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 MDCCCXLV. 
 
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"■■'» .-'Ajii '! w * !.jJk,. ' wiii' "mi r. 
 
 A BRIEF OUTLINE 
 
 OF THE LIVES OF 
 
 GUNDRAD, 
 
 T AND 
 
 WILLIAM BAKL DE WAEENNE, 
 
 WITH 
 
 a OIops antJ Uttnal Ctanslation 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LATIN EPITAPH ON THE TOMBSTONE OF GUNDRAD, 
 
 IN THE 
 
 CHURCH OF SOUTHOVER, 
 
 lEWES, SUSSEX. 
 
 BY THE REV. JOHN SCOBELL, M. A., 
 
 RECTOR OF SOUTHOVER. 
 
 The first profits, if any accrue from this publication^ will be devoted by the 
 Rector to those architectural additions and restorations recently raad^, and now ia 
 progress, in Southover Church, and for which additional subscriptions are 
 requested. 
 
 mWm 
 
 LEWES : j I 
 
 GEO. P. BACON, SUSSEX ADVERTISER OFFICE, 64, HIGH STREET. 
 
 King, Brighton. Cleaver, Baker Street, London. ^^^^L ^ 
 
 MDCCCXLV. 
 
 h- 
 
(/A^^ytY ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
BRIEF OUTLINE 
 
 07 
 
 THE LIFE OF GUNDRAD, 
 
 &G., &C. 
 
 GuwDKAD was the fourth Daughter of William the Conqueror. 
 Her mother, Queen Maud, was daughter of the fifth Earl of Flanders, 
 and grand-daughter of Robert, King of France, son of Hugh Capet. 
 She was born in the Dutchy of Normandy, and after her Father had 
 attained the Crown, came, it is probable, first into England with 
 her Mother in 1067, previous to the Queen's Coronation, being then 
 about 16 or 17 years old. 
 
 Not long after she married William de Warenne, a Nobleman of 
 Normandy, who was also the first Earl of Surrey in England, and 
 who, related to the Duke of Normandy by descent, had held a 
 distinguished command in the memorable and eventful battle of 
 Hastings. No nobleman received greater marks of favour from the 
 Conqueror than his son-in-law, William de Warenne. Lands and 
 Lordships in almost every part of England were conferred upon 
 him. In Sussex, he held the whole Rape of Lewes. He rebuilt 
 and enlarged the Saxon Castle of Lewes, and after his marriage 
 with the Daughter of the Conqueror, made it their chief residence. 
 
 About the year 1070, Earl William de Warenne and his wife 
 Gundrad left England, intending to proceed to Rome. Finding, 
 however, the country in a state of war, and that it was unsafe to 
 
 ^ 
 
prosecute their journey, they turned aside, and took up their abode 
 for some time at a Monastery at Cluny, in Burgundy, on the banks 
 of the Garonne, in which the discipline and black habit of St. Be- 
 Tior|iVt we^e af^optcd The uionks of Cluny were hospitable and 
 chantaaie. Tne most regular devotions, bodily labour, and strict 
 self-denial were enjoined by the rules of their Order. A favourable 
 impression was produced upon the minds of Gundrad and the Earl ; 
 and having previously intended to form a religious House near to . 
 their Castle of Lewes, they now determined that the Monks to be 
 there estabUshed, should be of this Order, and in connexion with 
 this dimiac Monastery. 
 
 They, in consequence, requested of the Abbot of Cluny, that he 
 would send three or four Monks for the forming of the intended 
 Monastery ; promising to endow it, and to found it at the site of the 
 Church of St. Pancras, Southover, under the Castle of Lewes, 
 which, originally a Saxon Church and constructed of wood, the 
 Earl had already rebuilt with stone. The Abbot of Cluny, although 
 at first averse to the petition, objecting to the distance and danger, 
 eventually yielded to their request, and sent over Laazo, the first 
 Prior, and three other ecclesiastics with him. The deeds for all 
 those grants and charters, those lands and privileges, which Gun- 
 drad and Earl Warenne had promised, received soon after the royal 
 confirmation. Thus they became the Founders of the Priory of 
 Lewes, commencing in the sixth, and completing it in the twelfth 
 year after the Conquest. Its walls embraced an area of 32 '^acres. 
 This great Cluniac Priory rapidly advanced in riches and eminence, 
 and down to the end of the 15th Century was the spot chosen, not 
 only by succeeding Earls of Warenne, but by numerous other no- 
 ble Individuals, for the place of their burial. 
 
 Gundrad and her Husband had issue, William and Rainold, the 
 Progenitors of the Earls that followed. 
 
 They occasionally resided at Castleacre, in Norfolk, where also 
 they had built a Castle, founded a second Cluniac Monastery, and 
 had large possessions ; and there (May 27), in the year of our Lord 
 1085, she died in childbirth, being, as is calculated, about 35 years of 
 
 '^ 
 
 mm 
 
age; two years after the Queen her Mother ; two years before her Fa- 
 ther the Conqueror ; and three years before her Husband. She was 
 buried in the Chapter House of the Church of St. Pancras, within 
 the Priory at Lewes, — and there, in the year 1088, the body of 
 William do Warenne also was laid, ten years after its foundation. 
 
 In 1538 the destruction of the Priory was completed : with all its 
 possessions, it was then surrendered by Crowham, the last Prior, to 
 the Crown, and bestowed upon Thomas Lord Cromwell. By his 
 agents, as a letter from one of them, still extant in the British 
 Museum, witnesses, this venerable pile was " hewed," " cut away," 
 " plucked down," and " pulled to the ground," " with as much 
 diligence and saveing as might be." " We brought from London 1 7 
 "persons, three carpenters, two smiths, two plummers, and one that 
 " keepeth the furnace. Every one of these attendeth to his own 
 " office : ten of them heweth the walls, about the which are the three 
 " carpenters. These make props to underset where the others cut 
 " away ; the others break and cut the walls. These men are exercised 
 " much better than other men we find in the countrie. Wherefore 
 " we must bothe have more men and other things also that we have 
 *' need of. A Tuesday they began to cast the lead, and it shall be 
 " done with such diligence and saveing as may be ; so that our trust 
 "is that your Lordship shall be much satisfied with what we doe." 
 Two hundred and thirty-seven years after this scene of desolation 
 and dilapidation, the black marble slab which had formerly covered 
 the remains of Gundrad in the Chapter House of St. Pancras 
 Church, within the Priory of Southover,*>' beautifully carved and 
 bordered with Latin verses in her honour, cut in the rim and 
 down the middle, was discovered by Dr. Clarke, of Buxted, in the 
 Church of Isfield, about seven miles distant, being there made use 
 of as a tombstone over one of the Shirley Family ; and at his suo-- 
 gestion, and through his exertions, it was in 1775 restored as 
 
 * The bite F. Bellz, Esq., Norroy King of Arms, whose name and memory will long 
 live at the Herald's Office, once informed me that he had seen and examined a slab 
 of black marble of similar design, cliaracter of workmanship, and quality of stone 
 in Normandy, f) the memory of Queen Maud, the Mother of Gundrad, who it is 
 known, was interred (iUS3) in the Church of St. Mary at Caen, within the Nunnery 
 which she had there founded. IS 
 
-«Kf=?*^;= 
 
 near as possible lo its original site, and removed to the Parish 
 Church of Southover, immediately adjoining the ruins of the 
 Priory, 
 
 Seventy years after this discovery, on the morning of Tuesday, 
 Oct. 28th, 1845, in forming a cutting for the Lewes and Brighton 
 Railway through the grounds formerly occupied by the Priory, the 
 workmen came upon several compartments, each about six feet 
 square, and formed by transverse dwarf walls, such as might be 
 supposed to have supported the stone floors of the Chapter House. 
 Two of these squares immediately adjoining each other, were covered 
 with slabs of Norman stone ; these being removed, in each there 
 appeared a leaden cist, or coffer, ornamented externally by a large 
 net work of interlaced cords moulded in the lead, about three feet 
 long, a foot wide, and eight inches deep, each containing the bones 
 of a human body. On the upper side of one cist was inscribed the 
 name of gvndeada, and on the other, willielmvs. The letters 
 are old — resembling in character, and in some forms of abbreviation, 
 those on the tombstone of Gundrad, and most distinctly legible. It 
 is obvious from the length of these coffers, that their bones had 
 been transferred to them from some previous tombs ; and that long 
 after their first burial, being found in a state of decay, they were, from 
 love and veneration, and for the sake of greater security, placed in 
 these leaden chests.* 
 
 The teeth are numerous and perfect. The bones are found to be 
 of a firm texture ; hard, solid bones, and in a high state of preserva- 
 tion, especially those of Gundrad. Several of the bones of Earl 
 Warenne are missing; the lead at the bottom of this cist had 
 become greatly impaired, almost destroyed, and some of them, upon 
 their first disinterment by the workmen, may have fallen through. 
 Those of Gundrad are as nearly complete and perfect as possible, and 
 judging from the length of them, the bodies must have been above 
 the middle stature : that of Gundrad probably about 5ft. 7in. or 
 Sin. , and that of Earl Warenne upwards of six feet. 
 
 * " Whose bones were since taken up and laid into a covfev.."— Speed— " raigne 
 of William Rufus." 
 
 \miam 
 
Of the genuine antiquity of these relics there cannot be the 
 slightest doubt. The actual remains of the royal Daughter and Son- 
 in-Law of the Conqueror have been torn from their resting places, 
 and exhibited to the gaze of the world 760 years after their first 
 interment. 
 
 These illustrious relics are now also deposited in the Church of 
 Southover, and there the Remains of the Dead, and the Tombstone 
 to her honour are brought together again ; and again Gundrad and 
 Earl Warenne lie, side by side, in the consecrated House of God, 
 
 Otopg of t^e Hatin Vtx^t^ on iff$ Comfistone of ©untrratr* 
 
 Stirps Gundrada Ducum decus evi nobile germen ; 
 Intulit ecclesiis Anglorum balsama morum : 
 Martha fuit miseris fuit ex pietate Maria- 
 Pars obiit Marthe Superest pars magna Marie : 
 O pie Pancrati testis pietatis et equi* 
 Te facit heredem tu elemens suscipe Matrem* 
 Sexta kalendarum Junii lux obvia camis 
 Fregit Alabastrum 
 
 Eifetal Cranstlation, 
 
 T. s. 
 
 Gundrad, the issue of a race of Dukes, the ornament of her age, 
 a noble scion, brought into the Churches of the English the balsams 
 of her moral virtues. 
 
 A Martha she was to the distressed ; for piety a Mary. 
 
 Martha's part has gone its course, Mary's great part survives. 
 
8 
 
 O pious Pancras, witness of her Piety and Equity, you slie 
 makes her heir, do you, meek Man, sustain your Mother. 
 
 That adverse morn, the sixth before the day of the Calends of 
 June, broke in pieces the sweet-scented alabaster Vessel of the 
 Flesh. 
 
 Ctanslateti into ^ngli0$ Vtxm, 
 
 I. s. 
 
 Gtjndbad, of her age the grace, 
 Noble Branch, of noble race, 
 Comforted our Church of God 
 By the virtuous ways she trod. 
 
 To the Poor, a Martha she ; 
 Mary too, in Piety. 
 Martha's office now is past, 
 Mary's shall for ever last. 
 
 Holy Pancras ! thou dost know 
 All her grace and truth below ; 
 Thee she richly makes her Heir, 
 Now, meek Man, your Mother bear, 
 Take Her to your special care. 
 
 Before June's Calends were begun. 
 
 Sad Day ! — the si xth — her race was run ;* 
 
 Her alabaster Frame was rent, 
 
 And all its fragrant odours spent. 
 
 . '• The 27th of May. 
 SmUhover Rectory^ Lewes, November Srd, 1845. 
 
 G«o. P. Bacon, Printes,." Sussex Advertiser" Office, L^we.^. 
 
 1 
 
NOTICES OF 
 
 THE CASTLE AND PRIORY AT CASTLEACRE. 
 

 
 y 
 
NOTICES, 
 
 OF 
 
 THE CASTLE AND PRIORY AT 
 CASTLEACRE, 
 
 IN THE COUNTY OF NORFOLK. 
 
 BY 
 
 THE REV. J. H. BLOOM, B.A. 
 
 VICAR OF CASTLEACBK, AND CHAPLAIN IN ORDINARY TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS 
 THE DVKE OF SUSSEX. 
 
 TWENTy-THREE ILLITSTRATIONS, BY SLY, VIZETELLY, AND NINHAM, 
 FROM ORIGINAI, DRAWINGS, BY MR. CHARLES WRIGHT. 
 
 LONDON : 
 PELHAM RICHARDSON, 23, CORNHILL. 
 
 MDCCCXLIII. 
 
LONDON : 
 BRADBUKV AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITiFKI.ARS. 
 
T)f\L90 
 C38BL 
 
 TO 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. THOMAS WILLIAM COKE, 
 
 EARL OF LEICESTER, VISCOUNT COKE, BARON CASTLEACRE, 
 &C. &C. &C. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 The following pages were prepared for publication under 
 the auspices of ONE, whose condescending kindness in my youth, and 
 patronage in my maturer years, are deeply impressed on my grateful 
 memory. To Him, by generous permission, would they have been 
 inscribed, — but " the huge oak has fallen that grew on the brow of -the 
 hill, and sheltered such an extent of ground." 
 
 The recollection of the Father's favour, encourages me to seek, with 
 respectful hope, the countenance of the Son, and to dedicate to your Lord- 
 ship this humble description of a venerable portion of your Lordship's 
 possessions. 
 
 That the virtues and noble qualities of your revered Father will be 
 illustrated in your Lordship's life, is the presage of all, — of none, with 
 more sure reliance, than of 
 
 Your Lordship's 
 Most humble and obedient Servant, 
 
 JOHN H. BLOOM. 
 
 4SS 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 FAOB 
 
 PREFACE ix 
 
 THE CLUNIACS 1 
 
 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY 33 
 
 THE CASTLE. (HISTORICAL NOTICES) 87 
 
 THE CASTLE. (EXISTING REMAINS) 101 
 
 THE PRIORY. (HISTORICAL NOTICES) 119 
 
 THE PRIORY. (EXISTING REMAINS) 177 
 
 THE PARISH CHURCH 267 
 
 THE PARISH 303 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 It is the object of the succeeding pages to present the 
 reader with a succinct account, historical and descriptive, 
 of a locality which has for many years attracted the 
 interest of the antiquary, and is still annually resorted 
 to by considerable numbers during the summer months 
 for the picturesque and peculiar character of its scenery. 
 The accounts hitherto extant of the interesting features 
 of which we are about to speak are, generally, not only 
 meagre and unsatisfactory, (which may reasonably be 
 attributed to the paucity of authentic materials,) but so 
 devoid of method and in some respects contradictory, as 
 to bewilder rather than to gratify the curiosity of the 
 inquirer. Much matter, also bearing on the subject, is 
 diffused among scarce and voluminous tomes, and seems 
 to have been altogether overlooked by former investi- 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 gators, although so intimately associated with the matter 
 under consideration. We have endeavoured to gather 
 under one focus, from various and scattered sources, so 
 much relating to the past history and present condition 
 of the remains, as can be correctly authenticated, sup- 
 ported by careful personal examination, and we have 
 invoked the combined aid of pencil and pen in order to 
 afford an additional proof that notwithstanding the just 
 and admirable exertions of our travellers, in the investi- 
 gation of the glories of ancient art abroad, there is still, 
 within the scarcely known circle of some of our rural 
 villages, very much to interest at home. 
 
 A preface would hardly be complete without its share 
 of apology, and surely never was there greater need of 
 its exercise than in the present instance, for many 
 insurmountable obstacles have intervened to frus- 
 trate the original purpose of the Author in carrying 
 out his plan. 
 
 But if the severity of criticism (as we sensibly feel) 
 
PREFACE. xi 
 
 requires to be deprecated with regard to the text, we 
 entertain an assured hope that the accompanying 
 illustrations will at once attain a position superior 
 to such a contingency. We can vouch for their 
 accurate fidelity, and it scarcely needs the assurance 
 that our esteemed and generous coadjutor, Mr. Wright, 
 is not a professional artist, to secure for them warm 
 commendation as works of art. It is a happy circum- 
 stance when the dry technicalities of one of the learned 
 professions can be thus ably relieved by the exercise 
 of so delightful a resource. The whole of the drawings, 
 faithfully transferred by Messrs. Sly, Vizetelly, and 
 Ninham, are the production of this gentleman's friendly 
 pencil, and he must permit us to record this public 
 tribute of our warmest thanks for his invaluable 
 assistance. 
 
 Our grateful acknowledgments are also due to several 
 esteemed correspondents who have encouraged us in 
 our pursuit and aided us by valuable suggestions ; and 
 among them we cannot forbear to particularize the 
 
xii PREFACE. 
 
 distinguished name of Dawson Turner, Esq., of Great 
 Yarmouth, and that of the Rev. R. Jackson, some time 
 curate of Castleacre, whose interesting memoranda and 
 collectanea of matters connected with the site have been 
 freely placed at our disposal. 
 
 We can scarcely hope that our volume will possess 
 much interest for the general reader, although per- 
 chance he may glean therefrom somewhat to reward 
 a patient perusal, but to future visitors to the spot, it 
 will prove, we trust, a clear as it is a faithful guide. 
 The want of such a guide has long been felt, and we are 
 ambitious to supply the office. Visitors to the ruins 
 during the last half century cannot fail to have formed 
 some acquaintance with a curious but worthy character, 
 a sort of Old Mortality, native to and resident on the 
 spot, possessing an admiration for the ruins almost 
 akin to idolatry, who has during the above period filled 
 the post of cicerone to the several parties resorting 
 thither. No passing visitor to Castleacre but will recall 
 to mind old John Goate. With much of truth in his 
 
PREFACE. xiii 
 
 descriptions, there has always been such an intermixture 
 of strange conclusion, adhered to with all the pertinacity 
 of garrulous age, that a smile has been the general 
 result of his communications, to which nothing but the 
 enthusiasm which he entertains for the attractions of 
 his native parish could possibly render him unconscious. 
 Our poor old friend still lives, but at such an advanced 
 period of life, that we may venture, without impropriety, 
 to supersede his services, and supply the visitor with an 
 equally minute and more carefully digested account of 
 the remains. 
 
 We will only add that the compilation of the ensuing 
 pages has proved the alleviation of many a painful hour, 
 and if they succeed in rescuing from oblivion some facts 
 and peculiarities of interest connected with the by-gone 
 events of our national history, they will not have been 
 given to the world in vain. 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 SSaootrcuts. 
 
 — * — PAGE 
 
 Armorial Bearings of De Warrenne and Arundel . . .33 
 
 De Warrenne Or and azure cheque. 
 
 Arundel Lions rampant argent quartered with De Warrenne. 
 
 The architectural fragment to which these shields are affixed by the 
 artist, represents a portion of the enriched front of the Conventual 
 Church. The actual position of the above armorial bearings together 
 with those that follow, is on the architrave of the gateway leading to 
 the precinct. 
 
 Armorial Bearing of Maltravers, — landscape ideal . . 99 
 
 Keep of the Castle, by Moonlight 101 
 
 The Priory, from the North-east, — early Morning . .119 
 
 Armorial Bearing of the Priory '121 
 
 A cross, or and azure cheque, (relating to the founder,) between twelve 
 cross-crosslets, fiche sable. — The back ground represents the lower 
 interior of the south-western tower of the conventual church. 
 
 Great Western Door-way of the Conventual Church . 177 
 
 Exhibiting the nature of the mouldings and tracery. 
 
 Sellium, or Confessional in the Prior's Oratory . . . 243 
 Corbel-head in the Prior's Chamber ...',. 266 
 
XVi ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 lEtcj^ings. 
 
 West Front of the Conventual Church — Frontispiece. page 
 
 This view is taken from such a position, that while it serves to retain the 
 peculiar chai-acter of the fagade, the north front of the Prior's Lodge 
 is also seen to advantage, terminating with a remarkable specimen of 
 an early bay- window. 
 
 Gateway to the outer Ballium of the Castle . . . 87 
 
 Described,— page 103. 
 
 Gateway to the Precinct . . . . . .119 
 
 Described,— page 181. Part of the remains of the Priory Church, 
 and Lodge, seen through the entrance. 
 
 Date of the Foundation . . . . . .125 
 
 Greater and lesser Seals of the Foundation . . . . 168 
 
 Specimens of the embossed Pavement of the Chapter-house . 214 
 
 The designs upon this pavement are exceedingly various, but a few of the 
 most striking examples only have been selected for illustration. 
 
 State Hall of the Lodge, — now a Dairy 
 
 Interior of the Priory Grange 
 
 Bulla, Seal, Medallion, &c. found at Castleacre 
 
 Ancient Pulpit in the Parish Church 
 
 Font, with its remarkable Cover . 
 
 238 
 257 
 263 
 281 
 
 284 
 
 Pans. 
 
 Ground Plan of the Castle 101 
 
 The Conventual Church . . . . . . .190 
 
 The Conventual Buildings ....... 209 
 
 The Prior's Lodge 233 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 HE local characteristics of an obscure 
 country parish may not altogether be 
 deemed of sufficient interest to merit 
 ^ public attention. It requires the grace- 
 ful simplicity of a Gilbert White, or the 
 fascinating pen of a Mitford, to invest the generality 
 of our rural districts with that measure of attraction in 
 which, it must be owned, they are frequently so deficient 
 as to warrant the conclusion. 
 
 But there are exceptions. There are localities, barren 
 of interest in themselves, still presenting conspicuous 
 traces of historical landmarks towering above the deep- 
 ening current of the stream of time — spots in our 
 "merrie" land so intimately associated with recollections 
 of the past, so fraught with the spirit, acquirements, and 
 
2 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 customs of a by-gone age, that an examination into 
 their history will amply repay the curiosity of the 
 inquirer ; whether, as an antiquary, he seek for traces 
 of the labours and pursuits of former generations; 
 or, as a moralist, he ponder over the instability of 
 all earthly tenure; or, as an eager reader, he skim 
 their storied annals, to beguile the tedium of a vacant 
 hour. 
 
 To this class, we would fain believe, belong the details 
 which it is the purpose of the following pages to submit 
 to the reader. Though now conspicuous for little but its 
 scattered and picturesque ruins, the parish of Castleacre, 
 in the county of Norfolk, has been the scene of feudal 
 state and cloistered importance. The warder's horn has 
 rung from bastion and battlement^ the clank of mail- 
 clad vassals has sounded in its castle coui'ts, the 
 deep-toned vesper-bell has flung its heavy booming far 
 and wide along the sequestered valley of the Nar, and 
 where is the lover of romance M^ho will question the 
 interest implied in the very association of Castle and 
 Convent ? 
 
 But fiction, however alluring the opportunity, is no 
 part of our present purpose. The simple records we 
 have to offer, are confined to plain matter of fact, and 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 3 
 
 our history of the past as well as our detail of the 
 present, in all that relates to the subject before us, will 
 be strictly regulated by such authentic data as careful 
 research and personal examination have enabled us to 
 glean. 
 
 We invite the courteous reader, then, to divest himself, 
 as far as possible, of those every- day associations which 
 crowd upon his attention in this age of intellectual 
 refinement and luxury. Let a veil fall between his 
 mind's eye and the miracles of art and science which 
 teem amid the onward progress of the nineteenth cen- 
 tury, and let him in imagination travel back with us to 
 a rude stern age when huge dark massy strongholds, 
 bearing the very impress of the time, frowned restraint 
 upon the subject land, and cloistered cells, the sheltering 
 retreats of civilisation and science, — welcome oases in the 
 desert of darkness, — reared their friendly portals in every 
 district of the country. 
 
 And, as a suitable introduction to the bulk of that 
 which follows, it will be necessary to take a brief glance 
 at the monastic system in its origin and as it was subse- 
 quently exercised ; a subject so fertile in inquiry, that the 
 difficulty is how to condense the innumerable points for 
 discussion to which a detailed examination of it must 
 
 B 2 
 
4 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 give rise, but which we have only space very hastily and 
 imperfectly to touch upon. 
 
 " Monachism," observes Fosbroke, " was an institution 
 founded upon the first principles of religious virtue, 
 wrongly understood and wrongly directed. If voluntary 
 confinement, vegetable eating, perpetual praying, wear- 
 ing coarse clothing, and mere automatical action 
 through respiration, be the standard of excellence, 
 then the best man is only a barrel-organ set to 
 psalm-tunes. Sleep, according to this plan, ought to 
 be virtue." 
 
 It must be admitted that a survey of the general 
 features of monastic life will furnish ample material to 
 justify the somewhat caustic definition of this able and 
 diligent antiquary, but it were unfair to infer that 
 defects which would seem to have ripened from cir- 
 cumstance are wholly attributal)le to the unsoundness of 
 the system in its origin. Undoubtedly, monachism is 
 justly chargeable with many and heavy abuses, but 
 surely we should not argue its utility or advantages from 
 such adventitious grounds as these. It is, perhaps, 
 pecidiarly difficult for the professor of a reformed faith 
 so entirely to divest himself of a natural prejudice as to 
 examine with strict impartiality the merits or demerits 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 5 
 
 of a system which is only generally known to him in its 
 connexion with a church from many of whose opinions 
 and practices he so widely differs, but it should be 
 carefully borne in mind that the principle of seclusion 
 from the world and religious retirement, in short, mona- 
 chism, obtained to a considerable extent long before the 
 Papal church attained its predominant ascendancy, or 
 even that its temporal head was recognised by a pliant 
 hierarchy as Universal Bishop. Monachism, then, per se, 
 is not identical with Popery, and in its origin must be 
 viewed apart from that creed. But to the lamentable 
 perversions of the Roman church may be referred that 
 nascent departure from primitive simplicity and com- 
 parative purity which in after ages issued in gross abuse, 
 bhnd superstition, and imperious bearing, and obtained 
 for the monasteries the scorn and indignation of every 
 reflecting mind. The change, though gradual, has been 
 sure, and monachism has lost for ever probably the 
 respect and consideration which its simple and unas- 
 suming character obtained for it at its institution. For 
 our present purpose, therefore, we can only contemplate 
 monachism in its association with a church with which for 
 centuries it has been connected, and within whose pale 
 it still exists, shorn indeed of its ancient glories. And 
 
6 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 what monachism has been for centuries, there is too 
 much reason to apprehend she still continues to be, — in 
 spirit, at least, if not in fact, although the well-informed 
 Romanist of the nineteenth century would unhesitatingly 
 repudiate much of that which distinguished the principle 
 and practice of ancient monachism as repugnant to 
 common sense and the solemn character of religious 
 responsibility. Doubtless many gross absurdities and 
 revolting practices have given place to habits and 
 practices of a more reasonable nature, but if we only 
 bear in mind the immutability which ecclesiastical Rome 
 assumes as her prerogative, we may readily conceive 
 that, so far as monachism is concerned, our inference 
 is justifiable. 
 
 Whatever may be thought of the matter now, it is 
 certain that for several centuries monastic institutions 
 obtained considerable favour at the hands of the devout, 
 both lay and clerical. Not only were religious houses 
 among the first works of the wealthy and powerful, but 
 new orders multiplied with a rapidity which will be 
 remarkably illustrated by an examination of the fol- 
 lowing 
 
THE CLUNIAC8. 
 
 TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL RELIGIOUS ORDERS, 
 
 WITH THEIB RESPECTIVE DATES OF INSTITUTION. 
 
 A. D. 
 
 Monks of St. Anthony 305 
 
 Knights of St. Constantino 313 
 
 Monks of St. Paohomius . . . , . .314 
 
 Cross-bearing Eremites 323 
 
 Order of St. Helen . . . . . . .335 
 
 Ancient regular Canons . . . . . . 355 
 
 Monks of St. Basil 358 
 
 Monks of St. Ambrose 385 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Saviour, or St. John of 
 
 Lateran (about) 440 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Genevieve . . . .511 
 
 Monks and Nuns of St. Benedict 516 
 
 Monks and Nuns of Monte Casino . . (before) 526 
 
 Monks of St. Gregory 595 
 
 Monks and Nuns of St. Columba .... 524 
 
 The Cluniacs 912 
 
 Camaldule Monks 1012 
 
 Valombrosa Monks 1040 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Lawrence .... 1050 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Denis 1067 
 
 Camaldule Nuns 1073 
 
 Grandmont Monks . 1076 
 
8 
 
 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 Carthusian Monks 
 
 Knights Hospitalers 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Anthony . . . . 
 
 Friars of St. Anthony 
 
 Cistercian Monks and Nuns 
 
 Order of St. Sepulchre 
 
 Fontevrault Monks and Nuns . . . . . 
 
 Valombrosa Nuns ........ 
 
 Fratres Grisei . . . 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Augustine, (in England about) 
 
 Tyron, or Reformed Benedictines .... 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Victor .... 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Sepulchre .... 
 
 Bernardino Monks . . . . . 
 
 Knights Templars 
 
 Premonstratensian Canons and Nuns . 
 
 Knights of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem 
 
 Monks of La Trappe ..... 
 
 Canons of St. Mary de Mertune .... 
 
 Gilbertine Canons and Nuns .... 
 
 Friars and Nuns of St. Augustine .... 
 
 Knights of St. James of Compostella 
 
 Carmelite Friars 
 
 Friars of St. Lazarus and Magdalen . 
 
 Freres Humili^s ....... 
 
 Cross or Crouched Friars 
 
 A.D. 
 
 1084 
 1092 
 1093 
 1095 
 1098 
 1100 
 1100 
 1100 
 1105 
 1105 
 1109 
 1113 
 1114 
 1116 
 1118 
 1120 
 1135 
 1140 
 1146 
 1148 
 1150 
 1158 
 1160 
 1160 
 1166 
 1169 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 a 
 
 A.D. 
 
 Porte-Epees 1186 
 
 Monks of the Order of Humility . . . .1190 
 
 Teutonic Knights . . 1190 
 
 Regular Canons of St. Mark of Mantua . . , 1194 
 
 Canons of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of 
 
 Captives . . . . . . . . 1198 
 
 Regular Canons of the Holy Ghost . . . .1198 
 
 Dominican Friars and Nuns . . . . . . 1206 
 
 Eremites of St. Augustine . . . . .1 209 
 
 Franciscan Friars and Nuns 1209 
 
 Regular Canons of the Holy Cross .... 1211 
 
 Eremites of St. Paul 1215 
 
 Freres de Sacco, or Bons Hommes .... 1216 
 
 Freres of the Order of Mercy for the Redemption of 
 
 Captives ........ 1218 
 
 Freres of St. Mary 1218 
 
 Third Order of Penitents 1221 
 
 Nuns of Chartreuse 1232 
 
 Servants of St. Mary . . . . . . 1232 
 
 Celestin Monks 1244 
 
 Female Eremites of St. Augustine .... 1256 
 
 Regular Canons of the Order of Penitents . . . 1 257 
 
 Flagellants . . 1260 
 
 Freres of St. Alexis 1300 
 
 Les Freres Unis . 1328 
 
 Friars and Nuns of St. Bridget 1363 
 
10 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 A.D. 
 
 leronimites 1366 
 
 Eremites of Mont Bel 1380 
 
 Franciscan Friars of the Strict Observance . . . 1402 
 
 Friars of St. Ambrose 1431 
 
 Carmelite Nuns . 1452 
 
 Minims, or Freres of St. Paul 1452 
 
 Nuns Minims 1495 
 
 White Penitents • .1503 
 
 Indian Monks 1506 
 
 Capuchin Friars . 1528 
 
 Barnabites .....•••• 1530 
 
 Jesuites lo34 
 
 Ursuline Nuns 1537 
 
 A glance at the foregoing enumeration will suffice 
 to show how surprisingly monastic institutions were 
 multiplied between the fourth and the sixteenth cen- 
 turies, the mania for such establishments apparently 
 being at its height during the eleventh and twelfth cen- 
 turies, in the course of the former fifteen and in the 
 latter no less than twenty-seven new orders making their 
 appearance. An interval of nearly four centuries occurs 
 between the years 595 and 912, when no distinct order 
 of religious was established ; but, with this exception, no 
 century elapses during the long period first mentioned. 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 11 
 
 without witnessing the organization of some one or more 
 societies whose ramifications spread far and wide over the 
 face of the Christianized world, according to the extent 
 of their respective merit, influence, or wealth. The list 
 of fresh claimants upon the zeal and devotion of the 
 religious community closes only with the sera of the 
 Reformation, when the order of Ursuline Nuns appears to 
 terminate the series. 
 
 That such a multiplicity of societies, having one prin- 
 ciple in common, though differing from each other in 
 details, possessed considerable attraction at the respective 
 periods in which they originated, cannot be doubted, and 
 the piety and zeal of the great and powerful of the earth 
 were conspicuously displayed in their foundation and 
 endowment. It has already been remarked that the 
 heavy abuses which subsequently so conspicuously per- 
 verted these establishments cannot justly be charged 
 upon the principle of their foundation, which was 
 uniformly a sound and benevolent one, however their 
 benefactors may have been influenced by superstition or 
 the pride of wealth. Seclusion from the world, bodily 
 mortification, and active benevolence were, at least, the 
 ostensible motives which prompted their establishment ; 
 and however imperfectly these objects were carried out 
 
12 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 in the end, the feehng which actuated the attempt cannot 
 be amenable to censure. At the present stage of the 
 Christian dispensation, we contemplate the like results 
 under a more spiritual light, and we have abundant proof 
 that a saving measure of personal sanctity, through grace, 
 is attainable by the faithful soldier of the Cross amid 
 his daily intercourse with the world, to the full as 
 effectually as by the pale ascetic in the gloom and 
 austerity of his cloister, however fervent his zeal or 
 unaffected his devotion. 
 
 But, let it not be forgotten that if monachism be not 
 indispensable to a due attainment of the Christian cha- 
 racter, it has other and less questionable claims upon our 
 veneration and respect. 
 
 To monastic institutions we owe, in a very great 
 degree, the preservation of much — we might say all that 
 is valuable and instructive in science, literature, and art 
 during a long night of intellectual gloom and mental 
 torpidity. But for its monasteries, the civilized world, 
 there is little room to doubt, would have lost all trace of 
 those valuable records of a bye-gone age to which the 
 scholar turns with ever-new delight ; the master-spu-its 
 of Greece and Rome whose deeds and words still fill us 
 with admiration might have descended to us as a dreamy 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 13 
 
 name, and the as yet unsurpassed glories of ancient art 
 might, as they were occasionally brought to light, have 
 been to us an inexplicable riddle. In short, the scholar, 
 the lover of art, and the man of science owe a debt to 
 monastic institutions which can never be forgotten. 
 
 Nor is it in reference to such results alone that these 
 establishments have a claim upon our regard. The 
 benevolence which formed a part of the monastic pro- 
 fession was not an empty vaunt, but practical, liberal 
 and extensive. It were hard to say what might have 
 been the fate of thousands of the indigent at a period 
 when no public provision was made for them in seasons 
 of need and suffering, but for the monasteries ; nor can 
 the cotter of the nineteenth century, humble as his cir- 
 cumstances may be, form an estimate of the bitter pri- 
 vation which too generally fell to the lot of his peers in 
 the middle ages. Degraded to the lowest station of 
 social existence, neglected and spumed by his superiors 
 in rank, the pauper of that time, when no longer able to 
 slave for the miserable pittance extorted for him at the 
 cost of the severest toil, borne down by sickness and 
 infirmity, or the pressure of adverse fate, might perish, 
 miserably perish, unnoticed and unknown ; but at the 
 gates of abbej^s, priories, and myncheries, his tale of suf- 
 
14 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 fering met unquestioned credence, his necessities a kindly 
 sympathy, and food, raiment, or medicine, as the case 
 might be, were amply furnished to supply his want. 
 The same liberal spirit pervaded all the intercourse of 
 monastic inmates with the world around them : the rich 
 wajrfarer was received with gorgeous hospitality ; the 
 poor, however lowly, reaped the full advantage of their 
 profuse benevolence. No wonder, then, that on this plea 
 alone so strong a feeling should predominate among the 
 humbler classes in favour of religious houses at the 
 period of their indiscriminate suppression. Enormous as 
 were the revenues generally accruing to such establish- 
 ments, it were unjust — nay untrue, to say that they were 
 wholly devoted to purposes of selfish ease and luxurious 
 enjojnment ; and it is a question whether a tithe of the 
 wealth accumulated from a t3rrannous and wholesale 
 spoliation was ever again directed into so unexceptionable 
 and beneficial a channel. 
 
 Thus far monastic institutions are entitled to, and 
 must ever be regarded with consideration ; a sentiment 
 which cannot so freely be extended to a review of their 
 internal economy, so far as we are acquainted with it. 
 Indeed, the very requirements of monastic life seem 
 to bear the impress of an ostentatious '* pride that apes 
 humility." 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 16 
 
 The general duties which applied to the profession 
 may be stated in a few words, — humiliation, prayer, 
 bodily mortification, and active charity ; but to attain to 
 pre-eminence in the fraternity eight things were indis- 
 pensable; namely, — a rigid observance of appointed 
 duties, silence, implicit obedience, no worldly substance, 
 mutual love, no repinings, regular confession, and strict 
 adherence to the cloister. Whoever could succeed in a 
 punctilious conformity to this standard, was regarded as 
 a character of no common order, and to such distinction 
 we shall readily allow him to be entitled if we only 
 glance at the ordinary routine of every-day duty which 
 devolved in common upon the professors of monastic 
 vows. Briefly, thus it was. 
 
 The stated periods for daily prayer when each fraternity 
 was required to assemble in the conventual church for 
 that purpose were seven in number : — 
 
 Matting ..... commencing at 3 a. ra. 
 
 Prime . 6 a. m. 
 
 Tierce . . . • . . . . . 9 a. m. 
 
 Sext . . . Noon. 
 
 Nones 2 p. m. 
 
 Vespers . . 4 p. m. 
 
 Compline, or Second Vespers . . . . 7 p. m. 
 
l6 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 This was the usual order of social duty for every day, 
 the monks retiring to rest at eight o'clock in the evening, 
 and rising about two hours after midnight. But this 
 was only a portion of their allotted business; private 
 prayer, penances, reading, and meditation, both* in the 
 retirement of the dormitory and of the cloister, were 
 strictly required ; and when to these we add the extra- 
 ordinary increase of devotional exercise demanded upon 
 the occasion of every solemn fast, high festival, and 
 holy day, we may form some conception of the ceaseless 
 occupation of their time. The wonder is how and where 
 they could find opportunity of relaxation from these 
 engrossing pursuits, to apply to those studies and engage 
 in those employments which we are aware they never- 
 theless successfully cultivated. 
 
 The remarks in which we have hitherto engaged apply 
 to the monastic profession generally, and relate to duties 
 which, in a greater or less degree, were incmnbent upon 
 all who took the vows upon them, although doubtless 
 they varied in intensity according to the peculiar 
 tenets and regulations of different orders of religious. 
 The very essence of austerity would seem to have been 
 concentrated in the habits and practices of that pecu- 
 liar order to which the foundation at Castleacre was 
 
THE CLUNIACS. - 17 
 
 appropriated, and of these we shall now proceed to 
 give a sketch. 
 
 That distinct branch of the Benedictine order of monks 
 known as the Clnniacs, originated, as it appears from 
 the preceding table, in the year 912, and derived its 
 appellation from a large and powerful establishment at 
 Clugny, in Burgundy, a foundation which proved the 
 parent institution of a numerous and wealthy fraternity, 
 branching out over various portions of continental Europe, 
 and obtaining considerable favour in our own country. 
 A certain Abbot of Gigni, himself a member of the 
 distinguished family of the Earls of Bourgogne, and 
 subsequently canonised as St. Bemon, in a laudable 
 zeal for the purity of the monastic system, which even 
 at that early period began to manifest symptoms of 
 corruption, was the originator of this specific order. 
 Conforming generally to the rule of St. Benedict, the 
 Cluniacs were nevertheless separatists from that body, 
 had peculiarities of their own, and were distinguished 
 by an augmented measure of austerity and formal 
 observance. 
 
 Their characteristic costume consisted in a long and 
 ample tunic of very coarse material, over which was 
 worn a large full-sleeved cowl, a hood falling as low as 
 
18 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 the elbows, and a rochet or tabard extending from the 
 chin to the feet. 
 
 Their devotions were regulated with extreme strictness 
 and formality. Two solemn masses were celebrated 
 every day; and during the hours of service no labour 
 whatever was permitted within the precincts of the 
 establishment. Even should a monk be about to leave 
 the monastery upon any labour of love or necessity, and 
 his foot were in the stirrup, should the bell toll for 
 prayer, he was compelled temporarily to forego his 
 purpose, and to repair to join his brethren in the church. 
 Silence was absolutely required, as far as possible, 
 throughout the day, and so rigidly enforced after com- 
 pline until prime, that it was almost death to violate it. 
 In consequence of this stern regulation, the employment 
 of manual signs was generally substituted for words 
 among the brethren. Reading and meditation followed 
 every stated interval of prayer, the fasts were observed 
 with rigid severity, and for three consecutive days before 
 Easter the communion was extended to all. To such an 
 extent was carried the prohibition of social intercourse, 
 that whenever any of the brethren were occupied by 
 manual labour in the garden or grounds of the precinct, 
 they were required to sing psalms somewhat lustily, in 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 19 
 
 order to guard against protracted conversation. There 
 were seasons, however, when this rigid enactment was 
 relaxed, as we shall have occasion to notice presently. 
 The alms-giving and benevolence of the Cluniacs were 
 exercised to an extraordinary extent. By a fundamental 
 rule of the order, they were required to feed eighteen 
 poor persons daily, who regularly attended at the almonry 
 and hostel for that purpose, whilst the remains of the 
 bread and wine used daily in the services of the church 
 were regularly distributed to wayfarers, paupers, and 
 pilgrims. But during the whole of Lent, and upon all 
 occasions of special mortification and humility, the cus- 
 tomary largess of these bountiful monastics was doubled 
 and trebled in amount, and the necessities of an incredible 
 number were suitably relieved ; nor was the bounty so 
 dispensed restricted to the indigent residing in the imme- 
 diate neighbourhood of the monastery, but was extended 
 alike to the stranger and the wayfarer without question 
 or partiality. 
 
 The habits of these religious were not less conspicuous 
 for their singularity. The monks were usually restricted 
 to one good meal per day, with a slight and hasty 
 refection at an early hour in the morning ; yet even this 
 one meal, except unto special occasions, was ordinarily 
 
 c 2 
 
20 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 of the simplest, nay coarsest kind, a standing dish with 
 them being a not very inviting mess of black beans and 
 salt; an article of diet tersely commemorated in the 
 following lines : — 
 
 Esse niger monachus si velim forte Cluniaci 
 Qua fabasque nigras cum sale saepe dabunt. 
 
 Spec. Stult. 
 
 Upon occasions, however, of festival, and on the octaves 
 of Christmas and the Epiphany, they were allowed to 
 partake of two full meals, with a larger variety in the 
 nature and quahty of " the creature comforts " than 
 ordinary. On the feasts referred to, also, they were 
 permitted to assemble in the refectory after dinner, 
 nones, and reading in the cloister, (which observances, 
 whatever might be the occasion, were strictly maintained,) 
 for the purposes of social refreshment and intercourse ; 
 these privileges never being allowed on common occasions 
 until after vespers, and then for a very limited period. 
 After refection came reading again, and this was followed 
 by a spiritual lecture which lasted until compline. 
 
 Although every rehgious establishment had an ample 
 proportion of servants for the discharge of menial offices, 
 the regular members of a Cluniac fraternity were not 
 exempt from some share in such service, either as matter 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 2X 
 
 of penance, duty, or inclination ; and accordingly specific 
 regulations were framed, to be observed by them when 
 occupied in those employments. When engaged in the 
 kitchen or other offices, they usually wore additional 
 sleeves over their tunics, that they might not be defiled 
 by contact with the several vessels; and in shifting 
 the cauldron on the fire, they were careful to protect 
 the hand by a substantial glove. They were scru- 
 pulously particular in sweeping the kitchen clean 
 every Saturday immediately after vespers, and, at the 
 ringing of a bell, they repaired to the lavatory to wash 
 and comb. 
 
 But perhaps the most striking pecuharity of this order 
 was the extraordinary form and ceremony employed by 
 them in preparing the wafer for the celebration of mass. 
 Four monks, ecclesiastics, assisted by one layman, were 
 usually appointed to this duty. Their first care was to 
 select the wheat, grain by grain, from a quantity of the 
 finest and purest quality that could be procured. Having 
 thus obtained a sufficiency for their purpose, the selected 
 wheat was carefully washed, and then enclosed in a bag 
 reserved expressly for that purpose. Thus it was sent 
 to the mill by the hands of the layman, whose character 
 and general disposition for piety were matters of scru- 
 
22 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 pulous observation. It was then his duty to wash 
 the millstones, and to surround them on every side 
 with linen curtains reserved for that purpose, that 
 no particle of the precious meal might escape. During 
 the process of grinding, the attendant was to be veiled 
 from head to foot, the eyes only appearing; and in 
 the subsequent preparation of the flour the same cere- 
 monious care prevailed. At length, when all was 
 in readiness, the ecclesiastics, clothed in albs, after 
 stated devotions, proceeded to manufacture the wafer, 
 which was done with the most punctilious washings 
 both of face, hands, and the metal moulds in which 
 the wafer was to be baked, so that no extraneous 
 matter could wilfully be introduced into the purified 
 compound. 
 
 In short, the. habits of the Cluniacs were characterised 
 in every department by precise singularity; and an 
 ancient author sums up their peculiarities in the fol- 
 lowing not very attractive terms. " When you wish to 
 sleep," he says, " they awake you ; when you wish to eat, 
 they make you fast. The night is passed in praying in 
 the church ; the day, in working ; and there is no repose 
 but in the refectory ; — and what is to be found there ? 
 Rotten eggs, beans with all their pods on, and liquor fit 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 23 
 
 for oxen ; for the wine is so poor that one might drink 
 of it for a month without intoxication */' 
 
 The picture of the Cluniac profession which we have 
 thus endeavoured to embody from the scattered records 
 of received authorities, will serve to show that the career 
 of a monk of this denomination, if a strict observer of 
 the rules of his order, must have been one of severe 
 deprivation and austerity ; and we should be at a loss to 
 imagine what there could possibly be in the system to 
 conciliate the favour of its numberless adherents, did not 
 experience teach us that some degree of singularity is 
 congenial to the human breast, and that a profession of 
 unusual self-denial and mortification, real or affected, is 
 often wont to obtain for its professors a greater measure 
 of credit for superior sanctity than a searching examina- 
 tion might in the end justify. At all events, the issue 
 does not appear to have fulfilled the purport of the 
 means ; for eventually the Cluniacs acquired a reputation 
 for laxity, both of disciphne and morals, completely 
 opposed to the self-mortifying nature of their original 
 principles. 
 
 In this respect, however, they were amenable to censure 
 in common with the greater part of other monastic orders, 
 
 * Guy de Provins. 
 
24 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 upon whom a sort of judicial infatuation seems to have 
 fallen, to accelerate their ruin and extinction. A gradual 
 relaxation in the rigour of their respective rules by 
 degrees gave place to indifference, and, intoxicated by 
 the uninterrupted enjoyment of successive years of pro- 
 sperity and increasing power, the monasteries engaged 
 heart and soul to promote the purposes of that Church 
 whose " pious frauds " are not amongst the least of her 
 inexplicable and crying offences. The sagacity of Rome 
 readily perceived in these establishments a powerful 
 engine for the extension of her influence, and, yielding to 
 her fatal ascendancy, the result may be easily foreseen : 
 they were among the first to encounter the outburst of 
 the storm directed against her and all connected with 
 her. It is only requisite to scan the melancholy record 
 of opinions promulgated and practices encouraged under 
 the direct authority and sanction of the Church of 
 Rome—of which the conventual churches of abbeys and 
 myncheries were usually the scene, and where warm 
 supporters of the profanity were ahvays to be found, — 
 to form some estimate of the outrages perpetrated against 
 all that is sacred and venerable under the desecrated 
 guise of religion. An example or two, from, unfor- 
 tunately, an ample field of abuse, will suffice to illustrate 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 25 
 
 the nature of those monstrous perversions to which the 
 monks were wont to lend themselves. We must premise 
 that these solemnities were enacted annually under the 
 direction of bishops, abbots, priors, and other dignitaries 
 of the Roman Church, with all due seriousness and 
 formality. 
 
