Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/34

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""Malcolm III. King of Scotland, besieging Alnwick- Castle, was slain here Nov. 13, anno 1003. King Malcolm's Cross, decayed by time, was restored by his descendant Eliza Duchess of Northumberland, 1774."

Alnwick itself has little beauty, being straggling and irregular. A few vestiges of its former walls

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are visible, and the late Duke's munificence is ma- nifested in some modern public edifices in the Gothic style. The customs of this borough were formerly many and curious; one only remains now, but sufficiently singular in its nature to be men- tioned. The candidate for the few existing rights attaching; to a freeman in this disused borough, has

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to oass through a purgaton little less alarming

than the initiatory rites to the greater mysteries of Elcusis; dad in a white garrns ; ;t, he is led to a little stream ..nidi runs across a road on the town \ anciently called the Forest of Aidon, whose va:ers are deepened for tile purpose by a dam
 * > across them, and bottom rendered as

mncoual and rugged as nossibie, by holes being dmr, and stones cast therein. All these accom- rnodating arrangements are made by a man who fives near the stream, and exacts five shillings from each of the freemen for Irs trouble. i hrough tins water, without the aid of stick, or staff, the candidate is to find his way; and provided he effect

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