legendary and mythical lore, tells nevertheless in its actual history of
the progress of civilisation and of the enlightenment of the human mind.
Sigberct, King of the East Angles, is said to have founded the first
monastery at Beodericsworth (a town known to the Romans, ancient
Britons, Saxons and Danes), and to have subsequently laid aside his
royal dignity by joining the brotherhood which he had established.
Following his example of religious devotion, Edmund, last King of the
East Angles, sacrificed not only his crown but his life in defence of
the Christian faith, for he was beheaded by the Danes at Eglesdene in
870.
“Off this language Hyngwar wex[2] nyh wood,[3]
Made the Kyng strongly to be bonde,[4]
And commanded afform him as he stood,
Ffirst to be bete with shorte battis ronde.[5]
His body brused with many mortal wounde,
As ever the martyr among his peynes alle,
Meekly to Jhu for helpe began to calle.
The cheef refuge and supportacion
In his sufferance was humble pacience,
Loved to his herte gaff consolation,
With ghostly feer quickid the fervence.
Ffor charite feeleth no violence,
Ffor wher charite afforceth a corage
Ther is of peyne fonde non outrage.
The cursed Danys of new cruelte,
This martyr took, most gracious and benign,
Of hasty rancour bound him to a tree,
As for their mark to sheete[6] at and ther signe
And in this wise ageyne him ther maline
Made hym with arwis[7] of ther malis most wikked
Rassemble an yrchon[8] fulfilled with spryngs[9] thkke.”
His head was cast into a forest and, as the story goes, was miraculously
discovered and found to be guarded by a wolf. It was then buried with
the body at the village of Hoxne where it remained until 903. In this
year, “the precious, undefiled, uncorrupted body of the glorious king
and martyr” was translated to the care of the secular priests at
Beodericsworth, since when the town has been called St Edmundsbury in
memory of the sainted monarch. Other wonderful traditions are associated
with the shrine of St Edmund. Sweyn, the violent Danish king, coming in
hot pursuit of a woman who had claimed sanctuary, was miraculously
killed by an imaginary spear which came out of the shrine when he was
about to seize the woman who was clinging to its side. Bishop
Herfastus, too, was struck blind, when on a visit to the abbot, in the
attempt to establish his new See in the monastical demesne, and
afterwards miraculously healed. For centuries the highest in the land
brought gifts and laid them before the venerated shrine.
Canute was the actual founder of the monastery proper, for in the 11th
century he brought over Benedictine monks from Hulm, granting them a
charter and many benefactions. The monastery yearly became more
prosperous, and, with the exception of Glastonbury, exceeded in
magnificence and privileges all other ecclesiastical establishments in
the country. In the height of its glory it must have been a most
beautiful and dignified structure. Leland writes:--
“A monastery more noble, whether one considers the endowments,
largeness, or unparalleled magnificence, the sun never saw. One
might think the monastery alone a city: it has three grand gates
for entrances, some whereof are brass, many towers, high walls and
a church than which nothing can be more magnificent.”
The immense minster with its lofty western and central towers rose above
the monastic buildings which were enclosed by a wall. To the north was a
great cloister with the various conventual offices, to the south-west
lay the cemetery and church of St Mary, while immediately before the
west front of the church stood the Norman tower leading to St James’
Church.
Sufficient is left of the reverend walls to convey some idea of the
former vastness of the abbey and its attendant buildings. Of the minster
itself little remains--some arches of the west front, now converted into
private houses, and the bases of the piers which supported the central
tower. The site of St Edmund’s chapel--the part of the building which
contained the famous and much visited shrine--is at the east end of the
church. Besides these relics of the minster, there still exists the
Norman tower--built during the time of Abbot Anselm and formerly known
as the principal entrance to the cemetery of St Edmund, and latterly as
the “Churchgate” and bell tower of St James’ church;--the abbot’s bridge
(Decorated) of three arches; portions of the walls; and the abbey
gateway. The latter was restored in 1327 after one of the many quarrels
between the monks and townspeople and is of rich Decorated work. Within
the extensive abbey demesne lie the churches of St James--another piece
of Anselm’s work--and St Mary. The latter was built by the parish folk.
A small portion of its west end protrudes beyond the abbey precincts and
was built thus with the intention of distinguishing it as the work of
the town and not of monastical enterprise. It is a beautiful and
imposing edifice in the Perpendicular style, and among its many beauties
is the unique waggon-roof of the chancel. The remains of Mary Tudor,
Queen of France, and afterwards those of Charles Brandon, Duke of
Suffolk, were brought from the abbey and reinterred there.
First among the abbots of Bury stands the name of Samson, “the wolf who
raged among the monks.” Many of the brothers had become entangled with
Jewish moneylenders in the 12th century, and Abbot Samson, while
protecting the Jews at the time of the massacre, discharged all the
debts of his house, established many new rules, and set a godly and
strenuous example to his followers. Later, in 1205, the chief barons met
at Bury in opposition to King John and swore at the second meeting, four
years later, in the presence of the King and Archbishop Langton, to
stand by their cause till the King should be induced to sign the Great
Charter, and to establish those liberties which we still enjoy.
“Where the rude buttress totters to its fall,
And ivy mantles o’er the crumbling wall;
Where e’en the skilful eye can scarcely trace
The once high altar’s lowly resting-place--
Let patriotic fancy muse awhile
Amid the ruins of this ancient pile--
Six weary centuries have passed away;
Palace and abbey moulder in decay--
Cold Death enshrouds the learnèd and the brave--
Langton--Fitzwalter--slumber in the grave.
But still we read in deathless records how
The high-soul’d priest confirmed the Barons’ vow
And Freedom, unforgetful, still recites
This second birthplace of our Native Rights.”
J. W. DONALDSON and J. MUSKETT.
On the roll of illustrious visitors to the abbey are the names of Edward
the Confessor, who always dismounted and approached the gates on foot;
Richard I.; Henry I.; Henry II.; King John; Henry III.; Edward II.;
Edward III.; and Richard II. The visit of Henry VI., with his Queen,
took place during the rule of Abbot Curteys, at which time the poet
Lidgate was a member of the fraternity. The foul murder of Humphrey,
Duke of Gloucester, by the Duke of Suffolk (described by Shakespeare in
_Henry VI._) is supposed to have taken place in St Saviour’s Hospital,
which formed part of the abbey buildings. The writer, who had the
pleasure of viewing the pageant presented at Bury St Edmunds in 1907, on
a site near St Edmund’s chapel, was impressed by the historical fitness
of the environment as the procession of black-robed monks filed slowly
by, chanting an old Gregorian mode as they walked. Less realistic, if
more diverting, was the spectacle of tonsured figures darting in and out
of 20th century hostelries, and of Argyll cars filled with Roman and
Elizabethan ladies and driven possibly by an Edwardian knight. These
pageants, despite their incongruities, have much to commend them,
reminding the English people, as they cannot fail to do, of the sources
of their greatness, and illustrating to them so graphically the customs
of the so frequently regretted “good old times.”
WALTHAM (_Augustine Canons_)
1017-35, Village and church founded by Tovi--1060, Rebuilt and
endowed by Earl Harold--1117, Regular Canons appointed in place of
secular Canons by Henry II.--1216-70, A favourite residence of
Henry III.--1444, Campanile of the church struck by
lightning--1539-40, Surrendered to Henry VIII. by Abbot Robert
Fuller. Annual revenue, £170, 4s. 9d--The site granted to Sir
Anthony Denny, eventually passing to the family of Sir William
Wake, Bart., D.C.L.--1847-63, Church restored--1875, North aisle
added.
Waltham, or Wealdham, from the Saxon “a dwelling near the forest,” an
ancient and quaint market town, lies on the great North road. Tovi,
standard-bearer to Canute, after building a few houses, set up a church
here in the 11th century in which the Holy Rood, accredited with
miraculous power, was guarded by priests. Dugdale in his _Monasticon_
states that Harold, when visiting Waltham, was healed of the palsy, and,
being overcome with gratitude, granted lands and endowments to the
priests, increased their number, rebuilt the church, and set up an
establishment for the furtherance of learning. Harold is supposed to
have been buried in Waltham Abbey after the battle of Senlac, “in
confirmation of which it is stated that in the reign of Elizabeth a rich
grey marble tomb was discovered, and from the pillarets which support
the cross fleury upon it, little doubt exists that it covered the
remains of the ill-fated Harold and his brothers” (Cassell’s
_Gazetteer_). This was situated at the end of the church near the altar,
and two inscriptions are ascribed to it, one of which is half a dozen
lines of Latin, the other, more simple and consequently impressive,
consists of two words, “Harold infelix.” The tomb was destroyed in 1540.
The venerable church was founded by a king of England; deprived of many
of its valuables by the Norman Conqueror; firmly established by the
Plantagenets--receiving both from Henry II. and Henry III. peculiar
marks of favour--and finally was overwhelmed by Henry VIII. It is said
that this monarch once visited the abbey in disguise, and after faring
well on the sirloin of beef set before him by the abbot, the latter
observed that he would give the king £100 if he too could enjoy his
food, and lamented the state of his digestion which even prevented him
from enjoying the breast of a chicken. Shortly after this the abbot was
forcibly taken to London and lodged in the Tower, where he for some time
enjoyed only bread and water for sustenance. At length a sirloin of beef
was brought, upon which he fed in a most hearty manner. At this point
King Henry strode into his cell and demanded £100, to which request the
unfortunate abbot very reluctantly was obliged to concede.
Apart from its old associations, the town of the present day is of no
special interest. Its streets are crooked and narrow and there is no
particularly attractive feature about either the town or the exterior of
the abbey church--one mile distant from the station. The present edifice
of Norman origin, and dedicated to St Mary and St Lawrence, has been
restored at various times since the Dissolution.
Of the early building practically only the nave remains--a very fine
specimen of Norman architecture. Of seven bays--the two easternmost of
which form the present chancel--and having massive circular columns with
chevron or spiral channels, it is somewhat akin to the nave of Durham
Cathedral. Other interesting features include the Lady chapel (now used
as a schoolroom), beneath which is a crypt--“the fairest,” says Fuller,
“that I ever saw,”--a chantry on the south-east side of the nave, of the
time of Henry VII., and the western tower, erected in 1556 after the
fall of the original tower. During the restoration of 1847 some fine
fresco paintings, composed of life-sized figures, were discovered on
the walls, and in 1875 the north aisle was added. There are several
monumental brasses in the church, and in the south aisle is a large tomb
to Sir E. Denny, Knight, and Margaret his wife, with recumbent effigies.
The site of the abbey passed into the possession of this family after
the Dissolution, then to the celebrated James Hay, Earl of Carlisle, and
lastly to the family of Sir W. Wake, Bart., D.C.L. A few walls, a small
bridge, and a gateway are all that remain of the monastery.
