THE YEW. 



119 



nected with it, the following account from Burton 

 may not be deemed unacceptable : 



" At Christmas, the Archbishop, being at Ripon, 

 assigned to the Monks some land in the patrimony 

 of St. Peter, about three miles west of that place, 

 for the erecting of a monastery. The spot of ground 

 had never been inhabited, unless by wild beasts, 

 being overgrown with wood and brambles, lying 

 between two steep hills and rocks, covered with 

 wood on all sides, more proper for a retreat for wild 

 beasts than the human species. This was called 

 Skeldale, that is, the vale of Skell, a rivulet running 

 through it from the west to the eastward part of it. 

 The Archbishop also gave to them a neighbouring 

 village called Sutton- Richard. The prior of St. 

 Mary's at York was chosen Abbot by the Monks, 

 being the first of this Monastery of Fountains ; with 

 whom they withdrew into this uncouth desert, with- 

 out any house to shelter them in that winter season, 

 or provisions to subsist on, but entirely depending 

 on divine Providence. There stood a large Elm in 

 the midst of the vale, on which they put some thatch 

 or straw, and under that they lay, eat, and prayed ; 

 the bishop for a time supplying them with bread,, 

 and the rivulet with drink. Part of the day some 

 spent in making wattles to erect a little oratory, 

 whilst others cleared some ground to make a little 

 garden. But it is supposed they soon changed the 

 shelter of their Elm for that of seven Yew Trees 



