appointed me to this perquisite, and ladies and gentlemen always leave something." Such an address as this brings out a piece of the circulating medium, on the receipt of which, my Lord's retainer says, " John will show you the next part, sir; I'll send him directly." Away he flies, and soon "John" takes his place, when another sight is shown, and a similar scene of extortion and transference takes place. Visitors should be prepared with small change to meet these repeated claims, or else they will find an examination of this ancient building and its contents very expensive.

The Warwick market is on Saturday, and is well supplied with provisions of every kind. The fairs are on January 21, February 11 and 23, April 1, May 13, June 3, July 5, August 12, September 4, November 8, and December 16. The statute and pleasure fair is held on October 12, on which occasion, there is generally an ox roasted in the market-place.

LEAMINGTON PRIORS, 2 miles east of Warwick, is a fashionable watering place, containing 6209 inhabitants. The river Leam, from which the name is derived, flows between the old and new town, and, uniting with the Avon, wanders away amidst a beautiful country towards Stratford. The elevation of Leamington has altogether arisen from its mineral waters and delightful neighbourhood. The latter is replete with historic incident, and beautiful scenery; and the former consist of sulphureous, saline, and chalybeate springs. Baths, of the most elegant character, have been erected, and spa rooms fitted up in the most fashionable mode. The town consists of houses,

few of which are thirty years old, all built in a superior style to those of a similar class in other towns, and, for the most part, fronted with Roman cement, to resemble stone. There are many superb mansions, the inmates of which are permanent inhabitants, and numerous magnificent hotels, for the convenience of strangers. Many get a subsistence by keeping lodging houses, and there is a continual influx and efflux of visitors.

STRATFORD-ON-AVON, an incorporated and market town, 17 miles from the Coventry station, is delightfully situated near the borders of Warwickshire, on the banks of the Avon, and contains 3488 inhabitants. It is a place of ancient importance, and is often made mention of in history; but the circumstance which it is most celebrated for, is that of having been the birth place of Shakespere. The house in which the bard is said to have been born is still shewn, but the mansion to which he retired in his old age, called the "New Place,” together with the mulberry planted by him, have both been removed by some modern proprietor. The celebrated Garrick instituted a Jubilee in honour of Shakespere, in 1769, on which occasion the Town Hall, which had been recently re-erected, was dedicated to the immortal poet, and his statue being presented to the town by Garrick, was fixed up at the north end of the building. The more illiterate inhabitants are fond of telling strangers about Shakespere's adventures; of his deer stealing, his courtship of Ann Hathaway, his efforts in London, and his final return to his native town; and so used have they been to hear the bard

familiarly spoken of, that many think he lived in recent times. On one occasion we heard a person, after detailing the usual anecdotes, gravely, but hesitatingly, give his opinion, that he did not think there was any one alive now that could remember Shakespere.

There is a manufacture of florentine buttons, and an extensive brewery; and the junction of canals with the river, which is navigable down to the Severn, produces employment of a commercial nature for many of the inhabitants. There is also a railway to Moreton-inthe-Marsh, in Gloucestershire. Fairs are held on May 14, 15, 16, and 17, for cattle, horses, and toys, and on September 25, for cattle; besides these, there are several great markets in the course of the year.

On leaving the Coventry Station, the farm of NETHER FLETCHAMSTEAD, and FLETCHAMSTEAD HALL, are both passed. In former times these constituted one estate, celebrated for having been chosen by Henry I. as a place suitable for a hermitage, and by Charles I. as a place of retirement after his discomfiture by the citizens of Coventry. On both sides of the line the scenery is extremely beautiful, and the cuttings through the red sand rock and red marls, serve as interludes between the different scenes. One of these excavations gradually deepens as the train approaches the BEECHWOOD TUNNEL. From this excavation there have been taken 193,766 cubic yards of stone, and over it is a beautiful bridge, consisting of a single arch, 76 feet span, springing from the naked rock, with which it is connected, as it were, by a simple moulding. The stone of the arch having been taken

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from the cutting, exhibits a mingling together of the works of art and those of nature. The Beechwood Tunnel is in the Egyptian style, the colossal proportions of which seem suited for such a work. Its termini are particularly interesting, on account of the polychromic effect, produced by the employment of stone of different colours; the string courses and copings being of a fine blueish stone, while the mass of the building is of the red sand stone. The tunnel passes through the Reaves Green Ridge, and is 300 yards in length. It cost 117,000Z.

Just after the tunnel is the BERKSWELL BRIDGE, but the village of BERKSWELL, about one mile on the northeast, is not seen from the line. The grounds of BERKS

WELL HALL, the residence of Sir J. E. Wilmot, Bart., approach very near to the line, but are not seen from the cutting. About a mile farther on, we come to the junction of the Branch from the Birmingham and Derby railway, and soon after enter a cutting and stop at the

HAMPTON STATION.

From London 100 miles. From Birmingham 12 miles. HAMPTON-IN-ARDEN is a picturesque village on the south-east of the station. The CHURCH has a particularly venerable appearance. It was originally surmounted with a tall tower, which was a noted mark to all the country round, but on St. Andrew's day, A.D. 1643, it was destroyed by lightning, which also materially damaged the whole fabric.

We are now upon our last stage, and this, with travellers, is generally deemed the most pleasing; but there are other recommendations to this portion of the line besides that of approaching our journey's end. About a mile after passing BICKNELL, which is observable to the south, the train comes upon the embankment over the VALLEY OF THE SHELDON, from which, away to the north, is a wide view of beautiful meadows, fringed with their tall hedges, and bounded in the distance by woodlands, in the midst of which, upon an eminence, may be seen the town of COLESHILL with its church conspicuous.

Coleshill is a market town, situated on a hill beside the river Cole, and containing 1853 inhabitants. Not far from the town is MAXTOKE Castle, built in the style of an ancient fortress. The outer wall is embat