Durness MMz^. 51 



adorn its rooms. Here the tourist should bespeak his bed, 

 if he means to study the ruins. 



The j^^bbeg was founded a. d. i i 2 7. Its domains ex- 

 tended over the whole promontory in which it lies, and to 

 the north, as far as the Shire Stones on Wrynose. They oc- 

 cupied the space between Winandermere on the east and the 

 Duddon on the west. The Abbot was a sort of king ; and 

 his Abbey was enriched, not only by King Stephen, but by 

 the gifts of neighbouring proprietors, who were glad to avail 

 themselves, not only of the religious privileges, but of its 

 military powers for the defence of their estates against bor- 

 der foes, and the outlaws of the mountains, — the descend- 

 ants of the conquered Saxons, who inherited their father's 

 vengeance. The Abbey was first peopled from Normandy, 

 — a sufficient number of Benedictine monks coming over 

 from the monastery of Savigny to establish this house in 

 honour of St. Mar}x of Furnesse. In a few years their pro- 

 fession changed ; they followed St. Bernard, who wore the 

 white cassock, caul, and scapulary, instead of the dress of 

 the grey monks. It is strange now to see the railway 

 traversing the woods where these grey-robed foreigners used 

 to pass hither and thither, on their holy errands to the de- 

 pressed and angry native Saxons dwelling round about. 

 The situation of the Abbey, as is usual with religious houses, 

 is fine. It stands in the depth of the glen, with a stream 

 flowing by, — the sides of the glen being clothed with wood. 

 A beacon once belonged to it ; a watch tower on an emi- 

 nence accessible from the Abbey, whose signal-fire was 

 visible all over Low Furness, when assistance was required 

 or foes were expected. The building is of the pale red 

 stone of the district. It must formerly have almost filled the 

 glen : and the ruins give an impression to this day, of the 

 establishment having been worthy of the zeal of its founder, 



E 2 



