a great builder of churches, during his residence in this town, A. D. 1135, founded this nunnery. Whether these royal personages were, either jointly or individually, the founders of this convent, it seems, however, from history, pretty certain, that they were both munificent benefactors to the inftitution.

Ridpath, in his highly-informing Border History, says, that Agas, the mother of Margaret, queen of Scotland, and Christian, her fifter, after king Malcolm was killed at Alnwick, anno 1086, incapable of enjoying society after that fatal catastrophe, retired to this nunnery, and took the facred veil.

Benefactions, donations, and grants, numerous and valuable, poured into this receptacle of fair devotees.

Large quantities of wheat, rich and fertile lands, villages, &c. all were chearfully granted to the devout nuns of St. Bartholomew: wastes, and houses in the Side, Pilgrim-street, Flesh-market, Oat-market, Darn-crook, and almost all over the town, belonged to them. That piece of fine land adjacent to the town-moor, called to this day the Nun's-moor, or Leazowes, was also the property of these sisters, which, after paffing through several hands, was at last, by the abbess, vested in the corporation of Newcastle, where it still continues.

But, in proportion as the convent became opulent, the fisterhood, it is said, felt an irresistible propenfity towards the opposite sex. And fame says, (but the often lies) that fome of the frail fair ones, by means of a fubterraneous communication with the neighbouring monastery, became mammas, without the trouble of the marriage ceremony. Mr Bourne says, that Mr Blackett's steward, Mr Richmond, affured him, that he had feen the entrance into this fubter

N2

fubterraneous vault, but that it was then filled up with earth.

Charity, however, which "thinketh no evil," obliges us to view the design of this vault (if such ever existed) with a more favourable eye: it very probably was a depofitary for wines and other stores, which the fair devotees wished to be concealed from the views of the cenforious public. However, we well know, that, upon the intention of the relentless Henry VIII. of pulling down and stripping the rich abbeys and monasteries being known, the courtiers and minions of the royal plunderer instantly set on to load the falling priesthood with the blackest calumnies and foulest imputations; so that, instead of their being facred recesses of devotion, and sublime meditation, they were too truly represented as having been the filthy dens of hideous impurities, finks of frightful pollutions, gluttony, lusts, murders, and particularly of myriads of infanticides, and of other monstrous crimes, which called for the vengeance of God and man! In consequence of this the nunnery of Newcastle amongst others was fully fuppressed in the year 1540: at the time of its diffolution it consisted of a prioress and nine other

nuns.

Such was the overthrow of the numerous and richly endowed monasteries, with which Newcastle for ages had abounded. The fuperftitious devotee may possibly lament the mighty change, and the incurable wound given to the papal power in Britain; but the buriting forth of the light of science, and civil and religious liberty, stript of their galling chains, appearing to bless mankind with their benign influence, and to shed on them their choicest bleffings, blessings, powerfully demonftrate, that the change has been wonderfully for the amelioration of the condition of mankind.

ST. MARY MAGDALEN'S HOSPITAL FOR LEPERS.

The leprosy was a loathsome, foul, and painful disease. It was, in ancient times, very common among the Afiatics, Egyptians, and other eastern and southern nations. It seems to have been particularly prevalent, as we find in facred writ, among the ancient Ifraelites; and we read of the numerous precautions to prevent the spreading of its infectious influence, by excluding the perfon affected with this dreadful malady from all intercourse with society, till he should either recover, or die.

Phyfiologists tell us, that it was hereditary, and infectious; that it might be caught by the faliva of a leper, if a sound perfon drank after him, by contact, or touch; by lying in the fame bed; or, by intercourse between the sexes.

That it was common in our own country, appears from this, that hofpitals for lepers were erected almost in every town of any confequence in the kingdom. In general, it baffled the power of medicine, and of confequence the patient dragged out a life of the most exquifite and confummate misery. What is very particular however is, that although the fatal lift of diseases which afflict human kind rather encreases in our times; yet the dreadful one of leprofy is almost altogether unknown in our favour'd island. Monf. St. Fond, that amiable philosopher, and one of the most eminent members of the French National National Institute, and, to heighten his celebrity, a particular favourite of the First Conful, who visited Newcastle a few years ago, speaking of the many and vast advantages resulting from the use of coal fuel, has this remarkable observation,

And there can be little doubt, but that it is from the consumption of so much coal, in the numerous great manufactories in Britain, as well as the plenty of that useful mineral employed in domestic purposes, that the leprosy, that horribly loathsome diforder, so common in other countries, and also in England until coal became the general fuel there, has now totally disappeared."

To afford an asylum for persons afflicted with this dreadful contagious disease, the hospital of St. Mary Magdalen was founded, and endowed, near the Barras-Bridge, at the northern extremity of the town of Newcastle. It was placed on a rifing ground, and the term Barras was originally Barrows, tumuli, or heights, probably the burying-place of the patients who died of this disorder. No vestiges now remain of that humane institution. It was a priory, or hofpital, for a master, brethren, and sisters, to receive and accommodate lepers.

Pope Alexander III. confirmed the master and brethren in the poffeffion of such houses, gardens, rents, woods, and other property as might be made over to them with an exemption from all tythes.

King Edward I. confirmed to them a house bequeathed to them by John de Hercelaw.

John Bland was a great benefactor to this hospital, by giving and leaving them many valuable donations, and was buried in their chancel.

The

The good Roger Thornton, ever among the fair lift of the charitable and humane, left, by his will, two pounds to the " leper men" of Newcastle.

Fourteen persons, says Bourne, refiding in the house, were each allowed a room, coals, and eight shillings per month. Fifteen others, were a fort of out-patients, with different allowances, some of eight shillings, some of five shillings, and others of two shillings and fixpence per month. Upon its difsolution by a statute of Henry VIII. king James 1. incorporated it with St Thomas' chapel, on Tyne-bridge, conftituting the mayor and common council patrons.

Happy has it been for Newcastle, that the neceffity of fuch an asylum has long fince ceased, a leper being a character almost altogether unknown in our times.

THE MONASTERY OF THE ST. AUSTIN FRIARS.

This feems to have been one of the most beautiful and magnificent of all the religious structures, of the monastic orders, in Newcastle. It was fituated on the left hand in going down the Manor-chare, on that extensive piece of ground, on which have been fince erected the Freemen's Hospital, Barber Surgeon's Hall, &c. of which we will give an account when describing the Public Buildings, Charitable foundations, &c. It was founded (says Wallis in his valuable account of the antiquities of Northumberland) by William Lord Ros, baron of Wark, upon Tweed, about the year 1290.

He was one of the most potent chieftains of the north, and the branches of his family were rendered