 " The Feast of Fools " was celebrated in various mas- 
 querades of women, lions, players, &c. They danced and 
 sung in the choir ; ate fat cakes upon the horns of the 
 altar, where the celebrating priest played at dice; put 
 stinking stuff from the leather of old shoes into the 
 censer ; ran, jumped, &c. through the church ! * 
 
 Upon what plea is it possible to justify absurdity so 
 revolting as this? Could it in any way serve or promote 
 the awfully responsible ends of religion, or add dignity or 
 weight to its ordinances ? We are at a loss to define the 
 infatuation which could sanction such miserable folly ; 
 and yet, wretched as it is, it is fully equalled, or rather 
 surpassed, by another performance with which the devotee 
 of that day was also periodically regaled. 
 
 " The Fool Bishop, at mattins, high mass, and vespers, 
 with his chaplain, was to preside for three days pontifi- 
 cally on the episcopal throne, properly adorned ! from 
 
 * Fosbroke, p. 81. 
 
26 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 whence, on the introit of the said hours, he was to be 
 clothed in the vestiary with a common silk cope, and 
 adorned with a mitre and silk gloves. The chaplain was 
 to be clothed likewise in a common silk cope, carrying on 
 his head a little cushion instead of the cap. Incense- 
 hear&rs and the apparitor preceded the Fool Bishop to the 
 episcopal throne. There, with his chaplain sitting at his 
 feet, having always a cross in his hand, he sat as long as 
 the above hours were celebrating. The sub-deacon who 
 was to sing the epistle, or the deacon the gospel, with one 
 knee bent, made him a supplication, whom he marked with 
 his right hand!"* 
 
 Comment is superfluous. It may readily be imagined 
 to what all this inane ribaldry would eventually lead ; 
 the contempt naturally engendered by the idle buffoonery 
 of the mock prelate was in process of time transferred to 
 the real one, and the consequences recoiled with addi- 
 tional force upon the system which originated and could 
 sanction such proceedings. Other cases of a like nature 
 might be cited, such as the Boy Bishop, the Festival 
 of the Ass, &c., equally calculated to bring ridicule 
 upon the rites and ordinances of religion, and to fill 
 every reflecting mind with unmitigated disgust. And 
 
 * Fosbroke, p. 80. 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 27 
 
 these were the exhibitions tolerated and encouraged 
 in the palmy days of monachism, and of which their 
 cloistered precincts were not unfrequently the arena. No 
 stronger proof than this can be required to mark the 
 degeneracy of monastic institutions, and their departure 
 from the very purport and principle of their foundation ; 
 and whatever might have been the popular enthusiasm 
 in their favour in their earlier years, it was not long 
 before a visible reaction displayed itself. No sooner had 
 the twelfth century drawn to a close, than the zeal which 
 had been so profusely manifested towards the monas- 
 teries in the shape of gifts, grants, and bequests, began 
 to decline; recurring at rare and uncertain intervals, 
 they at length ceased altogether. The grasping spirit 
 evinced by some of these establishments may have con- 
 tributed in some degree to this result ; but there is little 
 doubt that the increasing laxity and indifference apparent 
 in their conduct mainly tended to accelerate their declen- 
 sion in the popular esteem. About this time, also, a new 
 channel was opened for the exercise of pious zeal and 
 munificence, to which the bounteous current that had 
 once flowed so lavishly towards the monasteries was now 
 transferred. Two new orders made their appearance 
 whose profession was poverty — their wealth, the scrip 
 
28 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 and staff; these were the Dominicans and Franciscans — 
 or Friai's Mendicants, as they were generally termed. 
 The contrast presented by the profession and appearance 
 of these jfresh claimants upon pious sympathy, to the 
 pride, wealth, and luxurious ease of the established 
 orders, was well calculated to work a powerful effect, and 
 before long they completely distanced their more indolent 
 competitors in the race for popular favom*. The very 
 profession of poverty, borne out by the palpable in- 
 difference to the wealth and pomp of the monks and 
 other ecclesiastics, evinced by these Friars, obtained for 
 them an extraordinary degree of sympathy, something 
 akin to that formerly displayed towards the older orders 
 of monachism, when at their first institution they pleaded 
 the same vow of poverty ; whilst the activity and zeal 
 they employed in the discharge of their ministerial office 
 secm*ed for them that enthusiasm to which their appear- 
 ance had already inclined the popular bias. Within, 
 however, no great length of time, the establishments of 
 the mendicants themselves became gradually possessed 
 of ample revenues and extensive estates ; and then the 
 same growing spirit of laxity and indifference, as well as 
 a corresponding decline in popular sympathy, fell to their 
 share. A new light began to break upon the horizon of 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 29 
 
 the religious world, and the first clear line that served to 
 herald the approach of a flood of glorious sunshine 
 beamed upon the world in the person of John de Wyclifife. 
 From that moment monachism, in all its various phases, 
 began to totter from the ascendant position it had so long 
 occupied, until at length the watchword of Reformation 
 rung from one end of Europe to the other, and out- 
 thundered the palsied fulminations of the Vatican itself. 
 In the sweeping changes consequent upon this mighty 
 moral revolution, the original motive and intent of 
 monastic institutions was lost sight of; abuse and use 
 were confounded, and whatever there might be of good 
 or evil commendable or reprehensible in the constitution 
 of such societies, was indiscriminately sacrificed in the 
 resistless torrent. 
 
 Thus fell monastic establishments, after centuries of 
 increasing power and splendour ; and though the imme- 
 diate results were fatal to their existence only in this 
 land, the system itself, throughout the countries where 
 Papal ascendancy still prevails, received a shock which it 
 has never since surmounted. In England ruins, widely 
 scattered in every direction, are aU that is left to attest 
 the former prevalence of monachism amongst us, and 
 these are regarded with an interest proportioned to the 
 
30 THE CLUNIACS. 
 
 many associations which the sight of them is calculated 
 to excite. Of late years, indeed, some partial attempts 
 have been made by the Roman Church to revive the 
 system in the very heart of a Protestant country ; but 
 many of its most prominent features are no longer to be 
 recognised, and happily so. The character of modem 
 monachism in England possesses more of the original 
 intent and spirit ; its professors are generally quiet, 
 unpretending persons, who have doubtless associated 
 from zealous and conscientious motives, and who dis- 
 charge their self-imposed duties faithfully and unob- 
 trusively. How long this retiring spirit might be 
 maintained were the discipline of Rome again to be 
 predominant amongst us, it is not our business to 
 discuss ; nor is such a consummation to be wished, on 
 many serious accounts. The Cluniacs, however, are 
 extinct ; and the land that once teemed with members 
 of their rigid order, now knows them no more. At least 
 forty-five distinct establishments of this order once 
 existed in our land, and these were fully organised and 
 completed within less than a century and a half; — ^the 
 first introduction of the order being effected by William, 
 first Earl de Warrenne and Surrey, and the last house in 
 connexion with it being founded in the latter years of 
 
THE CLUNIACS. 31 
 
 Stephen's reign. On continental Europe, the order 
 obtained in Spain, Italy, Germany, Lombardy, and to an 
 unprecedented degree in France, where its monasteries 
 exceeded those of all other orders ; thus evincing that, 
 notwithstanding its peremptory restrictions, the Cluniac 
 rule was in especial favour with the enthusiastic and 
 devout. For a considerable period, the principals of 
 the houses of this order in England were invariably 
 foreigners, generally supplied from the parent founda- 
 tions in France ; but after the increasing importance of 
 the dependent cells enabled the greater part of them to 
 throw off the trammels of subserviency, the superiors 
 were elected by the several chapters from among their 
 own fraternity, and thus their monasteries became exclu- 
 sively native. The moral canlcer at length infected the 
 austere severity of Cluniac discipline, and many ingenious 
 substitutes were devised in place of the rigid require- 
 ments of the founder, until little more than the name 
 remained to mark the distinctive character of the order. 
 Since then, the shadow has departed as well as the 
 substance ; and the pious labours of the Abbot of Gigni 
 live but in the memory of the past. 
 
ARMORIAL BEARINUS OP DE WARRENNE AND ARUNDEL, UPON ARCHITECTURAL PEDIMENT. 
 
 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 XTREMELY scanty (as might be ex- 
 pected from the imperfect chronicles 
 which relate to the period in which 
 they flourished,) are the records which 
 remain to us of some of the most 
 powerful families that in a remote age constituted a 
 portion of the ancient nobles of our land. Unless their 
 names occur in association with the stirring events 
 of the time which are matters of public history, it is 
 rarely that they occupy a position sufficiently prominent 
 
34 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 to attract the attention of the chronicler, and the 
 biographer is able to glean at best but a meagre outline 
 of characters, which, from their importance in other 
 respects, would seem to require detailed expatiation. 
 In some respects, however, this circumstance may be 
 deemed not altogether unfortunate, for in a great number 
 of instances the quality of the information obtained will 
 scarce repay to the curious inquirer the labour of 
 research; and however he may delight to pore over 
 musty tomes and to unravel the mysteries of worm- 
 drilled chronicles, the issue will too frequently be disap- 
 pointment, as the ideai attributes of nobility and dis- 
 tinction, with which eager imagination is prone to invest 
 its favourite hero, are scattered to the winds by the glar- 
 ing evidence of moral worthlessness and insignificance. 
 
 Charity, nevertheless, will cling to the hope that if the 
 worst traits of character unhappily survive, it is because 
 
 " the evil that men do lives after them ; 
 
 The good is oft interred with their bones ; " 
 
 and that much redeeming excellence is lost to us through 
 the waywardness or partiality of the historian. 
 
 Generally speaking, there is so much obscurity and 
 intermixture of legendary matter in the annals of our 
 ancient worthies, that it is no easy task to sift their 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 35 
 
 incongruous material in order to arrive at a simple and 
 explicit approximation to the truth; and this remark 
 applies with peculiar force to the records which relate to 
 the members of that once powerful and illustrious family 
 of whom, from their intimate connexion with the Castle 
 and domain of Acre, it behoves us to present a sketch. 
 The very name of De Warrenne exists but in the faint 
 traces of the past, and a family once prominently conspi- 
 cuous for its powerful influence and princely wealth, 
 associated with royalty and distinguished for military 
 prowess, has long since ceased to own a living represent- 
 ative. For some centuries they occupied a prominent 
 station in the courts of princes, and enjoyed a measure 
 of prosperity and influence vouchsafed to few, until at 
 length their grandeur passed away as a dream, and the 
 extraordinary possessions held by them were dispersed 
 into various channels unassociated by title or kin with 
 the original proprietors. The family cognizance, or and 
 azure cheque, still holds a place in the quarterings of the 
 illustrious house of Norfolk, with whom, in centuries 
 gone by, it was connected by marriage ; and this is all 
 that is now left to indicate the individuality and family 
 importance of De Warrenne. 
 
 The armorial bearings introduced at the head of this 
 
 D 2 
 
36 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 section, represent respectively those of De Warrenne, 
 simple or and azure cheque ; and those of Arundel, lions 
 rampant quartered with De Warrenne. They occur 
 among the remains, and will be particularized hereafter. 
 William, first Earl de Guarrenne (Warrenne), in Nor- 
 mandy, and of Surrey in England, was the chief of a 
 family among the most powerful and illustrious of his 
 native land. Enjoying the intimate friendship and con- 
 fidence of the Conqueror, with whom he was nearly 
 connected by his marriage with Gondreda, the fourth 
 daughter of that prince, it is natural that he should form 
 one of that reckless band of chivalrous adventurers who 
 followed the fortunes of their ambitious master on his 
 daring and successful inroad on our isle. 
 
 The little group of bold spirits who constituted the 
 ducal court of Normandy had long contemplated with 
 eager desire the fair broad lands and domains of England, 
 and were not backward, on the first intimation of their 
 liege lord's determination, to avail themselves of the 
 opportunity. The prospect of rich remuneration which 
 the Duke of Normandy held out to his devoted followers 
 in the event of success, was sufficient in itself to inflame 
 their determination in an age when bold and daring 
 exploits were deemed the surest tests of distinction ; and 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 37 
 
 it is said that even before a foot was planted on the deck 
 of the flotilla which was to bear them to our shores, the 
 broad lands of " merrie England " were parcelled out 
 among the rapacious crew. The successful issue of a 
 contest which was destined to effect so extensive a 
 change in the character of an empire, is well-known 
 matter of history. No wonder, then, that upon the event 
 of the memorable field of Hastings, — (the first, though 
 by no means the last step necessary to the Conquest,) — 
 the triumph and exultation of the victorious Normans 
 should be represented as partaking of a degree of extra- 
 vagance alhed to delirium. Such was the transport of 
 their savage fury, we are informed, that they caused their 
 horses to prance and plunge over the thickly-strewed 
 bodies of the devoted Anglo-Saxons, and spurned their 
 prostrate foe with an indignity utterly incompatible with 
 a noble and magnanimous spirit. 
 
 Among those who took part in the business of that 
 eventful day, and in many an after conflict in the service 
 of his chief, was William de Warrenne, whose zeal and 
 devotion met with prompt attention and reward. 
 
 The first act of his royal master towards him was to 
 create him Earl of Surrey, and then to put him in pos- 
 session of such vast domains as in point of extent and 
 
38 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 revenue amounted to a little principality. The official 
 situation which he occupied at the court of the Conqueror, 
 was that of Justiciary of the Kingdom ; a circumstance 
 which proves that De Warrenne possessed ability of no 
 mean order, independently of his military distinction. 
 His colleague in this responsible office was Richard de 
 Bienfait, and their names occur among those of the 
 counsellors of state associated with Odo, Bishop of 
 Bayeux, the half-brother of the Conqueror, in the govern- 
 ment, when William revisited Normandy after his first 
 partial subjugation of the kingdom. History bears 
 melancholy testimony to the harshness and oppression 
 employed by these haughty barons during their tempo- 
 rary conduct of affairs; treatment which effectually 
 roused a spirit of resistance on the part of the English, 
 that it cost their stern masters an infinity of labour and 
 anxiety to subdue. With these oppressions originated a 
 long series of painful convulsions, which, it is shrewdly 
 suspected, was the very issue contemplated by the subtle 
 WiUiam in his temporary retirement to Normandy, that 
 so a fair pretext might be supplied for the forcible and 
 complete subjugation of the country ; — if this were his 
 motive, the purpose was amply realised. 
 
 The substantial acknowledgments received by De 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 39 
 
 Warrenne as his share of the spolia opima may be 
 summed up in a few words. In the county of Norfolk 
 alone, the Conqueror bestowed upon him the possession 
 of and right over no less than one hundred and thirty- 
 nine lordships, — in the county of Suffolk eighteen more, 
 at least an equal number in the county of Sussex, besides 
 vast possessions in the northern counties — enough, one 
 would think, to satisfy the cravings of the most rapa- 
 cious spirit. Of all his extensive territories, his lordship 
 of Acre, unceremoniously wrested from an unfortunate 
 Saxon thane, attracted the Norman's peculiar regard ; and 
 here, so soon as the partial settlement of affairs conse- 
 quent upon the Conquest would permit of his applying 
 to the work, he hastened to erect his baronial residence, 
 wherein he took up his permanent abode. Vast as were 
 the resources which so wealthy and powerful a noble 
 might bring to bear upon his undertaking, the work was 
 doubtless one of time as well as of considerable labour, 
 nor is it probable that its completion was perfected at 
 the period of the earl's decease some twenty-two years 
 afterward. In the mean while, however, once fairly 
 established in the possession of his broad lands, he 
 appears to have applied himself with considerable 
 activity to works of a more peaceful and commendable 
 
40 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 character. A distinguishing trait in the character of our 
 Norman rulers was the mania for founding and endowing 
 religious houses, a disposition which prevailed to a great 
 extent among them ; and if the subject Anglo-Saxons 
 were compelled to groan beneath the iron rule of foreign 
 despotism, they were at least ultimately constrained to 
 acknowledge the advantage which art and industry 
 derived from the splendid projects of their haughty 
 masters. 
 
 Partaking of this spirit, in common with his country- 
 men, De Warrenne determined to apply some portion of 
 his ample revenues to purposes which might bequeath to 
 him a fairer position in the annals of fame than he might 
 otherwise have been destined to enjoy. His first under- 
 taking in this way was to found and endow an extensive 
 priory and hospital at Lewes in Sussex, a foundation 
 which he appropriated to the abbey of Clugny in Bur- 
 gundy, as a residence for a fraternity in connexion with 
 that religious order. It is simply related that upon 
 some occasion, De Warrenne, accompanied by his Coun- 
 tess, determined upon a pilgrimage to the Holy City, and 
 at an early period of their progress thitherward they 
 availed themselves of the hospitality usually proffered 
 by the monasteries to those who were bent upon a like 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 41 
 
 pious errand. The reception they experienced at Clugny, 
 and the general character of the religious profession 
 exercised within its walls, so charmed the noble pilgrims, 
 that when in after years an opportunity was presented 
 for carrying into effect a long-cherished desire to found 
 some religious house for the welfare of their souls, they 
 determined to evince their recollection of what they had 
 seen and heard at Clugny by bestowing upon that foun- 
 dation the house they were about to establish. Thus the 
 priory of Lewes was endowed for the support of twelve 
 Cluniac monks, who, with a certain Lanzo at their head, 
 were despatched somewhere about the year 1078 from 
 the parent establishment to take possession of this new 
 retreat. Their privileges were then duly confirmed to 
 them by charter. Within six years after this, the Earl 
 commenced the foundation of another religious establish- 
 ment, immediately contiguous to his Castle of Acre, 
 which he appropriated to the same order, and annexed 
 as a cell to his previous foundation at Lewes, both being 
 thus subordinate to the wealthy Abbey of Clugny. 
 Scarcely, however, was the foundation-stone of the Priory 
 of Acre duly laid, than its munificent founder sustained 
 a bereavement for which he was but ill prepared. His 
 wife Gondrede, to whom he seems to have been tenderly 
 
42 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 attached, died in child-bed at his baronial castle, on the 
 27th of May, 1085, and was removed for interment to 
 the new priory church of St. Pancras at Lewes, and there 
 deposited. From this period, the bereaved Earl would 
 seem to have passed the remainder of his days in com- 
 parative seclusion, devoting his time to religious exer- 
 cises, and works of piety and benevolence. A small cell 
 at Heacham owes its origin to his liberality ; and at the 
 expiration of four years from the period of his loss he 
 himself was gathered to his fathers, and expired in the 
 month of June, a. d. 1089. It is supposed that his 
 remains were deposited with those of his lamented 
 Countess. 
 
 William, second Earl de Warrenne and Surrey, suc- 
 ceeded to the titles and vast possessions of his father. 
 But slender details of his history remain to us; although it 
 appears that he was a suitor, not altogether unfavoured, 
 for the hand of Matilda, daughter of Malcolm King of 
 Scotland, and subsequently Queen-consort of Henry I. 
 The marriage, however, was not sanctioned by Rufus, to 
 whom, and not to the lady's relatives, the demand was 
 made. The Red King, doubtless, had good reasons for 
 the prohibition, in the simple fact that it would have 
 been highly impolitic on his part to encourage a union 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 43 
 
 between so powerful a vassal and a princess of the 
 ancient Saxon line ; and this project failing, it does not 
 appear to whom the Earl was eventually united. Upon 
 the accession of Henry I. we find this De Warrenne 
 associated with the Earl of Shrewsbury and Arundel, 
 Walter Gifford, Arnulf de Montgomery, Robert de Mallet, 
 and other influential barons, in espousing the pretensions 
 of Robert of Normandy, the elder brother of Henry, to 
 the sovereignty of England. These powerful nobles, 
 whose weight and influence would at any time render 
 their opposition formidable, promised to join the Duke 
 with all their forces, immediately upon his landing to 
 assert his right to the throne ; and they were true to 
 their engagement. But the result was unsuccessful, and 
 the mild and leisure-loving Robert was speedily won 
 over by his wily and grasping brother to effect a com- 
 promise. The defection of his barons was not likely to 
 escape the notice of the crafty Henry, and many of them 
 experienced the full weight of his resentment in the 
 confiscation and alienation of their estates, though their 
 persons were spared. De Warrenne, however, seems to 
 have been so fortunate as to pass without let or molesta- 
 tion, either in purse or person. 
 
 In addition to munificent benefactions to the infant 
 
44 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 priory of Acre, he founded two other religious houses in 
 distant counties, one at Widkirk in Yorkshire, and the 
 other at Sandtoft in Lincolnshire. 
 
 Of William, the third Earl, the historical particulars 
 are equally meagre ; although he is said to have obtained 
 high consideration for services rendered to King Stephen. 
 In requital of these services, this monarch bestowed upon 
 De Warrenne the demeans of the borough of Thetford, 
 together with the advowsons of all the churches on the 
 Suffolk side of that place, of no inconsiderable importance 
 at the period. The Earl, already in the enjojnnent of 
 princely possessions, determined forthwith to apply his 
 new acquisitions to pious purposes, and accordingly he 
 commenced at Thetford the foundation of an extensive 
 monastery and church, which he appropriated to the use 
 of the order of Regular Canons of the Holy Sepulchre. 
 This foundation he endowed with all that he had received 
 from the King, and added further grants and privileges 
 of great munificence. His example was followed by his 
 brothers, and other successive members of his family, 
 until the estabUshment attained to considerable affluence. 
 Like his predecessors, he did not omit to foster his 
 ancestral foundation at Acre, to which he was a hberal 
 benefactor, causing a foundation to be built at Slevesholm 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 45 
 
 as a cell to that establishment. At this period the torch 
 of enthusiasm kindled a flame that burnt brightly over 
 Europe, and, sharing the common zeal, De Warrenne 
 hastened to join the ranks of the crusaders, carrying 
 numerous and valuable aid to the army under Louis 
 King of France, and the Emperor Conrad. There, in the 
 very centre of the Holy Land, in conflict with " the proud 
 Paynim," he met an honourable death, and his possessions 
 devolved upon his only child Isabel. 
 
 Hamlyn Plantagenet *, a member of the illustrious 
 House of Anjou, and nearly connected with the reigning 
 sovereign, as fourth Earl De Warrenne and Surrey, suc- 
 ceeded to the enjoyment of the titles and estates solely 
 in right of his marriage with Isabel, the only child of the 
 deceased Earl. By her he left issue, William, who 
 succeeded to the family honours. Hamlyn does not 
 appear to have partaken in a very great degree of the 
 chivalrous spirit of the time ; for it is recorded of him 
 that, having been appointed, during the reign of John, to 
 
 * Perhaps the characteristic origin of this distinguished family appel- 
 lative is not so generally remembered as it deserves to he. Geoffrey of 
 Anjou, the chief of this House, possessed a peculiar predilection for the 
 flower of the common broom plant (Planta genistce)^ a sprig of which he 
 was not only in the habit of wearing in his bonnet, but his followers 
 were required to do likewise ; and thus it became the family cognisance, 
 and ultimately its familiar designation. 
 
46 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 serve the office of Justiciary of the Cinque Ports, he 
 declined serving, and was thereupon required to pay the 
 fine of a palfrey to the King for his contumacy. And 
 upon another occasion, in the same reign, he is men- 
 tioned as having, in conjunction with the Archbishop of 
 Canterbury, paid a second fine to the same monarch, in 
 order to be released from the obligation of sending their 
 knights and retainers over into Poictou. From these 
 little traits, we may infer this Earl to have been of a 
 retiring and domestic disposition; although it must be 
 noticed that he was by no means indifferent to the 
 stirring events which convulsed the land during the 
 latter portion of the reign of the tyrannous and treach- 
 erous John. We find the seal of De Warrenne amongst 
 others appended to that great and memorable Charter 
 which laid the foundation of English liberties, showing 
 that he was of the number of those bold Barons by whose 
 firmness and intrepidity a slow consent was at length 
 wrung from the reluctant and unprincipled monarch. 
 The name of Hamlyn occurs among the liberal benefactors 
 of the Priory at Acre and other religious establishments. 
 William, fifth De Warrenne and Surrey, survived his 
 father but for a short time ; though, having married Maud, 
 a daughter of William Mareschal, Earl of Pembroke, he 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 47 
 
 left issue, John Plantagent and Isabella. The former 
 was destined to become a conspicuous character in the 
 annals of his country ; the latter was eventually espoused 
 to Hugh de Albini, Earl of Arundel and Sussex, and this 
 seems to have been the first alliance between the two 
 noble families who, by a subsequent intermarriage, 
 became so intimately connected. This Countess of 
 Arundel, pajrtaking of the same pious munificence for 
 which her family were so conspicuous, devoted a con- 
 siderable portion of her ample dowry to the foundation 
 and support of an Abbey at Marham, appropriated to 
 the use of the Cistercian nuns, an order first introduced 
 into England about the year 1128. This abbey ultimately 
 attained considerable wealth and eminence. 
 
 It must not, however, be forgotten that the name of 
 the fifth Earl occurs in the annals of our national history, 
 as taking a part in the serious differences which obtained 
 between Henry III. and his Barons, under the influence 
 of the celebrated Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. 
 De Warrenne appears to have adhered to the King's 
 party, and enjoyed the friendship of Prince Edward. 
 Upon the serious reverses sustained by the royalist 
 forces at the battle of Lewes, De Warrenne made his 
 escape to the Continent, accompanied by the half-brothers 
 
48 DE WARKENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 to the King. From thence he subsequently returned, 
 and landed in Wales at the head of one hundred and 
 twenty knights and a troop of archers. His loyal 
 example was speedily followed by other barons who 
 joined his standard; and after a series of successful 
 manoeuvres, De Montfort sustained a complete overthrow 
 in the vicinity of Evesham. It cannot be doubted that 
 the devotion of De Warrenne to his master's cause 
 obtained for him the favour and esteem of the monarch. 
 
 In our historical notices of the sixth Earl De Warrenne 
 and Surrey, we have a wider field of interest and infor- 
 mation to engage our attention. Possessing undaunted 
 firmness, unquestionable courage, and great military 
 talent, John Plantagenet failed not to attract the especial 
 regard of one of the most chivalrous monarchs who ever 
 swayed the sceptre of England. Edward I. well knew 
 how to appreciate the qualities which distinguished 
 one so eminently conspicuous among the wealthy and 
 influential of his barons, and readily availed himself of 
 the powerful aid supphed by his vast resources and 
 experience ; nor was the king's judgment in this matter 
 without its advantageous results. 
 
 An incident is on record which prominently illustrates 
 the bold and independent spirit of this De Warrenne, 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 49 
 
 and which, while it involved an act directly opposed to 
 the prevailing desire of the monarch, tended probably in 
 its results to induce the king to win by courtesy that 
 which he utterly failed to obtain by force. 
 
 Upon his return from a long and expensive sojourn in 
 France, Edward found the condition of his exchequer to 
 be so impoverished as to require vigorous and active 
 measures for its reparation. Though possessed of many 
 shining and estimable qualities, the king was not parti- 
 cularly scrupulous about the means whereby he proposed 
 to recruit his exhausted finances ; and unhesitatingly 
 put in motion measures of so arbitrary a nature that a 
 fierce spirit of resistance was kindled, to such an extent 
 as if not timely checked must have led to consequences 
 most fatal to his authority and interests. Commissioners 
 were appointed, before whom the barons of the realm 
 were summoned to render an account of the titles by 
 which they respectively held their possessions, under the 
 shallow pretext that many encroachments on the rights 
 of the crown had been surreptitiously made by them. It 
 must be confessed that the blow thus aimed at the 
 interests of his haughty vassals was every way charac- 
 teristic of the intrepidity for which Edward was dis- 
 tinguished, although he somewhat miscalculated the 
 
50 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 reception which such policy would encounter from 
 them. The scrutiny was searching and severe : and to 
 some extent the ruse of the needy monarch was success- 
 ful. But the bloodless triumph of Runnimede was not 
 yet forgotten; and the bold spirit of the barons of 
 England, fired at the summary proceedings levelled 
 against then- rights, was effectually roused to resistance. 
 Upon his appearance before the commissioners, in obe- 
 dience to the summons, the Earl de Warrenne and 
 Surrey, when required by them to produce his title, for 
 all answer deliberately drew his ponderous sword, and 
 pointing to it, exclaimed, — " By this instrument do I hold 
 my lands, and by the same I intend to defend them! 
 Our ancestors, coming into this realm with William the 
 Bastard, acquired their possessions with their good 
 swords. William did not make a conquest alone, or for 
 himself solely ; our ancestors were helpers and participa- 
 tors with him ! " — The fearless earl was no longer urged, 
 for the king was not prepared to dispute the validity of 
 such title-deeds, and De Warrenne escaped unscathed 
 from the ordeal. But others were not so fortunate : for 
 in certain cases where, from the various convulsions to 
 which the land had been subjected, written deeds and 
 grants from the crown had been lost or destroyed. 
 
DE WAKRENNE AND SURREY. 51 
 
 Edward, without scruple, seized the manors and estates, 
 and would not release them except upon pa3rment of 
 large sums of money by way of ransom. 
 
 The foregoing anecdote sufficiently indicates the mettle 
 of this spirited baron ; but it is in the early part of the 
 year 1296 that we first find the name of John de War- 
 renne occupying a distinguished post in the victorious 
 army of Edward. Our fair sister land, — " land of brown 
 heath and shaggy wood," will ever associate the recollec- 
 tion of De Warrenne with one of the most momentous 
 periods in the annals of her history. 
 
 Baliol of Scotland, who, five short years before, had 
 solemnly sworn fealty and allegiance to Edward, in evil 
 hour, and by the mischievous advice of ambitious coun- 
 sellors, as solemnly renounced his deliberate pledges. 
 " Madman and foolish traitor ! " exclaimed Edward, when 
 the intelligence reached him, — " since he will not come to 
 us, we will go to him." — To determine and to act were 
 simultaneous with the energetic monarch. De Warrenne, 
 with a select detachment of troops, was commissioned to 
 recover the Castle of Dunbar, which the Countess of 
 March had delivered to the Scots, although her husband 
 was at the very time serving in the army of Edward. 
 And with the investment of this castle commenced a 
 
 e2 
 
52 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 series of brilliant exploits on Scottish ground, in which 
 De Warrenne obtained prominent distinction. 
 
 Although the Scottish army in full force was des- 
 patched to the relief of Dunbar Castle, the English troops 
 under De Warrenne hesitated not to give them instant 
 battle ; and on the 28th of April, after a severe encounter, 
 the Scots were completely routed with the extraordinary- 
 loss of ten thousand men. The Castle immediately sm*- 
 rendered at discretion. Rapidly following up this bril- 
 liant achievement, De Warrenne experienced a series of 
 successes almost without parallel. Within a space of 
 somewhat less than two months, he obtained the sur- 
 render of the several Castles of Roxburgh, Dumbarton, 
 Jedburgh, Edinburgh, and Stirling ; the principal strong- 
 holds of the kingdom, whose conquest was thus effected. 
 Too late did Baliol endeavour to withdraw the gauntlet 
 of defiance which he had so hastily thrown do^vTi before 
 the indignant Edward ; too tardily did he offer abject 
 submission and implore peace ; the victorious southron 
 would exercise a conqueror s right, and Baliol was com- 
 pelled to a complete surrender of his kingdom and 
 degradation from his kingly state, in terms of the utmost 
 baseness and humiUation. 
 
 It was not likely that the important services of the 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 53 
 
 Earl of Surrey would be overlooked by the exulting 
 monarch. As the most effectual means of securing to 
 himself the peaceful possession of his recent conquest, 
 Edward intrusted the custody of the surrendered 
 castles to English captains, and filled every situation of 
 weight and responsibility with English subjects, ap- 
 pointing John de Warrenne to the exalted post of governor 
 of the realms, with Hugh de Cressingham as treasurer, 
 and William Ormesby as justiciary, to exercise supreme 
 authority. 
 
 But the personal favour of the gratified monarch 
 towards his illustrious general did not terminate here. 
 In the early part of the year 1297, when De Warrenne 
 had retreated for a short period from the cares and 
 anxieties of his responsible office to the peaceful and 
 domestic retirement of his own loved castle of Acre, 
 leaving everything in Scotland, to all appearance, in a 
 condition of quiet subjection, Edward, in additional proof 
 of the esteem he entertained for his faithful baron, 
 honoured him with a personal visit, attended by the most 
 distinguished members of his court, and sojourned for 
 the space of three weeks in the ancestral stronghold of 
 the proud and opulent De Warrennes. Then did its 
 massy walls ring with the shout of joy and revelry, its 
 
54 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 stately halls and crowded ballium throng with knightly 
 retinue and mailed men, and all the pomp and circum- 
 stance of military splendour. But scarcely had the pro- 
 longed roar of festivity consequent upon this distinguished 
 visit ceased to echo in its ample courts, than its noble 
 master was again abruptly summoned from the peaceful 
 seclusion of his home, to play his part in the turmoil and 
 activity of vigorous warfare, for Scotland was again in 
 insurrection and making another fierce struggle for terri- 
 torial independence. 
 
 De Warrenne, on leaving his charge for England, had 
 delegated his authority to Ormesby, the justiciary, who 
 acted as his lieutenant, and, for a time, all went on in 
 peace and tranquillity. But volcanic fires slumbered 
 beneath the seeming calm ; a star was rising over the 
 hills of Scotland, that ere long blazed a signal beacon 
 from clan to clan, and roused an energy which, for 
 a time, effectually subdued the authority of English 
 rule. 
 
 William Wallace, a name ever cherished by Scotia's 
 sons — her justly prized hero— first stood forward in the 
 month of May, a. d. 1297, as the liberator of his dis- 
 tracted country from the thraldom of English rule ; and 
 having by a masterly exploit obtained possession of the 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 55 
 
 seat of government at Scone, chieftains of note and dis- 
 tinguished rank flocked to the uplifted banner of freedom 
 and independence. Ormesby, the discomfited lieutenant, 
 with difficulty saved his life by flight, and abandoning to 
 their chance a vast amount of booty and prisoners, 
 hastened with all despatch to communicate the disastrous 
 tidings to the too secure Earl of Surrey. 
 
 At this time the king was preparing to embark for 
 Flanders, but secure in the skill and discretion of his 
 general, he made no alteration in his plans, receiving the 
 intelligence with a calmness apparently akin to apathy ; 
 but left the suppression of the revolt to the ability and 
 judgment of his trusty friend De Warrenne. 
 
 The energies of that nobleman were again aroused 
 to vigorous action, and hastily assembling all the dis- 
 posable miUtary force of the kingdom to the north of 
 the Trent, he a second time pushed onward under the 
 expectation of reaping fresh glories on the fated plains 
 of Scotland. His first act, as soon as the troops could 
 be collected, was to despatch in advance Sir Henry Percy 
 and Sir Robert Clifibrd, at the head of an army of forty 
 thousand foot and three hundred horse. The policy of 
 this prompt measure was immediately apparent. The 
 insurgents, numbering a nearly equal force, were found 
 
56 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 in the occupation of a strong position in the neighbour- 
 hood of Irvine in Ayrshire. Disorganisation, however, 
 reiofued in their ranks, and confusion in their councils. 
 No acknowledged leader was as yet there to controul the 
 irregular assembly that had flocked to the insurgent 
 camp, and although Wallace had raised the standard of 
 freedom, petty jealousies and cabals prevented his recog- 
 nition among them as their authorised champion in the 
 inevitable struggle. The natural consequence ensued ; 
 dispirited, discontented, and dismayed, the chief associates 
 of the luckless Wallace at once withdrew themselves 
 from his alliance, and subserviently renewed their sub- 
 mission to the authority of Edward, leaving but one 
 baron and a still numerous though undisciplined force 
 with the disgusted chieftain, who immediately withdrew 
 with them to the north. Had the English now pursued 
 the obvious advantage at their disposal, Scotland would 
 again have been a subject land without the need of a 
 blow ; but for the space of two or three months, with a 
 want of foresight far from commendable, the government 
 neglected all further attempt to suppress the insurrection, 
 busying itself rather with petty quarrels and disputes of 
 precedency, without bestowing a thought upon the 
 gathering strength of the rekindled flame of patriotism 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 57 
 
 that still blazed amid the Highlands. During this 
 interval it appears that De Warrenne resigned his post 
 as governor of the realm of Scotland, retaining, how- 
 ever, the command in chief of the armies. The 
 King appointed as his successor in the government 
 one Bryan Fitzalan, a distant connection of the Earl of 
 Surrey. 
 
 In the meanwhile a fresh gathering of bold and inde- 
 pendent spirits rallied round the still free banner of 
 Wallace ; the genius of freedom, though bruised, was not 
 broken ; the hearts of many whose hands were fettered 
 by vows and pledges to the Southron, went with the 
 patriotic band, and, profiting by the experience of recent 
 failure, to select a recognised leader and champion of 
 their cause, the Hero of Scotland at length stepped forth 
 at the head of a prodigious though undisciplined host, to 
 renew, with better prospect of success, the arduous 
 struggle for his country's independence. 
 
 The strongholds of Brechin, Forfar, and Montrose, 
 yielded to the impetuosity of the patriotic band ; and, 
 like an avalanche accumulating in its course, Wallace, 
 leaving a strong force to invest Dundee, with a rapidity 
 emulating that of his great antagonist, advanced at the 
 head of forty thousand foot and one hundred and eighty 
 
58 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 horse upon Stirling, where a considerable garrison of 
 English troops then lay. By the promptitude of this 
 movement he anticipated the English general, and suc- 
 ceeded in taking up a very strong and advantageous 
 position in front of the Castle, before the main body of 
 the Southron army, with De Warrenne at its head, could 
 reach the place. Wallace posted his men on the banks 
 of the Forth, partly concealing them behind the neigh- 
 bouring high grounds ; and scarcely had he done so when 
 the English troops appeared on the opposite side of the 
 river, consisting, it is said, of one thousand horse and 
 fifty thousand foot. 
 
 The sagacity of De Warrenne immediately detected the 
 incalculable superiority of the enemy's position, and he 
 prudently resolved to offer terms before he ventured to 
 risk an engagement. His caution, however, was over- 
 ruled by the haughty tone of defiance with which 
 Wallace received his flag of truce, and by the impatience 
 of the English troops to chastise the bold daring of their 
 intrepid challenger. " Return," exclaimed Wallace, " and 
 tell your masters that we do not come here to treat, but 
 to assert our rights, and to set Scotland free ; let them 
 advance, they will find us prepared." Still De Warrenne 
 hesitated ; and during that night no movement was made 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 69 
 
 on either part. The reluctance of the English com- 
 mander to risk an encounter could not arise from any 
 apprehension of an inequality of numbers, for in that 
 respect the advantage was obviously on his side ; besides, 
 the skill and courage of De Warrenne were too securely 
 established for that ; but the discrimination of the expe- 
 rienced general at once discerned that, to press to the 
 attack of a reckless foe burning to resent prior defeat, 
 and posted to such singular advantage as were the troops 
 of Wallace, was to rush upon inevitable defeat or destruc- 
 tion, and the result too plainly proved the correctness of 
 his judgment. The matter was deliberated for some 
 hours, when the impetuosity of the men, and the taunts 
 of Hugh de Cressingham, who loudly protested against 
 the wasteful expenditure of the king's money in keeping 
 up an army unless it were to fight, at length succeeded 
 in overruling the better judgment of the commander, 
 and the attack was determined upon. 
 
 It should be borne in mind, that the Forth intervened 
 between the English army and their friends in the 
 garrison which they had advanced to relieve, — the forces 
 of Wallace further interposing^ between the Castle and 
 the adjacent bank of the river. The only means of 
 crossing the stream was by a narrow wooden bridge, of 
 
60 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 dimensions so inconsiderable, as to render the passage of 
 a numerous force, even though no chance of interruption 
 existed, a work of time and difiBculty. 
 
 At an early hour of the morning of the fatal 11th of 
 September, the English troops began to pass over this 
 inconvenient structure, Hugh de Cressingham leading 
 the van. For some time no obstruction was offered to 
 their progress, and nearly one-half of the assembled 
 force made the transit in perfect security. At this junc- 
 ture however, Wallace, by a dexterous development of a 
 detachment of his forces, succeeded in gaining and kept 
 possession of the extremity of the bridge by which the 
 enemy had passed to the Stirling side ; and the astounded 
 English saw themselves fairly entrapped and cut off from 
 all chance of retreat by the same channel along which 
 they had advanced, or of their friends effectually suc- 
 ceeding in coming to their assistance. Rapid as thought, 
 the Scottish chieftain revealed the whole extent of his 
 hitherto partially concealed armament, and the snare 
 into which the devoted English had thus incautiously 
 precipitated themselves became at once apparent. A 
 furious onslaught was made by the elated Scots upon 
 their nearly paralysed opponents, and the scene became 
 one of indescribable . carnage and confusion. Burning 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 61 
 
 with animosity against the luckless Southron, and flushed 
 with the confident expectation of victory, the eager Scots 
 neither gave nor sought for quarter ; the hapless English 
 were mercilessly cut to pieces, or met their death in the 
 troubled waters of the rapid Forth : thousands fell before 
 the overwhelming torrent of destruction, and the hated 
 Cressingham was the first to experience the vengeance 
 of his infuriated opponents. But one English knight 
 alone — by a daring effort of bravery, succeeded in cutting 
 his way through the serried ranks of those who guarded 
 the bridge, and thus rejoining his friends on the opposite 
 side. No prisoners were taken ; and it is believed, that 
 all who gained the river perished in the stream from the 
 weight of armour or the exhaustion of wounds. 
 
 To the gallant De Warrenne, hitherto borne on the 
 very wave- crest of success, this was indeed a disastrous 
 day ; and he, whose name had hitherto been a passport 
 to triumph, was reduced to the painful alternative of 
 sudden and swift flight. Finding the fortune of the day 
 to be irretrievable, he mounted his horse and rode with- 
 out stopping to Berwick. 
 
 The successes which rapidly followed upon this gallant 
 exploit of the Wallace, are well known matters of 
 history. Within a very short space of time English 
 
62 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 authority within Scottish ground was at an end, and 
 EngUsh forces themselves effectually driven beyond the 
 border. Elated by a brilliant series of triumphs, Wallace 
 carried his incursions far within the English pale ; and 
 the northern counties were fated to experience the 
 weight of his vengeful retaliation. 
 
 These fatal reverses, however, did not diminish the 
 confidence reposed in the Earl of Surrey by his royal 
 master. Edward, during the active period referred to, 
 was still in Flanders, where tidings of the total change 
 in the posture of affairs in Scotland reached him ; and 
 acting with that promptitude and decision for which he 
 was distinguished, he immediately addressed letters to 
 all the Earls and Barons of England, requiring them to 
 effect a general muster of the whole military force of the 
 kingdom at York, by the 14th of the ensuing January, 
 over which John de Warrenne was again deputed to be 
 commander-in-chief — a sufficient proof that he continued 
 to retain the esteem of the king. In this way a formid- 
 able army was assembled, consisting of not less than one 
 hundred thousand foot and four thousand horse; who, 
 under the gallant conduct of the Earl of Surrey, again 
 advanced upon the Scottish border. The tables were 
 once more turned ; and the lately victorious Scots fled 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 63 
 
 before the mighty host arrayed against them. The army 
 reached Berwick without striking a blow, and was pre- 
 paring to enter upon the Scottish territory, when orders 
 reached De Warrenne from Edward, commanding him to 
 suspend all farther advance until the King himself 
 should arrive to place himself at its head. 
 
 From this period, the name of John de Warrenne 
 occurs no longer in the prominent position it had hitherto 
 occupied, and history is silent with respect to his further 
 career. There seems no reason to doubt that in the 
 calm seclusion of his Castle of Acre, where he lived to a 
 venerable old age, he continued to be honoured with the 
 esteem and confidence of his royal master; for in the 
 many harassing and in some cases formidable differences, 
 that subsequently took place between Edward and his 
 Barons, the name of the Earl of Surrey does not once 
 occur ; which, from the powerful extent of his influence, 
 would surely have been the case had he taken any active 
 part in those dissensions. 
 
 The particulars of the domestic career of this distin- 
 guished member of the De Warrenne family are ex- 
 tremely vague and uncertain. It appears that he had 
 one son, who married and died within the lifetime of his 
 father, — leaving issue also one son, who at an early age 
 
64 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 succeeded to the titles and estates on the decease of his 
 grandfather, John Plantagenet. The Priory of Acre 
 failed not to experience the munificence of the brave old 
 Earl, and the Hospital of St. Mary Magdalen at Thetford 
 was indebted for its foundation to the same Uberal 
 benefactor. 
 
 A remarkable contrast is presented to us in the 
 character of John, grandson of the above, and the 
 seventh and last Earl de Warrenne and Surrey : weak, 
 mercenary, and dissolute, he seems by his folly and vices 
 to have done much to degrade the name and to deteriorate 
 the patrimony which he so unworthily held. Insensible 
 to the real value of the influence which the high and 
 commanding character, and the noble qualities of his 
 grandfather had obtained for his family, he availed him- 
 self of it only to foster his pride or to gratify his desires. 
 Owing to the influential position which the De Warrennes 
 occupied in the court of the First Edward, this degene- 
 rate Earl succeeded in obtaining the hand of Joan de 
 Barr, a grandaughter of the above king, in marriage, an 
 event which in itself was well calculated to cement and 
 strengthen that influence which the gallant old Eai'l had 
 justly obtained in the councils of his sovereign ; and 
 which was further exemplified in the appointment of the 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 66 
 
 newly-married John to the responsible post of Deputy 
 Constable of the Realm. 
 
 A very few years elapsed before the sordid and male- 
 volent passions of the last De Warrenne began to 
 manifest themselves. Edward the First died on his 
 expedition against Scotland within less than two years 
 of the marriage of Earl de Warrenne, and the throne of 
 England devolved upon the son of the deceased monarch, 
 the first Prince of Wales, one in all noble qualities the 
 very reverse of his father. De Warrenne was not slow 
 to detect the prevailing foibles in the character of the 
 second Edward — weakness and cupidity, and in due 
 time he diverted this disposition to the furtherance of 
 his own iniquitous views. In the early part of this 
 reign, indeed, he had united with the other leading 
 Barons in opposing the infatuous predilection of the 
 king for Piers Gaveston, to whom De Warrenne owed a 
 peculiar grudge for his having worsted him in a tourna- 
 ment ; but no sooner was Gaveston disposed of, than the 
 wily Earl, with considerable subtlety, sought to gain the 
 favourable disposition of the king to the promotion of 
 his own base views. 
 
 Wearied of the society of his amiable Countess, whose 
 only reproach was that she was childless, De Warrenne 
 
QQ DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 sought for some pretext upon which he might sue for a 
 divorce. The circumstance of his wife's close connexion 
 with the blood-royal, rendered this a task of no small 
 tact and delicacy ; but a timely display of loyal devotion 
 to his master's interests sufficed to effect that which a 
 direct appeal might have failed to accomplish. To this 
 end, therefore, in the early part of the year 1316, 
 affecting to experience extraordinary zeal in the service 
 of his sovereign, whose interests he pretended were 
 deserving of every sacrifice, he being at that time put to 
 severe expenses for prosecuting the war in Ireland, De 
 Warrenne made a free gift to Edward of a great part of 
 his patrimonial estates, inclusive of his Castle and manor 
 of Acre. The ruse succeeded ; Edward, charmed by the 
 apparently disinterested sacrifice of his opulent baron, 
 retained possession of the munificent gift for little more 
 than a year, when he regranted it to the undeserving 
 Earl, accompanied by his full sanction to the divorce, 
 which had been opportunely introduced to his notice. 
 De Warenne, separated fi*om his Countess Joan, imme- 
 diately contracted a second marriage with Isabella de 
 Houland ; although this- new alliance proved no less un- 
 fortunate than the first, if issue had been the desire 
 which prompted him to seek the divorce: Isabella died 
 childless. 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 67 
 
 The wanton indifference to the integrity of his patri- 
 monial estates which De Warrenne had evinced by his 
 gratuitous surrender of them to the king, was again dis- 
 played at the earliest opportunity. Scarcely had he 
 been replaced in their possession than he began to give 
 further proof of the little store he set by them, in seeking 
 about for a purchaser for these despised possessions ; 
 nor was he long detained in the search, for he found a 
 willing purchaser in the person of the Earl of Pembroke, 
 who within a year or two again passed them to the Earl 
 of Athol ; and thus, for the space of nearly ten years, 
 they were entirely alienated from the family of De 
 Warrenne. 
 