PART IV--NORTHERN COUNTIES
CHAPTER VIII
HEREFORDSHIRE: SOMERSETSHIRE: GLOUCESTERSHIRE: MONMOUTHSHIRE
DORE: GLASTONBURY: BATH: TEWKESBURY: TINTERN: LLANTHONY
DORE (_Cistercian_)
Founded and endowed by Robert, Earl of Ferrars, in the 12th
century--1216, Certain lands given to the monastery by King
John--1233, These endowments confirmed by Henry III. and the abbey
church completed in his reign--15--, Dissolved. Annual revenue,
£101, 5s. 2d.
This religious house, like many others of the Cistercian order, was
built in a secluded and beautiful spot. Though the architecture of the
Cistercian monasteries is not so ornamental or elaborate as those of the
Benedictines from whom they sprang, still their churches have a grandeur
and simplicity which immediately impress the visitor. Abbey Dore, on the
river Dore in Herefordshire, may indeed be included among the most
interesting and beautifully situated in England. To quote from _Our Own
Country_:--
“It lies wholly in what may be called the sub-Alpine district of
the Welsh border, where the undulations as yet rarely rise into
prominent and well-defined hills. The scenery ... is worthy ... of
the name it bears (‘golden valley’). The sky-line is usually rather
level, the valley being excavated out of a plateau; the bounding
hills, especially on the left bank, are commonly capped with woods.
The slopes are often rather rapid, richly cultivated, varied by
abundant hedgerow, timber and scattered copses, and as there is
more arable than grass land, there are many changes in the dominant
tints of the scenery, from the warm red of the bare soil in the
winter to the rich gold of the ripened corn in the late summer. On
the right bank many glimpses are caught of the long terrace-like
line of the Black Mountains, whose dark bare sides contrast
markedly with the cheerful richness of the nearer valley. Glancing
backward the scene is more varied; the ridges of Graig and Garway
hills and the undulating Saddlebow bound the view.”
Very little remains of the domestic buildings of the monastery--only a
portion of a passage abutting on the transept wall and indicating a
former “slype.” There are marks of two roofs high up on the same
transept wall, showing that the monks’ dormitory was probably there. The
nave of the original church is nothing but a ruin and the present church
consists only of the former choir, transepts and Lady chapel. John, Lord
Scudamore, preserved this portion in the year 1634, re-roofed it, and
after generously endowing it, restored it for the purposes of public
worship. The original vaulting fortunately still remains over the
chapels at the east end of the church. The pews, the oak screen, and
western gallery are of the 17th century. The most remarkable part of
this interesting abbey church is undoubtedly the east end, which is
square. Three lancet-windows, containing old stained glass, light the
upper part, under which are three pointed arches leading into an eastern
ambulatory. Beyond this are five chapels, three in the centre and two
others corresponding with the side aisles. The tower is peculiarly
situated at the eastern angle of the south transept. With the exception
of the east end, the whole structure is somewhat massive and
heavy--Norman work decidedly dominating over the Early English style.
There are some monuments still remaining in the church, including a
peculiar slab on which is the small figure of a bishop. Tradition says
that it commemorates a boy bishop, but on good authority it is stated
that it shows the “burial place of the heart of Bishop John Breton” of
the 13th century. The altar possesses great interest to the antiquarian.
It is a large slab supported by massive columns which are really
capitals of columns, probably discovered in the ruins and put to their
present use when the altar slab was recovered from the adjoining
farm-house where it is said to have been used for dairy purposes. When
Robert, Earl of Ferrars, founded the monastery, he endowed it with lands
“to hold free and quit of all secular service, by the rent of three
shillings yearly to be paid at the Feast of St. Peter and _ad vincula_;
and this was exprest to be given not only for the Health of the Souls of
his Ancestors and Heirs but also for the Peace and Stability of all
England and Wales.”--Dugdale’s _Monasticon_.
GLASTONBURY (_Mitred Benedictine_)
31 A.D. St Joseph of Arimathæa, with other disciples of St Philip,
lands on the south-west coast of England, preaches Christianity to
the people, and builds a church on land given him by King
Arviragus--433-472, St Patrick becomes first abbot and in a great
measure founds the abbey--_c._ 520, Glastonbury saved from
destruction by King Arthur, who resists the Saxons at Mount
Badon--_c._ 530, A chapel built at the east end of the old church
by St David, for use as a chancel--_c._ 597, Augustine, Archbishop
of Canterbury, introduces the Benedictine order into England; its
rules observed in Glastonbury--630, Paulinus of York encases in
boards of lead the wattled basilica of St Joseph’s chapel--719, The
great church, dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, built by King
Ina--946, The abbey practically refounded by Dunstan after being
despoiled by the Danes--106--, Abbey partially despoiled by war and
Thurstan appointed abbot--1102-20, A Norman church built by Abbot
Herlwin and Abbot Henry de Blois, nephew of Henry I.--1184, The new
structure consumed by a disastrous fire, and another building begun
by Henry II. and completed in 1303--1539, Dissolved--Richard
Whiting, last abbot, hung on the Tor by order of Henry VIII. Annual
revenue, £3311, 7s. 4d.
Though, once surrounded by fenland, the abbey of Glastonbury--a
veritable treasure-house of legendary
[Illustration: GLASTONBURY.]
lore--stands now amid orchards and level pasture lands engirt by the
river Bure. The majestic Tor overshadows this spot, where, undoubtedly,
the first British Christian settlement was established. The name of the
builder of the first early church can never be ascertained, so that in
want of more substantial evidence, the old legend of St Joseph of
Arimathæa must be accepted, however slight its claims to historical
authority. Certain it is that Christianity was introduced into this land
on the island of Yniswytryn, or “Isle of Glass” (so called on account of
its crystal streams), in the very early centuries. According to the
Arthurian legends, St Philip, Lazarus, Martha, Mary and Joseph of
Arimathæa, having been banished by their countrymen, journeyed to
Marseilles, from whence Joseph, with twelve companions and holy women,
was sent by St Philip to Britain. They landed on the south-west coast
and made their way to Glastonbury, then Avalon (and so named in allusion
to its apple orchards), and by means of preaching and many miraculous
deeds persuaded the people to adopt Christianity. Gaining the goodwill
of King Arviragus, they built a church of wattle and twigs on the ground
given to them by their royal patron. The Benedictine, with its later
developments in Norman times of Augustine and Cluniac orders, was the
first religious order introduced into this country. It was instituted in
Italy early in the 6th century by St Benedict of Nursia. Many
monasteries established before the Conquest came under its sway and
were, centuries later, after the Dissolution, converted into Cathedral
churches.
A sharp distinction should be drawn between the monasteries established
previous to the Conquest and those subsequently founded by the
Cistercian and other orders. The former were national houses--in every
way belonging to the English people and untouched by Papal influence;
while the latter, which were under the immediate control of the Bishop
of Rome, were essentially of foreign foundation.
“It cannot be a mere coincidence that the monastery churches still
in use are almost invariably of pre-Norman origin and generally of
the Benedictine order--the only exceptions being the public portion
of churches belonging to ‘foreign’ monasteries which had supplanted
a pre-Norman parish church.... National and anti-national
foundations alike were overwhelmed in the general dissolution; but
while the ‘foreign’ monasteries were all destroyed absolutely ...
many of the old Norman minsters continue to be used for the
services of the Church of England”--_English Church History_ (Rev.
C. ARTHUR LANE).
Glastonbury, “first ground of the saints, the rise and foundation of all
religion in the land,” is the earliest and most important Benedictine
centre in England; and though, owing to the depredations of men and the
wear and tear of time, services are not held now within its ruined
walls, it still holds first place among the ecclesiastical monuments in
this country. Coel, King of the Britons; Caradercus, Duke of Cornwall;
King Arthur and Guinevere his Queen; Kings Kintevymus, Edmund, Edgar,
and Edmund Ironside were buried here, as well as other great personages
of Church and State.
“In so great reverence was the church and churchyard held where
these were interred that our forefathers did not dare to use any
idle discourse or to spit therein without great necessity. Enemies
and naughty men were not suffered to be buried therein, neither did
any bring any Hawk, Dog or Horse upon the ground, for if they did,
it was observed that they immediately died thereupon.”--Dugdale’s
_Monasticon_.
King Ina, persuaded by St Aldhelm, rebuilt and re-endowed the abbey in
the 8th century, renounced his royal state, and lived as an ordinary
civilian, being induced to do so by extraordinary devices on the part
of his wife Ethelburh. On one occasion, after King Ina had given a great
feast to his barons, he and his queen left the castle and proceeded to
another of the royal residences. Before leaving, Ethelburh had commanded
the servants to strip the castle of all its valuables, furniture, etc.,
and to fill it with rubbish and to put a litter of pigs in the king’s
bed. A short distance on their journey, Ethelburh persuaded the king to
return, and showing him over the desecrated palace, exhorted him to
consider the utter worthlessness of all earthly splendour and the
advisability of joining her on a pilgrimage to Rome. Impressed by her
words, Ina acted as she advised, and later endowed a school in Rome in
which Anglo-Saxon children might become acquainted with the customs of
foreign countries. Ina and Ethelburh spent the remainder of their days
in privacy in the Holy City.
The famous Dunstan, one of the greatest of ecclesiastical statesmen, was
born in Glastonbury, and after proving his many marvellous capabilities
and aptitude for learning, was made abbot of the Benedictine house in
his native town in the reign of Edmund the Magnificent. Many strange
stories are told of him--the most fantastic perhaps being that of his
interview with the natural enemy of man, the Devil himself, during which
the reverend man became either so irritated or terrified that he was
provoked to seize the nose of his ghostly visitor with a pair of red-hot
pincers. Dunstan staunchly supported all the reforms introduced by Odo,
Archbishop of Canterbury, and in particular the enforcing of more rigid
rules upon the clergy or “seculars” in the matter of marriage. The monks
or “regulars,” sworn to a life of celibacy, considered that the
“seculars” should be subject to similar restrictions. In this matter,
Odo’s motives were deeper and more pecuniary than were at first
apparent. After the quarrel between the two parties had raged for many
years, the “regulars” gained the victory, and much ecclesiastical
property changed hands consequent on a large number of the clergy being
compelled to enter the monasteries. William the Conqueror despoiled the
abbey of much of its property at the beginning of his reign, but later
he relented somewhat. Thurstan, a Norman, was appointed abbot, and the
monks declining to conform to new musical rules which he enforced in
tyrannical fashion, Thurstan summoned soldiers into the sacred building
and ruthlessly killed many of the monks.
