averred the wild-goose in its wildest career durst not fly over the church that bore St. Hilda's name; and even in the last century the old folks declared that if they stood on the west side of the churchyard in the bright summer forenoon, when the sunbeams fell on the north wall of the choir, at the highest window appeared an unearthly figure, clad in lustrous white, and they whispered to each other the name of Hilda. On October 6, 1160, William de Bruce, Allatson, and Ralph de Percy, were hunting on Esk-dale side, when a huge boar which they had roused ran into the cell of one of the monks who lived a hermit's life, and it there fell dead. The anchorite barred the hounds out to follow his devotions; when the nobles, drawn thither by the baying of the dogs burst the door and wounded the hermit to the death: Horrified at their barbarity they fled for sanctuary to Scarborough; but the abbat soon led them out and brought them to the dying man, who forgave them on condition of their fulfilment of this penance. They were henceforth to hold their lands from the abbat by the following service-to come yearly at sunrise on Ascension Eve, and having cut woodstakes on Strayhead, then to carry them through Whitby to the sea, and there make a horngarth on the shore, while the abbat's officer wound his horn and cried aloud, "Out on ye for the heinous crime of you!"

Then Whitby's nuns exulting told,

How to their house three barons bold

Must menial service do;

While horns blow out a note of shame,
And monks cry, "Fie upon your name!
In wrath, for loss of sylvan game,
Saint Hilda's priest ye slew."
This on Ascension-day each year,
While labouring on our harbour pier,
Must Herbert, Bruce, and Percy hear.
They told how in their convent cell
A Saxon princess once did dwell,
The lovely Edelfled,

And how of thousand snakes, each one
Was changed into a coil of stone,

When holy Hilda pray'd;

Themselves, within their holy bound,
Their stony folds had often found.
They told, how sea-fowls pinions' fail
As over Whitby's towers they sail,
And, sinking down with flutterings faint,
They do their homage to the Saint.

Nor did Saint Cuthbert's daughters fail
To vie with these in holy tale;
His body's resting-place of old,

How oft their patron changed they told;
How when the rude Dane burn'd their pile,
The monks fled forth from Holy Isle;
O'er northern mountain, marsh, and moor,
From sea to sea, from shore to shore,

Seven years Saint Cuthbert's corpse they bore.
They rested them in fair Melrose.

Marmion, v. 13, 14, canto 2.

The remains are partly Decorated, partly of earlier date. The east end is of three stories: in the first is a triplet; in the second a still loftier equal triplet divided by cylindrical shafts; and above all is a steep gable with a triplet; the whole being flanked by two octagonal spires: the turrets from which they rise are arcaded below the gable, and supported by pedimented buttresses. The north transept has a steep gable with angular octagonal turrets, and two octagonal spires in the first and second stages is a triplet deeply embayed with dog-tooth ornaments in the jambs; in the third are three equal broadly-splayed lancets under a round arch. A triangular window then is seen above an arcade corbelled and trifoliated, with quatrefoils in the spandrils. The triforium and clerestory are composed of arcades. The side windows are couplets of two orders deeply recessed, with a profusion of dog-tooth mouldings. The triforium of the nave is composed of two pointed arches, subdivided into two lights under a circular arch, with clustered pillars. In the clerestory and aisles are single lights, which in the former are divided by pedimented buttresses. The west front, with a noble west window stripped of its tracery, and within four bays of the central tower, is of the 14th century. The north

aisle of the choir retains its groined vaulting, and is divided by seven clustered pillars from the choir. The clerestory is composed of lancets flanked by double blank arches, with two quatrefoils in the spandrils; and the triforium has two lights, with four quatrefoils in the spandrils, subdivided, and under a circular arch with clustered pillars. The north transept has eastern aisles. The remains are the east end of the choir, six bays of its south wall, the north transept, five bays of the north aisle of the nave, and part of the west front, which consists of a large window set between two blank arches and two octangular turrets: the wall of the aisle slopes, on each side exhibiting a Decorated three-light window, with a quatrefoil in the spandril above, flanked by an octangular turret. Two of the clustered pillars of the tower are standing. The whole church was 300 ft. in length, 69 ft. broad, and 60 ft. to the vaulting. The nave was of eight bays, the choir, which leans markedly to the north, of six, the presbytery and Lady Chapel are of two bays, the aisles being continued as at York to the extreme east end. The cloisters on the south occupied the whole length of the nave. The south wall of the nave fell December 2, 1767; and the tower, which was 150 ft. high, on 25th June, 1830; two of the piers still remain. The transept was 150 ft. in length.

Arms: Azure, three snakes noded, or.

IRELAND.

Ye abbeys and ye arches, how few and far between
The remnants of your glory in all their pride are seen;
A thousand fanes are fallen, and the bat and the owl repose
Where once the people knelt them, and the high Te Deum rose.

Adare. (Co. Limerick.)

ADARE," the ford of oaks," on the Moyne, retains the ruined nave, choir, and north transept, and two chantries of a priory of Austin Canons, founded 1315, by John Earl of Kildare. The stalls have oblong holes for confessions.

Of the Franciscan Friary, the lofty slender square tower, the nave, with a south aisle, and choir remain, with the cloisters on the north side. A portion, restored by the Earl of Dunraven, is used. The refectory serves for a school.

Athassel. (Co. Tipperary.)

THE Priory of Austin Canons, founded by William de Burke, 1200, as his burial-place, has a choir 44 ft. by 26 ft. and a nave 117 ft. without aisles; a good Pointed doorway of three orders remains. On the south-west is a chapel. The tower was large, and there were extensive cloisters. Richard the Red, Earl of Ulster, died here.

230

ATHENRY-BALLINTUBBER-BECTIVE-BOYLE.

Athenry. (Co. Galway.)

THE Dominican Abbey was founded 1241. There is a central tower with crow-stepped battlements rising from a slope. The aisleless choir has a five-light Decorated window: windows of the same date are in the north transept.

Ballintubber. (Co. Mayo.)

THE Abbey of the Holy Trinity was founded by Cathal O'Connor, 1216. The tower arches are 45 ft. high; part of the nave and transepts remain; the choir which has a chapel on either side, retains its vaulting and eastern triplet.

Bective. (Co. Meath.)

ST. MARY'S Abbey (Cistercian) was founded here 1146-51 by Murchard O'Melaglin, prince of Meath. Hugh de Lacy, the last Lord President, was buried here, 1195. The remains of this monastic castle are very Early Decorated cloisters, with cinquefoiled panes, and a strong battlemented tower at the south-west angle of a great court: there are but few remains of the church, but some fire-places of curious construction are preserved.

Boyle. (Co. Roscommon.)

THIS Cistercian Abbey was founded by Maurice O'Dubhay, and built 1161-1218. It is cruciform, 131 ft. by 25 ft. with a low central tower 25 ft. square, with arches 45 ft. high and transept 50 ft. by 22 ft. with two chapels in each wing; the nave, of eight bays has circular pillars but no triforium; the aisleless choir has an eastern triplet.