MITFORD CASTLE,-NORTHUMBERLAND.

The village of Mitford, pleasantly situated at the confluence of the rivers Wansbeck and Font, is distant two miles west from Morpeth. The church is an interesting and ancient edifice; the advowson and impropriation of which were granted by Edward I. to the Priory of Lanercost, in Cumberland. Within the chancel is the tomb and effigy of Bertram Revely, of Mitford Castle, who died in 1622.

The ruins of Mitford Castle stand upon a lofty eminence on the south side of the Wansbeck. These remains lie scattered in confused heaps, and occupy nearly an acre of ground, skirted on the south and west by a deep ditch or moat.

The manor of Mitford, so early as the reign of Edward the Confessor, gave name to its proprietors; and shortly after the Conquest, William I. conferred the only daughter and heiress of Sir John Mitford on Sir Richard Bertram, one of his Norman adventurers, by whom she had two sons, William and Roger. The former of these succeeded to the manor and castle, which were erected into a barony by Henry I., and subsequently forfeited in the reign of Henry III. In 1316, this Castle was in the possession of Gilbert Middleton, a noted freebooter, who, for his daring outrages, was executed in London. Two years after, the structure was seized and dismantled by Alexander, king of Scotland; when the whole barony was held by the Earl of Pembroke, an unworthy favourite of the unfortunate Edward II. In the reign of Henry VIII. these demenses were possessed by Lord Brough, whose descendant granted them, in the time of Queen Mary, to Cuthbert Mitford and his heirs for ever; reserving, however, to himself the site of the castle and its royalties. These last having devolved on the crown, were given by Charles II. to the representative of the Mitford family, with whose descendants they have ever since remained.

Mitford Castle has never undergone repair since its destruction by the Scottish monarch; and the ravages of time during a lapse of five hundred years, it may well be supposed, have contributed, in no slight degree, to its utter demolition. The remains which do exist, however, have a two-fold interest, arising from their antiquity, and a close connexion with the national history. Time is "the beautifier of the dead:" it shrouds the frailties of departed greatness,—it throws a mystic veil over the ruined edifice; and men, the beings of a day, approach with reverential awe the dilapidated tomb or structure that rolls back upon them long departed ages, and reveals, it may be said, the history of a bygone world.

The accompanying view is taken from the east. The road across the bridge leads to the church and parsonage house. Along the side of the Wansbeck, the scenery is exceedingly picturesque; and from the turnpike road to the north of the Castle, a beautiful prospect is discovered, including a noble vista of trees, the river, and an elegant modern edifice erected by Mr. Mitford, the present proprietor of the manor.

ST. NICHOLAS' CHURCH, NEWCASTLE, TYNE,—NORTHUMBERLAND.

This ancient and beautiful edifice was founded in the year 1091, by Osmund, bishop of Salisbury and Earl of Dorset, a follower of the Norman conqueror. Henry I. gave it, with others, to the church of Carlisle; in the patronage of which see it still remains. Though the presentation to the living, however, is vested in the Bishop of Carlisle, the vicar of St. Nicholas claims jurisdiction over the other three parochial churches in the town, and their benefices are in his gift.

The original structure was burnt down in 1216, and the present edifice erected in 1359; since which period it has undergone frequent repairs, and been rendered eminently beautiful. It is now universally allowed to be a most magnificent building; and its situation, on the crown of a bold eminence, rising abruptly from the river nearly to the centre of the town, is the most advantageous position that could have been selected. The exterior dimensions of the church are,-eighty yards in length, twenty-five in breadth, and sixtyfour in height, to the extremity of the steeple. From the square tower rise two bold stone arches, supporting a large and beautiful lantern, crowned with a tall spire, and decorated with a number of rich pinnacles. The steeple is the admiration of all strangers visiting Newcastle. The interior of this church presents a most solemn and imposing appearance. The nave measures nearly 110 feet in length, and about 74 feet in breadth; while the choir, from the organ gallery to the east window, extends something more than 110 feet, and is 63 feet and a half in width. In 1783, a subscription, amounting to upwards of £1200, was formed, for the purpose of making such alterations, as should give this church the air and character of a cathedral. The chancel was accordingly thrown open, the communion table removed under the great east window, and the erections at the west end cleared away to afford space for the purposes of sepulture. Many of the ancient monuments were destroyed by the Scots; and others were unfortunately much broken and defaced during the progress of the renovations. The church, however, contains several fine specimens of modern sculpture; the most interesting of which are those erected to the memory of Sir Matthew White Ridley, Lord Collingwood, the Rev. Hugo Moises, and Calverley Bewicke, Esq. The figure of Religion on the tomb of the Rev. H. Moises is much admired; as is also the group in the monument of Colonel Bewicke.

An admirable painting on glass, (executed by John Gibson, Esq., of Newcastle,) representing our Saviour bearing the cross, was placed in the great east window in 1827.

Our view, taken from the entrance to the south aisle, extends to the great east window, and conveys a perfect idea of the interior of this noble ecclesiastical edifice. The monument, forming a prominent feature of the engraving, is that of a former mayor of Newcastle; and round the lower part of the cenotaph are carved the effigies of his children. It is deemed a fine specimen of funereal architecture, belonging to the era of James I.