 However, in the first year of Edward III. the capri- 
 cious Earl again repurchased of the Earl of Athol, the 
 castle, manor, and estates he had previously sold, and 
 one would hope that the return of better feelings might 
 have prompted him to desire their repossession. The 
 real motive, unhappily, was not long a matter of ques- 
 tion. In the year 1336, we once more find this vacillating 
 and mercenary noble making a second grant of his 
 valuable possessions to the reigning sovereign ! It does 
 not appear to what particular end this ostentatious gift 
 was now directed, but doubtless the subtle Earl antici- 
 
 p2 
 
68 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 pated that he might win the favourable countenance of 
 the youthful monarch, then in his twenty-fourth year, in 
 the same mode which he had so successfully practised 
 with the father. The third Edward, however, was not 
 of a kindred spirit, and either penetrating the artful 
 purpose of De Warrenne, or disgusted with the reckless- 
 ness that could so readily tamper with the time-honoured 
 possessions of an illustrious family, he within a month 
 or two returned them upon his hands, with the express 
 stipulation that in the event of the Earl's decease, as he 
 had no issue, the property should revert to Richard, son 
 of Edmund, Earl of Arundel, and Alice his wife, a sister 
 of this same De Warrenne. By this expedient, the King 
 effectually secured these noble domains from further 
 detriment or misappropriation at the caprice of a weak- 
 minded and unprincipled man. The whole of De War- 
 renne's conduct with reference to the castle and appro- 
 priate manors of Acre, seems to have been characterized by 
 supreme indifference if not absolute dislike. Although 
 the name of the last De Warrenne occurs once or twice 
 amongst the benefactors of two or three small religious 
 houses, his ancestral foundation at Acre appears to have 
 been entirely neglected by him, although at the very 
 time a near relative of his own occupied the post of 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 69 
 
 prior in the establishment. His bounty was directed to 
 other channels. Through the recommendation of Sir 
 Edmund Gonville, founder of Gonville Hall, (now Caius 
 College), at Cambridge, who officiated in some capacity 
 of steward to this noble, De Warrenne placed a fraternity 
 of Dominicans in an old foundation connected with the 
 former see of Thetford, and subsequently known as the 
 Old House Priory. To this establishment he contributed 
 as largely as his impaired fortunes would permit, and 
 subsequent benefactions and purchases obtained for 
 the foundation a considerable share of wealth and im- 
 portance. 
 
 The last male scion of the noble house of De War- 
 renne survived the re-settlement of his patrimonial 
 estates for about eleven years, and deceased on the 30th 
 June, 1347. 
 
 The castle and manor of Acre, and the greater part of 
 the vast possessions of the De Warrennes, now passed, 
 together with the title of Earls of Surrey, to Richard 
 Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, a nephew of the last De War- 
 renne, in conformity with the prudent arrangement of 
 the King to that effect. Of this Earl no facts of moment 
 relating to our subject remain to be recorded, save that 
 to avoid the recurrence of such arbitrary transfer of pro- 
 
70 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 perty as disgraced the career of his predecessor, he adop- 
 ted the precaution of entailing the castle and manor of 
 Acre upon his heirs-male only. He married Eleanor 
 daughter of Henry, Earl of Lancaster, and widow of 
 Henry Lord Beaumont, by whom he had one son ; and 
 after a peaceful enjoyment of his princely possessions 
 during a period of nearly twenty-eight years, died a. d. 
 1375. 
 
 Richard, son of the above, now succeeded to the 
 titles and estates, and had the fortune to attract the 
 notice and regard of the youthful Richard XL immediately 
 upon his accession to the throne. In the month of 
 August, 1377, we find the Earl of Arundel and Surrey 
 leading the armies of the recently crowned monarch, and 
 evincing something of the spirit and success of his great 
 progenitor, the sixth Earl De Warrenne. A combined 
 armament of French and Spanish, who had landed in 
 great force in the Isle of Wight, devastating it and the 
 adjoining coast of Hampshire, were effectually repulsed 
 with great loss by the Earl of Arundel at the head of the 
 English troops, in the vicinity of Southampton; and 
 further important services were rendered by this noble- 
 man in the subsequent incursions made by the enemy on 
 the coasts of Sussex and Kent. In the following year 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 71 
 
 (1378), a squadron was detached under the joint com- 
 mand of the Earls of Arundel and Salisbury, with the 
 view of taking possession of the port and town of Cher- 
 bourg on the coast of Normandy, which had been just 
 ceded to England by the King of Navarre, then occupied 
 in a war with the French King, and who by this cession 
 hoped to obtain the valuable aid of the English in his 
 struggle. On its passage, the squadron encountered a 
 Spanish fleet, and sustained considerable loss, but at 
 length its destination was reached and Cherbourg 
 effectually secured: thus depriving France of an important 
 naval arsenal, and affording to the English another key 
 of entrance to that kingdom. 
 
 It would be thought that faithful and efficient services 
 were at all times a sufficient claim upon the confidence 
 and esteem of the sovereign, and not easily to be for- 
 gotten. For a time, the Earl of Arundel appears to have 
 retained the favourable countenance of the King ; but ere 
 long he was doomed to learn, by melancholy experience, 
 the value of the inspired Psalmist's humiliating caution 
 — " Put not your trust in princes." 
 
 The Earl of Arundel had for many years enjoyed 
 the friendship and confidence of the Duke of Gloucester, 
 uncle to the King ; and in the vigorous measures adopted 
 
72 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 by the Duke to displace from their ascendancy in the 
 councils of Richard, Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, 
 and Robert de Vere, Marquis of Dublin, and in the sub- 
 sequent commission chosen by consent of both houses of 
 parliament to reform the state of the nation, at the head 
 of which Gloucester was placed, — the Duke found 
 willing and able coadjutors in the Earls of Arundel and 
 Nottingham. The energy and success with which Glouces- 
 ter carried his measures into operation, for a time 
 effectually coAved the spirit of the faint-hearted King, 
 who quailed before the energies of his imperious uncle. 
 But hatred rankled at the monarch's heart, and he only 
 bided his time for a signal and complete revenge. That 
 which he had not the moral or physical courage to effect 
 by force, he determined to accomplish by treachery and 
 stratagem. Simulating acquiescence in the arrangements 
 of Gloucester and his party (among the most prominent of 
 whom were the Earls of Arundel, Warwick, and Notting- 
 ham, although the latter, who was actually married to 
 the daughter of Arundel, at a subsequent period insi- 
 diously withdrew from the connection of his friends, and 
 became one of the most diligent parasites of the King,) 
 Richard suffered some ten years to elapse without 
 betraying his resentment in any prominent manner. 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 73 
 
 At length, within twelve months after his marriage 
 with Isabella, daughter of Charles VI. of France — an 
 alliance which he knew to be as unwelcome to Gloucester 
 and his friends, as it was generally unpopular throughout 
 the country — his treacherous design was carried into 
 effect with consummate skill. 
 
 His first victim was the Earl of Warwick, for whom he 
 feigned an unusual degree of newly-awakened regard. 
 Having invited him to a banquet, he received and enter- 
 tained him with marked blandness and hospitality ; but 
 before the conclusion of the interview the luckless Earl 
 found himself placed under close arrest on a charge of 
 treason. 
 
 Within two days of this stroke, and before it could 
 be greatly noised abroad, the wily King succeeded in 
 prevailing upon Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, to bring his brother, the Earl, to the royal presence 
 for 2l friendly conference. The result also in this case was 
 precisely the same, and the Arundels fell into the snare. 
 
 There now remained but one more victim for this 
 treacherous sacrifice, and he the most important of all. 
 Hastening, with a gay and gallant company, to his 
 uncle's castle of Fleshy, in Essex, where Gloucester 
 was sojourning with his family, the unsuspecting Duke 
 
74 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 hurried to the entrance, to welcome his royal relative 
 with all due honour. Richard saluted him in a sprightly 
 and buoyant tone, and hurrying onward, feigned great 
 eagerness to pay his respects to the Duchess, whom he 
 detained in friendly conversation, while the Earl Marshal 
 suddenly seizing the astonished Duke, hurried him with 
 incredible speed to the Thames, secured him on ship- 
 board, and had him conveyed to the strong-hold of the 
 castle of Calais, where, shortly after, he was ingeniously 
 murdered, although his death was publicly attributed to 
 natural causes, and his body, which certainly betrayed 
 no traces of violence, restored to his afflicted widow. 
 
 But the coup-d'etat of Richard was not yet complete. 
 Pushing on with extraordinary speed to the Castle of 
 Nottingham, where his uncles Lancaster and York, and 
 his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke, who were in a great 
 degree involved in the measures and opinions of the 
 Duke of Gloucester, then lay, he surprised them into 
 annexing their seals to a document which charged their 
 unfortunate friends, the Duke of Gloucester, the Earls of 
 Arundel and Warwick, of treason ; and armed with this 
 additional authorit3% he hastened back to London to put 
 the closing scene to the tragedy. 
 
 On the 17th of September, Thomas Arundel, the 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 75 
 
 primate, was publicly impeached of high treason ; but, 
 apprehensive of the effect which his well-known eloquence 
 might produce upon the assembled Peers and Commons, 
 Richard, affecting to exercise unwonted clemency in the 
 case of this distinguished ecclesiastic, contrived at once 
 to obtain a sentence against him of banishment for 
 life. This was accordingly acted upon, although, after 
 all, the sentence was destined to be of brief duration. 
 Within rather more than a year after it was pronounced, 
 Thomas Arundel returned from exile, in company with 
 the wily Bolingbroke; upon whose accession to the 
 throne, on the deposition of Richard, the Archbishop was 
 fully re-instated in the see of Canterbury. In this 
 capacity, which he continued to fill until his death, he 
 acquired an infamous notoriety, for the rigour of his 
 measures against the Lollards; against which class of 
 early Reformers he directed the most severe penalties. 
 The first victim to this persecution at the hands of 
 Arundel was William Sawtre, rector of Lynn Regis, who 
 after sundry conferences with the primate, was solemnly 
 deprived of his priestly oflBce by the Archbishop, excom- 
 municated, and delivered over to the secular power, by 
 whom he was burnt in Smithfield — a fearful precedent, 
 the first fruits of a bloody harvest in the same arena. 
 
76 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 This martjo* was speedily followed by others, among 
 whom was the amiable and talented Lord Cobham. The 
 particulars of their respective conferences and discussions 
 with Arundel, are recorded in Foxe's Acts and Monu- 
 ments. Archbishop Arundel, though a man of con- 
 siderable learning and ability, was withal an inflexible 
 bigot and stickler for the supremacy of prelatical autho- 
 rity. To his example and influence many deviations 
 from the primitive standards of faith and doctrine in the 
 church owe their promulgation, if not their origin. He 
 particularly enjoined the worship of the Virgin, and 
 encouraged many superstitions, worthy only of the 
 darkest ages ; and it is worthy of especial notice that it 
 was about this period that the cup, in the sacrament of 
 the Eucharist, was gradually withheld from the laity, 
 although so cautiously was this innovation introduced, 
 that the clergy were instructed to begin the practice only 
 in small obscure village churches. 
 
 But to return. On the very day following the sentence 
 passed on the Primate, Richard Earl of Arundel was 
 placed at the bar of the House of Lords, and his trial 
 proceeded with unwarrantable rapidity. The unfortunate 
 Earl stoutly protested his innocence, and offered to prove 
 it by the then frequent expedient, in such cases, of 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 77 
 
 .ordeal by battle. Failing to obtain this concession, he 
 demanded a fair and open trial by jury ; this also was 
 denied him, for his destruction was resolved upon ; and, 
 as a last resource, he pleaded a general and particular 
 pardon, on account of services rendered many years 
 before. In vain did he claim an impartial hearing ; 
 sentence was passed with very little ceremony. On the 
 following day his execution accordingly took place on 
 Tower Hill ; at which, to his additional agony, his own 
 son-in-law, Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, 
 assisted, and performed the unfilial office of binding up 
 the victim's eyes for sacrifice : it is even said by some 
 that he struck the blow which severed the head from the 
 trunk of the hapless Earl of Arundel. 
 
 The vindictive spirit of the King towards the family 
 of his noble victim did not terminate with this tragic 
 issue. The late unfortunate Earl had, in early life, 
 espoused Elizabeth, daughter of William Bohiun, Earl of 
 Northampton, by whom he left issue a son and a 
 daughter. Upon the untimely decease of his father, this 
 son, ThomaSj by virtue of the entail, should have suc- 
 ceeded to the enjo3rment of the titles and estates; but 
 the King, availing himself of the pretext of treason on 
 the part of the father, determined to carry his resentment 
 
78 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 to the utmost, and without hesitation alienated the 
 possessions of the Earldom of Arundel and Surrey to 
 others ; bestowing the castle and manor of Acre upon 
 that pious individual, the Earl of Nottingham, whom he 
 at the same time raised to the dignity of Duke of 
 Norfolk, and causing an act to be passed, by which the 
 issue-male of all those persons who had been condemned 
 were for ever declared incapable of sitting in parliament, 
 or holding office in council. 
 
 Thus matters continued, until the deposition of Richard, 
 and the accession of Bolingbroke as Henry IV., when one 
 of the first acts of the latter was to reverse the attainder 
 against the unoffending son of his unfortunate friend 
 and ally the Earl of Arundel, to rescind the heartless 
 and obnoxious act which excluded him from office, and 
 to reinstate him fully in the possession of the ancient 
 family titles and estates. After this, he continued to 
 enjoy the uninterrupted esteem of his sovereign and his 
 successor. The latter he accompanied into France, and 
 took part in the brilliant glories of the memorable field 
 of Azincourt, and in those other encounters which 
 tended so greatly to elevate the military fame of 
 England upon the Continent. He had married, in 
 early life, Beatrice, an illegitimate daughter of the 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 79 
 
 King of Portugal, but left no issue at his decease, which 
 occurred in 1416. 
 
 It will be needless to trace the history of these noble 
 families any further. Enough has been said to illustrate 
 the character of those powerful and haughty feudal 
 chiefs, with whose memory the grey remnants of the 
 Castle of Acre must ever be associated. All that we 
 have aimed at in the foregoing sketch has been to convey 
 some impression, however slight, of the position in society 
 and bearing of those individuals who, in a remote age of 
 chivalry, occupied its stately halls, and crowded its 
 defences with all the splendour and circumstance of a 
 military stronghold. At the epoch where our sketch 
 breaks off, the days of chivalry were fast passing away, 
 and the immense baronial power and influence which 
 had formerly been matter of jealous suspicion, if not 
 alarm, to the Sovereign, was fast losing its weight and 
 importance in the regal councils. The stern and haughty 
 Barons of the two last centuries began to merge into the 
 no less dignified and infinitely more high-minded and 
 generous class which constitute the Nobility of England. 
 
 Before we dismiss this portion of our subject, it may 
 not be uninteresting to take a rapid glance at the 
 general character, habits, and customs of those ancient 
 
80 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 Barons who occupy so prominent a station in the early 
 annals of our history in connexion with, and consequent 
 upon, the Conquest. 
 
 They were, as we have already seen, essentially a 
 chivalrous race, in so much, at least, as the term implies 
 considerable military skill, personal courage, hardihood, 
 and independent spirit ; in the higher qualities of chival- 
 rous bearing, they were too frequently deficient. The 
 success to which they attained in their military opera- 
 tions was unsurpassed by any class of people of the 
 time, and victory usually crowned their operations to 
 whatever quarter they might be directed. In the direc- 
 tion of their exploits, they were not particularly scru- 
 pulous with respect to the moral rights and privileges of 
 others ; by the sword they obtained possession of their 
 domains, and by the sword they retained it. A stern, 
 uncompromising, grinding system was introduced by the 
 Normans, which enabled them to crush, with iron hand, 
 that spirit of resistance which a more equitable policy 
 might have rendered it difficult to them to subdue. 
 Such, in brief, was the general character of the feudal 
 system. 
 
 The establishments maintained by these haughty 
 chiefs, were of a piece with the oppressive magnificence 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 81 
 
 which characterised their general demeanour. The 
 castles, with their immediate dependencies, were crowded 
 with retainers who, apart from ceremonies of state, were 
 wont to be at the disposal of their liege masters upon 
 the most ordinary occasions. In travelling, it was no 
 unusual thing for a Baron to be attended by as many as 
 a thousand horse, besides a retinue on foot ; while in 
 time of war, in addition to the pecuniary resources they 
 could bring to the assistance of the sovereign, their 
 trains, fully mounted and equipped, formed little armies 
 in themselves. Whatever share a love of pomp and 
 parade might have in such displays, there can be no 
 doubt that the extreme insecurity of the country, and 
 the precarious tenure by which the Normans during a 
 long period held their newly acquired possessions, sug- 
 gested the necessity of these precautions ; which rendered 
 them at once formidable to the predatory bands of 
 outlawed Saxons, and at length objects of jealous suspi- 
 cion to the sovereign, who, unable to dispense with their 
 aid, could not control their independence. The frequent 
 collisions between the Barons of the realm and their 
 acknowledged head, in which the former successfully 
 maintained their independence, are well-known matters 
 of history. 
 
82 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 A similar profuse expenditure prevailed in the domestic 
 arrangements of the baronial strongholds ; but in most 
 instances, the means were inadequate to the intention. 
 The modern accessories of luxurious ease and refinement 
 were little dreamt of by the rude dwellers of an iron 
 age ; stately and grand as we know their halls to have 
 been, the particulars of their internal arrangement were 
 little in accordance with the character. Straw supplied 
 the place of beds, rushes rudely strown served for 
 carpets, — the regal palace boasted nothing better for the 
 general mass of its inmates. Splendid garments, rich 
 armour, massy cups of gold and silver, and priceless 
 jewels of various kinds were not uncommon among them ; 
 but of the innumerable appliances of domestic conve- 
 nience and elegance, which long custom has since 
 rendered indispensable to the humblest cotter in the 
 land, they were utterly ignorant or careless. Huge 
 oaken tables groaned beneath the prodigality of substan- 
 tial cheer, but fingers alone were employed in tearing 
 the morsel from the joint ; and the wine-cup circulated 
 from mouth to mouth, without regard to rank or age. 
 The baronial tables, however, were provided with the 
 rarest luxuries that the age could produce and money 
 procure ; and no pains were spared to render their enter- 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 83 
 
 tainments sumptuous and recherches. The cookery was 
 congenial to the prevailing tastes ; and although many 
 of the dishes would doubtless horrify a gastronome of 
 the nineteenth century, they possessed peculiar agremens 
 for the epicures of that day. Among the most esteemed 
 of their dainties must be mentioned the crane and the 
 peacock, the latter of which was frequently sent to table 
 in its gorgeous plumage ; while certain other dishes, 
 kno^vn by the not very euphonous names of Diligrout, 
 Kasurnpie, and Maumpigirun, were especial favourites. 
 Indeed, so much importance was attached to the correct 
 preparation of certain condiments, that Blount, in his 
 " Ancient Tenures," records the fact of estates being held 
 on this express condition. Wines of coarse and powerful 
 quality, with ale and cider, constituted the usual 
 beverages. 
 
 With all this incitement to sensual indulgence, the 
 Normans were a temperate race, and their banquets were 
 regulated rather for display than luxury. Their hours 
 were early, and a triplet proverbial amongst them ac- 
 quaints us with the fact : — 
 
 Lever a cinq, — diner a neuf, 
 Souper a cinq,— coucher a neuf, 
 Fait vivre d'ans nonnante et neufs. 
 g2 
 
84 DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 
 
 (thus jiodebnized.) 
 To rise at five, — to dine at nine, 
 To sup at five, — to bed at nine, 
 Makes a man live to ninety-nine ; 
 
 a system which might not unadvantageously be practised 
 at the present day. In short, their daily habits were 
 strictly regulated, so as to maintain unimpaired that 
 vigour of body and strength of constitution so essential 
 to the chivalrous character they professed. To this 
 all other considerations were made subservient ; and 
 if boisterous revelry sometimes prevailed, effeminacy 
 and enervating indulgence were alike scouted and 
 shunned. 
 
 The literary capabilities of the Barons of old were such 
 as might be expected from an age when might was 
 regarded rather than right, and the sword served as the 
 most usual pen. Few, very few, could read, still less 
 could write, for such acquirements were looked upon 
 as the province of "poor beggarly clerks;" even seals 
 were not employed until a late period, and the usual 
 mode adopted by the Baron to confirm a grant or 
 sanction a deed, was to hite the wax, leaving the 
 impress of his teeth on the pliant mastic as the only 
 proof of his approbation. 
 
DE WARRENNE AND SURREY. 85 
 
 Such were some of the characteristics of a class of men 
 who filled no inconspicuous position in the early annals of 
 our history, and who were destined to be the instruments 
 of great and decisive changes in its social and moral 
 features. Highly as, in an age of enlightened intel- 
 lectuality, we may he disposed to censure the views, 
 habits, and practices of these people, let us not withhold 
 from them the meed of bold and chivalrous bearing ; 
 and if, perchance, at any time we are disposed to 
 denounce them as little better than robbers, let the 
 opprobrious epithet be cancelled in the remembrance 
 
 of RUNNYMEDE. 
 
Elcied 1)y HllmlBiti from a Dmniul ty C.TIfcdlit. 
 
 ^^IZHhJ -TD 7WI ti)UT2^ !B/\1[L]Dj>J. 
 
THE CASTLE. 
 
 HISTORICAL NOTICES. 
 
 „.^ N opinion has obtained to some extent 
 among the curious in such researches, 
 (based upon an ambiguous expression in 
 Blomefield,) that this venerable strong- 
 ^^ hold of feudal grandeur may be referred 
 to a Roman origin, — that traces of their work may be 
 detected in the existing remains. The inference does 
 not appear sufficiently supported by evidence to be 
 deemed conclusive, and a careful examination of the site 
 does not, we imagine, confirm the supposition. 
 
 That a small Roman station existed in the immediate 
 vicinity, if not on the actual site, of the castle, is probable 
 from its direct proximity to a road or via famiharly 
 known as the Peddar's Way, running in a straight line 
 from hence to the coast, and from the natural features of 
 the surrounding country presenting a locality favourable 
 
88 THE CASTLE. 
 
 to such a purpose ; — but, undoubtedly, there is at present 
 no evidence of a castrum or permanent station, such as 
 may indubitably be traced at Caister, Burgh Castle, and 
 other places in Norfolk and the adjoining counties, 
 having occupied this particular site. The simple fact of 
 a few coins and other articles of Roman handicraft having 
 occasionally, though rarely, been brought to light within 
 the limits of the parish, whilst they indicate its proxi- 
 mity, does not by any means authorise us to appropriate 
 the precise place of Roman sojournment. The remaining 
 walls, too, massive and ponderous as they are, do not 
 present decisive traces of that distinctive feature which 
 characterises Roman work of this description, and thus 
 the whereabouts of the ancient castrum, if any existed, 
 must at best be conjectural, and that so vaguely as to 
 baffle the scrutiny of the most diligent examiner. 
 Enough will be found to gratify the admiration of the 
 spectator if we assign to these venerable remains a more 
 recent origin, and ascribe them to the wealth and enter- 
 prise of the first De Warrenne. 
 
 The materials whereon to graft an historical notice 
 of the once magnificent family-seat of the proud Earls 
 De Warrenne and Surrey are so extremely scanty, that our 
 sketch must of necessity be brief. Indeed much of that 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 89 
 
 which relates to the castle itself has already been antici- 
 pated in the preceding section, and little remains for us 
 to trace but the fluctuations of its fortune in the hands 
 of its several possessors from the period of its founda- 
 tion to the present time. These we have endeavoured 
 to embody in a tabular summary, which will be given 
 presently ; and, in the mean while, we may devote a few 
 minutes to a consideration of the pecuhar character 
 of the military architecture of the period, of which our 
 now dilapidated stronghold was once an admirable type. 
 The mihtary structures of the Norman era are of 
 a character totally distinct from the huge fortified resi- 
 dences which predominated generally at a later period. 
 The peculiar position of our Norman invaders, in the 
 midst of a people still smarting under the wound of 
 recent conquest, and as yet but imperfectly subdued, 
 rendered it imperative upon the companions of the Con- 
 queror to consult security in the construction of their 
 strongholds before the refinements of convenience or 
 luxury ; and thus we find in the castles of the twelfth 
 century that the attention of the founder has been 
 directed solely to this end. The principles upon which 
 this desirable security was to be attained were of a 
 nature totally opposite to those which are adopted with 
 
90 THE CASTLE. 
 
 a similar view in modem warfare. Difficulty of access, 
 complication of defences, and massy solidity of wall, 
 were the principal means relied upon, and certainly the 
 buildings in question were generally admirably calculated 
 for resistance to the modes of attack then in use. The 
 subject has been so admirably condensed by a modern 
 writer, and his account is in many respects so effectually 
 corroborated in the stronghold before us, that we 
 cannot do better than transcribe the passage at length. 
 
 "The Anglo-Norman Castle occupied a considerable 
 space of ground, sometimes several acres, and usually 
 consisted of three principal divisions, — the outer or 
 lower ballium,.(Anglicd hailey,) or court, — ^the inner or 
 upper court, and the keep. The outer circumference of 
 the whole was defended by a lofty and soHd perpendicular 
 wall, strengthened at intervals by towers, and surrounded 
 by a ditch or moat. Flights of steps led to the top of 
 this rampart, which was protected by a parapet, em- 
 battled and pierced in different directions by loop-holes 
 or chinks, and oeillets, through which missiles might be 
 discharged without exposing the men. The ramparts of 
 Rockingham Castle, according to Leland, were embattled 
 on both sides, * so that if the area were won, the castle 
 keepers might defend the walls.' The entrance through 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 91 
 
 the outer wall into the lower court was defended by the 
 barbican, which in some cases was a regular outwork 
 covering the approach to the bridge across the ditch ; but 
 the few barbicans which remain consist only of a gateway 
 in advance of the main gate, with which it was connected 
 by a narrow open passage, commanded by the ramparts 
 on both sides. Such a work remained until lately 
 attached to several of the gates of York, and still 
 remains, though of a later date, at Warwick Castle. 
 The entrance archway, besides the massive gates, was 
 crossed by the portcullis, which could be instantaneously 
 dropped upon any emergency ; and the crown of the arch 
 was pierced with holes, through which melted lead and 
 pitch, and heavy missiles, could be cast upon the assail- 
 ants below. 
 
 " A second rampart, similar to the first, separated the 
 lower from the upper court, in which were placed the 
 habitable buildings, including the keep, the relative posi- 
 tion of which varied with the nature of the site ; it was 
 generally elevated upon a high artificial mound, and 
 sometimes inclosed by outworks of its own. The keep 
 bore the same relation to the rest of the castle, that the 
 citadel bears to a fortified town ; it was the last retreat 
 of the garrison, and contained the apartments of the 
 
92 THE CASTLE. 
 
 baron or commandant. In form the Anglo-Norman 
 keeps are varied, and not always regular ; but in those 
 of the larger size rectangular plans are the most common, 
 and of the smaller class many are circular. 
 
 " The greater keeps are often enormous masses of 
 building. That of the Tower of London is a parallelogram 
 of one hundred and sixteen feet by ninety-six, and sixty- 
 nine high. Rochester occupies a square of about seventy 
 feet, and rises to the immense height of one hundred 
 and four. Dover, Colchester, Castle Rising, Kenilworth, 
 Richmond, Bamborough, and others too numerous to be 
 separately distinguished, are of the same class and on a 
 similar plan. Their vast surfaces are reUeved by shallow 
 buttresses; and in some instances, as at Norwich, by 
 ornamental arches*." 
 
 Such was the general character of those massy feudal 
 strongholds, of which the Castle of Acre has been in its 
 time a noble example ; but unfortunately there remains 
 Uttle more than an outline to indicate its arrange- 
 ment and proportions. Time and violence alone have 
 not been the sole agents in this entire dilapidation ; and 
 there is every probability that after its abandonment as 
 a family residence, it was gradually dismantled and 
 
 * Pict. Hist, of England, Vol. I. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 93 
 
 levelled with the ground by the successive proprietors of 
 the manor. To the antiquary this must ever be matter 
 of regret ; for to judge from the extent of the existing 
 skeleton, if we may so term it, the preservation of this 
 fortress would have furnished posterity with an admir- 
 able specimen of this class of buildings in a part of the 
 country where such structures are extremely rare. 
 
 For upwards of two centuries, however, the Castle of 
 Acre was doubtless maintained in all its integrity, and 
 so long as it was held by the De Warrennes, with the 
 exception perhaps of the last Earl, it was occupied by 
 them as a family residence, and therefore kept perfect in 
 all its appointments. Admirably calculated for purposes 
 of defence, and studiously constructed to resist with 
 success such military operations as might be brought to 
 bear against it, this stronghold does not appear ever to 
 have had its capabilities in that way tested. Its career 
 was uniformly one of peace ; no siege, no investment, no 
 assault is on record, in which the fortress bore a part. 
 There is indeed a very vague tradition still extant in the 
 neighbourhood, of a certain battering which its old walls 
 sustained from the Parliamentary forces during the Great 
 Rebellion ; and a hill, popularly known as Winchester 
 Hill, commanding the area from some little distance, is 
 
94 THE CASTLE. 
 
 pointed out as the station whereon were planted the 
 cannon directed against the castle; and it is further 
 alleged that balls have been dug up within the areas of 
 the ballium and the keep. But the whole rests on very 
 insufficient authority, and our opinion is that, at the 
 period referred to, the castle itself — by which we under- 
 stand the keep and its appendages — had long ceased to 
 exist; there being little more remaining then than at 
 this time. If the rumour has any foundation in fact 
 whatever, it may have originated in the circumstance of 
 the site having been temporarily occupied by a detach- 
 ment of the royalist troops, as a redoubt or encampment, 
 from which it was necessary to dislodge them by a 
 cannonade ; but we cannot find any authentic traces of 
 such an event, and that there ever was anything in the 
 shape of a regular siege of the locality we are disposed 
 unhesitatingly to question, for the reasons given above. 
 
 Whilst, however, the Castle of Acre retained its original 
 character of an Anglo-Norman stronghold, there is 
 assuredly no evidence to show that it was ever hostilely 
 approached, and its formidable ramparts, towers, battle- 
 ments and outworks frowned stern defiance in the midst 
 of a serene and quiet landscape, undisturbed by the 
 presence of a single foe. But if the din and turmoil of 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 95 
 
 warfare were wanting, the ancient seat of the De War- 
 rennes was not deficient in those other bustling acces- 
 sories which we are wont to associate with the idea of a 
 castle. From the rank, wealth, and influence of this 
 family, we may well conceive it to have often been the 
 arena of the splendid hospitalities for which the baronial 
 residences of England were usually distinguished. Re- 
 tainers crowded within the walls ; men-at-arms thronged 
 the ramparts ; noble knights and squires filled the 
 spacious halls; courtly dames and high-born beauties 
 graced the ample dais; tilts and tournaments allured 
 with their gorgeous pageantry; mimes, glee-men, and 
 minnesingers added fresh impulse to the festal hour; 
 and all the pomp and circumstance which a proud Baron 
 of the olden time could so readily command were here 
 displayed in all their splendour. On one occasion in 
 particular, referred to in another place *, all these 
 attractions were concentrated, as it were, to do honour 
 to the presence of one of England's proudest and most 
 chivalrous sovereigns, and still tradition retains some 
 faint memory of the glories of the royal visit. Who can 
 pause unmoved amid the void and grass-grown area ot 
 the castle keep, and sufifer busy fancy to retrace the 
 
 * Vide, ante, p. 53. 
 
96 THE CASTLE. 
 
 splendours of the past, to which its rude and shattered 
 walls were tongueless witnesses ? We envy not the man. 
 It is not easy to determine at what particular period 
 the castle began to decline from its pristine integrity and 
 importance ; but it seems probable that its decline may 
 be dated from the time of the last Earl De Warrenne. 
 We have elsewhere noticed the extraordinary course 
 adopted by that Baron in reference to this domain, and it 
 is natural to conclude that the indifference manifested 
 by him towards the possession of the property was 
 accompanied by an entire neglect of it. During his life- 
 time it passed into the hands of four several proprietors, 
 and ultimately repassed into his own, not apparently 
 from any particular desire to that effect on his part, but 
 through the direct interference of the sovereign. Of 
 course, pending these successive changes it could not 
 have been permanently occupied as a family residence, 
 and once fairly abandoned in that capacity, its integrity 
 as a military stronghold was no longer an object of 
 interest. Upon coming into the possession of the 
 Earls of Arundel, its fate was sealed. The superior 
 beauty and advantages of their princely Castle of Arun- 
 del, caused them at once to decide in favour of the 
 latter, and the Castle of Acre was no longer the seat of 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 97 
 
 baronial splendour and hospitality. It is probable, then, 
 that the work of dilapidation proceeded from this time ; 
 repair being utterly neglected, the lapse of years pro- 
 duced the usual consequence, and successive proprietors, 
 desirous of turning the material to the best advantage, or 
 of adapting it to other purposes, gradually commenced 
 the work of demolition until every trace of the habitable 
 portion of the structure was entirely removed. It is 
 impossible to account for the total disappearance of the 
 keep and domestic buildings upon any other supposition 
 than this; for the immense solidity with which such 
 edifices were constructed, would fairly bid defiance to the 
 united efforts of time and violence in their destruction, 
 unless a deliberate effort were made to that end. Nothing, 
 however, now remains except a few fragments of external 
 wall, and such peculiar features of the site as could not 
 be obliterated without the expenditure of considerable 
 labour. The illustration at the head of the ensuing section 
 wiU serve to convey some idea of the picturesque appear- 
 ances of these fragments. It represents a portion of the 
 area of the keep viewed from the summit of the inner 
 fosse, while a portion of the rampart and fosse of the 
 inner ballium are perceptible to the left, some of the 
 modern dwellings, with the tower of the church, being 
 
98 THE CASTLE. 
 
 visible in the distance ; the moonlight effect which the 
 artist has so happily caught, presents the most favour- 
 able point of view in which the remains can be contem- 
 plated, and may be repeatedly viewed in the clear, bright, 
 still, and balmy nights of autumn. The detail of existing 
 remains, however, properly belongs to another section, 
 and we shall here bring our slight historical notice to a 
 close by an enumeration of the several Lords of the 
 Castle and Manor of Acre into whose possession it has 
 successively passed, from the period of the Conquest to 
 the present time. 
 
 TABULAR LIST 
 
 OF THE SUCCESSIVE PROPRIETORS OF THE CASTLE OF ACRE, WITH THE LORDSHIPS 
 THEREUNTO ANNEXED. 
 
 1st. William, Earl de Guarenne in Normandy, and of Surrey in 
 England. — (By grant from the Conqueror.) 
 
 2d. William, son of the above, second Earl de Warrenne. 
 
 Sd. William, his son, third Earl de Warenne. 
 
 4th. Hamlyn Plantagenet, fourth Earl de Warenne. — (By 
 intermarriage with the daughter of the above.) 
 
 5th. William, his son, fifth Earl de Warrenne, Sec. 
 
 6th. John Plantagenet, sixth Earl de Warrenne. 
 
 7th. John, grandson of the above, seventh and last Earl de 
 Warrenne and Surrey. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 
 
 99 
 
 8th. Adomar de Valence, Earl of Pembroke. — (By purchase 
 from the aforenamed Earl.) 
 
 9th. David, Earl of Athol. — (By purchase of the Earl of 
 Pembroke.) 
 
 10th. John, seventh Earl de Warrenne. — (By repurchase of the 
 Earl of Athol.) 
 
 11th. Richard Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, nephew of the last- 
 named Earl. — (By him entailed to his heirs male.) 
 
 12th. Richard, son of the above. 
 
 13th. Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.— (By grant from 
 Richard II. on the attainder of the last-named Earl of 
 Arundel.) 
 
 14th. Thomas, son of the aforesaid Richard Fitzalan. — (By re- 
 stitution from Henry IV.) 
 
 1 5th. John Fitzalan, Lord Mal- 
 travers, cousin to the 
 above-named Earl. 
 
 In the person of John Fitz- 
 alan, Lord Maltravers, com- 
 menced the union of the dis- 
 tinguished families of Fitz- 
 alan and Maltravers, which 
 subsisted among the suc- 
 ceeding Barons until its termination with the last of 
 the Fitzalan family in Henry, twenty-second Earl of 
 Arundel. 
 
 h2 
 
100 THE CASTLE. 
 
 16th. John, his son. 
 
 17th. William, uncle to the last-named. 
 
 18th. Thomas, his son. 
 
 19 th. William, his son. 
 
 20th. Henry, his son. 
 
 With this Earl the entail for a considerable period 
 terminates, there being no heirs male of the said Henry 
 Fitzalan in any branch. His titles passed to the family 
 of Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, in right of his 
 marriage with Mary, second daughter of the said Henry. 
 
 The Castle and Lordship of Acre were sold by the same 
 Henry Fitzalan to 
 
 21st. Sir Thomas Greshara. 
 
 22d. Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter. — (By purchase of Sir Thomas 
 
 Gresham.) 
 23d. William Cecil, his son. 
 24th. Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice of England.— (By 
 
 purchase of William Cecil.) 
 25th. Sir Robert Coke. 
 26th. Sir Edward Coke. 
 27th. Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester, who again entailed the 
 
 Lordship upon his heirs male. 
 28th. Wenman Roberts Coke, Esq., of Longford in Derbyshire. 
 29th. Thomas William Coke, Earl of Leicester. 
 80th. Thomas William Coke, Earl of Leicester, son of the above, 
 
 and present proprietor. 
 
^- 
 
 (22) 
 
 
 =32 
 
KEEP OF CASTLEACRE. 
 
 THE CASTLE. 
 
 EXISTING REMAINS. 
 
 There the strong barbican — the moatecl wall, 
 Proclaim the day that closed on Harold's fall. 
 From yonder gate, in burnish'd mail bedight, 
 The Baron led his warriors to the fight. 
 Through yonder arch the bold Crusaders pour'd. 
 When faithless Paynim dared the Christian sword. 
 In yonder Court for tournament array 'd, 
 England's proud chivalry their flags display'd. 
 
 HE remains of the feudal stronghold of 
 the De Warrennes are comprised within 
 an area somewhat exceeding eighteen 
 acres in extent ; but so completely has 
 the greatest portion of a pile that once 
 rose proudly and sovereignly above the soil been 
 
102 THE CASTLE. 
 
 obliterated, that but little is left to indicate its 
 pristine grandeur, except a general ground plan, and 
 the huge circumvaUation of the earthworks which no 
 time can altogether efface. The detail of the remains 
 must, therefore, necessarily be brief; but with the 
 aid of our plan we shall, it is hoped, succeed in 
 conveying some idea of the importance and former 
 arrangement of this structure. 
 
 The area we have noticed was, it will be observed, 
 of irregular form, surrounded throughout its entire 
 extent, except at two points, by a deep fosse and lofty 
 rampart of earth that stiU retains its sharp and pre- 
 cipitous outline in a remarkable degree of preservation. 
 Advantage was taken of the natural formation of the 
 ground that constitutes the northern bank of the Nar, 
 which rises from the valley with a marked but gentle 
 sweep. Upon a portion of this acclivity the out- 
 works were thrown up, crowned by the keep on an 
 artificial mound superadded to the natural elevation 
 of the locality. 
 
 The only access to the approaches was through the 
 entrance gateways, marked A, B, on the plan, by the 
 first or northern one of which [A] we shall commence 
 our examination of the enclosure. 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 103 
 
 This gateway still remains, at the top of the principal 
 street of the village, of which it forms a cm-ious, and, 
 for England, an unusual feature. It gives the air of 
 a small Continental town, with its haute and basse ville ; 
 and the picturesque effect produced by this lingering 
 remnant of feudal importance may be inferred from the 
 accompanying faithful illustration, which shows the 
 steep descent of the street as seen through the archway 
 of the gate. The entrance itself consists of a double 
 portal, opening in either direction through a pointed 
 arch, flanked by small but massy circular towers of rough 
 flint, which was the principal material employed through- 
 out the structure. It had originally an outer and an 
 inner door of oak, the hinge pivots of the latter still 
 remaining in the side walls ; and between the doors was 
 the usual portcullis, the stone groove in which it ran 
 being yet in a perfect state of preservation. Above was 
 doubtless a smaU chamber, and a contrivance for pouring 
 down melted lead or boiling pitch upon any assailing 
 party that might perchance win its way to the possession 
 of the outer door ; but all trace of such contrivance is 
 now gone, the space being open to the sky. The gateway 
 [B] at the bottom of the present street, the remains of 
 which have only been removed within the present cen- 
 
104 THE CASTLE. 
 
 tury, was in every respect similar to the one we have 
 noticed. It would seem that these gateways were not of 
 so early a period as the main body of the castle itself, 
 since they must have been built when the pointed style 
 began to supersede the severe curve of the early Norman ; 
 although there can be no doubt they were constructed 
 on the foundations of similar approaches. 
 
 The name still retained by the street upon which we 
 thus enter sufficiently indicates the nature of the locality. 
 We stand within the outer ballium, and the street is 
 popularly called Bailey Street. 
 
 A few paces to the left of the gateway, within the 
 ballium, stood a chapel [C], of which but very faint 
 indications now remain, part of a western gable attached 
 to a short row of cottages, and fronting the street, being 
 all that is left to mark the spot. Some of the old inha- 
 bitants, however, well remember the traces here to have 
 been of a more decided character. This chapel has been 
 called the Castle Chapel, and so far as it stood within the 
 works attached to that structure, it is entitled to the 
 name; but undoubtedly it could not have been the 
 chapel attached to the Castle jpar excellence, for it is not 
 likely that an edifice erected for the private use of the 
 family would be placed in a situation so remote from 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 105 
 
 the domestic buildings of the establishment, or in a 
 locality so comparatively insecure as the outer ballium. 
 The private chapel of the castle we imagine to have 
 been immediately connected, if not within the keep itself. 
 The chapel that existed in this place was in all probabi- 
 lity connected with some small buildings partaking of 
 a monastic character, and appropriated by the first De 
 Warrenne to the use of the brethren of the Abbey of 
 Cluny, who had accompanied him from Normandy. We 
 are expressly informed that four members of the frater- 
 nity alluded to, with one Lanzo, as their superior, were 
 prevailed upon by the powerful Earl to take up their 
 residence within the precincts of his castle of Acre, where 
 they abode under his protection, and officiated in his 
 family as occasion required. Here they remained until 
 the foundation of the neighbouring priory, and the pro- 
 gress of the works in that quarter (of which most 
 probably they were the architects), enabled them to 
 remove thither the nucleus of the infant establishment. 
 The chapel we are noticing may have been appropriated 
 to their use, and thus may be regarded as the prototype, 
 if we may so speak, of the future conventual church. If 
 the conjecture be correct, we cannot fail to regard the 
 spot with additional interest. 
 
106 THE CASTLE. 
 
 To the right of the entrance was an extensive open 
 space, of oblong form, now partially covered by houses, 
 but still retaining its pristine character towards the west. 
 This space is familiarly known as the Barbican^ and 
 apart from the retention of the term indicating the 
 character of the locahty, there is every reason to beheve 
 that this outwork served the purpose alluded to. If it 
 be thought that the area thus distinguished is somewhat 
 too extensive for the usual character of a barbican, it is 
 answered that there does not appear to have been any 
 definite dimensions for the nature of this defence. A 
 barbican is defined to be " a kind of watch-tower ; also 
 an advanced work before the gate of a castle or fortified 
 town, or any outwork at a short distance from the 
 main works." * Now this description admits of consider- 
 able latitude, and answers in many respects to the cha- 
 racter of the outwork under notice. It is really in ad- 
 vance of " the main works" of the castle, the principal 
 entrance gate to which [D] fronted the west, and, doubt- 
 less, in case of assault would have proved a formidable 
 impediment to the approach of hostile troops, whilst at 
 the same time it would serve as a secure enclosure for 
 the sheep and other stock required for the use of the 
 
 * Vide Glossary of Architecture, ad verb. 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 107 
 
 beleagured fortress. Let any one examine the huge 
 rampart of earth which, with its external fosse, here 
 exists in an excellent state of preservation, particularly 
 towards the south-west, and he will at once perceive how 
 ingeniously it was contrived for security against the 
 greater part of the resources that could be brought to 
 bear against it in those olden times, and how great 
 must have been the labour bestowed on its construction. 
 The remains of a barbican of this character are of 
 extremely rare occurrence in this country, the greater 
 part of the existing defences so distinguished being 
 little more than small embattled spaces in advance 
 of the main gate, as at the Monk Bar at York, and at 
 Warwick Castle. The direction and extent of our bar- 
 bican will be best inferred on reference to the plan. 
 
 Passing down the steep declivity of the street of the 
 modern village, at somewhere about its centre, where 
 a narrow stile now serves as an approach to the castle, 
 the visitor sees before him, to the left, the ponderous 
 mound and remaining wall of the castle-keep, imme- 
 diately in front, the remains of a third gateway [D] 
 corresponding in every respect with the similar entrances 
 already noticed ; and beyond this, to the right, the fosse, 
 rampart, and wall of the inner ballium. There are now 
 
108 THE CASTLE. 
 
 remaining no indications of the manner in which this 
 gateway was approached, standing, as it did, on the 
 fmi:her side of a wide and deep fosse of precipitous 
 pitch. In all probability it was by means of a draw- 
 bridge, since a more massy and permanent structure 
 must surely have left some traces of its existence. 
 The gateway was double, with portcullis between, as in 
 the preceding cases ; and immediately within the port- 
 cullis, to the right as you enter, was a doorway of which 
 the upper portion only is discernible above the soil, com- 
 municating with a small square apartment, doubtless 
 appropriated to the use of the janitor, or gate-keeper. 
 
 Through this entrance we are admitted within the en- 
 closure of the Inner Ballium, a considerable area sur- 
 rounded throughout its entire extent by a deep fosse and 
 a lofty rampart of earth originally surmounted by a 
 stray wall of rough flint, having at regular intervals 
 small towers which the remaining basements indicate to 
 have been square. It will be seen at once that great care 
 was exercised in rendering the defences in this quarter 
 substantial and complete, and this has been very effec- 
 tually done. The outline of this portion of the works 
 resembles that of an irregular horse-shoe, and to the 
 east, opposite to the entrance from the outer ballium, 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 109 
 
 was once a massy tower with probably a small postern 
 communicating with the double fosse in this direction. 
 A wall in all probability here crossed the fosse imme- 
 diately surrounding the keep, and joined on to the exter- 
 nal wall of that fortress, as was the case on the north 
 side to be noticed presently. Thus the inner ballium 
 was secured against unauthorised intrusion on every 
 side, and from the great elevation of the surrounding 
 rampart, with its crowning wall, it could scarcely be over- 
 looked from any part of the neighbouring country, by 
 which means strict privacy was obtained. Towards the 
 centre of the enclosure are still visible traces of foun- 
 dations of a square outline [a]. These are thought 
 to be remains of soldiers' quarters, or some such build- 
 ing, although it is of course impossible to speak with 
 precision on this point. The foundations may have 
 belonged to some structure of far more modern date' 
 though long since abandoned. 
 
