[Illustration: SHERBORNE.]
Crossing over from Somersetshire into Dorsetshire, we arrive in the
northern part of that county at Sherborne, which was one of the earliest
religious establishments in this part of England, having been founded by
King Ina in the eighth century. Here was the see that was removed to Old
Sarum in the eleventh century, and subsequently to Salisbury. After the
removal, Sherborne became an abbey, and its remains are to be seen in
the parish church, which still exists, of Norman architecture, and
having a low central tower supported by massive piers. The porch is
almost all that survives of the original structure, the remainder having
been burned in 1436, but afterwards restored. Within this church are
buried the Saxon kings, AEthelbald and AEthelbert, the brothers of King
Alfred. Such of the domestic buildings of the abbey as have been
preserved are now the well-known Sherborne Grammar-School. The great
bell of the abbey was given it by Cardinal Wolsey, and weighed sixty
thousand pounds. It bears this motto:
"By Wolsey's gift I measure time for all;
To mirth, to grief, to church, I serve to call."
It was unfortunately cracked in 1858, but has been recast. The chief
fame of Sherborne, however, is as the home of Sir Walter Raleigh, of
whom Napier says that his "fortunes were alike remarkable for enviable
success and pitiable reverses. Raised to eminent station through the
favor of the greatest female sovereign of England, he perished on the
scaffold through the dislike and cowardly policy of the meanest of her
kings." The original castle of Sherborne was built in the reign of Henry
I., and its owner bestowed it upon the bishopric of Old Sarum with
certain lands, accompanying the gift with a perpetual curse "that
whosoever should take these lands from the bishopric, or diminish them
in great or small, should be accursed, not only in this world, but in
the world to come, unless in his lifetime he made restitution thereof."
Herein tradition says was the seed of Raleigh's misfortunes. King
Stephen dispossessed the lands, and gave them to the Montagues, who met
with grievous disasters, the estate ultimately reverting to the Church.
In Edward VI.'s reign Sherborne was conveyed to the Duke of Somerset,
but he was beheaded. Again they reverted to the Church, until one day
Raleigh, journeying from Plymouth to London, the ancient historian says,
"the castle being right in the way, he cast such an eye upon it as Ahab
did upon Naboth's vineyard, and once, above the rest, being talking of
it, of the commodiousness of the place, and of the great strength of the
seat, and how easily it might be got from the bishopric, suddenly over
and over came his horse, that his very face (which was then thought a
very good one) ploughed up the earth where he fell. This fall was
ominous, and no question he was apt to consider it so." But Raleigh did
not falter, notwithstanding the omen. He begged and obtained the grant
of the castle from Queen Elizabeth, and then married Elizabeth
Throgmorton and returned there, building himself a new house surrounded
by ornamental gardens and orchards. He settled the estate ultimately
upon his son, but his enemies got King James to take it away and give it
to a young Scotch favorite, Robert Carr, afterwards Earl of Somerset.
Lady Raleigh upon her knees, with her children, appealed to James not to
do this, but it was of no avail. The king only answered, "I mun have the
land; I mun have it for Carr." She was a woman of high spirit, and while
still on her knees she prayed God to punish those who had wrongfully
exposed her and her children to ruin. Carr met with constant
misfortunes, being ultimately implicated in a murder and imprisoned.
James's son Charles, afterwards king, aided to bring Raleigh to the
block, while the widow had the satisfaction of living long enough to be
assured that Charles would meet the same fate. The remains of the
castle are at the east end of Sherborne, covering about four acres on a
rocky eminence surrounded by a ditch. The gate-tower and portions of the
walls and buildings still exist. The house that Raleigh built is now
called the "Castle," and has since had extensive wings added to it, with
a fine lake between it and the old castle-ruins, surrounded by
attractive pleasure-grounds and a park. This famous estate fell into
possession of the Earl of Digby, and is now a home of G. D. Wingfield
Digby, Esq., being a popular resort in the hunting-season.