New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-04-26
Nswstead Abbey.

We copy the following from Irving's crayon
Miscellanies
H Newstead Abbeyis one Of the finest specimens
IN existence of those quaint and romantic piles,
half castle, half convent, which remain as monu-
ments Of the olden times in England Ii was
originally priory, founded in the latter pars
Of the twelfth century, BY Henry IL, at the time
when he sought, by the building of shrines and
converts, and by other ACTS Of xternaI piety, to
expatiate the murder of Thomas Beckett
AZ the time of the dissolution of the converts,
during the reign of Henry VIII Newstead was
given, with the neighboring manor and rectory
Of Papelwick, to Sir John Byron, steward Of
Manchester and Roehdaie, and Lieutenant Of
Sherwood Forest. He converted the sanity
edihce into castellated dwelling, making it hir
favorite residence and the neat Of his forest-s.
Jurisdiction IS
The Byron family being subsequently, en-
nobled BY baronial title. and enriched BY yari-
Gus possessions, maintained great style aud re-
tinue at Newstead The proud edifce partook,
howeyer, Of the vicissitudes Of the times, ard
Lord Byron, in one of his poems, represents it as
alternately the scene of lordly Hassaiiing and Of
civil war:
Hark how the hall resounding to the strain,
Shakes with the martial uiusc,s novel din
The hsraids OF a warriors banghty rsign
Hgh-crested banners wsss fhy walls within
VI changing sentRes the distspEs hum
M, Ihr mirth g feasts the dasg q FURNISHED arms
The hfaying trumpet and ths hoarser drum VI.
Unite in concert with increased aiarms,
About The middle of the last century, the Alb
hey came into the possession OF the grand uncle
of the poet, Familiarity known among the gossip
ing chroniclers of the AbHny as the wicked I
Lord Byron" The wayward passions of this
unhappy man caused q separation from his wife, 5
and finally spread solitude around him. Being
dspleased at the marriage of his SON and heir,
he displayed an inyeterate malignity towards
him Not being able to cut off hrs succession to
the Abbey estate. which descended to him by
entail, he endeayored to injnre it as much as
possibles SO that it might come a mere wreck
into his hands. Hewss baffied in his unnatural
revenge by the premature death of his son and
passed the remainder of his d,sys broodng
amidst the scenes he had laid waste
The death of the q old ford'' occurred in 1898,
and the Abbey then passed into the possession
OF the poet, then boy Of eleven years Of age
and living in humble style with his mother In
Seotland. During Lord Byron's minority, the
Abbey was let to Lord Grey de Ruthven, but
the poet visited it occasionally during the Har-.
ow-vacations, when he resided with his mother
at Nottingham 1t was treated little better by
its present tenant than by the old lord who
preceded him so that when, in the autumn of
loOo, Lord Byron took up his abode there, it
was in ruinous condition. The following lines.
from his own pen, may give some idea of its con-
'dition:
Through thy battlements. Newsted the hollow winds
whistle
Thou the HALL of my fathers. art gone to decay
In thy opce smiling garden. the hemIack thistle
Have checked up the which boomed in the way
"of the mail-covered barons who, proudly battle,
Led thy vassalR from Europe TO Palsstues plain
The escutcheon and shield which with every wind rats
Are aonly sad vestiges now that remsinp
Lord Byron had not sufficient fortune to put
the building in extensive repair, nor to maintain
anything like the state of his ancestor He re-
stored some of the apartments, 50 as to furnish
a comfortable home for his mother, and fitted up
quaint study for himself. But the repairs
thus made were of transient benefit; forsthe roof
being left in Its dilapidated state, therain soon
penetrated into the restored apartments, and,
in a few years, rendered them almost as desolate
as the rest of the abbey.
Ii is needless to enter into detail of circum-
stances which led his lordship to sell his anoes-
trai property. Fortunately it fell into the hands
of Col Wildman, an eni husiastic admirer ia the
poet; add 1t was great consolation to Lord By-
ron, in parting with his family estate, to know
that it was held by one capable Of restoring its m
dedglories, and who would respect and preserve
al the monuments and memorials Of his line. The
confidence of Lord Byron in the good feeliiS III
taste OF Col. @idman, has been justified 81 the
event Under his judcious eye and munifcent
hand, the venerable and romantic pile has risen
from its ruins, in all its cid fonastic and baron
lal splendor Eighty thousand pounds have
already been expended. yet the work is still
going on, and Newsstand promises TO realize the
nope faintly hreathed by the poet when bidding
it a melancholy farewell:
HapY thy sun emerging vet NAV shine
Thee to irradftte with n-rld,an ray
Hours splendid as the past fnsv stilt be thiae