[Illustration: Warwick Castle, from the Avon.]
Warwick Castle is one of the most interesting monuments of feudal
grandeur in the kingdom. The view which we have given above is from the
River Avon, from whose banks the principal part of the edifice abruptly
rises, being built upon the solid rock of freestone which bounds the
river. Viewed by itself, this portion of the building is not the most
picturesque. But taken in connection with the ancient towers of the
castle, with the ecclesiastical edifices of Warwick Town in the
back-ground, and with the Avon and its beautiful bridge in front, it
would be difficult to find a scene more imposing,--certainly impossible
to find one so rich in historical associations, which should be also so
uninjured by time.
[Illustration: CÆSAR’S TOWER, and part of WARWICK CASTLE, from the
Island.]
Passing through a road cut through the solid rock, which now presents a
plantation of shrubs judiciously arranged so as to shut out the view of
the castle till it is suddenly presented to the eye, the visitor finds
himself in a spacious area where he is at once surrounded by ancient
fortifications, and Gothic buildings of a later date, now devoted to the
peaceful occupation of the descendants of the old chieftains who here
once held a stern and bloody sway over their trembling dependants. The
keep, erected, it is said, in the days of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors, is
now only a picturesque ruin. But two towers of high antiquity are still
entire; and these are associated with the days of baronial splendour,
when many a proud man, the lord of such a castle as this, held the lives
and fortunes of trembling vassals in dependence upon his uncontrolled
will. Miserable was the condition both of “the oppressor and the
oppressed” in those evil times. One of these towers is called Cæsar’s--a
common appellation of some commanding part of the fortress in many
castles of remote antiquity.
[Illustration: GUY’S TOWER with the entrance to Warwick Castle from the
Lower Court.]
Another, and the more important of these towers, is called Guy’s. This
building is perhaps the most commanding feature of Warwick Castle. It is
a hundred and forty-eight feet in height. From whatever point it is
viewed its proportions are truly majestic. Its real grandeur is neither
advanced nor impaired by the traditions with which it is connected. Sir
Guy of Warwick is one of the heroes of the wild romances of the days of
chivalry. He is said, as is said of most of these worthies, to have
killed a giant and a dragon; but his chief exploit is thus recorded in
an old ballad:--
“On Dunmore heath I also slew
A monstrous wild and cruel beast,
Called the Dun-cow of Dunmore heath,
Which many people had opprest.”
In these days no great importance will be attached to this passage in
the good knight’s prowess; and in truth many of the bragging feats of
those days, when people rode about on great horses, clad in coats of
mail, were not a whit more valuable to mankind, or evinced more real
courage, than this vaunted destruction of the “Dun-cow.”
The state-rooms, which are exhibited at Warwick Castle, contain many
objects deserving attention. Some of the pictures are of the first order
of excellence, particularly several portraits by Vandyke. In a
greenhouse, delightfully situated in the grounds surrounding the castle,
is one of the finest and most perfect remains of antiquity, a Grecian
vase of white marble, dug up from the ruins of the Emperor Adrian’s
palace at Tivoli, and conveyed to England by the late Sir William
Hamilton. Of this celebrated piece of sculpture, now called “the Warwick
Vase,” we shall give a representation in a future number.
On the edge of the road that leads from Warwick to Coventry is a knoll,
now almost covered with trees, which was the scene of one of the most
remarkable events in our history, which forcibly illustrates the
difference between the Warwick Castle of five centuries ago, and the
Warwick Castle of the present day. It was on this mount that Piers
Gaveston, the favourite of a weak monarch (Edward II.), was beheaded.
The original name of this place was Blacklow-hill. It is now called
either by that name, or by that of Gaveston-hill. Piers Gaveston, the
clever but unprincipled favourite of the King, was the object of
especial enmity to the great barons who were in opposition to the crown.
After various conflicts with the monarch, they succeeded in banishing
the favourite from the kingdom: but he having impudently returned in
1312, the Earl of Warwick forcibly seized upon his person, in defiance
of an express convention, and bore him in triumph to Warwick Castle,
where the Earls of Lancaster, Hereford, and Arundel, repaired to hold a
consultation about their prisoner. His fate was speedily decided. He was
dragged to Blacklow-hill, about two miles from Warwick Castle, where he
was beheaded amidst the scorn and reproach of his implacable and
perfidious enemies. On the top of Blacklow-hill there is a rude stone,
on which the name of Gaveston, and the date of his execution, are cut in
ancient characters. As we now look upon the beautiful prospect which
this summit presents, it is satisfactory to contrast the peacefulness
and the fertility that are spread around, with the wild appearance that
the same spot must have exhibited at the period of lawless violence
which we have described; and to reflect that such a tragedy can never
again occur, as long as all men are under the equal justice of the laws.
