[Illustration: FRONT OF NEWARK CASTLE.]
Descending again to the banks of the Trent, we come to the causeway
which carries over the flat meadows the Great North Road, the Roman
military route to the north of England, which made it necessary to build
a castle to hold the keys to its passage across the river. We are told
that Egbert built the earliest fortress here, but the Danes destroyed
it. Leofric, Earl of Mercia, rebuilt it, and gave the castle the name of
the "New Work." But it too fell into decay, and in 1123 the present
castle was built, which though much altered and afterwards sadly ruined,
has come down to the present time. It was here that, after his army was
swamped in the Wash, King John died, some say by poison, but the prosaic
historian attributes the sad result to over-indulgence in "unripe
peaches and new beer." In the Civil War it was a royal stronghold and
sent King Charles large numbers of recruits. Then it was besieged by
Cromwell, but stoutly resisted, and Prince Rupert by some brilliant
manoeuvres relieved it. Finally, the king sought refuge within its
walls after the defeat at Naseby, and here he was besieged by the Scotch
until his voluntary surrender to them at Southwell, when two days
afterwards, by his order, Newark capitulated to his captors. The
Parliamentary forces afterwards dismantled the castle, and it fell into
decay, but it has recently been restored as well as possible, and the
site converted into a public garden. Within the town of Newark are
several objects of interest. At the Saracen's Head Inn, which has
existed from the time of Edward III., Sir Walter Scott tells us that
Jeanie Deans slept on her journey from Midlothian to London. The most
striking part of the town is the market-square, which is very large, and
is surrounded by old and interesting houses, several of them projecting
completely over the footwalks, and having the front walls supported upon
columns--a most picturesque arrangement. One of these old houses has
windows in continuous rows in the upper stories, having between them
wooden beams and figures moulded in plaster. Through the openings
between these old houses can be seen the church, which is one of the
finest parish churches in this district, so celebrated for the
magnificence of its religious houses. Surmounting its Early English
tower is a spire of later date. The plan is cruciform, but with very
short transepts, not extending beyond the aisles, which are wide and
stretch the entire length of the church. There is a fine roof of carved
oak, and some of the stained glass and interior paintings are highly
prized. It was at Newark that Thomas Magnus lived and founded the
grammar-school at which the antiquarian Dr. Stukeley was educated, and
afterwards the famous Warburton, who became Bishop of Gloucester.
[Illustration: NEWARK CASTLE AND DUNGEON.]
In Newark, about three hundred years ago, there was a tavern called the
"Talbot Arms," named in honor of the Earl of Shrewsbury, whose countess
was Mary, daughter of the famous Bess of Hardwicke by her second
husband, Sir William Cavendish. Between the Talbots and the neighboring
family of Stanhopes at Shelford there was a feud, which resulted in the
Stanhopes defacing the tavern-sign. This was not taken notice of by the
Earl of Shrewsbury, but the quarrel was assumed by the imperious
countess and her brother, Sir Charles Cavendish. They despatched a
messenger to Sir Thomas Stanhope, accusing him and his son of the
insult, and declaring him a "reprobate and his son John a rascal." Then
a few days later they sent a formal defiance: the Stanhopes avoided a
duel as long as possible until they began to be posted as cowards, and
then, having gone to London, whither Cavendish followed them, a duel was
arranged with the younger Stanhope at Lambeth Bridge. They met after
several delays, when it was found that Stanhope had his doublet so
thickly quilted as to be almost impenetrable to a sword-thrust. Then
there was a new dispute, and it was proposed they should fight in their
shirts, but this Stanhope declined, pleading a cold. Cavendish offered
to lend him a waistcoat, but this too was declined; then Cavendish
waived all objections to the doublet and proposed to fight anyhow, but
the seconds interposed, and the duel was put off. Stanhope was then
again posted as a coward, and he and his adherents were hustled in the
streets of London. A few days later Stanhope and his party were attacked
in Fleet Street by the Talbots, and one of the former faction mortally
wounded. The feud went on six years, when one day, Cavendish, riding
near his home in Nottinghamshire with three attendants, was attacked by
Stanhope and twenty horsemen. He fought bravely, and was badly wounded,
but killed four and wounded two others of his opponents, when,
reinforcements appearing, the Stanhope party fled, leaving six horses
and nearly all their hats and weapons behind them. But all feuds have an
end, and this one ultimately exhausted itself, the families within a
century being united in marriage.
[Illustration: MARKET-SQUARE.]
[Illustration: NEWARK CHURCH, LOOKING FROM THE NORTH.]