their time to the transcription of books which would otherwise have been totally lost. It is much to be feared that, had it not been for the labours of the monastic orders, and the protection and leisure afforded them by these munificent endowments, Europe might not have possessed a single copy of the Scriptures. Who could have supposed that the spark of divine revelation, which they so carefully and laboriously preserved in the cloisters of Low Melwood and other religious houses, should, when touched by the printers' promethean art, burst forth into a brilliant flame of light and knowledge; and that, when the houses of their order should be desolate, and the splendid

* "In the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries there was scarcely to be found in the whole Western Church the name of a person who had written a book but what had dwelt or at least been educated in a monastery. Before universities were erected monasteries and often the palaces of Bishops were the seminaries of the clergy, the nurseries for the education of young noblemen, and the great schools of all the sciences. To the libraries and industry of the monks we are indebted for all the works of the antients which we possess: grateful for this benefit, we ought not to condemn them because some works have come down to us interpolated or imperfect. On the diligence and scrupulosity of the monks in correctly copying MSS. see Dom. Contant. Vindic. Veter. Cod. Confirm. page 32, 550, &c. &c. In the Penitential of St. Theodosius, the studite, a penance is prescribed for a monk who had made a mistake in copying MSS. In 1196 it was ordered, in a general chapter of the Cistertians, that the Church of Lyons and Monastery of Cluni should be consulted about the true reading of a book to be copied." From Butler's Introduction to the Lives of the Saints, page xvii.

halls and corridors of this monastery were thrown down, a man should go forth from the neighbouring town of Epworth, with a zeal as ardent, a courage as invincible, an industry as unwearied, and a piety as exalted as that of St. Bruno*, the celebrated founder of the Carthusians; not into deserts but into the abodes of living men, and penetrating into almost every village in the land, preaching the gospel to every creature. "Oh! the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"

HIGH MELWOOD.

WITHIN a short distance of the Priory in the Wood was the park and residence of Darcy Stanhope, Esq. which being situated on a rising ground

has

* St. Bruno was descended of an antient and honourable family, and born at Cologne about the year 1030. There is a wild legend told concerning the conversion of this Saint, which is as follows. "A doctor in Paris, famous both for his learning and godly life being dead, and conveyed to the church to be buried, when they sang over his body the lesson which begins, Responde mihi quot habes iniquitates," the body rising up in the coffin, answered with a terrific voice, "Justo Dei judicio accusatus sum;" at which the company being much amazed, they deferred the interment until the next day; at which time, on the rehearsal of the same words, the body did rise in like manner, and say, "Justo Dei judicatus sum." The third day he raised himself up as before, and said, "Justo Dei judicato condemnatus sum." Among the many doctors who assisted at this funeral was St. Bruno, who being fearfully frightened at this strange spectacle, began to consider with himself, and to repeat very often the following words, "Si justus vix salvabitur impius et peccator ubi erit." Upon this deep consideration Bruno departed from Paris, took his journey with six of his scholars, proposing to live solitary in the same wilderness. This story is treated as fabulous by some writers; and though inserted in the Roman Breviary, was left out by order of Pope Urban the Eighth. Be this as it may,St.Bruno and his companions finally settled under the protection of Hugh Bishop of Grenoble, in the desert of Chartreuse. He died in September 1101.

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has obtained the appellation of High Melwood. Standing in a field above the house called Maw Hill, the spectator may see at one view the whole level of Hatfield Chase, the Yorkshire Wolds beyond the Humber, and the valley through which the Trent winds its course from Gainsbrough to that magnificent estuary.

It appears from the Patent Rolls in the time of Edward the First, that this Park was the property of John Clifford, who was attainted; and that it was then conferred on Nicholas Ganesford. Into whose hands it passed next I have not been able to trace; but in the reign of James the First it had become the property of Sir John Stanhope, of Stotfold, in the county of York. Sir John Stanhope was the son of Sir Edward Stanhope of Edlington, near Doncaster, in the county of York. Sir Edward was one of the Queen's Counsel in the north, a Justice of Peace, and Recorder of Doncaster. He had four sons Sir Edward Stanhope, of Grimstone, Knight, Michael Stanhope, M. D. Sir John Stanhopet, of Stotfold, and of Melwood Park, in the Isle of Axholme, and George Stanhope, Prebendary of York, D. D. John Stanhope, the son of Sir John, and Darcy the grandson, seem to have resided principally at High Melwood, as they are both buried in Owston Church. John Stanhope, the son of Darcy, also resided here, and was buried in Owston Church in the twenty-ninth year of his age. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Robert Farmery of High Burnham, by whom he acquired that property;

