the new streets. There are, however, still fome remains of the old wall visible, particularly on the south and west, from the lane called Sheep-head-alley, by the Bank-head, and the ancient fouth postern, to the old Half moon Battery; and likewise by the head of the steep alley, that is called Dog-leap, which was a postern from the north fide of the Castle.

The old Round Tower, commonly called the Halfmoon Battery, was, in the year 1785, built half round with houses. The back wall of these circular buildings, which are let into tenements of single rooms, are three stories in height; the access to the two uppermost is by means of wooden stairs, communicating with two galleries, which surround the building. The whole has a very striking effect on travellers coming from the fouth, as seen from Gateshead and along the Bridge.

The view from the old Castle is very extensive; not only the whole town is in prospect, but the circumjacent country, for many miles distant; and, however now dismantled, and spoiled of its pristine greatness, the liberties and privileges of the Castle once extended northward to the river Tweed, and fouthward to the river Tees.

The COUNTY PRISON, which is on the lower floor of the old Castle, is still a frightful fight to humanity. The unhappy, and not unfrequently innocent, prifoners, brought from their homes, are immured in this hideous dungeon, to take their trials at the affizes. "Its great coolness makes it very fit"---for what?" for being a beer cellar throughout the year, and a prison for felons during the affizes," says the reverend historian, Mr. Brand!!

The

The

eternal fitness of things," was a favourite doctrine among the Illuminati, some years ago; even the rifing hopes of the Scotch Ferufalem, (church of Scotland) by this wonderful maxim solved all the unintelligibles of their theology, and verbose difficulties of their metaphysics, We are not very certain, however, had this preacher of good-will towards men been fo unfortunate, through malice, mifinformation, or false suspicion, as to have been brought on a cart, thrown into this horrible dungeon, and chained to its dreary walls, if he would have perceived much of beauty in this fitness respecting his fituation. It is not improbable but his reverence would perceive, to the full, as much fitness in a good prebend's stall.

No wonder that the philanthropist Howard, a few years ago, when viewing this dreadful abode, turned away with horror at the profpect, wondering that the gentlemen of the county of Northumberland, so characteristically distinguished for hofpitality, humanity, and every ornamental virtue, should allow fuch a shade to be thrown on all these, by suffering such a legal nuisance to continue unremoved. The late high-sheriffs for the county, the excellent Sir John Swinburne, and the amiable Sir Charles Monck, were certainly unacquainted with this annual outrage on justice and humanity; otherwise they would have immediately made an alteration in the county prison.

It is an outrage on justice; as it is an everlasting maxim in jurisprudence, that every person is to be accounted innocent, till he be found legally guilty; and that no species of punishment is to precede conviction. But here is an entire invertion of this equitable procedure.---A man is to be accounted guilty till he is legally proven to be innocent, which is frequently

the

the cafe. His punishment, viz. being manacled, conveyed through the public streets fixed on a cart, thrown into this den of filth, covered only with a little straw, chained to the wall, and shewn, like a wild beast, to the gaping mob, by a rapacious gaoler, at twopence a-piece; his punishment, supposing him acquitted, is then only to cease !

To the credit, however, of the present county gaoler, Mr. Blake, it is at least justice to remark, that the unfeeling and fordid practice of expofing the unhappy prifoners to public view has been for fome years discontinued.

Within, or rather adjoining the outer wall of the Castle, is

THE MOOT-HALL.

This is a large and capacious structure, and is probably coeval with the Castle itself. The name of Moot or Moat, is of Saxon derivation, and signifies an eminence, commonly in the open air. It was in fuch confpicuous places that the ancient Saxons held their wittenagemots, or courts of legislation; from which that glorious palladium of British freedom, trial by jury, took its origin. The original intention of the Moothall was, to assemble the lords and barons of the northern districts upon any particular emergency, during the feudal times. The architecture in no respect claims the attention of the curious.

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Here annually the Judges of aflize fit for deciding causes; those for nifi prius, in an inclosed court in the north; and for felonies, &c. in another in the fouth end of the hall. In a gallery above the court, looking towards the area, the grand juries are sworn. The

The entrance for the high-fheriff's coach, conveying the judges to and from the Moothall, with their numerous attendants, is through the Black-gate; a most aukward, unfightly, and sometimes dangerous passage.

NEWGATE GAOL.

The external parts of this large and strong building we have occafionally defcribed, when mentioning the towers and gates of the town-wall. Newgate being built before Newcastle was made a county of itself, took custody of its own prisoners, who, no doubt, before that period, were confined in the prison of the Castle of the town, in common with other delinquents of the county of Northumberland. The additional wings, on each fide of the fouth front of this structure, appear to have been erected about the beginning of the last century.

The walls are very thick and strong, the apartments for debtors are light, and well aired. Sir Walter Blackett charged his ample estate with supplying this place of confinement with plenty of coals; a great alleviation no doubt, of the dreariness of the fituation, especially in cold stormy weather. Mr Howard approved of its cleanliness, its good fires, its humane jailor, but still reprobated its confined fituation. No open area or walled field, for the recreation and health of the prisoners-every thing upon the old principle of making it a place of punishment, even previous to trial or conviction.

In the Manor-chair, or Manors, is a House of Correction, where offenders are confined, generally for a short period, at most till the fitting of the quarter feffions,

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feffions, when they are tried and receive sentence. Here is lately built a Penitentiary, for folitary confinement, where the unhappy offender is secluded from every taste of the sweets of society, unpitied, and alone!

But we willingly quit the contemplation of these doleful manfions, which serve only as powerful proofs of the want of knowledge and benevolence amongst mankind, to confider, with fupreme satisfaction, fabricks devoted to industry, convenience, or devotion. That which first claims our attention is the

EXCHANGE AND TOWN-COURT:

The first public building on the Sandhill was an ancient hofpital called the Maison de Dieu, or House of God. Roger Thornton, the munificent benefactor of Newcastle, was the founder of this building, so remote, as in the reign of King Henry IV. Upon the death of his wife, he carried his affection for the partner of his fortunes and sharer of his domestic concerns, beyond the verge of mortality by instituting this religious foundation for a chaplain to pray for the foul of Agnes his late wife, for those of his father and mother, both deceased, for his own while alive, and also when he too should be numbered with

these honoured dead." This priest (says Mr. Bourne) was called the guardian or keeper of the faid hofpital; being intrusted with the care of nine poor men, and four poor women, who refided there. They were called brethren and filters of St. Katharine's Hospital. St. Katharine being the tutelary saint of this religious foundation. It fuffered the fate of all their religious institutions, in the reign of Henry