ng or sowing, or threshing of corn,
At home in a barn;
Then to leave Joan my wife, and to loose my sweet life,
In peace let me dwell;
I am not for fighting, I am not for fighting,
So, Brother, Farewell.'

CHAPTER XIII

Castles and Country-Houses

'As Marly's bright green leaves give place
To tints of rich and mellowed glow;
As close the shortening autumn days,
Whilst summer lingers, loth to go;
Quick rises each familiar scene,
And fancy homewards turns her gaze;
Such are the hues in Oakford seem,
And such a light o'er Iddesleigh plays--
Methinks the oaks of dear old Pynes
With richer brown delight the eye;
Nor would I take these reddening vines
For our wild cherry's crimson dye.'

EARL OF IDDESLEIGH.

Powderham Castle is a fine building in a lovely setting. On the east the
park leads down towards the marshy edge of the broad rippling estuary,
on either side there spread trees and bracken, with the deer feeding
among them, and hills sloping gradually upwards make a very pretty
background.

The Castle is difficult to describe, for one century after another has
added a wing or pulled down a corner, and the result is an irregular
building of very varying architecture. Even the exact colour is not easy
to tell, but different shades of grey prevail. The north tower, the
earliest part, is built of small and uneven stones. There is a tradition
that Powderham was begun by William of Eu soon after the Conquest, and
another story is that it existed before that date, and was built by a
Saxon to prevent the Danes sailing up the river to Exeter; but the
oldest portion now standing is probably due to Sir Philip Courtenay, who
was born about A.D. 1337.

The Castle was strongly fortified, and in the Civil War withstood an
attack planned by General Fairfax himself. The General, says Sprigg,
ordered 'a design in hand against Pouldrum-house, by water and land,
which, being on Friday, December 12, was immediately put in
execution.... The design against Pouldrum-house was this, and thus
carried: Lord's Day, December 14, nine of the clock at night, Captain
Deane (the comptroller of the ordnance) was commanded over Ex with 200
foot and dragoons, to possess Pouldrum-castle, but the enemy had some
few hours before got 150 into it, unto those that were there before,
which our men not discovering before they had landed, would not re