Though the ruins of Glastonbury are somewhat scanty, they possess an
attraction unrivalled for the antiquarian. Of the abbey church only the
east piers of the central tower, a single east bay of both transepts
with triforium and clerestory, the south wall of the choir, part of the
south nave aisle, and the chapel of St Mary remain. The latter is
situated in the north transept. The church was originally cruciform,
consisting of nave with aisles; north and south transepts with north
aisles (containing eastern chapels) and an apsidal east end. The abbot’s
stone kitchen, octangular in shape with a pyramidical roof, and built in
the 14th century by John de Chinnock, contains four huge fireplaces and
is the most perfect portion left of the former magnificent monastery.
The chapel of St Joseph of Arimathæa, beneath which is a large crypt,
stands to the west of the church.
The fame belonging to this noble foundation exceeded that of any other
great building in England. An old writer tells us, “Kings and queens,
not only of the west Saxons, but of other kingdoms; several archbishops
and bishops; many dukes; and the nobility of both sexes thought
themselves happy in increasing the revenues of this venerable house, to
ensure themselves a place of burial therein.” The story of the burial of
St Joseph of Arimathæa at Glastonbury, to us a mere shadowy legend, was
accepted as a fact in the early English ages, and that it figured in the
mind of these worthies as endowing Glastonbury with extraordinary
sanctity, is beyond doubt.
At the time of the Dissolution no corruption whatever was revealed at
Glastonbury, nor any blame recorded against its management. It was still
doing splendid work, having daily services and extending its educational
influence for miles around. There was but scanty comfort for its
inmates, who rested on a straw mattress and bolster on their narrow
bedstead in a bare cell, and whose food, duties and discipline were
marked by an austere simplicity. Nor were they idle, these monks of
Glastonbury,--some taught in the abbey school, others toiled in the
orchards, and the beauty of the stained glass, designed within the abbey
walls, found fame far and wide. Richard Whiting was Abbot of Glastonbury
when in 1539 Henry VIII. ordered inquiries to be made into the condition
and property of the abbey. Although he recognised the monarch as supreme
head of the church, he respected the Glastonbury traditions and met the
“visitors” in a spirit of passive resistance. With the object of
preserving them from desecration, the abbot had concealed some of the
communion vessels, and for this offence the venerable man was tried, and
condemned to death. His head, white with the touch of eighty years, was
fixed upon the abbey gate, and the rest of his body quartered and sent
to Bath, Wells, Bridgwater and Ilchester. The abbey building--one of the
most perfect examples of architecture in the land--served as a stone
quarry, much of the material being used to make a road over the fenland
from Glastonbury to Wells. The revenue at the time of the Dissolution
was over £3000, a big income in those days.
BATH (_Benedictine_)
The history of Bath Abbey is tersely and comprehensively put on a brass
tablet on the lower part of the screen which admits to the south aisle
of the chancel. It may serve in lieu of the ordinary table of notable
events concerning the abbey, for it runs as follows:--
“In 775 the first Cathedral was built by King Offa.
In 973 King Edgar was crowned therein.
About 1010 the church was destroyed by Sweyne the Dane,
And rebuilt by John de Villula, 1018-1122.
In 1137 partly destroyed by fire, it was subsequently restored by
Bishop Robert, 1136-1166.
In 1499, then in a ruinous state, was taken down, and Bishop King
and Prior Bird began to build the present structure, which was not
completed for public worship until 1616.
In 1834 the Corporation of Bath carried out extensive repairs and
removed adjoining buildings which for many years disfigured the
church.
In 1864 the Reverend Charles Venable, aided by public
subscriptions, began the work of restoration under the direction of
Sir Gilbert Scott, R.A.”
No English county is richer in Roman remains than Somersetshire, and
with only a few exceptions they are all to be found in Bath. In the
early days of their occupation the Romans discovered the value of the
hot springs and cleared the rough and primitive British dwellings to
erect in their place a splendid city. The Roman baths, which have been
unearthed quite recently, bear distinct witness to the early celebrity
of the city. These remains cover but a small part of the original site,
because it has been calculated the baths alone must have covered an area
of seven acres, and in addition there would be the lounges, pleasure
grounds, and the villas of the Roman residents. The earliest name of the
city of which there is any record is Aquæ Solis--“the waters of the
sun.” A temple to a British deity, Sul (thought by the Romans to be the
same as their own Sol) has been found near the hot springs. When,
therefore, the conquerors built their temple at Aquæ Solis they linked
the name of their Goddess Minerva with the British Sul, and on the site
of this temple to Sul-Minerva was erected the church of St Peter and St
Paul. The nave is the only portion left of the original abbey church.
The present church is a very striking example of the late Perpendicular
period--a period of straight lines and huge windows. The building, as it
stands, dates from as near as possible 1500, when it was commenced by
Bishop Oliver King. It was completed by Bishop Montague in 1616, and a
restoration was effected by Sir Gilbert Scott in 1864. The west front,
which pictures in sculpture the dream of Bishop Oliver King, is not only
one of the grandest, but one of the most singular pieces of architecture
in existence. The vision commemorated was one of the Holy Trinity with
angels going up and down a ladder, a crown and an olive
tree--interpreted by the bishop as a message to him to rebuild the
church.
In the churchyard is a pump room, a classical building upwards of a
century old, and bearing on its pediment a Greek inscription, the
translation of which is “Best on the one hand is water.” The room was
built at the suggestion of Beau Nash, the famous organiser of pleasure
and the character most intimately associated with the “renaissance” of
Bath. He became the uncrowned king of the city and his plans were
accepted as law. When it was proposed to place a full length portrait of
this “Bathoniæ elegantiæ arbiter,” as he is styled, on his monument,
between small busts of Sir Isaac Newton and the poet Pope, Lord
Chesterfield made fun of Nash in the oft-repeated epigram:
“Immortal Newton never spoke
More truth than here you’ll find:
Nor Pope himself ere penned a joke
Severer on mankind.
This picture placed these busts between
Gives satire all its strength;
Wisdom and wit are little seen
But Folly at full length.”
Among the many pithy epitaphs to be seen on the tablets and slabs inside
the abbey church, one, almost hidden in the north aisle of the chancel,
and written by Garrick on Quin the actor, is characteristic of the
punning tendency of the time:
“That tongue which set the table in a roar
And charmed the public ear is heard no more;
Closed are those eyes, the harbingers of wit,
Which spake before the tongue what Shakespeare writ;
Cold is that hand which living was stretched forth
At friendship’s call to succour modest worth.
Here lies James Quin: deign reader to be taught
Whate’er thy strength of body, force of thought,
In nature’s happiest mould however cast,
To this complexion thou must come at last.”
Ob. MDCCLXVI Etates LXXV.
TEWKESBURY (_Mitred Benedictine_)
715, Monastery founded by two brothers, Oddo and Doddo, Dukes of
Mercia, on the site of the cell inhabited by Theocus, a
hermit--1102, Refounded and endowed by Robert Fitz-Hamon as a
Benedictine abbey--Church and monastery built--1123, Church
consecrated--1539, Dissolved. Annual revenue, £1598 1s.
3d.--Conventual buildings destroyed but church purchased by the
parishioners--John Wakeman, last abbot, retires on a pension and
becomes first Bishop of Gloucester--1875, Church restored by Sir
Gilbert Scott.
The ruins of this abbey church of a former Benedictine monastery stand
overshadowed by the glorious Malvern hills in a beautiful valley in
Gloucestershire, through which flow the Avon and Severn with two
tributaries. The rich colouring of the country side and the ever varying
tints of the surrounding hills make the environment of Tewkesbury one
of singular beauty--a perfect setting for the abbey with its imposing
Norman tower, one of the most perfect of the kind in England.
The whole building is essentially Norman in spite of the addition of
Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular work. The nave of eight bays
is of exceptional length, being divided from its aisles by seven massive
columns and having both triforium and clerestory. The groined vaulting
dates from the 14th century. There are also north and south transepts,
the latter having an eastern apsidal chapel; a choir of two bays, while
the ambulatory is surrounded by four polygonal chapels. The massive and
lofty tower was erected in 1130. Immediately beneath it is inserted a
brass to Edward, son of Henry VI., who was foully murdered after the
battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. This battle, so fatal to the cause of the
Red Rose, was fought in a field within half a mile of Tewkesbury, long
after known as the Bloody Meadow. Many of the wounded sought refuge in
the abbey, only to be dragged forth, after a few days, to their
execution in the market place.
Among the many structural beauties which abound in Tewkesbury, none
reflect more credit on the design and workmanship of mediæval times than
the seven beautiful pointed windows of the choir. The ancient stained
glass which fills in these windows is of priceless value--the purity of
its colouring excelling the very best modern work. Much of the original
glazing has disappeared--that which remains has occupied its place for
over four and a half centuries and is a highly prized possession. The
window on the north exhibits Fitz-Hamon, the Norman knight who liberally
endowed the abbey at the time of its rebuilding in 1102 and was mortally
wounded at the siege of Falaise.
Probably the most interesting part of the abbey church to ordinary
visitors are the chapels and monuments, which suffered serious injury in
the 16th and 17th centuries, but were repaired in the later centuries.
Many lords of Tewkesbury, including members of the family of Clare,
Despenser, and Beauchamp, are interred in the church, while on the south
side of the choir are the remains of what were at one time probably the
memorials of every abbot of Tewkesbury from Giraldus to John Wakeman.
The Clarence vault is supposed to contain the remains of George, Duke of
Clarence, who was mysteriously put to death in the Tower of London by
his brother Edward IV. It is said that having been allowed to choose the
manner of his death, the Duke elected to be drowned in a butt of Malmsey
wine. Adjoining the church is the abbey house--formerly the infirmary of
the monastery; and west of this again is the embattled gate-house, built
in the 14th and 15th centuries by Abbot Parker. Tewkesbury was the last
of the religious houses of Gloucestershire to surrender to the
commissioners of Henry VIII. Its annual revenue at the time amounted to
a sum equivalent to about £40,000 of the present day--a third of which
was allotted as pensions to the abbot and monks. The present beautiful
church, deemed to be superfluous and consequently ordered to be
destroyed, was bought from the king by the people of Tewkesbury. It has
undergone frequent restorations, no less than £25,000 having been
expended on it between the years 1875 and 1892, while at the present
time an effort is being made to restore the grand west front--one of the
most beautiful examples of ancient church architecture in England.
[Illustration: TINTERN.]
TINTERN (_Cistercian_)
1131, Founded by Richard de Bienfaite--Colonised by monks from
L’Anmone--In the reign of Henry III., William, Marshal of England
and Earl of Pembroke, “Confirmed to God and the Blessed Mary of
Tyntern and to the abbot and monks there all the lands and revenues
given to them by his ancestors” (Dugdale’s _Monasticon_)--1287, The
building of the abbey church begun--153--, Dissolved. Annual
revenue, £193, 1s. 4d. Site given to present owners, the Earls of
Worcester.
