Soc. Rosier, In Anglia.

Soc . Rosier , in Anglia .

" COXWOLD . "

A Paper road hefore THE YORK COLLKGK , at a Regular Meeting held at the Masonic Hall , Thirsk , on the 2 nd of June 1880 , by W . FUA . T . J . Wtr , Kixso . v , VI ° , Primus Ancient . R . W . CII . ADEPT AM > FitATKEs , —Of the many interesting villages in North Yorkshire none probably is moro delightfully situated than is

Coxwold ; by whatever way it is approached it is found environed with beauty . In its neighbourhood aro numerous monastic remainsnotably Byland , Newbnrgh , and Hode ; whilst the natural scenery is of tho most romantic and charming description . Its history , too , is intertwined with names that havo a place in our national records and literature , whilst the village itself preserves a quaintness of

architecture , and an old English aspect fnll of poetry and sentiment . Where will you find a more characteristic village inn of the olden time than the one which , with its whitewashed walls , old-fashioned windows , and thatched roof , extends its front nnder yon magnificent elm , aud by its scrupulously clean exterior invites tho sojourner to tho hospitalities of "The Fanconberg Arms ? " The romantic beanty of tho

village , diversified with hill and valley , wood and stream , speaks in its very name , suggested undoubtedly in the first instance by bird and tree . It appears in Domesday as cncvalt— two Snxon words , cue to cry , and valt a wood , signifying to cry in the wood , or cuckoo-wood . The Manor was then ninn miles loner , and four miles broad . At Coxwold was the seat of the noble family of Colvill , which came here

from Fifeshire . Robert , the heir of the house , was slain with his royal master James IV . at the battle of Flodden Field , A . D . 1513 . Robert , tho first lord , was knighted by Charles I ., and created a baron by Charles II ., and the Colvils were benefactors to Newbnrgh Priory in immediate proximity . Some part of their original hall probably remains in the village . Sir George Orby Wombwell , Bart ., is now

lord of the manor and owner of the soil . In such a place it seems almost as easy to conjnreup the past as to realise the actnal present ; and as we stroll np the wide , steep street , ¦ with the picturesque Grammar School on one hand , and the fine old Church on tho other , and stand in front of " Shandy Hall "—little altered from the days when it was inhabited by Lanrence

Sternewe hnd ourselves transported a century back . Here the facetious author of Tristram Shandy finished . that work , and wrote his Sentimental Journey , spending the last eight years of his life—having been presented to the enracy of Coxwold by Lord Fanconberg . Here he enjoyed a " sweet retirement" in books , painting , fishing , and shooting , after foreign wanderings and London gaieties , and made the

villagers familiar with his lean , lanky figure , his hectic and consumptive appearance , and his peculiar features— "his nose shaped as the Aco of Clubs , and his Voltairean mouth as tho lower half of the Ace of Hearts . " In a letter dated . 7 th June 1767 , ho says , "I am as happy as a prince at Coxwold , and I wish you could see in how princely a manner I live— 'tis a land of plenty . I sit down alone to venison , fish ,

and wild fowl , or a couple of fowls or ducks ; with curds , strawberries and cream , and all the simple plenty which a rich valley , under tho Hamblctoii Hills , can produce I have a hundred hens and chickens about my yard , and not a parishoncr catches a hare , or a rabbit , or a trout , but ho brings it as an offering to me . " He died , not at Coxwold , but among strangers in a London lodging , on tho

first floor of No . 41 New Bond Street ; on Tuesday , 22 nd of March 176 S ; he was buried , no one attending as a mourner , in the graveyard of St . George ' s , Hanover Square , in the Bayswntcr Road ; aud on the night of Thursday , tho 21 th , he was sacrilegiously stolen from his grave . His body was taken , enclosed in a case , to Cambridge , where a gentleman who knew him whilst living was asked by the anatomical professor to attend a dissection . He went , and fainted as he

recognised the body of his friend . It was remarked at the time that each fibre of Sterne ' s heart seemed relaxed and wrung with sorrow . What became of the mangled corpse is unknown . No sooner was he dead than his widow and daughter , who had been long estranged , to raise means sold all his books to Todd and Sotheran , booksellers in York . The following flippant and fulsome epitaph was placed over his empty grave : — " Near this place lies the body of

THE REV . LAWRENCE STERNE , A . M .

Died March 18 , 1768 , j Aged 53 years , j 'Ahl molliter ossa quiescantl' I " If a sound head , warm heart , and breast humane , Unsullied worth , and soul without a stain ;

If mental powers could ever justly claim The well-worn tribute of immortal fame ; STEHNE was the man , who , with gigantic stride Mowed down luxuriant follies , far and wide . Yet what , though keenest knowledge of mankind

Unsealed to him the springs that move the mind , What did it boot him ? Ridiculed , abused , By fools insulted , and by prudes accused . In his , mild reader , view thy former fate ; Like him , despise what 'twere a sin to hate .

