LEGENDS, SUPERSTITIONS, AND SKETCHES OF DEVONSHIRE ON THE BORDERS OF THE TAMAR AND THE TAVY, ILLUSTRATIVE OF ITS MANNERS, CUSTOMS, HISTORY, ANTIQUITIES, SCENERY, AND NATURAL HISTORY, IN A SERIES OF LETTERS TO ROBERT SOUTHEY, ESQ. BY MRS. BRAY. AUTHOR (AS MRS. STOTHARD) OF TRAVELS IN NORMANDY,' ETC. "I own the power Of local sympathy, that o'er the fair Throws more divine allurement, and o'er all The great, more grandeur." IN THREE VOLUMES.-VOL. II. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. MDCCCXXXVIII. LETTERS TO THE LAUREATE, &c. &c. LETTER XXII. TO ROBERT SOUTHEY, ESQ. Contents:-Tavistock, its situation and local advantages-The River, &c.-Great antiquity of the Town-For what celebrated-An old Woman's observation on the antiquity of scalded cream-Etymology of the name of the Town-Beauty of the surrounding objects -The Vicarage-Those pleasures derived from Nature most lasting-Browne, the Author of Britannia's Pastorals, born in Tavistock His lines on his birth-place- -The Nightingale not found in Devon-Little known of the Roman era in this part of the West-Tavistock intimately connected with Saxon HistoryA Saxon Noble founder of its Abbey-That Monastic foundation gave importance to the Town-Progress of Christianity in the West -By whom the Damnonii were converted not known with any certainty-Mr. Southey's opinion on the subject, given in a Note, from one of his letters-The People of the West benefited in civilization by the Roman Conquest―The subject continued—AngloSaxons settled in this part of the Island-Progress of the ChurchThe first Bishops in Devon-Abbey of Tavistock; its present poor remains contrasted with its former splendour-Orgar, his rank and office as Alderman or Earl of Devon-The Court in which he presided-Elected at the Shiregemot-The wisdom of Alfred in his Laws-Office of Earl not at first hereditary-A Member of the Wittenagemote-Orgar, father of the celebrated Elfrida-She was born in Tavistock-Her early Life-Ethelwold deputed to woo her for the King-Splendour of her Father's Court-Ethelwold falls in love with, deceives the King, and marries her himselfThe trick discovered; its fatal consequences-Different opinions respecting the place where Ethelwold was slain-Malmesbury proved to be erroneous in his statement respecting DorsetshireBrowne and Selden's detection of errors in the manuscript copies of Malmesbury referred to-hence might have arisen the mistake VOL. II. B |