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"South view of Durham Castle being the Bishop's Palace."

(From S. & N. Buck's engraving, 1728).

When he came northwards after his consecration, he found that all his residences had suffered terribly during the late disturbances. Stockton Castle had been entirely dismantled, and Cosin made no attempt to rebuild it. The house at Darlington he restored to some extent; but subsequent bishops, regarding it as a superfluity, allowed it to fall into disrepair. To Durham Castle he devoted much thought and money it had been "spoilt and ruined with gunpowder" by the Scots, and had since been sold by Parliament to Thomas Andrews, Lord Mayor of London, who certainly had done nothing to improve its condition. Cosin now put it into complete repair; he also added externally a porch, and erected internally a grand staircase; at the same time the great hall was decorated, wainscoted, and provided with a collection of episcopal portraits; so that he may fairly be ranked with the Conqueror, Pudsey, and Hatfield as a co-builder of this noble fortress, now the home of University College.1

The only residence still attached to the see of Durham is Auckland Castle: to the restoration of this Cosin also devoted much time and expense; but he marred the greatness of his work here and did poor service to his memory by a curiously disingenuous boastfulness, es

1 Cromwell had founded a college at Durham out of the Chapter's estate. The scheme, of course, fell through at the Restoration, and was not revived till Bishop Van Mildert, the last Prince Palatine (1826-36), founded the University of Durham and surrendered the castle to the new foundation.