T A V 



T A U 



liis fon Ordulpli. Within thirty years after its foundation, 

 tliis abbey was burnt by the Danes, but was foon afterwards 

 rebuilt, and became more flourifhing than before. By a 

 charter granted by Henry I., it appears that he beftowed 

 " the jurifdiftion, and the whole hundred of Taviftock," 

 upon the abbey, together with the privilege of a weekly 

 market, arid a tliree-days' fair. Tliis charter is locited and 

 confirmed by one granted 21 Edw. III. The riches of the 

 abbey progreffively increaied ; and Richard Barham, the 

 ihirty-fifth abbot, obtained from Henry VHI. the privilege 

 of fitting in the houfe of peers, or, in other words, was 

 mitred. His patent was dated January 23d, 1513 ; but the 

 honour continued only till the year 1 539, when John Peryn, 

 the thirty-fixth abbot, furrendered the abbey to the crown, 

 and had a penfion of lool. per annum. The pofTefTions of 

 the abbey, with the borough and town of Taviftock, were 

 given by tiie king to John, lord Ruffel, whofe deicendant, 

 the prefent duke of Bedford, is now proprietor. Various 

 fragments of the abbey ftill remain, but are, for the moft 

 part, incorporated with other buildings. The abbey church 

 is defcribed by Leland as 1 26 yards m length ; the cloillers 

 as extenfive ; and the chapter -houfe as a moft magnificent 

 ftrufture ; but all thefe have long fmce been completely de- 

 moUfhed. Several buildings, that feem to have belonged to 

 the abbey, are now ufed tor warehojfes ; and adjoining to 

 the principal inn is a large, handfome, arched gateway, or- 

 namented with lofty pinnacles, apparently of the time of 

 Henry VI. The town of Taviftock is large and populous ; 

 but the ftreets are narrow, and indifferently paved ; and 

 many of the houfes have an appearance of age. The river 

 is here crofFed by two bridges, and after ftorms of rain, by 

 flowing over various ledges and mafles of rock, prefents a 

 very tumultuous fpe£lacle. The church is a fpacious edi- 

 fice, confifting of four aifies, a chancel, and a tower at the 

 weft end, raifed on arches. Within the church are pre- 

 ferved fome human bones of a gigantic fize, which were 

 found in a ftone coffin, dug out of the ruins of the abbey, 

 and are faid by tradition to be thofe of Ordulph, whom 

 William of Malmfbury reprefents of fuch immenfe ftature, 

 that he could ftride over rivers ten feet wide ! Taviftock is 

 a borough by prefcription, and has fcnt two members to 

 parliament from the 23d year of Edward I. The right of 

 eleftion is in the freeholders refident in the borough. The 

 town is one of the ftannaries of Devonfhire, but does not 

 appear to have been incorporated. It is governed by a 

 portreve, who is elected annually at the court of the lord 

 of the manor. The population of the pai'ifh, according to 

 the return of the year 181 1, amounted to 4723 ; the number 

 of houfes to 514. Many of the inhabitants are employed 

 in the manufafture of ferges for the Eaft India Company. 

 Five fairs are held annually, and a weekly market on Satur- 

 days. An inftitution for the ftudy of Saxon literature ex- 

 ifted in Taviftock at a very early period, and leftures were 

 read in that language in a building purpofely appropriated, 

 and called the Saxon fchool. Thefe leftures were difcon- 

 tinued about the time of the reformation. Several of the 

 abbots were learned men ; and the encouragement they gave 

 to literature is evident, by the eftablirtiment of a printing- 

 prefs in the abbey within a few years of the time when the 

 art was brought into England. Among the books that 

 jftued from this prefs was Walton's tranflation of " Boethius 

 de Confolatione," " emprented in the exempte Monaftery 

 of Taveftoke in Denfhyre, by me Dan Thomas Rychard, 

 monke of the faid Monaftery," 1525, 4to. ; and the " Con- 

 firmation of the Tynners Charter," 26th of Henry VIII., 

 16 leaves, 4to. Bifhop GibfoQ alfo mentions a Saxon 

 Grammar as having been printed here about the commence- 

 Vot. XXXV. 



ment of the civil wars; but tlii| aiTcrtion is fuppofed dy 

 other antiquaries to be unfounded. 



