the bank, and horses and carts appear passing to the small vessels, which lie against the wharf, to receive their burdens. Close behind, a rich woody hill hangs sloping over the wharf, and forms a grand back-ground to the whole. The contrast of all this business, the engines used in lading and unlading, together with the solemnity of the scene, produce altogether a picturesque assemblage. The sloping hill is the front screen; the two side-screens are low.

Both here and at Bishop's Wood (before mentioned), the proprietor, William Partridge, esq. of Monmouth, has lately made very large additions to the former extensive iron works at these places; and Mr. Teague, the owner of several collieries in the Forest of Dean, has laid down a rail or tram road, to communicate with a wharf on the bank of the Wye, for the purpose of better supplying the city of Hereford, and intervening places near the river, with this valuable article in life.

COURT FIELD.

A

Little below Lidbrook, on the right, stood an ancient Mansion, rendered distinguishable from having been the Nursery of King Henry the Fifth. We are told by Williams, in his History of Monmouthshire, "That

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being, when young, of a weak and sickly habit, he

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was placed here, under the care of the Countess of Salisbury.

The parish of Bicknor,* in which it is situated, forms a part of the county of Monmouth, though surrounded by Herefordshire. Court Field was previously called GREEN FIELD, but changed its name to that it is now known by, from the Royal Infant being nurtured there.

The estate belonging to it, which is somewhat considerable, has, for a long space of years, been in the possession of the Vaughan family. The name is softened to english pronunciation, but was anciently called Vychan, which in Welch means little, implying the lesser part of a greater family, they being lineally related to the Herberts Earls of Pembroke, and for that reason called little Herbert.

Since the death of his father, the present William Vaughan, esq. having assumed the government of his own fortune, the ancient house has been taken down, and on its site has been erected a very handsome mansion, compatible with the comforts of modern life. It occupies a commanding eminence, which falls down in a fine slope to the water's edge; and when the orna mental gardening and plantations, now laid out, shall have approached maturity, it will vie with the most tasteful residence in the surrounding neighbourhood. Mr. Maddox, of Monmouth, was the Architect.

*BICKNOR was anciently called BICANOFRE, a Saxon word, derived from Bic a river, and OPRE, upon,-which implies its situation.

WELCH

WELCH BICK NOR CHURCH.

ABOUT

BOUT half a mile from Court Field, on the same shore of the Wye, stands the parish church of Welch Bicknor, so called, to distinguish it from another village of the same name; about two miles below, on the opposite side of the river, in Glocestershire, which now only divides the two counties, but was formerly the boundary between the Welch and English, according to this verse of Neckham :*

"Inde vagos Vaga Cambrenses, hinc respicit Anglos."

Hence WYE the ENGLISH views, and thence the WELCH. It is a very small building, measuring only 20 yards long, by 12 wide, the body being without any pavement, except the flat stones which cover the dead. But for the antiquarian and historian it possesses something interesting, for tradition informs us, that the Countess of Salisbury, who nursed King Henry the Fifth, lies buried here.

Her effigy is placed to front the reading desk in the body of the church. She is represented by a whole length recumbent figure, carved on a stone of a dirty colour; but the abilities of the artist intitle him to credit, for the free and loose manner in which he has executed

Nequam, or Neckham (a Monk), was a writer of Latin poetry, and died in the year 1217. He was originally called "Nequam," but changed his name; because that when he desired to be re-admitted to St. Alban's priory, the Abbot replied to him, Si bonus sis, venias-si nequam, nequaquam." Displeased at the allusion, he called himself Neckham ever afterwards. He was bred in the university of Paris.

the drapery. The head is ornamented with a dress of early date (the features wholly exposed), and on each side is an infant child, lying near to her face. The left arm is broken off above the elbow, yet the hand remains, in which she holds a cross suspended from her neck, and with the right hand her flowing robes. The figure is also broken at the knees. It is certainly of ancient date, but there is no inscription, nor character, to support the tradition that it represents the Countess of Salisbury.

The annals of British History, at the period in which that lady lived, are veiled in a considerable degree of obscurity, or we should not be left in such uncertainty with respect to the true place of her interment. Thus far however we know of her connections:

Her maiden name was Maud Francoys. Her father, who (in a work I quote), is stiled Sir Adam Francoys, Knt. was a man of eminence, having served the office of Lord Mayor of London. She was three times married. Her first husband was Sir Alan Buxhull, the elder, Lieutenant of the Tower;-her second, is called John Aubrey, son of Andrew Aubrey, citizen of London; and, her last, John Montacute, third Earl of Salisbury, and Lord Monthelmer. Now the question is, at what time did she marry this John earl of Salisbury? If this circumstance was clearly known, the subject under consideration would cease to be any longer a matter of dispute. On a first view, her title in life forbids the employment supposed, she ranking, by her last marriage, above the Prince's mother, who at that time was

only

only Countess of Derby,—and next to this, the political principles of her Lord, render such a situation about the Prince still more inadmissible.

The truth or fallacy of this Lady's having been Nurse to King Henry, has induced the writer to call in the aid of every historical testimony within his reach,-as well as the splendid talents of some gentlemen (who have honored him with their notice), who hold the first rank in this walk of learning, in order to ascertain what degree of credit is due to this popular tradition; and it gives him the greatest pleasure to be privileged to lay the communications of the latter before the public,which are as follow:

"With respect to the figure in Welch Bicknor "church, ascribed to the Countess of Salisbury, who is "said to have nursed King Henry the Fifth, I conceive "the story rests on tradition, founded perhaps only on "her holding two children in her arms, of which I "have seen other instances. The Countess of Salisbury likely to come in for that honor, would have been Elizabeth, daughter of John Lord Mortimer, of Dunster castle, wife of William Montacute, second Earl of Salisbury of that name, who died 1396 or 7; but she expressly bequeathed her body to be buried "with her husband's family at Bustlesham, or Bisham, abbey, in Berkshire.* Welch Bicknor was part of "the jointure of her husband's mother, wife of his “father the first earl. She died 18 Richard II. (1395), "but where she was buried does not appear.

*Dugdale's Baronage, Vol. I. page 649-50.