{"product_id":"2940148245162","title":"Glimpses of Old English Homes (including Arundel, Eridge, Berkeley, and Highclere Castles)","description":"Glimpses of Old English Homes (including Arundel, Eridge, Berkeley, and Highclere Castles), written by Elizabeth Balch. Published in London and New York in 1890.  (223 pages) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eContents: \u003cbr\u003eChapter I. Penshurst — Chapter II. Arundel Castle — Chapter III. Hinchingbrooke — Chapter IV. Eridge Castle — Chapter V. Chiswick House — Chapter VI. Berkeley Castle — Chapter VII. Highclere Castle — Chapter VIII. Osterley Park\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Publisher has copy-edited this book to improve the formatting, style and accuracy of the text to make it readable. This did not involve changing the substance of the text. Some books, due to age and other factors may contain imperfections. Since there are many books such as this one that are important and beneficial to literary interests, we have made it digitally available and have brought it back into print for the preservation of printed works of the past. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExcerpts:\u003cbr\u003e...With the legend of the witch of Berkeley, supposed to have lived in the reign of Edward the Confessor, our account of one of England's grandest homes must close, willingly as we would linger longer within its haunted walls, steeped and saturated as they are with tales that are told and lives long since lived. Old William of Malmesbury tells us that this famous witch of Berkeley \"put no moderation to her sins, because she was as yet on this side of old age, although beating on the door of it with a near foot.\" Trouble coming to her as it does to all mortals, her son dying  and his family being ruined, she fell ill, and summoned her surviving children, a monk and a nun, to come to her. She confessed herself to have been a great sinner, but relied pretty comfortably upon their piety to make things better for her. What her occult knowledge taught her might be the ultimate fate of her body, after the soul had gone to its just reward, she knew best, but her instructions for its preservation were singular. She directed that it be sewn in a stag's hide, and afterwards placed in a stone sarcophagus, the cover of which was to be fastened with lead and iron. In addition three iron chains of great weight were to fasten the stone, and there was to be psalm-singing for fifty nights, and the same number of masses in the days. If for three nights these precautions could keep the body at rest, on the fourth it was to be buried in the ground. But it was no use; vows, prayers, and tears were equally of no avail, while the strongly-bolted door gave way easily to the  devils, who broke through the band of singing choirs and tore asunder the two chains at the extremities of the stone, the middle one resisting their force. This was on the first two nights; on the third the whole monastery seemed shaken to its foundation, and a tall, terrible man dashed the doors in pieces, advanced to the coffin, and calling the woman by name commanded her to arise. Upon her answering she could not on account of her chains, \"You shall be loosed,\" said he, \"and to your evil;\" and immediately he broke the chain with as much ease as pack-thread. He also kicked off the lid of the coffin, and having taken her by the hand, drew her out of the church in the sight of them all. \"Before the door stood a proud black horse neighing, with iron hooks projecting over his whole back. The woman was put upon the beast, and soon disappeared from the eyes of the spectators. Her supplicating cries for help were heard for nearly four miles.\"\u003cbr\u003e...And after the climb the great centre hall at Highclere, built in the eleventh or twelfth century, and originally part of the palace of the bishops of Winchester, is a charming spot in which to rest. One passes from the arched entrance hall, having stone and marble pillars on either side, into a large almost square apartment, the roof of which is Gothic in form, of oak, with ground-glass windows. A wide, hospitable fireplace is on one side; opposite it the oak staircase is visible through a triple arch. It is on this staircase that the full-length portrait, by Phillips, of the first Earl of Pembroke hangs, one of the greatest statesmen of Henry VIII.'s time. The dog represented in the picture is thought to be the one who followed his master to his grave in St. Paul's Cathedral, where he pined away and died.\u003cbr\u003e...The sunshine streaming through the large staircase window gilds the arms of the different families with whom the Herberts have intermarried, these arms, illuminated on shields, forming a border to the stamped leather of quaint design which covers the walls. All the peculiar charm and comfort of an English country-house room is found in this hall, all the delightful arrangement and disposition of furniture so essentially English. In a glass case on one of the tables are several interesting relics, among them two ivory billiard cues with the Herbert arms introduced in the design, which belonged  to that gifted Countess of Pembroke.....","brand":"Digital Text Publishing Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47170090270960,"sku":"2940148245162","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940148245162_p0.jpg?v=1763699148","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940148245162","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}