THE Hermit of Warkworth A Northumberland Ballad. IN THREE FITS OR CANTOS. By THOMAS PERCY, Bishop of Dromore. London: PRINTED FOR S. LEACROFT, at the Globe, Charing Cross. MDCCLXXI. "You, O Books, are the golden vessels of the Temple; burning lamps to be ever held in the hand." RICHARD AUNGERVYLE. PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR THE AUNGERVYLE SOCIETY, DOWN And lent new sweetness to the summer gale; O Lady, may so slight a gift prevail, Surely the cares and woes of human kind, MDCCLXX. W ADVERTISEMENT. ARKWORTH CASTLE in Northumberland stands very boldly on a neck of land near the sea-shore, almost surrounded by the river COQUET, (called by our old Latin Historians, COQUEDA) which runs with a clear rapid stream, but when swoln with rains becomes violent and dangerous. About a mile from the Castle, in a deep romantic valley, are the remains of a HERMITAGE; of which the Chapel is still intire. This is hollowed with great elegance in a cliff near the river; as are also two adjoining apartments, which probably served for the Sacristy and Vestry, or were appropriated to some other sacred uses: for the former of these, which runs parallel with the Chapel, appears to have had an Altar in it, at which Mass was occasionally celebrated, as well as in the Chapel itself. Each of these apartments is extremely small; for that which was the principal Chapel does not in length exceed eighteen feet; nor is more than seven feet and a half in breadth and height: it is however very beautifully designed and executed in the solid rock; and has all the decorations of a compleat Gothic Church or Cathedral in miniature. : But what principally distinguishes the Chapel, is a small Tomb or Monument, on the south side of the altar on the top of which, lies a Female Figure extended in the manner that effigies are usually exhibited praying on ancient tombs. This figure, which is very delicately designed, some have ignorantly called an image of the Virgin Mary; though it has not the least resemblance to the manner in which she is represented in the Romish Churches; who is usually erect, as the object of adoration, and never in a prostrate or recumbent posture. Indeed the real image of the Blessed Virgin probably stood in a small nich, still visible behind the altar: whereas the figure of a Bull's Head, which is rudely carved at this Lady's feet, the usual place for the Crest in old monuments, plainly proves her to have been a very different personage. About the tomb are several other Figures; which, as well as the principal one above-mentioned, are cut in the natural rock, in the same manner as the little Chapel itself, with all its Ornaments, and the two adjoining Apartments. What slight traditions are scattered through the country concerning the origin and foundation of this Hermitage, Tomb, &c., are delivered to the Reader in the following rhimes. It is universally agreed, that the Founder was one of the BERTRAM family, which had once considerable possessions in Northumberland, and were anciently Lords of Bothal Castle, situate about ten miles from Warkworth. He has been thought to be the same BERTRAM, that endowed BRINKBURN Priory, and built BRENKSHAUGH Chapel : which both stand in the same winding valley, higher up the river. But BRINKBURN Priory was founded in the reign of K. Henry I.* whereas the form of the Gothic Windows in this Chapel, especially of those near the altar is found rather to resemble the style of architecture that prevailed about the reign of K. Edward III. And indeed that the sculpture in this Chapel cannot be much older, appears from the Crest which is placed at the Lady's feet on the tomb; for Camden † informs us, that armorial Crests did not become hereditary till about the reign of K. Edward II. These appearances still extant, strongly confirm the account given in the following poem, and plainly prove that the HERMIT of WARKWORTH was not the same person that founded BRINKBURN Priory in the twelfth century, but rather one of the BERTRAM family, who lived at a later period. * Tanner's Notitia Monast. See his Remains. |