76 



Tower and Stourhead. They went by rail to With am, 

 where the Church with its Norman walls and windows, 

 which have been restored within the last ten or fifteen 

 years, was examined. This was the site of the ancient 

 Priory, over which Hugh Grost^te (afterwards Bishop of 

 Lincoln) presided. No remains of the ancient Priory now 

 exist. 



From Witham the Members walked direct for Alfred's 

 Tower, through lanes and field paths. The day was particu- 

 larly fine. Alfred's Tower forms the boundary of the grounds 

 at Stourhead, and is a triangular building erected by Sir R. 

 C. Hoare the antiquary. An inscription upon the front face 

 states that it was at that point Alfred the Great raised his 

 standard, A.D. 876, against the Danes, and became the 

 founder of English liberty. It is stated also that to him we 

 owe the English Trial by Jury, and that he organised the 

 militia, and also the naval service. Walking from Alfred's 

 Tower the Members passed an ancient mediteval cross, set 

 up at one of the sources of the river Stour, and said to have 

 been brought fi-om Bristol. There is another cross also stand- 

 ing in the grounds at Stourhead, not far from the Church, 

 which was brought from Bristol, and stood there in the 

 College Green. This latter contains figures of Edward IV., 

 John, and other sovereigns, and a tier of more recent sove- 

 reigns of England — as Elizabeth, James I, and others. 



The house contains some good paintings, especially that of 

 the raising of the widow's son by Elijah. There is also one 

 of Gainsborough's paintings worthy of remark. Ample time 

 was given to examine the very interesting library of Sir R. C. 

 Hoare, which has been carefully catalogued, and the catalogue 

 printed and placed in different libraries. The Literary and 

 Scientific Institution possesses a copy. This is not generally 

 the case with private libraries in England, and Professor 

 Hubner observes in his report of the ^Museums of England, 



