CIRCULAR TOWER IN PEEL CASTLE. WITHIN the castle stands one of those lofty round towers, of which so many are found in Ireland, and concerning which antiquarians have formed an endless number of conjectures. Giraldus Cambrensis, in the year 1185, is the first writer that mentions the Irish round towers, and calls them "Ecclesiastical Towers, which in a style or fashion peculiar to the country, are narrow, high, and round." These towers being generally found near the ancient Irish churches, strongly favours the above opinion, and most probably they were built, not only for holding a bell to summon the people to church, but also, without doubt, they must have been of some value as observatories or watch towers. John Lynch, who wrote in the year 1662, when speaking of these towers, says "The Danes who entered Ireland in 838 (according to Cambrensis), are reported to be the authors of our orbicular narrow towers. They were called Cloch Theach—that is, the tower of the bell." Another writer, in the year 1684 (Peter Walsh), observes :--"That it is most certain those high, round, narrow towers of stone, built cylinder-wise, were never known or built in Ireland (as indeed, no more were any castles, houses, or even churches, of stone, at least in the North of Ireland), before the year of Christ, 838, when the heathen Danes, possessing a great part of the country, built them in several places, to serve themselves as watch towers, against the natives; though, ere long, the Danes being expelled, the Christian Irish turned them to another and much better (because a holy) use, that is, to steeple-houses, or belfries. From which latter use made of them it is, that ever since, to the present day, they are called in Irish, Cloch Theachs, that is, belfries or bell-houses; cloc or clog, signifying a bell, and theach, a house, in that language."- -“Mr. Gordon gives an account of two of these towers in Scotland; one at Abernethy, the other at Brechin. The last has the figure of our Saviour on the Cross over, the door, with two little images or statues towards the middle, which clearly shew it to have been the work of a Christian architect. He tells us the vulgar notion is, that they are British structures, and that he would have believed it, were there not such towers in Ireland, where the Picts never were settled. This seems to be an error, for the Picts were Scandinavians, and early arrived in Ireland." Mr. Pennant is of opinion that they were not intended for belfries, as the churches near which they stand have generally steeples that would quite as well answer the purpose. Mr. Smith, in his History of Cork, says, that he had learned from an Irish MSS. that these towers were built for penitentiaries, and that the penitent began his penance at the top, and descended to the lower floors as his punishment decreased, until he arrived at the door, which always looked to the east, and there he received absolution. The following observation, in the Monthly Review for Feb. 1790, applies well to some of the whimsical conjectures respecting these round towers, which are too far-fetched to render their quotation of any service. The writer of the Review says "That as the final cause of the principle of curiosity is the acquisition of knowledge, it is a perversion much to be lamented, that it should so often be found, to fasten most keenly on those objects about which little or nothing can be known. A mere scrap of something, between knowledge and conjecture, if it be but obtained with sufficient difficulty, appears far more valuable to persons of this description than abundance of real information, if easily acquired, and if as easily gained by others as themselves." The heights of these towers is extremely various, several of them being considerably above 100 feet, and others as low as 40, their circumference is more nearly alike; varying only from 40 to about 55 feet; the general thickness of the walls about 4 feet or under; the situation of the door is more variable, being placed in one, at Kilmaduach, 24 feet from the ground, in many from to 10 to 14 feet, and in the tower at Swords, at no more than two feet from the ground. Their roofs were usually conical, and of stone, such as I have frequently observed in Holland, &c. and which, I believe, are common throughout the continent. There is no part of the British dominions that abounds more in Runic remains than the Isle of Man, or retains more of the manners of antiquity than its inland inhabitants; and were we to judge of the people by the following presentments, which are copied verbatim from my authority, we should judge them to be a most virtuous people, when we find even their words so scruplously regarded by their ecclesiastical court. "St. Ann's Presentments. 