the visitor will be unable to ascertain whether it was built by the Saxons or the Greeks; or whether it was not an imitation of the first cathedral erected at York, which we are told consisted of boards.

About 3 miles from the town of Helmsley, and 10 from Thirsk, stand the fine ruins of

RIEVALX ABBEY,

upon the grounds of Charles Duncombe, Esq.

This extensive Priory was founded about the year 1131, and amply endowed by Sir Walter L'Espec, a wealthy Baron, who was also the founder of Kirkham Priory, in Yorkshire, and of Wardon Abbey, in Bedfordshire; and was interred in this abbey, at Rievalx. Sir Walter, having lost his son by a fall from a horse, devoted a considerable part of his estate to pious uses. The abbey of Rievalx, dedicated to St. Mary, was endowed with landed property to the amount of fifty carucates, of which 9 were given by the founder, 12 by the crown, 12 by Roger de Mowbray, and 6 by the" Bishops of Durham. There was also an extensive pasturage for upwards of 4000 sheep and cattle, in the neighbourhood, with free warren and other

privileges; but it is singular that not one donation of a church or chapel occurs, so that their spiritual income must have been very small. Their whole revenue is rated by Dugdale at £278. 10s. 2d.; by Speed at £351. 14s. 6d.; and with so small an income, there were at the surrender, 23 monks and the Abbot. There were no less than 31 successive Abbots of Rievalx. William, the first, died in 1146; Aelred, the third Abbot, wrote a chronicle, beginning with the creation, and ending with Henry I.; he wrote also the Life of David, King of Scotland, and some other pieces: he died in 1167. The Abbot at the dissolution was Rowland Blyton.

St. Bernard, Abbot of Clareval, despatched some monks into England, who were honourably received by L'Espec, and allotted the ground of this abbey: this is said to have been one of the first institutions of the Cistercians in this kingdom.

The family of Roos were patrons of the abbey, in 1153.

The abbeys of Rievalx and Old Byland, were situated so near each other, that they each could hear the sound of the bells of the other abbey.

*So called from Cistercium, or Citeaux, in the diocese of Chalons. They were first settled in Waverley Abbey, in Surrey; and in 1151, there were 500 monasteries of that order.

P

The most ancient part, which has been coeval with the first erection, appears in the transepts, where the small Norman Windows bear unquestionable testimony to the period of their erection. The rest of the building bespeaks itself more modern. It is a singular circumstance, that the church, instead of standing East and West,* approaches more to the direction of North and South; so that the choir is at the South end, and the North Aisle is on the East. This anomaly was produced by the rebuilding of the church, and making the body of the old serve as the transept of the new. The ruins of the cloister measure above 100 feet each way; and the refectory extends to the length of 100 feet, and in breadth between 30 and 40. Parallel to this, is another extensive ruins several feet longer, and about the same breadth, answering to the description of a dormitory. The Infirmary, Alms-House, Abbot's Chamber and offices, are also distinguishable among the general wreck; and the remains of the whole are more entire, and more interesting, than any in the dis trict.t

The local situation of this romantic abbey may serve to explain a proverbial expression peculiar to

* See p. 64.

+ Vide Young's History of Whitby, I, 447.