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ON THE MEANINGS OF WORDS.--No. 2.
Every body must be aware that the same word has sometimes several
significations; and that words at the present day are often used in a
different sense from that which they had a few centuries ago, or even in
the time of our fathers. This necessarily arises from the great changes
that are constantly taking place in society: new inventions and new
ideas either require new words to express them, or render it necessary
to use old words in new senses. Owing to the rapidity with which a
population of a mixed character is pouring into the United States of
North America, we find that new words are in the process of formation,
because they are wanted; and we find also, that the English language in
that country is occasionally borrowing a word from the language of the
new comers. Thus, for instance, in some parts the word _plunder_ is
vulgarly used to signify _baggage_, having been introduced by the German
settlers. A man who is just arriving at his place of destination may
chance to hear himself spoken of in the following terms: “Mr. B. is just
come with his plunder.” We do not mean that it should be inferred from
this that the English language is much corrupted in the United States:
on the contrary, we believe it is spoken with greater purity by a
proportionally larger number in that country than in Great Britain. But
still such changes as we have alluded to are taking place there with
more rapidity than among ourselves.
One of the principal divisions of grammar is etymology, by which term is
meant “the classifying of words which resemble one another in the mode
in which they are written, and in the general meanings assigned to
them.” The term etymology also includes “the tracing of the different
significations of a word, and showing how one proceeds from another.”
This latter division of the subject is one of great extent, and often of
great difficulty; and though not well adapted either for the amusement
or instruction of all classes of readers, yet it is still highly curious
and interesting to many. The history of some words would be much more
amusing than the lives of half the people included in our common
Biographies.
Thus, to take a few familiar instances of the changes which words have
undergone, we all know pretty well what is now meant by a _knave_; but
this word formerly signified a servant, or person of inferior condition,
who waited on a superior. In our translation of the Bible, the words
“cunning workman” signify a “skilful workman”; but the word _cunning_
has now a different meaning. Whose fault it is that these two words have
changed their signification--whether it is the fault of the master or
the man, we will not venture to decide.
It should be remarked that our language at present contains, in many
instances, two sets of words which signify the same things. Such words
as _velocity_, _effeminate_, _timid_, _executed_, differ respectively
very little in meaning from the words _swiftness_, _womanish_,
_fearful_, and _done_. The words of the former class are of Latin
origin, and have for the most part been introduced into our language
either directly from the Latin, or from the French and the Italian. We
have received a large addition to such words within the last century;
and we are still receiving them rather faster than they are wanted.
Words of the second class belong to the real substance of our language,
and may be called words of Saxon origin: it is this part of our language
which resembles so closely the Dutch, the German, and some other
European languages that belong to one and the same family.
As a specimen of our pure unmixed language, we can find none better than
the received version of the Bible, which, for simplicity, force, and
clearness, is hardly equalled by any other composition in the English
tongue. The Lord’s prayer is a perfect example of genuine English: it
contains very few words of Latin origin. It is altogether composed of
pure Saxon terms; and for this reason alone, independent of its internal
excellence, it would merit our peculiar attention, as showing the
genuine beauty and simplicity of our ancient Saxon tongue.
The writings of Dr. Johnson may be considered as a specimen of Latinized
English, which, though sometimes sounding and forcible, is more
frequently bombastic, unmeaning, and disagreeable to all who relish
simplicity, either in manner or in language. As a general rule, it may
be safely affirmed, that our best writers, by which term we mean the
best _both in matter and in language_, prefer words of Saxon origin;
while those who pretend to more knowledge than they possess, are fond of
dressing the littleness of their thoughts in the most gaudy attire they
can find. Even the menders of shoes have caught the infection; and
instead of the plain old announcement of “shoes mended here,” we are now
frequently told that “repairs are executed;” while perhaps at the next
door we may learn that “funerals are performed.”
It is of more importance than at first sight it may appear, that our
children should be well trained to use and understand the Saxon part of
our language; for though it is true that we now possess numerous
Latinized words which are both useful and indispensable, it is also true
that a great number of our words which come from the Latin or French do
not convey ideas so clear and precise as the genuine words of our
language. In composing books, then, for young children of all classes,
but more particularly those of the poorer class, it is of great
importance to avoid Latinized words as much as possible. When they have
made some progress in understanding the meanings of the Saxon words,
they may read books in which Latinized words are used whenever they are
found necessary, which, we venture to say, will not often be the case.
In our next number we shall commence the classification of the Saxon
nouns of our language.
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