Purposing to visit the west of Engfand, I felt that both health and pleasure might be consulted by a voyage by steam from London to Plymouth. I shall not trespass on your indulgence, by observations on the early part of my journey leaving "Woolwich and Wapping smelling strong of pitch," and Grenewich ther many a shrew is inne," and all the common routine of places so familiar to the steam-boat tourist, without comment. With respect to this mode of travelling, I feel certain that any one who may be inclined to take this voyage will be highly gratified by his choice, were it only to see the truly magnificent spectacles of the rising and setting sun upon the

ocean.

The bold eminences of Dover, crowned with the ruined church, and the noble antique fortress, shew no where in so bold a point of view as from the sea; and what object on a journey by land can equal the view of the fine promontory of Beachey Head, one of the grandest objects of coast scenery in the kingdom. But the most delightful part of the voyage, is where the lofty cliffs and bold headlands of the southern coast of Devon are approached after passing Start Point.

A glimpse of the distant Eddystone, breaking the horizon, is gained, but too indistinct to give a fair idea of this creation of the genius of Smeaton, who overcoming difficulties to others insurmountable, raised a monument of skill never perhaps to be surpassed. The entrance to Plymouth Sound is rendered highly interesting by its containing the most extensive work of mo

dern days, the Breakwater. The forcible rebuke of Canute to his flatterers would here seem to have lost its moral; by human genius and human power, the fury of the waves is restrained, and by this mighty wall they seem forbid to enter armed with their destructive powers, one of the most beautiful, and now, perhaps, the most. secure harbour in existence. The splendid scenery of Mount Edgcombe, which might well tempt the invader of our shores to claim it for his residence, and the town of Devonport, crowned with its column, bespoke a conclusion of the voyage, and the dropping the anchor in the Catwater, seemed by the crowd of boats surrounding the steam vessel, with the dense mass of houses in Plymouth, a repetition of the scene I had left in London two days previously.

As my object is to notice principally objects of architecture and antiquity, I purpose to make the subject of this paper, the ancient and interesting mansion of

COTEHELE.

A delightful excursion of about eighteen miles on the river Tamar, precedes the arrival at this ancient seat: on the way are seen Moditonham, a handsome modern seat; and on a lofty eminence, the modern gothic mansion, or castle as it is styled, of Pentilly. The tomb, which has excited some interest, is not to be seen from the water. The grounds about the mansion of Cotehele are delightfully wooded; lofty trees, with foliage of almost unchecked luxuriance shut out the view of the mansion from the river; and it is not seen until it is closely approached. There is a singularity about this mansion, which requires to be accounted for. It cannot claim an origin in very remote antiquity, the earliest parts being not older than the reign of Henry the Seventh; yet the narrowness of the windows and other openings, and the tower above the gateway, would lead to the idea that it was built in an early and insecure period. This, I think, may be accounted for from the fact that the builder, Sir Richard Edgecumbe, had encountered personal danger in the wars of the Roses; and having built his mansion in the early part of the reign of Henry the Seventh, so soon after the conclusion of the conflict, he would naturally be impressed with the

fear that the reign of the newly-enthroned monarch might not be more peaceable than that of his predecessors; and he built his mansion under these impressions in the style in which we see it.

The house is quadrangular, with a court-yard in the centre, and, like the generality of the mansions of antiquity, has the appendages of a Hall and Chapel. It is built of moorstone generally, in irregular courses, though some of the blocks are exceedingly large.

The west front is not imposing, from the want of height, which detracts much from its general appearance."

The entrance is not in the centre, and is only wide enough for footpassengers; it consists of an obtuse pointed arch, slightly moulded with foliage in the spandrils; it is enclosed within another of larger dimensions with a weather cornice, and in the space between the two arches is a blank shield, accompanied by two bold leaves. The windows are situated high in the wall; they are of small dimensions, being in fact little more than enlarged loopholes. The chimneys are square, having caps formed

The buildings probably underwent some alteration about the year 1627, as that date appears carved in stone above the gateway.-Beauties of England and

Cornwall.

with coping stones. Above the entrance rises a tower of a cubical form, with an embattled parapet, which differs from many erections of the same kind in not taking its rise from the ground, the front of the tower being a continuation of the face of the wall of the main building.