 Facing immediately to the north, we have before us 
 the fosse and elevated mound whereon once towered the 
 lordly keep. All that now remains of this, the nucleus 
 of the stronghold, the acropolis of the fortress, is the 
 greater portion of the external wall enclosing the area 
 upon which the keep itself formerly stood, and the effect 
 
110 THE CASTLE. 
 
 of the ruin as viewed from the inner ballium is pictu- 
 resque in the extreme. The only entrance to this enclo- 
 sure was from its south side directly facing the centre of 
 the ballium, with which it was connected by a steep stair 
 conducting to a drawbridge crossing the fosse, and 
 probably flanked by small towers or defences of a similar 
 nature. Considerable traces of the stair alluded to may 
 stiU be seen on the steep declivity of the hill. They ap- 
 pear to have consisted of a regular series of steps of 
 solid flint masonry, similar to that which prevails 
 throughout the buildings, though probably they were 
 originally coated with stone. A smaU wicket or postern 
 gate at the summit of the stair admitted the visitor 
 within the court-yard of the keep. The building properly 
 so called has long since totally disappeared, and its very 
 position with reference to the enclosing wall is doubtful. 
 From indications on the soil, however, it probably stood 
 a few paces from the northern side of the area, and its 
 form might have been that of a parallelogram, the shape 
 usually adopted in such structures of the period. Were 
 an excavation of sufi&cient extent undertaken in the 
 direction indicated, considerable remains of the edifice 
 itself would doubtless be disclosed, but the labour and 
 expense are rather formidable obstacles to the attempt. 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. Ill 
 
 An octogenarian of the parish relates that when he was 
 about the age of twelve years, he well remembers an 
 excavation commenced in this quarter by the then occu- 
 pier of the land, and the extreme curiosity that was 
 excited by the undertaking. A rather narrow shaft, but 
 of regular proportions, (to the best of his recollection, 
 eleven feet square,) and lined with compact stone, was 
 opened by the workmen. The interior was filled with 
 masses of broken wall and rubbish, which, as the work 
 proceeded, increased so greatly in density and size, that 
 at the depth of fifteen feet, where the stone lining of the 
 shaft still continued to run on in unbroken plainness, the 
 attempt was altogether abandoned, and the material 
 replaced. We cannot but regret that the project was thus 
 relinquished ; for had it been pursued, it is most likely 
 that some matters of high interest would have been 
 developed. It was not an unusual thing for Norman 
 keeps to be provided with a shaft of this description, 
 communicating immediately, or by a passage, with some 
 apartment below the foundations of the structure, to 
 which, in case of close siege, the family might retreat, 
 together with such valuables as could be easily trans- 
 ferred to the spot. The shaft of which we speak was 
 probably a contrivance of this kind ; and to strengthen 
 
112 THE CASTLE. 
 
 the supposition, there is a tradition extant that a subter- 
 ranean communication exists between the castle and the 
 priory, beneath the several fosses which intervene. Had 
 the above-mentioned excavation been persevered with, 
 this point might probably have been decided. 
 
 The external wall of the keep measures 561 feet in 
 circumference. On the outside it is slightly angular, the 
 angles being marked by a plain Norman buttress of stone 
 recurring at regular intervals. This is more particularly 
 apparent on the north-western side, where the buttresses 
 are visible, though partially concealed by ivy. Internally, 
 the wall, which varies in thickness from eight to eleven 
 feet, is perfectly circular ; and towards the summit was 
 a rampart, or terrace walk, embrasured, of which traces 
 remain toward the north and west. The masonry consists 
 wholly of immense flints, disposed without regularity, 
 and grouted together into a firm compact mass, a large 
 portion of which still remains unaffected by the vicissi- 
 tudes of so many seasons, and almost defying the efforts 
 of devastating man. The whole presents a curious proof 
 of the labour and care bestowed by the Norman masters 
 of the soil in securing the baronial strongholds which 
 they raised on their newly-acquired lands, and serves to 
 show the apprehensions they entertained of the force 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 113 
 
 and resistance of the oppressed English, whom they had 
 so unceremoniously ejected from their ancient possessions. 
 Very many years elapsed before the Normans became 
 peaceably settled in their conquest, during which the 
 houseless Britons wandered from place to place, ever and 
 anon evincing their dislike to a foreign yoke, by partial 
 manifestations of a strength which, if concentrated in 
 one uniform effort, might have proved irresistible. The 
 haughty barons thus became fully sensible of the value 
 of deep ditches and massy walls ; and in the construction 
 of a castle due attention was paid to these requisites. 
 Immediately to the north, in the thickness of the wall, is 
 the remaining portion of a narrow arched passage, ter- 
 minating, perhaps, originally in a loop-hole or aperture 
 for observation ; and a little to the east of this, where 
 the original wall appears to have been comparatively 
 thin, an attempt has been made to strengthen it by the 
 addition of a fresh breadth, the material of which, 
 however, not being so well prepared as the former, it is 
 now fast crumbling away. A small square tower seems 
 also to have existed on this side, and the passage just 
 noticed probably had immediate connexion with it. 
 
 To the north-east of the keep the fosse is doubled, 
 forming a narrow irregular insula, upon which it is 
 
114 THE CASTLE. 
 
 evident some small tower or other outwork originally 
 stood [B]. From the appearance of the wall of the keep 
 in this direction, it seems that the fortress was more 
 assailable on the east than on any other side, and the 
 double fosse and watch-tower may have been subse- 
 quently contrived to counteract the defect. 
 
 The extent and position of the ditches are clearly indi- 
 cated by the plan, and the sharpness of outline which 
 they still present to the eye of the visitor is sufficient 
 proof of the care and labour bestowed in their con- 
 struction. The impediment they w^ould offer to the 
 operations of a hostile force, in the days of heavy armour 
 and ponderous balistse, must have been formidable 
 enough, and thus they effectually served to check the 
 advance of the marauding and predatory bands, who 
 were greater objects of annoyance and apprehension to 
 the Barons than any more disciplined troops. It is 
 generally supposed that such defences were usually 
 designed for the reception of water as an additional 
 means of security, and from whence they would receive 
 the appellation of moats. Where the site of the castle 
 and other circumstances permitted of such an arrange- 
 ment the precaution was probably adopted, but it does 
 not appear to have been invariably the case, and in the 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 115 
 
 present instance there is ample evidence that nothing of 
 the kind existed. The ditches were dry as now, unless 
 under the casual accumulation of rain or snow. A little 
 examination of the site will suffice to establish this fact. 
 It wiU be observed that the ground whereon the castle 
 and its outworks are raised, following the natural undu- 
 lation of the soil, gradually increases in elevation from 
 the river's side, a circumstance which would render the 
 supply of water from that source a work of extreme 
 difficulty, if not impracticable, in an age when the prin- 
 ciples of hydrostatics were so imperfectly understood; 
 and therefore to counteract the consequences of this defi- 
 ciency, recourse was had to an expedient which served 
 as an ingenious substitute for the protection afforded 
 by water in such a case. A lofty and substantial wall 
 was carried immediately across the fosse in three distinct 
 quarters, indicated in the plan [C. C. C], one of which 
 still remains in a state of good preservation, on the east 
 side of the inner ballium ; another, partially existing, to 
 the south-west of the same ; and a third, joining on to 
 the external wall of the keep, to the north-west, of which 
 only traces faint — but not to be mistaken — are now left. 
 The intention of this shrewd contrivance was obviously 
 this: in the event of a detachment of hostile troops 
 
 1 2 
 
116 THE CASTLE. 
 
 obtaining possession of the fosse, in any particular 
 direction, it would be impossible for them to complete 
 the circuit of the castle without encountering a check 
 from these walls ; while the beleaguered could prosecute 
 their defensive operations in comparative security behind 
 the flinty screens. They are so placed that strangers, 
 unacquainted with the locality, would come upon them 
 abruptly, unprepared for an obstacle so simple, yet 
 effectual, and no little confusion might have been caused 
 by the discovery. 
 
 From the level of the keep a bird's-eye view is obtained 
 over the whole of the works connected with the castle 
 and the adjoining country, and a faint idea may be 
 formed of the picturesque effect of the scene in 
 the early days of its glory. The landscape to the west 
 is still extremely engaging, the sight ranging along the 
 well-wooded valley of the Nar, with the venerable ruins 
 of the Priory in the foreground, and nearer still, between 
 this point and the spot whereon we stand, the long line 
 of the barbican and outer ballium. An ascent to the 
 summit of the ancient rampart on the embrasured wall 
 will well repay the trouble. 
 
 Within the barbican stands an ancient farm-house, 
 now occupied as a cottage. It appears to have been 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 117 
 
 erected towards the latter part of the fifteenth or the 
 commencement of the sixteenth centuries, and was 
 probably built for the residence of a steward or some 
 other occupant of the lands connected with the castle, 
 when the latter, having been abandoned as a family 
 abode, was fast disappearing, or possibly had been alto- 
 gether removed. On the external face of this building 
 occurs the Tudor rose, and a mullet pierced, of red-brick 
 earth, but there is no other cognizance to indicate the 
 date or the original proprietor. The western gable is 
 terminated by a slender finial or hip-knob, having the 
 appearance of a chimney, though it is undoubtedly not 
 pierced for that purpose. The interior presents nothing 
 particularly worthy of notice, having undergone various 
 changes in the process of adaptation to other and different 
 uses from that to which it was first applied. 
 
 We have thus surveyed the general features of this 
 venerable remain, which, if they be found to be scanty, 
 are nevertheless fraught with interest of a peculiar kind. 
 There is ample scope for the exercise of fancy, and we 
 might easily have filled the area with conjectural 
 (though probable,) buildings appertaining to a Norman 
 stronghold, on a scale of importance equal to the 
 one before us. But as there is so very little left to 
 
118 THE CASTLE. 
 
 render such conclusions in any way decisive, we have 
 preferred adhering strictly to matters of fact, plainly 
 evident to the apprehension of any visitor to the spot 
 who will take the trouhle to examine the particulars we 
 have indicated. The very dimness of the detail, 
 rendered more conspicuous by the prominent strength 
 of the outline, is well calculated to stimulate curiosity 
 and to call forth the powers of a ready imagination, 
 which every individual will find a pleasure in exercising 
 for himself; bearing in mind the prevailing spirit and 
 character of the times which are to be re-embodied in 
 his mental picture. 
 
 We are now about to enter upon a still wider field of 
 interest, with greater variety of detail and more certain 
 data to guide our conclusions, and if we be found to be 
 somewhat minute in our statements, it is with the hope 
 of omitting nothing that might gratify the antiquary, or 
 tend to afford a glimpse of the characteristics of a by- 
 gone age to the general reader. 
 
■3^ 
 

 THB PRIORY, FROM THE NORTH-EAST. 
 
 THE PRIORY. 
 
 HISTORICAL NOTICES. 
 
 subject can be more replete with curious 
 interest or matter of reflection than the 
 history of our early religious houses. 
 Whether we view them as monuments 
 of the pious munificence of their chival- 
 rous founders, as the sanctuaries of neglected learning, 
 or as the depositaries of all that tends to civilise and re- 
 fine in the pursuit of art and science, they have a claim 
 upon our veneration and regard which cannot fail to 
 awaken a proportionate interest in the annals of their 
 
120 THE PRIORY. 
 
 early career. No one can pause amid the crumbling 
 ruins of a deserted sanctuary without experiencing some 
 desire to know wherefore and by whom it was erected, 
 — by whom it was tenanted, and what changes led to its 
 present desolation? — And how greatly is this natural 
 sentiment of curiosity augmented when the subject that 
 gives rise to it meets us in the fertile pastures of our 
 native land ! — What a train of thought does it not open 
 to our view ! — How do the feelings, habits, impressions, 
 " the memory of departed years " rush upon our minds 
 in dreamy but vivid colouring, as we pace the dilapida- 
 ted cloister once echoing to the measured tread of the 
 pale ascetic ! — So universal seems to be the predilection 
 for such investigations, though in many instances perhaps 
 the parties themselves may be unconscious of it, that we 
 know not the wayfarer, gentle or simple, who, if he have 
 the leisure, will not turn from his path to obtain a nearer 
 view of some inviting ruin, and there he will saunter and 
 gaze until fairly bewildered by the seeming chaos, or that 
 imagination has expended itself in recalling the shadowy 
 visions of the past. 
 
 Impressed with a sense of the increasing interest felt 
 in these lingering memorials of the past, we have endea- 
 voured to collect under one focus several dispersed 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 
 
 121 
 
 historical notices relative to a foundation not indeed 
 appertaining to the first class of religious houses, but 
 occupying no insignificant rank among the number of 
 secondary establishments, and enjoying a revenue and 
 importance paralleled by few, surpassed by none. 
 
 We have already seen that the Priory of Castleacre 
 owes its existence to the piety and munificence of 
 William, first Earl De 
 Warrenne ; and the cir- 
 cumstance which led to 
 its appropriation to a 
 peculiar order of the 
 monastic fraternity has 
 been alluded to in our 
 brief notice of that Ba- 
 ron's career. Before the 
 massy stronghold which its distinguished founder was 
 erecting on his noble domain could be well completed, 
 the pious intentions of the powerful Earl were carried 
 into effect, and the infant fraternity of Cluniacs found 
 rest and protection beneath the sheltering outworks of 
 their patron's fortalice. 
 
 A favourable spot was selected within a short distance 
 of the castle, and but little beyond the line of its outer 
 
122 THE PRIORY. 
 
 vallum, pleasantly situated in the luxuriant valley of 
 the Nar, whose clear and rapid waters formed the 
 southern boundary of the intended precincts. Here the 
 foundation was duly laid by the distinguished Earl 
 himself; while under his auspices, and the skill and 
 superintendence of the little knot of Cluniacs who had 
 been originally located in the castle chapelry, the work 
 rapidly proceeded towards completion. 
 
 In those days, the only sound knowledge of the 
 principles of architecture was possessed by the inmates 
 of religious establishments ; and the grandeur and beauty 
 of many of our existing cathedrals and parochial churches, 
 together with the widely scattered remains of monasteries 
 and myncheries, afford ample proof of the skill and 
 judgment exercised by the ecclesiastics in this depart- 
 ment of the arts. A taste for magnificent buildings was 
 cherished by the Normans in a pre-eminent degree, and 
 the zeal and activity with which they exercised it can 
 only be equalled by the extraordinary resources which 
 they brought to bear upon their plans. Among those 
 whose admirable skill and unequalled liberality were thus 
 displayed at an early period, must ever be mentioned 
 with high honour the name of Gundulph, Bishop of 
 Rochester, who is said to have been the most able 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 123 
 
 architect of his day, and to whom the Cathedral and 
 Castle of Rochester, as well as the Tower of London, 
 owe their origin. Ralph, Bishop of Chichester, William, 
 Bishop of Durham, and Mauritius, Bishop of London, 
 fill distinguished stations in the roll of Norman talent 
 and munificence ; nor must we omit to mention the first 
 Bishop of Norwich, Herbert de Losing, to whose profuse 
 liberality and great ability the cathedral and monastery 
 of Norwich, together with many other ecclesiastical 
 foundations, owe their origin. When we are assured that 
 the extraordinary expense of these vast structures was 
 entirely defi-ayed at the private cost of this prelate, we 
 are confounded at the wealth and liberality so profusely 
 appropriated, a feehng by no means diminished, when 
 we are further informed, upon the testimony of William 
 of Malmesbury, that Herbert de Losing was by no means 
 a rich bishop ! This recorded fact will suffice to show 
 with what spirit such undertakings were projected and 
 engaged in by our Norman conquerors ; and however we 
 may censure the rapacity that characterised their uncere- 
 monious seizure of the lands and wealth of England, it 
 is but justice to admit that they certainly applied their 
 resources with admirable taste and most liberal expendi- 
 ture. Their works, indeed, were to endure beyond the 
 
124 THE PRIORY. 
 
 age, and, in contemplating the massy solidity and compact- 
 ness of construction which invariably distinguish them, 
 whether castle or convent, it is clearly apparent that 
 had not the corroding hand of time been assisted by spo- 
 liation, violence, and neglect, they would have remained 
 entire to this day, and to all appearance imperishable. 
 
 The name of the individual whose plans and arrange- 
 ments were carried out in the construction of the priory 
 at Acre does not remain to us ; but it is reasonable to 
 suppose that the purposes of the munificent founder 
 were effectually supported by some inmate of the parent 
 Abbey of Clugny, or of the numerous establishment of 
 the great Earl himself; be it as it may, he was evidently 
 no bungler at his vocation. Though upon a scale of 
 limited dimensions, the existing remains bear testimony 
 to the skill and judgment of their architect. 
 
 The precise date of the foundation has never hitherto 
 been correctly given, the various authorities that allude 
 to it generally assigning a year antecedent or subsequent 
 to the actual one as the period for the commencement of 
 the work. Now this discrepancy, involving no error of 
 particular importance, would not, in a general way, be 
 of any moment ; but the remarkable part of the business 
 is, that the real fact of the case should, for so long a 
 
^;!#';^^:.' 
 
 Zxdieitj H.lHil"hin. 
 
 DA'^ji m tMX iftDyn^Airiiofi. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 125 
 
 period, have escaped the observation of any person care- 
 fully inspecting the ruins. 
 
 The true date of the foundation actually exists at the 
 present moment, within the shattered precincts of the 
 priory itself. 
 
 Let any visitor to the ruins, sufficiently venturous to 
 climb a few feet of broken stair (and with common caution 
 the ascent is both easy and secure), ascend that which 
 conducts to the first range of arcades running round the 
 north transept of the conventual church, and, passing 
 along the narrow passage which forms the floor of the 
 arcade, let him proceed to the western side of the tran- 
 sept. On the flanking wall of the passage to the right, 
 securely sheltered from the fickle rigour of our climate, 
 the visitor will remark, conspicuously impressed upon 
 the stucco, the date in question, of which the accom- 
 panying illustration is a faithful transcript. 
 
 There seems no reason to doubt that we have here 
 presented to us a correct record of the true period of the 
 foundation of this establishment. It is obvious, from the 
 sharp angular character of the impress, that it could 
 only have been made while the stucco was still moist, for 
 any attempt to cut into its substance when dry would 
 only result in the flaking and chipping of the external 
 
126 THE PRIORY. 
 
 surface, and admitting that the stucco of these passages 
 was renewed at a much later period — for the existing 
 church itself was an erection of sixty years subsequent to 
 the actual foundation of the estabUshment — still we may 
 reasonably regard this date as the renewal of a former 
 one, in this or in some other portion of the building, 
 religiously preserved or carefully replaced by the then 
 occupants of the priory. 
 
 To the ready acumen of Dr. Murray, the present excel- 
 lent Bishop of Rochester, who personally inspected the 
 remains a few years since, we are indebted for the deter- 
 mination of this interesting point. From it we learn 
 that the foundation of the Priory of Acre took place 
 A. D. 1084, in the eighteenth year of the reign of the 
 Conqueror. 
 
 In order to read the date, as it thus stands recorded on 
 the wall, aright, the visitor to the ruins must place him- 
 self with his back to the wall, side by side with the 
 impress ; or the reader of these pages must reverse the 
 book, so as to bring himself into a corresponding position 
 with our illustration, and, crossing himself after the 
 mode pursued by members of the Church of Rome, 
 commencing with the upper figure 1, as the top of the 
 cross, passing to the cypher 0, as the bottom, and then 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 127 
 
 touching the left and right sides of his breast respec- 
 tively, to indicate the situation of the figures 8 and 4, 
 they will be found to correspond with the act, and the 
 perfect date of 1084 will result. The simple ingenuity o ^/^-^ 
 of this contrivance, at once to keep alive in the minds of '^r^ 
 the inmates of the priory the munificence of their earliest >LTjp 
 benefactor, and at the same time to remind them of ^ /t^ 
 the prominent purposes for which the foundation was f^'^;--'^ 
 endowed, cannot fail to be apparent. ^ /^r^ te.^^Uy , A^^ 
 The foundation effected, the superstructure proceeded \ "^ 
 with despatch. And here it may not be inappropriate to it^^^M^ 
 say a few words on the prevailing character of Norman 
 architecture, not with the view to a lengthened disqui- £e.a.M^ 
 sition on so fertile a theme ; but to furnish the reader 
 
 with a few of the more prominent characteristics of the 
 style, so as to enable him readily to recognise Norman 
 work, wherever any traces of it may come under his 
 observation. 
 
 The general character, then, of Norman architecture is 
 that of massive solidity and strength, without, at the 
 same time, conveying the impression of disproportionate 
 heaviness. This is, in a great degree, ingeniously obviated 
 by the admirable disposition of ornamental mouldings 
 and enrichments, which, partaking of the same marked 
 
 t^af- 
 
128 THE PRIORY. 
 
 simplicity as that of the bulk of the edifice itself, by their 
 profuse dispersion over the plain surface of the building, 
 impart to it a most agreeable character of lightness and 
 relief. 
 
 The distinguishing feature of this style consists in the 
 circular arch, sometimes constituting a perfect semicircle, 
 sometimes stilted, and sometimes approaching somewhat 
 to the outline of a horseshoe, springing either from a 
 single column, or from a solid pier decorated with half- 
 columns; which diversities of arrangement may be 
 noticed in various parts of the remains at Castleacre. 
 The abacus, or crowning tile, of a Norman pillar will 
 almost invariably be found to have its lower edge cham- 
 fered or sloped oflp, the slope in some instances being 
 slightly hollowed out : the shaft of the pillar, though 
 generally plain, is sometimes highly ornamented. 
 
 Another marked characteristic of Norman work is the 
 frequent emplo3^ment of a peculiar zig-zag moulding, 
 technically known as the chevron, which is carried not 
 only over the semicircular arch of a doorway, but over 
 a successive series of arches in the nave of a church, as 
 in our present subject, where the chevron ornament, both 
 single and double, has been employed with rich effect. 
 Billet-moulding, an ornament resembling equal cubes of 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 129 
 
 billet-wood cut into regular portions, and carried alter- 
 nately round the outline of an arch in the same manner 
 as the chevron, is another decisive feature of this style 
 and may occasionally be remarked here, though it exists 
 in great perfection in the remaining portion of the Priory 
 Church at Binham. To these we may add the spiral and 
 the cable mouldings which invariably characterise the 
 Norman style, and which are usually employed with 
 beautiful effect in the enrichment of the principal door- 
 ways to their churches and conventual buildings. Upon 
 such doorways, indeed, the most lavish display of orna- 
 ment was bestowed ; the arch usually consisting of en- 
 riched bands embracing the principal ornaments peculiar 
 to Norman work, and blended with admirable judgment 
 into an harmonious whole. 
 
 Norman windows may readily be recognised by their 
 being long and narrow, and round-headed, set near to 
 the outer surface of the walls, and splayed from within 
 only, a peculiarity which distinctly marks them from 
 windows of purely Saxon origin, which, in other respects, 
 somewhat closely resemble the specimens of early Nor- 
 man. One point respecting them is deserving of particular 
 attention, namely, that Norman windows of early date 
 are invariably plain ; at a later period we find them 
 
130 THE PRIORY. 
 
 enriched with chevron or billet beading, in the same 
 way as the arch ; and at a later period still, they are 
 sometimes obtusely pointed. The recollection of this 
 distinction will frequently prove of considerable assist- 
 ance in determining the age of any structure where they 
 may be found to occur. Circular windows of this period 
 are also occasionally, though rarely, met with in this 
 country ; on the Continent they recur more frequently. 
 
 Buttresses were very sparingly employed in buildings 
 of the Norman era, the ponderous solidity of their edifices 
 not requiring such extraneous aid ; whenever they 
 chanced to be introduced, it was rather for the sake of 
 ornament than use, and their outline is uniformly straight 
 and plain throughout their entire length without break 
 or projection. Thus, buttresses being so generally dis- 
 pensed with, the external surface of churches and large 
 buildings would present an unsightly superficies of 
 uniform plainness. To obviate this, several decorative 
 expedients were adopted, of which the most frequent and 
 conspicuous are a series of blind arches and arcades, 
 sometimes arranged singly side by side, and sometimes 
 interlacing the one with the other, and thus carried in 
 parallel ranges over the exterior surface of the building, 
 concentrating, as it were, in rich profusion on the western 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 131 
 
 fa9ade of the structure. The west front of our Priory 
 church affords a pleasing illustration of this. 
 
 The few hints we have given on the subject will 
 usually enable any one to recognise the character of 
 Norman works; and in returning to our historical notices 
 of the Priory of Acre, it only remains to observe, with 
 reference to the architectural undertakings of this extra- 
 ordinary people, that the prodigious masses of them 
 which continue to our day, clearly imply that such vast 
 handiwork could only result from a methodical division 
 of labour. The clerical architect, we may suppose, sup- 
 plied the plan, outline, dimensions, and general character 
 of the building ; the master mason devoted his attention 
 to the manual development of its construction; while 
 the various details, inclusive of the decorative parts, 
 were intrusted to a distinct class of artisans, to whom 
 we can find no corresponding class at the present day, 
 the invention as well as the execution of such portions 
 being left entirely to their discretion. 
 
 No sooner were the works at the Priory in a sufficient 
 state of forwardness for the reception of inmates than 
 De Warrenne hastened to complete his munificent pur- 
 pose, by providing the infant establishment with a noble 
 endowment. From the charter which he granted to the 
 
 k2 
 
132 THE PRIORY. 
 
 fraternity we leani, that for the good of his own soul, 
 and for the souls of his father, mother, and heirs, he had 
 caused this Priory to be built and appropriated to the 
 use of thirty-six monks, exclusive of a prior, of the 
 Cluniac order of St. Benedict, subordinate to the Priory 
 of St. Pancras at Lewes, and as a cell to the parent 
 abbey of the order at Clugny in Burgundy. He then 
 gives to the use and benefit of this institution the church 
 and advowson of Acre (formerly distinguished as East 
 Acre, the original of the present village of Castleacre, 
 and a little to the north of the latter), the churches and 
 advowsons of Methwold, Wickmere, and Trunch, with 
 two parts of the tithes of his possessions at Grim stone, 
 all in Norfolk, together with the church and advowson of 
 Leaden Roding in the county of Essex. This grant was 
 duly confirmed by Bishop Herbert de Losing, by whom 
 the conventual church was also with all solemnity con- 
 secrated, and dedicated to the honour of God, St. Mary, 
 St. Peter, and St. Paul. 
 
 In this way ample provision was already made for the 
 wants of the infant institution, dependent as it was, by 
 the will of the founder, upon a larger establishment ; and 
 from this period commenced a series of benefactions, 
 gifts, and endowments, which, augmenting with extra- 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 133 
 
 ordinary rapidity, ere long enabled the cell to throw off 
 the trammels of its dependence, and to take a proud 
 standing among its free compeers of the land. A sketch 
 of the number of these benefactions, and the nature of 
 some of them, so far as they are capable of being traced, 
 will serve in some measure to illustrate the animus which 
 obtained among the wealthy and devout of the middle 
 ages in the disposal of their ample resources. We would 
 fain indulge the hope that our Priory deservedly acquired 
 its rapid accession of emoluments and honours from the 
 high and consistent character for piety, sobriety, and 
 benevolence which it maintained ; but when we caU to 
 mind the pride of wealth in some, the influence of super- 
 stition in others of its benefactors, and the grasping spirit 
 of appropriation, per fas aut nefas, which not unfrequently 
 actuated the monks and churchmen of those ages, we are 
 constrained to hesitate in our judgment. It is but fair to 
 add, however, that no syllable of censure has transpired 
 to the detriment or discredit of the monks of Castleacre. 
 But in order as much as possible to preserve the 
 continuity of the thread of our narrative, we shall touch 
 upon the more prominent points of its history, before we 
 proceed to enumerate the principal benefactors to the 
 establishment. 
 
134 THE PRIORY. 
 
 William, the second De Warreniie, who had himself 
 been a witness to the deed of grant conferred by his 
 father, liberally seconded the pious exertions of his 
 predecessor, and bestowed still further revenues, lands, 
 and emoluments upon the picturesque Priory " standing 
 under the walls of his Castle of Acre," an example muni- 
 ficently followed by many of his contemporaries, as well 
 as by the succeeding members of his own family. 
 
 To give additional importance and weight to the bene- 
 factions of the founder and his son. King Henry I. con- 
 descended to confirm their grants by a deed under his 
 sign-manual, the form of which is preserved by Blomefield, 
 to the following effect : 
 
 Notum sit prsesentib. et futuris qd Ego Henricus, Dei gratia 
 Ilex Anglor. pro salute animse mese et antecessorum meor. et pro 
 statu et prosperitate regni, concedo Deo et Sanctae M arise de 
 Achra, et Sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, et monachis de Sancto 
 Pancratio ibidm Deo serventib. quicquid Will, de Warrenna dedit 
 eis, scil. in ipsa Achra duas carucatas * terre, et hocq. fregerunt de 
 brueriis ejus, et culturam cum mora ubi ecca fundata est. 
 
 Signum Hen. Regis. 
 
 S. RoBTi. Epis. S. Herberti Epis. 
 
 S. RoGERi Epis. S. William de Albini, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 * The carucate was probably an extent of 150 acres, and according to 
 this computation, the Priory was endowed at the outset with 300 acres 
 of land. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 135 
 
 Among the signatures to this document may be noticed 
 that of William de Albini, the lord of large possessions 
 in Norfolk, and afterwards conspicuous for his mamage 
 with Adeliza, widow of Henry I., in right of which he 
 succeeded to the Earldom and estates of Arundel. 
 
 So rapid was the increase of grants and benefactions, 
 that within little more than fifty years from the period 
 of its foundation, and about a. d. 1140, we find the 
 Priory to possess a right of tithes or a right of presenta- 
 tion to not less than twenty-seven parishes in Norfolk 
 alone, besides the patronage of the Priory of St. Andrew 
 at Bromholm, which had been annexed as a cell to that of 
 Castleacre. The parishes referred to were the under- 
 mentioned, and were duly confirmed to this establishment 
 by Edward, Bishop of Norwich, in the above year: — 
 
 Acre, Newton (by Acre,) East and West Lexham, Great 
 Dunham with the Chapel of St. Mary, Kempstone, Wea- 
 senham St. Peter and St. Paul, Shingham, Methwold, 
 Ottringham, Trunch, Wickmere, Sherringham, Hellesdon, 
 Fulmondestone, East and West Basham, Tatterset, South 
 Creake and Congham. 
 
 Extensive as the list already appears, it is but a 
 fraction of the number which eventually came into the 
 possession of this wealthy establishment. Among the 
 
136 THE PRIORY. 
 
 benefactions conferred by the liberality of the second 
 De Warrenne were certain lands, the revenues of which 
 were to be appropriated to the erection of a new and 
 more spacious conventual church, the original edifice 
 being found too small and insignificant for the increasing 
 importance of the establishment. Accordingly, some- 
 where about this period, the new structure, of which 
 the remains still exist, was commenced, and in the year 
 1148, it was solemnly consecrated by Turbus, Bishop of 
 the diocese. 
 
 The tide of prosperity continuing to flow uninterrupt- 
 edly in favour of this institution, we find that in the 
 year 1283 the fortunate Prior possessed in virtue of his 
 office an estate of not less than four-hundred-and-ninety 
 acres of land, of which four-hundred-and-sixty were 
 arable, twenty pasture, and ten meadow, besides five 
 water-mills, a very fruitful source of revenue in those 
 days, — lands in the adjacent village divided among 
 thirty-six tenants, a court baron, and certain other 
 privileges of the free gift of the Earls of Siu-rey and 
 Warrenne, which Blomefield describes as two folds, two 
 bulls, and two fi*ee boars. From all this it appears that 
 the emoluments of the Prior were by this time of con- 
 siderable value and importance. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 137 
 
 The result of all this accumulation of prosperous 
 fortune might have been anticipated. No longer re- 
 quiring foreign aid in its support, the chapter of the 
 establishment panted to throw off the yoke of depend- 
 ence, and from a subordinate cell to take its position 
 among free and independent Priories. The time at length 
 arrived for the realisation of their wish, and in the year 
 1373, the 47th of the reign of Edward III. the chapter 
 proceeded formally to memorialise the King, and to 
 certify that the Prior and Brethren of the Cluniac foun- 
 dation at Acre were all bond fide Englishmen, and not 
 aliens or the subjects of any foreign power, nor did they 
 pay tribute, or receive pensions, or owe obedience to the 
 Abbot of Clugny, except when he came into England to 
 visit the Priory. This formal representation, well sup- 
 ported doubtless by cogent and weighty YQ2i^0T\^, obtained 
 for the Priory the coveted privilege. It was forthwith 
 declared to be indigena (native), and not alienigena 
 (alien), emancipated from its subordinate connexion with 
 the parent Abbey of Clugny, and admitted to the fuU 
 rights and privileges of an independent community. 
 This was a proud and gratifying event for the worthy 
 brotherhood, who could henceforth regulate their economy 
 according to their own free-will and pleasure, without 
 
138 THE PRIORY. 
 
 lett or hindrance; but it may be questioned whether 
 the after results were altogether so advantageous to the 
 community as they may have anticipated. No fresh 
 benefaction or increase of possession occurs after this 
 period ; and although the increasing partiality in favour 
 of the Mendicants may have had some influence in the 
 matter, the proclamation of its independence seems 
 entirely to have checked the stream of patronage which, 
 so long as it retained its character of a subordinate cell, 
 continued to flow upon it. 
 
 The enumeration of benefactors presents us with 
 many names of distinction and influence ; the list, doubt- 
 less, is far from complete, and perhaps only such are 
 recorded whose grants were of sufficient importance to 
 merit the distinction. The dates annexed refer to the 
 period of the respective benefactions, wherever they 
 could be determined. 
 
 BENEFACTORS. 
 
 DATES OF BENEFACTIONS. 
 
 William, first Earl de Warrenne . 
 
 A.D. 1084 
 
 Robert de Vaux .... 
 
 . temp. Rufi. 
 
 Roger de Tony 
 
 . . temp. eod. 
 
 Robert, lord of Massingham . 
 
 temp. eod. 
 
 Bartholomew de Glanville . 
 
 . . . 1120 
 
 William, second Earl de Warrenne 
 
 , . . . 1134 
 
 Hugh de Vancy . . 
 
 . . temp. Hen. I. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 
 
 139 
 
 BBNBFACTOUS. 
 
 DATES OF BENEFACTIONS. 
 
 Isabella, Countess de Warrenne . . . temp. eod. 
 
 Jeffrey de Faverches . . ... temp. eod. 
 
 Peter de Cranwich ...... temp. eod. 
 
 Phillip de Candris . . .... temp. Steph. 
 
 William de Huntingfield ..... temp. eod. 
 
 William, third Earl de Warrenne . . . . 1145 
 
 Hardouin Bacon . . . . . . . . 1 1 54 
 
 Hubert de Montechensi . . . . . .1154 
 
 Nicholas le Syre ante 1160 
 
 King Henry 2nd 1170 
 
 Herbert de Sudacra temp. Hen. 2. 
 
 Godfrey de Lisewis . . . . . . .1170 
 
 Sir Maurice de Barsham 1171 
 
 Alan, son of Godfrey de Swaffham . . . uncertain. 
 John Hautyn, lord of Herringsby . . . . . 1196 
 Hamlyn Plantagenet, fourth Earl de Warrenne . . 1199 
 Sir Ralph de Beaufoe ..... uncertain. 
 
 Sir Robert de la Haye uncertain. 
 
 Ralph de Warrenne ..... temp. Johan. 
 Sir Ralph de Pavilly . . . . . temp. Ric. I. 
 
 William, son of Roger de Huntingfield . . .1218 
 
 Sir Walter de Grancourt 1219 
 
 Henry de Rie ....... uncertain. 
 
 Sir Frederic de Capraville 1227 
 
 Hugh de Vaux 1240 
 
 Sir Eudo de Harsyke J 240 
 
140 THE PRIORY. 
 
 BENEFACTORS. DATES OF BENEFACTIONS. 
 
 Sir Alexander de Harsyke .... uncertain. 
 
 William d'Estouteville, lord of Gressenhall . . . 1244 
 
 Sir Osbert de Stradsett 1250 
 
 Adam Talbot 1252 
 
 Sir John de Loddon ....... 1254 
 
 William, fifth Earl de Warrenne 1262 
 
 Roger de Cressy 1264 
 
 Robert de Mortimer 1 265 
 
 John le Strange uncertain. 
 
 William Bardolf uncertain. 
 
 Sir Hugh de Polstead . . . . . .1270 
 
 Sir Richard le Russ ..... uncertain. 
 
 Ralph de Pavilly 127.3 
 
 John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury . . 1283 
 
 John Plantagenet, sixth Earl de Warrenne . . 1315 
 
 The above catalogue, commencing with the name of 
 De Warrenne, terminates also with the name of another 
 member of the same family, and he the most distin- 
 guished of his race. 
 
 Sir Eudo and Sir Alexander de Harsyke, whose names 
 are likewise recorded, were members of a wealthy and 
 influential family holding possessions in the parish of 
 Southacre immediately adjacent to the precincts of the 
 Priory. Sir Eudo flourished in the time of Henry III., 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 141 
 
 and his effigies in stone, still extant in the north aisle of 
 Southacre Church, shows him to have belonged to the 
 distinguished fraternity of the Knights Templars. 
 
 It were tedious to enumerate the various gifts and 
 benefactions which were bestowed upon this foundation, 
 nor is it always easy to trace the nature of them. 
 Generally speaking, they consisted of lands, churches, 
 manors, and dependent cells, which last we shall more 
 minutely particularise as belonging to the history of our 
 Priory. But one or two of the donations are of a de- 
 scription so characteristic of the time, that they merit 
 separate notice. 
 
 Henry de Rie, of the family of Eudo de Rye or Rhia, 
 a companion of the Conqueror, by his will, without date, 
 bestowed upon the monks of Acre, his mill situated at 
 Worthing in Norfolk, together with Thurston the miller, 
 his (Thurston's) mother^ and brothers, and all their sub- 
 stance ! We can readily suppose what became of the 
 mill, but how the unfortunate miller and his family 
 were turned to account is not so easy to guess. Henry 
 de Rie must have been a very simple or a very bad man, 
 and it is hoped that the change of masters would be to 
 the advantage of poor Thurston. The fact, however, is 
 curiously illustrative of feudal tyranny. 
 
142 THE PRIORY. 
 
 We might reasonably conclude that a foundation of 
 such repute and importance as the Priory of Acre would 
 have attracted some degree of the support and bounty 
 of the Metropolitan. But of all the several Primates 
 who filled the Archiepiscopal chair of Canterbury, and of 
 these some were intimately connected with the Arundel 
 family, the name of only one occurs in the enumeration 
 of benefactors, and he, quaintly observes Blomefield, 
 *' contented himself with granting indulgences" — privi- 
 leges certainly, but such as the worthy fraternity would 
 probably have readily foregone for the sake of more 
 tangible bounty. This was John Peckham, who, when 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, granted, in the year 1 283, an 
 indulgence of thirty days to all who would pray for the 
 soul of William, the third Earl De Warrenne, and fifteen 
 days for that of Ella, his Countess, and twenty days 
 more for the souls of William, the first Earl, and Gond- 
 rede his wife. 
 
 No description of property tended more fully to 
 enhance the weight and importance of a religious foun- 
 dation than the possessions of cells, either dependent 
 and tributary, or subject in matters of discipline and 
 spiritual control. The influence accruing to the superior 
 establishment from such appendages must be at once 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 143 
 
 apparent, and as intimately connected with the history 
 of our Priory, we shall proceed to give a brief sketch of 
 them separately. They were in number seven, of which 
 the most memorable was 
 
 BROMHOLM. 
 
 In, or about the year 1120, the Priory of Acre 
 received at the hands of Bartholomew de Glanville, a 
 valuable gift in the annexation of the Priory of Brom- 
 holm, a recent foundation of rising importance and 
 celebrity. 
 
 This establishment originated in the munificence of 
 William de Glanville, who projected the foundation a. d. 
 1113, for a prior and ten monks, and at the same time 
 liberally endowed it. The conventual Church was 
 solemnly dedicated to the honour of God, St. Mary, and 
 St. Andrew ; and upon its completion, Bartholomew, the 
 son of the founder, granted it to the Priory of Acre as a 
 subordinate cell to that institution. In this position it 
 remained during the greater part of two centuries, until, 
 in the year 1294, it was emancipated from this subordi- 
 nation by a bull of Pope Celestine V. and thenceforward 
 became an independent establishment. In the mean- 
 while, however, it received proofs of considerable favour 
 
144 THE PRIORY. 
 
 and patronage, and numbered amongst its benefactors 
 King Henry III., who, in the year 1233, resided there 
 with his court, and not only confirmed all previous 
 grants, but added materially to its endowments. 
 
 The heraldic bearings of this establishment merit 
 notice, because the device they bore has relation to 
 an object for which Bromholm obtained a degree of 
 celebrity scarcely surpassed by the far-famed attractions 
 of the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. This was 
 no other than a remarkable Cross, placed within the 
 conventual church, and popularly known as the Holy 
 Rood of Bromholm. The reputation of this relic (for 
 such it was esteemed) extended far and wide, until it 
 became one of the most attractive objects of pilgrimage 
 in the kingdom. 
 
 A curious manuscript, still extant in the British 
 Museum, informs us that a certain priest of the name of 
 Hugh, a native of Norfolk, on his return from the Holy 
 Land, whither he had journeyed in pursuance of a vow, 
 brought with him on his return this cross, which had 
 there enjoyed no small share of reputation, having been 
 triumphantly carried before the Emperor Baldwin in his 
 fearful encounters with the Saracens. When or by what 
 means it came into the possession of the fortunate Hugh 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 145 
 
 is not particularised, but the Priory church of St. An- 
 drew at Bromholm had the happy luck to become the 
 depository of this inestimable treasure, — inestimable, 
 because it was said to have been constructed out of the 
 Avood of the true cross, by order of the Empress Helena, 
 and from those portions of that fatal tree which had 
 been most sprinkled by the blood of the Redeemer. 
 Whether authentic or not, the very repute of this cir- 
 cumstance was enough to inflame the zeal and devotion 
 of the pious throughout the land, and the Priory of 
 Bromholm reaped the full advantage of its extraordinary 
 acquisition. The miracles ascribed to the beneficial 
 influence of this Holy Rood are as numerous as they are 
 startling, and one cannot but regret that so invaluable 
 an instrument should have been swept away by the 
 ruthless hand of scepticism and reform. Worthy old 
 Fuller concentrates his panegyric of its merits in one 
 emphatic sentence ; " amongst all others, commend me to 
 the cross at the Priory of Bromholm in Norfolk ;" whilst 
 another authority gravely assures us that nineteen blind 
 persons were restored to sight, and no less than thirty- 
 nine raised from the dead through the instrumentality 
 of this cross ! If the authenticity of but a thirty-ninth 
 part of the latter enumeration could be established 
 
146 THE PRIORY. 
 
 with certainty, and beyond the suspicion of fraud or 
 collusion, the relic assuredly deserved aU that was 
 said in its honour, and more. As it was, indeed, 
 oblations and pilgrimages without number were made 
 to it, and the commissioners, at the surrender in 1534, 
 returned the value of the former at somewhere about 
 £5. 12s. 9d., a sum equivalent to £84. lis. 3d., — a 
 large amount in those days. 
 
 Upon a review of the resources of this foundation, 
 some short time previous to the surrender, it was 
 ascertained to hold the patronage and advowson of 
 nine churches in Norfolk, and four in Suffolk, ten 
 valuable manors, and lands, interests, and posses- 
 sions in fifty-eight parishes. Upon its dissolution, it 
 passed into the family of Sir Thomas Wodehouse of 
 Waxham. 
 
 The official seal of Bromholm yielded a large impres- 
 sion in red wax, nearly three inches in diameter, pre- 
 senting in the centre the effigies of St. Andrew seated, 
 holding a cross in his raised right hand, his head en- 
 circled by a nimbus. Over this appeared a bust of 
 the Virgin and Child, and this inscription surrounded 
 the whole : 
 
 Sigillum. Prioris. et. Convent Sci. Andree. de. Brorahold. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 147 
 
 THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY AT MASSINGHAM. 
 
 This was a small house, founded by one Nicholas le 
 83^-0, and annexed as a cell to the Priory of Acre, the 
 foundation being duly dedicated to the Virgin Mary and 
 St. Nicholas. It continued as a subordinate cell until 
 the Dissolution, when it fell in common with its parent 
 establishment. It appears, however, that although 
 dependent so far as discipline was concerned, this 
 religious house obtained considerable revenues and 
 lands to itself, and became in a great degree rich 
 and influential. 
 
 SLEVESHOLM, OR SLEWSHAM, 
 Was a small Priory founded by William, third Earl de 
 Warrenne, and situated in the vicinity of Methwold, in 
 a fenny district from whence it derived its cognomen. 
 It was attached as a cell to Acre, and consisted of a few 
 Cluniacs with a Prior ; which functionary was always 
 elected by the Chapter of Acre from among their own 
 body. The house was dedicated to the Virgin and 
 St. Giles, and the charter and privileges secured to its 
 inmates by the liberality of their patron were fully con- 
 
 L 2 
 
148 THE PRIORY. 
 
 firmed at a subsequent date by John Plantagenet, the 
 sixth Earl. It shared the fate of its foster parent at 
 the Dissolution. 
 
 MENDHAM. 
 
 The bounty of William de Huntingfield was evinced 
 towards the Priory of Acre in the grant of an extensive 
 tract comprising the whole isle, (as it was called,) of 
 Medenham or Mendham in Suffolk, upon the stipulation 
 that the Chapter should cause a substantial Cell and 
 Church of stone to be erected in a place called Hurst, 
 within the limits of the above parish. This foundation 
 he liberally endowed with manors, rents, and churches, 
 an example followed by other benefactors with corres- 
 ponding munificence, so that in process of time it occupied 
 no inconsiderable place in the possessions of Acre Priory 
 whose fate it shared at the surrender. The conventual 
 church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and the 
 establishment consisted of a Prior and nine monks, 
 usually supplied from Acre. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 149 
 
 NORMANSBURGH. 
 A small establishment, but by no means a needy one, 
 under this name, was founded within the parish of 
 South Rainham in 1160, by William de Lisewis, whose 
 son Godfrey, succeeding to the possessions of his father, 
 before the completion of his pious undertaking, annexed 
 the house to the Priory of Acre as a subordinate Cell, 
 upon the express condition that the Chapter of that 
 house should keep at least three Cluniac monks at 
 Normansburgh. The compact seems to have been pretty 
 literally fulfilled, and that is all ; for it does not appear 
 that the Cell of Normansburgh ever at any time boasted 
 of more than three monks and a Prior. Notwithstanding, 
 this miniature monastery obtained considerable favour 
 from the devout and wealthy. It was more than suf- 
 ficiently for its wants endowed with lands in Rainham, 
 Oxwick, Brisley, Gateley, and Godwick, together with a 
 manor, the advowson of the church of South Rainham, 
 the hermitage of Wiggenhall, besides other rents and 
 revenues. Its chapel, of which some fragments remain, 
 was dedicated to the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist. 
 Of course the cream of its resources found its way to the 
 pai-ental coffers at Acre, and the relative position of both 
 houses was maintained until the surrender. 
 
150 THE PRIORY. 
 
 CRABHOUSE. 
 One of the Priors of Normansburgh, about the year 
 1181, founded a small Nunnery in the parish of Wiggen- 
 hall, for nuns of the Order of Fontevrault, which founda- 
 tion, with the consent of Godfrey de Lisewis, he granted to 
 Lena, daughter of Godric de Lenne, for herself as Prioress 
 and seven nuns. Its church was dedicated to the Virgin 
 and St. John the Evangelist, and the foundation received 
 considerable benefactions from various quarters. Godfrey 
 de Lisewis, above-mentioned, confirmed the grant of this 
 nunnery as a cell to the Priory of Acre, with which it con- 
 tinued to be associated until the surrender. This is a 
 rare instance of a cell being occupied by a religious 
 order, differing in sex and constitution from the parent 
 establishment to which it was appropriated. 
 
