The Whitecliff, opposite to the castle, and Hackluyt’s Close, near the Leominster road, are the two other most favourite walks; but that round the castle is resorted to as the most fashionable promenade. The town of Ludlow has been calculated to contain seven hundred and two houses, and nearly three thousand five hundred and sixty-five persons. {299} The public buildings are the market-house, the guildhall, the prison (called Gaolford’s tower), and the cross. The rooms over the latter are dedicated for the instruction of thirty poor boys, and fifteen poor girls; and the former at a proper age are apprenticed out. The town enjoys no particular manufactory, but its chief trade consists in the article of gloves. The castle, the palace of the Prince of Wales in right of his principality, is now entirely in ruins, except Mortimer’s Tower, which was repaired by Sir Henry Sidney, during his presidency. It is now inhabited by an old servant of Lord Powis’s, a very civil and intelligent man, who related with the utmost concern the sad vicissitudes this castle had experienced: he insisted on our entering the tower of his habitation, and ascending the crumbling stairs, for a full display of the various beauties in the vicinity of Ludlow. He expatiated much on a valuable diamond ring, which he had discovered himself when attempting to drain a cellar; the inscription of Hebrew characters round the gold within the ring was interpreted by the learned, “a good heart;” this, and several coins of silver and gold, which were found at the same time, are now in the possession of Lord Powis: near the same spot a number of skeletons were likewise dug up. He next conducted us to a small room in this tower, to observe an old stone placed over the fire-place, with a cross, the letters W. S. and the date 1575, engraven on it. Over the south-east gateway, leading into the interior of the castle, are the arms of Elizabeth, Queen of England; and beneath, those of the Sydney family, with the following inscription: HOMINIBUS INGRATIS LOQUIMINI LAPIDES.—ANN. REGNI REGINÆ ELIZABETHÆ 23.—THE 28 YEAR COPLET OF THE RESIDENCE OF SIR HENRY SYDNEY KNIGHT OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER, 1581.