On entering the court through the gateway, the Hall is seen in the front, and near it on the west side of the quadrangle, the eastern window of the Chapel.

The interior of the Hall is very interesting. The roof is timber, and arched; and on the walls hang various pieces of armour and weapons of considerable antiquity, with a complete suit of armour, which, however, is probably not older than the civil wars. In the end walls are apertures in the shape of a quatrefoil, which admit a view of the Hall from adjacent apartments, and would allow the motions of persons assembled in it to be watched; a matter sanctioned by the suspicious character of the times in which the structure was erected; or perhaps the lady of the house may have exercised the spirit of surveillance which Pope ascribes to the lady of Stanton Harcourt, who from her chapel for private devotion, had a lattice into the hall, "intended (as we imagine) that, at the same time as she prayed, she

might have an eye on the men and maids." "'* There are some specimens of ancient furniture preserved in the Hall; in particular a chair, bearing the date 1627, which marks perhaps the age of the chief part of the furniniture in the mansion.

The following arms are represented in stained glass in the windows:

1. Gules, a bend lozengy Argent, a label of three points Azure; impaling, Gules, on on a bend Ermines, coticed Or, three boars' heads couped Argent, Edgecumbe.

2. Baron. Argent, on a fesse Azure between two chevrons Gules three escallops Or. Femme as No. I.

3. Or, a chevron between three escallops Azure;t impaling, Or, three lions passant in pale Sable.

4. Or, three Torteaux, a label of three points Azure, each point charged with three Plates in pale, Courtenay.

5. Azure, an eagle displayed Or, a chief Argent; impaling, Argent, a chevron Azure between three buckles Or.

6. England and France quarterly. 7. Edgecumbe; impaling, Azure, semee of fleurs-de-lis, a lion rampant Argent. 8. Baron as in No. 2, impaling Baron in No. 2.

9. Baron as in No. 2, impaling, Sable, a ram's head cabossed Argent, attired Or.

10. The Femme in the last shield, impaling, Or, a bend nebulé Sable.

The Chapel projects from the western side of the mansion; it is small and neat. I enclose a sketch of the

exterior.

The doorway to the right leads into the great court. It will be seen by the engraving that the Chapel consists of a small nave, with a southern entrance, and has a small bell tower. The square window in the west end is unglazed, the aperture being secured by iron bars; but allowing any person who may be standing on the outside to see the altar, so that the elevation of the Host might distinctly be seen even by those persons who, from want of space, or other causes, might not be admitted into the body of the Chapel. At a distance of a few feet from the door lies an ancient font, 19 inches square by 14 inches deep; it is formed of one block of moorstone, and panelled, not ornamentally, at the sides. From the circumstance of the font it

Pope's Letters, No. 30, to the Duke of Buckingham.

This is probably a modification of the

last coat.

is evident that parochial duty was at some period performed in the Chapel, and it is not improbable that the mansion and its grounds anciently, either was, or claimed to be, an extra-parochial district. I am not aware whether it be so at present.

The interior of the Chapel is approached from the mansion by the hall, to which it communicates by means of a small room. The roof is of timber, ribbed and panelled, and coved in the form of an obtuse arch. The altar is oak, with upright panels having quatrefoil heads. An ancient altar-cloth be

longing to this Chapel is preserved in

the house. It is formed of red velvet, powdered with fleurs-de-lis; the part which would be shown when it was laid upon the altar, had a crucifix in the centre, accompanied by the twelve Apostles, in rich embroidery, and the following arms: Edgecumbe impaling the ram's head, as No. 9 in the hall.

