ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. xoj 



hoflile vifit the year following, they lodged in the town, and 

 mal-trcated the religions, after letters of protection granted for 

 one whole year to the prior and his convent, with liberty to pafs 

 and repafs at pleafurc for one canon, one fquire, and two fer- 

 vants; figned by their leaders, the Earl of Murrey, and Sir William 

 Wallace. They burnt the town of Ryton in their way eallward. 

 Nnvca/lle was too ftrong for them fa). 



It was pillaged by David, King of Scots, 20 K. Edivardlll. 1346. 

 He entered the borders by Liddel-ca&le, with 40,000 men. They 

 marched to the abbey of Lanercojl, Naivard-ca.fi.le, and Redpeth, to 

 this town. They flayed three clays. They had determined not 

 to burn this, and three other towns, viz. Corbridge, Durham, and 

 Darlington. They favcd them for their convenience, to lay up 

 ftorcs and provifions, for their fupport. They marched from 

 hence to Ebchejler, and after committing many ravages and bar- 

 barities, were defeated by the Engli/h at Nevil's crofs, near Dur- 

 ham (f). 



John de Hexham, and Richard de Hexham, two eminent hifto- 

 rians, both prefided over this monaitery. Prior John made an 

 addition of twenty-five years to the hiftory of Simeon of Durham ; 

 from the 9th of K. Henry II. to the ift of K. Richard. 



Prior Richard drew up a fhort chronicle from Adam to Henry the 

 Emperor. He alfo wrote the hiftory of K. Stephen and Henry III. 

 But the chief of his hiftorical writings is, An Account of the 

 State and Bimops of the church of Hexham, which make a part 

 of the valuable edition of the Decem Serif tores. 



(t) Hoi. Chron. vol. ii. p. 299, and p. 300. 

 {f) . Vol i. p. 240-1. 



VOL. II. P Tart 



