n's time. What used to be the principal room
has a short staircase leading to it, and in the wainscot over the fire-
place is a curious old picture, painted, I fancy, between 1600 and 1700,
showing a fight between turbaned men and European soldiers, most likely
Turks and Austrians. It is a pity that it cannot tell its history. The
moat goes all round the house, garden, and farmyard, and no doubt used to
have a drawbridge. Forty or fifty years ago, it was clear and had fish
in it, but the bridge fell in and choked the stream, and since that it
has become full of reeds and a mere swamp. It must have been a really
useful protection in the evil times of the Wars of the Roses.

Most likely the Commandments were painted over the old fresco on the east
wall of the nave of the old Church either in the time of Edward VI, or
Elizabeth, for if they had been later, the letters would not have been
Old English. The foreigners who meddled so much with our Church in the
latter years of Edward VI obtained that the Holy Communion should not be
celebrated in the chancels, but that the Holy Table should be spread in
the body of the Church, and many Chancels were thus disused and became
ruinous, as ours most certainly did at some time or other. St.
Elizabeth's College was broken up and the place where it stood given to
the college of St. Mary. It is still called Elizabeth Meadow. The
presentation to the Cure of our two parishes went with the estate of
Hursley.

There was a very odd scene somewhere between Winchester and Southampton
in the year 1554. Queen Mary Tudor was waiting at Winchester for her
bridegroom, Philip of Spain. He landed at Southampton on the morning of
the 20th of July, and set out in a black velvet dress, red cloak, and
black velvet hat, with a splendid train of gentlemen to ride to
Winchester. It was a very wet day, and the Queen sent a gentleman with a
ring from her, to beg him to come no farther in the rain. But the
gentleman knew no Spanish, and the King no English. So Philip thought
some warning of treachery was meant, and halted in great doubt and
difficulty till the messenger recollected his French, and said in that
tongue, that the Queen was only afraid of his Grace's getting wet. So on
went Philip, and the High Sheriff of Hampshire rode before him with a
long white wand in his hand, and his hat off, the rain running in streams
off his bare head. They went so slowly as not to reach Winchester till