, granting thereto numerous privileges and immunities;
but being afterwards almost totally destroyed by the incursions of the
Picts and Scots, it lay in a ruinous condition until it was rebuilt by
the renowned Caractacus. This town afterwards greatly suffered from the
ravages of the Danish invaders; but was again repaired by the lady
Ethelfleda, the daughter of King Alfred, to whom it had been given,
together with the kingdom of Mercia, of which it was the capital, by her
father. Camden,[2] with whose opinion several other antiquaries also
concur, supposes that Warwick was the ancient _Praesidium_ of the Romans,
and the post where the praefect of the Dalmatian horse was stationed by
the governor of Britain, as mentioned in the Notitia.

[1] "Warwickshire," p. 298, edit. 1661.

[2] Vide Camden's "Britannia," by Bishop Gibson, vol. i. p. 603,
edit. 1722.

The appearance of this town in the time of Leland is thus described by
that celebrated writer:--"The town of Warwick hath been right strongly
defended and waullid, having a compace of a good mile within the waul.
The dike is most manifestly perceived from the castelle to the west gate,
and there is a great crest of yearth that the waul stood on. Within the
precincts of the toune is but one paroche chirche, dedicated to St. Mary,
standing in the middle of the toune, faire and large. The toune standeth
on a main rokki hill, rising from est to west. The beauty and glory of it
is yn two streetes, whereof the hye street goes from est to west, having
a righte goodely crosse in the middle of it, making a quadrivium, and
goeth from north to south." Its present name is derived, according to
Matthew Paris, from Warmund, the father of Offa, king of the Mercians,
who rebuilt it, and called it after his own name, Warwick.[3]

[3] "Inter _Occidentalium Anglorum_ Reges illustrissimos,
praecipua commendationis laude celebratur, rex _Warmundus_, ab his
qui Historias _Anglorum_ non solum relatu proferre, sed etiam
scriptis inserere, consueverant. Is fundator cujusdam urbis a
seipso denominatae; quae lingua _Anglicana Warwick_, id est, _Curia
Warmundi_ nuncupatur."--Matthaei Paris "Historia Major," a Watts,
edit. 1640.

The castle, which is one of the most magnificent specimens of the ancient
baronial splendour of our ancestors now remaining in this kingdom, rears
its proud and lofty turrets, gray with age, in the imme