above all, the SEA itself most nobly terminates the great prospect to the east and south, and expands itself all along the coast down from beyond the Fern Islands to the north; yet not so distant but that the shipping may be plainly seen many miles from the land, and affords a fine moving picture. On the margin of the sea the ruins of DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE, and the little port of ALNEMOUTH, are two of the most striking objects. To the south-west a wild rude moor, part of the ancient Forest of Haydon, rises still higher than the mountain on which we stand; yet clothed on one side to its very top with infant plantations, which are at present struggling with the inclemencies of their situation, but promise fair to surmount them. And here and there are interposed some of those rude pyramids of stone erected in ancient times as landmarks, and called by the inhabitants Cairns or Kerns. "And now, the eye being fully satisfied with these great and wild views of nature, we descend from this eminence, in order to contemplate other scenes more confined and more cultivated; for, winding down to the bottom of this mountain, we cross the river, and find that HULNE ABBEY, which before appeared so low beneath our feet, is really situated on a hill of no inconsiderable height, to which we again ascend from the river. "HULNE ABBEY was the first monastery of CARMELITE FRIARS in these kingdoms. The account of its foundation is thus given by ancient writers. Among the British barons who went to the Holy Wars in the reign of King Henry III. were WILLIAM de VESCY, Lord of Alnwick, and RICHARD GRAY, two ancient chieftains in the Christian army. Led by curiosity or devotion, they went to visit the monks of Mount Carmel, and there unexpectedly found a countryman of their own, one Ralph Fresborn, a Northumberland man, who had distinguished himself in a former crusade, and in consequence of a vow had afterwards taken upon him the monastic profession in that solitude. When Vescy and Gray returned to England they strongly importuned the superior of the Carmelites to let their countryman accompany them home; which was at length granted, upon condition that they would found a monastery for Carmelites in their own country. Soon after their return, Fresborn, mindful of their engagement, began to look out for a place for their convent. After examining all the circumjacent solitudes, he at length fixed on the present spot, induced, it is said, by the great resemblance which the adjoining hill bore to Mount Carmel. And, indeed, who ever looks into Maundrell's Travels' will find that the draught of that mountain given in his book bears a strong likeness to this before us. "The above William de Vescy* gave a grant of the ground, consisting of 12 or 13 acres, in his park of Holne; but Fresborn is said to have erected the buildings himself. The foundation was laid A.D. 1240; and Fresborn, gathering a proper number of monks, became the first abbot of the order, and having presided here with great reputation of sanctity, at length died, and was buried in this monastery about the year 1274. "This grant of William de Vescy was afterwards confirmed, and enlarged with new privileges, by his sons John and William; and when in the beginning of the next century the barony came into the possession of the Percy family, their charters were confirmed by the successive Lord Percies of Alnwick, some of whom gave additional marks of their favour to this abbey, as appears by their charters of 1310 and 1334. "At length Henry Percy, fourth Earl of Northumberland, built on it a fine tower, as a place of refuge for the monks to retire to in times of danger. For, in the sudden irruptions of the Borderers of both nations, these rude men spared no places or persons, however sacred, but laid all waste with fire and sword. "This Tower, having been preserved more entire than any other part of the abbey, has been lately repaired by the present noble possessors, who are fitting it up in the old Gothic style, and have shown an admirable taste both in the choice and adaptation of the ornaments. Near it, in ancient English, is this curious INSCRIPTION: In the year of crist Jhu MccccXXVIII IIII This town was bilded by Sir Henr Percy The fourth Erle of Northūberland of gret hon and worth ** * * And with his grace cõsarve ye bilder of this Tower. *Not his son John, as it is in Leland, Bale, &c. This appears from the original charters, of which I have seen extracts in MS. as also from Dugdale's Baronage, I. p. 93, 763." Descending from these venerable ruins, we wind along a fine romantic valley, with hanging woods to the left, and the river Alne to the right, beyond which rises a rough hill covered with small thickets. The river here accompanies the path for near two miles, sometimes approaching near to the wood, at other times receding from it; one while gliding in a small canal of clear water, at other times foaming down among crags and interposing stones. "And first we pass close under a fine impending wood; whence emerging we enter a green spacious meadow, here and there interspersed with trees. This is agreeably contrasted with a large succeeding shrubbery, in the midst of which rises a fine chalybeate spring that will probably be distinguished by a little overhanging grotto. Passing the shrubbery, which also affords a large nursery for future plantations, we ford the river, and travel round another beautiful meadow, from the centre of which the eye is carried to the right over a succession of fine sweeping slopes, till it rests on the top of Carmel. Soon after, a very pleasing landscape is seen to the