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‘What are they now? The eternal hills survive, 
The vales bloom on with flowers and fruit: the river 
In undimmed beauty sparkles on for ever, 
God’s handywork; while all that man has built 
Sinks to decay: and yet Death’s angel-smile 
Still lingers on the cold and silent aisle.” 
Descending to the Abbey we look at its western front and find 
that it really has two fronts and, it is difficult to decide which is 
the most beautiful. This is caused by the singular idea of Prior 
Moon who determined to build a western tower. He was proud 
of his Abbey, had sufficient funds at his disposal, and determined 
to build one of the most beautiful towers in the kingdom. He 
began to build and got his tower raised as high as the roof of 
the Abbey when King Henry the Highth put a stop to his build- 
ing operations by taking possession of the Abbey and its revenues. 
It was a sad blow to Prior Moon, and darkened the remainder of 
his life. Dr. Collier says ‘“‘ There was a quaint old house of 
timber near the Abbey, in the days old men still remember, in 
which tradition also said Richard Moon, the last of the friars 
ended his days in loneliness and sorrow. He was of the rustic 
stock which still holds its own in that region; but he was born out 
of due time and had to bear the sins of those who had misused 
gifts and privileges. Hehad built up the west front of the Abbey to 
the line at which it stands to-day, when the Commission struck 
him: and there is no truer bit of work in that age in all England. 
The great crane stood on the walls for many a year while Prior 
Moon sat there in his desolation, wishing for the day which 
could never dawn for him, and saying to himself perhaps, ‘How 
long, O Lord? how long?’ letting them bring his bit of victual 
very much as it might please them, and slip it through the slide, 
for the ancient tradition was that no human being entered his 
door; and so at last he went to his own place, dying, not alone 
let us trust, because the Father was with him.” Those beautiful 
words of Dr. Collier come to us with great force as we look at 
this unfortunate tower and read the inscription upon it which 
says—“ In the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and 
twenty Richard Moon began this foundation, on whose soul God 
have mercy. Amen.” 
Passing through the gate into Prior Moon’s tower we obtain a 
view of the real ancient front of the Abbey Church as it was 
built by the monks from Kmbsay. We are ready to forgive Prior 
Moon for building his unnecessary tower, when we remember 
that it has been the means of shielding the original front of the 
Abbey Church from the weather, and has thus preserved it from 
decay. Indeed it looks almost as perfect as when it was first 
built. This real front of the Church should be very carefully 
studied because its rich ornamentation partakes of an Anglo- 
Saxon character. The present vicar, who kindly accompanied 
