at Oakley Park, near the
town, has some charming scenery. Pope's Seat, a favorite resort of the
poet, is also in the park. Cheltenham, near which is the "Seven
Springs," the source of the Churn, is a popular watering-place, with the
Earl of Eldon's seat at Stowell Park not far away. Here in 1864 a Roman
villa was discovered, which has been entirely excavated. It has twenty
chambers communicating with a long corridor, and there are several
elegant tessellated pavements, while the walls are still standing to a
height of four feet. Two temples have also been found in the immediate
neighborhood. Substantial buildings have been erected to protect these
precious remains from the weather.

SUDELEY CASTLE AND CHAVENAGE.

In the Cotswolds is the castle of Sudeley, its ruins being in rather
good preservation. It was an extensive work, built in the reign of Henry
VI., and was destroyed in the Civil Wars; it was a famous place in the
olden time, and was regarded as one of the most magnificent castles in
England when Queen Elizabeth made her celebrated progress thither in
1592. After the death of Henry VIII., his queen, Catharine Parr, married
Lord Seymour of Sudeley, and she died and was buried in this castle: it
is related that her leaden coffin was exhumed in 1782, two hundred and
eighty years after her death, and the remains were found in excellent
preservation. Among the records of the castle is a manuscript stating
that Catharine Parr was told by an astrologer who calculated her
nativity that she was born to sit in the "highest state of imperial
majesty," and that she had all the eminent stars and planets in her
house: this worked such lofty conceit in the lady that "her mother could
never make her sew or do any small work, saying her hands were ordained
to touch crowns and sceptres, not needles and thimbles." Near Tatbury,
and also in the Cotswolds, is the source of the classic river Avon, and
north-west of the town is the fine Elizabethan mansion of Chavenage,
with its attractive hall and chapel. The original furniture, armor, and
weapons are still preserved. This was the old manor-house of the family
of Stephens, and Nathaniel represented Gloucestershire in Parliament at
the time of the conviction of Charles I.: it is related that he was only
persuaded to agree to the condemnation by the impetuous Ireton, who came
there and sat up all night in urgent argument "to whet his almost
blunted purpose." Stephens died in May, 16