More than one great artist has immortalised the secluded vale, where, on
a bend of the Wye and surrounded by wooded hills, the ruins of Tintern
Abbey stand. The sombre-looking heights, which close in to the east and
west, create the atmosphere of loneliness and separation from the world
so sought after by the Cistercian monks, who doubtless found inspiration
in the grandeur of the surrounding mountains and in the peacefulness of
the sweet valley below. Though the church of the Early English abbey is
roofless and the central tower gone, the noble structure, with its many
graceful arches, seems to attest to the spirit of religious fervour and
devotion so intimately associated with the history of its grey and
lichen-covered walls.
The finest part of the ruins is undoubtedly the church, which, with the
exception of the roof and the north piers of the nave, still stands
complete. It has a nave of six bays with aisles, a choir of four bays
with aisles, the transepts with eastern aisles having two chapels. A
transverse Galilee stood formerly beyond the western entrance. In the
north transept are remains of the dormitory stairs, and on this side the
cloisters too were situated. The aumbry, parlour, sacristy,
chapter-house, slype to the infirmary, day-stairs to dormitory and
undercroft were on the east side of the cloisters; the postern and river
gate, over which was the abbot’s lodge on the north side, and also the
buttery, refectory and kitchen. The delicacy of design and execution to
be seen in the ruins is unrivalled in the kingdom--the tracery of the
windows being particularly fine. The ruined church possesses the grace
and lightness of architecture peculiar to the 12th century, and is, even
in its decay, of truly sublime and grand proportions. Time has been
unable to obliterate the skilful work of our forefathers, for the Early
English transition arches, the delicate moulding, and the exquisite
stone tracery in the windows still delight the eye.
The history of Tintern is almost a hidden page in the chronicles of
time. On the surrender of Raglan Castle to the Cromwellian troops by the
Marquis of Worcester, the Castle was razed to the ground, and with it
were lost the abbey records, which had been taken from Tintern when the
abbey was granted to the Marquis’ ancestor by Henry VIII. It is known,
however, that the first foundation on the site was in the hands of a
cousin of William the Conqueror, Richard de Bienfaite by name. He
founded the abbey in 1131, and was succeeded by his nephew, Gilbert
“Strongbow.” His granddaughter Isabel married the then Earl of Pembroke,
and her daughter, marrying Hugh Bigod, brought the estates to the ducal
house of Norfolk.
LLANTHONY (_Augustine Canons_)
1103, William, a retainer and kinsman of Hugh de Lacy, retires to
the small chapel once inhabited by St David on this spot; leads the
life of a hermit, and is joined by Ernisius, Chaplain to Queen
Maud--1108, A small church erected and dedicated to St John the
Baptist by the Bishop of the Diocese, the Bishop of Hereford--After
some time a brotherhood formed of black Augustine Canons brought
from the monasteries at Mereton, Trinity Priory in London and
Colchester--Ernisius is made prior--1136, The monks driven from the
monastery owing to the hostility of the Welsh and given new ground
near Gloucester by Milo, Earl of Hereford, on which they erect a
new church--1150, The present edifice at Llanthony built by Prior
William of Wycombe--1482-83, Edward IV. gives the priory of
Llanthony and all the lands appertaining to it to the prior of the
house at Gloucester--1539, Both houses dissolved. Annual revenue
£648, 19s. 11d.--1807, The priory at Llanthony purchased by Walter
Landon, the eminent writer--1870, Father Ignatius builds a
monastery for monks and nuns near Llanthony Abbey.
“’Mongst Hatterill’s lofty hills that with the clouds are crowned
The valley Ewias lies immersed so deep and round
As they below that see the mountains rise so high
Might think the straggling herds were grazing in the sky.
Where in an aged cell with moss and ivy grown,
In which not to this day the sun hath ever shone,
The reverend British saint, in zealous ages past
To contemplation lived and did so truly fast
As he did drink what crystal Hodney yields
And fed upon the leeks he gathered in the fields,
In memory of whom, in the revolving year
The Welchman on his day that sacred herb do wear.”
DRAYTON’S _Polyolbion_.
St David, patron saint of Wales, the British saint alluded to in these
lines, is supposed to have been an uncle of the renowned King Arthur.
With the consent of his royal nephew, St David removed the bishop’s seat
from Cærlon to Menevia, founded many monasteries, and helped to further
the rebuilding of Glastonbury Abbey. Although it cannot be claimed that
he actually founded Llanthony Abbey still the site of his ruined cell
there may have helped to influence the young Norman knight, who, passing
through the lovely valley of Ewyas, was so deeply impressed and inspired
by the beauty of the district that he resolved to lay aside his arms, to
retire to this already consecrated spot and to devote the remainder of
his days to prayer and meditation. The stillness of the ancient
battlefield, the awful grandeur of the surrounding hills, and all the
religious and historical associations of the place must have had at
least the attraction of novelty to William de Lacy--a man of the world,
accustomed to the gaiety and excitement of the court of Henry I. Not
long elapsed before another courtier, Ernisius, chaplain to Queen Maud,
became wearied of his many social duties, and journeying to William’s
retreat, implored the hermit-knight to allow him to join in his monastic
life. William and Ernisius erected a small church and enjoyed the
patronage of Hugh de Lacy.
A pretty story is told in connection with the early days of the
monastery. Roger, Bishop of Sarum, so vividly described to Henry I. the
picturesque situation of the abbey, the devoted work performed by its
inmates and the grand proportions of its church, that, shortly after,
the King and Queen visited the new foundation. Pretending to finger
William’s coarse robe, the kindly Queen placed some money within its
folds, but shrank back hastily when coming into contact with the rough
hair cloth and iron belt worn by the holy recluse round his body. In
course of time the number of monks increased considerably, the rules of
St Augustine were observed, and Ernisius made prior. Robert de Betun,
successor to Ernisius, and later Bishop of Hereford, entered the
monastery under the following romantic conditions:--Caught in a severe
snowstorm on the perilous mountains, he, a young Fleming, had given up
any hope of his life and was just about to succumb to the resistless
longing to lie down and sleep, when, hearing the bells of Llanthony, he
felt encouraged to rouse himself, and, after a terrible struggle,
succeeded in reaching the abbey gate. The honour of promotion was lost
sight of by Prior Robert in his heartbreaking grief at leaving his
beloved monastery. Looking back on its sacred walls from the Hatterill
Hills, he burst into tears at the thought of leaving all he loved best
on earth. The brotherhood at Llanthony included amongst others Walter de
Gloucester, Earl of Hereford and Constable of England, who laid aside
all worldly honours and assuming the cowl, spent the rest of his life in
the monastery. His son Milo, hearing that the monks were being attacked
by the Welsh, gave them a tract of land near Gloucester in the 12th
century, where the monastery was re-established and a new church built,
still known however by the name of Llanthony. The monks speedily
transferred their affection to their new habitation, and, according to
Dugdale, despoiled their original house in Monmouthshire. “They also
became very licentious in their way of living. During this, William, the
prior, falling into troubles and vexation as well with the canons of his
house as Roger, Earl of Hereford, the patron, was forced to resign his
office, to whom succeeded Clement, the sub-prior. This man reformed the
abuses that were in the monastery, especially as to the church service.”
King John and Edward II. confirmed to the Canons of Llanthony the
several lands and revenues given them by their benefactors, and Edward
IV. merged the two foundations into one and enforced certain conditions.
Of the original abbey church only the Early English west front (flanked
by two massive towers), the north side of nave, detached portions of the
north transept, the complete south transept, and parts of central tower,
remain. Eight pointed arches span the north side of the nave, but only
two remain at the extreme ends of the opposite side. Both aisles have
disappeared. The proportions of the entire foundation are noble in the
extreme, especially those of the church. Here the monks adjusted the
roofs so that an echo might be obtained of the singing, and throughout
the building, with its spacious design and perfection of detail, every
care and the greatest skill is manifested. Adjoining the south transept
is the Early English chapter-house; the ruins of the refectory and guest
house are now used as a garden.
PART V--MIDLAND COUNTIES
CHAPTER IX
OXFORDSHIRE: DERBYSHIRE: NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: WORCESTERSHIRE
DORCHESTER: DALE: NEWSTEAD: EVESHAM
DORCHESTER (_Augustine Canons_)
635, St Birinus, sent to Britain by Pope Honorius, converts
Cynegils, King of the west Saxons; is consecrated Bishop of
Dorchester, and builds many churches in the district--After the
Conquest, William the Conqueror gives the Bishopric of Dorchester
to Remigus, a monk of Feschamp in Normandy--1140, Monastery founded
by Alexander, third Bishop of Lincoln, for Augustine Canons--1205,
King John visits the abbey-1300, South choir aisle added--The monks
extend the chancel--1330, South aisle of nave added and used as the
parish church--_c._ 1400, East end added--15--, Dissolved--East end
of the church purchased by a relation of the last abbot for £140,
to prevent its being pulled down and used for building purposes.
Annual revenue, £677, 1s. 2d.
The illustrious pile of Dorchester Church stands on the northern bank of
the gently flowing river Frome. From the east end of the building the
land slants rapidly down to the river side, whilst on either side of the
body of the church is pleasant meadow land--the former site, probably,
of the conventual buildings. All that remains of these is the guest
house to the west of the church. The old Saxon cathedral, used now as
the parish church of a country town, is an irregular building, and
consists of a nave (Norman) with a south aisle--once used by the monks
as their parish church, and containing an altar raised upon three deep
steps above which is a blocked-up window--choir (Decorated), having a
perfect east window with a protruding central shaft, and also a “Jesse”
window on the north side; south choir aisle, in which are two chapels,
recently repaired by Sir Gilbert Scott; north choir aisle (part of which
is probably Norman work, having a walled-up door to the west--formerly
the entrance to the cloisters); a western tower, low and massive in
structure and partly Norman work; and lastly, a Perpendicular porch on
the south-west angle of the building. Undoubtedly the east end of the
church is the most strikingly beautiful part of the edifice.
Exquisite stained glass, and perfect carving of the stone-work in the
windows, graceful daintiness of the architecture, costly embroideries
and delicate laces on the altars, are among the many beauties of this
old abbey church. The “Jesse” window mentioned above is unique. It is of
four lights and has intersecting tracery above.
“The centre mullion represents a trunk of a tree with branches
ornamented with foliage crossing over the other mullions to the
outside jambs. At the foot of the tree is the recumbent figure of
Jesse, and at each intersection is a sculptured figure, while
others are painted on the glass between; the whole forming a
complete genealogical tree of the House of David. The effigy of the
King is at the bottom right hand corner, but those representing our
Lord and the Virgin Mary have both disappeared. The figures are
very quaint and of various sizes; some of those painted in the
window still have their names beneath, while most of the others in
stone-work have scrolls on which the name was once painted.”--HENRY
W. TAUNT, Esq.
The canopied sedilia and double piscina on the south wall of the chancel
are both beautiful specimens of early work--the stained glass in the
former being the oldest in the building. Many interesting monuments
remain, including several stone effigies of knights; a judge of great
note; and of Æschwine, Bishop of Dorchester, 979-1002. Monumental
brasses too were formerly very plentiful, but, with a few exceptions,
have been either ruthlessly destroyed or stolen for money-making
purposes at various times. That of Sir Richard Bewfforest, Abbot of
Dorchester (1510), dressed as an Augustine canon, lies near the chancel
rails on the north side. He was one of the last abbots of the monastery.
