vels down, down below."

Also in this neighborhood is Newstead Abbey, the ancient seat of the
Byrons. It is about eleven miles from Nottingham, and was founded by the
Augustinians in the time of Henry II. In 1540 it came into possession of
Sir John Byron, and a century later was held for King Charles. The poet
Byron's bedroom remains almost as he left it, and on the lawn is the
monument to his favorite dog, "Boatswain." The abbey also contains
several relics of Livingstone, the African explorer. Near it is Robin
Hood's Cave, and the neighborhood is full of remains of the famous
chieftain, such as his Hill and his Chair, and Fountain Dale where Robin
encountered Friar Tuck.

NEWARK.

[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