Part of the South Side of the Upper Quadrangle in Windsor Castle, based on a sketch made by Sandhurst Military Academy drawing-master W. Alfred Delamotte for the ninth instalment of W. Harrison Ainsworth's Windsor Castle. An Historical Romance for the April 1843 number in Ainsworth's Magazine. Book the Fourth, "Cardinal Wolsey," headpiece for Chapter V, "Of the combat between Will Sommers and Patch; and how it terminated," p. 196: 6.8 cm high by 9.6 cm wide, vignetted. We have already encountered this architectural setting from a different ange; here, the equestrian statue of Charles II is to the right, rather than down centre, as in Book III, Chapter IV, The Upper Quadrangle. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Passage Illustrated: Mabel arrives at the Castle
As [Mabel Lyndwood and Nicholas Clamp] walked at a brisk pace, they reached the long avenue in about half-an-hour, and took their way down it. When within a mile of the castle they were overtaken by Bouchier and his followers, and the falconer was much disappointed to learn that they had failed in tracking Morgan Fenwolf to his lair. After addressing a few complimentary words to the maiden, Bouchier rode on.
Soon after this the pair quitted the great park, and passing through a row of straggling houses, divided by gardens and closes, which skirted the foot of Castle Hill, presently reached the lower gate. They were admitted without difficulty; but just as they entered the lower ward the falconer was hailed by Shoreditch and Paddington, who at the moment issued from the doorway of the guard-room.
Clamp obeyed the call and went towards them, and it was evident, from the gestures of the archers, that they were making inquiries about Mabel, whose appearance seemed to interest them greatly. After a brief conversation with the falconer they approached her, and, respectfully addressing her, begged leave to attend her to the royal lodgings, whither they understood she was going. No objection being made to the proposal by Mabel, the party directed their course towards the middle ward. [Book IV, "Cardinal Wolsey,"ChapterIII, "How Mabel Lyndwood was taken to the Castle by Nicholas Clamp; and how they encountered Morgan Fenwolf by the way," pp. 188-189]
Cruikshank's Depiction of Mabel Lyndwood's arrival at Windsor Castle
Above: Mabel is introduced to the amiable society of the Great Kitchen at Windsor Castle, The Quarrel between Will Sommers and Patch in the great kitchen of the Castle (Book IV, Ch. IV). [Click on images to enlarge them.]
Ainsworth's Note on the Equestrian Statue of Charles II
In 1680 an equestrian statue of Charles the Second, executed by Strada, at the expense of Tobias Rustat, formerly housekeeper at Hampton Court, was placed in the centre of the upper ward. It now stands at the lower end of the same court. The sculptures on the pedestal were designed by Grinling Gibbons; and Horace Walpole pleasantly declared that the statue had no other merit than to attract attention to them. [Chapter IV, "Containing the History of the Castle from the Reign of Charles the Second to that of George the Third — With a few Particulars concerning the Parks and the Forest," p. 161]
Other Views and Related Material on Windsor Castle
- The Upper Quadrangle by Delamotte (Book III, Ch. IV)
- Windsor Castle from the Long Walk, Victorian additions and alterations by Sir Jeffry Wyattville
- Early twentieth-century view of the castle from the river
- The Frogmore Mausoleum, adjacent to the Long Walk
- Statue of Queen Victoria at the foot of Castle Hill, Windsor
References
Ainsworth, William Harrison. Windsor Castle. An Historical Romance. Illustrated by George Cruikshank and Tony Johannot. With designs on wood by W. Alfred Delamotte. London: Routledge, 1880. Based on the Henry Colburn edition of 1844.
Patten, Robert L. Chapter 30, "The 'Hoc' Goes Down." George Cruikshank's Life, Times, and Art, vol. 2: 1835-1878. Rutgers, NJ: Rutgers U. P., 1991; London: The Lutterworth Press, 1996. Pp. 153-186.
Worth, George J. William Harrison Ainsworth. New York: Twayne, 1972.
Last modified 31 December 2017