Elizabeth, to John Eyre) to be applied to the present purpose, and the profits arising from them to be employed for the benefit of the inhabitants.

The Abbey-gate, one of the principal ornaments of Bury, was the grand entrance to the monastery, and opened into the great court-yard, in front of the abbot's palace. It is the only relic now left to attest the former magnificence of this establishment. Such is the excellence of its materials and workmanship, that it is still in a state of much more perfect preservation than might be expected from the number of years which it has stood exposed to the ravages of the elements, without roof and, without repairs. Upon the destruction of the original entrance to the abbey, in the violent assault of the townsmen in 1327, this gate was erected upon a plan, combining elegance with utility. Its form approaches a square, being forty-one feet by fifty, and sixty-two in height. The architecture is of the best period of the gothic style. The embellishments, arranged with taste, and executed with precision, are much more numerous than in edifices of an earlier date, but not in such profusion as in the later and more florid style.

The west front, next the town, is divided into two horizontal compartments, by an ornamented band, and perpendicularly into three, consisting of a centre, and two turriated projecting wings. The whole is superbly ornamented with devices, and niches for statues; the heads or groined work, forming the canopies to these niches, are elegant; and the pilasters of those in the centre and in both wings, terminate in well-wrought pinnacles. The spandrils of the arch, above the gate-way, are adorned with two quatrefoil bosses or medallions; and over them, near the top of the building, are two others, each representing two interlaced triangles. Most of these embellishments are in excellent preservation.

The pillars of the gate-way are composed of clustered cylinders; the capitals are simple, and chiefly the Gothic wreath. The counter-arch of the entrance is surmounted by an undulated arch or pediment, springing from the external capitals. Below the ombattled band, which divides the building horizontally, is a ca

vetto moulding, ornamented with several figures, most of which are defaced; but a lion, a dragon, and a bull worried by dogs, may still be distinguished. The figure of the bull is eleven inches in length.

In the wall and arch is a groove for the reception of a portcullis. In the south-west and north-west angles were circular stair-cases, one of which is yet so perfect, that it is possible, with care, to ascend to the platform which runs round the top of the building; and has five embrasures at either end, and seven on each side. These staircases were originally surmounted by octagon towers, fourteen feet high; but one of these having been blown down at the beginning of last century, the other was soon afterwards demolished. The area is unequally divided by a stone partition. Its arch was furnished with brass gates, the hinges of which yet remain. The entrances to the staircases are in the interior division of the area, so that, if an enemy had forced the portcullis, and obtained possession of the anti-gateway, the defendants would still have commanded the access to the upper part of the fortress, whence they might have greatly annoyed the assailants. All these precautions, as well as the want of windows next the town, indicate the anxiety of the monks to prevent a repetition of those outrages which occasioned the necessity of erecting this edifice. The eastern or interior division forms a cube of about twenty-eight feet. Its walls are decorated with light and elegant tracery, and with the arms of Edward the Confessor, Thomas de Brotherton, earl of Norfolk, and Holland, duke of Exeter. Over this division, a space of nearly equal dimensions appears to have been a room. Vestiges of its roof, floor, and fire-place, are still evident. The north and south sides have each two small windows. In the east end is a grand window, overlooking the abbey-grounds, and adorned with tracery of peculiar richness and elegance. This side of the abbey-gate is extremely plain and simple, its only embellishments being three niches on each side, corresponding with those in the projecting wings of the west front: but the principal object which claims attention

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attention here, is the beautiful arch, the symmetry and elegant proportions of which are truly worthy of admiration.

This gate opens into the abbey-grounds, still surrounded with the ancient lofty wall, and containing some massive detached fragments of the magnificent edifices, which once occupied part of their site. In the garden, included within this precinct, specimens of various pieces of antiquity have at different times been discovered.

It is known that in the conventual church were interred many persons of high distinction, among the rest, Alan Fergaunt, earl of Richmond; Thomas de Brotherton, earl of Norfolk, half brother to king Edward II.; Thomas Beaufort, duke of Exeter, uncle to king Henry V.; Mary, widow of Louis XII. of France, and sister to Henry VIII. whose remains were afterwards removed to St. Mary's church; sir William Elmham, sir William Spenser, sir William Tresil, knights. Many inhabitants of the monastery, remarkable for their learning and piety, were also buried here; but of these none was more celebrated than John Lidgate, whose poetical talents gained him the universal admiration of his contemporaries.

