a great builder of churches, during his refidence in this town, A. D. 1135, founded this nunnery. Whether these royal perfonages were, either jointly or individually, the founders of this convent, it seems, however, from hiftory, pretty certain, that they were both munificent benefactors to the inftitution.

Ridpath, in his highly-informing Border History, fays, that Agas, the mother of Margaret, queen of Scotland, and Christian, her fifter, after king Malcolm was killed at Alnwick, anno 1086, incapable of enjoying fociety after that fatal catastrophe, retired to this nunnery, and took the facred veil.

Benefactions, donations, and grants, numerous and valuable, poured into this receptacle of fair devotees.

Large quantities of wheat, rich and fertile lands, villages, &c. all were chearfully granted to the devout nuns of St. Bartholomew: waftes, and houses in the Side, Pilgrim-ftreet, Flefh-market, Oat-market, Darn-crook, and almost all over the town, belonged to them. That piece of fine land adjacent to the town-moor, called to this day the Nun's-moor, or Leazowes, was alfo the property of these filters, which, after paffing through feveral hands, was at last, by the abbess, vested in the corporation of Newcaftle, where it ftill continues.

But, in proportion as the convent became opulent, the fifterhood, it is faid, felt an irrefiftible propenfity towards the oppofite fex. And fame fays, (but fhe often lies) that fome of the frail fair ones, by means of a fubterraneous communication with the neighbouring monaftery, became mammas, without the trouble of the marriage ceremony. Mr Bourne fays, that Mr Blackett's steward, Mr Richmond, affured him, that he had feen the entrance into this fubter

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fubterraneous vault, but that it was then filled up with earth.

Charity, however, which "thinketh no evil," obliges us to view the defign of this vault (if fuch ever exifted) with a more favourable eye: it very probably was a depofitary for wines and other ftores, which the fair devotees wished to be concealed. from the views of the cenforious public. However, we well know, that, upon the intention of the relentless Henry VIII. of pulling down and ftripping the rich abbeys and monafteries being known, the courtiers and minions of the royal plunderer inftantly fet on to load the falling priesthood with the blackest calumnies and fouleft imputations; fo that, instead of their being facred receffes of devotion, and fublime meditation, they were they were too truly reprefented as having been the filthy dens of hideous impurities, finks of frightful pollutions, gluttony, lufts, murders, and particularly of myriads of infanticides, and of other monftrous crimes, which called for the vengeance of God and man! In confequence of this the nunnery of Newcastle amongst others was fully fuppreffed in the year 1540 at the time of its diffolution it confifted of a priorefs and nine other

nuns.

Such was the overthrow of the numerous and richly endowed monafteries, with which Newcastle for ages had abounded. The fuperftitious devotee may poffibly lament the mighty change, and the incurable wound given to the papal power in Britain; but the buriting forth of the light of fcience, and civil and religious liberty, ftript of their galling chains, appearing to blefs mankind with their benign influence, and to fhed on them their choiceft

bleffings,

bleffings, powerfully demonftrate, that the change has been wonderfully for the amelioration of the condition of mankind,

ST. MARY MAGDALEN'S HOSPITAL FOR

LEPERS.

The leprofy was a loathfome, foul, and painful difeafe. It was, in ancient times, very common among the Afiatics, Egyptians, and other eastern and fouthern nations. It seems to have been particularly prevalent, as we find in facred writ, among the ancient Ifraelites; and we read of the numerous precautions to prevent the spreading of its infectious influence, by excluding the perfon affected with this dreadful malady from all intercourfe with fociety, till he should either recover, or die.

Phyfiologists tell us, that it was hereditary, and infectious; that it might be caught by the faliva of a leper, if a found perfon drank after him, by contact, or touch; by lying in the fame bed; or, by intercourfe between the fexes.

That it was common in our own country, appears from this, that hofpitals for lepers were erected almost in every town of any confequence in the kingdom. In general, it baffled the power of medicine, and of confequence the patient dragged out a life of the most exquifite and confummate mifery. What is very particular however is, that although the fatal lift of difeafes which afflict human kind rather encreafes in our times; yet the dreadful one of leprofy is almoft altogether unknown in our favour'd inland. Monf. St. Fond, that amiable philofopher, and one of the most eminent members of the French

National

National Inftitute, and, to heighten his celebrity, a particular favourite of the First Conful, who vifited Newcastle a few years ago, fpeaking of the many and vaft advantages refulting from the use of coal fuel, has this remarkable obfervation, "And there can be little doubt, but that it is from the confumption of fo much coal, in the numerous great manufactories in Britain, as well as the plenty of that ufeful mineral employed in domeftic purposes, that the leprofy, that horribly loathfome diforder, fo common in other countries, and also in England until coal became the general fuel there, has now totally difappeared."

To afford an afylum for perfons afflicted with this dreadful contagious disease, the hofpital of St. Mary Magdalen was founded, and endowed, near the Barras- Bridge, at the northern extremity of the town of Newcastle. It was placed on a rifing ground, and the term Barras was originally Barrows, tumuli, or heights, probably the burying-place of the patients who died of this diforder. No veftiges now remain of that humane inflitution. It was a priory, or hofpital, for a master, brethren, and fifters, to receive and accommodate lepers.

Pope Alexander III. confirmed the mafter and brethren in the poffeflion of fuch houfes, gardens, rents, woods, and other property as might be made over to them with an exemption from all tythes.

King Edward I. confirmed to them a houfe bequeathed to them by John de Hercelaw.

John Bland was a great benefactor to this hofpital, by giving and leaving them many valuable donations, and was buried in their chancel.

The

The good Roger Thornton, ever among the fair lift of the charitable and humane, left, by his will, two pounds to the" leper men" of Newcastle.

Fourteen perfons, fays Bourne, refiding in the house, were each allowed a room, coals, and eight fhillings per month. Fifteen others, were a fort of out-patients, with different allowances, fome of eight fhillings, fome of five fhillings, and others of two fhillings and fixpence per month. Upon its diffolution by a ftatute of Henry VIII. king James 1. incorporated it with St Thomas' chapel, on Tyne-bridge, conftituting the mayor and common council patrons.

Happy has it been for Newcastle, that the neceffity of fuch an afylum has long fince ceafed, a leper being a character almoft altogether unknown in our times.

THE MONASTERY OF THE ST. AUSTIN FRIARS.

This feems to have been one of the most beautiful and magnificent of all the religious ftructures, of the monaftic orders, in Newcastle. It was fituated on the left hand in going down the Manor-chare, on that extenfive piece of ground, on which have been fince erected the Freemen's Hofpital, Barber Surgeon's Hall, &c. of which we will give an account when defcribing the Public Buildings, Charitable foundations, &c. It was founded (fays Wallis in his valuable account of the antiquities of Northumber land) by William Lord Ros, baron of Wark, upon Tweed, about the year 1290.

He was one of the most potent chieftains of the north, and the branches of his family were rendered