The crucifix on the altar is modern; the ancient one having, in all probability, fallen a sacrifice to the same spirit of fanaticism which caused the font to be thrust out of the Chapel.

In the south window, which is shown in the engraving, are representations in painted glass of St. Anne and St. Katherine. The east window is pointed; it is divided by mullions into three lights, with upright divisions on the head of the arch. In the Chapel are the following arms: Azure, an arrow erect Sable. Sir T. Cotehele, 1589.

This date, I should think, applies to most of the interior fittings of the Chapel, as well as the house itself; and as it was subsequent to the Reformation, it will account for the altar table being constructed of wood, although so much of the veneration of

ancient custom had been observed as to preserve the altar form in the construction of it. At the west end is an ancient clock, which, I apprehend, has long ceased to work.

The limit of a single visit will not allow me to particularize, or even to notice incidentally, the various curious articles of furniture contained in this

1833.]

arches with terminal columns, and at the feet pelicans. In this room is a steel mirror. The rooms retain the dog irons in the fireplaces, some of which are probably as old as the mansion.

In the grounds is another Chapel, which derives an interest from the circumstance of its having been erected by Sir Richard Edgcumbe in commemoration of a miraculous escape from his pursuers, by precipitating himself from the rock on which it stands into the water. It is much injured by modern alterations, and externally retains little of its original features. It is stated to have been repaired in 1767; at which period, in all probability, the present appearance was given to the structure.

In the interior are several ancient paintings, which probably formed the decorations of an ancient altar-piece; when entire it represented the Annunciation. On one portion the Virgin is represented on the compartment with a book and lily; beneath, on a pedestal, are the following arms: Sable, on a chief indented Or, a crosier erect, and a mitre impaling, Argent, a bezant between three swords in pale Sable. The angel is on another portion, and is attired in a red robe, with a border ornamented with frets, in his hands a label inscribed "Ave Maria plena gratia." On the pedestal below the figure are these arms: Gules, two keys in Saltire, the bows downward, and in chief the Pope's tiara Or, impaling Azure, a cross flory between five martlets, 2, 2 and 1, Or.—St. Edward the Confessor. In the east window is a painting on glass of a female saint with a sword, St. George, a crucifix, and the following arms, viz.

1. Edgcumbe, impaling Argent, on a chief Azure, an eagle displayed Or. 2. Edgcumbe, impaling Or, a chevron between three escallops Azure.

3. Quarterly, 1st and 4th Edgcumbe ; 2d and 3d Azure, semee of fleurs-de-lis, a lion rampant, in a bordure engrailed Argent.*

Besides these interesting subjects there is an ancient painting of the monument of the founder of the Chapel, who was buried in the conventual

Church of Morlaix in Bretagne in September, 1489, which is well deserving of an engraving, and an an

This coat is probably a family alteration of the arms of the Femme in No. 7 in the hall.

21

THE choir of Arundel Church is magnificent in all its dimensions. Broad, long, and lofty, it is well calculated to hold with convenience, and to display with elegance, the tombs of the Fitz Alans, the builders of the fabric, which, while it was appropriated to the use of the college, was, at the same time, the sepulchre of the family, and the principal receptacle of their monumental trophies. Besides this, the Fitz-Alans had a Chapel on the north side, entirely private, and furnished with an altar, stalls, and every other convenience for the performance of religious duties; and here also they were entombed.

