Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire.

FOUNTAINS ABBEY , YORKSHIRE .

( Read by Era . J . Maffey , 17 ° , at a meeting of the York College of Rbs ^ m ^ s , at Ripon . THE site of this monastery was granted in 1132 hy Turstan , Archbishop of York , out of his Liberty of Ripon , to a body of monks who had separated themselves from the Benedictine Abbey of SMary at Yorkresolved to adopt

. , the sterner rule of the Cistercian order , then becoming famous from the reputed sanctity of S . Bernard . The sites of all the abbeys of this order appear to have been selected tor several reasons , ancl these were all but invariably the same ; in the first place , a spot was selected at a distance from towns , in a remote and quiet situation , the banks of streamso for the ly of fresh waterand the

on a , necessary supp , important item of fish to such a community ; and , for the purposes of drainage , always in a valley , ancl usually in the narrowest part of the valley , so as to be as much as possible surrounded by hills , they were thus protected and secluded . I believe in no instance were these conditions departed from , or a hill chosen

for the site in preference to a valley . Here , then , in such a place Richard , the prior , a sub-prior , and ten monks of S . Mary , together with Robert , a monk , of Whitby , retired in the depth of winter to the secluded and then uncultivated dell in which we now stand . In such a spot as you now see these monks took up their abode , without shelter , save that afforded by the trees or impending rocks . sent to

The winter over , they consulted as to their future , messengers S . Bernard , to inform him they had selected him as their spiritual father , and were ready to abide under his rule . He sent as their instructor , Geoffrey , a monk of Clairvaux ; he taught them to lay out and build their abode , humble enough at first ; meanwhile , seven clerks and two laymen are added to their bod but property acquiredand they were still dependent upon their

y ; no was , benefactor , S . Bernard , for the means of livelihood . A famine ensued , ancl they we driven to such straits that the abbat went over to see S . Bernard , and it was arranged for their removal to Clairvaux , in Champagne . Whilst , however , he was absent , Hugh , Dean of York , from declining health , retired to Fountains , bringing much wealth and a valuable collection of books of the Holy Scriptures . This changed the aspect of affairs so much that the

emigration idea was given up . It was about this date , probably , that permanent settlement was made , and the lands were legally conveyed to the monks by the charter of Archbishop Turstan , which has thus been translated : " Tuistan , by the grace of God , Archishop of York , to the Archbishop of Canterbury , and to all Bishops , Abbats , Clerks , Barons , and Laymen of all England , and their successors , greetingWe make known to allthat we have iven in alms to God ancl

. you , g S . Mary , of Fountains , and to the abbat and monks , part of the wood of Hevleshow , according to the boundary which we have pointed out to Richard , the first abbat of the same p lace ; and that we have allowed ( or conceded ) that portion of land which Wallef , the son of Archil , our vassal , gave to the same church , which is adjoining the same wood in which we have founded the said churchMoreoverwe have iven to the aforesaid churchtwo carucates of

. , g , land , in wood and open ground , in Sutton , except one plough-land which lies on the east side of the way leading from Ripon to Stainley ; and let this be clear to you all , forasmuch as they have professed to live according to the rule of the Blessed Benedict . All the aforesaid things we have granted in alms