The Architectural magazine . rand staircase, leading to theportal, and at the landing (c) there was a strong stone archwayand gate; rf, the situation of the drawbridge; e, the grandportal, and situation of the first portcullis;^ the vestibule; g,the entrance from the vestibule to the tower, behind the gate ofwhich entrance the second portcullis was placed; // // wereniches, having stone benches in them, for the convenience ofthose who kept the castle guard ; and / i were, of course, theprincipal apartments for the garrison. These castles were so well designed for the protection of thegarrison
The Architectural magazine . rand staircase, leading to theportal, and at the landing (c) there was a strong stone archwayand gate; rf, the situation of the drawbridge; e, the grandportal, and situation of the first portcullis;^ the vestibule; g,the entrance from the vestibule to the tower, behind the gate ofwhich entrance the second portcullis was placed; // // wereniches, having stone benches in them, for the convenience ofthose who kept the castle guard ; and / i were, of course, theprincipal apartments for the garrison. These castles were so well designed for the protection of thegarrison in cases of a close siege, that the difficulty of forcingthem, even after the outworks were taken, was very great; andthe manner of constructing the openings, so that the besiegedmight neither be annoyed by the instruments of the assailants,nor experience any danger from firebrands, at the same timethat the besiegers might be annoyed from within, are verycurious, and extremely ingenious. B ii 364 Ancient Co sties of In the first place, there were no windows whatever on theground floor, and even no other openings, except a few loop-holes on those sides of the building which were the most diffi-cult to attack. These openings, where they occurred, were notmore than 6 in. square ; and they were situated in such places,and constructed in such a manner, that no weapon thrown inat them could enter far enough to fall into the apartments todo mischief, or fall farther than the bottom of the arches throughwhich they were approached. On the first floor, also, on whichwas the entrance, there were no windows in the principal partof the structure, nor, indeed, any other openings, except a few loop-holes ; and not even these on the entrance side, as they wouldhave been too much exposed to the enemy, in the event of theirgaining the steps to the drawbridge. In the third story, whichcontained the rooms of state, there were most magnificentwindows ; but the apartments were so lofty (ge
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecad, booksubjectarchitecture, bookyear1834