 GUTHLAC'S STOW. 
 This was nothing more than a Chapelry erected upon 
 lands in an ancient hamlet, forming part of the parish of 
 Swaffham, known as the Stow, or Guthlac's Stow, a 
 name apparently of Danish origin. These lands were 
 granted to the Priory of Acre by Alan de Swaffham, 
 some time in the reign of Henry XL, upon the stipulation 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 151 
 
 that the chapter should furnish a priest to officiate in 
 the Chapel of St. Guthlac, at least twice in the week. 
 The distance from the priory being little more than four 
 miles, the terms were easy of fulfilment, and so effec- 
 tually did the services at the Chapel win the good-will 
 of its frequenters, that in a very short time the lands 
 so obtained to the priory received considerable addition, 
 and became an estate of important value. 
 
 We forbear to particularise other chapelries, chaunt- 
 ries, hospitals, and anchorages, which belonged to or 
 were connected with this foundation, and we must soon 
 turn our attention to the closing scenes of its prosperous 
 career, when it was compelled to resign its privileges 
 and yield up its acquisitions to the hand of power. In 
 the peaceful enjoyment of its ample revenues, it held on 
 the even tenour of its way without lett or hindrance, 
 until the regal fiat went forth for its suppression. 
 
 The fraternity assembled here seem to have been 
 throughout a retiring and inoffensive set of men, concern- 
 ing whom if there be nothing eminently conspicuous for 
 worth or talent to record, there is at the same time 
 nothing of an opposite character to lay to their charge. 
 Whether the austere rules of their order were rigidly 
 adhered to, or whether that measure of laxity and demo- 
 
152 THE I'llIORY. 
 
 rtilisatioii, which too frequently predominated among 
 monastic institutions toward the later period of their 
 existence in this land, and which so materially acceler- 
 ated their downfall, pervaded this society, it is equally 
 impossible to determine. We would charitably hope 
 not; and allowing ample latitude for a deviation from 
 the rigid principles of their foundation, arising from 
 the change of time, circumstances, and opinions, we 
 would believe that the monks of Castleacre at least 
 were not altogether amenable to the sweeping condem- 
 nation which so justly devolved upon many of their 
 compeers. Tales, indeed, are told, and rumours rife, of 
 sundry unclerical jollifications and unhallowed doings 
 within the walls of this foundation, but they have no 
 better authenticity than " old wives' fables ; " and when 
 we reflect how generally every circumstance that can 
 be established to the prejudice of a life is prone to be 
 caught at and dwelt upon to the exclusion of every 
 redeeming fact, we may infer from the silence of history, 
 both local and general, that nothing very reprehensible 
 can be fairly laid to the charge of the inmates of our 
 Priory. 
 
 We may form some estimate of the extent of their 
 resources from the recorded statement of their posses- 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 153 
 
 sions, when at the zenith of then* greatness and 
 importance. At that time the Priory possessed eleven 
 manors or lordships, lands, tithes, and rents, in upwards 
 of one hundred and forty-two parishes in Norfolk alone ; 
 — the advowsons or patronage of thirty-three churches 
 in the same county, and the advowsons or patronage of 
 eight churches in other counties. 
 
 One other source of emolument, though insignificant 
 when compared with what has been already detailed, 
 must not be overlooked. No conventual church could 
 be deemed complete without its relic or relics, and it 
 were a curious task to have framed a statistical account 
 of their numbers, nature, and variety, at a time when 
 almost every little parish church could offer something, 
 were it but a single hair, to the gaze and osculations of 
 the unhesitating devotee. The traveller on the Continent 
 at the present day is often staggered at the surprising 
 number and variety of such precious deposits which 
 ever3rwhere are thrust upon his attention ; — what must 
 it have been when the amount might easily have been 
 quadrupled without exhausting the number of such 
 authentic treasures ? The Priory of Acre had its relics, 
 but what they were, with one exception, we are not 
 informed. The chief object of attraction was the arm of 
 
154 THE PRIORY. 
 
 St. Philip, a saint who certainly had nothing to do with 
 the foundation in any way ; and why, how, or when, this 
 peculiar fragment found its way to the relic-coffer of the 
 worthy Cluniacs, it is useless to imagine. Might not an 
 emulous spirit of rivalry have something to do with it ? 
 — The Austin Canons of the neighbouring Priory of 
 Westacre were privileged in the possession of a single 
 finger of St. Andrew, duly moimted in silver, as such a 
 treasure deserved to be. Upon some occasion the 
 chapter of Westacre rather profanely pawned this inge- 
 nious specimen for no less a sum than forty pounds 
 sterling, (an amount at the lowest computation equiva- 
 lent to £400 of the present value,) — a pledge which the}^ 
 had not the good fortune to redeem up to the time of 
 the sm-render, when the king's commissioners absolutely 
 refused to do so on the plea that it was not worth a 
 fortieth part of the money ! Now, it may be, that the 
 Cluniacs, not to be out-done by the Austin Canons, set 
 about to find a rival attraction to the incomparable 
 finger, and this would account for the timely appearance 
 of St. Philip's disjointed limb. The relic attracted a 
 competent share of admirers, who duly " paid for peep- 
 ing." In the year 1534, the value of oblations to this 
 arm was estimated at upwards of ten shillings. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 155 
 
 The enumeration of Priors who successively presided 
 over the affairs of this community is remarkably com- 
 plete ; the name of the first only being wanting. The 
 following list will show the order of their succession and 
 the dates of their respective appointments, so far as they 
 could be coiTectly ascertained. 
 
 PRIORS OF CASTLEACRE. 
 
 Angevine . . . . . . about a.d. 1130 
 
 Richard . ... . . . . . 1148 
 
 Jordain . . . . . . . . . 1160 
 
 Odo . . 1180 
 
 Hugh . . . . . . . . 1190-5 
 
 Maimone . . . . . . . . 1200 
 
 Lambert de Kempstone . . . ... 1203 
 
 Philip de Mortimer . . . . . . 1 210 
 
 Robert de Alengon . . . . . . 1220-7 
 
 Ralph de Weasenham ... . . . 1239 
 
 William de Kent ..... ,^*** 
 
 Adam . . . ... . . . 1250 
 
 John de Granges . 1255 
 
 Walter de Stanmere 1258-67 
 
 Robert de Hakbeach . . . . . . . 1270 
 
 William de Shoreham # # # 
 
 Benedict . . . . . . ... 1286 
 
156 THE PRIORY. 
 
 Robert Potter J 308 
 
 John Hamelyn . . . . . , * » » 
 
 John de Acra . . ... . . # # # 
 
 Walter de Franceys 1311 
 
 Peter de Jocello 1317-24 
 
 Guy 1329-37 
 
 William de Warrenne .... uncertain. 
 
 Walter Picot * * * 
 
 Thomas de Wiggenhall * * * 
 
 John Okinston . . . . . . ^ * # # 
 
 Simon Sutton . . . . . . . . * * * 
 
 Thomas Bayley * * * 
 
 Thomas Tunbridge . . . . . . . * * * 
 
 John Shareshale ....... 1428 
 
 Thomas Bates * * * 
 
 Richard Bennet ....... 1452 
 
 Nicholas . . . . . . . . ,»** 
 
 John Plumstead * * ♦ 
 
 John Amflets . . . . . . . . 1482 
 
 John Winchelsy . . . . . . . . 1510 
 
 Thomas Chambers . . . . . • . * * * 
 
 Thomas Mailing * * » 
 
 Hence it appears, that from the forty-sixth year after 
 the foundation of the Priory until the period of its 
 dissolution, the establishment was successively under 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 157 
 
 the superintendence of thirty-eight priors, of whom the 
 first six enumerated in the list seem to have been purely 
 Normans, the rest gradually assuming more of a native 
 character until English names alone appear. Of the 
 doings or sayings of these worthies, nothing authentic is 
 left on record, but it is interesting to observe that a 
 member of the noble family of De Warrenne was 
 amongst those who in turn conducted the affairs of his 
 ancestral foundation. This was somewhere about the 
 time of the last earl, to whose restless and vacillating 
 character he could have been no stranger. 
 
 We have now a favourable opportunity for noticing a 
 pecuharity, abundantly exemplified in the foregoing list, 
 as well as in that of benefactors, and other similar tables 
 given in these pages. It relates to a point, familiar 
 enough to the antiquary, but which may possibly have 
 escaped the notice of the general reader, although it 
 merits attention ; since it serves to throw considerable 
 light upon the origin of surnames borne by families and 
 individuals, particularly in our own country. Indeed, it 
 is very possible that the great majority of surnames of 
 English growth are referable to some such source as we 
 are about to indicate, and many a family throughout the 
 length and breadth of the land, at the present time and 
 
158 THE PRIORY. 
 
 for long years past plunged in circumstances of obscurity, 
 might trace its origin to some individual of note in cen- 
 turies gone by. 
 
 It is pretty well understood that many familiar names 
 of every-day occurrence have originated in the honest 
 calling, occupation, trade, or pursuit exercised by the 
 respective progenitors of the parties bearing them in some 
 remote period. To this source may be referred such 
 surnames as Miller, Baker, Butcher, Carpenter, Forester, 
 Bowman, the frequently recurring Smith, &c., &c. 
 Thus, in days gone by, in some rural district or pro- 
 vincial town, where perhaps but one of a craft practised 
 his peculiar calling, the honest master of the forge would 
 be familiarly known among his neighbours as John, 
 Smith, i. e. the smith ; the worthy presiding genius of the 
 water-mill would be designated Robert, Miller, i. e. the 
 miller, and so on ; and the definite article being generally 
 omitted in common parlance, the resulting appellatives, 
 primarily indicating the respective professional employ- 
 ments of the parties bearing them, would, in process of 
 time, become the distinguishing family name of their 
 posterity. It should be remembered, that at the period 
 referred to no system of baptismal registration existed, 
 and we may thus reasonably infer that in many instances 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 159 
 
 the original surname of the family was lost, and super- 
 seded by the familiar appellative derived from an honest 
 occupation ; which will readily account for the frequency 
 of such names, without any ties of relationship existing 
 between the parties to whom they belong. 
 
 The same remark obtains with respect to surnames of 
 a less conspicuous character. The possessors of manorial 
 rights or lordships, and many who rose to eminence in a 
 civil or military capacity, were commonly designated 
 from their respective lordships or possessions, and in 
 some cases from the place of their nativity. Thus we 
 have Ralph de Weasenham, Lambert de Kempstone, Peter 
 de Cranwich, Osbert de Stradsett, John ds Loddon, &c., 
 deriving those appellatives from their peculiar domains 
 or lordships of Weasenham, Kempstone, Cranwich, 
 Stradsett, and Loddon, all places in Norfolk. In due time 
 the expletive falling into disuse, the family name assumed 
 somewhat of the character of the lordship from which it 
 was originally derived, and retained it although the 
 possessions that originated it might long have passed 
 from the family itself Abundant instances of this 
 simple derivation might be produced, and it may un- 
 doubtedly be exemplified in every county in the kingdom, 
 where families and individuals may still be found bearing 
 
160 THE PRIORY. 
 
 surnames perfectly or closely assimilating to the names 
 of places or manors within the limits of their respective 
 counties. The subject is curious and interesting, but a 
 more extended examination of its principles would lead 
 us too far away from our main subject. We have said 
 enough to enable the reader to exercise his ingenuity in 
 tracing to their source many family surnames which may 
 come under his observation. 
 
 Our historical notice of the Priory of Acre brings us at 
 length to the closing scenes of its career. The regal fiat 
 had gone forth, and the emissaries of the spoiler were 
 not slack to execute his rapacious behests. Abbey and 
 priory, cell and chantry, anchorage and spital, were 
 summoned in rapid succession to disgorge their accumu- 
 lated revenues and time-hallowed privileges, while their 
 dismayed inmates were scattered with very little con- 
 sideration through the length and breadth of the land. 
 
 It was on the 22d day of November, 1537, that a small 
 section of the chapter of the Priory of Acre by its act 
 and deed alienated for ever the rights, privileges, posses- 
 sions, and revenues of its venerable foundation. We 
 cannot rightly estimate the feelings with which the 
 parties to this sacrifice fulfilled their painful task ; it 
 could not be without a struggle, nor can we suppose that 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 161 
 
 the impulse of the heart accompanied the act of the hand. 
 Resistance, of course, would have been utterly vain, nor are 
 the occasions frequent in which any attempt of the kind 
 was made. Many religious houses, with a view to obtaining 
 the best terms and as much consideration as possible, anti- 
 cipated the desires of the King by a voluntary surrender 
 of that which else would have been taken without scruple ; 
 and it is not unlikely that the Cluniacs of Acre were of 
 this number. It is evident, however, that the transfer was 
 not accomplished without some manifestation of opposi- 
 tion, not to be mistaken, though tacit. Of the thirty-six 
 members constituting the fraternity (supposing the esta- 
 blishment to be full or thereabouts, at the period of its 
 dissolution), barely one-third affixed their names to the 
 fatal deed which drove them from their quiet retreat ; and 
 these, more pliant or less spirited than the rest, or, what 
 is more likely, allured by timely and cogent reasons on 
 the part of the representatives of majesty, confirmed the 
 transfer by their signatures. The deed of surrender is 
 signed by the Prior and ten monks only ; the remainder 
 took no part in the act save by an eloquent silence. From 
 that moment the Cluniacs of Acre ceased to be. 
 
 This document, which is curious enough in itself, and 
 the more especially from its presenting an average speci- 
 
162 THE PRIORY. 
 
 men of the stringent authority and wholesale appro- 
 priation exercised by the King in similar cases, we are 
 happy in having it in our power to give at length. It 
 must be premised, however, that from the effect of time 
 upon the original, several words and parts of sentences 
 are so completely obliterated as to render the meaning 
 extremely obscure, or at best conjectural. Nevertheless, 
 quite enough remains to render the general purport of the 
 whole sufficiently intelligible ; and we have accordingly 
 appended a translation, as complete as the various 
 hiatus referred to would admit of We have endeavoured 
 to preserve the character of the original as far as we 
 could in the transcript, both in regard to the et3rmology 
 and abbreviations employed, and to the signatures, which 
 being ranged along the left margin of the original deed, 
 will be found to occupy a relative position in our tj^e*. 
 
 Omibs. Xti fidelibs ad quos presens Scriptum 
 Indentatu puenit. 
 Per me Thomas Prior Monasterij bete Marie de Castel- 
 
 ThomaMallynge, ^^^^ j^ ^-^^ ^^^^ ^yia.^ ^-^ Thomas Prior domus 
 Pnor. de Castleacre. 
 
 regularis sive prioratus bete Marie de Castelacre 
 
 * It is necessary to explain that the extraordinary specimen of Latinity 
 here presented to the reader is a literatim copy of the original, the con- 
 tractions, &c. being retained. It is of that peculiar class termed Norman 
 Latin, a style sui generis. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 
 
 163 
 
 Per me 
 Johan (Bounhaut.) 
 
 Per me 
 Wiellelm Burton. 
 
 Per me 
 Robtm. Danyel. 
 
 Per me 
 Rob. Fyske. 
 
 Per me 
 Willm. Elis. 
 
 ordinis clunacen Norvicen diocessis et ejusdera 
 
 loci conventus saltm in Dno sempitern. 
 
 Novit nos pfat priorem et convent, unanirao 
 
 assensu et consensu firis animis delibat. certa 
 
 scientia et mero motu nris ex quibusdm causis 
 
 justis et . . . nos animas et consciencias nras 
 
 spaliter moventibs ultro et sponte dedisse con- 
 
 cessisse confirmasse ac per psentas damus con- 
 
 cedimus reddiraus delibamus et confirmamus 
 
 illustrissimo inuinetissimoque principi et dno nro 
 
 Henrico octavo dei gra Anglie et Francie regi 
 
 Fidei defensor! dno Hibern. et in terr. supremo 
 
 capiti Anglicane ecclie totum dcra Monastm sive 
 
 prioratu firm de Castelacre pdca ac totum scituni 
 
 fundum circuitum et pcinct eiusdem Monastij nri 
 
 de Castelacre pdca necnon omia et singla Mania 
 
 dnia Messuag. gardina curtillagia . . . terras 
 
 et tenta nra prata pascua pasturas boscos reddit 
 
 rencones slutia molendina passagia Feoda milst 
 
 ward maritag. escaet natives Villanos cum eor 
 
 sequelis coies libtates franchesias iurisdiciones 
 
 officia curtlet hundrd vis francpleg feria meat 
 
 poos Wappenna vinaria aquas piscarias vias vacuos 
 
 fundos advocacones noiacones pntacones et dona- 
 
 cbnes eccliar vicariar capellar cantiar hospitalm et 
 
 alior eccliasticor bnficior quorcumq. Rencones 
 
 vicarias cantarias piicones porcones annuitates 
 
 decumas oblacones ac omia et singla emolument 
 
 pficua possessiones hereditamenta et jura nra 
 
 quecumq. tam infra com. Norff. Lincoln Suff. 
 M 2 
 
164 
 
 THE PRIORY. 
 
 Per me 
 Johan Bets. 
 
 Per me 
 EdwarduWadnowe. 
 
 Per me 
 Johne Low. 
 
 Per me 
 Robertu Fadre. 
 
 Per me 
 Robtu Salman. 
 
 Essex. Midd. Cant, quam alibi infra Regnum 
 Anglie, Wallie et . . . eorum eidm Monasterio 
 sive Prioratui de Castelacre quoquo modo spectan 
 concen sive tenend. et gaudend dcm Monasterm 
 sive Prioratu scitum Fundum circuitum et pcinct 
 de Castelacre pdcra necnon omia et singla pdct 
 mania dmna messuag gardin terras tenta ac ceta 
 pmissa cu omibus et singulis suis membris et ptin 
 pfato inuinctissimo principi et dmno nstro Regi 
 hered et assignat suis nupp cui in hac pte ad omem 
 juris effcm qui exinde sequi potit aut potest nos et 
 dcm Monasterm sive prioratii de Castelacre pdct 
 ac omia jura nobis qualitercunq. acquisita ut decet 
 subjicim et submittim omem et omiod plenam et 
 libram facultatem auctoritatem et potestatem nos 
 et dcm Monastem sive priorat de Castelacre pdct 
 una cm omibus et singulis Maniis terris tent 
 reddit renscionibs sviciis et singulis cetis pmissis 
 cum suis iuribs et ptin quibuscunq disponend ac 
 per 8U0 libr Reg voluntatis libits ad quoscumq. 
 usus maiestati sue placentes alienand donand 
 comittend et tnslatand huiusmodi disposicones 
 alienacones dona comiscones tnslacones prdcm 
 maiestatem suam quovis modo fiend .... nat 
 et grat ac ppetus firmas .... per psentes Et 
 ut principa omia et singla suum debit sortiri valeant 
 effem elecionibs .... nobis et successoribs 
 nris necnon omibs querelis prvocacionibs appella- 
 cion litib accion ibinstanciis aliisq quibuscunq. iuris 
 remediis et bnficiis nobis forsen et successoribs nris 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 165 
 
 in ea pte ptextu disposiconis alienaconis tnstaconis 
 et comissionis pdict et ceter prmissos qualitercunq. 
 competentibs et competituris omibs doli erroris 
 metus ignorancie vel alicujs nature sive disposiconis 
 excepeionibs obiectionibs et allegacionibs prorsus 
 semotis et depositis palam publico et expresse ac 
 . . . . nri scientia animisq spontaneis Renun- 
 ciavim et cessim .... per psentes Renunciam 
 et cedim et ab iisdm Recedimus in his Scriptis. 
 Et nos pdict prior et conventus et successores nri 
 Monastm sive priorat. de Castelacre ac oraia et 
 singla mania dmia mes. gardina curtillag tosta 
 prata pascua pasturas boscos subboscos teras tenta 
 ac omia et singula ceta pmissa eidm suis membris 
 et ptm universis pfato dno nro Regi hered et 
 assignat suis contra omnes gentes Warrentizzab. 
 . . . . per psentes. 
 
 In quar. Rer. testimonium nos pfat. Prior et 
 conventus utiq pti hor. scriptor. nror Indentat, 
 sigillum nrm commune apponi fecimus dat- vicesimo 
 scdo die Novembris anno regni pdci dni Regis 
 invic. vicesimo nono. 
 
 TRANSLATION. 
 
 To all faithful Christians to whom the present written Indenture 
 
 may come. Thomas, Prior of the Monastery of the blessed Mary 
 
 of Castleacre in the county of Norfolk, otherwise Sir * Thomas, 
 
 * Dominus — Sir, The usual prefix to graduates of the Universities 
 and to the clergy generally ; whence the Sir Hugh (Dominus Hugh), of 
 Shakespeare and others. 
 
166 THE PRIORY. 
 
 Prior of the regular house or priory of the blessed Mary of Castle - 
 acre, of the Cluniac order, in the diocese of Norwich, and the 
 chapter of the same place,— Eternal health in the Lord. 
 
 Be it known that we, the aforesaid Prior and Chapter, with 
 unanimous assent and consent, having deliberated in our minds, 
 with sure knowledge and a pure motive, certain just and reasonable 
 causes specially moving our souls and consciences thereunto, 
 willingly and spontaneously have given, yielded, confirmed, and by 
 these presents do give, yield, deliver, grant, and confirm, to the 
 most illustrious and invincible Prince and our sovereign Lord, 
 Henry the Eighth, by the grace of God, King of England and 
 France, Defender of the Faith, Lord of Ireland, and upon earth 
 supreme head of the English church, all the said our Monastery or 
 Priory of Castleacre aforesaid, and all the site, foundation, sur- 
 rounding land and precinct of the same our monastery of Castleacre 
 aforesaid, — besides all and every the manors, domains, messuages, 
 gardens, covered buildings, lands and tenements, our meadows, 
 grazing grounds, pasturages, woods, rents, revenues, water-mills, 
 passages, feofs, wardships .... native villeins, with their 
 (lineal descendants?) liberties, franchises, jurisdictions, offices, 
 curtlets, frankpledges, hunting grounds, cattle, wappentakes, 
 cellars, fisheries, roads, waste grounds, — the advowsons, nomina- 
 tions, presentations, and donations, of the churches, vicarages, 
 chapelries, chantries, hospitals, and of the other ecclesiastical 
 benefices whatsoever ; the rectories, vicarages, chapelries, chantries, 
 pensions, rates, annuities, tithes, and all and every our emoluments, 
 possessions, hereditaments, and rights whatsoever, as well within 
 the counties of Norfolk, Lincoln, Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, Cam- 
 bridge, as elsewhere within the kingdoms of England, Wales, and 
 of those things in any way belonging, concerning, 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 167 
 
 appending to or depending upon the said Monastery or Priory of 
 Castleacre ; and all our deeds, evidences, writings, and muniments, 
 belonging to the said Monastery or Priory, its manors, lands, 
 tenements, and privileges whatsoever ; or to every other peculiar 
 in any way pertaining, held, or enjoyed by the said Monastery or 
 Priory, the aforesaid site, foundation, surrounding land, and 
 precinct of Castleacre ; besides all and every the aforesaid manors, 
 demesnes, messuages, gardens, lands, tenements, and other privi- 
 leges belonging to all and every its members and things belonging 
 to our aforesaid invincible prince and lord the King, his heirs and 
 assigns (lawfully authorized) ; to whom by law in this behalf we 
 apprise whosoever henceforth can or may follow us, — the said 
 Monastery or aforesaid Priory of Castleacre, and all the rights, 
 howsoever acquired by us, as it behoves we convey and cede all and 
 altogether, full and free liberty, authority, and power, ourselves, 
 and the said Monastery or Priory of Castleacre aforesaid, with all 
 and every the manors, lands, tenements, rents, revenues, services, 
 and every other the privileges with the rights and appurtenances 
 thereunto belonging and whatever can be disposed of, to the King, 
 to whatever use may please his Majesty, to be alienated, given, 
 entrusted, and transferred, — the disposals, alienations, gifts, com- 
 missions, translations of this kind to be done, in whatever manner 
 his aforesaid Majesty (may think fit). . . . And that all and 
 every these privileges may avail to be held as his due, we cause our 
 determination (to be respected), by us and by our successors, 
 apart from all quarrels, provocations, appeals, litigations, actions, 
 suits, and such like whatsoever ; with remedies and immunities of 
 law by us and our successors in this behalf from any pretext of 
 disposal, alienation, translation, and commission aforesaid, &c., the 
 privileges whatsoever agreed upon at this time, or to be agreed 
 
168 THE PRIORY. 
 
 upon, all exceptions, objections, and allegations of fraud, errors, 
 fear, ignorance, or any other nature or disposition, being altogether 
 
 removed, and openly, publicly, and expressly set aside 
 
 With dehberation and voluntary inclination we have renounced 
 and yielded, and by these presents we do renounce and yield up, 
 and by the same we deliver (them) in these writings. And we, 
 the aforesaid Prior and Chapter and our successors, by these 
 presents, have warranted (for ever) the Monastery or Priory of 
 Castleacre, and all and every its manors, demesnes, messuages, 
 gardens, covered buildings, meadows, grazing grounds, pastures, 
 woods, underwoods, lands, tenements, and all and every the other 
 privileges, with all its members and appurtenances, to our aforesaid 
 lord the King, his heirs and assigns, against all people. 
 
 In testimony of which things, we, the aforesaid Prior and Chapter, 
 to each part of these our indentured writings have caused our common 
 seal to be appended. Given on the twenty-second day of November, 
 in the twenty- ninth year of the reign of our aforesaid invincible King. 
 
 The " common seal " affixed to this document, and of 
 which a representation is given in another place, is of 
 an oval form, but unfortunately much defaced. Enough, 
 however, remains to show that the device represented 
 the figure of the Virgin standing under a canopy of rich 
 shrine-work, the figure being surrounded by a radiated 
 nimbus. Beneath her feet is part of the wall and gate 
 of a castle, with the portcullis partially raised ; the 
 monogram of Maria appearing immediately within. The 
 inscription is wholly illegible. The smaller, or Prior's 
 
2 
 
 Etcied tY H.NinIiaiQ,fromaI)iawiiio by C.Wiiiflii. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 169 
 
 seal, of this foundation, represents a full-length figure of 
 the Virgin seated, in high relief; the inscription, however, 
 being much defaced. 
 
 From the above deed it will be seen how complete, 
 sweeping, and entire was the surrender which these 
 monasteries were required to make of their long-cherished 
 and venerated rights and privileges. Taking the specimen 
 before us as a sample of the whole, we may judge how 
 sordid and tyrannous was the spirit in which the King 
 exercised a power suggested by his own arbitrary 
 caprice, and authorised to him by a cringing and obse- 
 quious Parliament. And what did he offer in exchange, 
 — what shadow of compensation did he make, for the 
 indiscriminate spoliation which he thought fit to indulge ? 
 Not a syllable is said on the subject ! Not a hint trans- 
 pires save the vague and general admission of *' certain 
 just and reasonable causes moving them thereunto!" 
 Reasonable, forsooth ! They had promises, perhaps, — 
 fair specious promises in plenty, and some trifling pen- 
 sion might fall to the share of the most forward in the 
 work of cession ; but what became of the great bulk of 
 the men who were thus abruptly and unceremoniously 
 unhoused and beggared ? 
 
 The surrender was acted upon without loss of time. 
 
170 THE PRIORY. 
 
 The commissioners compiled their inventory with the 
 most scrupulous exactness ; not an article, however in- 
 significant, of the least apparent value, or that could by 
 any means be converted into coin, escaped their scrutiny. 
 Crosses, chalices, patens, censers, candlesticks, the costly 
 trappings of the various altars, the rich robes of the 
 oflBciating priests, the elaborate adornments of the shrines, 
 the sonorous peal of bells, the lead which roofed the 
 church and adjacent buildings, the varied paintings on 
 the storied windows, the massy timbers of the roof, 
 down to the very pigs of metal reserved for occasional 
 repairs, — were all collected together, examined, weighed, 
 valued, and returned, to be disposed of in the readiest, 
 and most advantageous manner. Goods, chattels, crops, 
 stock, and moveables of all descriptions, old iron, glass, 
 and stone, were as far as possible disposed of on the 
 spot, and the amount so raised, together with whatever 
 moneys might be in the possession of the Chapter at the 
 time of the surrender, besides the arrears of all rents 
 due to the foundation, were transmitted, as early as 
 might be, to " the court of Augmentation of the revenues 
 of the King's crowne/' the destined bourne of all this 
 heai'tless spoliation. The Cluniacs of Acre, for a time at 
 least, were homeless. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 171 
 
 What a change had a few short weeks wrought in the 
 fortunes of a once flourishing community ! Altars that 
 had blazed with jewellery and plate, naked, cold, and 
 mutilated ; shrines that had sparkled night and day with 
 a hundred votive tapers, dark, dismal, and unheeded ; 
 bells that had flung their mellow chime far and wide, 
 in sorrow or in gladness, broken and destroyed; the 
 massy grey towers which for centuries had formed so 
 prominent a feature in the surrounding landscape, roof- 
 less to the winds and storms ; cloisters that had echoed 
 to the measured tread of anxious devotees, silent and 
 deserted ! The lowly hind, following his customary 
 vocation in the neighbouring fields, from the mere 
 impulse of habit, would pause in his employ to catch the 
 wonted tone of the shrill sacring bell, but pause in. vain ; 
 the familiar sound was hushed for ever. The way-worn 
 mendicant would seek the shelter and relief never with- 
 held by the good brethren of the almonry ; no voice res- 
 ponded to the meek appeal, no dish of broken meats 
 rejoiced his eager gaze. The very air was tainted with a 
 living desolation, and the blasts of winter howled and 
 eddied the psean of triumphing ruin ! 
 
 During the space of ten years the Crown retained pos- 
 session of the surrendered lands, when, having exhausted 
 
172 THE PRIORY. 
 
 the cream of the various revenues, they were dispersed 
 among different proprietors as the most eligible purchasers 
 offered. 
 
 The Priory, with its immediate lands and manors, 
 passed into the hands of Thomas Howard, Duke of 
 Norfolk, who was already in possession of the Castle 
 with its dependencies. Thenceforth the respective 
 properties centred in the person of one proprietor, 
 and following the succession already detailed in our 
 Historical Notices of the Castle, came into the family 
 of the noble individual who now holds them. Ruin 
 equally marks the site of baronial hall and cloistered 
 cell, but fertile harvests wave in all directions on the 
 surrounding lands, and could the poor Cluniacs of Acre 
 have anticipated in their day the goodly produce which 
 now annually attests the combined triumph of skill, 
 capital, and liberality, they would have found their 
 revenues, ample as they were, doubled in value and 
 extent. 
 
 We cannot close our sketch of the career of this inter- 
 esting foundation without briefly adverting to the general 
 pursuits of its former inmates. 
 
 Of these we can only speak by conjecture. With one 
 solitary exception, to be noticed in another place, there 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 173 
 
 is nothing extant to attest the skill or learning of the 
 monks of Acre. It cannot boast of its Matthew Paris 
 or its William of Malmesbury, and yet it is reasonable 
 to suppose that it could not be wholly destitute of talent. 
 It had its library, and such learning as the period could 
 claim was doubtless cultivated within its walls. Few 
 establishments of the kind but had their school, where 
 the instruction of youth was exercised as a duty, and 
 where the high-born and the lowly alike experienced the 
 tender solicitude of their instructors. The revival of 
 letters obtained in Continental Europe some short time 
 prior to the Conquest, and in reviewing the character of 
 the Conqueror we should not overlook the fact that by 
 his munificence and personal example he endeavoured in 
 every way to promote their cultivation in this land. 
 The monasteries were for a long period the only suitable 
 retreats of resuscitated literature, and it is only justice 
 to the monastics to say that they fostered and cherished 
 it with exemplary fideUty. It is this very fact which 
 attaches so much interest to the spots now and for a 
 long series of years destitute of claim upon our respect, 
 and we cannot look at humble and obscure Acre with- 
 out reflecting that it has borne its share in the goodly 
 work. Science and the fine arts had also their votaries 
 
174 THE PRIORY. 
 
 here, and there is evidence to show that the latter were 
 practised, in one department at least, with considerable 
 success. The richly stained glass with which the con- 
 ventual churches were wont to be adorned, and which 
 later ages have very partially succeeded in emulating, 
 were in many cases prepared by the monastics them- 
 selves, and the paintings w^hich still occur on the pannel- 
 ling of rood screens and other places, in many of our 
 churches, may probably be referred to the same origin. 
 Music formed another resource of the sohtary recluse, 
 and, though perhaps of a quality repulsive to ears accus- 
 tomed to the rich and elaborate harmonies of modern 
 art, it still possessed that powerful influence upon the 
 mind which, under every form, we find to be its attribute. 
 We may not depreciate the character of ancient harmony 
 because so little of an undoubted early date has been 
 preserved to us, but we cannot question that it was 
 of a nature suited to the solemn devotional purposes to 
 which it was applied. The services of the Roman 
 Church, indeed, owe much of their attraction to this 
 beautiful acquirement, and its value in promoting devo- 
 tional feeling is daily becoming more appreciated among 
 those of the reformed faith. Gardening and agriculture 
 were pursuits followed equally for the produce which 
 
HISTORICAL NOTICES. 175 
 
 they yielded as for the wholesome recreation afforded by 
 them, and the skill to which the monastics attained in 
 the former department is attested by many contemporary 
 and subsequent writers. It was not merely the neces- 
 sities of the community which prompted attention to 
 this matter, for they lived almost wholly on vegetables 
 and fish, but a desire to profit by the inexhaustible 
 resources which they were sensible a well-directed cul- 
 tivation would open to them, and to their patient per- 
 sieverance we are indebted for the introduction of many, 
 now familiar, but ever welcome fruits. But for them, 
 gardening might never have risen to the character of a 
 science. 
 
 Thus, with all the rigour and monotony of their 
 religious profession, the monks of Acre had open to 
 them a wide field of intellectual enjoyment and relaxation. 
 Literature, science, art, music, gardening, and agricul- 
 ture, were surely abundant resources for the time that 
 could be spared from severer exercises, and a well 
 regulated mind could have no cause to complain of a 
 paucity of matter for improvement and enjoyment. And, 
 indeed, until an increasing spirit of luxurious ease and 
 moral apathy rendered them alike indifferent to the 
 character of their profession and its resources, these 
 
176 THE PRIORY. 
 
 matters were not neglected or suffered to lie dormant ; 
 so that, whatever may be urged, and with justice, against 
 the too prevalent character of monastic institutions, we 
 cannot withhold from them the meed of commendation, 
 as the faithful guardians of all that now so greatly 
 contributes to the delight and relaxation of civiUsed life. 
 Whilst the various classes of society around them were 
 plunged in the tumultuous distractions of a rude, stern, 
 uncompromising age, or sunk in the debasing trammels 
 of an ignorant and hopeless servitude, the peaceful 
 inmates of the cloisters " held on the even tenor of their 
 way" in uninterrupted security, calmly fulfilliDg their 
 pious and benevolent calling, and cherishing the feeble 
 flame of knowledge which was not to flood its Ught upon 
 the world until the hands that had so fostered it were 
 mingled with the past. 
 
 Let it be considered, then, that the Priory of Acre has 
 contributed its share to this important work, as a humble 
 nursery of neglected and well-nigh forgotten science, and 
 it immediately becomes invested with an interest to 
 which, perhaps, in the opinion of many, its shapeless and 
 scattered ruins can otherwise possess no claim. 
 
WEST DOOR OF THE PRIORY CHURCH. 
 
 THE PRIORY. 
 
 EXISTING REMAINS. 
 
 of its 
 
 . . . • The earth where abbeys stood 
 
 Is layman's land ; — the glebe, the stream, the wood ; 
 
 His oxen low where monks retired to eat, 
 
 His cows repose upon the prior's seat ; 
 
 And wanton doves within the cloisters bill, 
 
 Where the chaste votary warr'd with wanton will. 
 
 The Borough, Letter iv. 
 
 i|^ NE is tempted almost to believe that the 
 gentle-hearted Crabbe had penned these 
 lines under the vivid impression of a 
 recent visit to Castleacre, so faithfully 
 true are they to the existing condition 
 venerable Priory. Here, indeed, it is matter of 
 
178 THE PRIORY. 
 
 frequent observation that " oxen low where monks 
 retired to eat," and here too, ofttimes, in the bright and 
 balmy days of summer may be seen a happy group of 
 joyous faces clustering eagerly round a well-stored cloth 
 of snowy whiteness spread on the fresh herbage, and 
 watching with merry malice the abstraction of a distant 
 sketcher from their party intent upon transferring yon 
 fantastic pier in crayons or in pencil, whilst flocks of 
 " wanton doves " whin* and whirl overhead until they 
 again find rest from their mazy flight in the secure lodg- 
 ment of the western tower of the conventual church. 
 Can they be conscious of the proximity of some of their 
 less fortunate mates, whose plump and well-seasoned 
 bodies are immured within the inviting precincts of that 
 capacious pie ? For here, within the shattered boundary 
 of the ample refectory, we perceive substantial symptoms 
 of good cheer; no black beans and salt indeed, but 
 pasties, capons, hams, tongues, and eke champagne, 
 nectar unknown to the poor hunger-pinched Cluniac ! 
 There are pilgrims too, but very merry ones, and a 
 thrilling laugh, which ever and anon echoes from some 
 distant angle of the ruin, indicates the presence of most 
 youthful votaries, whilst the more sedate of the party 
 lounge in indolent ease upon the green sward, occupied 
 in social converse, or rapt in silent contemplation of the 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 179 
 
 by-gone glories of the neighbouring fane. A thin pungent 
 vapour, redolent of Virginia, wreathes at intervals into 
 the still evening air, but it breathes not frankincense ! 
 How changed the scene from that remote period when 
 no foot trod the cloistered courts save that of the pale 
 ascetic, or that perchance of the privileged stranger whom 
 business, or the call of hospitality, had brought within 
 the walls ! 
 
 It is satisfactory to know, that in the dispersed, and 
 apparently confused, masses of time-worn ruin which 
 here meet our view, we have before us one of the most 
 interesting and complete remains of monastic institutions**'! 
 which this country can furnish. The ground-plan is 
 nearly entire throughout, and the details, upon examina- 
 tion, are found to supply a competent idea of the arrange- 
 ments usually adopted in such establishments ; whilst 
 the wealth and importance formerly attached to this 
 foundation, lead to the reasonable inference that it 
 affords a fair type of the general character of the class 
 to which it belongs. 
 
 The Priory is situated within little more than a 
 quarter of a mile from the Castle Keep, from whence it 
 still forms a prominent and agreeable feature in the 
 landscape. The precincts occupy a space of ground in 
 
 N 2 
 
180 THE PRIORY. 
 
 extent about thirty-six acres, originally surrounded 
 throughout by a substantial wall of rough compact flint, 
 of which considerable traces are still discernible to the 
 north and east. Indeed its course may be remarked with 
 tolerable distinctness throughout the greater part of the 
 extent, running parallel with the western wall of the 
 modern churchyard, and bending at an abrupt angle on 
 the margin of the stream to the south, which here divides 
 it from an adjoining parish. The area comprised within 
 this boundary, of which but a small portion is under 
 cultivation, the remainder being rich pasture land, was 
 in part occupied by the conventual buildings of the 
 foundation, and such appurtenances as were necessary 
 to the comfort and relaxation of its inmates. Cemetery, 
 garden, stew-ponds, and dairy- walk were here, the pre- 
 sumed localities of which will be more minutely noticed 
 hereafter, whilst the only entrance to the precinct being 
 to the north, immediately within the observation of the 
 good superior of the establishment, who at a glance 
 could become cognisant of every exit and entry from 
 and to the premises, secured an ample share of privacy 
 without impressing the fraternity with the unwelcome 
 idea of compulsory restraint. 
 
 We approach the Priory, then, from the north, and on 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 181 
 
 the summit of the rising ground from whence we dip, 
 as it were, into the inclosure, at its north-eastern corner 
 we obtain the pretty bird's-eye glance at the ruins which 
 is so happily conveyed in our illustration at the head 
 of the preceding section. The principal, and once the 
 only, entrance to the precinct is by a Gate-house or Lodge, 
 faithfully represented in the accompanying sketch, 
 through the main archway of which we catch a view 
 of the western extremity of the conventual church, 
 with its adjoining lodge, the private residence of the 
 Prior. 
 
 This Gate-house, placed at a distance of about one 
 hundred and thirty yards from the north-west angle of 
 the church, was rebuilt on the site of an older and 
 smaller structure, in the time of Henry VII., at the same 
 period with several extensive repairs in the Priory itself. 
 The style of architecture at once declares its origin, and 
 the counterpart of the edifice must be familiar to all 
 who have noticed the greater part of the coUege gate- 
 ways at Oxford and Cambridge, particularly those of 
 St. John's and Queen's Colleges in the latter university. 
 To such a one it will be no difficult matter to re-embody 
 the kindred structure before us, and indeed, the lateral 
 walls remaining in a very sound and nearly perfect state, 
 
182 THE PRIORY. 
 
 its restoration as a dwelling might be effected at a trifling 
 cost, and if executed with judgment would have a pleasing 
 and appropriate effect. 
 
 The fa9ade consists of two arched entrances, flanked 
 and surmounted by the windows of the porter's dwelling. 
 The principal or carriage entrance, as we may distinguish 
 it, being constructed for the passage of vehicles of that 
 description and horsemen, occupies the immediate centre, 
 presenting a road-way upwards of eleven feet in width ; 
 to the left of the entrance, as the spectator views it, a 
 lesser archway, four feet nine inches wide, furnishes a 
 . convenient and secure mode of entry and regress to 
 foot-passengers, contiguous to, but apart from the hazard 
 and inconvenience of the public road. These two path- 
 ways blend, as it were, into one within the gateway, by 
 means of an open archway corresponding in dimensions 
 with the outer or carriage entrance. The entrances 
 fronting the high-road were closed at pleasure by stout 
 oaken doors, of which the iron pivots still remain : their 
 corresponding archways on the priory side were not 
 similarly secured, but open, as now, at all hours of the 
 night or day. 
 
 To the left of the entrance is the Porter's Lodge, a small 
 apartment, having in one corner a spacious hearth and 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 183 
 
 chimney, and two or three niches somewhat resem- 
 bling piscinae in form. This apartment was separated 
 from the footway by a thin partition, of which traces 
 remain on the stucco of the lateral walls. Opposite to 
 this, on the other side of the carriage-way, was a small 
 chamber lighted by two windows ; and adjoining to it, 
 at the south-western angle, was a good staircase of hard 
 brick, conducting to the sleeping apartments, two in num- 
 ber, each lighted by four windows, with a narrow passage 
 of communication on the southern side of the wall. 
 
 The south front of the Gate-house is entirely plain, but 
 on the northern or principal fa9ade, there are five shields 
 of armorial bearings well executed in stone, and still 
 retaining their respective devices with sharp distinctness. 
 These shields are disposed upon the building as in the 
 illustration, and have been separately delineated in pre- 
 ceding portions of our work ; although, as this is the 
 proper locality to which they belong, it will be necessary 
 again briefly to notice them. The shield in the centre, 
 over the apex of the principal archway, presents the 
 armorial bearings of De Warrenne, the munificent founder 
 (vide ante, page 33) ; that on the extreme right, the device 
 of John Fitzalan, Lord Maltravers (ante, page 99) ; that 
 on the left of the centre, the arms of England, tempore 
 
184 THE PRIORY. 
 
 Henry V.; and that to the extreme left, the armorial 
 bearings of Arundel (ante, page 33). Immediately above 
 the -crown of the footway arch rests the armorial bearing 
 of the Priory itself (ante, page 121). 
 
 Upon the whole, though interesting in its way, it must 
 be admitted that this Gatehouse is sadly deficient in 
 keeping with the beautiful ruin to which it conducts. 
 The term " stately," which Blomefield applies to it, is 
 strangely misapplied ; and it sinks into complete insigni- 
 ficance, when reserved by visitors as the last object of 
 examination, as too generally happens. The main point 
 of curiosity is the admirable manner in which a hard red 
 brick, moulded with considerable skill to the shape 
 required, has been employed in the construction of the 
 quoins, buttresses, window-frames, and hoods, to the 
 complete exclusion of stone. No flaking appears in any 
 part of the compact outline, notwithstanding neglect, the 
 lapse of time, and the exposure to climate through so 
 long an interval. 
 
 Passing down the steep decUvity fi-om the Gatehouse, 
 until we near the modern buildings of the Priory Farm, 
 and facing to the east, we pause before the west front of 
 the conventual Church, from the south-western angle of 
 which the Prior's Lodge immediately abuts. Our frontis- 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 185 
 
 piece will afford some idea of the objects which here 
 meet om* view, although it is scarcely possible for the 
 pencil to convey the impression which a first glance at 
 this beautiful fsic^ade is calculated to make upon the 
 mind. With the antiquary the sentiment expressed is 
 uniformly that of admiration: the least interested in 
 such pursuits fail not to remark the grace which a happy 
 combination of simplicity and rich decoration succeed in 
 producing. We contemplate a structure over which the 
 storms of seven centuries have passed, with a lenity that 
 speaks volumes in behalf of the solidity of its construc- 
 tion, as well as the durability of its material. There i,s 
 a freshness about the whole which might well-nigh 
 induce us to doubt whether this be not the production of 
 a later age, instead of being, as in truth it is, a remnant 
 of the skill and judgment with which architects laboured 
 in their vocation, when the Red King swayed the sceptre 
 of the realm. Time has lightly done his allotted work, 
 and but for the ruthless hand of spoliation and wanton 
 dilapidation, which have been so mercilessly exercised 
 upon other parts of this noble foundation, we might have 
 had present to our view, not a western frontage only, but 
 an entire edifice nearly in its original state. Desirable 
 as it would be, in many respects, to contemplate the 
 
186 THE PRIORY. 
 
 structure complete in all its original freshness, we 
 confess to a predilection in favour of our pretty ruin : 
 for the attention which is now concentrated on some 
 scattered relic of early art, would necessarily be dimi- 
 nished by dispersion over an ampler range of observation ; 
 whilst in its present state imagination may exercise both 
 taste and ingenuity in giving form and substance to 
 the wide-spreading masses around. It is at least a 
 pleasing exercise for the fancy ; but in order to direct it 
 aright, we must enter the consecrated precincts with 
 something of a warm feeling of art, and a determination 
 to assign to every part its due weight, and importance, 
 and propriety, in the scale of our mental restoration. 
 We shall be at no loss to realise the picture ; a fragment 
 here, an enrichment there, an entablature in one place, 
 and intersecting arches in another, — occur in every 
 quarter to assist us in the work ; and thus '' in our 
 mind's eye " we may embody the vast skeleton into one 
 consistent and harmonious whole. 
 
 THE WESTERN FRONT, 
 however, claims our first attention. With one exception, 
 all is Norman — pure, stern, massy — still not heavy Nor- 
 man. The central door-way, opening into the nave [A], 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 187 
 
 with its semicircular arch of bold and varied moulding ; 
 the smaller entrances on either side [B, C], leading 
 respectively to the north and south aisles, having their 
 arches in like manner, though dissimilarly, ornamented ; 
 the tiers of blind arches, interlacing and simple, covering 
 the intervening spaces, and rising to the summit of the 
 remain; the fantastic corbels and metopes, all bearing 
 the distinctive impress of Norman work, — produce a 
 combination, the harmonious arrangement of which can 
 only be appreciated fully on personal inspection. Our 
 illustration will serve to show the general eifect of the 
 front ; but a separate drawing of the central arch is 
 given at the head of this section, in order more clearly to 
 point out the simple and pleasing style of ornament 
 employed in its decoration. 
 
