SHERBORNE. 



from London. It is a town of very high antiquity, but its 

 origin is not precifely afcertained. Baxter contends that it 

 was the Arianus, or Aranus of Ravennas, deriving its name 

 from " Arian Uifc, Argenteus Fluxus Aquas," or " Fons 

 Claras." This opinion, however, is rendered extremely 

 doubtful, by the total abfence of all thofe appearances 

 which almoll invariably charafterize the fcites of Britilh or 

 Roman towns. It fcems, therefore, more probable that it 

 had its commencement in Saxon times, and germinated from 

 a religious houfe, founded here foon after the converfion of 

 the Saxons to Chrillianity. This monadery was richly en- 

 dowed by feveral of the king? of Weflex, paiticulaily by 

 Cenwalch, and the great Alfred. After the Conquelt, it 

 was raifed to the rank of an abbey, and the abbots were 

 efteemed fpiritual barons, and in confequence were fre- 

 quently fummoned to alFill in the parliament or great council 

 of the nation. At the dilTolution, its revenues were rated, 

 according to Speed and Dugdale, at 612/. 14J. yf^A per 

 annum. 



Sherborne was further diftinguifhed, in ancient times, as 

 the feat of an epilcopal fee, having been conllituted fuch 

 by king Ina, on the division of the bifhopric of Wincheller, 

 A.D. 704. The firit bifhop of this diocele was Aldhelm, 

 nephew to Ina, who is reported to have been a man of ex- 

 traordinary talents, and a great benefaftor to the fee. His 

 fucceilbrs have been differently named by different writers, 

 fo that much uncertainty prevails refpefting them. The 

 mod probable view of the fubjeft, however, is, that they 

 were Iwenty-iive in number, and conjointly prefided a period 

 of 366 years. The moft celebrated among them was Alier 

 Menevenfis, who wrote the life of Alfred the Great, and 

 affilled him in his literary purfuits. In his time the fee of 

 Sherborne comprehended the counties of Dorfet, Bucks, 

 Wilts, Somerfet, Devon, and Cornwall ; but in 904, fhortly 

 after his death, the three latter counties were feparated from 

 it, and united to other bifhoprics, by a bull of pope Ser- 

 gfius III. Herman, the 26th biihop, attempted to remove 

 the feat of the bifhopric to Malmelbury, but his intentions 

 were thwarted by Godwin, earl of Kent, and the monks of 

 that abbey. He fncceedcd, however, in eftedling its re- 

 moval fome years afterwards, w'z. in 1075, '^^ ^^'^ Sarum, 

 in confequence of the edicl of the council at London, which 

 direifled that all bifliops' fees (hould be transferred from 

 obfcure places to the molt important town in each diocefe. 

 See Salisbury. 



From the great cagerncfs of Herman to quit Slicrborne, 

 it might rcafonably be inferred that it was become a town 

 of much lefs extent and importance than it was under his 

 predecclfors. Accordingly fuch is the fat\, and the cir- 

 cumltance is eafily accounted for ; it being Hated by liif- 

 torians, that it was laid in aflies by the Danes, under king 

 Sweyn, during one of liis vindictive cxcurfions tlirough this 

 part of the kingdom. Befidcs, both Matthew of We!l- 

 minlter and William of Malmlbury defcribe it " as a fmall 

 Itreet, in which was nothing agreeable in number of in- 

 habitants, or pleafantnefs of fituation ; and that it was 

 matter of reproach and wonder that an epifcopal feat liad 

 continued tliere fo long." In this fituation it appears to 

 have remained for feveral centuries ; but in the time of Le- 

 land it had recovered itfelf very confiderably, as we find 

 Sherborne mentioned in his Itinerary as the moll frequented 

 town in the county, and that in which the woollen trade was 

 turned to the befl account. After his time, however, this 

 branch of bufinefs very much decreaied ; and the manufac- 

 ture of liuttons, habcrdafhery wares, and bone-lacc, intro- 

 duced in its ilead. Thefe trades have alfo dccreafe<], and 



J 



now the filk and linen manufadures conftitute the principal 

 employment of the inhabitants. 



Sherborne, though neither a borough by charter nor 

 prefcription, on one occafion fent members to parliament, 

 in the reign of Edward HI. At that time the alhzcs were 

 regularly held liere ; but fince the reign of his fucceflor, 

 that pradlice has only been occalional, as in cafe, of epi- 

 demical dilorders, or otherwife. The general quarter fef- 

 fions for the peace, however, arc tlill lield here once a year, 

 on Tuefday after the clofe of E .ler. The market-day 

 here is Satuniay, weekly ; and there are fairs annually on 

 Wedncfday before Holy Thurfday, l6tli and 1 8th July, 

 aiul the liril Monday after loth Odobcr. 



Tile church of Slicrborne, which is the orjy public 

 building within the town of any importance, is a large and 

 magnificent flrufture. It is built in the form of a crofs, 

 and entirely of free-llone. The original edifice was the 

 work of bifhop Aldhelm. But no part of that building 

 probably now remains, as ;t has undergone frequent altera- 

 tions, and in the time of king Henry VI. was alnioft wholly 

 rebuilt. Hence, though difplaying various ftyles of archi- 

 tecture, the greater part of it is in the pointed ftyle of that 

 age. The moft material exceptions to this remark are the 

 pillars fupporting the tower, the foutli porch, and the 

 chipel of our Lady, all of which are of early Norman origin, 

 and the large lancet window at the ealtern end of the chapel 

 north of the chancel, which, with fome fmaller fragments in 

 other parts, feem to be of the fame date with Salifbury 

 catliedrai, in%. about the year 1220. All the later parts 

 of the church are richly ornamented with tracery work, 

 vine leaves, and flowers. The piers between the windows 

 on each fide are fupported by light flying buttrefles ftretch- 

 ing over the fide aifles. The roof is of flone, and fup- 

 ported by numerous groins fpringing from the fide aifles ; 

 and between the tracery work is a number of fhields 

 bearing different arms, with rofes, portcullifes, and cut 

 devices. This church was made parochial after the diffolu- 

 tion of the abbey, to which it previoufly belonged. It con- 

 tains the afhes of many perfons of diftinftion, and among 

 others thofe of Ethelbold, king of Wellcx, and his brother 

 Ethelbert. The only modern monuments of note are thofe 

 of .lohn, earl of Brillol, wlio died in 1698, and of a fon and 

 daughter of William, lord Digby. On the latter are in- 

 fcribed the following beautiful lines by Pope. 

 " Go, fair example of untainted youth. 



Of modeft rcafon, and pacific truth ; 



Compofed in fuflering, and in joy fedatc. 



Good without noile, without prctenlion great. 



Go, jult of word, in every thmight finceie. 



Who knew no wifli but what the world might hear. 



Of geiitlell manners, unafleCted mind ; 



Lover of peace, and friend of human-kind. 



Go, live, for heaven's eternal year is thine ; 



Go, and txalt thy mortal to divine. 



And thou, too clofe attendant on his doom, 



Blell maid, has halleiied to the filent tomb, 



Steer'd the lame courfc to the fame quiet fliore ; 



Not parted long, and now to part no more : 



Go, then, where only blils lincerc is known, 



Go, where to love and to enjoy ii one. 



Yet take thcfe te.irs, mortality's relief, 



And, till we Ihare your joys, forgive our grief. 



Tiiele little riles, a Hone and verle, receive; 



'Tis all a father, all a friend ean give." 

 Thefe lines, as printed in flie diflerent editions of Popc'« 

 works, vary very materially from the original- 



Befidc* 



