and though Monks were the true preservers as well as inventors, of the dreaming and captious philosophy of the schools, no manly or elegant knowledge could be expected among men, whose lives, condemned to a tedious uniformity, and deprived of all emulation, afforded nothing to raise the mind or cultivate the genius."

busie to take off the loade, in commeth the carpenter (that by great inquisition -had followed) and he chalengeth his owne: the monkes, lothe to loose so beneficiall a stray, at the first make some denyal, but afterwarde, being assured by all signes that he was the very proprietairie, they graunt him to take it with him. The carpenter then taketh the horse by the heade, and first assayeth to leade him out of the churche, but he would not stirre for him: then beateth he and striketh him, but the jade was so restie and fast nayled, that he would not once remove his foote from the pillar: at the laste he taketh off the the image, thinking to have carried it out by itself, and then to have led the horse after, but that also cleaved so fast to the place, that notwithstanding all that ever he and the monkes also, (which at the length were contented for pities sake to helpe him) coulde doe, it would not be moved one inch from it, so that in the ende, partely of wearinesse in wrestling with it, and partly by persuasion of the monkes, which were in love with the picture, and made him beleeve, that it was by God himselfe destinate to their house, the carpenter was contented for a piece of money, to go his way and leave the Roode behinde him." p. 182. 5.

This impious piece of mummery (called the Rood of Grace) was broke at -St. Paul's Cross by Hilsey, Bishop of Rochester, who exhibited to the people, the springs and wheels by which the imposture had been carried on.

"But of all the instruments of ancient superstition, no one was so zealously destroyed as the shrine of Thomas a Becket, commonly called St. Thomas of Canterbury. This Saint owed his canonization to the zealous defence which he had made for clerical privileges; and on that account also the monks had extremely encouraged the devotion of pilgrimages towards his tomb, numberless were the miracles which they pretended his reliques wrought in favor of his devotaries. They raised his body once a year; and the day on which this ceremony was performed, which was called the day of his translation, was a general holiday: every fiftieth year there was celebrated a Jubilee to his honor, which lasted fifteen days: plenary indulgencies were then granted to all that visited his tomb: and a hundred thousand pilgrims have been registered at a time in Canterbury. The devotion towards him had

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The Manor of Ashurst, (with that of Buckland) was part of those lands assigned to Jeffry de Peverel, for his assistance in the defence of Dover Castle, and with other lands made up the barony of Peverel, as it was then called, being held of that castle in capite by barony. A court baron is still held for this Manor, and a heriot is paid on the death of a tenant, of the best live beast.

The church of Ashurst was anciently esteemed as an appendage to the Manor, and continued attached to it until the reign of James the First, when Richard Earl of Dorset, alienating the Manor, reserved the church to himself and with his descendants it has continued ever since.

མ་

BENENDEN. This parish is principally bounded by

those of Cranbrook, Hawkhurst and Rolvenden; it is in extent from east to west about 7 miles, and averages nearly four in width. From its elevated and commanding situation and the abundance of timber in its vicinity, the appearance of the village and the scenery around are rendered particularly pleasing; here the lover of nature will find much to admire, and the artist, some room for the exercise of his talents. In the village, though there is nothing particularly worthy of note, there is, at the same time, nothing that offends the eye: its appearance is altogether rural and perfectly in unison with the picturesque beauties of its neighbourhood. The principal

quite effaced in that place the adoration of the Deity; nay even that of the virgin. At God's altar for instance, there were offered in one year 31. 2s. 6d. at the Virgin's 631. 5s. 6d. at St. Thomas' 8321. 12s. 3d. But next year the disproportion was still greater: there was not a penny offered at God's altar; the Virgin's gained only 41. 1s. 8d. but St. Thomas had got for his share, 9541. 6s. 3d.!!!" Hume's England.

part of the houses which constitute the village are built on the sides of the turnpike road to Relvenden; on the south side is the village green, called the play stool, where the annual fair is kept and which formerly was used as a bowling green by the neighbouring gentry, at whose expence it was kept in order; but though this pastime has been long discontinued, the green, much to the credit of the place is not neglected." At the southern extremity and facing the road, stands the church, an object of considerable interest, and on the east side of the green, the neat modern dwelling of the clergyman. The most important feature in this parish is HEMSTED, the seat of Thomas Law Hodges, Esq. to whom so the living of Benenden and perhaps more than two third of the parish belong. HEMSTED is unquestionably one of the st wooded estates in the county, and in point of situation unrivalled; the views from it are rich, varied and extensive; the home grounds are disposed with considerable taste and from a judicious concealment of the fences, an idea of extent and capacity is encouraged and an effect produced, extremely imposing: its character on the whole is grandeur, and with little alteration Hemsted might be rendered a fit abode even for Royalty. The MANOR of Benenden was among the possessions of the Bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands in this county, it is thus entered in the record of Domesday:

In Rolvenden hundred, the same Robert (de Romenel) holds of the bishop, BENINDENE. It is rated at half a sow ling. The arable is two plough lands. In demesne there is one plough and four villains, with nine bondsmen having two ploughs. There is wood for the pannage of five hogs, and one church. In the time of King Edward the confessor and afterwards, it was worth forty shillings, now fifty shillings. Osier held it of King Edward.

*May the 15th,