part thereof towarde the utter warde, the gates of the inner ward lye very playne and open, and might well be more covertly casten and better for defence. "The utter warde is invyroned towarde the east, south, and west, with a very old thynne and weake wall, save that theire be sundrve litle towers made thereon to flank the foote of the said wall, which were not ingenyously devised, for the poynts or grounde of none of the said towers be flanked, but that a man may come to the poynts thereof without danger of any shote, other then such as is shotte forther right. And the said walles of the utter warde be both olde and much decayed. There is a place also towardes the north side of the said utter warde at the west ende of the Chappell, where the wall is soe lowe, that a man maye forth of Scottland uppon the banck head towarde the Lady Church, view and see any man that stirreth within the said utter warde, specially in passage from the upper gates into the inner warde, which would be a meanded with no great charge. Fynally, that Castle standing in soe meete a place for the defence of the frontier and countrey there about were convenient (as me thinke) to be in the Kinges maiesties handes, and soe would it be better repayred and maynteyned, that it is or hath bene by Bushopps of Durham who hath passed the matter lightly over every man for his tyme. "And if it were the Kings Maiesties castle, first the wall of the utter warde being ameanded (as it might be with no great charge). And shedds or toofalls made towardes the inner side of the same from the south east corner thereof to the north west part, when the gate hath growe of old tyme towards the towne, the same would be a strong barmekyn or fortilage for the saugarde of a great nomber of cattle of the country in tyme of warre when enemyes did invade. And therein also might be then savelier lodged and have stabling for their horses, one hundred and mo horsemen in tyme of warre. Those shedds and toofalls being made bylowe for stables, and a lodging above for souldiers. "The iron gates of the utter warde be hong very unwisely uppon the utter side for the enemyes may come and pike the crakes of them forth of the wall where they might hange better in purpose ynnermore in that gatehouse in a payre of wood gates without them to cover them. "Also the olde gates towardes the towne at the northwest corner of the said utter warde, were best, as me think, to be mowred upp, aud a privy postorn covertly conveyed that waye, which might serve either for assayly to yssue forth of the Castle towarde the Rescues of the Towne from a .235 suddayne, orells if the inhabitants of the "Also the gates at the entrye of the inner ward would be (as I think) where the gates now enter towards the west rampiered for a cover gate. And the waye more covertly conveyed to passe by the rampier at the east ende of the Chappell, and soe to come forward the north and the wall of the gatehouse unto the entry that now is, and so east warde in at the iron gates that be nowe. "I thinke also, if it were thought convenient, there might be bulwarks or casamats made without the wall to flank the north and east side of the said inner ward which I referre to more ingenious men in such feates then I am." We shall add two or three curious things upon other subjects. It that places were not inappears habited which had not arable land enough for one plough, nor parcels of meadow together, sufficient for one household. P. 222. We find also that the cause of places rendered so subject "to theves, as to be unfitt for honest poor men that gett their lyvinge eyther by labor in husbandrye or pasturinge," was owing to want of protection of their lords, 236 REVIEW.-Wood's Letters of an Architect. and deficiency in the provision of horses, In p. 233 we are told, that when a place was so overcharged with people, that they could not get a maintenance from the ground, that the young and active were obliged to turn thieves for their livelihood, and having adopted that mode of subsistence, would not leave the country, "to gett their lyvinge in other countreys and places by true labors, or any other lawful pollycies" (p. 233), and prized those most who began "sonest in youthe to practyse the selfes in theftes and robberyes." (234.) The remedy proposed is forced dispersion of them in other countries, and speedy execution of offenders. We are in the habits of passing by our old stone manor houses without knowing that they were important village fortresses, and substitutes for castles. That this is the fact is beyond all doubt, for Margaret Paston, writing to Sir John, says, "Ry't w'chipful hwsbond, I recomawnd to z and prey zw to gete some crosse bowis and wydses [windlasses to strain cross-bows], and quarrels [arrows with square heads] for z howsis her ben low, yat yer may non man schet owt wt no long bowe." (Paston Letters, ii. 315.) From hence we learn that the service of the long bow was connected with elevation in the building. From these premises may be gathered the importance of a good stone house, as a protection of the adjacent domain alluded to in the following paragraph: "An other quarter of the same pasture of Fyton more ys in the tenour of John Heron havynge as yet none habitacyon thereof, but occupyed with herdes in som'ynge of cattall, and gettinge of haye of the same, and in winter lyeth waste. Albeyt the said John Heron ys mynded (as he sayth) to buylde a stone house upon his said p'te, at a place called Towland, as his power may extend thereunto." P. 227. It is true that this volume may not partake of novel or romance; but if it be not sweetmeats, it is wine. Our extracts show that these dry records are most felicitous illustrations of ancient castles and manor houses, and being matters of record, most indisputably authentic. Nightingales are said to have only two notes in their gamut, and novelists have no more; but for the real elucidation of our national history, we must go to antiquaries, to works like these. From these we may [March, learn to value our ancestors according to their great merits. They were not Frenchified into millinery of mind, but they had surpassing good sense. They consulted the main chance, both for this world and the next. They had not the march of intellect, but they had that of prudence. They taught people to live upon their property,―a superlative happiness for them and their children; and accursed was the day when, with regard to small fortunes, this holy feeling was sacrificed to display and trumpery, to the folly of country gentlemen living now as lords did thirty years ago. But to Mr. Hodgson's work. Too much cannot be said in praise both of his industry and judgment. His Northumberland is, and ever must be, a standard work. Wood's Letters of an Architect. (Continued from p. 140.) A PROFESSIONAL man is of course best acquainted with the merits or defects of his art, and if he be not prejudiced as a mannerist, will best guide the taste, and enlarge the knowledge of the reader. Besides, it is necessary to the pleasure of a spectator, that he should have some understanding of the objects from which he expects to derive pleasure. Well does our author say, "First-rate productions never disappoint us, if we have formed a tolerably precise idea of what we are to see. It is the expectation, not of the object, but of being surprised and delighted, without any distinct notion of why this is to happen, which is disappointed; and indeed the state of mind seems almost to ensure that feel ing, since it most readily takes place with those whose previous habits have not led them to feel much interest in the objects they are about to visit." ii. 233. Now, whoever wishes to understand the architectural character of the foreign edifices which he is going to see, will do well to study the characters of them given in this most copious and useful book. To let off a proverb, he will then know how to distinguish "a hawk from a handsaw;" and if he takes notes, or publishes his travels, his remarks will not be common-place; and his gratification both in the visit and the reflection be doubled. We have not, however, room for re |