r by railroad, a
distance of twenty-one miles. The country is fine; but our thoughts were
on the castle. At Slough we took an omnibus, and rode into the town. It
is a pretty, quiet place, of about ten thousand inhabitants. There are
some six or seven streets, and they present but few attractions. The
castle is every thing. You know this has been the favorite residence of
most of the English monarchs, and the scene of many a tournament in the
days of chivalry. The castle was the work of William the Conqueror. John
lived at Windsor while Magna Charta was extorted from him by his barons
at Runnymede. Henry III. did a great deal to the castle, but Edward III.
invested it with its great glory. This was his native place. The
architect he employed was the famous William of Wykeham, Bishop of
Winchester, a man of great genius. He built the noble round tower. This
was in 1315. Wykeham built him a palace worthy of the hero and his noble
son, the Black Prince. Edward IV. built St. George's Chapel, and Henry
VII. and Henry VIII. both made important additions to the fortress.
Young Edward VI. resided here, and did not like its retirement and
gloom. Elizabeth made the terrace and other improvements. When Charles
II. was restored, he brought a foreign taste to the improvement of the
castle, and a great deal of elegancy was attempted, but which poorly
harmonized with the Gothic, baronial style of Wykeham's works.

George IV. was a man of exquisite taste, and he employed Sir Jeffry
Wyatville to carry out the plans of Edward III. and his architect. This
was in 1824, and his immense labors have been successful. These
improvements cost two million pounds sterling. I ought to say that
Windsor Castle was the favorite home of George III., who died here. This
palace stands on a lofty chalk hill, and commands the valley of the
Thames. Around it is the finest, terrace in the world, the descent from
which is faced with a rampart of freestone extending about seventeen
hundred feet. The whole building occupies about twelve acres.

I shall not describe all the towers, for there are some dozen or
fifteen. The round tower of Edward III. is the chief one. Here he
revived the round table of King Arthur, and established the Order of the
Garter. From the battlements of this strong fortress you gaze upon no
less than twelve counties. Prince Albert is constable of this tower.
This was the old prison, or donjon of the castle. Here James I. of
Scotland was a