keep back troublesome neighbours.

The story of the English castles abounds in interest and romance. Most
of them are ruins now, but fancy pictures them in the days of their
splendour, the abodes of chivalry and knightly deeds, of "fair ladies
and brave men," and each one can tell its story of siege and
battle-cries, of strenuous attack and gallant defence, of prominent
parts played in the drama of English history. To some of these we
shall presently refer, but it would need a very large volume to record
the whole story of our English fortresses.

We have said that the earliest Norman castle was a _motte_ fortified
by a stockade, an earthwork protected with timber palings. That is the
latest theory amongst antiquaries, but there are not a few who
maintain that the Normans, who proved themselves such admirable
builders of the stoutest of stone churches, would not long content
themselves with such poor fortresses. There were stone castles before
the Normans, besides the old Roman walls at Pevensey, Colchester,
London, and Lincoln. And there came from Normandy a monk named Gundulf
in 1070 who was a mighty builder. He was consecrated Bishop of
Rochester and began to build his cathedral with wondrous architectural
skill. He is credited with devising a new style of military
architecture, and found much favour with the Conqueror, who at the
time especially needed strong walls to guard himself and his hungry
followers. He was ordered by the King to build the first beginnings of
the Tower of London. He probably designed the keep at Colchester and
the castle of his cathedral town, and set the fashion of building
these great ramparts of stone which were so serviceable in the
subjugation and overawing of the English. The fashion grew, much to
the displeasure of the conquered, who deemed them "homes of wrong and
badges of bondage," hateful places filled with devils and evil men who
robbed and spoiled them. And when they were ordered to set to work on
castle-building their impotent wrath knew no bounds. It is difficult
to ascertain how many were constructed during the Conqueror's reign.
Domesday tells of forty-nine. Another authority, Mr. Pearson, mentions
ninety-nine, and Mrs. Armitage after a careful examination of
documents contends for eighty-six. But there may have been many
others. In Stephen's reign castles spread like an evil sore over the
land. His traitorous subjects broke their allegiance to their king and
preyed upon th