"which the willing and obedient people of the countrie of Southampton, upon two days' warning, had brought in thither to lend the Queen." When Elizabeth departed from Basing, she affirmed, that "she had done that in Hampshire, that none of her ancestors ever did; neither that any Prince in Christendom could do: that was, she had in her progresses, in her subject's houses, entertained a royal ambassador, and had royally entertained him." John, son of the preceding, and fifth Marquis of Winchester, was the brave nobleman who rendered his name immortal by his gallant defence of Basing House, in the cause of Charles I., during a tedious succession of sieges and blockades, which, with short intermissions, continued upwards of two years. The journal of the siege, printed in Oxford, in 1645, is one of the most eventful pieces of history during the civil war. The final investment appears to have been undertaken by Cromwell, who took it by storm, in October 1645, and burnt it to the ground, in despite of the Aimez Loyaulte, which the Marquis had written with a diamond in every window, and which has ever since been the motto of the family arms. The plunder obtained on this occasion is said to have amounted to L200,000. in cash, jewels, and rich furniture. The number of soldiers slain before the walls from the commencement of the siege, is recorded to have been upwards of 2,000. There is a traditionary report, that the garrison was partly surprized through some of the troops being engaged at cards when the assault commenced. From a survey made in 1798, it appears that the area of the works, including the garden and entrenchments, occupied about fourteen acres and a half. The form was extremely irregular, the ditches very deep, and the ramparts high and strong; some of the remains are yet very bold and striking. The site of the ruins is particularly commanding. The canal from Basingstoke has been cut through a part of the works, and the outward entrenchments have been rendered very obscure and imperfect from recent improvements in the grounds. The brave Marquis, whose property was reduced to ruin in the cause of his Sovereign, lived to the restoration, but received no recompence for his immense losses. He died in 1674, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Charles, who, when he saw that other men of sense were at their wits' end, in the arbitary and tyrannical reign of James II., thought it prudent to assume the character of a madman, as the first Brutus did, in the reign of Tarquin. He danced, hunted, or hawked, a part of the day, went to bed before noon, and constantly sat at table all night. He went to dinner at six or seven in the evening, and his meal lasted till six or seven in the morning; during which time he ate, drank, smoked, talked, or listened to music. The company that dined with him were at liberty to rise and amuse themselves, or to take a nap, whenever they were so disposed; but the