ries, for the use of themselves or any other freemen, or freemen's widows; and also in such other parts of Alnwick Moor as the lord's bailiff of the borough and the chamberlains for the time being, or a majority of them, shall think fit, without paying satisfaction. In like manner, they have liberty to dig clay and burn bricks, and to take away turves, flags, whins, and wattles; and to dig and take away sand, gravel, clay," and marle, for their own use. The freemen are allowed to set up tents or huts upon Alnwick Moor, at the horse-races; and the lord's bailiff of the borough and the chamberlains, or any two or more of them, have power to give the like liberty to non-freemen. They have also liberty to erect herds' houses, and new limekilns, in such parts of the moor as the lord's bailiff of the borough and the chamberlains, or a majority of them, shall think fit, for the conveniency of burning limestones in case of failure of the present quarries. Reasonable satisfaction must be made from time to time to the corporation, or their lessees, for damage and spoil of ground by digging or working any mines or quarries, or erecting any buildings necessary for working such mines, or laying waggon-ways or other ways, or leading or carrying away coals, stones, or other minerals, within the inclosures made from the moor. The wastes of the town belong to the lord of the manor; and the chamberlains, common council, or freemen, have no right to erect shambles, or butchers' shops, in the Market-place of the town, without licence from the lord of the manor.

Several large portions of the moor or common have at different times been inclosed, and brought into a state of cultivation. The Moor-house Farm, containing 250 acres, and Hadwin's Close, 14 acres, were inclosed in 1698. The Herd's Close, 13 acres, was inclosed in 1705. The Intake Farm, 42 acres, was inclosed in 1710. The Freemen Hill Farm, 400 acres, was inclosed in 1711. A part of the pasture in Bondgate field, called Hesleyside, was sold to the Northumberland family in 1761; and the remainder was exchanged in 1776 for the Stanley Flats, containing about 26 acres. The Bog and Broadheaps, containing about 28 acres, were purchased of Mr. Matthew Alnwick, &c. in 1696. In 1762, a part of the moor adjoining the Intake was inclosed and given to Col. Forster, Esq. by the four-and-twenty. This was suffered to remain till 1772, when G. Grieve, Esq. on the first day of his freelage, broke down the fence, and re-united it to the moor. The extent of the lands belonging to the borough is estimated at about 3380 acres. About 2610 acres of the moor remain unenclosed, and which has a bleak, dreary, and miserable appearance.

The principal business of the borough was ordered and conducted by the freemen at their guild meetings until the year 1712, after which, officers unknown in former times, and called the chamberlains and four-and-twenty, gradually extended their power, until they became a self-elected and irresponsible body. About the year 1782, this usurpation gave rise to some warm disputes; and, in 1818, the freemen and freemen's widows filed a bill of complaint and disclosure in the Court of Chancery against the four-and-twenty. The freemen have contributed (including a few donations) £700 to obtain redress; but more money is wanted to bring the suit to issue. The self-elected corporation officers defend themselves with the money that belongs to their opponents!

The annual revenue of the corporation was an arcanum, known only to the initiated, until the suit now pending rendered a disclosure unavoidable. In the year ending

Nov. 1819, the revenue was £680; and in 1821 it amounted to £640. The usual expenditure, omitting law expenses, &c. is about £350 per annum.

Alnwick being the county town of Northumberland, the county court is held here every month. All persons in the county may sue and be sued in this court. It is not a court of record, and may hold pleas of debt or damages under the value of forty shillings. It may also hold pleas of many real actions and of all personal actions to any amount by virtue of a special writ called a justicies. This court is incident to the jurisdiction of the sheriff, but the judicial authority is delegated to his deputy, the under sheriff. The attorneys plead, and the verdicts are returned by a jury of the freeholders of the county, who may be considered the real judges. The quarter sessions for the county are held at Alnwick once a year, about Michaelmas; and, for the convenience of the county, they are held once in Newcastle, once at Morpeth, and once at Hexham. The members of parliament and the coroners for the county of Northumberland are elected at Alnwick. It is also the head quarters of the Northumberland Light Infantry Regiment of Militia, the staff of which is stationed here during the time of peace, and the regiment assembles at it for embodyment. In other respects, Alnwick enjoys none of the distinctions or privileges of a county town. The county gaol is at Morpeth, where all the executions take place; and the assizes, probably for the convenience of the judges, are held in Newcastle. The Duke of Northumberland, as lord of the manor, holds a court leet and court baron twice a year, viz, at Easter and Michaelmas.