left, through an opening in the trees that hang over the river. "Now we enter some beautiful plantations, which by a gentle rise and fall in the ground afford a great variety of pleasing scenes in beautiful succession, till at length ALNWICK CASTLE begins to emerge from among the trees, and presents itself to the eye more than once in the conclusion of the ride. Here the battlements of the tower, belonging to the once famous PRIORY OF ALNWICK, are seen to the left, close embowered among the trees. As the tower is the only ancient part now remaining of that once-extensive building, the rest being a more modern house, it was all that was worth disclosing to the eye. Soon after we regained the Gothic gateway by which we entered; and now, having completed a circuit of six or seven miles, we return back to Alnwick Castle, having to the left a charming view over a country most beautifully diversified. "I have now brought my long narrative to a conclusion, in which be pleased to observe that some things are mentioned not as objects of attention, but merely as landmarks, the better to distinguish and divide the several parts of the ride; yet most of the particulars above described afford great and striking beauties. "I am, &c. &c." 1767. Two letters from the Rev. Mr. Percy to the Rev. William Cole, dated March 9, and 28, 1767, respecting his new edition of the "Reliques of Ancient Poetry," are printed in "Literary Illustrations," vol. vi. p. 561 to 563. 1769. Rev. EDWARD BLAKEWAY* to Dr. PERCY. "MY DEAR FRIEND, Monmouth, Sept. 22, 1769. "In my last letter I promised to send you an account of the entertainment I expected to meet with at the celebration of Shakespear's jubilee. I was not unmindful of my promise, and had resolved to write you a full description of all our amusements, and some of the inconveniences we had at Stratford. But I soon found myself quite anticipated by the public papers, which have very properly related everything that was material and interesting. However, I must confess that they have rather exaggerated in the badness of beds, &c., for there was nothing which could not very well be put up with for two days. My expedition cost me about ten guineas, and I by no means regret the expense; for that part of the entertainment in which Mr. Garrick was concerned, namely, the recital of the Ode, was well worth all the pains and money endured and laid out in this journey. I have seen him in most of his principal characters on the stage, but never I think did he exhibit greater talents and abilities for action and expression than on this trying occasion. Never in my whole life did I so sensibly feel the power of eloquence, or find myself worked up to such a degree of somewhat very like enthusiasm. The Ode itself when read over in the closet is a pretty good one, but had you heard it recited by Garrick (when I do not think you would have found a single word delivered but A memoir of the Rev. Edward Blakeway is given in Literary Illustrations, vol. V. p. 643, where is also an earlier and most excellent letter of Mr. Blakeway to his friend Mr. Percy, dated July 4, 1765, congratulating him on his introduction to the Northumberland Family. Mr. Blakeway was an excellent correspondent. Fifty of his letters to Bishop Percy were sold by auction, July 20, 1835, and were purchased for Mrs. Blakeway. with the most proper emphasis), you would have judged it worthy of our greatest poets. I have formerly heard Mr. Sheridan pronounce Dryden's Music Ode, which is without doubt one of the best compositions in our language, but I can assure you that the difference between the two speakers was immense, and Garrick was as much superior to Sheridan in elocution as Dryden to our Roscius in his poetical capacity. "I was much disappointed in not meeting our friend Farmer at Stratford; he is lately promoted to one of the Whitehall preacherships, and was then at London, but I much wonder that he did not show his respect to Shakespear and Garrick in this solemnity. "You see by the papers the part* which King, the comedian, sustained; this was a part of the entertainment quite unexpected, unless by some few in the secret, and he performed it to admiration. "In some respects his part was more difficult than that of Garrick's; it is more easy to command the attention of the audience for three quarters of an hour, by a speech or poem, partly serious and partly comic, than to make them laugh for the same space of time. This difficult task Mr. King effected, for he kept the whole company upon the full roar of mirth at the end of almost every sentence he pronounced. In short, this recital and comic representation of the merits of our great dramatic Bard pleased every body, and put us all in high good humour. The weather proved unfavourable for the pageant, which Mr. Garrick had taken great pains about, but I suppose you will have it exhibited on the stage this winter. He is too skilful and prudent a manager to put himself to any extraordinary expense, without making it answer to him in some shape or other. I have been at this place for the last week upon a visit to a friend, and shall return to Shrewsbury before the end of the month, when I propose sticking close to my little work,† which I greatly fear will not answer your expectations, but will prove in the end only an amusement to myself. Let me have the pleasure of hearing from you as soon as possible. I hope Mrs. * Ambassador from the Society of the Macaroni to the good folks Le Bas. See an Account of the Stratford Jubilee, by a correspondent, in the Gent. Mag. 1769, p. 421-423. + We are not aware that Mr. Blakeway published any work. |