64 CONNECTION OF BATH ^VITH THE 



The fairest votary took up that fire 



Which many legions of true hearts had warmed : 

 And lo the general of hot desire 



Was sleeping, by a virgin hand disarmed. 

 This brand she quenched in a cool well by, 



Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual, 

 Growing a bath and healthful remedy 



For men diseased. 



The lines of Dryden are inscribed upon one of the 

 many monuments in the Abbey Church ; and the 

 little village of Box contains a slab covered with the 

 verses of Waller. Garrick wrote the epitaph on 

 Quin. 



In the early part of the last century arose a remark- 

 able character, whose name is never mentioned in this 

 place but with respect and honour ; and well does it 

 deserve to be cherished by us, for he possessed what 

 the inscription to his memory assigns to him the 

 praise of, virtutem vermn et simplicem — Ralph Allen, 

 who having laid out and ornamented a piece of ground 

 in the vicinity of the city peculiarly favourable for 

 his purpose, and having built upon it a house beautiful 

 in its design and magnificent in its extent, was accus- 

 tomed to receive all the more eminent literary men of 

 his time, so that he became a centre around which 

 much of the wit and poetry of the age was gathered. 

 Pope especially was a frequent visitor at Prior 

 Park, [38] and there was laid the foundation of that 



