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state in which Shakspere would see them. A reduced copy of this view appears opposite. There is another view, shewing the back of the house from the river, preserved in the hall, and which appears to have been painted about the reign of James II. It shews the building to have been at that time precisely in the same condition; and as all modernisation has affected the interior principally, the exterior aspect is now much the same as it was in the days of the Poet.

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Passing through the old gate, we enter the court-yard, which, in place of the old fountain and circular tank of water, is now laid out in flower-beds. The hall is entered by a porch having the family arms and crest at each angle. We give a view of the interior as it is now. It has undergone alterations since Washington Irving thus described it in his Sketch-book: "The ceiling is arched and lofty; and at one end is a gallery, in which stands an organ [this has now been removed]. The weapons and tro

Thomas Eucy

phies of the chase, which formerly adorned the hall of a country gentleman, have made way for family portraits. There is a wide hospitable fireplace, calculated for an ample old fashioned wood fire, formerly the rallying place of winter festivity. On the opposite side of the hall is the huge Gothic bow-window with stone shafts, which looks out upon the court-yard. Here are emblazoned, in stained glass, the armorial bearings of the Lucy family for many generations, some being dated in 1558. I was delighted to observe in the quarterings the three white luces, by which the character of Sir Thomas was first identified with that of Justice Shallow." The seal of Sir Thomas Lucy, here engraved, exhibits the three white luces interlaced. The autograph is written in a bold hand. Our cut is reduced to one-half the size of the original. The document from which it is obtained is in the possession of Mr. Wheler, of Stratford-on-Avon, and is appended to the presentation of the Rev. Richard Hill to the rectory of Hampton Lucy, in the gift of Sir Thomas, and is dated October 8th, 1586. Upon the vanes of the house at Charlecote, the three luces interlaced between cross crosslets are also displayed; an engraving of one of these vanes may be seen in Moule's Heraldry of Fish, p. 55, who says "The pike of the

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fisherman is the luce of heraldry; a name

derived from the old French language lus, or from the Latin lucius; as a charge it was very early used by heralds as a pun upon the name of Lucy."

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