Among the more eminent natives of Taviftock was lii 

 Francis Drake, one of the moft diftinguiflicd feamen Uiai 

 Britain ever p.-oduced, and tlie firft Engliihman that circum- 

 navigated tile globe. 



Morv.ell-houfe, about three miles from Taviftock, was 

 the hunting-feat of the abbots of Taviftock ; and from its 

 fituation ne;u- Morvel-down, and the woods on the banks of 

 the Tamar, was well adapted for this purpofe. Its form is 

 quadrangular, with a large arched gatewa)' in front, orna- 

 mented in a fimihir manner to thofe of the abbey. The 

 vaulted ceiling ot this entrance has feveral coats of arms 

 fculptured in moor-ftone. At a little diftance is Morwell- 

 rock, which rifes almoft perpendicularly to an immenfe 

 height from the bed of the Tamar. 



About four miles north of Taviftock is Bren-Tor, a vail 

 mafs of craggy rock, which fttoots up from the road between 

 Taviftock and Lydford, and becomes a very confpicuous 

 fea-mark to mariners in the Britifti Channel, though more 

 than 20 miles diftant. The fummit is frequently enveloped 

 in clouds, but in fair weather comm.ands an extenfive prof- 

 peft, and the fhips in Plymouth harbour may be diftinftly 

 feen from its fummit. Near the top is the parifh church of 

 the little village of Brent, which, like moft of the churches 

 in fimilar fituatlons, is dedicated to St. Michael. On Dart- 

 moor, about three miles eaft of Taviftock, are feveral maftes 

 of rock, and alfo the remains of Druidical circles and 

 avenues. — Beauties of England and Wales, vol. iv. Devon- 

 fiiire, by J. Britton and E. W^. Brayley. 



TAVIUM, or Tavia, in Ancient Geography, a town of 

 Afia, in Galatia, and capital of the Trocmi, according to 

 Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pliny. 



TAULACUM, in Natural Hiftory, a name given by 

 the people of the Eaft Indies to a fpecies of orpiment, which 

 is very common with them. 



It is of a dirty yellow colour, and is compofed partly of 

 an irregular mals, partly of fine flakes, like fcales of fifties. 

 Thefe are of the beft colour. The whole mafs, on being 

 expofed to the fire, biurns, and emits copious fumes ; but it 

 does not melt readily. After it has been feveral times cal- 

 cined, the Indians give it internally in intermittent fevers, 

 with fafety and fuccefs. Woodw. Catal. Foff. vol. i. 

 p. 24. 



TAULE', in Geography, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of the Finifterre ; 3 miles N.W. of Morlaix. 



Taule, a town of Hindooftan, in Myfore ; 47 miles E. 

 of Seringapatam. 



TAULIGNAN, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Drome ; 12 miles S.E. of Montelimart. 



TAUMACO, a town of Greece, in the province of 

 Theffaly ; 18 miles N.W. of Zeiton. 



TAUMAGO, an illand in the Pacific ocean, difcovered 

 by Quires, in 1606; about 24 or 25 miles in circumference. 

 The idand abounded with bananas, cocoa-trees, and palms : 

 it produces alfo fugai'-canes, and many kinds of nutritious 

 roots. The fleet here obt.iined, without difficulty, refrefti- 

 ments, water, and wood, of which it ftood in great need. 

 The Spaniards lived on good terms with the natives, who 

 were eager to procure them all the afiiftance that their ifland 

 afforded ; nor was peace infringed till the very moment of 

 their departure. Thinking that it would be of fervice in 

 the rcmainaer of their voyage, to have fome Indians on 

 board, who might aft as guides or interpreters, the 

 Spaniards feizcd four whom they carried on board by force. 

 Their chief was foon informed of it, and came" to demand 

 them in the moft earncft manner ; but they were refufed, 

 U Mid 



