DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0217
RIEVAUX ABBEY.
205
and virginity of St. Mary ; of true friendfliip; of the burden
of the Beaft of the South ; a hundred homilies ; and many
volumes on the words “ He was sent,” etc. All this valuable
literature, and much more, we are told, was difperfed, if not
wholly loft, at the diflblution.
Walter Efpec, the founder of Rievaux, is defcribed as a man
of gigantic fize and of eminent bravery, and as one of the chief
commanders in the battle of the Standard. He only lived
about two years after retiring to this monaftery. His gifts to
the monks feem to have been moft lordly. His manfion at
Kirkham he gave up, and it was converted into a priory.
Probably he abandoned this noble manfion becaufe it was near
it, on the way to Frithly, that his fon was killed by his horfe
{fumbling near a ftone crofs. The eftates given up there
appear to have been large, according to the catalogue of them ;
and he endowed the priory with feven churches and their
impropriations, three of them in Northumberland. On
the contrary, this abbey of Rievaux, though it had extenfive
lands, with pafturage for four thoufand fheep and cattle,
befides free warren and other privileges, did not poffefs one
church or chapel befides the church of the abbey itfelf.
When the abbey was firft eftablifhed in the twelfth century,
the country all around it was a wild wildernefs of almoft
unbroken woods, abounding with animals, but with very few
men. One William came there with his little company of
monks, and fet about at once to eredt a monaftery, which
probably was fmall and rude. Thefe monks were of the
Ciftercian order, and the abbey, like all their houfes, was
dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The habit of this order was a
white robe of the nature of a caffbck, with a black fcapular
and a hood, and they had a girdle of woollen cord. In the
choir they had a white cowl, and over it a hood, with a rochet
205
and virginity of St. Mary ; of true friendfliip; of the burden
of the Beaft of the South ; a hundred homilies ; and many
volumes on the words “ He was sent,” etc. All this valuable
literature, and much more, we are told, was difperfed, if not
wholly loft, at the diflblution.
Walter Efpec, the founder of Rievaux, is defcribed as a man
of gigantic fize and of eminent bravery, and as one of the chief
commanders in the battle of the Standard. He only lived
about two years after retiring to this monaftery. His gifts to
the monks feem to have been moft lordly. His manfion at
Kirkham he gave up, and it was converted into a priory.
Probably he abandoned this noble manfion becaufe it was near
it, on the way to Frithly, that his fon was killed by his horfe
{fumbling near a ftone crofs. The eftates given up there
appear to have been large, according to the catalogue of them ;
and he endowed the priory with feven churches and their
impropriations, three of them in Northumberland. On
the contrary, this abbey of Rievaux, though it had extenfive
lands, with pafturage for four thoufand fheep and cattle,
befides free warren and other privileges, did not poffefs one
church or chapel befides the church of the abbey itfelf.
When the abbey was firft eftablifhed in the twelfth century,
the country all around it was a wild wildernefs of almoft
unbroken woods, abounding with animals, but with very few
men. One William came there with his little company of
monks, and fet about at once to eredt a monaftery, which
probably was fmall and rude. Thefe monks were of the
Ciftercian order, and the abbey, like all their houfes, was
dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The habit of this order was a
white robe of the nature of a caffbck, with a black fcapular
and a hood, and they had a girdle of woollen cord. In the
choir they had a white cowl, and over it a hood, with a rochet