There is also part of a once magnificent brass to Sir John Drayton,
1417, a portion of another to “William Tanner, Richard Bewfforest and
their wife Margaret” (1513), and one of a female figure belonging to
“Robert Bedford and Alice his wife” (1491). Only a few shields of other
brasses remain, but to the antiquarian the casements of these beautiful
memorials contain much that is interesting, showing as they do the
diverse and unique character these lost monuments once possessed. Six of
the Dorchester bells bear many signs of great antiquity and two more
have recently been added. The tradition connected with the former is,
that
“Within the sound of the great bell
No snake nor adder e’er shall dwell,”
and is attributed to the belief that Birinus was “stung to death with
snakes.”
DALE (_Augustine and Præmonstratensian Canons_)
1160, Founded by Augustine Canons--Dedicated to the Virgin
Mary--Twice refounded for monks of the Præmonstratensian
order--1539, Dissolved.
As so little is standing of this religious establishment, a few words
will describe its chief features. The ruins consist only of the arch of
the great east window of the chapel, some foundations, bases of pillars
and various other relics. The chapel, consisting of nave and chancel, is
supposed to have been built, together with the house--now a farm-house
peculiarly situated under the same roof as the chapel--by Ralph, the
son of Geremund, for a poor hermit whom he found living in a forest
cave (the cell can still be seen) close by. Subsequently Serle de
Grendon invited canons from Kalke, who came then to Deepdale and
established the monastery. Many privileges and immunities were granted
to them by the church authorities in Rome, and the abbey was visited at
different times by persons of all ranks, some of whom became benefactors
to the house.
Howitt, in his _Forest Minstrel_, sketches the history of Dale and the
conduct of its inmates thus--
“The devil one night as he chanced to sail
In a wintry wind by the abbey of Dale
Suddenly stopped and looked with surprise
That a structure so fair in that valley should rise.
When last he was there it was lonely and still
And the hermitage scooped in the side of a hill
With its wretched old inmate his beads a-telling
Were all he found of life, dweller, or dwelling.
The hermit was seen in the rock no more;
The nettle and dock had sprung up at the door;
And each window the fern and the harts’ tongue hung o’er,
Within ’twas dampness and nakedness all;
The Virgin, as fair and holy a block
As ever yet stood in the niche of a rock,
Had fallen to the earth, and was broke in the fall.
The holy cell’s ceiling, in idle hour
When haymakers sought it to ’scape from the shower
Was scored by their forks in a thousand scars--
Wheels and crackers, ovals and stars.
But by the brook in the valley below
St Mary of Dale! what a lordly show!
The abbey’s proud arches and windows bright
Glittered and gleamed in the full moonlight.”
But that later corruption set in among these Augustine monks is evident,
for Howitt continues that the monks
“Forsook missal and mass
To chant o’er a bottle or shrive a lass;
No matins bell called them up in the morn,
But the yell of the hounds and the sound of the horn;
No penance the monk in his cell could stay
But a broken leg or a rainy day.”
They were then expelled from Deepdale and Præmonstratensian monks soon
filled their place. John Staunton, last abbot, with 16 monks surrendered
the abbey in 1539. A full account of the history of this monastic house
was written by one of the monks, and through these manuscripts more
particulars can be learned of this abbey than of any other in Derby.
NEWSTEAD (_Augustine Canons_)
1170, Founded by Henry II.--1540, Dissolved. Annual revenue, £167,
16s. 11d.--Demesne granted to Sir John Byron, Lieut. of Sherwood
Forest, by Henry VIII.--1818, Sold to Colonel Wildman, who enlarges
and restores the abbey.--Again restored.
Just as Buckland Abbey possesses more than an ordinary interest in that
it became the home of Sir Francis Drake after the Dissolution, so
Newstead Abbey boasts a dual attraction. For besides being imbued with
the romance and legendary lore inseparable from monastic houses, it
came, after the Dissolution of the monasteries, into the possession of
the Byron family, and, passing into the hands of the first Lord Byron
(1643), then to the “wicked” Lord Byron (1722-98), it eventually became
the home of Lord Byron the poet. Most picturesquely placed on the
borders of Sherwood Forest, the Newstead Abbey of to-day takes more the
form of a private residence than of a monastic ruin. Its undulating and
beautifully wooded grounds, containing two sheets of water, extend over
many acres. Very little is known of the early history of the abbey
beyond the fact that Henry II. built and endowed it in expiation of the
murder of Thomas à Becket, and that King John extended his patronage to
the house. The modern attraction that Newstead possesses dates from its
coming into the hands of the Byrons. The first owner, Sir John Byron,
known as “Little John with the great beard,” adapted a portion of the
monastic buildings to a private residence, and in the reign of Charles
I. the south aisle of the church was converted into a library and
reception room.
With the exception of the exceedingly beautiful west front of Early
English workmanship, the rest of the church has been allowed to fall
into decay. The house itself, so greatly enriched by the poet Byron, is
made up of the various monastic offices. The present grand dining-room
was once the refectory of the monks, while the original guest chamber,
with its grand vaulting, is now converted into the servants’
dining-hall, and the old dormitory into a drawing-room. No alteration
has been made in Byron’s arrangements of the abbot’s apartments. Several
rooms are still named after the English monarchs who have at various
times slept in them. The chapter-house--a building of remarkable beauty
to the east of the cloisters--is now used as a chapel for the
convenience of the household and tenantry. Within can be seen some
richly stained glass and other features of interest. Newstead passed at
Byron’s death into the possession of his friend and colleague Colonel
Wildman, who greatly restored it. Sir Richard Phillips, in his _Personal
Tour_, relates that--
“Colonel Wildman was a schoolfellow in the same form as Lord Byron
at Harrow School. In adolescence they were separated at college,
and in manhood by their pursuits; but they lived in friendship. If
Lord Byron was constrained by circumstances to allow Newstead to be
sold, the fittest person living to become its proprietor was his
friend Colonel Wildman. He was not a cold and formal possessor of
Newstead, but, animated even with the feelings of Byron, he took
possession of it as a place consecrated by many circumstances of
times and persons, and above all, by the attachment of his friend
Byron. The high spirited poet, however, ill brooked the necessity
of selling an estate entailed in his family since the Reformation
(but lost to him and the family by the improvidence of a
predecessor), and retiring into Tuscany, there indulged in those
splenetic feelings which mark his later writings.”
No more vivid picture of Newstead has been penned than that of Byron’s
in the 13th canto of _Don Juan_--
“To Norman Abbey whirl’d the noble pair,
An old, old monastery once, and now
Still older mansion,--of a rich and rare
Mix’d Gothic, such as artists all allow
Few specimens yet left us can compare
Withal; it lies perhaps a little low,
Because the monks preferred a hill behind,
To shelter their devotion from the wind.
“It stood embosom’d in a happy valley,
Crown’d by high woodlands, where the Druid oak
Stood like Caractacus in act to rally
His host, with broad arms ’gainst the thunder-stroke;
And from beneath his boughs were seen to sally
The dappled foresters; as day awoke,
The branching stag swept down with all his herd
To quaff a brook which murmur’d like a bird.
“Before the mansion lay a lucid lake,
Broad as transparent, deep, and freshly fed
By a river, which its soften’d way did take
In currents through the calmer water spread
Around: the wild fowl nestled in the brake
And sedges, brooding in their liquid bed;
The woods sloped downwards to its brink, and stood
With their green faces fix’d upon the flood.
“Its outlet dash’d into a deep cascade,
Sparkling with foam, until again subsiding
Its shriller echoes--like an infant made
Quiet--sank into softer ripples, gliding
Into a rivulet; and thus allay’d,
Pursued its course, now gleaming, and now hiding
Its windings through the woods; now clear, now blue,
According as the skies their shadows threw.
“A glorious remnant of the Gothic pile
(While yet the church was Rome’s) stood half apart
In a grand arch, which once screen’d many an aisle;
These last had disappear’d--a loss to art;
The first yet frown’d superbly o’er the soil,
And kindled feelings in the roughest heart,
Which mourn’d the power of time’s or tempest’s march,
In gazing on that venerable arch.
“Within a niche, nigh to its pinnacle,
Twelve saints had once stood sanctified in stone;
But these had fallen, not when the friars fell,
But in the war which struck Charles from his throne,
When each house was a fortalice--as tell
The annals of full many a line undone--
The gallant cavaliers who fought in vain
For those who knew not to resign or reign.
“But in a higher niche, alone, but crown’d,
The Virgin-Mother of the God-born child,
With her son in her blessed arms, look’d round;
Spared by some chance when all beside was spoil’d;
She made the earth below seem holy ground,
This may be superstition, weak or wild,
But even the faintest relics of a shrine
Of any worship wake some thoughts divine.
“A mighty window, hollow in the centre,
Shorn of its glass of thousand colourings,
Through which the deepen’d glories once could enter,
Streaming from off the sun like seraph’s wings,
Now yawns all desolate: now loud, now fainter,
The gale sweeps through its fretwork, and oft sings
The owl his anthem, where the silenced quire
Lie with their hallelujah quench’d like fire.
“Amidst the court, a Gothic fountain play’d
Symmetrical, but decked with carvings quaint--
Strange faces like to men in masquerade,
And here perhaps a monster, there a saint;
The spring rushed through grim mouths of granite made,
And sparkled into basins, where it spent
Its little torrent in a thousand bubbles,
Like man’s vain glory, and his vainer troubles.
“The mansion’s self was vast and venerable,
With more of the monastic than has been
Elsewhere preserved: the cloisters still were stable,
The cells too, and refectory, I ween:
An exquisite small chapel had been able,
Still unimpair’d to decorate the scene;
The rest had been reform’d, replaced, or sunk,
And spoke more of the baron than the monk.
“Huge halls, long galleries, spacious chambers, join’d
By no quite lawful marriage of the arts,
Might shock a connoisseur: but when combined,
Form’d a whole, which, irregular in parts,
Yet left a grand impression on the mind,
At least of those whose eyes are in their hearts:
We gaze upon a giant for his stature,
Not judge at first if all be true to nature.”
