68 



The New Forest : its History and its Scenery. 



its lack of orientation.* In 1746 it was repaired, and its original 

 roof lowered, and its fine triplet at the south end spoilt by 

 a buttress, and one of the lancets lighting the wall-passage on 

 the west side also blocked up. Its walls, however, are now 

 covered with common spleenwort, and wall-lettuce, and pellitory, 

 whilst the narrow-leaved rue — the " herb o' grace o' Sundays " 

 —with which the old churchyards used to be sown, shows its 

 pale blue blossoms amongst the gravestones. 



Inside it is still more in- 

 teresting. 



Pulpit of the Eefectory. 



Here still stands 

 the lovely stone pulpit, its 

 panels rich with flower- 

 tracery, approached by a wall- 

 passage and open arcade 

 springing from double rows 

 of black Purbeck marble pil- 

 lars. This was the old rostrum 

 of the monks, where one of 

 the brethren read to the rest 

 at their meals ; so that, as 

 St. Augustine says, their 

 mouths should not only taste, 

 but their ears also drink in 

 the Word of God. Here, in 

 this very village church, the 

 old Cistercian monks obeyed 

 the injunction of their order. 



* In Brit. Mus., Har). MS. 892, f. 40 i, is an extract from a most 

 interesting letter written in 1648, describing the state of the refectory, which 

 seems, with the exception of the alterations made in 1746, to have been 

 much the same as at present. 



