THIS Church, or Chapel, is remarkable for the beauty of its north porch, which is Anglo-Norman, ornamented with the zigzag moulding and grotesque heads, and for the high state of preservation in which the porch at present remains: of the date of erection no authority can now be produced; Balderton is noticed in Doomsday Survey. Robert de Kenato, bishop of Lincoln, for the priory of St. Catharine, which he founded in the suburbs of that city, gave to it three bovats of land, with dwelling houses in Baldertune, which gift we find confirmed by king Henry II. in whose reign it likewise appears William de Dive had interest here for his land of Balderton. This manor had lands belonging to it in Barneby, Adington, Farnedon, Stoke Elston, and Sireston, whereof John de Dive died seized about the twenty-first of Edward I. leaving Joan, then the

wife of Ralph de Trehampton, and Elizabeth, the wife of sir John D'Aubeney, his sisters and heirs ; which Elizabeth the following year left sir Hugh de Bussey, knt. her son by sir Lambert de Bussey, her former husband, her heir. Sir Hugh de Bussey, left the manor of Balderton to his son and heir John de Bussey, and in this family it remained till the heir female carried it to the Meeres in the reign of queen Elizabeth; by Francis Meeres, her son, it was sold to Gyles Foster, esq. whose heir parted with it to James Leeke, gent. and by marriage of the daughter of one of his descendants, the family of Lascells of Elston became its possessors.

The village consists of about 100 dwellings: the chapel is dedicated to St. Giles, and consists of a nave and two side aisles, with a spire and four bells.

THIS relic, which is called Maen y Morwynion, or Maiden Stone, stands in a lane on the right side near the hedge, passing from Brecon to the Gaer farm: it is in height six feet six inches, two feet nine inches broad, and about five inches thick; the sculpture upon it is much defaced: it represents a Roman citizen and his wife, each having an arm over the other's shoulder; underneath the figures is an in scription nearly illegible. The stone is fixed in the ground, in the same situation that it is supposed to have occupied for many centuries, excepting its having been once disturbed, some few years back, in hopes of making discoveries, but without the least

success.

"By an entry" (observes Mr. Jones, in his interesting History of Brecknockshire, lately published),

"in the hand writing of the reverend Henry Thomas, late of Slwch, rector of Llandevailog, in this county, in an edition of Gibson's Camden, now in the possession of the reverend Doctor Griffiths, of Brecknock, it is stated that the inscription was ALANCINA CIVIS,

et conjunx ejus HS est

That is," adds Mr. Thomas, "as I take it, Hic Sepultus est." The remains of the inscription on the Stone is indicative of greater length than the above, as given by the reverend Mr. Thomas; and Mr. Jones is of opinion, that it contained not only the names of the Roman citizen and his wife, but also the description of their residence, and other particulars.

SNAPE, or Snapes, in the hundred of Plomesgate, in the county of Suffolk, is only known from a Benedictine priory being founded here in the year 1099, by William Martel and Albreda his wife, and Jeffrey Martel, their son and heir, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These persons being seized of the manor of Snapes, and enjoying the benefit of wrecks of the sea, from Thorp to Hereford-Nesse, gave this manor to the abbey of Colchester, for the founding of a priory here, which should be a cell to that abbey. A prior and some Benedictine monks from that house were accordingly settled here in the year 1155: but, upon complaint made by Isabel, countess of Suffolk, and patroness of this priory, to pope Boniface IX. that the said abbot and convent did not maintain a sufficient number of religious therein, according to the will of the foundress, this house was, by a bull, dated A. D. 1400, made conventual, and exempted from all subjection to Colchester. William de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, temp. Henry VI. designed to have new-founded this priory, which was given by

king Henry VII. to the monastery of Butley, in the twenty-fourth year of this king's reign: but the prior and his canons resigned up and quitted all claim and title to the same, the 21st of February, 1509. It was suppressed A. D. 1524, and given to cardinal Wolsey, for the endowment of his colleges; and after the cardinal's attainder, the site of this priory was granted to Thomas, duke of Norfolk.

The church of Snape is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and contains a very ancient and highlyornamented Stone Font. The figures round the pillar which supports the Font are an assemblage of kings, prelates, and non-descript birds, standing on pedestals. The Font is a sexagon, and has a pillar at each angle, and a figure between each pillar, every alternate figure being crowned; the others in the priest's dress, and the whole of them bearing a scroll, the characters upon which are now illegible.

Snape is four miles from Alboro', and seven from Wickham market.