fined forty marks for licence to build a town upon a spot between Pevensey and Langley, which should enjoy the same privileges as the Cinque-ports, and have a yearly fair to last seventeen days, commencing on the anniversary of St. John Baptist; also a market every Sunday. Whether the inhabitants ever carried into effect any part of this grant we are not informed.

The only relic of the ancient consequence of Pevensey is the Castle on the east side of the town. The name of the builder, and the date of its erection, are alike unknown; but from the quantity of Roman bricks employed in the work there is every reason to believe that it was constructed out of some Roman fortress. The external walls, which with the towers are pretty entire to the height of 20 or 25 feet, are circular, and inclose an area of seven acres. The principal entrance is from the west or land side between two round towers, in which are considerable layers of Roman brick, some single, others double, about 20 feet from the ground, and four or five asunder. Many such layers of whiter brick or stone hewn in that form lie between the strata of red, or in place of them in the walls between the other towers to the north-west; and in the north-east tower are such stones laid herring-bone fashion towards the bottom. Within is a smaller fortification moated on the north and west, more of a quadrangular form, with round towers, and entered by a draw-bridge which corresponds with the outer gate, and, like the latter, is not in the centre of the west side, but rather more to the south. The east wall of both is the same, and stands on a kind of cliff, that appears to have been once wasted by the sea, which, however, must have receded before the town below was built. There are no Roman bricks in the inner work, and only in the north and west sides of the outer.* Several of the turrets in the latter are of solid masonry, and seem to have been designed not for defence, but to deceive an enemy.

In the area of the outer castle are two culverins without carriages; one measures eleven feet in length, is hooped, has a rose and crown, and the letters E. R. probably for Elizabetha Regina: the other is twelve feet long, and is marked W. P. They lie within two yards of one another, sunk into the earth, and pointing to the sea.

Sir William Burrell gives the following curious particulars respecting the foundations of this castle, transcribed by him from a paper in the possession of the late Mr. Lambert of Lewes :-In 1710 the Rev. John Wright, vicar of Pevensey, for the benefit of the parishioners, who laboured under the inconvenience of bad water, employed a workman to convey it from the moat of the castle into the town. To accomplish this purpose, he found it necessary to make his way under the wall the thickness of which he computed to be ten feet. The foundation was discovered to consist of piles planked over with slabs of extraordinary substance; but, notwithstanding the length of time since the erection of this weighty fabric, there appeared to be no decay in the slabs. The colour only seemed to be changed from what we may suppose it to have been when they were first laid down; and the leaves of faggots found there were still sound.*

William the Conqueror having by the sword established his claim to the English throne, gave the town and castle of Pevensey to his half brother Robert, Earl of Mortaigne in Normandy, and created him Earl of Cornwall. These honours he enjoyed during the life of that king; but, having taken part under his successor in an insurrection excited by his brother Odo Earl of Kent, in favour of Robert Courthose, an army was sent against this castle to reduce him, on which he thought proper to surrender, and make his peace. He was succeeded in his possessions by William, Earl of Mortaigne and Cornwall, who, on being refused the earldom of Kent by Henry I. joined in a rebellion with Robert de Belesme, Earl of Shrewsbury. The

• Sir William Burrell's MSS. in the Brit. Mus.

king, in consequence, seized all his estates, demolished most of his castles, and exiled him from the realm. He gave to Gilbert de Aquila the town and castle of Pevensey, with all their dependencies, which, in allusion to the name of the owner, were styled the honour of the Eagle. In his descendants this honour remained vested for some time; but being again forfeited to the crown, Henry III. granted it to his son Prince Edward and his heirs, kings of England, so that it should never more be separated from the crown. Notwithstanding this proviso, the castle and domain of Pevensey were settled on John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, fourth son of Edward III. upon his surrender of the earldom of Richmond, and they have probably from this period constituted part of the possessions of the duchy of Lancaster. Henry, son of John of Gaunt, having ascended the throne of England by the title of Henry IV. the honour of the Eagle once more reverted to the crown, and some of the estates annexed to it were given by that king to the family of Pelham, as a reward for their loyalty and valour.

For many years this castle was held by the Pelhams under a lease from the duchy of Lancaster, till about the middle of the last century the Duke of Newcastle resigned it to Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, on his being created baron of Pevensey; and, on the death of the late Earl of Northampton, it devolved to his daughter Lady Elizabeth Compton, who carried it by marriage to Lord George Henry Cavendish.

ANDREW BORDE, or Andreas Perforatus, as he styled himself in Latin, was a native of Pevensey. He was educated at Winchester, and at New College, Oxford, where he applied himself very closely and successfully to the study of physic. On leav ing the university he is reported to have visited every country in Europe, and several parts of Africa. On his return to England, he took his doctor's degree in 1541, or 1542, and first settled in his native town, whence he removed to Winchester, and finally to London, where he is said to have become a fellow of the college of physicians, and first physician to Henry VIII.