rd, a house full of historic and majestic memories,
pulled down, but the venerable fortress attracted attention. First a
gateway, then the chapel, later the castellan's house disappeared. New
assize courts, superlatively ugly, proudly rose in their stead. But even
then the zeal of the reformers was not satiated. "Ten years later the
Eastern Gate, with its two mighty flanking towers soaring over the
picturesque house on each side with its wide and lofty Tudor arch
spanning the road, its statue of Henry the Seventh, commemorating its
rebuilding after the siege by Perkin Warbeck--the gate which was heir to
that through which the conqueror made his way--all perished, to the
great satisfaction of the Exeter of that day; for 'a beautiful Vista was
opened from St. Sidwell's into the High Street, a very great and
necessary improvement.'" It is easy to share Professor Freeman's
indignation; less easy, unhappily, to persuade men of our own day to
deal kindly by the ancient monuments that are still left to us.

Another building that has played a notable part in the history of the
city is the #Guildhall#, of which the portico makes so pleasing an
ornament to the High Street. The building is a picturesque medley,
"English windows and Italian pillars," and Professor Freeman wittily
suggests that it serves to remind us of the jumble of tongues
characterizing "much of the law business that has been done within it."
The present building was built in 1464, replacing one of earlier date.
There are many pictures of local interest in the hall, and also
portraits by Sir Peter Lely of Princess Henrietta, Anne, Duchess of
Orleans, and of General Monk. The Princess was born in Exeter, and the
portrait was presented to the city by Charles II after the Restoration.
General Monk belonged to a Devonshire family whose residence was near
Torrington. There seems to have been at one time a guild or
confraternity connected with the chapel of St. George, erected over the
hall about the last year of Richard III. In the accounts are found
entries such as this: "Principae and others for exequis and masses said
in the chapel of Guildhall for the repose of the souls for the brothers
and sisters of the fraternity of St. George."

When Richard III was nearing the end of his reign, the roof was
fortified by a gun placed in charge of John Croker and ten soldiers. It
is a strange coincidence that the chapel should have been built at this
time. Evidently the wise