Those who expect to find the beauty of the architecture corresponding with the extent of the building, and suiting the wealth and dignity of its patrons, and the importance of its destination, will not be disappointed; at least, they will contemplate the surviving remains of enrichments, once perfect and highly beautiful, and the more elegant and admirable, as they were sparingly bestowed in an age which would have sanctioned a far less parsimonious display. But those who designed the choir remembered that its chief ornaments were to consist of tombs and effigies. For this reason, an extent beyond, perhaps, what just symmetry between the component members of a cruciform church would require, was given to its dimensions, and a simplicity observed in its adornment; for, had the space been less ample, the tombs, necessarily confined beyond the boundary of the stalls, would have crowded upon each other; and, had the architecture been more enriched, the correctness of its design would unavoidably have been blemished by the attachment at different periods of tombs and canopies, as discordant in their proportions as they must have been diversified in their style. But blank walls were reserved till they could be occu

pied by objects more attractive and ornamental than canopied niches or carved tracery; and by successive additions the high altar was at last surrounded with the best embellishments of a sacred edifice. The choir has no pretensions to external beauty above the rest of the Church. A plain pediment protects a broad window of handsome but more highly enriched tracery than that in the lateral windows, which are less spacious, although in every other respect more elegant. But the FitzAlan Chapel on the north side, is distinguished by its ornaments; it is not so long as the choir, and is of greater breadth than the lateral aile of the body; it is joined to the transept; and the superiority of its ornaments is only on the outside, where the windows have crocketed canopies and panels, and the walls a carved parapet.

The length and breadth of the Chapel are 54 feet and 20 feet, and the dimensions of the chancel 85 feet and 29 feet. They are separated by clustered pillars, supporting three Pointed arches, which are filled to a considerable height with an embattled wall of stone, having a small doorway for admission from one side to the other. The choir has two entrances towards the south, but both chapel and choir have their chief approaches at the west end. The arch of the former has a low wooden screen, handsomely paneled and carved; and that of the latter an open screen of wrought iron, completely enclosing the arch, and having a pair of gates with a lock, and an embattled cornice ornamented with roses and lion's heads. Fifteen stalls, on either side of the choir, occupied the lower half of its extent, and greatly contributed to its beauty and magnificence. Their height was limited by a bold and massy cornice, which no violence has yet shaken from its firm position; but the canopies, unconnected as they were with the backs of the seats, were too much exposed to escape demolition, which proved so effectual that the fragments will scarcely enable the antiquary to form an adequate idea of their primitive design.

About midway in its length, the floor of the choir is elevated by one step, and a little beyond there is a regular gradation of ascent by four steps, occupying a breadth of 20 feet, to the high altar, which remains. It is 12 feet long and perfectly plain;

and is attached to a stone screen, separated from the extreme eastern wall by an interval of nearly seven feet. In this space there is also a perfect stone altar, approached by a handsome doorway on each side the high altar. There is no other object in this place worthy of engaging attention, with the exception of the mutilated screen and a small doorway in the southern corner, through which the members of the college descended by means of a steep and rather dangerous flight of steps into the Church.

A rare combination of science, taste, and ingenuity was displayed by the architect in the construction of the roof, which, in an arch gradually ascending to a point, spanned the ample space in the most beautiful proportions; and the ribs which supplied its ramified tracery owed their support to corbels of stone in the intervals of the windows. It is difficult to describe tracery of any kind; but perhaps the reader may form some idea of this noble timber canopy,whose numerous and massy relics, long dispersed on the floor, and promiscuously mingled with the no less substantial beams of the stalls, had never been polluted with paint,-by being told that three parallel and equidistant ribs united the side pendants with the radiated compartments of the centre; all being reduced to uniform sizes, and containing tracery. A knot at every intersection enriched the design, and there is so much beauty both in the invention and carving of these ornaments, that one might have supposed they were intended for close examination; but they were elevated nearly fifty feet above the floor, and, such is the reverse, they are now scattered on the pavement, and abused by every idle visitor.

Besides the tombs of the Fitz-Alans, there are some others of a less prominent and dignified character. These are on a level with the common floor, and the little attention which, during the last half century, has been bestowed upon those belonging to the ancient owners of Arundel Castle, has been withheld from the sepulchral brasses of eminent families, brethren of the college, and pious priests, with which they are associated.

The principal tombs are four in number. One in the centre, before the steps leading to the altar; one on the