ABKKCONWV. 83 



Pennant's supposition that Edward I. established 

 a place of instruction here, for youth, when he 

 took the abbey into his hands, will only hold good 

 by supposing that the present building was built 

 on the site of a more ancient one, originally as- 

 signed for that purpose. In the high-street is a 

 large pile of building, called Plas mawr, or the 

 great mansion, it consists of two distinct parts ; 

 the one in the street contains two stories, in the 

 lowest of which is the court chamber ; above the 

 entrance the arms of England are carved, and over 

 the doorway, within the portico, are two Greek 

 words ANEXOY AHEXOY, with their interpreta- 

 tion in Latin, sustine, abstine, (bear, forbear,) 

 and on the house the letters I. H.S. X. P.S., and 

 the date, 1585. The second part faces at right 

 angles to the high-street, and consists of two 

 wings, in one of which is the fine old hall, with 

 benches along the walls, and wainscot at one end ; 

 beneath are very extensive cellars : the ascent to 

 the rooms above is by a winding staircase, which 

 is continued in a tower for several feet above the 

 house, and commands a very beautiful view of the 

 country. The walls and ceilings throughout are 

 ornamented in stucco, with swans, owls, cranes, 

 ostriches, bears, mermaids, ragged staves, and a 



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