EVESHAM (_Mitred Benedictine_)
692, Founded by Egwin, Bishop of the Hwicci and dedicated to the
Virgin--Egwin subsequently first abbot--709, Kenredus, King of
Mercia, and Offa, Governor of the East Angles, endows it with many
possessions--941, Secular canons replace the monks--960, Monks
again restored--977, Monks expelled once more, and estate given to
Godwin--1014, King Ethelred elects Aifwardus, a former monk of
Ramsey, abbot of Evesham--1066-87, Walter of Cérisy appointed abbot
by William the Conqueror--He rebuilds the church--1163, The abbot
receives the mitre--1265, Battle of Evesham, and interment of Earl
Simon de Montfort in the Abbey--1539, Tower completed--Abbey
dismantled and given to Sir Philip Hoby, who uses the buildings as
a quarry. Annual revenue, £1183, 12s. 9d.
In a certain beautiful spot in Worcestershire known as the vale of
Evesham, the river Avon, by a curious bend in its course, encloses a
piece of meadow land near the borders of Warwick and Gloucestershire. On
this peninsula--as it might be called--three most remarkable ancient
buildings still stand erect, as if immune from the ravages of time. The
tall, graceful bell-tower, with the exception of a ruined archway, is
all that can be said to remain of the former abbey. Built at the
entrance of the abbey cemetery by the Abbot Lichfield, it is of pure
Perpendicular work. Though very massive, yet it has the grace peculiar
to English Gothic towers. It is built in three storeys, all parallel,
and the whole square structure is crowned by an embattled parapet and
delicate pinnacles, the height, roughly speaking, being 110 feet by 20
feet square. In the cemetery, close to the tower and forming with it a
most striking group, are the churches of St Lawrence and All Saints.
These churches were built in the 13th century by the monks for the
convenience of the inhabitants of Evesham and with the intention of
reserving the abbey church for the exclusive use of the monks. The
church of St Lawrence is of more ancient date than that of All Saints.
Of the former, only the tower and the greatly mutilated spire of the
original church remain. Both churches, however, boast some exquisite
work by Abbot Clement Lichfield, the last abbot, who built a beautiful
chapel or chantry in St Lawrence church, desiring that daily masses
might be performed there for the repose of his soul. The chantry in All
Saints he directed to be his burial place. These chantries have
particularly beautiful roofs in the shape of four fans richly
ornamented. St Lawrence and All Saints have both been restored and are
in use at the present time, under the care of the Vicar of Evesham.
In his _Spiritual Quixote_ Graves writes with great delight of the
beautiful vale of Evesham bounded by the Malvern Hills. The town lies on
a hill on a well-cultivated plain, and its name, derived (some say) from
Eovesham, conveys the impression of its picturesque situation, “the
dwelling on the level by the river side.” Another tradition derives the
name from Eoves, a shepherd who, having seen in a vision a beautiful
woman, attended by two other women, hastened to Bishop Egwin and related
his marvellous tale. Egwin, accompanied by his servant, proceeded to the
spot where he too was permitted to see and to hold converse with the
radiant being. Fully convinced that the Blessed Virgin had personally
revealed herself to him, Egwin determined to build a monastery on the
spot. Ethelred, King of Mercia, granted land for the purpose, and thus
the abbey was founded, Egwin becoming first abbot. According to one
writer, Ethelred accused Egwin of tyranny and many bitter things. The
matter was referred to the Holy Father at Rome, who commanded Egwin to
appear before him and answer the charges. “So to Rome he went, but
before starting, to show how lowly he accounted himself, he ordered a
pair of iron horse-fetters, and having put his feet into them, caused
them to be locked and the key tossed into the Avon. Thus shackled, he
went forward to Dover, took ship and came to the Holy City; when, lo, a
miracle! his attendants had gone down to the Tiber to catch fish for
supper, and scarcely was the line cast when a fine salmon took it and
leapt ashore without a struggle to escape. They hurried home with their
prize, opened him, and found inside the key of the bishop’s fetters. It
is needless to say that the Pope after this made short work of the
charges against Egwin. He was sent back to King Ethelred loaded with
honours, who lost no time in restoring him to his See and appointing him
tutor to his sons.”
Eighteen abbots ruled in succession, when, as was the fate of many other
abbeys, Evesham became a source of strife between the secular canons and
the monks. It was alternately under control of these two bodies until
finally it became a Benedictine settlement. In the reign of William I.,
Abbot Walter of Cérisy began to rebuild on a scale of grandeur and great
magnificence. The church, built in the form of a Latin cross, possessed
cylindrical piers of immense size, similar to those of Gloucester.
Everything appertaining to the service of the church was solemn and
impressive. The vestments were elaborate and costly, and the sacred
vessels wrought with solid silver--many of them being enriched with
various gems. The tomb of St Egwin was made of gold and studded with
sparkling precious stones, while Simon de Montfort’s tomb was credited
with miraculous powers by many ailing and weakly pilgrims. These sacred
tombs were demolished by the rapacious Henry VIII. in 1539, during his
wanton desecration of one of England’s most noble abbeys--the shelter of
kings, and the home of religious and God-fearing men.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER X
MIDDLESEX
WESTMINSTER (_Mitred Benedictine_)
_c._ 184, Lucius, King of Britain, consecrates Westminster (then
Thorny Island) to God, and builds the first church there--At the
time of Diocletian’s persecution, the church converted into a
heathen temple and dedicated to Apollo--604, Sebert, King of the
East Saxons, converted and baptized into the Christian faith by
Mellitus--He destroys the temple and builds a church in honour of
St Peter--This suffers greatly from the ravages of the Danes--785,
Offa, King of Mercia, grants the manor of Aldenham to the monastery
and restores the church--1050, Edward the Confessor, the actual
founder of the present abbey, builds the church--1065, The church
completed and consecrated a few days previously to the royal
founder’s death--1066, Edward buried with great ceremonial--King
Harold crowned--William the Conqueror offers a thanksgiving for his
victory at Hastings before the Confessor’s tomb, and is crowned in
the abbey on Christmas day--1160, Becomes a mitred abbey--1250,
Henry III. pulls down the choir and transepts of Edward’s Norman
church and begins the present structure--1253, The chapter house
completed--1269, The choir opened--1272-1500, The nave begun,
gradually attaining its present length--During these years Richard
I. builds the north porch, and Henry V. his beautiful
chantry--1503, Henry VII. builds the chapel which bears his
name--153--, Dissolution of the monastery. Annual revenue, £3471,
0s. 2d.--1540, The church converted into a cathedral church and a
new bishopric created--1550, Bishopric suppressed--1643, The
Westminster Assembly meets--1663, The See of Rochester joined to
the Deanery of Westminster--1673, Treaty of Westminster
signed--1720, Some restorations performed by Wren on north
transept, front and west towers--1740, Hawkesmoor completes the
towers--1802, Separation of Rochester bishopric from Deanery of
Westminster--1866, Sir G. Scott restores the north transept front
and chapter house.
How utterly incapable the most experienced writer must feel when called
upon to describe worthily the abbey of Westminster! Apart from all the
legendary matter connected with the noble pile, and the glamour which
surrounds the ancient Benedictine church, the abbey stands out as the
receptacle of all that is best and grandest in the history of England.
The tombs of the kings and queens, the monuments erected since the
Reformation in memory of notable men and women in literature, music, and
all other arts, make history a nearer and more living thing. To pass
beneath the noble west front into the sacred building, teaming with
memories of the past, is to enter another world, so different is the
peaceful and mysterious atmosphere within the abbey from the bustle and
hum of London without. Looking eastwards from the west door, the aspect
is truly inspiring and beautiful. From the graceful pointed arches,
dividing the nave from the aisles, and surmounted by the triforium and
clerestory, the eye falls on the choir, with its magnificent stone
screen, and beyond this again to the dim and apsidal east end. The
loftiness of the building, the fine triforium, the harmony of work in
the nave (which took over 200 years to build), will deeply impress the
beholder.
Though the plan of the church is French, the whole actual structure is
an example of English Gothic work, of which the nation has every right
to be proud. The abbey possesses side aisles to the nave, transepts, and
choir. This is a very rare formation. Leaving the nave, filled with
memorials of the illustrious dead, and passing up the south choir aisle,
the south transept comes in view. The magnificent rose window is one of
the largest, if not the largest, in England. On the south wall are some
worn stone steps. These, no doubt, led to the domestic apartments of the
monks, which were situated on the south side of the church. In this
transept is the well-known “Poets’ Corner,” which contains memorials
inscribed with the magic names of Shakespeare, Dickens, Tennyson,
Goldsmith, Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Longfellow, Browning, Milton, and
many others. Beyond this is the small chapel dedicated to St Faith.
Passing on into the south ambulatory the many interesting chapels can be
inspected. Here indeed the visitor treads on holy ground, for he
approaches the tombs of England’s divinely-appointed rulers, and of the
last resting-place of the greatest of her sons. Leaving the chapels of
St Benedict, St Edmund and St Nicholas, so full of historical memory,
the visitor may pass into the chantry built by the illustrious Henry V.
for the repose of his soul. This chantry lies in a direct line eastwards
from the high altar and beyond Edward the Confessor’s chapel, which is
immediately behind the altar. The figure of the warrior King reposes on
the top of his tomb. It was carved from the heart of an oak, and once
possessed a head and regalia of silver. These, however, have
unfortunately been removed, probably by the rapacious Oliver Cromwell.
The chantry itself is in the form of a screen or small room, which is
reached by a stairway enclosed in a turret, and left by another on the
opposite side. The screen is covered with images of saints, and also
incidents of Henry’s coronation, besides many heraldic emblems. On
either side are two octagonal towers, rich in sculpture. It is indeed
one of the most beautiful monuments in the building. Below are iron
gates and the tomb of Henry V., and above are displayed a saddle tree
stripped of its elaborate housings, a small shield, and a helmet upon
which can be seen the prodigious dent caused by D’Alençon’s battle axe.
These remains of Henry’s armour, worn at the battle of Agincourt, were
offered by the King in thanksgiving for his great victory. It is quite
fitting that the burial place of this royal hero should be near the
remains of the saintly ruler and founder of the abbey, Edward the
Confessor.
St Edward’s chapel is perhaps the most interesting part of the noble
structure, for though comparatively small, events of the highest
historical importance in our history have been enacted therein. The
shrine has been visited by thousands of pilgrims, including many crowned
heads, and has also been the scene of many miracles. Vigils were spent
beside it by knights before setting out for the borders, or starting
upon the crusades. Spoils of war were brought and laid before the tomb,
and thanksgivings offered by victorious kings and warriors. Edward I.,
all stained as he was by the blood of the battlefield, offered the
regalia of Scotland before the royal tomb, and many other mighty men
came to seek consolation and encouragement in those days of dreadful
warfare. Henry III. erected the present magnificent shrine in 1269. This
now, alas, is shorn of the many and costly jewels that once enriched it,
and which it is said amounted in value to £2500. The present oak canopy
was added in the 16th century. The floor of the chapel is of tesselated
blue marble and was laid by Henry III. The site of the Confessor’s altar
is marked by a square of red tiles. The old coronation chair stands to
the west of the chapel, near the enormous sword and shield of Edward
III., and beneath it is the stone credited with being Jacob’s pillow,
and which, after going through many vicissitudes in its long career, was
at last brought from Scone to Edward the Confessor’s shrine by Edward I.