8th November, 1789. Charles Crebbin, Vicar, upon the information of William Mc'Glorious, one of the chapter-quest: the churchwardens present John Mc' Bovie for cursing one of his own cattle, in these words-God damn you! Upon the quest man's information, they present Thomas Harman for swearing by his conscience, and making use of the word, Divel! in his common talk. Upon the information of Thomas Quivite, one of the chapter-quest, they present Thomas Caine, for not attending divine service on the sabbath day, and for cursing Elizabeth Callister in these words-Plague on thee! Upor the information of the said quest man, they present Elizabeth Callister for cursing Thomas Caine in the same words that he had cursed herPlague on thee!—Upon the information of the said quest man, they present Elizabeth Hindley, wife of William Hindley junior, for swearing by her soul. On the same day, they present Thomas Faggart, for swearing by his conscience, and Philip Hindley, for swearing by his soul. Upon the information of John Farger, one of the chapter-quest, they present Margaret Creer, for not attending divine service on the Lords Day. "At a chapter court, held at Castle Town, on the 12th of November, 1789. The said Jno. Mc. Bovie, Thomas Harman, Thomas Caine, Elizabeth Callister, Elizabeth Hindley, Thomas Faggart, Philip Hindley, and Margaret Creer, having not appeared in court, according to summons, we fine 2s. 6d. each for their contempt; and they are to be admonished by their pastor for their offences. Examined by J. Crellin. Epis. Reg. To the Vicar of St. Ann's, these to publish, plenâ ecclesiâ. JOHN MOORE. The presentment which follows was also given in on the same day, and proves that there were, notwithstanding all care taken,sinners who relapsed and fell a second time into their old ways." K. K. Malew Presentments. Nov. 8th, 1789, David Harrison, Vicar the wardens present the following persons, viz. Margaret Bell, for fornication, a relapse, child born. At a chapter court holden at Castle Town, 12th November. This woman has deposed, on the Holy Evangelists, that Sommerville Murray, of the Parish of Malew, is the father of the illegitimate child. These persons are, for their offence, : censured 7 Dies (alternately), in carcere, and to give bonds in £3. in usum Domini Regis to undergo penance 3 Dies in ecclesia, in penitential habit, et non iterum fornicari”—[Townley's Isle of Man.] At Castle-Town, the capital of the island, is a noble specimen of Danish architecture, built by Gotred, the Dane, about the year 960. Many parts of this castle are in the best state of preservation, and are still used for holding court meetings, confinement of prisoners, &c. It consists of a strong keep and embattled towers, surrounded by a moat, with a drawbridge at the entrance. This magnificent, though gloomy fortress, was formerly the residence of the Kings of Man, who had lived in all the splendour of feudal royalty and semi-barbarism. G FLINT CASTLE. Flintshire. FLINT Castle adjoins a small borough town of the same name in North Wales, is about 204 miles from London, and about twelve or thirteen miles to the north-west of Chester. Pennant, in speaking of the town and Castle of Flint, says, the whole place seems to have been founded in times of danger, and every provision made against the attack of a people recently subdued, and who had submitted reluctantly to a foreign yoke. The town is formed on the principle of a Roman encampment, being rectangular, and surrounded with a vast ditch, and two great ramparts, with four regular portæ, as usual with that military nation. I shall here give a conjecture of the probability of its having been a Roman station. The castle stands on a low freestone rock that juts into the sands, a little to the north-east of the town, and was once joined to it by a bridge that led to the outwork called the barbican, a square tower, with a gateway now entirely demolished. Within, was a court surrounded by a ditch, faced by a wall that joined by means of a drawbridge to the main fortress, whose entrance, for better security, was little more than a postern. The castle is a square building, with a large round tower at three of the corners, and a fourth a little disjoined from the others, and much larger than the rest. This is called the Double Tower. It had been joined to the castle by a drawbridge, and is of great thickness. It has a circular gallery beneath, vaulted with four arched openings into a central area, a little more than twenty-two feet in diameter. In one part, the gallery is suddenly lowered, and goes sloping towards the castle, and then, rising upwards, makes a sort of a communication with an upper gallery. This was the keep, or strong |