 An ingenious idea has been somewhere suggested, and 
 has, we believe, obtained among several of the curious 
 in such speculations, that the various mouldings and 
 decorative enrichments which are so profusely dispersed 
 over most of our ecclesiastical edifices, have not been so 
 distributed at the mere fancy or caprice of the builders, 
 but have all a symbolical or latent meaning allusive to 
 some matter of faith, or doctrine, or tradition, in connec- 
 tion with the Church. We shall not pause for an elabo- 
 
188 THE PRIORY. 
 
 rate examination into the merits of such a theory, if it 
 can be called one ; indeed we only touch upon the sub- 
 ject to show how it may be applied to interpret some 
 of the decorations in the structure before us, and it is 
 left to the discretion of the reader to adopt or reject 
 the speculation as he may judge most fit. How far 
 the conceit can be borne out by evidence it is not 
 for us to determine, but at least it is not devoid of 
 ingenuity. 
 
 For example, the zig-zag or chevron moulding, which 
 forms so conspicuous a feature in the decoration of the 
 doorways and arches of the nave, and other parts, may be 
 supposed to have some reference to the rays or nimbus 
 which usually encircle the heads of saints or angels in 
 old paintings and illuminations, and thus to indicate 
 Glcyry. The chain of large balls or beads will serve to 
 represent the rosary, an important adjunct of Roman 
 Catholic worship, indicating Prayer; the bold twisted 
 cable appropriately enough symbolises Union audi Strength, 
 the prominent features of an Apostolic Church. Three 
 arches interlaced in one pannel, and under one common 
 hood or canopy, will indicate the Trinity ; while a group 
 of six arches, similarly interlaced, on either side a door- 
 way or window, fitly represents the number of the 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 189 
 
 Apostles. In like manner four arches, similarly con- 
 nected, will point out the number of the Evangelists ; 
 whilst a chain of such arcades, carried on in unbroken 
 succession over the fa9ade of a building of this class, will 
 frequently be found to correspond in number with Christ, 
 the Apostles, and Evangelists, or with that of the Seventy 
 commissioned by Him as the early ministers of his Church. 
 Thus, as the general form of the edifice had reference to 
 the Cross, so its leading decorations were studiously 
 arranged in harmony with the idea, and were meant to 
 symbolise some point of revelation or of tradition in 
 connexion with it. Whatever may be thought of the 
 matter as applied to the decorations in question, it is 
 certain that the capitals of columns were frequently 
 adorned with some rude sculpture, intended to represent 
 the leading events recorded in Holy Writ, such as the 
 Fall, the Deluge, the trial of Abraham, &c. There are 
 indications of this in the fa9ade of our Priory, but so 
 defaced that it is extremely difficult to individualise the 
 subjects. 
 
 In speaking of the pure and bold Norman character of 
 this elegant fa9ade, we observed that there was one 
 exception to be remarked. It is to be found in the 
 pointed window which surmounts the central archway. 
 
190 THE PRIORY. 
 
 This, beautiful in its kind, and conspicuous for the sjmn- 
 metrical perfection of its proportions, is, nevertheless, 
 sadly out of place in its present position, and manifestly 
 an interpolation of later date. This is palpable at once 
 to the slightest observation, from the evident interruption 
 that it has occasioned in the tracery of arches which 
 still flank the window on either side, and which formerly 
 extended completely across this part of the building. In 
 fact, originally there was no window of any kind what- 
 ever in this part, such being the usual character of severe 
 Norman style, and the facade presented one uniform 
 frontage of arches, columns, mouldings, and tracery. It 
 was not until the growing taste for the pointed arch, 
 and the passion for western windows to our churches 
 began to prevail, that the worthy fraternity of this 
 establishment were tempted to admit- the incongruous 
 interpolation. It is satisfactory, however, to reflect 
 that the window in question is by no means so dis- 
 proportionate to the general plan as too frequently 
 liappens in the case of similar addenda. The extra- 
 ordinary beauty of the outline that remains is suf- 
 ficient to justify the care that is bestowed in its 
 preservation. 
 
 It will be observed that the upper part of the southern 
 
TTiKlIE (D®1^57ISF5ir[yAL €!}{][L5[^©IX! m €AiTr[L[Ii^©l^IS. 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 191 
 
 tower has on each of its sides two sharply pointed arches 
 or lancets. These may undoubtedly be referred to the 
 period when such arches, preceding the regular pointed 
 style, came into use ; that is to say, within a very few 
 years prior to the consecration of this edifice by Bishop 
 Turbus, in a.d. 1148, at which time this portion of the 
 building was completed. The corresponding tower at 
 the northern extremity of the front, now entirely demo- 
 lished to the very foundation, was doubtless similarly 
 constructed and adorned, and there is reason to suppose 
 that both were originally higher by one or two tiers of 
 arches. 
 
 We will now proceed to enter within the consecrated 
 area of the Conventual Church ; and here, to assist the 
 examination, reference must be made to the accompany- 
 ing plan. 
 
 THE CONVENTUAL CHURCH. 
 
 It will be seen that the general plan of the Church is 
 cruciform, — part of the choir, with the transepts, forming 
 the upper portion of the cross, — the nave, with its side 
 aisles, constituting the shaft. 
 
192 THE PRIORY. 
 
 The interior proportions of the edifice will be found to 
 correspond with the following measurements : — 
 
 FEET. INCHES. 
 
 136 
 
 
 
 59 
 
 6 
 
 99 
 
 6 
 
 Total length from the west entrance to the wall of 
 the Lady Chapel [E] at the back of the high 
 altar 226 
 
 Length of the nave, from the west door to the 
 
 screen [D] . . . . . . . 90 
 
 Length from the screen to the back of the altar, 
 as before ...... 
 
 Breadth of the nave, with side aisles . 
 
 Breadth across the transepts .... 
 
 Upon entering through the archway [A], and turning 
 to examine its interior plan, it will be found to present 
 a construction altogether different from its external 
 appearance. It is, in fact, a dovhle arch, ingeniously 
 contrived, but producing an effect far more curious than 
 agreeable. It should be noticed that the soil, which has 
 accumulated in some slight degree on the exterior facade 
 of the building, is actually accumulated to a much 
 greater extent in the interior, in some parts very consi- 
 derably so, and that originally the passenger descended 
 to the pavement of the church, from the respective 
 entrances, down four or more steps ; as is the case to this 
 day upon entering the cathedral church of Norwich, to 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 193 
 
 which, in general arrangement, the present structure, on 
 a diminished scale, bears considerable resemblance. 
 
 The pavement throughout the building consisted of 
 small square red tile, neatly and compactly laid, and for 
 the most part perfectly plain ; embossed, or intaglio, 
 pavement being of very rare occurrence in this portion 
 of the ruins. Wherever we have cleared a space to the 
 floor of the church, and the spots have been varied and 
 numerous, we have uniformly exposed the small plain 
 pavement referred to, in a greater or less degree of 
 preservation. 
 
 Advancing from the west door along the centre of the 
 nave, we find that there were six massy piers on either 
 side connecting it, by means of noble and richly decorated 
 archways, with the north and south aisles respectively. 
 Of these arches, all that retains its original casing of 
 stone, or that can serve to indicate the style of dec ra- 
 tion which was carried forward through this portion of 
 the building, is that upon which the south-western tower 
 rests, and which fortunately continues in a good state of 
 preservation [a]. As we shall return presently to a 
 more minute notice of this locality, we will now direct 
 attention to the sixth pier from the entrance, and its 
 corresponding one on the opposite side [J]. Upon clear- 
 
194 THE PRIORY. 
 
 ing away the rubbish and fallen ruin from the south pier 
 in this quarter, we ascertained that a massy screen, and 
 possibly rood-loft, extended from side to side across the 
 nave and aisles, resting in either direction against the 
 piers referred to. Of what material the screen might be 
 it is impossible to determine, but the fact of its existence 
 is clearly shown by the broad deep grooves prepared on 
 the basement of the pier for the reception of the frame- 
 work. Here, then, the nave may be said to terminate ; 
 the remaining space, as far as the Lady Chapel at the 
 extremity, being properly the choir. Before, however, 
 we enter upon this department of the building, a curious 
 fact remains to be noticed, which has been brought to 
 light by the excavation already alluded to. From a 
 cursory glance at the remains it might reasonably be 
 concluded that the north and south aisles were carried 
 forward uninterruptedly into the transepts, or with the 
 mere intervention of the screen referred to; but such 
 was not the case. The aisles were respectively termi- 
 nated in this quarter by a thin though substantial wall, 
 against which rested a small altar, raised a few inches 
 from the regular pavement of the church, and flanked on 
 either side by a painted sellium or confessional, the 
 frame-work of which had disappeared. Thus, with the 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 195 
 
 screen in front of each, these small spaces constituted 
 distinct chapels [c. c], and doubtless were so considered. 
 The oblong space upon which the altar rested was paved 
 with small tiles, neatly painted in eccentric devices, the 
 colours being burnt in, but without any appearance of 
 embossment or intaglio. It is to be regretted that these 
 traces are no longer to be recognised ; exposure to the 
 air caused a rapid exfoliation of the material of the wall, 
 and the reprehensible curiosity of visitors accelerated 
 its complete destruction. 
 
 THE CHOIR AND TRANSEPTS. 
 A FEW feet beyond the screen we enter the space 
 between the transepts. Of four massy piers which here 
 supported the low central tower, always found in Nor- 
 man structures of the kind, one only rises to a consider- 
 able height above the fallen ruin ; this is the pier marked 
 [d.] in the plan. It presents a huge mass of irregular 
 solid masonry, strikingly significant of the bulk and 
 dimensions of the tower it helped to support. The 
 exterior casing of stone has long since disappeared, and 
 the hand of the spoiler is but too apparent in this spot 
 as well as in the remainder of the choir. In all proba- 
 
 o 2 
 
196 THE PRIORY. 
 
 bility the basements of the remaining piers, if uncovered, 
 would be found in nearly a perfect state, whilst their 
 dimensions far exceed those of their predecessors in the 
 nave. Standing in the midst, between the basements of 
 the piers of the central towers facing eastward, we have 
 behind us the range of the nave and side aisles ; imme- 
 diately in front, the choir with its side chapels ; and on 
 either hand, the north and south transepts. With the 
 exception of the latter, the ruin is so complete that little 
 remains to indicate the form and dimensions of the 
 building, but a ground outUne just discernible above the 
 soil. It is fortunate, however, that the walls of the 
 transepts, with the exception of the upper part, are all 
 standing; and as the superincumbent mass of rubbish 
 has been removed in one or two places down to the 
 original pavement — standing thereupon, the visitor may 
 form a tolerable idea of the noble elevation of the pile, 
 which here ran upward to the roof, unbroken by any 
 intermediate vaulting, and possessing arcades, tracery, 
 and a beautiful succession of arches and moulding rising 
 to the summit. 
 
 Directing our attention, in the first instance, to the 
 south transept [G], we observe its eastern side to be 
 occupied by an apsis or semicircular chapel [^], a con- 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 197 
 
 trivance of frequent occurrence in Norman edifices. It 
 has a vaulted roof, an east window, a small altar beneath 
 it, a piscina to the south of tlie altar, and there are 
 indications of a screen, or railing, on the west side, com- 
 municating with the transept. In the corner immediately 
 adjacent to the apsis is a stair-case conducting to the 
 arcades in this direction, and on the southern wall of the 
 transept is a deep arched recess, formerly most probably 
 containing an altar tomb [/], and flanked on each side 
 by a distinct ambry or safe, for the secure deposit of the 
 vessels and accessories used in the service of the altar. 
 The appropriation of these ambries to such a purpose 
 can only be matter of conjecture, since every trace of 
 stone-work, except a small portion in the lower part of 
 the ambry, adjacent to the south-west angle of the tran- 
 sept, where it has the appearance of a drain, has been 
 entirely picked away; from which circumstance, we 
 suppose this shrine or tomb to have been highly orna- 
 mented, and its decorations deemed of sufficient value to 
 swell the coffers of the Court of Augmentations. The 
 western wall of the transept seems to have been for the 
 greater part solid, although it was long supposed that an 
 arched entrance to the church, from the adjacent cloister, 
 existed in this quarter. An excavation, however, has 
 
198 THE PllIORY. 
 
 proved that the supposed entrance was, in fact, nothmg 
 more than a recessed lavatory on the side of the cloister, 
 through the back wall of which an opening has been 
 forced into the transept by some of the early spoliators 
 of the fane. Immediately contiguous to this forced 
 passage, and partly destroyed by it, within the transept, 
 there is a slightly curved depression in the even surface 
 of the walls — it is scarcely deep enough to be called a 
 recess — which presents the singular appearance of an 
 early English window traced with a pointed instrument 
 upon the stucco while the cement was moist, and still 
 exhibiting evident traces of the colouring with which it 
 was adorned. Exposure to the weather, however, is now 
 rapidly obliterating all trace of this contrivance, the 
 purport of which it is in vain to conjecture. 
 
 Crossing over to the opposite or northern transept [F], 
 we find the same general architectural arrangements 
 observed as in the one we have just quitted, although 
 the basement details are somewhat different. In the 
 centre of the northern wall, a lofty arched entrance con- 
 ducts to an apartment of which even the outline scarcely 
 remains, and to Avhich access was had from the pavement 
 of the church, by means of six stone steps embedded in 
 the thickness of the wall. The apartment to which they 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 199 
 
 conducted is reasonably supposed to have been the 
 sacristy [H] ; and there are traces of a low chamber 
 over it, the use of which is not clearly apparent. To the 
 left of the door-way, and in the north-east angle of the 
 transept, is a stair-case leading to the arcades, wherein 
 may be seen the remarkably preserved date which so 
 completely determines the period of the foundation of 
 the establishment, and to which reference has already 
 been made (ante, page 126). On the east side is a lofty 
 and deep arched recess, formerly containing an altar 
 tomb, probably of one of the De Warrenne family, or of 
 some munificent benefactor to the foundation, as, upon 
 examination of the spot, some few years since, a skeleton 
 was disclosed immediately in the centre of the compart- 
 ment. It has been thought that this might possibly 
 be the resting-place of the founder himself, but many 
 considerations lead to the conclusion that he was not 
 interred within these precincts. The western side of the 
 transept seems to have been perfectly plain and unbroken 
 throughout. 
 
 Quitting the transepts, we pace the remaining portion 
 of the choir to the small Ladye Chapel at the back of 
 the high altar [E]. The remains in this direction are 
 extremely scanty; but from the angle still remaining 
 
200 THE PRIORY. 
 
 at [^], and the general outline of the ground plan, it 
 is obvious that this portion of the ch\u*ch has been 
 rebuilt at a much later period than the preceding part. 
 Originally, doubtless, the entire choir was constructed in 
 unison with the rest of the building, and was terminated 
 with a semicircular end, as usual in Norman structures 
 of this class : at what period the change was made to its 
 present form, or what the occasion which rendered the 
 alteration necessary, there is no evidence to show. 
 Pausing on the probable site of the high altar [A], and 
 facing to the west, we trace the whole cruciform outline 
 of the edifice, which, in its original freshness of tracery, 
 arcades, and enrichments, must have presented an object 
 of great elegance from this quarter, although the gran- 
 deur and vast proportion w^hich characterise the greater 
 part of our cathedrals might be wanting. 
 
 Retracing our steps through the length of the church, 
 our attention is caught by the appearance of the south- 
 western tower [I], which, from the comparative preser- 
 vation of its leading features, enables us to judge of the 
 character of the architectural embellishments which 
 pervaded the nave, and w ere carried, more or less, through 
 the entire building. The basement of the tower consists 
 of two main arches, the one communicating with the 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 201 
 
 nave, immediately on the right of a person entering by 
 the great door ; the other, at right angles, opening into 
 the south aisle. On the south side is a small arched 
 doorway communicating with the cloister [j ] ; in the 
 adjoining angle a stone stair conducts to the upper 
 part of the tower, and to the prior's private apart- 
 ments ; and on the west side is the entrance from the 
 front [C]. 
 
 The whole of this area was, for a great length of time, 
 inclosed by rough modern masonry, as a receptacle for 
 coals, &c., until of late years, when the good taste of the 
 present occupier has been evinced in the removal of all 
 extraneous matter. From the appearance of the archi- 
 vaults, we suppose them to have once been coated with 
 a firm composition resembling stone, that might have 
 continued perfect until now but for the rude purposes to 
 which the area has been applied. Had the archi vaults 
 been faced with stone, there is no reason why it should 
 not have been apparent at this time, since the adjacent 
 stonework remains compact and uninjured, and the 
 greater part of the tower has luckily escaped the hand 
 of the spoliator. It will be remarked that the appearance 
 of the arch bears the stamp of solidity, combined with 
 an airiness not often to be recognised in Norman work ; 
 
202 THE PRIORY. 
 
 the form is of that peculiar description known as the 
 stilted arch, though not to a disproportionate extent; 
 and the graceful employment of the chevron ornament 
 imparts at once a relief and richness which, in the com- 
 plete state of the nave, must have had a strikingly 
 elegant effect * 
 
 Before we pass from the consecrated precinct, to notice 
 the domestic details of the establishment, a word or two 
 is necessary with regard to the various excavations 
 which, from time to time, have been made in this portion 
 of the ruin. 
 
 It is reasonable to conclude, that, could a complete 
 clearance of the area of the church be effected, many 
 little matters of much interest to the antiquary would 
 be disclosed. The work, however, would be one of con- 
 siderable labour and difficulty. The prodigious quantity 
 of fallen ruin and accumulated rubbish which covers 
 every part of the pavement — in some places to the 
 perpendicular depth of ten or twelve feet, — and the huge 
 masses of piers and side-walls that occur, particularly in 
 the transepts, would render the task of removal, save by 
 
 * A slight sketch of the lower part of this tower is delineated as the 
 background to the armorial bearings of the Priory. — Yide illustration, 
 p. 121. 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 203 
 
 some violent destructive process, almost impracticable. 
 The consequence of this difficulty is, that excavations 
 have hitherto been made very partially and imperfectly 
 in detached spots ; whilst it must be confessed that if, in 
 every instance, the hopes of the excavator have not been 
 completely realised in the result of his attempt, enough 
 has usually been disclosed to engender a strong desire of 
 seeing more. Still there is room to hope that, at some 
 future period, the curiosity of the visitor may be gratified 
 by seeing an entire clearance of the whole area of the 
 church ; and in that case, we trust that the increasing 
 regard for such venerable remnants of a by-gone age, 
 and the growing taste for everything that is calculated 
 to throw light upon the acquirements and tastes of a 
 remote period in our history, would restrain the curious 
 from defacing or doing violence to the fragments that 
 remain. 
 
 We have already observed, that wherever an excava- 
 tion has been made, the pavement of the church has 
 been found to consist of small, plain, red tiles. To this 
 we may add, that in most cases considerable quantities 
 of thick stained glass, of every shade of colour, have 
 been found mixed up with the superincumbent rubbish, 
 of course in minute fragments, but in such abun- 
 
204 THE PRIORY. 
 
 dance as to indicate that " a dim religious light " 
 was wont to be cast through many " a richly storied 
 pane ; " portions of lead accompany them : and, in 
 the vicinity of doorways, many large-headed studding- 
 nails serve to show the former presence of an oaken 
 portal. 
 
 Upon removing the soil from the eastern end of the 
 south aisle, near to the chapel [c], in the early part of 
 the year 1837, there was disclosed a stone sarcophagus, 
 partly resting beneath the level of the pavement, and 
 (singular enough) partly projecting above its surface. 
 To understand the eager excitement produced by this 
 disclosure, it is necessary to premise that an opinion has 
 long prevailed among the labouring part of the popula- 
 tion of the adjoining parishes, and it is one pretty 
 generally entertained, we believe, in the neighbourhood 
 of all monastic remains, that in some part or another of 
 the ruins a buried treasure, or a coffer of valuables at 
 the very least, is to be found, and that some day it will 
 be brought to light. Every excavation that is attempted 
 is believed primarily to be prompted by this golden 
 inducement, and the repeated disappointments which so 
 regularly ensue, so far from shaking the belief, only 
 serve to whet the appetite and strengthen the conviction 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 205 
 
 of treasure being buried here, if we would but dig deep 
 enough ! In the present instance this prevailing impres- 
 sion sealed the fate of the sarcophagus. What could 
 such a mysterious-looking object possibly be but the 
 long-sought-for receptacle of hoarded wealth ? Heedless 
 of the total absence of care manifested for its conceal- 
 ment, it was at once decided that this must contain 
 somewhat of important value; and while one hastily 
 summoned the family of the occupier, another spread 
 the report in the villages, and speedily brought down a 
 host of eager expectants hurrying to the scramble which 
 they of course concluded would follow. In the mean- 
 time the workmen pursued their labour, and in their 
 eagerness to raise the supposed chest, it was broken into 
 three portions, when were displayed the remains of a 
 human being, peaceably reposing in their " narrow ceU," 
 and till that moment undisturbed. A curious fact was 
 now developed. The sarcophagus, of thick but friable 
 stones, perfectly plain, and to all appearance of ancient 
 date, had in all probability been removed from some 
 other spot to its present destination. A shallow grave 
 had been dug beneath the pavement of the aisle and its 
 bottom coated with cement. Upon this the body of the 
 deceased was simply laid, wrapped in a shroud of coarse 
 
206 THE PRIORY. 
 
 sackcloth, which was found still retaining its folds and 
 encircling the skeleton ; while over all, the sarcophagus, 
 void of any operculum or cover, was inverted. It is 
 remarkable, that although the bones were found as 
 described, wholly undisturbed in their humble shroud, 
 and perfect in all other respects, the most careful search 
 failed to discover any trace of the skull or of the feet ! — 
 in fact, it was ascertained upon inspection, that these 
 members had been respectively amputated prior to the 
 interment of the body, — the one from the vertebrae of the 
 neck, the other just about the ankle joint. No motive of 
 necessity could have prompted this expedient, for the 
 sarcophagus was not only of ample length for a full- 
 grown subject, but was furnished with the usual cup-Uke 
 recess at its upper end for the reception of the head of 
 the deceased. An experienced medical friend, to whom 
 the bones were subsequently shown, pronounced them to 
 all appearance to be those of a female, and what dark 
 tale of wretchedness, misery, or crime, might they not 
 shadow forth ? The whole circumstance, the mutilated 
 state of the body, the penitential character of its 
 envelopment, the singular mode of its sepulture, the 
 conspicuous position of the tomb, — all seem to point 
 to some transaction of grief, or guilt, or tyranny. 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 207 
 
 that may supply ample scope for the exercise of ima- 
 gination. 
 
 In clearing the entrance to the sacristy [H], and the 
 adjacent corner of the north transept, many blocks of 
 plain and ornamental moulding were disinterred ; and on 
 approaching the level of the pavement, within two or 
 three inches of its surface, an extensive stratum of wood 
 ashes, at least a foot in thickness, presented itself. 
 Considerable fragments of wood completely charred, 
 aud the iron blade of a bill-hook, were taken from this 
 stratum, and the discovery served to explain the 
 palpable traces of fire, which are still observable above 
 the crown of the arch and within the doorway leading 
 to the sacristy. It would seem that shortly after the 
 early dilapidation of the fane, and before the mouldering 
 ruin began to accumulate to any extent on the floor, this 
 portion of the transept had been used as a woodhouse, 
 wherein, if we may judge from the actual density of the 
 ash stratum, compressed as it is by a mass of superin- 
 cumbent rubbish to the depth of nine feet, a considerable 
 quantity of such material was deposited. Through some 
 mischance or wantonness, this pile had been ignited, and 
 being suffered to exhaust itself, was so left without any 
 fresh deposit in the place. 
 
208 THE PRIORY. 
 
 Blomefield records the names of some few benefactors 
 who, he says, are buried in the Priory Church, but 
 hitherto no authentic proof of this fact has been 
 disclosed. In the course of the past year, while tracing 
 the area of the pavement in the very centre between the 
 transepts, we exposed a plain slab of dark stone, 
 utterly without inscription, date, initial, or ornament 
 of any kind. From the fall of ruin the stone had been 
 cracked in the centre, but in other respects had been 
 undisturbed. Upon raising it we found that it rested on 
 an even bed of river sand, within three feet of which 
 reposed a skeleton in perfect preservation, placed in a 
 shallow grave cut into the natural chalk formation of 
 the district. There were slight indications of the 
 original presence of a coffin, but no cross, agnus, or 
 other relique such as are usually found to accompany 
 the remains of a defunct ecclesiastic. From this cir- 
 cumstance, and the situation of the grave, we are 
 disposed to imagine the body to have been that of 
 some layman or other benefactor. It is likely that a 
 more extended clearance would establish this point 
 beyond a question. 
 
t_l 
 
 PRIORS LODGE 
 
 ©©K^lEKlTrj/^xl, [ByD!L[D)]K©S ®lF (si^gTrLEA^KH o 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 209 
 
 THE CLOISTER. 
 
 Quitting the church through the small doorway [/], 
 in the basement of the south-west tower, we enter upon 
 the Cloister, around which the most conspicuous portions 
 of the domestic part of the establishment were metho- 
 dically arranged. 
 
 Wherever a monastic establishment of any importance 
 exists, a cloister appears to be an indispensable appen- 
 dage. The advantage which it afforded to the fraternity 
 to enjoy air and exercise whatever the state of the 
 weather, at the same time that a complete privacy was 
 effected, rendered the claustrum an important feature in 
 their domestic arrangements, and we accordingly find it 
 annexed to almost every cathedral and collegiate church 
 in the kingdom. In all probability the idea, together 
 with that of the modern piazza of the Italians, was derived 
 from the ancient Greek portico or peristyle ; or, if Scrip- 
 ture authority be deemed of greater weight in such a 
 case, the porch of the glorious structure erected by 
 Solomon may have furnished the type of this contrivance. 
 But, whatever the cause, facility of access to the principal 
 offices of the establishment was doubtless an additional 
 motive for its adoption ; and those who are familiar with 
 
210 THE PRIORY. 
 
 the simple and beautiful peristyles that so frequently 
 occur in the disinterred houses of Pompeii will at once 
 recognise the analogy. 
 
 The present cloister comprises a square of one hundred 
 feet, the covered ambulatory being of a uniform width 
 of ten feet all round, the cemetery occupying the centre 
 as customary. The back wall is nearly entire on each 
 of the sides ; but of the arcade separating the ambulatory 
 from the cemetery scarcely any traces now remain above 
 the soil, a fragment or two only being visible in the 
 south-west and south-east corners. It is difficult to con- 
 jecture the style and proportion of the arcades, but from 
 the perfect simplicity of the remaining fragments, it is 
 probable that they were as plain as possible, which 
 was usually the case with the earliest examples of this 
 kind of structure. At a certain elevation in the back 
 wall may be traced the ridge line of the ambulatory 
 roof, immediately above which are the windows of the 
 prior's residence, and of other apartments in the several 
 buildings that commanded this area ; a satisfactory proof 
 that no range of dormitories or other cells immediately 
 surmounted the ambulatory, as some have considered 
 the usual practice to have been. The principal offices of 
 the establishment communicated with the cloister by 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 211 
 
 means of semicircular arched doorways — which will pre- 
 sently be noticed in detail — originally faced with stone, 
 but now entirely deprived of that covering. 
 
 Traversing the cloister, at right angles from the door- 
 way at which we enter [;* ], we commence our examina- 
 tion at its north-eastern corner. The first archway that 
 we encounter was long supposed to have been a way of 
 communication with the south transept of the church; 
 and until the partial removal of the adjacent soil, it 
 certainly had all the appearance of one. It is now 
 apparent, however, that the existing opening [a] has 
 heeji violently forced through the thin back wall subse- 
 quent to the dilapidation of the buildings, and that the 
 supposed doorway was nothing more than a deep recess 
 containing a seat, or more probably a lavatory similar to 
 an arrangement still observable in the beautifully-pre- 
 served cloister at Norwich. The sole entrance to the 
 church from this part of the building seems to have been 
 by the doorway in the tower through which we have 
 already passed. 
 
 Within a few paces of the lavatory, and immediately 
 contiguous to the south wall of the transept, we enter 
 
 p 2 
 
212 THE PRIORY. 
 
 THE CHAPTER-ROOM [AJ. 
 
 This was a noble apartment, 38 feet by 22, and evidently 
 finished with a degree of richness and elegance that well 
 became the official saloon of the establishment. The 
 north and south walls were occupied by elegant canopies 
 of stone- work belonging to the respective stalls of the 
 fraternity, the traces of eighteen of which on each side 
 are still distinctly visible, although the stone itself is 
 removed from hence as elsewhere : the number of monks 
 on the foundation, it will be remembered, was thirty-six. 
 At the east end was a noble window of stained glass, 
 and to the west the stalls of the prior and sub-prior on 
 either side of the entrance from the cloister [&]. This 
 doorway we suppose to have been of a highly-decorated 
 character, from the simple fact that every portion of it 
 has been carefully removed to the very basement; a 
 circumstance which does not occur with respect to other 
 doorways on the same level. Money being the real object 
 of the royal spoliator, every article of value or that could 
 be rendered available for the purposes of sale was 
 unscrupulously detached, and disposed of piecemeal to 
 the readiest purchaser ; and thus it is not unlikely that 
 the enriched doorway of the chapter-room shared the 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 213 
 
 fate of altar tombs, and other decorated portions in the 
 church, and was removed in an entire state. Above this 
 entrance was a second window overlooking the roof of 
 the ambulatory, and fronting the windows of the prior's 
 lodge ; whilst above the stalls of the brethren ran a range 
 of low semicircular arches, pilasters, and ornamental 
 mouldings, rising to the roof, which it is clear was vaulted, 
 and probably faced with stone. In the south-eastern 
 corner is a doorway [c] communicating with a narrow 
 court-yard attached to the domestic offices of the esta- 
 blishment, through which the servants and lay-brethren 
 had admittance when summoned before the chapter, the 
 monks alone entering by the western doorway. 
 
 The area of this apartment having been cleared in the 
 autumn of 1840, a pavement of small square tile, about 
 the size of those in the church, but infinitely more finished 
 and varied in character, was disclosed. The seats con- 
 nected with the stalls doubtless partook of the character 
 of the Miserere, and had been raised a step or two from 
 the level of the floor, but every trace of them has dis- 
 appeared. The pavement was very compactly and neatly 
 laid in cement, presenting at brief and regular intervals 
 groups of embossed and intaglio tile, the intervening 
 spaces being filled with plain tile, and all highly glazed. 
 
214 THE PRIORY. 
 
 The annexed illustration will serve to show the character 
 of these varied groups. The tiles were arranged in dis- 
 tinct groups of four of the same pattern placed in imme- 
 diate contact with each other, and, after an interval, 
 another group of four of another pattern, the several 
 patches consisting of an even number of tile, bearing 
 precisely the same device, each patch differing from its 
 neighbour. 
 
 Some of the tile bore the device of a deer exceed- 
 ingly well executed in high relief, the head raised, 
 and the antlers thrown back : the glaze of these was 
 yellow. (Vide illustration.) 
 
 Others bore coats of arms, — the one lozenges inter- 
 mingled with birds, the letter B surmounting the shield ; 
 the other presenting the appearance of simple drapery, 
 surmounted with the letter W ; — these were covered with 
 a dark green glaze. 
 
 Some bore the Christian name of the Prior for the time 
 being, or of some benefactor, to this effect — " Thomas," 
 covered with a yeUow glaze. 
 
 Others again, in dark glaze, bore on a shield the three 
 lions passant of England. 
 
 Some had the device of a dragon, or chim^era, with 
 extended wings, in high relief; others, simple roses and 
 
Etclied l)Y H.J)in.liaTrL. 
 
 ER^1B®§SE© IPA7EJWES1Y, 
 
gISEOSSIElD [PA7SSii]15^ir. 
 
 EtcHei T>y H.JJmiam 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 215 
 
 stars in intaglio, a dark and yellow glaze respectively 
 covering them. 
 
 The general character of this ornamental pavement 
 corresponds Avith what may still be seen in some part 
 of the building at Caen known as the Palace of the 
 Conqueror, and in other places in Normandy, but is of a 
 date considerably posterior to the Conquest. Indeed, 
 tile of this description cannot be referred to a period 
 earlier than the close of the thirteenth century, when, as 
 we learn on the authority of Fosbrooke, many religious 
 foundations had kilns employed expressly for preparing 
 them, from which the conventual and their dependent 
 parochial churches were supplied. In support of this 
 position, tradition says that the Priory of Acre possessed 
 a kiln of this kind at Bawsey, near Lynn, from whence 
 they were supplied with embossed and encaustic pave- 
 ment, as occasion required. This will readily account 
 for the appearance of armorial bearings above referred 
 to, since we may conclude that, to commemorate the 
 munificence of particular benefactors, the chapter directed 
 copies of their respective heraldic bearings to be manu- 
 factured at the kiln, for insertion in the chapter-room of 
 their establishment, and in such other places as they 
 might determine upon. 
 
216 THE PRIORY. 
 
 Upon the whole, the effect of this handsome apartment, 
 in its perfect state, must have been exceedingly pleasing; 
 and the effectual manner in which it has been stripped 
 will suffice to show that considerable importance was 
 attached to the value of its enrichments. 
 
 THE DORMITORY. 
 
 The next archway [B] on this side of the cloister opens 
 upon a staircase conducting to the dormitory, which, with 
 the exception of the lateral waUs, has long since dis- 
 appeared. It has been generally supposed that in con- 
 ventual buildings the dormitory usually surmounted the 
 west or south sides of the cloister, and in the majority of 
 cases it may indeed have been so. But in the present 
 instance it is obvious such an arrangement was not 
 adopted, from the simple fact that the ambulatory is 
 overlooked on every side by windows belonging to differ- 
 ent apartments of the establishment, a circumstance 
 which absolutely precludes the possibility of any apart- 
 ments immediately surmounting the cloister. 
 
 The present stair, the fruit of one of our earliest 
 researches among the remains, consists of an easy flight 
 of stone steps, apparently twenty-two in number, each 
 
EXISTING KEMAINS. 217 
 
 6 ft. 6 in. by 16 inch., let into the wall on either side, and 
 lighted at the top by a window of stained glass in the 
 eastern wall. The entrance was closed by a folding door 
 raised one step from the level of the cloister, of which 
 the left half was usually kept shut, as we may observe 
 from the manner in which the right half of the step is 
 worn by the passage of feet. The steps that remain, 
 bearing evident traces of their frequent use, are six in 
 number, the falling ruin having fortunately covered them 
 to that extent before the work of piecemeal spoliation 
 had commenced in this quarter : the rest, however, with 
 the exception of a fragment or two, are quite gone. In 
 the stone-work of the steps, close against the north side, 
 may be observed in two places small square holes, in 
 which iron supports have been inserted to sustain a rope 
 to assist the person mounting the stair ; a serviceable aid 
 to those of the fraternity who, in spite of Cluniac auste- 
 rity, upon occasion of high wassail, might retire to rest 
 some " wee bit fou," as the song has it. We are reluctant 
 to adopt such a conclusion as absolute ; but looking at 
 the secure manner in which the stair was flanked, and 
 its easy declivity, we cannot account for the adoption of 
 such a precaution except with a view to the possible 
 contingency we have intimated ; or (which is certainly 
 
218 THE PRIORY. 
 
 the more charitable inference) it might have been so 
 arranged in order to facilitate the ascent of the infirm, 
 the aged, and the care-worn. 
 
 Of the dormitory itself nothing distinctly remains 
 even for conjecture to frame an opinion upon. To all 
 appearance, it extended the whole length of the basement, 
 including a portion of the staircase, in all some 110 feet 
 by 26 ; a space which would furnish ample accommoda- 
 tion for the cells of the fraternity ranged on either side 
 of a common passage or gallery passing along its entire 
 length at the centre. It was lighted by seven windows 
 on the eastern side, four on the western, overlooking the 
 ambulatory of the cloister, and two more also to the west 
 beyond the buildings on the south side of it. All these 
 windows originally were strictly Norman, as the stone 
 moulding still extant in one or two places plainly indi- 
 cates ; but it seems that they were subsequently altered 
 more than once in a very clumsy, irregular, and unsightly 
 fashion, as expediency required, or the taste and means 
 declined. The range of the floor of this part of the 
 premises is still very perceptible in the side walls. 
 Security and privacy were the chief things aimed at in 
 the arrangement of the dormitory ; for the usual custom 
 was, when the monks had retired to rest, for the servitor. 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 219 
 
 Avhose business it was to attend upon the sleeping cells, 
 to lock the outer door, and carry the key to the prior or 
 sub-prior, by whom they were again returned to the 
 attendant when he went to summon the fraternity to 
 rise at the appointed hour in the morning ; a proceeding 
 which assuredly had more the air of a prison about it 
 than a place of voluntary seclusion. 
 
 THE REFECTORY [C]. 
 A pace or two beyond the entrance to the stair last 
 referred to, we descend one step through a doorway [</], 
 originally ornamented with triple pilasters, to the refec- 
 tory, a spacious apartment, extending from its northern 
 extremity to the screen, probably existing to the south, 
 in length 91 feet by 26 in breadth. The floor consisted 
 of large square glazed tile, alternately yellow and dark 
 green, but without any device; and the lateral walls were 
 ornamented by a succession of plain blind arches, from 
 which the stone-work has been completely removed, the 
 windows being on the east side, and one small arched 
 doorway on the west [c] communicating with the locu- 
 tory. The floor above was supported upon arches, of 
 the springers of which traces remain in the side walls. 
 
220 THE PRIORY. 
 
 The screen of wood probably extended across the hall in 
 a line just beyond the twelfth blind arch, from whence to 
 the southern entrance was a distance of 14 feet 6 inches, 
 constituting a sort of ante-hall to the dining-hall itself. 
 The southern entrance to this noble apartment consisted 
 of two handsome lofty arches, springing respectively 
 from the east and west sides, and resting upon a massy 
 pier in the centre, the basement of which still remains. 
 This opened into a narrow passage about nine feet in 
 width, conducting to the kitchen and other ofl&ces con- 
 nected therewith. 
 
 The whole apartment may be mentally restored, by 
 reference to the existing dining-halls in our great 
 Universities, and to those in some ancient manorial 
 residences. 
 
 The Rev. R. Forby, in his account of the ruins, conjec- 
 tures the entrance from the cloister, which we have 
 described as admitting us at once to the refectory, to 
 have opened into the buttery merely, and places the 
 screen a few feet in advance of it, supposing the present 
 opening, marked / on the plan, to have been the only 
 direct entrance from the cloister. But, with all deference 
 to the judgment of this able and experienced antiquary, 
 we have presumed to entertain a different opinion, and 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 221 
 
 we will give a brief statement of our reasons for adopting 
 the arrangement which we have preferred. 
 
 Upon a close examination of the opening (f,) we were 
 led to conclude that originally this was no entrance-way 
 at all, but like the lavatory, a passage forced by the early 
 spoliators of the fane. A close inspection of the interior 
 of the arch will show traces of stucco abruptly curving 
 downwards at little more than half the width of the wall. 
 On the west or external side it will be seen that there is 
 no indication whatever of a stone archway, such as may 
 be clearly traced in every other instance where a doorway 
 or even a blind arch existed. On the contrary, there are 
 evident tokens of an opening having been /orc^6^ here, the 
 comparative thinness of the wall offering considerable 
 facilities for the removal of the material. This will be 
 found to have been indubitably the case with the imme- 
 diately adjoining entrance to the locutory \_g\. Upon 
 removing the soil on a level with the floor to this point, 
 no trace whatever was observed of a doorway, but a plain 
 fragment of stone forming a portion of the arch, which 
 here curved uniformly with the prevailing decoration of 
 the apartment. In short, it appears to have been simply 
 a recess, possibly for the reception of some article of 
 furniture answering to our modern sideboard or beaufet. 
 
222 THE PRIORY. 
 
 Supposing this aperture to have been the entrance, and 
 the screen to have occupied the place assigned to it by 
 Mr. Forby, it would surely be strange that the entrance 
 to so limited a space as that comprised between the 
 screen and the north wall should be of the enriched 
 character which the remains plainly indicate it to have 
 possessed, whilst the immediate approach to the refectory 
 from the cloister was left perfectly plain — nay, even 
 unsightly ! Again ; if the buttery had been here, as con- 
 jectured by Mr. Forby, it was placed at a most incon- 
 venient distance from the kitchen and similar offices — 
 nay, even cut off from all communication with them, 
 unless we suppose the opposite opening on the east side 
 to have been a doorway into the small yard to the east 
 of the refectory, of which there is no indication what- 
 ever. Now, by removing the screen to the quarter we 
 have supposed to be its locality, we have a dining-hall 
 of considerable length, with an anti-hall (which might 
 have served as a buttery) directly communicating with 
 the kitchen and offices, and readily accessible at all times 
 to the servants without occasioning them to pass through 
 the entire length of the hall, which must otherwise have 
 been the case. There is obviously considerable difficulty 
 in determining this point, nor are these suggestions 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 223 
 
 offered with any view to speak absolutely, but, upon a 
 careful review of the circumstances, we are disposed to 
 beheve that we have adopted the most plausible con- 
 jecture. 
 
 THE LOCUTORY [D]. 
 This is a small apartment to the west of the refectory, 
 
 having an entrance from it [^] and another doorway 
 [^] opening into the south side of the cloister. The 
 purposes of this room corresponded in some respects with 
 those of our modern Combination Rooms, w^here the 
 monks retired after meals and joined in social conver- 
 sation. Indeed, social chat was allowed here when, in 
 conformity with the rigid Cluniac rules, silence was 
 generally enjoined in other places, and the locutory was 
 an indispensable feature in a Cluniac establishment. 
 Du Cange informs us that in large foundations of this 
 order there were not less than three apartments of this 
 description. It may be thought that the present chamber 
 could scarcely have been of dimensions sufficient for the 
 purpose to which it was applied ; but a brief enumeration 
 of the regulations which had reference to it, and which, 
 like everything connected with the Cluniacs, bears the 
 stamp of singularity, wiU serve to remove such an 
 
224 THE priohy. 
 
 impression. The Prior, the Sub-Prior, and the other 
 officials of the establishment, might at any time assemble 
 in the locutory on matters of business, but the claustral 
 monks were not permitted to do so indiscriminately. Of 
 these, rarely more than four were allowed to be present 
 at one time, and they not to remain long ; servants who 
 might be summoned were never allowed to sit down, and 
 no stranger could at any time be introduced. When 
 one party had conversed for a short time, they made way 
 for others ; and thus a comparatively small space sufficed 
 for the purposes of such an apartment. 
 
 The indications of a floor above show that this apart- 
 ment was surmounted by a chamber of corresponding 
 dimensions, which Mr. Forby ingeniously supposes to 
 have been the scriptorium, with a door of communication 
 on the west, conducting to a spacious apartment over the 
 hall on the south side of the cloister, to be hereafter 
 noticed. 
 
 THE OFFICES. 
 
 Repassing the refectory to the narrow passage at its 
 
 southern extremity [A], and proceeding to the east, we 
 
 arrive at the site of the kitchen, brewery, bakehouse, and 
 
 domestic offices attached to the establishment [E E], 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. ^26 
 
 comprising that portion which was appropriated to the 
 use of the servitors and lay brethren. The ruin here is 
 so entire that very little remains • save an irregular line 
 of foundation, serving to mark the extent of the buildings, 
 but affording no indication of their appropriation, unless 
 the traces of what apparently was an extensive flue just 
 visible above the soil on the south side be considered as 
 determining the situation of the kitchen in this quarter, 
 A narrow yard appears to have intervened between these 
 offices, the east side of the refectory, and the south-east 
 corner of the chapter-room, from whence there was a 
 door of communication already noticed, thus affording 
 ready access to the domestics to any quarter where their 
 services might be required. It is greatly to be regretted 
 that the extremely dilapidated state of the building in 
 this quarter deprives us of much that might prove 
 curious in the domestic economy of the fraternity ; but 
 the conspicuous position they occupied, as well as the 
 comparative facility they afforded to the operations of 
 the pickaxe, rendered them an early object of destruction. 
 Much has even disappeared since 1810, when Mr. For by 's 
 plan was published. From the fragments that remain 
 it is obvious that the architectural character of this 
 portion of the building was of a kind far less massy, and 
 
22G THE PRIORY. 
 
 of a date considerably later than the better preserved 
 portions of the remains, probably coeval with the choir 
 and side chapel of the church. 
 
 LONG ROOM TO THE SOUTH. 
 
 The domestic buildings of the establishment terminate 
 to the south of the refectory with a long apartment [F] 
 running east and west, in length 90 feet, by 19 feet 
 6 inches in breadth, inclusive of the cells to be noticed 
 presently. 
 
 The purpose of this long chamber, in some respects, 
 remains a matter of considerable doubt, although in one 
 particular its application we believe to be sufficiently 
 obvious. It was lighted by two windows only, one at 
 either extremity, and the floor rested upon a deep-vaulted 
 channel passing through the entire length of the building. 
 There were apparently but two doors of entrance to this 
 room, both from the passage to the south of the refec- 
 tory [hi, and the principal chamber of which we are 
 speaking, itself vaulted, was surmounted by a low loft of 
 the same length as the room beneath ; this might serve 
 simply as a store-chamber. Within rather more than 
 three feet of the south external wall of the building is an 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 227 
 
 interior wall of singular thickness, perforated by twelve 
 arched doorways opening to a similar number of once 
 separate cells, the appearance of which has tended some- 
 what to perplex the visitor. 
 
 Mr. Forby pronounces this apartment to have been the 
 cellar, ( ! ) and we are at liberty to infer that of course 
 the cells alluded to discharged the purpose of wine-bins ! 
 He draws this conclusion from the supposition, that on 
 account of its low situation and proximity to the river 
 Nar, the Priory could not have been furnished with a 
 cellar under ground ; and that from the studied manner 
 in which coolness, ventilation, and convenience of access 
 have obviously been consulted, no other locality presents 
 such probability as the present. We readily admit the 
 studied coolness, ventilation, and convenient access ; but 
 the inference we derive from these facts widely differs 
 from that of this able antiquary. 
 
 It certainly seems highly probable that the cellar was 
 not a sunken one, although, as there are no land springs 
 in the vicinity, it might have been depressed a few feet 
 below the usual level with perfect security ; but it is not 
 in this quarter that we must look for such a convenience, 
 and a little consideration of the remains will readily 
 suggest the purpose to which it was partially adapted. 
 
 q2 
 
228 THE PRIORY. 
 
 Upon examining the eastern gable of the ruin, two arches 
 will be observed, the larger one opening into the vaulted 
 channel already noticed ; the smaller arch a little to the 
 left of the former, communicating with a channel now 
 completely choked with earth and fallen ruin, but run- 
 ning immediately under the range of cells mentioned 
 above, as may be clearly ascertained from the small 
 corresponding arch at the western extremity of the 
 building. A shght examination of the surface of the 
 ground towards the east, will show that a stream of water 
 once flowed directly through these vaulted channels ; if 
 it were not the original bed of the adjacent river itself, at 
 least it constituted a branch of the stream, artificially 
 diverted in this direction. In all probability the bulk of 
 the stream was permitted to flow through the larger 
 channel only ; but, at stated periods, by means of some 
 contrivance analogous to a dam or floodgate, its course 
 could be directed through the lesser channel, when it 
 would scour its whole length with a degree of force pro- 
 portioned to its confined limits. It seems, then, that the 
 lesser passage served the purpose of a sewer, and the 
 cells above may readily be conceived to have been a 
 range of those indispensable conveniences which we 
 cannot suppose any establishment of this kind to have 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 229 
 
 been without. The long apartment into which the cells 
 open, may have been nothing more than a covered 
 ambulatory, well ventilated, and of obvious utility to the 
 frequenters of this region, especially during wet or 
 inclement weather ; while the extensive loft above could 
 be easily employed as a store-chamber, to which only its 
 dimensions seem to warrant it could be adapted. We 
 think that the coolness, ventilation, and convenience of 
 access, so obviously consulted in the construction of this 
 portion of the buildings, may be readily accounted for 
 on the above supposition. 
 