and

This Sir John Stanhope and his wife were buried in that part of the Church of Hooton Pagnel which is called the Stotfold Choir. Stotfold is a single house in the parish of Hooton, similar to High Melwood in the parish of Owston, a distinct lordship to itself, and one of the old gentlehommeries of England. The following inscription covers their remains.

MEMORIÆ SACRUM DNI. JOHNES. STANHOP,

ET DNE. MARIÆ UXORS. EJUS.

HIC MORTALES DEPOSUIT EXUVIAS DNS. JOES. STANHOPE, DE MELWOOD PARK, IN INSULA AXHOLME, EQUES. AURATUS, FILIUS DNI. EDWARDI EX ANTIQUA FAMILIA STANHOPI DE GRIMSTON, IN AGRO EBORACENSI ORIUNDUS. ET CUM EO JACET DONA. MARIA, FILIA ET HÆRES GULIELMI HAWBY DE STOTFOLD, Armigeri, Uxor EJUS CHARISSIMA, CUI PEPERIT 19 OPTIME INDOLIS, LIBEROS AMBO VIXERUNT FELICITER,MORIEBANTUR PIE,ET NUNC PLACIDE QUIESCUNT

IN

and he left issue two daughters, Elizabeth and Isabella. Elizabeth married Mr. Richard Acklom, by which marriage High Melwood came into that family, and then into the family of Earl Spencer, who married the great-grandaughter of Mr. Acklom, and by him it was sold to the present owner, the Rev. Thomas Skipworth, of Belton. The house was a large stone building, surrounded by a moat, pleasantly situated on the side of the hill, with a southwest aspect. Not a vestige of it remains. When the property came into the family of Acklom it was disparked, and converted into an arable farm.

IN CERTA SPE BEATÆ RESURRECTIONIS SUB HOC MONUMENTO, QUOD JASper Blithman de NEW LATHES, ARMIGR. NEPOS EORUM MATERNUS, IN GRATAM ERGO EOS MEMORIAM UTRIVIQUA CONSECRAVIT, ANo. Dм1. 1674.

MORITURI SEQUIMUR MORITUROS,

THORNHOLMES.

THE monks of the Priory* of Thornholmes, situated in the parish of Appleby, north-west of Glanford Bridge, having a small manor in Owston and several parcels of land in Epworth and Haxey, built a convenient house on a holme or small island between Owston and Gulnethorpe, which, before the works of drainage, must have been surrounded with wet marshy ground in summer and with water in winter. The subterraneous forest skirts this little oasis on all sides; but as no trees are found upon the hill, it was most probably in its original state an open glade, or that description of country which in Doomsday Book, is termed "silva pascua." Dominus Isaac Scott, as appears from the old Register Book of the parish of Epworth which escaped destruction at the fire in Wesley's house, was Provost of the Canons Regular there; and dying on the Vigil of the Feast of the Assumption, A. D. 1543, was buried in that church. He had probably retired to live at Epworth on his pension after the dissolution of the religious houses. This Manor of Thornholmes was granted by the Crown, together with the Castle garth, to one Nicholas Poutrell†, Sergeant at Law. The house, and a grass paddock adjoining, were held of the Crown as of the Manor of Epworth, in free soccage and not in capite, so also was the Castle garth; but the rest of the Manor was held

* It appears from a return to an Inquisition upon the Placita Rolls, that this Priory was founded for Canons of the Order of St. Augustine by King Stephen, and dedicated to the Virgin. There is no registry of this Priory extant.

In the Lord Treasurer's Remembrance Office is the following entry.-De Nicolao Pawtrell, arm. servienti ad legem occasio, nata ad Ostendendum, quare manerium de Thornholme in manibus Reginæ seisini, non debit ratione alienationis. Dugd, 6, 359.