MYNCniN BUCKLAND PRIORY. 89 



and placed In a cellar. Nothlng, however, was known of it, 

 except that it Lad upon it a number of old letters whlcli 

 nobody conld read. I duly obtained leave, most coiir- 

 teously accorded by the tenant of the mansion, to examine 

 the mysterious relic; and, after transporting a ränge of 

 brewing Utensils which Avere raarsballed upon it, discovered 

 at length the object of my search covered with the dust 

 that many years during which it had been untouched had 

 collected on its surfoce. This was soon removed, and I 

 was then most amply rewarded for my labour. The object 

 brought to light was a noble incised slab, (see the fi<jure) 

 about seven feet long by four feet broad, of thirteenth or 

 early fourteenth Century work, in commeraoration, as I 

 conjecture, of a deceased Piioress. A very beautiful 

 Lombardlc cross occupied the centre, on either side of 

 which was one line of the inscription, almost as sharply 

 defined as when it left the band of the old workman : — 



31Ci?s[>e3La31^ee3i2i:^©KC3ia^csja 



" Sister Alienor of Actune lies here, on whose soul God 

 have mercy. Amen." The epitaph is slightly abbreviated 

 from the more usual formula, but the letters are remarkably 

 fine, and the whole is of a truly artistic character. This, 

 however, we may consider its least interesting peculiarity. 

 It is eloquent of something higher than even Christian art, 

 how noble and beautiful soever. Who ISiöter Alienor of 

 Actune was, although this is not fbrgotten elsewhere, is 

 now, I fear, beyond the power of the genealogist to dis- 

 covcr for us and declare. But this venerablc gravestone, 

 disinterred irom its long night of centuries, has once raore 

 made the world acquaintcd with her name, and will now, 

 doubtless, through her unworthy rcmembranccr, do so to a 

 VOL. X., 1860, PART ir. M 