 THE NOVICE HALL. 
 Retracing our steps through the refectory, and re- 
 entering the cloister, we find its southern side (with the 
 exception of the entrance to the locutory in the east 
 angle) to be occupied by the unbroken wall of a long 
 apartment [G], the use of which is not now very 
 apparent, although the suggestion of Mr. Forby on the 
 subject seems the most plausible, and is that which we 
 prefer to adopt. He conjectures it to have been the Hall 
 of Novices, where those who were afterwards to take 
 upon them the monastic vows, and others who were 
 
230 THE PRIORY. 
 
 temporarily lodged in the establishment through motives 
 of policy or economy, many of whom were little more 
 than mere children, received regular instruction in the 
 learning of the times. The suggestion acquires consider- 
 able probability from the fact that the only entrance to 
 this chamber appears to have been in the south-western 
 angle of the cloister, so that access could at all times 
 be easily obtained to the novices, laymen, and pupils* 
 without in any degree intruding upon the privacy and 
 social rendezvous of the regular brethren of the estab- 
 lishment. Their sleeping apartments might have partly 
 occupied the area above, the remaining portion com- 
 prising the library of the house, from which was an 
 entrance into the scriptorium, noticed in another place. 
 
 A portion of a singular narrow-vaulted passage, con- 
 structed in the very thickness of the wall itself, and once 
 apparently continuing through its entire length, may 
 still be observed in the northern wall of this apartment. 
 The fragment that remains shows that no means of 
 egi-ess or regress existed to the east where the passage 
 abruptly terminates with solid wall on its three sides. 
 Light and the free circulation of the air were alike 
 excluded ; while toward its extremity the floor gradually 
 riseS;, so as effectually to prevent a tall person from 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 231 
 
 standing upright within the cell. We cannot suppose 
 this passage to have been an arcade similar to those 
 which circulate round the church, and the only purpose 
 to which it would seem to be applicable is that of 
 punishment or penance. It is well known that Abbeys, 
 Priories, and other conventual buildings had their prisons; 
 and in some instances these have been of a very formid- 
 able character, and placed in curious and unexpected 
 situations. We do not imagine the spot now under notice 
 to have been regarded exactly as a dungeon, but simply 
 as a place of minor or temporary punishment. Perhaps 
 some refractory pupil or dull student, occasionally, in 
 extreme cases may have been treated with a taste of " the 
 silent system " in " this black hole," with beneficial ad- 
 vantage to his wayward disposition or sluggish intellect. 
 The west side of the cloister now remains for a brief 
 notice, and is entirely flanked by buildings constituting 
 and in connexion with the Prior's lodge. There were 
 two entrances from the cloister to this portion of the 
 establishment; the one marked [^] in the plan, con- 
 tiguous to the church, opening into the waiting-hall of 
 the lodge, being for the admission of such of the frater- 
 nity and lay members as might have business with their 
 Superior ; — the other [m] being a private door of com- 
 
232 THE PRIORY. 
 
 muuication with the precincts, for the use of the Prior 
 himself, or his domestics. These are of course now 
 blocked up with modern materials, and externally de- 
 prived of their enrichments ; but their Norman construc- 
 tion is still apparent. 
 
 It may here be observed, that the basement story 
 throughout the existing remains of the Prior's lodge still 
 retains its perfect Norman character, while the upper 
 portions, having undergone considerable alteration and 
 repairs, and being in a great measure rebuilt, are the 
 work of the time of Henry VII. 
 
 The window surmounting the entrance lie] overlooking 
 the roof of the covered ambulatory on this side supplied 
 light to the private oratory of the worthy Superior, and 
 was doubtless filled with stained glass. The remaining 
 windows on this side belonged to chambers no longer in 
 existence, and the appropriation of which it is useless to 
 conjecture. 
 
 THE LODGE. 
 
 Quitting the cloister and passing to the west front of 
 
 the conventual Church, we find the Prior's lodge to 
 
 occupy a range of building protruding immediately at 
 
 right angles to the south-western tower of this sacred 
 
m 
 
 !h 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 233 
 
 edifice. It had two fronts, one to the north and the 
 other due west, the southern side communicating with 
 the Prior's private garden. The most conspicuous 
 features in the north front are an arched entrance of 
 communication to the waiting-hall already mentioned, 
 \_a] on the plan, and visible also in our illustration of 
 the west front of the church *. This entrance admitted 
 visitors from without who sought audience with the 
 Prior, and who thus obtained entrance without encroach- 
 ing upon the private resort of the fraternity. 
 
 The other object deserving of peculiar attention is a 
 capital specimen of an ancient bay-window, of admirable 
 simplicity and solidity of construction, and remarkable 
 for the singular manner in which it is supported, as it 
 were, by a cluster of diminishing arches nestled one 
 within the other. 
 
 At the western extremity of this wing of the building, 
 is another excellent specimen of an early English window, 
 of which the frame and muUions are stone, the lower 
 part presenting a corbel head, flanked on either side by 
 quatrefoil work, the whole being of the style prevalent in 
 the thirteenth century. The west part of the lodge is 
 broken by the projecting buildings of the modern house 
 
 * Vide Frontispiece. 
 
234 THE PRIORY. 
 
 attached to the Priory farm, many of the apartments of 
 which are incorporated with portions of the old structure, 
 and so altered as to have lost all trace of the purpose 
 for which they were originally planned. Some very 
 interesting specimens of art connected with the period 
 are, however, interspersed in the various chambers, and, 
 through the kindness of the occupier, visitors, upon 
 proper application, may gratify their curiosity by a sight 
 of the greater part of the remains which we are about to 
 particularise. 
 
 The doorway [«] opens into an apartment which we 
 have already mentioned as a waiting-hall or vestibule 
 [A]. The vaulting is plain and massy, and there are 
 three entrances — the one just noticed, a second communi- 
 cating with the cloister, and a third [J] connecting it 
 with a second hall [B], formerly the principal hall of 
 the establishment. The Norman doorways of the vesti- 
 bule are distinguished by ornamental beading of a simple 
 and somewhat rude character, indicating an indifferent 
 state of art, and probably coeval with the foundation itself. 
 Passing through the entrance p], we arrive at the great 
 Hall, a spacious and noble apartment, though now 
 divided into a brewhouse and cellar. The vaulting of 
 this apartment is of a more recent date than that of the 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 235 
 
 vestibule, being slightly pointed, and the ribs thinner 
 and less massy. A central pillar supported the floor 
 above, the ribs of the vault radiating from its summit. 
 
 On the right of the entrance is a piscina, or rather 
 recess for a holy-water stoup; an appendage which 
 occurring in another instance in this department of the 
 Priory, serves to show that some ceremony was expected 
 to be observed by those who were about to approach the 
 presence of the Superior. The hall in question termi- 
 nated the basement range of this wing of the building, 
 and access was had to the upper or habitable apartments 
 by means of a vaulted passage opening into the hall, and 
 a stone stair on the side of the cloister, indicated in the 
 plan, but now completely destroyed. 
 
 From this point the ancient remains are so completely 
 incorporated with the details of the modern establish- 
 ment, and have necessarily sustained such subdivision 
 and alteration, as to render hopeless any attempt to de- 
 fine the method and extent of the original structure. A 
 mere outline is all that it is possible to furnish, and this 
 can be best conveyed by reference to the plan, which em- 
 braces as much as can be traced of the old foundation, 
 although a glance will show that much is wanting to 
 preserve the uniformity that once doubtless prevailed in 
 
236 
 
 THE PRIORY. 
 
 the orignal plan. The interruption caused by the pro- 
 jection of the modern buildings renders it extremely dif- 
 ficult for the casual visitor to trace the form of the 
 lodge as it was originally planned ; but a frequent and 
 careful examination of the site enables us to convey, by 
 a simple diagram, some idea of its outline. The principal 
 fa9ade was to the west ; and from a central point in that 
 direction, the lodge would have presented an outline 
 somewhat to this effect, — 
 
 R 
 
 P 
 
 Here R will represent the right wing, containing the 
 vestibule and hall already noticed, with chambers above ; 
 L, the left wing, now in great part gone ; and P, a project- 
 ing porch, if it may so be called, with chambers above, 
 the windows of which are still extant. 
 
 Reverting then to our plan, the next portion of the 
 basement which still retains distinctive features is the 
 central portion of the western fa9ade, marked [C] 
 This, again, appears to have been nothing more than 
 a hall, and from its situation was probably reserved for 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 237 
 
 the use of the Prior and such occasional visitors as might 
 rank among his distinguished or private friends. Indeed, 
 from all that we gather on a close examination of the 
 site, it would seem that the basement plan was wholly 
 taken up with halls, passages, and other accessories 
 connected with the domestic economy of the establish- 
 ment, the reception rooms and other apartments in the 
 use of the Prior occupying the story immediately above. 
 Upon this supposition alone can we account for the 
 recurrence of vaulted chambers which, from their arrange- 
 ment, were clearly not habitable apartments. The cen- 
 tral hall, then, of which we are now speaking, is entered 
 from the west through an entrance obviously of the 
 time of Henry VII. when probably this projecting portion 
 was erected. This part of the hall is now used as a 
 kitchen; and immediately fronting the entrance, ter- 
 minating the kitchen in that direction, is a vast, simple, 
 and bold semicircular arch, springing from short columns, 
 and indicating a fragment of the original Norman struc- 
 ture not to be mistaken. The arch in question is now, 
 with the exception of a small doorway, filled up by 
 modern masonry. The doorway alluded to admits us to 
 a second portion of the hall, now fitted up and used as a 
 dairy. Here the work around us is obviously Norman of 
 
238 THE PRIORY. 
 
 a very bold and striking description, and so characteristic 
 of that peculiar style of art that we have selected the 
 apartment as the subject of the accompanying illlustra- 
 tion, which conveys a faithful transcript of the massy but 
 graceful appearance of the intersecting ribs. The 
 modern doorway in the immediate centre is the entrance 
 from the kitchen, to the right of which, or on the left of 
 the drawing, is an entrance-way of remarkable and 
 unusual form, now blocked up. The outline of this sin- 
 gular door bears a striking resemblance to the interior 
 of a stone sarcophagus, excepting that the sides are 
 strictly perpendicular to the floor, instead of converging 
 towards the feet as in the latter case ; from its situation 
 it appears to have been a communication from this hall 
 to the lower apartments and left wing of the lodge. 
 In the latter direction it is impossible to trace the 
 original structure any further; part of the wing has 
 disappeared, and the rest has undergone such complicated 
 division from repeated alterations as to lose all trace of 
 its identity. The site, therefore, is only generally marked 
 on the plan [D]. 
 
 With respect to the basement plan, it still remains to 
 observe that a small court-yard occurs between the great 
 and the central halls [C], now known as the Pump- 
 
■s^' 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 239 
 
 court. This was always an open space, as evidently 
 appears from the external range of the buildings that 
 surround it ; but the adjoining space between this court 
 and the cloister [c?], now open, was once covered by 
 apartments, of which only the stone window-frames and 
 stanchels remain. In the court there is one object 
 deserving of especial notice, and that is a capitally- 
 preserved specimen of a Norman buttress, in the situation 
 marked [e]. The buttress runs to a considerable height, 
 is uniformly straight, and has on its surface a half 
 pilaster surmounted by a plain capital and abacus. 
 Immediately opposite to this, and strongly contrasting 
 with it, is a heavy buttress of much later date, and the 
 juxta-position of these two affords an unusual opportunity 
 of comparing the effect of the different styles. The 
 verdict wiU doubtless be in favour of the lightness and 
 simplicity of the former ; but it should be remembered 
 that buttresses were very sparingly employed in Norman 
 work, the massy character of their structures rendering 
 them quite independent of such extraneous aid, and they 
 were introduced more for the sake of breaking the 
 uniformity of a plain superficies than with any view 
 to adding strength to the wall. Buttresses at a later 
 period were literally intended as supports, and partake 
 
240 THE PRIORY. 
 
 of the ponderous character necessary for such a 
 purpose. 
 
 But, quitting our sketch of the basement, we turn 
 to the inspection of certain remaining apartments consti- 
 tuting the entire story of the right wing, which, from 
 their comparative state of preservation, have always 
 awakened considerable interest. Of these a separate 
 plan is given. 
 
 These apartments, now two in number, and serving the 
 purposes of a corn-chamber, were originally divided into 
 three, the present approach to them being by a modem 
 stair from the exterior, and a doorway forced through the 
 recess of a window of the fifteenth century, marked [/] 
 on the plan. This admits the visitor into an apartment 
 [E] formerly divided into two at something less than half 
 its entire length by a partition of stud-work and hard 
 cement, removed some years since, and now leaving but 
 slender indications of its existence. The portion of the 
 chamber in which we immediately stand [E] was 
 obviously a bed-room, in all probability that of the 
 Prior himself It was approached through a narrow 
 passage and low pointed doorway in its south-west 
 corner, and was lighted by the single windoAV through 
 which the modern entrance is carried. An ample hearth 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 241 
 
 of the period of Henry VII. exists on the west side of 
 the room, formerly bordered by an elaborate carving of 
 foliage and flowers relieved by a deep flute, coloured 
 scarlet, similar to another hearth in the adjoining apart- 
 ment to be noticed presently. The carving, however, in 
 both cases, we lament to say, has disappeared through 
 the wanton curiosity of relic hunters among the visitors 
 who have occasionally been admitted to the rooms. 
 Fond of sight-seeing as we English are, there is certainly 
 in the generality a strange development of the organ of 
 destructiveness, wherever it can be humoured without 
 attracting observation at the time. 
 
 A door in the partition wall, a little to the left of the 
 present entrance, opened into the second apartment [F], 
 which, there is abundant evidence to show, was the 
 Prior's private oratory or chapel ; thus confirming the 
 impression that the bedroom which communicated with 
 it was wont to be occupied by that worthy functionary 
 himself Rather more than a third of the apartment, 
 towards the east end, is raised one step from the level of 
 the adjoining floor; and here the rough outline of the 
 altar still exists, surmounted by a pointed early English 
 window, originally filled with stained glass. The chapel 
 was still further lighted by a window on the north side, 
 
242 THE PRIORY. 
 
 corresponding, in size and appearance, with that of the 
 adjoining bedchamber. The flooring of this and the other 
 apartments consisted of small red brick neatly and com- 
 pactly laid, as the remaining portions in this quarter 
 suffice to show. The raised portion of the chamber, 
 together with the altar, is comprised within a recess 
 formed by a large and bold Norman arch bordered by a 
 bead-omament, the upper part of which is partially 
 concealed by the more' recent roof or ceiling. From this 
 it appears that the eastern extremity of this chapel is 
 part of the original foundation, not having been mate- 
 rially altered or disturbed when the other portions of the 
 upper story were rebuilt by Prior Winchilsea, temj>. 
 Henry VII. In the north corner, immediately contiguous 
 to this arch, is a door of entrance to the spiral stair that 
 admitted the Prior into the body of the church ; and close 
 above it is the heraldic shield of England in the time of 
 Henry VI. emblazoned in colours. A similar shield, at 
 the corresponding extremity of the arch on the south 
 side, presents the armorial bearings of De Warrenne, 
 simple or and azure cheque, also emblazoned in the 
 proper colours. Along the east wall, above, and on 
 either side of the altar, are evident traces of an elaborate 
 painting, representing pinnacled canopies and shrine- 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 
 
 243 
 
 work, surmounted by what appears to have been an 
 inscription of which it is not possible now to recognise a 
 single letter. On 
 the north wall, 
 immediately con- 
 tiguous to the 
 arched recess, is 
 a canopied seat 
 of stone, richly 
 crocketed, and 
 fashioned in the 
 
 style of the thir- vj^ 
 teenth century. Jj 
 The annexed illus- |lfp^ 
 tration presents a | 
 faithful represent- '? 
 ation of this en- 
 riched piece of 
 work, and em- 
 braces a fragment 
 of the great arch of the recess, together with the shield 
 of De Warrenne previously mentioned. This seat is 
 popularly called a Confessional, and it may doubtless 
 have been employed for that purpose by the Prior, in his 
 
 R 2 
 
244 l-HE PRIORY. 
 
 audience with such of the brethren as would repair to 
 him for the purpose of making a clean breast of it ; but 
 in its situation and character it rather indicates a sellium 
 for the use of the Superior, whilst his officiating chaplain 
 celebrated mass at the adjoining altar, and corresponds 
 with the sellia so frequent in the south wall of our 
 chancels, although the subordinate seats are wanting in 
 a private oratory. The course of the partition wall, as 
 indicated in the plan, will show that this chapel could be 
 approached at any time without interfering with the 
 adjacent bedroom; and a separate doorway, communi- 
 cating with a narrow passage, apparent from the ruined 
 court below, demonstrates that a distinct way existed to 
 this apartment from the halls and cloister whenever 
 occasion might require. The roof or ceiling, which 
 extends over the whole range of apartments, presents a 
 pleasing specimen of the style prevalent in the domestic 
 architecture of the period. It consists of a uniform 
 series of well-proportioned principals, inclining with a 
 gentle slope from a central rib to the side-walls, the 
 intervals being filled with small planks, the material of 
 the whole being oak and sweet chesnut. The entire 
 ceiling was ornamented with the well-known cognizance 
 of the united houses of York and Lancaster, disposed in 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 245 
 
 regular lines on the principals and pannels, a red and a 
 white rose alternating at intervals of two or three inches. 
 A short sprig and leaf are attached to each flower, and 
 many of them may still be traced by the visitor, when 
 his eye becomes accustomed to the uncertain light in the 
 chamber. The flower is the simple Tudor rose, the 
 centre in every instance being highly gilt, the petals 
 painted in bright body colour. In its original state the 
 effect of this simple decoration must have been eminently 
 pleasing, the bright eye and brilliant colour of the flowers 
 contrasting agreeably with the natural dark ground of 
 the wood. The wood pannelling of the partition-wall, 
 part of which still existed in Mr. Forby's time, was, as 
 we learn on the authority of that gentleman, similarly 
 decorated; and though other evidence were wanting, 
 this circumstance alone would serve to establish the 
 period when the upper portions of the lodge were 
 rebuilt. 
 
 Quitting these apartments through an opening forced, 
 of late years, in the thick wall, we enter the chamber 
 [G], commonly designated as the Prior's dining-room. 
 Though disposed rather to consider it as a reception- 
 room, or audience-chamber, if we may suppose the Prior 
 to have been dignified with one, we cannot fail to be 
 
246 THE PRIORY. 
 
 struck with its superior dimensions and appearance. 
 The light in this apartment was abundantly supplied 
 from the north by the handsome and characteristic bay- 
 window which we noticed from the outside, and from 
 the west by the projecting square window also previously 
 noticed. Both these windows were partially, if not 
 wholly, filled with painted glass, of which several frag- 
 ments remained in Blomefield's time, who notices them ; 
 nothing of the kind, however, now exists. In the north- 
 west corner is a low pointed doorway^, from which it is 
 supposed there has been a flight of steps, connecting it 
 with the external ground, and thus affording an easy 
 mode of access to persons desirous of an interview with 
 the Superior, on matters connected with the temporal or 
 spiritual concerns of the foundation. But as, upon the 
 face of it, this arrangement seems somewhat opposed to 
 the notion of security and privacy which is apparent in 
 all the other details of the establishment, we venture to 
 hazard another conjecture respecting the use of this 
 door, which we imagine to be supported by a circum- 
 stance that, under other suppositions, it is difiicult to 
 explain. It will be observed, that immediately to the 
 right of this doorway [ ^ ] there is a recess for a holj^- 
 water stoup of rather unusual dimensions. It is not 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 247 
 
 clearly apparent why such an appendage should exist 
 within the walls of the Prior's apartment, if the door was 
 a mere entrance ; but may it not in reality have opened 
 upon a simple balcony, or contrivance of that kind, apart 
 from the ground, from which, upon particular occasions 
 of festival, or otherwise, the Prior himself might address 
 or give his benediction to the assembled crowd of 
 pilgrims, wayfarers, and people who had just left the 
 church, accompanying the act with a plentiful lustration 
 of consecrated water from the adjoining stoup ? Or was 
 the recess nothing more than a lavatory for the Prior's 
 use ? We venture the suggestion with extreme deference, 
 and solely from an unwillingness to suppose that a com- 
 munication with the ground ever existed in this direction. 
 From the external appearance of the building, it is clear 
 that an entrance of some kind has been here, but it is 
 equally clear at a glance that the work is modern. If a 
 solid stair did once exist, surely some trace of it might 
 be detected, but there is nothing of the kind. It is true 
 that in Forby's time the only entrance to the chambers 
 we are examining was through the doorway in question, 
 but he himself expressly tells us that access was had to 
 it by means of a simple ladder. This has been long since 
 'removed, the entrance blocked up, and the present one 
 
248 THE PRIORY. 
 
 constructed, as we have already described. Besides, 
 such an entrance as is supposed would surely have been 
 an unsightly blot on the symmetry and uniformity of 
 the building; and upon the whole we cannot forbear 
 inclining to the suggestion we have thus intimated. The 
 solution of the difficulty is not a matter of moment 
 either way ; but if the latter idea be coiTcct, it certainly 
 presents us with a singular feature in the arrangement 
 of this Cluniac foundation. 
 
 An arched entrance in the south-west corner [/i], at 
 present concealed from view by the stud-work of a 
 modern closet built into the chamber, communicated 
 with the interior of the lodge, and a similar doorway in 
 the south-east angle [i], blocked up but still visible, 
 opened into the passage connected with the bedroom, 
 chapel, and stair leading to the halls. Contiguous to this 
 latter entrance is a corbel-head in stone, so admirably 
 preserved, and of such finished workmanship, that we 
 have given an illustration of it at the end of this section. 
 It represents an angel with extended wings, clad in 
 ' chain-armour, and playing upon a cithern, in every 
 respect resembling the modern guitar. As this really 
 interesting specimen of art might easily escape observa- 
 tion, from its position in an obscure corner, unless 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 249 
 
 attention were expressly directed to it : its place is 
 indicated in the plan \_k']. On the east side is a spacious 
 hearth, the counterpart of that previously described in 
 the adjoining bedchamber, the chimney being common 
 to both. 
 
 We have thus enumerated the most prominent features 
 in these interesting remnants of a by-gone age, and with 
 them we terminate our survey of the Prior's lodge. 
 Although we have studied to render the detail as clear 
 and comprehensive as possible, we are sensible that to 
 the uninitiated reader there must be an apparent confu- 
 sion in the account which no caution could entirely 
 obviate. The intermixture of ruin and repeated modern 
 alteration have so effectually dispersed the fragments, or 
 obliterated the features of the original structure, as to 
 render impracticable, or nearly so, any attempt at a 
 systematic arrangement of the details, and nothing but 
 the assistance of a plan could enable the visitor to obtain 
 a general idea of the edifice as it was originally planned. 
 The reader will have seen, however, that there is much 
 to gratify curiosity ; and indeed, viewed as a whole, we 
 question whether any similar remains of the period, so 
 strongly marked and defined, exist to a like extent in 
 the kingdom. There may be isolated chambers extant 
 
250 THE PRIORY. 
 
 of a far superior order, but the observation extends to 
 the whole structure, and with reference to the class to 
 which the foundation belongs. It is this circumstance 
 which has attached so strong a degree of interest to the 
 remains at Castleacre, and it must ever be a subject of 
 regret to the antiquary that a greater degree of care has 
 not been exercised in their preservation. For instance, 
 in the arrangement of the dwelling for the modern pur- 
 poses of the Priory farm, very much of that which is 
 now bare ruin might have been retained, without im- 
 pairing the original features of the edifice, or having 
 recourse to the unsightly excrescence that now destroys 
 the symmetrical outline of the old structure. The 
 chambers of which we have just been speaking, in 
 especial, might have been restored in all their original 
 freshness at a comparatively trifling cost, and rendered 
 beautiful and most comfortable apartments for family 
 residence. But the age in which these modern alterations 
 were first made was not a period conspicuous for parti- 
 cular veneration of by-gone days, or of feeling for ancient 
 art ; and it is only within the last half-century that a 
 spirit has been kindled, happily increasing, in behalf of 
 the works and imaginings of our stern ancestors. The 
 fragments that are left to us are preserved with studious 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 251 
 
 care, and a feeling of admiration has superseded that of 
 idle curiosity. The architect and the artist turn with 
 avidity to these ancient stores ; and modern art, with all 
 its combined resovirces and advantages, has pride in 
 re-embodying the creations of an earlier epoch. 
 
 THE PRECINCTS. 
 Connected with the lodge, on its southern side, we 
 may reasonably suppose was the Prior's private garden, 
 and the site is still devoted to a similar purpose. It is 
 curious enough that within this garden there yet stands a 
 magnificent pear-tree, traditionally known to the inmates 
 of the Priory for many long years past as " the Prior's 
 pear." The tree is lofty, spreading, and evidently of 
 great age, though it flourishes with unimpaired vigour, 
 and bears abundantly year after year ; the fruit is small, 
 and of the class distinguished as kitchen-pears. When 
 simply stewed in water, it eats deliciously without 
 requiring the aid of sugar. Now, without venturing to 
 suppose that this venerable tree is a veritable remnant 
 of the original garden in this place, it may be readily 
 allowed that it is the legitimate offspring of some favourite 
 stock that once flourished upon or near the spot. The 
 
252 THE PRIORY. 
 
 very name indicates its origin, and its presence is suffi- 
 cient to establish the locahty of the garden. It was 
 inclosed by a wall, some portion of which may be traced 
 on the east side. 
 
 With reference to the greater portion of the conventual 
 inclosure extreme uncertainty necessarily prevails. After 
 the dissolution and the subsequent disposal of the pro- 
 perty, the characteristic features of the extensive area 
 inclosed within the surrounding walls were speedily 
 obliterated, to make way for the humbler purposes to 
 which the land was then applied, and, save an indication 
 not to be mistaken in one or two spots, probability is all 
 that we can attempt to urge on the subject. The space 
 inclosed within the walls, we have previously observed, 
 comprised about thirty-six acres, of which but a com- 
 paratively small portion was occupied by the conventual 
 buildings. Adjoining the church, to the north and east, 
 was a cemetery ; bones in considerable quantities having 
 been disinterred there at various times. North of this, 
 and to the verge of the boundary, may have been a grove, 
 or cover of underwood, and to he east and south of the 
 cemetery an orchard. Below this, and on the gentle 
 slope of the hill to the south, sheltered from the keen 
 winds, we would place the vineyard; an appendage 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 253 
 
 which, however it may startle the reader at the present 
 day, there is no question was attached to every rehgious 
 foundation of any importance. The cultivation of the 
 vine, to a considerable extent, in this country at an earlier 
 period of its history, is a fact now universally recognised, 
 and the art was practised with great success by the 
 monastics, whose well-stored cellars were mainly supplied 
 from fruit of domestic growth, which, although it might 
 not in point of quality compete with the rich produce of 
 foreign lands, was yet of an excellence that modern 
 experiments have failed to attain. It will be seen that 
 "vineyards" are expressly named in the deed of sur- 
 render, as part of the possessions of this foundation, and 
 one of them at least must have been within the precinct. 
 Connected with this, and covering an extensive tract to 
 the south-east and south, was the general garden of the 
 establishment, comprising, amid a profuse variety of 
 fruits of foreign as well as native kinds, several commo- 
 dious stew-ponds, deriving abundant supply of water 
 from the neighbouring stream, and well stocked with the 
 finny tribe, so essential to the wants of a monastic frater- 
 nity. These stew-ponds have been filled up only within 
 the present century, and their outline may still occa- 
 sionally be traced by a practised eye. Gardening, it is 
 
254 THE PRIORY. 
 
 well known, was a constant resource of the inmates of a 
 monastery, and in the Cluniac discipline it was even a 
 part of duty. To the attention and skill of the religious 
 we owe the introduction of many now familiar fruits, as 
 well as the preservation of several indigenous varieties, 
 whose excellence might have been lost to us for ever, 
 through the neglect and indifference of a rude and unlet- 
 tered age ; and the modern horticulturist, revelling in 
 the perfection to which skill and enlarged science, under 
 the blessing of a bountiful Providence, have enabled him 
 to bring the teeming produce of the earth, but little 
 dreams for how much of his enjoyment he is indebted to 
 the watchful and patient care of the poor secluded monk. 
 The gardens of religious houses were, in short, the nur- 
 series of an infant science, and in this respect alone 
 claim to be regarded with interest. 
 
 On the south-west and western sides of the inclosure 
 we may suppose the cows, and other stock, retained 
 for the use of the fraternity, roamed in suitable pastures. 
 There are in this direction several extensive remains 
 obviously connected with the foundation, but in so 
 ruinous a condition as to baffle all attempt to define 
 their peculiar uses with precision. The most probable 
 supposition is that they were stables and out-buildings 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 255 
 
 of that nature, together with a hostelry for the reception 
 of strangers and wayfarers who might claim hospitality 
 from the worthy brethren, but whose rank or situation in 
 life would not entitle them to reception in the lodge 
 itself. Some provision of this kind for the lowly pil- 
 grims was usual, and the proverbial bounty of the 
 Cluniacs would render them subject to a frequent suc- 
 cession of such visitors. There is here a long ruin, 220 
 ft. by 21, that we are disposed to believe formed a portion 
 of this structure. Its situation is sufficiently remote 
 from the general buildings of the establishment to secure 
 its inmates against the chance of interruption whilst it 
 was at the same time within the observation of the 
 Superior. It is, however, useless to speculate in a 
 matter of so much uncertainty, and we can only incline 
 to the most probable supposition. Mr. Forby, it is true, 
 places the hostelry in a far different situation, namely, in 
 immediate connexion with the lodge, but there does not 
 appear to be any decided rule in the matter, and when 
 we consider the purposes to which such a building was 
 usually applied, somewhat resembling the freedom of an 
 inn, (though under certain positive restrictions,) ample 
 reason will be found to reject the supposition. We 
 have frequently and carefully examined the site to 
 
256 THE PRIORY. 
 
 which Ave give the preference, and the impression has 
 strengthened on every visit. Be it as it may, the 
 remains in this quarter are certainly deserving of more 
 attention than usually fall to their share from the 
 superior importance of the adjacent ruin, and at some 
 future period more decisive light may be thrown upon 
 the subject. 
 
 THE GRANGE. 
 
 It is with a regret which none but a zealous anti- 
 quary perhaps can rightly appreciate, that we are 
 compelled to speak in the past tense of one of the most 
 interesting remains of a by-gone age, a considerable 
 portion of which was standing so late as the summer of 
 1838, within the monastic inclosure. The Old Priory 
 Barn has totally disappeared, and its actual site is 
 now partially occupied by a kindred structure of recent 
 completion. 
 
 It ranged due east and west within a few yards of the 
 south-western angle of the great entrance to the 
 precinct, and externally presented nothing very remark- 
 able in its appearance except the unusual length and 
 prolonged pitch of the roof, which imparted to it the 
 appearance of a low building, whereas it was in fact of 
 

 © 
 
 y 
 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 257 
 
 considerable height. The total length somewhat exceeded 
 160 ft., of which about 60 ft. was comparatively modern, 
 a considerable portion of the original building having 
 fallen early in the last century. There is no doubt that 
 the structure originally was of much greater length than 
 this, as it is said there were no less than eleven bays 
 connected with it. A space, however, of nearly 100 
 feet of the building remained precisely in its primitive 
 condition, (with the exception of occasional renovations 
 of its huge thatch,) and internally the effect was curious 
 and striking. 
 
 The accompanying illustration will convey more 
 effectually than a mere verbal account an idea of the 
 appearance of the interior of this venerable grange at a 
 time when it could, of course, be viewed to the best 
 advantage, free from corn. The drawing was made 
 by our excellent friend and coadjutor, in the summer of 
 1838, within a few days of the dilapidation of the 
 original, and is a most faithful representation of its 
 curious and picturesque interior. 
 
 It will be seen that a regular design pervades the 
 disposition of the huge supports and beams that consti- 
 tute the frame- work of the barn, partaking somewhat of 
 the character of a dining-hall of the olden time, or 
 
258 THE PRIORY. 
 
 of the rough outline of a conventual church. Supporting 
 columns, consisting of massy timbers of oak and ash, 
 ten in number, were ranged five on each side, at a 
 distance of eight feet from the lateral walls, thus 
 forming spaces to the north and south corresponding 
 with the analogous aisles of a church, an intermediate 
 width of twenty-two feet answering to the nave. The 
 supporting columns were united over the intermediate 
 space at a height of twenty-two feet from the floor, 
 by huge beams, above which again rose arches and 
 spars of wood to the summit, the entire distance from 
 the ground to the ridge of the roof not being less than 
 thirty-eight feet. Now it appears that the side walls did 
 not exceed a height of twelve feet, and from this 
 elevation sprung the roof, presenting a vast superficies of 
 thatch gradually sloping to a pitch of thirty-two feet on 
 each side, where they ultimately met. The internal 
 breadth of the barn between the lateral walls was thirty- 
 eight feet. Upon examining the details, the method 
 pursued in the erection of this grange became at once 
 apparent. It seems that the entire frame-work of timber 
 had been put together in the first place, presenting a 
 huge skeleton of the future edifice, the intervals between 
 the extreme lateral supports being afterwards filled up 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 259 
 
 with squared blocks of chalk, of which the whole internal 
 wall was composed, while externally a uniform casing of 
 the usual material, rough flint, combining strength and 
 solidity, was added. As a whole, and considering the 
 extreme rarity of conventual barns existing in so com- 
 plete a state, it is much to be lamented that the removal 
 of the curious structure was deemed necessary, but 
 independently of the extremely ticklish condition of the 
 upper portions of the roof, its vast dimensions rendered 
 it very inconvenient for the modern purposes of the farm 
 with which it was connected. In its palmy days it 
 doubtless was made the depository of good store of tithe 
 from the neighbouring lands, as well as of the produce of 
 its own, but now a building of diminished proportions 
 has been found more serviceable for the latter purpose. 
 To present at one view the dimensions of this ancient 
 repository of the fruits of the earth, we subjoin a state- • 
 ment of measurements taken at the time. 
 
 FEET. 
 
 Total external length of the barn, as it existed in May 
 
 1838 160 
 
 Internal length of the oldest portion . . . . ] 00 
 
 Breadth of ditto 38 
 
 Perpendicular height 38 
 
 Ditto to the transverse beams . . . . .22 
 
 Height of side walls . . . . . . . 12 
 
 s2 
 
260 THE PRIORY. 
 
 On the extreme verge of the precinct, at its north-east 
 angle, standing in triviis, was a small chapel, apparently 
 of the fourteenth century, having a pointed window to 
 the east, and neatly chequered with alternate blocks of 
 stone and squared flint. The dimensions of this little 
 shrine do not exceed 12 feet by 8, and this appears to 
 have been the entire size of the building. It is not easy 
 to say what might be the motive that prompted the con- 
 struction of a miniature fane in such a situation, or to 
 what peculiar purpose it was devoted. It is matter of 
 history that, about the period to which we assign the 
 structure, a peculiar jealousy existed between the regular 
 and secular clergy, and the monastics and the parish 
 priests were severally emulous to render the altars at 
 which they respectively served objects of attraction to 
 the devout and superstitious. It may have been here 
 that the increasing attraction of the altars in the 
 adjacent parish church disturbed the equanimity of the 
 worthy brethren of the Priory, and led them to place a 
 chapelry at the junction of three roads, to serve as a foil 
 to the splendours of the altars of St. James, St. Bennet, 
 and Our Lady. We would not willingly impute such 
 narrowness of mind to the wealthy and independent 
 Cluniacs, and would fain hope that a worthier motive 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 261 
 
 prompted the contrivance, but it must ever remain a 
 mystery. The probability is that, in reality, it was a 
 chauntry commemorative of, or the pious work of, some 
 benefactor. It is now occupied as a cottage, and 
 possesses no trace of its original destination in the 
 interior. From the garden of this cottage the visitor 
 may obtain the pretty bird's-eye view of the remains 
 represented at the head of the preceding section, p. 119. 
 
 Before we pass away from an inclosure so replete with 
 food for reflection to all who love to linger over scenes 
 that once occupied a prominent position in our social 
 community, but are now fast fading into oblivion, there 
 are one or two matters connected with the Priory which 
 it behoves us to notice. 
 
 An impression pretty universally prevails with 
 reference to the remains of such ancient structures, that 
 an elaborate and careful search among them would be 
 repaid by the discovery of some object of extraordinary 
 worth or interest. We imagine not. Bearing in mind 
 the real motives of the great mover in the dissolution of 
 religious houses, subtilely and plausibly as they were 
 veiled, we may be sure that nothing of important or 
 intrinsic value was likely to escape the rigid investi- 
 gation of the commissioners, selected as they were from 
 
262 THE PRIORY. 
 
 the most devoted or most fawning of the regal adherents. 
 In the case before us, there is indisputable evidence of 
 the stripping of the vessel before it was abandoned as a 
 wreck to the elements, and little more than what actually 
 now remains could descend to the future possessors of 
 the site. But if anything of moment did escape the 
 scrutiny, what would be its fate at thehands of subse- 
 quent masters ? — If they were attached to the former 
 mode of faith, whilst they deplored the ruin it was 
 beyond their power to retrieve, they would be careful to 
 remove the venerated relic to some more secure and 
 congenial resting-place. If they were warmed with the 
 fresh and fervid spirit of the Reformation, or indifferent 
 to either party, its destruction would in any case ensue ; 
 so that we cannot suppose that any modern search, 
 undertaken with the view to reap substantial advantage 
 from it, would issue in success. But with the antiquary 
 the case is different. A coin, a fragment of orna- 
 mental moulding, an encaustic tile, a bead, are to him 
 matters of interest that amply reward the pleasure 
 of a patient search, and stimulate him to further exertion; 
 — and here disappointment is not so likely to be his meed. 
 The hope with which he engages in the work is untainted 
 by a mercenary spirit, and his reward is found in the 
 
tf'^- f ]s] 
 
 jr^.^. 
 
 r^. 
 
 Tif. 6. 
 
 Etcifid 6trH.NiiiliaTc.fium a JJia-wiaJ^ ty C ."i/ftioht. 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 263 
 
 gratification of liis curiosity. Many little matters of the 
 Kind referred to have remunerated the diligence of the 
 antiquary in his search among the ruins of Castleacre, 
 and most probably a complete clearance of the area 
 would bring to light very many more. Unimportant as 
 these trifles may be, they are, nevertheless, remnants of 
 a by-gone age, and local indications of the character and 
 purpose of the site where they are found. For this 
 reason a degree of interest attaches to them, which they 
 might not perhaps intrinsically possess. 
 
 The accompanying plates will serve to show the 
 nature of a few of these remains. 
 
 Figs. 1 and 2, — the common seal of the chapter and the private 
 seal of the Prior, have already been described, p. 168. 
 
 Fig. 3. A leaden bulla of Pope Honorius III., found on the 
 pavement of the north transept of the conventual church. On one 
 side is the legend HONORI VS. P.P. III. ; on the reverse, between 
 a cross, two heads, very rudely executed, respectively surmounted 
 by the inscriptions S. PA. S. PE., referring to the Apostles Paul 
 and Peter. It is worthy of note that the priority is assigned to 
 the first-named Apostle. This pontiff ascended the papal chair in 
 the same year with our Henry III., namely A.D., 1216, and it is 
 to some year between this and the Pope's decease in 1227, that 
 we must ascribe the bull to which this seal belonged. 
 
 Fig. 4. Part of a small case of lead, worn in the manner of a 
 locket, and probably having in its centre some small fragment of a 
 
264 THE PRIORY. 
 
 valued relic, or of the consecrated wafer, protected by a small lens 
 of crystal or glass. This is apparent from the central eye being 
 radiated round the circumference. 
 
 Fig. 5. Bronze medal, distributed among the pilgrims who were 
 present in Rome on the occasion of a jubilee. The device on each 
 side is in an excellent state of preservation, and executed with 
 much neatness. On one side we have the Pope breaking through 
 the walled door in St. Peter's, with the legend. Annus IVBILEI 
 Roma; on the reverse, the Wise Men's Offering. This medallion 
 was found within the precinct- 
 
 Fig. 6. A bronze seal of ancient construction, found within the 
 precinct. It bears the private device or monogram apparently of 
 some stranger, who may have been a temporary sojourner in the 
 Priory, but there is nothing to indicate its date or the rank of its 
 original possessor. The legend, which appears to be Ralph Maghtilty 
 seems to indicate a Flemish origin. 
 
 We might particularise some slight indications of 
 Roman art, such as a seal, coins, and fragments of terra 
 cotta, as found on this spot, but they are of extremely 
 rare occurrence. Keys, spurs, an elaborately-wrought 
 censer of brass, are recorded to have been amongst the 
 spolia of the Priory, and one or two objects of much 
 interest, which will come under our notice in the suc- 
 ceeding section, are said, with some appearance of pro- 
 bability, to have originally belonged to this foundation. 
 
 When the exposed condition of the premises and the 
 
EXISTING REMAINS. 265 
 
 utter indifference to the preservation of the remains 
 which has prevailed until within the last half century, 
 are borne in mind, it is really singular that any fragment 
 should still be met with to gratify the curiosity of the 
 antiquary. From an early period of their decline and 
 fall, the Priory as well as the Castle have served as a 
 quarry of materials to the surrounding villages. Not a 
 cottage or a cow-shed was to be built, but recourse was 
 had to the ruins unlet and unimpeded, nor was it until 
 the property passed into the family of its present noble 
 proprietor that any attempt was made to check this spirit 
 of appropriation. Of late years nothing of the kind has 
 occurred, and everything is now done to preserve the 
 ruin intact from further violence ; but the mischief 
 already accomplished is irreparable. A stranger, passing 
 through the quaint and narrow streets of the village, 
 cannot fail to be struck with the patchwork appearance 
 of all the old dwellings, without exception. Blocks of 
 stone, fragments of columns, bits of ornamental moulding, 
 corbel heads, portions of curiously carved frieze, are all 
 irregularly interspersed with ponderous flint-stones, and 
 plainly indicate the source from whence they were 
 derived. In one place we obser^ie an elaborate carving 
 from the lid of a sarcophagus imbedded in the wall ; in 
 
266 
 
 THE PRIORY. 
 
 another, the reversed capital of a Norman column does 
 duty as the finial to a modern gable ; in a third, the 
 massy basement of a clustered column serves the homely 
 purpose of a horse-block. How much of interest might 
 have been preserved to the antiquary, by the exercise of 
 a little care and vigilance ! We rejoice to know that a 
 better feeling now prevails, and the least-informed among 
 the rising generation are insensibly acquiring a sentiment 
 of respect for the " funny old walls " which characterise 
 their native village. 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 F late years considerable attention has 
 been directed towards the subject of 
 our parochial Churches, and a new 
 interest has been rekindled with respect 
 to their age, character, and architectural 
 features. Not a village so humble or so remote but its little 
 unpretending temple is eagerly sought out by the curious 
 inquirer, and rarely does he quit the spot without having 
 been able to add some little object worthy of note to his 
 collections on the subject, whether it be an arch, a 
 column, a sepulchral brass, or a corbel head. The 
 Clergy, in particular, have, generally speaking, imbibed 
 a spirit of interest and inquiry in reference to the 
 churches of their respective benefices which promises 
 to lead to the happiest results, and the reorganisation 
 of the ancient and eminently useful office of Rural 
 
268 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 Deans in the greater number of our Dioceses will 
 tend materially to accelerate this desirable issue. We 
 hope, then, ere many years, to see every parish church 
 throughout the length and breadth of the land restored, 
 so far as its architectural features are concerned, to 
 somewhat of its pristine character and elegance; — the 
 simple and beautiful arches, whether Saxon, Norman, or 
 pointed, effectually relieved from the accumulated strata 
 of whitewash which has been periodically smeared over 
 their surface, and with Avhich the smallest cranny of 
 every moulding or enrichment has long since been 
 choked so as to obliterate all trace of its original form ; 
 — the high and party-coloured pews reduced to decent 
 proportions, or, better still, removed altogether, to give 
 place to open benches of simple English oak; — the 
 unsightly box, denominated by courtesy a reading-desk, 
 supplanted by some more appropriate appendage, — 
 (what so elegant, or so perfectly in keeping, as the 
 ancient lettern*?) — and every architectural or other 
 
 * In the Church of Necton in Norfolk, through the spirited inter- 
 ference of "W. Mason Esq., a gentleman whose judgment and skill as an 
 amateur architect can only be surpassed by his zeal, considerable progress 
 has been made in this goodly work of restoration. The reading-desk 
 consists of a lettern of carved oak, richly but appropriately adorned, 
 having on one side the Folio Bible, on the other a Book of Common 
 Prayer to correspond. This, with a faldstool, also of carved oak, is raised 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 269 
 
 feature in the edifice brought, as far as practicable to 
 its original condition. The awakened interest in behalf 
 of such restorations, now universally prevailing, betokens 
 a revival of sentiment toward the church in more senses 
 than one ; for it must be confessed that, until within the 
 last half-century, and in some instances within the last 
 fifteen years, the external and internal appearance of 
 the greater portion of our parish churches partook 
 much of the character of the ministrations conducted 
 within their green and slimy walls, — alike distinguished 
 by indifference and neglect. In many country parishes, 
 how much greater interest has been excited and ex- 
 perienced in the erection or reparation of a barn or 
 cow-shed, than in the decent ordering of the House of 
 God ! It is true, the Archdeacon has made his periodical 
 visit to inspect the state of the edifice, and he has seen 
 .much that has required amendment and alteration, and 
 has given his directions accordingly ; but then, as in 
 most cases, he cannot personally visit the church but 
 once in the space of three or four years, the cautious 
 
 on a platform two or three steps from the level of the pavement, open on 
 all sides and simply relieved by a low rail, so that the minister is distinctly 
 seen of all the congregation, who can note his demeanour while he leads 
 their devotions, whether he reverently stand or devoutly kneel ; an 
 advantage which the usual pens — (quasi sheep pens, for such they are,) 
 assuredly do not always possess. 
 
270 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 churchwarden, from a real indifference to the matter 
 altogether, or from a timely dread of the bitterness of 
 a church-rate, has taken care to defer the execution 
 of his Ordinary's orders, until the recurrence of the 
 period when he should again examine into the condition 
 of the structure, and then they have been fulfilled in 
 the most hasty and incomplete manner. The Archdeacon, 
 however, repeats his visit, perceives an unwonted neat- 
 ness in the arrangement, overlooks the time that has 
 elapsed since his directions were issued, commends Mr. 
 Churchwarden for his zeal and attention, and proceeds 
 to suggest some other point of reparation or improvement 
 really, it may be, requuing immediate attention, but of 
 course to be postponed until pretty nearly the expiration 
 of another four years ! Now the revival of the ancient 
 office to which we have already referred will, doubtless, 
 tend to obviate much of this unseemly and negligent 
 indifference ; for as it is the express duty of the Rural 
 Deans personally to inspect the churches in their several 
 deaneries every year, it can only be by their connivance 
 that such matters can be safely neglected, and much 
 cost and labour in the repair of the sacred edifice will 
 thus be anticipated by their timely interference. This 
 circumstance, in addition to the increasing interest taken 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 271 
 
 in their churches by the incumbents themselves, is a 
 very propitious omen in behalf of the future status and 
 ordering of these venerable piles. 
 
