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ADVERTISEMENT.

W

ARKWORTH CASTLE in Northumberland, ftands very boldly on a neck of land near the fea-fhore, almoft furrounded by the river COQUET, (called by our old latin hiftorians Coqueda) which runs with a clear rapid ftream, but when fwoln with rains becomes violent and dangerous.

About a mile from the Caftle, in a deep romantic valley, are the remains of a HERMITAGE; of which the Chapel is ftill intire. This is hollowed with great elegance in a cliff near the river; as are alfo two adjoining appartments, which probably ferved for the Sacrifty and Veftry, or were appropriated to fome other facred uses; for the former of thefe, which runs parallel with the Chapel, appears to have had an Altar in it, at which Mafs was occafionally celebrated, as well as in the Chapel itself.

Each of these apartments is extremely fmall; for that which was the principal Chapel does not in length exceed eighteen feet; nor is more than feven feet and a half in breadth and height: it is however very beautitifully defigned and executed in the folid rock'; and has all the decorations of a complete Gothic Church or Cathedral in minature.

But what principally diftinguishes the Chapel, is a fmall Tomb or Monument, on the fouth fide of the altar; on the top of which lies a Female Figure extended in the manner that effigies are ufually exhibited praying on ancient tombs. This figure, which is very delicately defigned, fome have ignorantly called an image of the Virgin Mary; though it has not the leaft refemblance to the manner in which she is represented in the Romish Churches; who is ufually erect, as the object of adoration, and never in a poftrate or recumbent pofture. Indeed the real image of the bleffed Virgin probably flood in a fmall nich, ftill vifible 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 perfonage.

About the tomb are feveral other Figures; which, as well as the principal one abovementioned, are cut in the natural rock, in the fame manner as the little Chapel itfelf, with all its Ornaments, and the two adjoining Apartments. What flight traditions are fcattered through the country, concerning the origin and foundation of this Hermitage, Tomb, &c. are delivered to the Reader in the following rhimes.

It is univerfally agreed, that the Founder was one of the Bertram family, which had once confiderable poffeffions in Northumberland, and were anciently Lords of Bothal Caftle, fituate about ten mile from Warkworth. He has been thought, to be the fame Bertram, that endowed Brinkburn Priory, and built Brenkfhaugh Chapel which both ftand in the fame winding valley, higher up the river.

But Brinkburn Priory was founded in the reign of K. Henry 1.* whereas the form of the Gothic win

*Tanner's Notitia Monaft.

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dows in this Chapel, efpecially of thofe near the altar, is found rather to resemble the ftyle of architecture that prevailed about the reign of K. Edward III. And indeed that the fculpture in this Chapel cannot be much older, appears from the Creft which is placed at the Lady's feet on the Tomb; for Camden † inform us, that armorial Crests did not become hereditary till a bout the reign of K. Edward II.

Thefe appearances ftill extant, ftrongly confirm the account given in the following poem, and plainly prove that the HERMIT of Warkworth was not the fame perfon that founded Brinkburn Priory in the twelfth century, but rather one of the Bertram family who lived at a later period.

See his Remains.

FIT was the word ufed by the old Minstrels to fignify a Part or Divifion of their hiftorical fongs, and was peculiarly appropri ated to this kind of compofitions. See Reliques of ancient Eng. Poetry, Vol. II. p. 166 and 397. 2d Ed.

I

THE

HERMIT of WARK WORTH.

A

Northumberland BALLA D.

FIT THE FIRST.

DARK was the night, and wild the ftorm.

And loud the torrent's roar ;

And loud the fea was heard to dafh
Against the distant shore.

Mufing on man's weak haplefs ftate,
The lonely Hermit lay;
When, lo! he heard a female voice,
Lament in fore difmay.

With hofpitable hafte he rose,

And wak'd his fleeping fire; And fnatching up a lighted brand, Forth hied the reverend fire.

All fad beneath a neighbouring tree
A beauteous maid he found,

Who beat her breast, and with her tears
Bedewed the moffy ground.

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