Alnwick is, upon the whole, a very healthy town, and is seldom visited with any considerable degree of contagious and malignant disorders. Being near the Border, the inhabitants are a mixed race, and provincial peculiarities are rare and trifling, From the fashionable disposition to repress and discountenance all public sports and amusements, the labouring classes are too often allured into habits of intoxication. Bull-baiting is now entirely abandoned, and cock-fighting nearly so. Although there are no literary or scientific institutions here, yet many individuals are distinguished for their ability and attainments, and strangers are often struck with the variety of character which the inhabitants exhibit. It would be improper to close this article without noticing how eminently the exertions of that enlightened and indefatigable magistrate, Sir D. W. Smith, Bart. have contributed to correct the relaxed police of this town, diminish daring misdemeanors, and repress the spirit of vexatious litigation.

The most remarkable transactions that have occurred in this ancient town will be comprehended in the history of the castle; and the remains of antiquity will be de scribed when noticing the places where they were found,

ALNWICK CASTLE, the principal seat of the Percy family, and one of the grandest baronial residences in the kingdom, with its extensive and beautiful pleasure-grounds, forms the most distinguishing ornament to the vicinity of Alnwick. It is situated on the south side of the river Aln, on an elevation that gives great dignity to its appearance, and in ancient times rendered it an impregnable fortress.

This edifice stands in a spacious area, which, at the time of its greatest strength, totally surrounded it, defended by a complete circumvallation and a moat. At present the front is opened to the north-east, and the wall, having towers at proper inter

vals, shuts it in on the other quarters; while the walls and towers form a noble flanking to the principal structure. To the south-east the garden ground appears prettily disposed; and to the south and west the town of Alnwick is seen spreading on the back ground. But some of those fine woodlands and lofty grey rocks, which impend over the Aln above Alnwick, are much wanted to give rural and romantic graces to such noble objects.

From the observations of Mr. Grose, it seems pretty evident that Alnwick Castle owes its origin to the Romans. It is believed to have been founded in their time, although no part of the original structure is now remaining: but, some years ago, when part of the dungeon, or castle keep, was taken down to be repaired, under the present walls were discovered the foundations of other buildings, which lay in a different direction from the present, and some of the stones appeared to have Roman mouldings. The dungeon, or keep, of the present castle, is conjectured to have been founded in the Saxon times. The zigzag fretwork round the arch that leads into the inner court is evidently of Saxon architecture: and yet this was probably not the most ancient entrance; for under the flag-tower, before that part was taken down and rebuilt by the first Duke of Northumberland, was the appearance of a gateway that had been walled up, directly fronting the present outward gateway into the town.

In the third year of the reign of Edward II. 1310, the castle and barony of Alnwick came into the possession of the Lord Henry de Percy, who then began to repair this castle; and he and his successors, afterwards Earls of Northumberland, perfected and completed both this citadel and its outworks. The two great octagon towers which were superadded to the old Saxon gateway afore-mentioned, and constitute the entrance into the inner ward, were erected about the year 1350, by the second Lord Percy of Alnwick. The date of the erection of these two towers is ascertained very exactly by a series of escutcheons sculptured upon them, which sufficiently supply the place of an inscription. It is very remarkable, that although these towers have now stood since the middle of the fourteenth century, they have neither received nor wanted the least repair. The escutcheons are arranged in the following order :-The shield of Tyson, Vescy, Clifford, Percy, Bolam, Plantagenet, Warren, Arundel, Umfranville, Percy (again), Neville, and Fitz-Walter. The connexion of these ancient families with this castle will appear in the following pages.

From the lapse of time, and the shocks it had sustained in ancient wars, Alnwick Castle was become quite a ruin, when, by the death of Algernon, Duke of Somerset, it devolved, together with all the estates of this barony, &c. to the first Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. He immediately began to repair the castle, and, with the most consummate taste and judgment, restored and embellished it as much as possible in the true Gothic style; so that it may deservedly be considered one of the noblest and most magnificent models of a great baronial castle. It is rebuilt on the old foundation, and in the Saxon style. The architect has strictly preserved the

* An exact and curious description of Alnwick Castle was made, about the year 1567, by George Clarkson, surveyor, and preserved amongst the evidences of the Northumberland family. The transcript of this survey was, by permission, given to Mr. Grose, by Thomas Butler, Esq. principal agent for the Duke and Duchess, and clerk of the peace for the county of Middlesex.