Amberley Castle was probably constructed upon the site of a very ancient edifice, as some of the walls, seen in the plate to the right, have a greater appearance of antiquity than the other part of the building.

The value of this property, as held by lease of twenty-one years renewable, under the bishops of Chichester, is considerable; Sir John Briscoe purchased it of James Butler, Esq. in 1683, for the sum of 4,8007., and the Rev. Charles Briscoe resold it in 1728, to George Parker, Esq. for 6,1257. It was purchased in Chancery by Sir James Peachey in 1750, for 52507.

The Castle, or House of Amberley, the orchard, courts, and garden, and ground appertaining to the castle, are leased for the yearly rent of 17. 7s. 8d. to be paid to the bishop. The parsonage or rectory of Amberley, with the glebe lands, tythes, offerings, pensions, annuities, and all profits belonging to the rectory, (reserving to the bishop the advowson, collation, and donation of the vicarage of Amberley,) the acres of meadow in the North mead, the overplus of common in all the brooks and waste grounds, called the Wild Brooks, and waste of the manor of Amberley, other than the benefit of such common as the tenants of the manor had of ancient time in the said waste, brooks, and piscaries; also the liberty and profit of fishing in the waters of the parishes of Amberley, Watersfield,

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Waltham, and Houghton, the swans on the said waters, the four farms of Amberley, the mansion-. house and manor farm of Rackham, and demesnes thereto belonging, with the rents of the copyholders of Rackham, the warren of Blackborough, in Rackham, (bately destroyed,) the fines, heriots,. waifs, strays, &c. arising within the manor of Rackham, with full liberty to keep courts, the park of Waltham, and all the lands and tenements enclosed in the said park, (except all timber trees,) and the warren of Waltham, are demised, in the lease to Sir James Peachey, in 1784, for the yearly sum of 597. 18. 10 d. to be paid to the bishop at his palace at Chichester. Sir James Peachey had to pay to the vicar of Amberley 201. per annum, free of taxes.

The village of Amberley consists of a long scattered street; the surrounding land is rich and fertile. The soil near the downs is principally a rich black earth, which produces plentiful crops of wheat. The church of this village, which nearly adjoins the east end of the castle, is a small structure, having a chancel, and a square tower, A clump of trees on an adjoining hill, near the castle, serves for a sea mark, and is called Fittleworth Tilt. l gior

Plate 102.-Remains of the Sudatories and Bath of a Roman Villa at Bignor.

Plate 103.-Gladiators and Roman Pavement, Bignor.

Plate 104.-Roman Bath, and Specimens of the Roman Pavement, Bignor.

Plate 105.-Ganymede, and Specimens of the Roman Pavement, Bignor.

THE beautiful tessellated pavements of the Roman villa of Bignor, are situated about six miles and a half north-west of Arundel, in a valley; the hills, or Downs, are seen in the distance. In 1811, a mosaic pavement was discovered by means of a plough, in the Berry field, in the parish of Bignor, at a short distance east of the church; the spot being cleared of earth, to the depth of nearly two feet, this pavement, of very great dimensions, was exposed to view. In the four subsequent years, a considerable portion of the foundation walls of a Roman villa was traced; and, from the number, extent, and magnificence of the apartments, it is supposed to have been the residence of a person of high distinction.

The foundations described in Plate 102, are the remains of the sudatories, which are supposed to have been divided into several small rooms, which adjoined the cold bath, Fig. 9. The small upright flues,. Plate 103, No. 1, composed of four columns, twenty tiles high, eight inches square, and about one inch. thick, were covered at the top with a large tile, crossed with narrow lines, one foot nine inches and a half square, and three inches thick, (See No. 2;); which took half their bearing on each of the columns, leaving sufficient space for the bearing of the next, to be laid down in like manner; on these was laid cement, &c. for the floor. These subterraneous flues were known among the ancient Romans by the name of hypocausta*, by means of which, their rooms, baths, and sudatories were usually warmed. Funnels were carried through the walls for this purpose, about one foot five inches in length, and six inches square, rudely crossed, (See No. 3.) The mouth of the stove, or præfurnium, seen immediately under the tree, in the landscape, (No. 4, Plate 102, Ground Plan,) was at the outside of the building, which communicated with the hypocaust within. No. 5, describes a large hypocaust, about thirty-three feet long, and twelve feet six inches wide, with a semicircular projection of six feet in diameter, at the

Tenuem volvunt hypocausta vaporem.-STATIUS.

west side of the north end, as described in the drawing. From the number of tile piers, seen in Nos. 5 and 6, it seems probable that the apartments over them were sudatories, of different degrees of heat. No. 7, represents the floor of a room about twenty-eight feet by thirty-four. The pavement, part of which is still remaining, consists of black and white stones, six inches square, laid chequer-wise. The white stone appears to resemble that of which the cistern (No. 8, Plate 104,) is composed. The base of a pillar (No. 7, Plate 102,) stands on this pavement, the extremities of which are surrounded by double rows of red tiles, about twelve inches by, fifteen. Adjoining this was a cold bath, (No. 9,) about seventeen feet six inches, by twelve feet six inches, with a recess on the south side, terminating in the segment of a circle, (No. 10,) where are plainly to be seen the remains of three steps which led into the bath; the dimensions of which are, fourteen "feet, from east to west; thirteen feet, from north to: south, and three feet four inches in depth. -Adjoining No. 7, to the left, or east end, is a mosaic pavement, (See Plan, Fig. 39, Plate 104,) the design of which is a square compartment, containing four stars, (See No. 14, Plate 105,) of Leight points. In the centre of this pavement is a circle, consisting of a guilloche between two borders, with the head of Medusa within, (See No.