Whittock, Nathaniel: The Oxford Drawing Book, Or The Art Of Drawing, And The Theory And Practice Of Perspective: In A Series Of Letters Containing Progressive Information On Sketching, Drawing, And Colouring Landscape Scenery, Animals, And The Human Figure: With A New Method Of Practical Perspective: Detailed In A Novel, Easy, And Perspicuous Style, For The Use Of Teachers, Or For Self-Instruction. Embellished With Upwards Of One Hundred And Fifty Lithographic Drawings, From Real Views, Taken Expressly For This Work (Oxford , London, 1825)

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Then scoop’d within the solid rock
Three sacred vaults he shews.
The chief a chapel neatly arch’d.
On branching columns rose.
Up to the altar’s ample breadth
Two easy steps ascend.
And near a glimmering solemn light.
Two well-wrought windows lend.

Beside the altar rose a tomb
All in the living stone,
On which a young and beauteous maid
In goodly sculpture shone.
A kneeling angel fairly carved,
Lean’d hovering o’er her breast,
A weeping warrior at her feet.
And near to these her crest.”

You will perhaps be anxious to know what led the hermit to retire from the world,
and bestow such pains in hewing his habitation out of the solid rock : the story, ac-
cording to Dr. Percy, runs thus :—
A chieftain of Northumberland called Sir Bertram, (who afterwards became the
lonely hermit,) aspires to the hand of the fair daughter of a neighbouring chief. The
lady requites his love, but in the spirit of ancient chivalry, arms him for the held, and
bids him prove his valour by his deeds. Sir Bertram tights bravely in the Scottish
wars, but is desperately wounded in battle, is borne nearly lifeless from the field, and
in a short time conveyed to his mistress s castle. The lady having heard of the ill
that had befallen him, had previous to his arrival left her castle to visit him. After a