Wanderings and excursions in North Wales . great hall, or refectory, and a part of the abbots residence, haveresigned their more costly and spiritual charge for the less digni-fied, but not less necessary, avocations of a fann-house. The eastside is in the best state of preservation, and through its closemantle of ivy may be perceived the small narrow windows peculiarto old religious edifices. I observed, also, some rather minuteGothic pillars and arches against the south wall, and an aperture, inwhich, probably, was preserved the holy water. On the same sideappears to have been a semicircular
Wanderings and excursions in North Wales . great hall, or refectory, and a part of the abbots residence, haveresigned their more costly and spiritual charge for the less digni-fied, but not less necessary, avocations of a fann-house. The eastside is in the best state of preservation, and through its closemantle of ivy may be perceived the small narrow windows peculiarto old religious edifices. I observed, also, some rather minuteGothic pillars and arches against the south wall, and an aperture, inwhich, probably, was preserved the holy water. On the same sideappears to have been a semicircular door, opposite to two smallarches, and near them is seen a fragment of a statue representingthe head of a human figure. The space of ground within thewalls is more than usually circumscribed. According to Mr. Vaughan, the antiquary, it was founded by thegrandsons of Owen Gwynedd; the monks were of the Cistercianorder, and the abbey dedicated to the holy Virgin. It may besaid of her priests, as of the humbler rustics by whom they were II. WANDERINGS THROUGH NORTH WALES. i^? surrounded, that tradition has not commemorated their homelyjoys and destiny obscure, any more than the astonishing cures ormiracles which they wrought under the auspices of their lady-patroness,—but few having the good fortune of the gentle SaintWinefred. The charter of the abbey offers a striking instance ofthe superstition of the age, and those delusions to which the mindsof princes are equally subjected with that of the rudest most ample grants, authority over lakes, rivers, and seas; allkinds of birds and beasts, wild or tame; mountains, woods, thingsmoveable and immoveable; every thing upon or under the landscontained in the deed, with full liberty of digging for hiddentreasures, are among the privileges of the good brethren of antiquarian of great celebrity likewise observes, with referenceto their good taste, that the abbey is situated in as pleasant a spotas ever he saw. It was,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade183, bookpublisheretcetc, bookyear1836