 Another advantage likely to accrue from a renewal of 
 this ancient feeling in behalf of our parish churches, is 
 to be found in the beneficial influence it is calculated to 
 exercise over modem ecclesiastical architecture. The 
 fact, indeed, is in course of exemplification every day, 
 and the numerous new churches which have recently 
 been built, or are in process of erection in so many differ- 
 ent parts of the kingdom, powerfully attest the advanta- 
 geous change which has taken place in consequence of 
 this revival. Look at the anomalous structures, designa- 
 ted as churches, which emanated from the meretricious 
 taste of our architects some seventy or less years ago, 
 and contrast them with the ecclesiastical edifices that 
 are now springing up in our land. Compare the half 
 Italian, half Grecian, dashed with Gothic, and even 
 sprinkled with Arabesque combination, which charac- 
 terises some of those buildings, with the bold, rich, yet 
 chaste and consistent harmony which prevails in the 
 structures of our ecclesiastical architects of the middle 
 of the nineteenth century. It will be seen that these 
 last have indeed about them a smack of the ancient zeal 
 
272 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 and spirit, enriched by all the resources which expe- 
 rience and the progress of art combine to bear upon the 
 subject. 
 
 From its former intimate connexion with the Priory, 
 the parish church of Castleacre would require mention 
 in this place, were it not that it also deserves notice 
 from its presenting a good and noble specimen of a 
 village sanctuary; we shall therefore be somewhat 
 minute in the details. 
 
 The parish church stands upon the summit of the 
 rising ground which constitutes the northern boundary 
 of the vale of the Nar, in a spacious church-yard of 
 full three acres in extent, immediately contiguous to 
 the barbican, on its western side, and overlooking the 
 ruins of the Priory and precinct in a south-westerly 
 direction. It is a spacious and elaborate pile, consisting 
 of nave, chancel, and north and south aisles, with a 
 lofty and handsome tower at the west end, containing 
 a peal of five bells much out of repair, and a clock, 
 though the latter has been long disused. 
 
 The foundation dates somewhere about the close of 
 the thirteenth, or commencement of the fourteenth, 
 centuries, and its general architectural features are 
 characteristic of the period referred to. The material 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 273 
 
 of the structure is, as usual in the greater part of the 
 counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, rough flint with quoins 
 and buttresses of stone. A peculiarity of extremely 
 rare occurrence may be remarked with respect to the 
 form given to the stone- work towards the basement of 
 the steeple tower ; — this, it may be observed, has a 
 pyramidal outline instead of the usual straight and 
 sharply angular one generally to be found in such situ- 
 ations. The windows which light the church are twenty- 
 five in number, namely, six large windows in the north 
 aisle, four of a similar description in the south aisle, with 
 a window at the east and west ends of the same, ten 
 clerestory windows, five on each side, an east window, 
 and another to the south of the chancel, and a large 
 western window in the steeple-tower, as usual. These, 
 though partaking of a uniform character, are extremely 
 varied in detail, and pass through the several grades of 
 early English, decorated, and perpendicular, thus indicat- 
 ing, it would seem, distinct periods of completion ; and 
 it is not improbable that one or more of them was at 
 various times the work of some pious and munificent 
 inhabitant of the parish. Three of these windows in 
 the north aisle are particularly deserving of notice as 
 pleasing specimens of the decorated style, and the great 
 
274 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 east window, though now partially closed, presents a 
 capital example of the pure early English. 
 
 The windows in the south aisle are of uniform pat- 
 terns (perpendicular), and all, with the exception of the 
 great lights at the east and west ends of the church 
 respectively, are surmounted by an ogee arch. The 
 great west window possesses transoms, as does also the 
 small light at the western extremity of the south aisle. 
 
 The church has three principal entrances ; the chief of 
 these is to the north, under a deep projecting porch 
 immediately contiguous to the steeple tower which 
 abuts beyond it. Immediately on a line with this 
 entrance, on the south side of the church, is a pointed 
 doorway, but without any porch, it being only designed 
 for the passage of a corpse into the church-yard. A 
 good specimen of a plain early English doorway forms 
 the sole entrance into the chancel on its south side. 
 The porch entrance is, as it has ever been, the main way 
 of admission to the congregation attending worship 
 within the church, and has been surmounted by a 
 small chamber lighted by a square mullioned window 
 at its northern end. To the right of the entrance and 
 consequently to the left of a person entering, is a deep 
 arched recess for the reception of a holy-water stoup, 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 275 
 
 which convenience, however, has long ago disappeared. 
 The door of entrance within the porch is pointed, under 
 a square entablature, with embrasures, of the style 
 prevalent in the time of Henry VI. At each angle are 
 the shields of De Warrenne and Arundel respectively, 
 precisely similar in character to those already noticed 
 as occurring over the gateway leading to the precinct. 
 A recent repair on the threshold of this entrance has 
 brought to light a very ancient specimen of monumental 
 art. It is a portion of a huge slab of slatestone, which 
 until lately served as a stepping-stone of entrance to the 
 church ; the part hitherto concealed by the masonry 
 presents the torso of certain figures cut in intaglio on 
 the surface of the stone. The design is rude, but exe- 
 cuted with considerable freedom ; — all that now remains 
 are the hands placed as in the attitude of prayer, with 
 the bust and shoulders of two figures in flowing drapery, 
 one of them having also a rich collar on the neck ; the 
 heads were broken off, and the lower portions of the 
 figures appear to have been obliterated by the abrasion 
 of feet. An inscription surrounded the whole, the 
 characters being placed at wide intervals from each 
 other ; — of this, however, we can now only distinguish 
 the letters E, S, H, apparently of Saxon form, and the 
 
 T 2 
 
276 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 whole bears evidence of a style of monumental decora- 
 tion long antecedent to the introduction of brasses. The 
 fragments referred to are preserved in the church for 
 the inspection of the curious. 
 
 The large doorway, placed as customary immediately 
 beneath the great west window in the steeple, does not 
 appear to have been employed as an entrance for the 
 people generally, but simply for access to the tower, or 
 for the convenience of workmen when occasion might 
 require. The tower, lofty and well proportioned, is 
 embattled at the summit, having at each of the angles 
 an oblong pediment originally destined for the reception 
 of full-length figures of the Evangelists or other saints, 
 but at present occupied by certain very unsightly dis- 
 figurements, somewhat resembling chimney-pots, — the 
 refined taste of some bygone reformed churchwarden. 
 At the extremity of the nave, where it unites with the 
 chancel, is the cross usually to be observed in such 
 situations, — nearly perfect, and of rather uncommon 
 form. 
 
 The interior of the church at once strikes the visitor 
 with its neatness and uniform lightness and airiness. 
 The arches are exceedingly bold and spacious, but, with 
 their supporting columns, particularly light and elegant. 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 277 
 
 and do not fail to impress the spectator with a sense of 
 their graceful proportion. They are five in number on 
 each side, dividing the nave from the adjacent aisles 
 north and south, two additional arches extending the 
 aisle in the former direction, on a level with the chancel. 
 The dimensions of the edifice may be inferred from the 
 following interior measurements taken with every atten- 
 tion to accuracy: — 
 
 Length from East to West .... 148 feet. 
 Breadth across the aisles 48 feet. 
 
 The whole of this space is unbroken by galleries or other 
 similar contrivances, except at the junction of the tower 
 at the west end, where a light gallery serves to accom- 
 modate the humble parish choir and the children of the 
 National School, who are here visible to the whole con- 
 gregation. The free seats are still what all ought to be, 
 open benches of " brave old Enghsh oak," terminated 
 with poppy heads, and furnished with elbows, whereon 
 rest lions and dogs alternately, (the latter having on 
 huge collars, studded with beads or bells,) together 
 with ample space for kneeling, &c., and the appro- 
 priate pews are fortunately kept so low as to interrupt 
 in no important degree the view over the whole body 
 of the edifice. 
 
278 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 But as there are some points of considerable interest 
 deserving notice in this structure, we shall adopt a more 
 systematic order in our description of them. 
 
 Commencing then with the main body of the church, 
 we shall find that the aisles, north and south, were 
 respectively terminated by chapels, of which the frame- 
 work of the screens, which divided them from the rest of 
 the aisle, still remains to indicate the extent. 
 
 The chapel in the north aisle, in length 44 feet by 11 
 feet in breadth, was that peculiarly appropriated to the 
 worship of the Virgin. This is evident from the cipher 
 or monogram, MARIA, surmounted by the regal tiara 
 of strawberry leaves, still distinctly visible upon the 
 pannelling which once formed a portion of the dividing 
 screen. The altar, piscina, and appendages at the east 
 end are so completely obliterated as to leave no trace of 
 their existence, but there can be no reasonable doubt 
 that they once occupied that quarter; and from the 
 importance usually attached to the shrine of Our Lady 
 in all such buildings, we may suppose it to have been 
 enriched with proportionate care and splendour. Con- 
 nected with this chapel, it is recorded that a certain 
 person of the name of Thomas Candler, of Castleacre, 
 who it appears was buried somewhere in the chiu*ch, 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 279 
 
 did, b}^ his will, bearing date 1514, freely give two closes 
 or paddocks to Thomas March, and his heirs, on the 
 express condition of his and their keeping a hght in the 
 basin before Our Lady in the chapel, " with five wax 
 candels to be light at evry principel feste ; in every dobil 
 feste two, and every single feste one : on a neglect thereof 
 then the church reeves to take the closes, and to keep 
 the same." The lights have long, very long, been neg- 
 lected, but there is no appearance that the " church 
 reeves " (churchwardens) ever had the closes ! 
 
 The chapel in the south aisle was of somewhat inferior 
 dimensions to the former, being only 17 feet by 11 feet, 
 but possessed its screen similar to the other. There is 
 nothing remaining to show with precision to whom this 
 little chapelry was dedicated, but the probability is that 
 it had for its patron St. Benedict, or Bennet, as he was 
 more commonly designated, since there was a guild in 
 the neighbouring village which claimed him for their 
 tutelary guardian, and every guild we are informed had 
 its peculiar patron's altar in the parish church. The 
 pannelling which once formed part of the screen of this 
 chapelry, presents the cypher N, surmounted by an abba- 
 tial mitre, indicating the name of some prior of the 
 adjacent foundation, who either built, or endowed, or 
 
280 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 restored this quarter at his own private cost. The altar 
 was surmounted by a large and noble window to the 
 east, now recently restored, and on the south side was 
 a piscina, the frame-work of which still remains entire. 
 On the north side of the chapel, resting against the angle 
 of the wall, stood a full-length figure of the saint to 
 whom it was dedicated, as may be clearly seen from the 
 indications left. 
 
 Both chapels seem to have been profusely ornamented 
 with pannelwork, adorned with ciphers, monograms, 
 flowers, palm-trees, &c., in a variety of colours, of which 
 the most predominant are scarlet, green, and white. 
 The figures were formed by means of perforated sheets 
 of metal, from which the design was cut, and a brush 
 filled with the appropriate colour being passed over the 
 surface of the metal, the figiu*e was thus imprinted on 
 the pannel, and with a degree of ease and rapidity that 
 admitted of ready multiplication. The ground on the 
 pannels that are divided by muUions and tracery, is 
 alternately scarlet and green, or deep blue ; but on the 
 pannels not so divided, it is uniformly green, the figures 
 in every case being simply white or pale yellow. In 
 their recent state the decorative part of these chapels 
 must have been strikingly rich and agreeable. 
 
EtcUe a 'by aNicliain f r am a S»|»» JH'S lay C .Wridii t 
 
 AFiaiMTT PUiPlir. 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 281 
 
 Another object worthy of observation will be found in 
 the Pulpit, of which the accompanying illustration will 
 serve to convey a faithful idea. Its form is hexagonal, 
 but of such extremely narrow dimensions that we are at 
 a loss to imagine how the portly Freres, whom we 
 suppose occasionally to have displayed their eloquence 
 therefrom, could have been suitably accommodated 
 within its restricted confines. Tradition reports this 
 pulpit to have been removed from some situation in the 
 old conventual Church, and the general character of its 
 appearance renders that supposition probable. It may 
 have occupied some place in one of the chapels or tran- 
 septs of that structure. It is simply supported upon a 
 single stem or low column, surmounted by a wreath of 
 the Tudor flower, from which the pannelling forming 
 the bottom of the pulpit gradually radiates. The sides 
 consist of single pannels, upon each of which is repre- 
 sented one of the Doctors of the Church, seated, and in 
 full length. Of these four remain in a capital state of 
 preservation, except as regards the face, which, in every 
 instance, has been erased by the mischievous zeal of the 
 Cromwellian iconoclasts. The labels attached to each, 
 however, generally serve to identify the person whom 
 the figure is intended to represent, although from the 
 
282 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 effect of time and partial erasure it is extremely difl&cult 
 to make out their entire meaning. 
 
 The figure on the pannel nearest to the modern door 
 of the pulpit, represents St. Augustin in profile. He 
 wears a red mantle over a green under garment, the 
 folds of both being painted with extraordinary power 
 and fidelity. He has a cape of miniver, and on his head 
 a cap surrounded by the nimbus, which here, as in the 
 other figures, is burnished in gold. The fingers of one 
 hand are placed between the leaves of a half-open 
 missal, while the others are concealed in the drapery. 
 On a scroll partially surrounding the figure is the inscrip- 
 tion : — 
 
 Jmpl£t. spiritu sancto pntrfcat brtatem. ^ugustm* 
 
 The figure is seated on a kind of altar tomb as in the 
 other instances, and the prevailing back-ground of this 
 panel is blue, thickly studded with stars, sprigs, and 
 birds in gold. The next in order, occupying the central 
 pannel of the pulpit, is intended, we imagine, to represent 
 Ignatius, but the label annexed is so much defaced and 
 obscure, that it is difficult to determine this point. The 
 figure presents a full face, and is clothed in a rich 
 mantle of green over an under garment of white, the 
 former being trimmed with a deep border of gold thickly 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 283 
 
 studded with jewellery. The inscription, as far as it 
 can be made out, is to the following effect : — 
 
 lEtiam p«tricabit z perffctus autiien. ttMni * * * ti. 
 
 The ground of the pannel is scarlet, sprinkled as before. 
 The third pannel bears the effigies of St. Jerome, on a 
 ground of blue, similarly ornamented as in the preceding- 
 cases. The figure is clad in a long flowing mantle of 
 red, lined with white, shoes appearing from beneath. 
 He wears a peculiar scarlet cap, surmounted by the 
 nimbus, with the following label, of which the first 
 word is illegible : — 
 
 * * * sennonis pulcri tu Ka 33£at. 3}eronimus. 
 
 The fourth pannel has the representation of St. Am- 
 brose, executed with considerable spirit. The robe is 
 full and flowing, of a rich green colour, lined with white, 
 the scull-cap encircled by the nimbus. The legend 
 
 lEbnnselium metes trum rigat. ^ce. ^mbrosi. 
 
 The ground is red, with the same rich decoration as 
 before. 
 
 The whole of the interior of the pulpit is painted of a 
 vivid scarlet colour, and evidently preserves much of its 
 original appearance. The paintings evince a style of art 
 cotemporary with the figures on the remaining portion 
 
284 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 of the roodloft screen, to be noticed hereafter ; and were 
 possibly executed by the same hand, if they are not of 
 an earlier date, which certain indications seem to war- 
 rant. Altogether this curious remnant of ancient art is 
 an interesting and uncommon feature in a village church, 
 although it has not hitherto attracted the attention it 
 merits. 
 
 The most prominent object of interest, however, in this 
 part of the church, and that which immediately rivets 
 the attention of the spectator, is the Font, with its elabo- 
 rate and elegant canopy. The font stands immediately 
 in the centre of the nave, at its western extremity, and 
 consists of a plain hexagon of stone, supported by a 
 single shaft, and resting on a basement raised two steps 
 from the level of the pavement. The basin has nothing 
 remarkable in its appearance, and most probably is of 
 comparatively recent date, as it is palpably out of pro- 
 portion with its cover. This last is a lofty tabernacle of 
 rich and complicated shrine-work, diminishing to a grace- 
 ful spire, and rising nearly to the roof of the church, 
 from whence it is suspended by a gilt dove with out- 
 spread wings. Some idea of the whole may be derived 
 from the accompanying illustration, which conveys far 
 more accurately than any verbal description the peculiar 
 
TMI [Ton T, 
 
m 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 285 
 
 character of this almost unique contrivance. This is 
 also said to have once formed part of the furniture of 
 the Priory Church, and from its elaborate and unusual 
 iinish, there is strong reason to suppose this to have 
 been the case. The material of which it is constructed 
 is the sweet chesnut, and the wood is in every part as 
 firm and sound as when first put together. The appear- 
 ance of this canopy in its original freshness, must have 
 been brilliant and gorgeous in the extreme. The colours 
 employed were white, of the purest and most perfect 
 brilliancy, alternating with scarlet and green, of tint 
 equally vivid, and thickly covered with cinquefoil rosettes 
 in gold, the whole so disposed as to impress the eye with 
 the most pleasing combination, instead of the tawdry and 
 unmeaning glare which such an arrangement would seem 
 to imply. About sixty or seventy years since, the then 
 incumbent caused the gilding to be retouched, and the 
 whole to be repainted ; and this was done of one uniform 
 scarlet, thus completely destroying the original eifect, but 
 as this coat of colour has flaked off in many places, it is 
 easy to perceive what its appearance was in its parti- 
 coloured condition. The groined roof of the shrine work is 
 lined in the interstices of the gilded ribs with rich crimson 
 velvet, and beneath it, most probably, once stood figures 
 
286 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 of the Virgin and Child, occupying the place now filled by 
 a gilt fir-cone, an ornament not at all in keeping with the 
 rich fretAvork of the canopy. The niches ranged around 
 the tapering pinnacle of the cover were also doubtless 
 intended for the reception of small figures, and were 
 probably so occupied at first, although an unmeaning 
 point of wood is now the substitute. When the basin 
 was required to be used, the lower part of the canopy 
 was easily raised, folding back upon its own shaft, on the 
 principle of the telescope, and thus it would remain sus- 
 pended for as long a period as necessary, supported by 
 counterpoise weights in the interior, connected with cords 
 and pullies concealed in the substance of the tracery, 
 and acting precisely in the same way as a modern window 
 sash ; at the conclusion of the service the cover was 
 easily replaced on the orifice of the basin by a slight 
 pressure of the hand. The whole of this contrivance is 
 exceedingly curious and interesting, as exhibiting at 
 once a specimen of art and mechanical ingenuity of a 
 period at least as remote as the fifteenth century. It 
 certainly merits complete restoration, which might be 
 effected at no very considerable cost. 
 
 It is presumed that the windows throughout the 
 building were once filled, or partially so, with stained 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 287 
 
 and painted glass, because considerable traces of it have 
 been observed in each that has hitherto been examined. 
 Such, too, was almost universally the case in our 
 parochial churches, until the intemperate zeal of the 
 deluded Parliamentarians under Cromwell decreed the 
 indiscriminate destruction of everything that in the most 
 remote degi'ee savoured of what they deemed to be 
 superstition ; forgetting that it was nothing less than the 
 same feeling, under another semblance, which prompted 
 them to the wanton outrage ! Thus windows, replete 
 with " storied pane," and most interesting as furnishing 
 examples of a rare and beautiful art, were unsparingly 
 sacrificed to appease the fanatic bigotry of reckless mad- 
 men. In some cases, whole subjects were fortunately 
 removed by the timely interference of some considerate 
 churchwarden, and concealed in a place of security until 
 the passing away of the iconoclastic furor would permit 
 of their replacement, — but such instances were rare. In 
 others the hasty application of whitewash to the uncon- 
 scious glass served to conceal the offending tracery, and 
 thus it was suffered to pass unscathed ; and again in 
 others, the zealous emissaries who thus " thought to do 
 God service," and in the same hurricane to extirpate 
 Popery and High Church sentiments from the universe, 
 
288 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 contented themselves by simply punching out the devoted 
 heads of the saints, angels, and mart3rrs represented on 
 the pane, thinking thereby that they had effectually 
 achieved the laudable work of crushing *' the serpent's 
 head," and thus rendering his further influence powerless ! 
 In this way fragments, and sometimes important ones, 
 have descended to our time in a tolerable state of pre- 
 servation, and in some places in such abundance that 
 their collection into one window becomes a matter 
 deserving of some little care and attention. 
 
 Such is the case with the parish church of Castleacre. 
 The windows being in progress of indispensable and 
 complete repair, the fragments of stained glass which 
 abound in them, (though for the most part much muti- 
 lated,) have been carefully collected and cleaned, whereby 
 many small subjects of considerable interest have been 
 developed, and it is purposed to place these all together in 
 a window by themselves, where they will continue for 
 many years to transmit the rich and varied light which 
 erst beamed through every casement in the sacred 
 edifice. There seems every reason to suppose that the 
 general use of stained glass in our churches did not 
 originate in considerations of mere ornament only, but 
 that it was an expedient whereby the strong light of a 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 289 
 
 glaring summer smi might be softened, subdued, and 
 shaded, to the comfort and convenience of the crowds of 
 worshippers who then usually thronged the sacred edifice. 
 The incalculable superiority of this elegant expedient to 
 the miserable substitute furnished by the modern appli- 
 cation of paltry blinds of brown or coloured holland, will 
 not admit of a moment's question. 
 
 But the particular reason why we notice the stained 
 glass in this place is, that a fragment of it serves inci- 
 dentally to throw some light upon the nature of at least 
 one of the pursuits followed by the inmates of the neigh- 
 bouring Priory, and thus possesses additional interest to 
 the observer. A portion of the glass represents a female 
 figure, clad in a mantle of rich blue tint clasped at the 
 throat, and seated on a low altar tomb, occupied in play- 
 ing on a cithern or dulcimer, which is reposing on her 
 lap. The figure, with the exception of the head, is 
 perfect, and finished with great skill and neatness. 
 Immediately beneath it, and indeed forming the base- 
 ment of the subject, is part of an inscription, recording 
 the name of the artist and his place of abode. The 
 letters are in the old English character, of bright yellow 
 hue upon a ground of clear brown, and are each about 
 an inch in height. The name of the artist is unfortu- 
 
290 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 nately broken away and irretrievably lost, but that 
 which remains is to the following effect : — 
 
 Thus we have indisputable proof that this particular 
 subject at least was the work of a native artist, and 
 most probably it applies to the entire window of which 
 it formed a part. And if one window were executed 
 here, might not all have been so ? The supposition is, 
 at least, possible, and when we reflect that the art of 
 staining and painting upon glass was an employment 
 practised with admirable success by the monastics of 
 old, and the proximity of the Priory, of which the parish 
 church was a dependency, it becomes highly probable. 
 
 Thus we have direct evidence of the successful culti- 
 vation of art, at least in one beautiful department, by 
 the Cluniacs of Acre, and may not the remark be 
 extended with reference to another branch of the picto- 
 rial science ? May not the pulpit, already noticed, and 
 the rood-loft screen, have been equally indebted to the 
 same fraternity for their embellishment ? We only 
 suggest the matter, for in the absence of everything in 
 the shape of tangible proof, it is impossible to determine. 
 There is, in fact, much doubt and obscurity respecting 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 291 
 
 the origin of the beautiful painted screens which formerly 
 predominated so extensively in our parochial churches, 
 more especially in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, 
 and the subject merits a more minute examination than 
 we are at present able to devote to it. It is thought by 
 some, and with considerable semblance of probability, 
 that they are of Flemish origin, or at least that Flemings, 
 from the proximity of the above-named counties to their 
 own shores, resorting hither in considerable numbers, 
 introduced the art amongst us. It may be so; but 
 where would the practice receive such encouragement, 
 or where could it be so securely followed, as in the 
 monasteries? And if Flemings introduced the art, 
 monks may have acquired and pursued it. The history 
 of early art would acquire considerable interest from a 
 careful and elaborate inquiry on this point. 
 
 The rood-loft screen at Castleacre, to judge from 
 the small portion that remains of it, was doubtless of 
 rich and highly finished adornment. It occupied the 
 customary station, at the junction of the nave and 
 chancel, and the two doors connected with it may still 
 be observed on the right hand pier, looking east. The 
 lower arch conducts to a narrow stair in the thickness 
 of the wall, the upper one opened upon the loft from 
 
 u 2 
 
292 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 whence rose the rood itself with its adjuncts. The 
 lower pannelling of the screen is all that is now left 
 to indicate its quality, and this presents us with exceed- 
 ingly well-finished paintings of the apostles, grouped 
 six on each side of the central entrance to the chancel 
 or choir. The minute and careful finish of the features 
 and hands of the several figures, the natural and easy 
 flow of the drapery, and the rich though harmonious 
 blending of the colouring, evince a degree of skill in the 
 artist of no mean order. His intention seems to have 
 been to convey the general idea of a painted window, 
 for the pannelling is arranged in six divisions, three on 
 either side, bearing the semblance of pointed windows of 
 rich and elaborate tracery, each window containing the 
 effigies of two apostles, the one on a general ground of 
 scarlet, the other deep green, and so on alternately; all 
 being starred and spotted with gilding, in a similar way 
 to the pannels on the pulpit. The latter, however, do not, 
 we imagine, evince so high a degree of art as the figures 
 on the screen ; there is a formality, a stiffness, and a 
 poverty of resource about them which these last do not 
 possess, while the effigies of the apostles are clothed in 
 drapery of considerable variety of colour, ingeniously 
 arranged and with as little of the prevailing stiffness 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 293 
 
 of the age as we can meet with in any other instance. 
 They will amply repay the close examination of the 
 curious. The elevation of the entire screen from the 
 pavement to the level of the loft seems to have been 
 14 feet, its upper portion consisting of hold open 
 window tracery, painted, gilt, and interspersed with 
 well-executed carvings of birds, bats, wiverns, chimseras, 
 and foliage, the several pannels and the architrave 
 being bordered by a simple moulding, painted of a rich 
 deep blue, and encircled by a broad fillet of burnished 
 gold. 
 
 The chancel, upon which the screen opened, is of bold 
 dimensions, well proportioned, and still retaining its 
 regularity of form, though sadly disfigured in one part 
 by the unsightly intervention of a modern pew, to make 
 room for which a group of misereres, corresponding with 
 some still remaining on the opposite side, were removed, 
 and have since been lost. The quaint, but comfortable 
 old seats just alluded to, may be observed on the south 
 side of the chancel, immediately at the back of the 
 rood-loft screen, so that their occupants fronted the high 
 altar. They are three in number, in an admirable state 
 of preservation, and each bearing a well-executed device 
 in wood, on the under part of the seat, which turns up, 
 
294 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 as usual in such contrivances. The devices are different, 
 and do not at all partake of that monstrous character 
 which is so frequently met with in similar instances, 
 to say nothing of grossness, which is by no means 
 uncommon. Two of the devices are well worthy of 
 attention, the one for the spirit with which a sort of 
 gorgon's head is designed, the tongue protruding from 
 the mouth, the other for the delicate finish with which 
 an eagle with outspread wings is represented in high 
 relief The miserere was a commodious stall furnished 
 with arms and a high back, partaking somewhat of 
 the character of a modern library chair; — the seat, 
 however, (which was perhaps occasionally covered with 
 a cushion,) was constructed to turn on a suitable 
 hinge, presenting, beneath, a narrow ledge supported 
 by some fanciful device, and farther connected with 
 ornamental foliage. It does not very clearly appear 
 what was the purpose of this ledged subsidiary seat. It 
 is said by some to have been contrived to kneel upon, 
 but in this case the occupant must have turned his 
 back upon the altar, a not very probable attitude 
 during the celebration of mass, not to mention the 
 inconvenient height of the ledge from the floor. It 
 would rather seem to have been contrived to serve 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 295 
 
 as a kind of seat or resting-place during particular 
 parts of the service, or on especial occasions, when 
 the officials were supposed by the generality of the 
 congregation to maintain a standing posture, which, 
 as they might be expected to do so during several hours, 
 they would retain a very nearly upright position, while 
 they were in fact receiving every support and easily 
 resting upon the supplementary seat of the miserere. 
 We know not how far this supposition might be borne 
 out by the actual practice, — but it is obvious the 
 appendage could not have been contrived for mere 
 ornament alone, for the ledge is universal wherever 
 the miserere occurs. 
 
 The high altar was raised by three steps from the 
 general level of the pavement, and on its north side 
 was a sacristy, now serving the purpose of a vestry ; 
 a commodious apartment, having formerly above it a 
 charnel chamber in which were deposited the bones 
 taken up in the process of making new graves in the 
 adjacent churchyard. These, however, were removed, 
 and reinterred some years since, and the two chambers 
 thrown into one, as they still continue. There are, 
 doubtless, sedilia and a piscina on the south wall of the 
 chancel, as strong indications of this being the case present 
 
290 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 themselves on sounding ; but the general features of 
 the chancel have been so completely modernised, that, 
 without considerable trouble, it might be difficult to 
 recover their original bearing. The effect of the east 
 window is sadly marred by the intervention of a huge 
 beam, which crosses the vault nearly at its top, and the 
 lights in the upper portion have long been obliterated 
 and filled up with cement. It would really be desirable 
 to restore this window to something of its original 
 beauty, which might readily be done. The lower part 
 is lancet-shape, surmounted by a wheel or rose mullion, 
 and flanked by ornamental crockets, the whole present- 
 ing a good specimen of early English verging upon the 
 decorated style. , 
 
 The sacramental plate is of a richness of rare occur- 
 rence in our village districts. The material is silver 
 superbly gilt, and renovated through the public spirit 
 of one of the churchwardens not many years since. 
 The plate consists of a tall and massy flagon of 
 antique and graceful form, having the I. H. S. encircled 
 by a glory with the name of the parish deeply graven 
 on the front ; a paten plain, but massy, and a chalice 
 and cover of very elegant figure, chased and orna- 
 mented with scroll-work, and bearing the date of 1694. 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 297 
 
 This last was the pious gift of a lady of the name of 
 Eleanor Gibbon. 
 
 The brasses, so common in most of the Norfolk 
 churches, and so inimitably illustrated by the late John 
 Sell Cotman, are here exceedingly scanty, and of them 
 but one or two insignificant specimens remain. There 
 are traces of a label and shields on one or two slabs within 
 a few paces of the lower step of the altar, but the brasses 
 are gone. A plain brass at the west end of the church 
 contains an Orate in behalf of William Fuller, who died 
 on the I2th of October, 1523, and a brass about the 
 centre of the nave appears, from the date, to be among 
 the latest specimens of that description of monumental 
 inscription. It is to the following effect : — 
 
 Here lieth bvried Marie Emmilie some time the wife of 
 Edmvnd Hvdson, Draper, daughter of Edward Barkhara, 
 of Southaker. She departed this life the 18th day of 
 August, 1612. 
 
 Other monumental effigies or tablets are equally meagre 
 with the foregoing, nor are there any requiring particular 
 record, except that in the chancel rest the remains of the 
 Rev. James Thom, G.S.T.D., Abrsedonensis, formerly 
 vicar of this parish, and holding in addition other more 
 valuable preferment. He was a zealous antiquary, and 
 
298 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 took great interest in the remains which adorn the parish, 
 and if he did not always manifest unimpeachable judg- 
 ment in his decisions and restorations, he can at least 
 fairly claim the meed of diligent devotion to his favourite 
 pursuit. 
 
 The church, of which we have thus given a detailed 
 account, is dedicated in the name of St. James, and the 
 benefice is a vicarage of very humble value, though 
 assisted by grants from the Bounty Fund of Queen Anne. 
 Probably its revenues were not always of such compara- 
 tive unimportance as now. The present structure was 
 erected by one of the priors and the chapter of the 
 neighbouring Priory, who were the impropriators of the 
 advowson. They of course held the tithes, and the 
 incumbent who was inducted to the benefice was pro- 
 vided with lodging and commons in the Priory itself, in 
 addition to a clear income of 10/. per annum, a sum of infi- 
 nitely greater value in those days than now, as we have 
 already had occasion to show. Besides, the customary fees 
 and mortuaries were no matter of indifference at a time 
 when the church's aid was sought on every occasion and in 
 every variety of form. The vicarage, therefore, was a suffi- 
 cient and ample maintenance for its possessor, whilst the 
 great tithes produced a valuable revenue to the treasury of 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 299 
 
 the chapter. After the surrender, the impropriation and 
 patronage remained in the hands of the Crown dm'ing 
 the whole time it retained possession of the rights and 
 revenues of the forfeited monastery, and ultimately 
 passed with the site of the latter into the hands of the 
 Norfolk family. From that period they have shared the 
 fluctuations of the general property, as will appear from 
 the subjoined table of the incumbents of the benefice, 
 from the period of its connexion with the Priory to the 
 present time, — following the authority of Blomefield, and 
 extending the list to the actual incumbency : — 
 
 DATE OP 
 
 VICARS. 
 
 INDUCTI0> 
 
 r. BY WHOM PRESENTED. 
 
 John de Wysete 
 
 A.D. 1307 
 
 The Prior. 
 
 Robert de Folkestone . 
 
 . . 1314 
 
 
 John de Brecham (Bircham) 
 
 . 1320 
 
 
 John de Warrenne 
 
 . 1329 
 
 
 Ralph de Witlock 
 
 . . 1349 J 
 
 The Bishop of Norwich 
 (by lapse.) 
 
 William Norman 
 
 . 1374 
 
 The Prior. 
 
 William de Horndon 
 
 . . 1383 
 
 
 John de Walpole 
 
 . 1386 
 
 
 John Stegg or Stock 
 
 . 1392 
 
 
 Gilbert Bocher . 
 
 . 1438 
 
 
 Richard Bocher 
 
 , . 1448 
 
 
 Richard Salisbury 
 
 . 1449 
 
 
 John Sennowe 
 
 . . 1452 
 
 
300 
 
 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 VICARS. 
 
 John Cokkys (Cocks 
 William Relling 
 John Pykard 
 William Stephenson 
 Robert Pepper . 
 Richard Patrick . 
 
 Anthony Wolley 
 
 Samuel Beck 
 William Thomson 
 John Stearn . 
 George Docking 
 John Field . 
 Edward Turner . 
 William Bridgham 
 Ambrose Pimlowe 
 James Thorn 
 Lancaster Framingham 
 John Coe 
 Wenman Langton 
 William Baker 
 John Ambrose Tickell 
 
 I. H. Bloom . 
 
 DATE OF 
 INDUCTION. BY WHOM PRESENTED. 
 
 A.D. 1463 
 . 1476 
 
 . 1492 
 
 . 1506 
 
 . 1550 The Crown. 
 
 . 1554 The Duke of Norfolk. 
 
 1586 
 
 {The Assigns of Sir Thos. 
 Graham. 
 
 . . 1604 Thomas Lord Burleigh. 
 
 . 1606 Thomas Earl of Exeter. 
 
 . . date lost. 
 
 do. 
 
 . . 1 643 Sir Robert Coke. 
 
 . 1645 Sir Robert Coke. 
 
 . . 1669 J. Coke, Esq. 
 
 . 1709 
 
 . . 1750 Earl of Leicester. 
 
 . J 756 
 
 . . date lost. 
 
 . 1775 T. W. Coke, Esq. 
 
 . . date lost. 
 
 . 1798 
 
 r Thomas William Earl of 
 . . 1835 < 
 
 L Leicester. 
 
 Among the incumbents enumerated in the foregoing 
 list, we meet with the name of one of the distinguished 
 family of the De Warrennes, who thus served at the altar 
 
THE PARISH CHURCH. 301 
 
 of the parish church ; and it affords additional evidence 
 of the intimate connexion between this family and the 
 locality, in its several capacity of Castle, Priory, and 
 Church. 
 
 We have already made mention of the Rev. Jas. Thorn, 
 and we must not omit to notice the Rev. J. A. Tickell, 
 for so many years connected with this place as its 
 incumbent. He was one of a family well known to 
 fame — a brother of the ingenious author of "Antici- 
 pation," and a lineal descendant of the celebrated friend 
 and coadjutor of Addison and Steele. 
 
 Connected with the church were the guilds of St. 
 James and St. Bennet, which here had their respective 
 altars, and their appointed days of social festivity in 
 honour of their patron saints. The guilds, it is now well 
 known, were fraternities somewhat resembling our 
 modem benefit-clubs, only regulated by more enlarged 
 principles and cemented by a more stringent bond of 
 union. The indiscriminate suppression of these bodies 
 was not the least impolitic of the many arbitrary acts 
 of the eighth Harry, and sufficiently indicative of the 
 grasping spirit of appropriation by which, under the 
 flimsy pretext of zeal in the cause of a Reformed faith, 
 he was influenced. The accumulated wealth of the 
 
302 THE PARISH CHURCH. 
 
 guilds throughout the land, and individually in our cities 
 and larger towns, presented too inviting a field for the 
 rapacity of the selfish monarch, and the countenance 
 and encouragement which they received from the 
 authorities of the church afforded a convenient plea for 
 an attack upon them ; and, therefore, although in the 
 early days of the dissolution of the religious houses, the 
 king affected respect for the constitution of the guilds, and 
 even pledged himself to maintain them inviolate, his 
 plastic conscience ere long received new light upon the 
 subject, and they were constrained, equally with others, 
 to contribute the contents of their coffers to the craving 
 vortex of the Court of Augmentations. The conse- 
 quences were felt for many a long year afterward, and 
 trade of various kinds lost caste in point of respectability, 
 unity, and mutual interchange of good-will, which, even 
 at this distance of time, it may be questioned whether it 
 has altogether recovered. The still existing foundations 
 in many of our large provincial towns afford incontro- 
 vertible proof of the influence, wealth, and importance of 
 our ancient guilds. 
 
THE PARISH. 
 
 ANY years before the faintest murmur 
 of Norman hostility was heard to 
 threaten the Enghsh shores, a con- 
 siderable district of the county of 
 Norfolk, designated under the general 
 name of Acra or Acre, recognised as its liege lord a 
 powerful Saxon Thane, bearing the name of Toche or 
 Toke; whose possessions extended still further than the 
 district alluded to, and who dwelt among them in all 
 the rude splendour and independent bearing of an 
 Anglo-Saxon chief. 
 
 Acra comprised three parishes, distinct from, and 
 independent of, each other, though held under one chief 
 The first of these, the most important in extent, was 
 distinguished simply as Acre, or more particularly Est- 
 Acre, — ^the others, West-Acre, and South Acre, according 
 to their relative positions with regard to each other. 
 
304 THE PARISH. 
 
 Time rolled on, and the conquering William, flushed 
 with success and imbued with the spirit of a stern, 
 uncompromising age, exerted more than a conqueror's 
 right in the disposal of his conquest. — The unfortunate 
 Toche, whose only crime was a natural desire to retain 
 his ancestral inheritance, was, without scruple or com- 
 pensation, ejected from all his possessions and permitted 
 to become the feudal retainer of a foreign master. 
 His broad lands were parcelled out among the early 
 followers of the Conqueror's standard, and Est-Acre 
 fell to the share of De Wan*enne. How the latter 
 erected his stately castle and noble priory within the 
 limits of this parish, we have already noticed, and 
 Acre became the scene of baronial grandeur and clois- 
 tered seclusion. What might be the actual condition 
 of the parish at the early period referred to it is impos- 
 sible to decide with precision, but the humble dwellings 
 of the few Anglo-Saxon serfs, who tilled the surrounding 
 lands, were probably situated in a direction a little to 
 the north of the present village, for it is not likely 
 that the spacious outworks of De Warrenne's castle 
 would embrace within its boundaries any meaner tene- 
 ments. The inference is supported by the palpable 
 traces of buildings, of a later period, some moated, in 
 
THE PARISH. 305 
 
 the above quarter, occupied probably by retainers of the 
 De Warrenne estate, and serving to point to the original 
 site of the village. 
 
 It was not until the castle began to decline from its 
 proud pre-eminence that the modem parish gradually 
 encroached upon its courts, and no sooner was the 
 stronghold fairly abandoned than the work of demolition 
 began, and cottages arose within the very penetralia of 
 ballium and' barbican. Thence it acquired and has 
 ever since retained the distinctive name of Castle-Acre. 
 
 The subsequent suppression of the Priory, and its 
 consequent desertion, opened another quarry of ample 
 material for the building enterprises of the increasing 
 parish, and there is abundant evidence to show that 
 they were resorted to without much delicacy or mis_ 
 giving either as to quantity or quality. In short, 
 almost all the dwellings erected prior to within the 
 last twenty or thirty years consist wholly of material 
 supplied from the adjacent ruins, and bear the stamp 
 of a singular and peculiar character. It is mainly 
 owing to this circumstance that the parish presents 
 to the eye of the traveller a quaintness of appearance 
 of unusual occurrence in »ur rural districts. 
 
 There are three principal manors, carrying fine arbi- 
 
m 
 
 306 THE PARISH. 
 
 trary, and distinguished as the Prior's, Arundel's, and 
 the Earl's, from their former possessors ; but with the dry 
 details of these it is not our intention to weary the 
 reader, as there is no remarkable tenure connected with 
 any of them which can merit particular notice. Suffice 
 it to say, that the increasing population of the place and 
 the frequent transfer of copyhold from seller to purchaser, 
 renders the manorial privileges of this parish of some 
 importance to their owner. 
 
 And here one circumstance connected with the modern 
 history of the parish deserves to be noted. Castleacre 
 entitles its illustrious possessors, the Earls of Leicester, 
 of Holkham, to a seat among the peers of the realm as 
 Barons Castleacre, a distinction to which the family 
 alluded to w^ere justly elevated in the first year of the 
 reign of our present gracious Sovereign ; and thus the 
 ancient barony of the De Warrennes has resumed some- 
 what of its pristine importance in the persons of its 
 modern proprietors. 
 
 The population of Castleacre, according to the census 
 of 1841, amounts to 1494 souls, a calculation, we should 
 say, rather within the bounds of actual fact than exceed- 
 ing them. The inhabitants are exclusively agricultural, 
 and generally of a very humble caste; although abject 
 
THE PARISH. 307 
 
 poverty happily does not exist among them, still their 
 means are exceedingly moderate, and the degree of 
 intelligence prevalent, as usually happens, is proportionate 
 to the extent of their resources. It has been the fashion 
 to single out the parish of Castleacre as the most con- 
 spicuous in point of demoralisation and general depravity 
 within the circuit of many miles, and until within the 
 last few years there has been, we fear, but too strong 
 ground for the conclusion; but then it is only justice to 
 indicate the main source of this evil, and the still-existing 
 obstacle to its effectual eradication. It is simply this : A 
 custom has for many years prevailed in the place, and 
 been encouraged by the occupiers in adjacent parishes, 
 to farm out the work necessary to be done on their 
 respective lands to one or two individuals, who shall 
 provide hands to accomplish it in the best manner and 
 on the most reasonable terms. These parties are termed 
 gang masters, and a very significant term it is, for surely 
 no gang of wretched slaves beneath the sweltering sun 
 of the tropics, could materially fall beneath the generaUty 
 of persons thus assembled together in intellectual 
 debasement and moral depravity. The gang-masters, 
 anxious to reap as much advantage to themselves as 
 possible from their bargain with their employers, seek 
 
308 THE PARISH. 
 
 about in all directions for idle hands to execute their 
 work on the cheapest terms they can procure them at. 
 What is the result? — Vagrants, — the very scum and 
 refuse of the county jails, — homeless, houseless wan- 
 derers, with perhaps the brand of infamy upon them, if 
 passing within the neighbourhood, can and have obtained 
 employment for a week, a fortnight, or it may be only a 
 few days, without question or hindrance. Short as their 
 time of service might prove, it has been sufficient to 
 inoculate the place, in the congenial hot-bed of the ale- 
 house, with the virus of depravity, vice, and cunning, 
 which these masters of their art import from their former 
 haunts and occupations, and having sown the seed of 
 mischief, they pass on and give place to another batch of 
 worthies of similar stamp. Such has been the case, and 
 we rejoice to hope that we may speak of this evil in some 
 degree in the past tense ; — the gang-masters have latterly 
 become somewhat more cautious in their selection of 
 hands. But the system itself is altogether bad, debasing 
 to the parties employed, and injurious to the native 
 labourers in the parish, and nothing short of its entire 
 abolition can secure results permanently beneficial to 
 the social improvement of the community. Until this is 
 effected, other means of elevating the moral character of 
 
THE PARISH. 309 
 
 the humbler classes will experience but partial success, 
 and yet such means are in diligent operation, and hitherto 
 with happy and palpable advantage. A large National 
 School is daily endeavouring to counteract the pernicious 
 influence of the gangs upon the rising generation; a 
 clothing society invites those of maturer age to reap the 
 advantage of frugality and prudent forethought ; and 
 benefit-clubs (the lingering apologies of the ancient 
 guilds) still exist amongst us, though of questionable 
 utility. Perseverance in these means and similar expe- 
 dients may do much, but unless the blow is struck at the 
 root of the mischief, we apprehend no very solid advan- 
 tage will ever be gained in undermining the stronghold 
 of depravity. If the occupiers who continue to uphold 
 the system would one and all combine in the exercise of 
 the moral courage necessary to forego the singular 
 advantages they obtain from its encouragement, 
 
 " Ay, — there 's the rub," — ■ 
 
 we are persuaded they would eventually reap a rich 
 harvest of satisfaction from their determination. 
 
 The features of the landscape are of a bold undulating 
 character, prettily broken by low plantations towards the 
 west, and the fields everywhere exhibit the admirable 
 
810 THE PARISH. 
 
 results of practical agriculture in its highest perfection. 
 The well-merited influence of the late lamented pro- 
 prietor, the greatest patron and the truest friend to 
 agriculture the world ever saw, and the very high 
 character of the occupiers for worth, experience, and 
 capital, have contributed to this effect, and rendered the 
 farming at Castleacre and its vicinity a finished school 
 of the art. 
 
 We have already mentioned the Nar, a pretty, clear, 
 rapid stream, which winds its sinuous course through 
 the parish, forming its principal boundary to the south, 
 and was formerly navigable for small craft to within a 
 short distance of the place. This stream must have 
 proved of inestimable advantage to the monastics, for 
 not only is its water remarkably pure and pellucid, but 
 it is literally thronged with shoals of delicate speckled 
 trout, of singular excellence both of colour and flavour. 
 The fish are of two varieties — the common trout, and 
 the true Trutta Salmo, or salmon-trout, and these, with 
 the exception of a few rare perch, roach, and dace, are 
 the sole occupants of the stream. The abundance of 
 fish is really extraordinary, when we consider the fre- 
 quent pilferings to which the stream is unavoidably 
 exposed, and the regular attendance during the season 
 
THE PARISH. 311 
 
 of sundry eager Waltonians, who have permission from 
 the respective proprietors on either side of the stream 
 to exercise their ''gentle art," although a fly or a minnow 
 are the most usual as well as the most scientific modes 
 of capture employed. Complete success generally attends 
 these " contemplative" gentlemen's operations, although 
 the fish taken vary in size from half a pound to two 
 pounds and a half, rarely much exceeding the latter 
 weight. In the absence of the superior attractions of 
 a salmon leap, the skilful brother of the angle does not 
 disdain to pursue his sport among the shallow rapids of 
 the Nar. 
 
 Such is Castleacre, and such the features which 
 render it equally an object of interest to the antiquary 
 and the general visitor. The Castle, with all its pomp 
 and circumstance of military importance, has passed 
 away, — the Convent, with its results of mingled good 
 and evil, retains but a shadowed outline of its existence, 
 — the sterile wilderness of the adjoining lands has given 
 pl^ce to pastures rich with luxuriant herbage, and fields 
 teeming with the glad produce of successful cultivation, 
 and the Nar alone rolls on its silent course unchanged, 
 unchanging, and replete as ever with the same quality 
 of the finny tribe as erst rejoiced the luxurious palates 
 
312 THE PARISH. 
 
 of the dainty Normans, or compensated the sickly appe- 
 tite of the shrunken ascetic for the unsavoury mess of 
 black beans and salt with which he was too often con- 
 strained to be content. Here we pause, and the indulgent 
 reader, who has had the patience to accompany us thus 
 far, may well be weary of the monotonous garrulity of 
 his companion. We have lingered o'er the past — we 
 have touched upon the present, and we conclude with 
 the expression of bright hope for the future. 
 
 " To-morrow to fresh fields and pastures new." 
 
 THE END. 
 
 LONDON : 
 BRADBURY AND KVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFKIARS. 
 
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