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butarehollowedouttowardsthetop，andterminateinasortofturretscommunicatingwiththeinteriorofthekeepitself。Thedistantappearanceofthishugebuilding，withthesesingularaccompaniments，isasinterestingtotheloversofthepicturesque，astheinteriorofthecastleistotheeagerantiquary，whoseimaginationitcarriesbacktothedaysoftheheptarchy。Abarrow，inthevicinityofthecastle，ispointedoutasthetombofthememorableHengist；andvariousmonuments，ofgreatantiquityandcuriosity，areshownintheneighbouringchurchyard。*

*NoteI。CastleofConingsburgh。

WhenCur-de-Lionandhisretinueapproachedthisrudeyetstatelybuilding，itwasnot，asatpresent，surroundedbyexternalfortifications。TheSaxonarchitecthadexhaustedhisartinrenderingthemainkeepdefensible，andtherewasnoothercircumvallationthanarudebarrierofpalisades。

Ahugeblackbanner，whichfloatedfromthetopofthetower，announcedthattheobsequiesofthelateownerwerestillintheactofbeingsolemnized。

Itborenoemblemofthedeceased’sbirthorquality，forarmorialbearingswerethenanoveltyamongtheNormanchivalrythemselvesand，weretotallyunknowntotheSaxons。Butabovethegatewasanotherbanner，onwhichthefigureofawhitehorse，rudelypainted，indicatedthenationandrankofthedeceased，bythewell-knownsymbolofHengistandhisSaxonwarriors。

Allaroundthecastlewasasceneofbusycommotion；

forsuchfuneralbanquetsweretimesofgeneralandprofusehospitality，whichnotonlyeveryonewhocouldclaimthemostdistantconnexionwiththedeceased，butallpassengerswhatsoever，wereinvitedtopartake。ThewealthandconsequenceofthedeceasedAthelstane，occasionedthiscustomtobeobservedinthefullestextent。

Numerousparties，therefore，wereseenascendinganddescendingthehillonwhichthecastlewassituated；andwhentheKingandhisattendantsenteredtheopenandunguardedgatesoftheexternalbarrier，thespacewithinpresentedascenenoteasilyreconciledwiththecauseoftheassemblage。

Inoneplacecooksweretoilingtoroasthugeoxen，andfatsheep；inanother，hogsheadsofaleweresetabroach，tobedrainedatthefreedomofallcomers。Groupsofeverydescriptionweretobeseendevouringthefoodandswallowingtheliquorthusabandonedtotheirdiscretion。ThenakedSaxonserfwasdrowningthesenseofhishalf-year’shungerandthirst，inonedayofgluttonyanddrunkenness——themorepamperedburgessandguild-brotherwaseatinghismorselwithgust，orcuriouslycriticisingthequantityofthemaltandtheskillofthebrewer。SomefewofthepoorerNormangentrymightalsobeseen，distinguishedbytheirshavenchinsandshortcloaks，andnotlesssobytheirkeepingtogether，andlookingwithgreatscornonthewholesolemnity，evenwhilecondescendingtoavailthemselvesofthegoodcheerwhichwassoliberallysupplied。

Mendicantswereofcourseassembledbythescore，togetherwithstrollingsoldiersreturnedfromPalestine，(accordingtotheirownaccountatleast，)pedlarsweredisplayingtheirwares，travellingmechanicswereenquiringafteremployment，andwanderingpalmers，hedge-priests，Saxonminstrels，andWelshbards，weremutteringprayers，andextractingmistuneddirgesfromtheirharps，crowds，androtes。*Onesentforththepraises*Thecrowth，orcrowd，wasaspeciesofviolin。Therotea*sortofguitar，orratherhurdy-gurdy，thestringsofwhichwere*managedbyawheel，fromwhichtheinstrumenttookitsname。

ofAthelstaneinadolefulpanegyric；another，inaSaxongenealogicalpoem，rehearsedtheuncouthandharshnamesofhisnobleancestry。Jestersandjugglerswerenotawanting，norwastheoccasionoftheassemblysupposedtorendertheexerciseoftheirprofessionindecorousorimproper。

IndeedtheideasoftheSaxonsontheseoccasionswereasnaturalastheywererude。Ifsorrowwasthirsty，therewasdrink——ifhungry，therewasfood——ifitsunkdownuponandsaddenedtheheart，herewerethemeanssuppliedofmirth，oratleastofamusement。Nordidtheassistantsscorntoavailthemselvesofthosemeansofconsolation，although，everynowandthen，asifsuddenlyrecollectingthecausewhichhadbroughtthemtogether，themengroanedinunison，whilethefemales，ofwhommanywerepresent，raiseduptheirvoicesandshriekedforverywoe。

Suchwasthesceneinthecastle-yardatConingsburghwhenitwasenteredbyRichardandhisfollowers。

Theseneschalorstewarddeignednottotakenoticeofthegroupsofinferiorguestswhowereperpetuallyenteringandwithdrawing，unlesssofaraswasnecessarytopreserveorder；neverthelesshewasstruckbythegoodmienoftheMonarchandIvanhoe，moreespeciallyasheimaginedthefeaturesofthelatterwerefamiliartohim。Besides，theapproachoftwoknights，forsuchtheirdressbespokethem，wasarareeventataSaxonsolemnity，andcouldnotbutberegardedasasortofhonourtothedeceasedandhisfamily。Andinhissabledress，andholdinginhis