ligious purposes; since we find that the lady of Francis Lord Seymour (a younger branch of the Hertford family) lay in there of Charles Lord Seymour, second baron of Troubridge; who was baptized in the chapel.*

The abbey is said to have been afterwards in possession of an earl of Huntingdon, who made use of it as a place of residence; at what exact period is uncertain, (though the connection between the Huntingdon and Seymour families may be accounted for.) In this state it is supposed to have continued till about 1700; when Sir Bartlet Lucy, at that time the owner,‡ sold some of its materials, by contract, to a Mr. Taylor of Southampton.

This information is Mr. Keate's; who had it from an old interleaved almanack, for the year 1665, that had formerly belonged to a lady of this family, to which Mr. K. was related by descent,

+ Keate.

Mr. Keate mentions Sir Bartlet Lucy, others say the marquis of Huntingdon.

Taylor's progress in dilapidating the abbey, was interrupted by his death. This, and a dream which forewarned him of his fate, are variously related. The following are the most authentic particulars.

After the conclusion of Mr. Taylor's contract for the materials of the abbey, some of his relations, considering the bargain as sacrilegious, urged him not to be instrumental in destroying an edifice which had been set apart for religious purposes. Their remonstrances had not sufficient effect to deter him from executing his engagement; yet they dwelt on his mind, and were supposed to occasion him to dream one night, that the arch key stone of the east window fell from its situation, and fractured his skull. He communicated the dream to a friend, who

* Such is the tenor of the story; but what east window is intended, we know not. The east window of Netley church remains to this day less injured than most parts of the ruin.

advised him to be by no means personally concerned in the demolition of the church. Taylor, however, did not think fit to desist and, in an exertion to tear down a board, he loosened the fatal stone, which fell upon his head, and produced a fracture. The wound itself was not deemed to be mortal; but the instrument of the surgeon slipping, in the operation of extracting a splinter, entered the brain, and caused immediate death.

The story is detailed here, merely because it belongs to the abbey. It has been frequently related with the embel. lishment of some additional circumstances, such as stories of this sort seldom fail to gain in the course of circulation.

Netley ruins were afterwards the property of H. Clift, esq. of whom the late Mr. Dummer purchased them. They at present belong to Lady Holland; who has a life estate in them, bequeathed by Mr. Dummer, her first husband."

"That so little should be known," ob

serves Mr. Keate, "of those who were in succession masters of a place like this, will not appear unaccountable to him who considers that the owner of an estate is the only person possessed of its creden❤ tials, or immediately concerned in the preservation of its records. Those to whom hereditary tenures descend, are not often solicitous about more than their va lue; sitting down to enjoy them, with neither the power to extend a search into remoter ages themselves, or a wish to promote inquiries after the number or quality of their predecessors. So easily is that permitted to be forgotten, which no lucra tive views engage us to redeem from obscurity. The pride of families is not always the best security for the faithfulness of genealogical deductions, Greatness is less ready to disclose the sources from whence its riches flow, than to swallow their streams; and titles of splendour, in a pedigree, too often blush at their approximation to provident ingenuity, or suc

cessful trade. Hence it happens, that in the ostentatious accounts of families, none but those whose names can confer honour in their turn are admitted to a place; as, in contracted maps, the little villages are passed over, and the road appears to conduct the traveller only through a series of market towns, and cities of extent and fame."

Having detailed the scanty history of Netley, we will attempt to conduct the reader through the ruins.

On the outside of the south entrance, among the ruins in front, are various traces of apartments; some of them having fire places. From the use of brick in their construction, it should seem that these were some of the alterations in the original building; which were made when the abbey was converted into a dwelling house. In several parts of the ruin, indeed, are repairs with brick; which must have been comparatively modern.

On entering at the great door, we find