The chair was first used at the coronation of Edward I., and lastly at
that of our beloved King Edward VII. Every English monarch has been
crowned at the abbey with the exception of Edward V. On all sides of the
chapel are royal tombs, including those of Edward III., Henry III., and
Edward I. The latter is of enormous length, and bears the inscription,
“Scotorum malleus” and “Serva pactum.” This monarch--nicknamed
“Longshanks”--was over 6 feet when alive. After many years, his body for
some reason was disinterred for a short space, and it was found to be in
an excellent state of preservation. That noble lady, Anne of Bohemia,
who gained notoriety by the introduction of the side saddle, also lies
buried near here.
Leaving this chapel and progressing eastwards, the visitor will pass
under St Mary’s beautiful porch into the wonderful chapel built by Henry
VII. This is one of the best examples of Early Tudor or debased Gothic
style, and, consisting as it does of a nave with two aisles, is indeed a
masterpiece of the builder’s art. On either side of the nave are the
stalls of the Knights of the Garter, above which hang their respective
banners. The tomb of Henry VII., the first monarch of the royal house of
Tudor, is the work of Torregiano. The ornamental vaulting of the chapel
is among the finest in the country--its massive pendants being 7 feet
long. Little of the original glass is left, but what remains is in the
windows at the west end. The Duke of Cumberland, known as the Butcher of
Culloden, and George II. and his wife lie in the nave. George III.
discontinued the practice begun by Henry VII. of using this chapel as a
royal mausoleum, having a preference for Windsor. Those two antagonistic
sisters, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth lie in the north aisle, side by
side under a magnificent stone canopy, while at the extreme east end of
the aisle, appropriately called “Innocents’ Corner,” are buried the
remains of the young princes so foully murdered in the Tower. The tomb
of Mary, Queen of Scots, is in the south aisle, together with that of
Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. Many other interesting monuments
can be seen, including that of Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, Dean of
Westminster, in the south-east chapel, and those belonging to the houses
of Richmond, Suffolk and Lennox. Cromwell was buried in the east chapel,
but his remains were disinterred and dragged to Tyburn gallows.
Retracing his steps the visitor will pass along the north
ambulatory--the chapel of St Edward being now on the left and those of
St Paul, St John the Baptist, and the Islip being on the right. In the
latter, which is the chantry of Abbot Islip, waxen figures of some of
the royal line are shown. These, though of somewhat gruesome nature, are
intensely interesting, being the actual waxen casts taken after death.
It was the custom to carry the figure of the deceased at the funeral and
then to leave it at the abbey after interment. Many have decayed--the
oldest one now on view being that of Queen Elizabeth. The figures are
dressed in the clothes of the Sovereigns they personate. The lace on the
neck of Charles II. is of great value. Passing into the north transept
or Statesmen’s Aisle, many stone memorials again confront the beholder,
and include those of Beaconsfield, Gladstone, and William Pitt. Warren
Hastings, Richard Cobden and Vice-admiral Watson--the gallant man who
rescued the survivors of the “Black hole of Calcutta”--are buried among
many other notable men in the west aisle. The three eastern chapels of
this transept contain many interesting monuments too--that of Lady
Elizabeth Nightingale, in the chapel of St Michael, is perhaps the most
popular. It represents her husband trying to shield her from the
relentless form of Death, which takes the shape of a shrouded skeleton
issuing out of a door below with a raised sword in his hand.
Progressing again towards the centre of the building, the ritual choir
of three bays and the sacrarium claim the attention. The tombs here of
Aveline of Lancaster, her husband Edmund Crouchbank and Aymer de
Valence--all of the 13th century--are among the finest in the abbey.
Near the insignificant tomb of Anne of Cleves lies Anne, wife of Richard
III., and some of the abbots of Westminster. Busby and South are buried
close to the altar. The mosaic pavement consists of porphyry, lapis
lazuli, jasper, touchstone, alabaster, and Lydian and serpentine
marbles. These were brought by Abbot Ware from Italy and arranged in the
reign of Henry III. by Roderick.
An excellent view can be gained by looking west from the altar rails.
The absolute sympathy of all the parts of this lovely building, the
graceful arches, the diaper work in the spandrils of the choir arches,
the loftiness and mysterious atmosphere of the ancient structure will
appeal to all the highest aspirations of the individual. It is the
temple of God, and also the shelter of those either of noble or lowly
birth who have, according to their capabilities, furthered civilisation
and promoted the common good; who, in fact, have done God’s work in this
present world and endeavoured to make their fellow-men more worthy of
the world to come. No one can enter this abbey and not be impressed by
the dignity and solemnity of the surroundings. To look at the small,
insignificant pulpit in the nave is nothing; but to learn that Latimer
preached from it is everything. All is in keeping--nothing jars upon the
artistic sense--with perhaps the exception of the numerous monuments.
Still, these too have their place in showing that the mother-abbey takes
into her arms all those who have worthily fulfilled the mission of their
lives. The cloisters on the south side of the abbey are of great
interest and contain many monuments, and the windows, too, in the south
alley are remarkably beautiful. On this side are remains of the north
wall of the former refectory. The chapter-house is one of the largest in
England and was for many years used as a House of Commons. Earl Simon de
Montfort assembled his first representative parliament here in the 13th
century. The dormitory of the monastery is now used by the boys of
Westminster School, founded by Queen Elizabeth, 1560.
The remote history of Westminster Abbey is enveloped in mystery, its
earliest foundation being firstly ascribed to Lucius, King of Britain in
the 2nd century, and secondly to Sebert, King of the East Saxons, who,
in the 7th century, was converted into the Christian faith by Mellitus,
an emissary of Augustine. Be this as it may, the first certain knowledge
concerning the abbey is that Offa, King of Mercia, gave some lands to
the monastery at Westminster in the 8th century. Nearly three hundred
years had elapsed when Edward the Confessor, persuaded by the monks, was
induced to build an entirely new building at an enormous cost. This, the
founder determined, should be the “place of the King’s constitution and
consecration for ever.” Among other gifts, the bounteous King gave rich
vestments, an embroidered pall, a dalmatic, some spurs, a golden crown,
a sceptre, and also confirmed all the previous endowments. The new abbey
was dedicated on Holy Innocents’ day, 1065. Unfortunately the King was
too ill to attend this ceremonial. He died eight days after, and was
buried in front of the high altar. In the time of William the Conqueror
a great synod was held in the church. Archbishop Lanfranc presided over
the meeting at which the conduct and capability of the English clergy
were closely examined, “yet with covert design of making room for the
new-come Normans.” The Conqueror in many ways endeavoured to ingratiate
himself with the newly conquered people. For this reason he was crowned
in the abbey by the side of its founder’s tomb. The Feast of Edward the
Confessor was observed annually with much pomp in the sacred building.
In the 13th century Henry III. began to rebuild the abbey--the choir,
transepts and chapels of the present structure being entirely his work.
Little remains of the Confessor’s Norman building (the first of this
style built in England) except some parts of the cloisters and the
Chapel of the Pyx. The trial of the Pyx took place in the former
apartment until the recent removal of standard coins to the mint. The
Jerusalem Chamber is also an important relic of the Benedictine
monastery. It was built in 1363 by Littlington, who also rebuilt the
abbot’s house. Henry IV. died within its walls. Henry V. gave the
trappings of his coursers to the abbey--to be converted into vestments.
In this reign the building of the nave was pushed forward and the Te
Deum sung after the battle of Agincourt. Caxton set up his printing
press in the almonry at Westminster during the reign of Edward IV. Henry
VII. added greatly to the beauty of the building by annexing his chapel
to the east end. During his reign, Skelton, the first poet laureate,
sought sanctuary in Westminster, which is the last instance on record of
a person claiming this right. Sir Thomas More was imprisoned in the
abbot’s house in 1534--a few years before the Dissolution of the
monasteries. The usual fate overtook the religious establishment at
Westminster, but as in the cases of Chester, Gloucester, Peterborough,
Oxford and Bristol, the monastic church was converted into a
cathedral--and a new bishopric formed. Thirlby became the first Bishop
of Westminster in 1540--but was translated to Norwich ten years later
and the bishopric suppressed. In this transaction the abbey lost some
property which came into the possession of St Paul’s Cathedral, a
circumstance to which the origin of the well-known saying, “Robbing
Peter to pay Paul” may be adduced. The shrine of the Confessor was
re-established in 1557, the old constitution having been restored two
years previously. In the reign of Elizabeth this was again annulled.
In Henry VII.’s chapel the Westminster Assembly met in the 17th century,
and through their misguided energy Presbyterianism was established as
the national religion for a certain time. It is impossible to say what
dire effects this Assembly might have wrought upon the welfare of the
country.
“By its advice the public use of the Prayer Book was forbidden
under penalties the very day that the Primate was executed, and a
directory for public worship substituted for it. By the directory
it was made an offence to kneel at the reception of Holy
Communion, or to use any kind of symbolism in sacred things, such
as the ring in marriage, and when any person departed this life,
the dead body was to be interred without any kind of religious
ceremony, nor even the friends allowed to sing or read or pray or
kneel at the grave; although secular display in funeral processions
of persons of rank was not restricted. Then the holy and beautiful
petitions of our Liturgy, though sanctified by the devotions of
Christians in every clime and by every tongue for 1500 years and
more, gave place to long and tedious harangues from illiterate
fanatics of two or three hours’ duration, and the observance of
great church festivals, together with all anniversaries, was
strictly forbidden. On December 19th, 1644, a solemn ordinance of
parliament was passed by the advice of the Westminster Assembly
commanding that the hitherto joyous anniversary of our Lord’s
Nativity should be observed as a day of national fasting and
humiliation.”--_English Church History_ (Rev. C. A. LANE).
The Parliamentarians under Cromwell fortunately soon put a stop to those
irksome restrictions.
The Bishopric of Rochester was united with the Deanery of Westminster in
1663 and, after a partnership of over a hundred years, parted at the
beginning of the 19th century. The treaty of Westminster was signed in
1673. Samuel Wilberforce became the Dean in 1845. Many well-known men
followed him and during the time of office of Dean Bradley, 1881-1902,
Queen Victoria held her Jubilee Celebration and Edward VII. was crowned
in the Abbey.
