Glcntiour'g afe. 39 



From this tree., also, might be heard, in ancient times, 

 the sound of the workman's hammer, for King Henry 

 appointed that a chapel should be built, and two priests 

 placed within it, to pray both morning and evening for 

 the souls of those who had been slain. Rapidly the 

 chapel rose, for men thought that they did good service 

 to their Maker when they wrought in such holy work j 

 and the chapel, being enlarged in after years, became a 

 handsome parish church. The condition of the time-worn 

 tree, and of the church are somewhat similar. The tree 

 is grown so hollow that it seems to stand on little more 

 than a circle of bark, yet life still lingers, green leaves 

 appear in the spring season, and acorns are gathered from 

 its branches in the autumn. Great part of the once 

 stately building has likewise fallen to decay ; ivy grows 

 luxuriantly over the broken walls, and sparrows build their 

 nests among the matted branches ; but Divine worship is to 

 this day still carried on in the part that remains entire. 

 The country people and neighbouring gentry meet there ; 

 they bear the name of Englishmen, though blending in 

 themselves varied and dissimilar races the ancient Briton 

 and the Roman, the Dane, the Saxon, and the Norman. 

 But how widely different in their habits and their manners 

 from those who assisted in building the ancient chapel, 

 and those who assembled within its walls when the chapel 

 was completed ! 



