110 PAPERS, ETC. 
in an exalted post. A mitred abbot, a peer of 
parliament, lord of wealth which in those days was 
really enormous, exercising a princely hospitality, 
and breeding up in religious learning at least 300 
sons of noblemen and gentlemen; his personal 
character such as to double the influence accruing 
from his elevated rank,—it might have seemed that 
he was beyond the reach of misfortune; but the ire, 
—Ishould rather say the lust and avarice—of a des- 
potic king, “rode forth upon destruction’s wing.” 
Arrested at his country residence at Sharpham, he 
was hurried to Wells, there subjected to the mockery 
ofa trial on the absurd charge ofembezzling the plate 
of the monastery, and though, as it is stated, acquit- 
ted of the charge, he was murdered,—for I will not 
call it executed,—on the Challice hill, which over- 
looks the buildings of that splendid establishment, 
which he had governed so well. 'The monks were 
dispersed, the manors granted to rapacious courtiers, 
and of all the noble buildings which then composed 
the Abbey of Glastonbury, none are now left stand- 
ing, but those mutilated, though still beautiful 
fragments, which I will now proceed to describe. 
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION. 
With the exception of the beautiful ruins of that 
hallowed edifice, which we now look upon, little 
remains of the great abbey of Glastonbury ; for of 
all the domestic buildings, necessarily attached to 
so vast an establishment, all have disappeared, but 
the very remarkable kitchen, the porter’s lodge, 
