walls of the famous abbey--

A pretty burgh and such as Fancy loves
For bygone grandeurs.

This abbey shared the fate of many others which we have mentioned. The
Dean of Gloucester thus muses over the "Vanished Abbey":--

"The stranger who knows nothing of its story would surely smile if
he were told that beneath the grass and daisies round him were
hidden the vast foundation storeys of one of the mightiest of our
proud mediæval abbeys; that on the spot where he was standing were
once grouped a forest of tall columns bearing up lofty fretted
roofs; that all around once were altars all agleam with colour and
with gold; that besides the many altars were once grouped in that
sacred spot chauntries and tombs, many of them marvels of grace
and beauty, placed there in the memory of men great in the service
of Church and State--of men whose names were household words in
the England of our fathers; that close to him were once stately
cloisters, great monastic buildings, including refectories,
dormitories, chapter-house, chapels, infirmary, granaries,
kitchens--all the varied piles of buildings which used to make up
the hive of a great monastery."

It was commenced by Bishop Egwin, of Worcester, in 702 A.D., but the
era of its great prosperity set in after the battle of Evesham when
Simon de Montford was slain, and his body buried in the monastic
church. There was his shrine to which was great pilgrimage, crowds
flocking to lay their offerings there; and riches poured into the
treasury of the monks, who made great additions to their house, and