In The Same Chapel Is The Surcoat {13} Of Edward
III., And The Tomb Of Edward Fynes, Earl Of Lincoln, Baron Clinton
And Say, Knight Of The Most Noble Order Of The Garter, And Formerly
Lord High Admiral Of England.
The second court of Windsor Castle stands upon higher ground, and is
enclosed with walls of great strength, and beautified with fine
buildings and a tower; it was an ancient castle, of which old annals
speak in this manner:
King Edward, A.D. 1359, began a new building
in that part of the Castle of Windsor where he was born; for which
reason he took care it should be decorated with larger and finer
edifices than the rest. In this part were kept prisoners John, King
of France, and David, King of Scots, over whom Edward triumphed at
one and the same time: it was by their advice, struck with the
advantage of its situation, and with the sums paid for their ransom,
that by degrees this castle stretched to such magnificence, as to
appear no longer a fortress, but a town of proper extent, and
inexpugnable to any human force. This particular part of the castle
was built at the sole expense of the King of Scotland, except one
tower, which, from its having been erected by the Bishop of
Winchester, Prelate of the Order, is called Winchester Tower; {14}
there are a hundred steps to it, so ingeniously contrived that
horses can easily ascend them; it is a hundred and fifty paces in
circuit; within it are preserved all manner of arms necessary for
the defence of the place.
The third court is much the largest of any, built at the expense of
the captive King of France; as it stands higher, so it greatly
excels the two former in splendour and elegance; it has one hundred
and forty-eight paces in length, and ninety-seven in breadth; in the
middle of it is a fountain of very clear water, brought under
ground, at an excessive expense, from the distance of four miles.
Towards the east are magnificent apartments destined for the royal
household; towards the west is a tennis-court for the amusement of
the Court; on the north side are the royal apartments, consisting of
magnificent chambers, halls, and bathing-rooms, {15} and a private
chapel, the roof of which is embellished with golden roses and
FLEURS-DE-LIS: in this, too, is that very large banqueting-room,
seventy-eight paces long, and thirty wide, in which the Knights of
the Garter annually celebrate the memory of their tutelar saint, St.
George, with a solemn and most pompous service.
From hence runs a walk of incredible beauty, three hundred and
eighty paces in length, set round on every side with supporters of
wood, which sustain a balcony, from whence the nobility and persons
of distinction can take the pleasure of seeing hunting and hawking
in a lawn of sufficient space; for the fields and meadows, clad with
variety of plants and flowers, swell gradually into hills of
perpetual verdure quite up to the castle, and at bottom stretch out
in an extended plain, that strikes the beholders with delight.
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