CHAPTER XI
HERTFORDSHIRE
ST ALBANS (_Mitred Benedictine_)
303, A church built to the memory of Alban, proto-martyr of Britain
and Roman soldier--793, Destroyed by the Saxon invaders--King Offa
founds a monastery and builds a second church in honour of St
Alban--1077, Paul de Caen, first abbot, begins to rebuild the
church--During his life the eastern part of the nave, the transepts
and the central tower completed--1115, The church consecrated by
the Bishop of Lincoln in the presence of Henry I. and Queen
Maud--1154, Nicholas, Bishop of St Albans, chosen Pope (Adrian
IV.). He “granted to the abbot of this abbey that as St Alban was
the first martyr of England, so this abbot should be the first of
all the abbots of England in order and dignity” (Dugdale’s
_Monasticon_)--1218, Pope Honorious “confirms all lands and
privileges”--1349, Thomas de la Mare becomes abbot--The captive
King John of France entrusted to his care--1381, The monastery
plays a prominent part in the Peasant Rising--1464, The abbey
stripped of its valuables by the victorious Queen Margaret after
the second battle of St Albans--1521, Wolsey becomes abbot--1539,
The abbey surrendered by Richard Boreham, last abbot, to the
commissioners of Henry VIII.--1553, Granted to the Mayor and
burgesses for a parish church and grammar school--1688, The scheme
for the restoration of the building supported by public
subscription--1878, The diocese of St Albans founded--Thomas Leigh
Claughton becomes first bishop--1879, West front built by Lord
Grimthorpe--1885, Restoration of nave completed.
The quiet little town of St Albans in Hertfordshire has sprung up on the
site of the Roman city Verulamium, the ruined walls of which are still
to be seen. Here, according to the legend, Alban, the proto-martyr of
Britain, was born. Converted to Christianity by the priest
Amphibalus--to whom he had given shelter--he refused to renounce his
faith, and was beheaded. The martyrdom took place outside the walls of
the town, on the exact site on which now stands the cathedral--formerly
the abbey--of St Albans. A small church was erected on the hill a few
years after St Alban’s death, and later a second church was planned in
expiation of a still greater crime. Ethelbert of East Anglia had been
treacherously murdered by his father-in-law, Offa, King of Mercia, who
now sought to salve his conscience by building a monastery in honour of
St Alban. Of this second church (the first was only a temporary shelter
for the relics of the saint, which were supposed to have been
miraculously discovered by King Offa) there are now but few traces. The
town of St Albans lies on a high hill, while the Ver, a stream supposed
to have burst forth miraculously to assuage the thirst of Alban the
martyr, flows along the peaceful valley below.
The view of the massive structure of the abbey church is from all points
impressive. The great length of the nave with its magnificent western
front, the pinnacled transepts, the choir and Lady chapel, all crowned
by the lofty castellated tower, make up a truly marvellous whole. The
greater part of the church was built after the Norman Conquest by the
Abbot Paul, whose uncle, Lanfranc, was first appointed abbot of St
Stephen’s at Caen by William I. and afterwards made Archbishop of
Canterbury. Founded on the spot where Alban was cruelly put to death,
this immense monastery extended over the hill side as far as the river.
With the exception of the monastery gateway, the entire conventual part
was swept away at the Dissolution. Fortunately the abbey church was
spared, and became, as in many other cases, the parish church of the
district. Every style of architecture is shown in the building, from the
time of the Normans to the reign of Edward IV. The nave is of thirteen
bays with aisles; the two transepts have no aisles, and, as in the case
of Westminster Abbey, the choir is west of the crossing. The presbytery
and Lady chapel extend beyond the choir. The pillars of the triforium
and south transept are of Saxon work and are all that remains of the 8th
century church built by King Offa. The most ancient parts of the edifice
are those most central, the east and west ends being of a different
style of architecture and of a later period. The eastern part of the
nave, the transepts and central tower, are all the work of Abbot Paul.
Admirable in its proportions, the heavy Norman arches--relieved
occasionally by those of Early English work--the beautiful moulding, the
grand spaciousness of the whole building combine to make a grand and
effective whole, while simplicity is undoubtedly the key-note of the
entire structure. Although all the abbots of St Alban’s are buried here,
very few of their tombs and monuments remain.
Shrines have been erected to the memory of St Alban and St Amphibalus,
and in the Lady chapel lie many historical personages, including Henry
Percy, Duke of Northumberland, son of Hotspur; and Lord Clifford (killed
in the first battle of St Albans). Great interest attaches to the high
altar screen, erected by Abbot William Wallingford in the 15th century,
the chantry of Abbot Ramyge, the Holy Rood screen, the watching chamber
in the south wing of the transept, and also to the window in the south
aisle representing the martyrdom of St Alban, below which is the
following inscription--
MDCXXIII
“This image of our frailty, painted glass,
Shows when the life and death of Alban was,
A knight beheads the Martyr, but so soon
His eyes dropt out to see what he had done.
And leaving their own head, seemed with a tear
To wail the other head laid mangled there
Because, before, his eyes no tear had shed
His eyes themselves like tears fall from his head.
Ah! bloody fact that whilst St Alban dies
The murderer himself weeps out his eyes.
In zeal to heaven where holy Alban’s bones
Were buried, Offa raised this heap of stones;
Which after by devouring time abused,
Into the dying parts infused[10]
By James the first of England to become
The glory of Alban’s proto-martyrdom.”
PART VI--WALES
CHAPTER XII
GLAMORGANSHIRE: DENBIGHSHIRE
NEATH: VALLE CRUCIS
NEATH (_Cistercian_)
Founded and endowed in the 12th century by Richard de
Grainvilla--Dedicated to the Holy Trinity and occupied successively
by Franciscan and Cistercian monks--1208, All previous grants
confirmed and many privileges and immunities bestowed by King
John--15--, Dissolved. Annual revenue, £132, 7s. 7d.--1544, Granted
to Sir Richard Williams--1650, The abbey house comes into the
possession of the Hobby family.
Neath, a flourishing seaport in Glamorganshire, possesses some
interesting features. Claiming to be built on the site of a Roman
station and having some scattered remains of an ancient castle--burnt
down in the 13th century--it also boasts extensive ruins of an abbey,
which, if we believe Lewis Morganwg, the famous Welsh bard, must have
been enriched in days past with many beauties--
“Like the sky of the vale of Ebron is the covering of this
monastery; weighty is the lead that roofs this abode--the dark blue
canopy of the dwellings of the Godly. Every colour is seen in the
crystal windows, every fair and high-wrought form beams forth
through them like the rays of the sun. Portals of radiant
guardians! Pure and empyreal, here is every dignified language and
every well-skilled preceptor. Here are seen the graceful robes of
prelates, here may be found gold and jewels, the tribute of the
wealthy. Here also is the gold-adorned choir, the nave, the gilded
tabernacle-work, the pinnacles, worthy of the Three Fountains.
Distinctly may be seen on glass, imperial arms; a ceiling
resplendent with kingly bearings, and on the surrounding border,
the shields of princes; the arms of Neath, of a hundred ages; there
is the white freestone and the arms of the best men under the crown
of Harry, and the church walls of grey marble. The vast and lofty
roof is like the sparkling heavens on high, above are seen
archangels’ forms; the floor beneath is for the people of earth,
all the tribe of Babel, for them it is wrought of variegated stone.
The bells, the benedictions, and the peaceful songs of praise,
proclaim the frequent thanksgiving of the White Monks.”
Standing on the left bank of the river Neath, the ruins, now, alas,
begrimed with smoke, are situated at the opening of one of the most
beautiful of the Welsh valleys. There are but few monastic foundations
in the Principality--the most interesting being Valle Crucis in the
north and Neath in the south. Founded by Richard de Grainvilla, or
Granville (a connection of the FitzHamons)--who also enlarged Neath
Castle--it possessed the right of sanctuary and consequently found
favour from Edward II. After undergoing many enlargements and
alterations between the time of its foundation and that of the
Dissolution--when it was inhabited by only eight monks,--the demesne was
granted to Sir Richard Williams by Henry VIII., and in the 17th century
the abbey house became the home of the Hobby family. Of this primarily
Franciscan and latterly Cistercian monastery the priory house is the
best preserved fragment. There is also a lengthy apartment, considered
to be the remains of the chapter-house and containing a remarkable
double-vaulted ceiling; but of the abbey church nothing remains except
disconsolate heaps of fallen masonry.
VALLE CRUCIS (_Cistercian_)
1200, Founded by Madoc ap Griffith Madoc, Lord of Bromfield, and
dedicated to the Virgin Mary--1535, Suppressed. Annual revenue,
£180, 8s.
The ruins of this Cistercian house are situated in a secluded part of
Denbighshire and are both beautiful and somewhat extensive. The river
Dee flows close at hand and high wooded hills shelter the crumbling
walls. Fine ash trees bend gracefully over the ruined arches and with
the encroaching ivy, add greatly to the picturesque beauty of the abbey.
The name “Valle Crucis” (Valley of the Cross) is derived from and
ancient cross, known as the “Pillar of Eliseg,” built on a tumulus just
above Llangollen in the 8th century. This cross was erected by Concenn
in memory of his great-grandfather Eliseg. The limestone rocks which
surround it are called the Eliseg Mountains, and it is supposed by some
authorities that they are named from a church which stood in a meadow
below, still known as “the meadow of the church.” Five hundred years
after the erection of the cross, Madoc, Lord of the Castle of Dinas
Bran, established a church and monastery in this peaceful district and
filled it with Cistercian monks.
The church, of which considerable portions remain, consisted of a nave
of five bays with aisles, choir, and north and south transepts--each of
which had an aisle and two chapels. The west front and portions of the
transepts are still standing, the Early English windows in the former
being of double lights and crowned in the gable above by a circular or
marigold window. An inscription can be seen above the lancets recording
that Abbot Adams “fecit hoc opus” Besides these fragments, some portions
of the outer walls of the nave and some of the piers remain, while part
of the vaulting is still intact in the east aisle of the south transept.
The former chapter-house was at one time used as a farm house, but has
now happily been restored to itself. It adjoins the sacristy and lies
to the south of the church. Architecturally Valle Crucis is an excellent
example of the Welsh type of Transition or Early English work. That
there was formerly a tower can be learnt from the lines of the poet
Churchyard:--
“An Abbey near the mountayne towre there is,
Whose walls yet stand, and steeple too, likewise.”
Though now practically a waste, this abbey was once a rich foundation,
owning, besides a number of livings, three hundred acres of “plough
land.” Much care has been taken of the ruined buildings, but the
relentless hand of Time has laid so heavy a hold upon them that they are
now but a shadow of their former beauty.
PART VII--SCOTLAND (NORTHERN COUNTIES)
CHAPTER XIII
ABERDEENSHIRE: MORAYSHIRE: ROSS-SHIRE: PERTHSHIRE: STIRLINGSHIRE