In 1772, some labourers being employed in breaking up a part of the ruins of this church, discovered a leaden coffin, which had been inclosed in an oak case, then quite decayed. It contained an embalmed body, as fresh and entire as at the time of interment, surrounded by a kind of pickle, and the face covered with a cerecloth. The features, the nails of the fingers and toes, and the hair, which was brown, with some mixture of grey, appeared as perfect as ever. A surgeon hearing of this discovery, went to examine the body, and made an incision on the breast; the flesh cut as firm as that of a living subject, and there was even an appearance of blood. The skull was sawed in pieces, and the brain, though wasted, was inclosed in its proper membrane. At this time the corpse was not in the least offensive, but on being exposed to the air, it soon became putrid. The labourers, for the sake of the lead, removed the body from its receptacle, and threw it among the rubbish. It was soon found, but by what means we are not informed, that the corpse which had been treated with such indecency, was the remains of Thomas Beaufort, son of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, by his third duchess, lady Catharine Swinford, grandson of king Edward III. hal-brother to Henry IV. by whom he was created duke of Exeter, knight of the garter, admiral and governor of Calais, and lord high chancellor of England. At the battle of Agincourt he led the rear-guard of the English army; afterwards bravely defended Harfleur against the French; was guardian to Henry VI. and dying at East Greenwich, on the 1st of January, 1427, was, in compliance with his will, interred in the abbey church of Bury St. Edmund's, near his duchess, at the entrance of the chapel of our lady, close to the wall on the north side of the choir. On this discovery, the mangled remains were enclosed in a strong oak coffin, and buried at the foot of the large north-east pillar, which formerly assisted to support the belfry.

In the spring of 1783, on breaking up some foundations in the north wall of St. Edmund's church, near the chapter-house, were found four antique heads, cut out of single blocks of freestone, and somewhat larger than the natural proportion. On the subject of these heads, Mr. Yates* quotes the various opinions of antiquaries, who he says have viewed them, but how any person with his eyes open, could take them for "Roman divinities," or for "the decorations of some temple, the ruins of which, might afterwards be employed in constructing the church;" it is scarcely possible to conceive. Nothing can be more evident, even from the inspection of the engraving given in his own work, than that two of these were representations of St. Edmund's head, accompanied by the leg of its brute protector. It is more than probable, that the other two, though without that striking appendage, were rude memorials of the same subject.

In February 1560, queen Elizabeth, by letters patent under the great seal, granted to John Eyre, esq. in consideration of the sum of 4121. 19s. 4d. paid by him, all the site, circuit, and precinct of the late monastery of Bury St. Edmunds, then recently dissolved, besides other premises and lands in the neighbourhood, formerly belonging to the abbot and convent. They afterwards passed into the hands of various purchasers, till in 1720, they were conveyed for the sum of 2800l. to the use of major Richardson Pack. That gentleman soon afterwards assigned the premises to sir Jermyn Davers, in whose family they continued till it became extinct a few years since, by the death of sir Charles Davers, bart.

The Guildhall, gives name to the street in which it stands. Its appearance certainly does not bespeak a public edifice. The ancient porch of flint, brick, and stone, are totally incongruous with the modern alterations in the body of the building; to which pointed windows, and an embattled parapet, would have given consistency. In the chamber over the entrance, the archives of the town are kept under three keys, which are in the custody of the recorder, the town-clerk, and the alderman for the time being. Here the town sessions are held, corporation members chosen, and other business of a similar nature transacted.

Bury seems very early to have enjoyed the benefit of a freeschool; for abbot Sampson in 1198, erected a school-house, and settled a stipend on the master, who was required to give gratuitous instruction to forty poor boys. This building stood near the present shire-house, and the street received from it the name of School-hall-street, which it still retains. The Free Grammar-school, founded by king Edward VI. seems to have been but a revival of the former ancient institution. Its original situation was in East-gate-street, but that being found inconvenient, a new school-house was erected in North-gate-street, by public contribution. The bust of the founder stands over the door, in the front of the building. There are forty scholars on the foundation, and it is free for all the sons of towns-people, or inbabitants. The number of pupils of the latter class amounts to about eighty. This seminary is superintended by an upper and under master, and ad joining to the school is a handsome house for the former. The present