Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/118

 FIRST PERIOD BOTHVVELL CASTLE FIG. 74. Bothwell. In Portcullis Kooin of Donjon. remarkable as also the great stone corbels near the parapet (Fig. 70), evidently placed there to carry the defences sufficiently far out to clear the spur and protect the doorway. A drawbridge has also been worked from the portcullis room. This drawbridge was of the earlier description of these de- fences, which were raised by chains worked with a windlass, but without any of the balancing apparatus such as we see in another and later example in the same castle. Drawbridges of the latter kind were not attached to doorways, even in France, till about 1300. The newel staircase leading down to the basement is also continued upwards to serve the upper floors and the roof of the donjon, and also the parapets of the curtains. It enters from the hall, not from the entrance passage, so that eveiy one going in or out would be visible as he passed through the hall. The first and second floors do not appear to have been vaulted, but to have had strongly framed and strutted floors, probably supported by the central pillar, continued up in wood (as suggested in the section). The first floor has no window to the court, and probably had only small loops to the exterior. This apartment seems to have been occupied by the garrison, and for the storing of munitions of war. It is on the level of the parapets of the curtains, and would thus form a convenient post for the soldiers. The top story has a fine pointed window to the court, divided by a central shaft into two lights with trefoiled heads. This was no doubt the private apartment of the lord and his family. The parapet is entirely gone, but must probably have been finished in a somewhat similar style to that of Coucy, ante, p. 37 (to which this castle has also other strong points of resemblance), and crowned with embrasures and crenellations. The corbels remaining over the spur of the doorway are similar to those of Coucy, and there was probably a row of smaller corbels at a higher level, on which wooden hoards would be supported when required. The large corbels over the doorway would receive larger and more projecting hoards, for the purpose of defending the doorway and also the entrance to the donjon from the parapet of the north curtain. It is worthy of note that the- mother of Alexander in., who played a con- siderable part in Scottish history at this period, was Marie de Coucy, the sister of Engherrand de Coucy, who built the great castle of Coucy, which Bothwell so strongly recalls in many of its features. The roof of the donjon stair was no doubt continued higher than