istened he grew and grew until the shrimp
became a whale." The York streets are full of old houses, many with
porches and overhanging fronts. One of the most curious rows is the
Shambles, on a narrow street and dating from the fourteenth century. A
little way out of town is the village of Holgate, which was the
residence of Lindley Murray the grammarian. Guy Fawkes is said to have
been a native of York, and this strange and antique old city, we are
also credibly assured, was in 1632 the birthplace of Robinson Crusoe.

CASTLE HOWARD.

[Illustration: CASTLE HOWARD, SOUTH FRONT.]

Starting north-east from York towards the coast, we go along the pretty
valley of the Derwent, and not far from the borders of the stream come
to that magnificent pile, the seat of the Earls of Carlisle--Castle
Howard. More than a century ago Walpole wrote of it: "Lord Strafford had
told me that I should see one of the finest places in Yorkshire, but
nobody had informed me that I should at one view see a palace, a town, a
fortified city: temples on high places; woods worthy of being each a
metropolis of the Druids; vales connected to hills by other woods; the
noblest lawn in the world, fenced by half the horizon; and a mausoleum
that would tempt one to be buried alive. In short, I have seen gigantic
places before, but never a sublimer one." Castle Howard was the work of
Vanbrugh, the designer of Blenheim, and in plan is somewhat similar, but
much more sober and simple, with a central cupola that gives it dignity.
It avoids many of the faults of Blenheim: its wings are more subdued, so
that the central colonnade stands out to greater advantage, and there
are few more imposing country-houses in England than this palace of the
Howards. This family are scions of the ducal house of Norfolk, so that
"all the blood of all the Howards," esteemed the bluest blood in the
kingdom, runs in their veins. The Earls of Carlisle are descended from
"Belted Will"--Lord William Howard, the lord warden of the Marches in
the days of the first Stuart--whose stronghold was at Naworth Castle,
twelve miles north-east of Carlisle. His grandson took an active part in
the restoration of Charles II., and in recompense was created the first
Earl of Carlisle. His bones lie in York Minster. His grandson, the third
earl, who was deputy earl-marshal at the coronation of Queen Anne, built
Castle Howard. The seventh earl, George William Frederick, was for eight
years viceroy in