" Thismonninerital stone was erected to tho memory of tho deceased by two Brother Masons ; for although ho did not live to bo a member of their Society , yet all his incomparable performances evidentl y prove him to have acted by rule and square ; they rejoice in this opportunity of perpetuating his high and irreproachable character to after a » es . "

Coxwold Church is finely situated on rising ground , and is dedicated to St . Michael . In the external wall over tho cast window are boldly displayed the Fauconbcrg Arms . Some one remarking tho incongruity

Soc. Rosier, In Anglia.

of the fact , was answered by Sterne— " Come into tho church , and you will SPO at once it is ' the house of the lord ! ' " alluding to the imposing display of family monuments in the chancel . It has a fine perpendi . enlar octagonal western tower , an open parapet in trefoil , crockoteel pinnacles in the nudes and between the windows , and gurgoyles representing grotesque human heads . Tho original church is supposed

to havo been bnilt about the year 700 ; the present structure consists of nave and chancel , the latter rebuilt in 17 G 7 , and the edifice generally exhibits tho architecture of tho time of nenry v"I . Thero is no break in tho wall of tho present chancel , and the only opening in its south wal 1 is a plain pointed doorway . Tho east window is of five lights . The nave is lighted on tho north side bv fivo fine windows of three

lights , and on the south by four , the fifth space being occupied by the porch . The ceiling is panelled , and has grotesqne painted heads and figures at the intersections ; and thero are remnants of richly stained glass in the upper portions of the windows , representing archangels and saints . In the porch is the following enrions but mutilated inscription : —

" Ecclesiro de Bninton rectoris et patroni filia Elizabetha Faucon ox primis virgo virginibns adventu spousi epistolaus atrio hoc sacrato discubnit sure 28 , Dni 1651 Oct , dormiente Jesu respice .... surgonto rea ... " At the entrance is an ancient flat tomb . sfonn mnch worn , bearing the representation of an axe laid across the shaft of a cross-floury standing on two steps . There is also in the nave

a brass with an inscription partially illegible . The elaborate and costly monuments of tho Fanconborgs have always proved a sourco of attraction to the Church . The oldest is a painted and gilded altar-tomb to Sir William Bellasyse , who died 14 th April 1603 , supporting two recumbent figures representing the Knight and his lady , their hands folded , their feet resting on a stag

and a lion respectively , with figures of their five children on the dado , all in the costnmo of their timo ; and architectural ornaments with blazoned shields , & c , reaching to the ceiling . It exhibits the workman ' s namo to the following curious legend : — "John Brown Did Carve this Tomb Himselfe alone , of Haslewood Stone . " On the north side of the chancel is a beautiful piece of statuary in white

marble , snrmonnted by the family arms , and the motto " Bonne el belle assess . " In a recess are life-size effigies of Thomas Earl Faucon . berg , and Henry his son , the former with a viscount ' s coronet in his hand , and dressed in his Parliamentary robes , the latter in a Roman habit . Two angels support a crown of glory above , and a long Latin inscription is in parallel columns below . This lord , who died 31 st

December 1700 , aged 72 , married as his second wife , at Whitehall , with all imaginable pomp , Mary , daughter of Oliver Cromwell , of whom Bishop Burnet writes that " She was a wise and worthy woman , more likely to have maintained the post of Protector than either of her brothers , according to the saying that went of her , that those who wore breeches deserved petticoats , but if those in petticoats

had been in breeches they would have held faster . " It was as the consequence of her well-planned and boldly executed manoeuvre that her descendants at Newbnrgh Priory claim to possess and reverently guard tho bones of the Lord Protector . A massive monument of Grecian design on the south side bears effigies of Thomas , Viscount Fanconberg , and Barbara , his wife ,

kneeling on cushions facing the east ; and on tho same side is a high altartomb , with Gothic canopy and spiral work , but no effigies , containing tho remains of Henry , Earl Fanconberg , who died in 1802 , and Charlotte , his wife , who died in 1790 . A neat Gothic monument on the north of the chancel is erected to tho memory of the lato Sir Goorsre Wombwell , Bart ., who died in 1855 . Opposite to it is one to

tho memory of tho third acn of William IV . who died in 1856 whilst on a visit to Newbnrgh . The Tower contains three bells , two of the 17 th century , and ODe dated 1771 . Tho Registers aro preserved from 1583 . The village has a Free Grammar School in tho Tudor style , nearly opposito the Church , founded in 1603 by Sir John Harte , knt ., citizen and grocer of the city of London , originally a poor boy , born at

Kilburn , near Coxwold , who found humble employment at a wholesale grocer ' s in London . He was advanced in course of time , became a , partner , married his master ' s daughter , and eventually became Lord Mayor of London , and was knighted . There is also a " Poor man's Hospital , " founded by Thomas Earl Fanconberg in 1696 , and other endowments for the benefit of the poor in various forms , to which the present proprietor ha 3 generously added .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Review should be addressed to the Editor of Tho I'roemason ' s Chronicle , 23 Great Queen Street , W . C . Freemasonry according to the Discoveries of Bclzoni and Commander Gorrinqe . Also Egyptian Symbols compared with those

discovered in American Mounds . By John A . Weisse , M . D ., Author of "Origin , Progress , and Destiny of the English Lauguago and Literature . " With coloured and plain Illustrations , tho Hieroglyphs of tho American and English Obelisks and Translations into English by Dr . S . Birch . Now York : J . W . Bouton , 706 Broadway . 1880 .

WK pointed out somo timo ago in some commonts we offered on tin ; alleged discovery of Masonic Symbols by Liont .-Oommandcr 0 ; irringo , U . S . A . Navy , that , before expressing a well-defined op inion on tho vnluo of such discoveries , it wonld be necessary wo should have fni'thor information . All wo know at the timo was that in

inaking his arrangements for the removal on shipboard of tho Obelisk , presented by the Egyptian to tho American Government , with a view to its being transported to New York , Commander Gorritige discovered certain stones which , in his opinion , and that of others , wero Masonic iu thoir character , and as such might be regarded as evidence of the