The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1905-12-16

nv dSiSh'iuig Va
the Abbey of Beaulieu in the New
Forest, near to the head of Southamp
ton Water, England, are between four
and Ave miles from Beaulieu Road
station, but II we do not feel equal 70
such tramp we can easily find some
sort of conveyance. Certainly we
ought not to miss Beaulieu Abbey, for
in spite Of the havoc worked thereon
at the dissolution of the monasteries.
quite enough remains to show us its
former grandeur and extent. Further
more. the ruins are SO prettily covered
with ivy and towering vines, SO soft
Ell ed and beautified by the lovely
green things OF the forest that We won
der If the abbey could possibly have
be en- more beautiful even when 1t
stood erect in all the architectural per
lection of its early days.
Just at this spot. and at this spot
only, We find the rare plant known to
botanists as "pulmonaria ausustiiolia,"
but which the forest children call 10.
seph and Mary 1t was famous cur
alive herb In medieval days and still
flourishes. with others of like kind in
Tie sui VII tut olu IIlOukS CultlNh AT
ed their simple remedies. They must
have been very busy. those old monks
of Beaulieu. what with their prayers,
their herb garden, their fields, their
brewery and their vineyards, for
though vineyards seem very foreign 10
the England of to-day. 1t is fact that
vines were cultivated and wines made
on this site for long period We are
apt to think of the medieval monks
as having led a charmingly easy sort
OF life in long procession OF sunny
days. and yet. in place like this we
are surrounded by evidences OF their
industry.
The monasteries OF the middle ages
combined the functions OF hotels for
travellers. of hospitals for the sick. OF
schools for the children. and their In.
mates were the guardians OF learning
and literature as well as OF religion.
At their best the continuous round OF
work with head or hand. blending with
the frequently recurring services OF
prayer and praise by night as we'll as
by day. regularly practiced by those
who were leading well-ordered. disci
plined and chaste lives. served to pro
duce not few OF the finest characters
the world has ever known"
Prosperity Their Ruin.
Their prosperity and power ultimate.
ly became their ruin: as time went on
they outgrew their uses and were re.
garded ~ 4 danger TO the community.
On the eve Of the dissolution foreign
traveller In England speaks OF the ar
tistic wealth Of English monasterIes as
unriyaled by that of other religious
establishments In the whole OF Europe
We can hardly realize the audacity OF
king who darci to uproot these far.
reaching interests and divert their
funds and possessions TO other land
mostly private) uses. But. after all.
our amnzemeni at the number OF alb.
beys and similar institutions destroyed
by Henry VIII. Is barely greater than
the SURPRISE NC feel at learning that
one OF tAem-this very same abbey OF
Besulieu. was founded by King John
1t Is the solitary religious building. In
fact one might say the only thing In
any way connected with religion. &C.
credited to this hated monarch, and
the story goes that II was the outcome
Of terror rather than of any vestige OF
picty.
In short. John dreamed an awful
dream about the last Judgment. In
which he played an exceptionally pain.
full part. and. In = desperate attempt
At Precipitation. he founded this abbey
for CistercIans In the year 1904. II