am_ is taken into
the account; for it was as much frequented, if not more than the
shrine of St. Thomas a Becket, at Canterbury. Foreigners of all
nations came hither on pilgrimage; many kings and queens of England
also paid devoirs to it: so that the number and quality of her
devotees appeared to equal those of the Lady Loretto, in Italy.
Spelman observes, that it is said King Henry the Eighth, in the second
year of his reign, walked _barefooted_ from the village of Basham to
this place, and then presented a valuable necklace to the image. Of
this costly present, as well as the other saleable appendages,
Cromwell doubtless took good care, when, by his master's orders, he
seized the image, and burnt it at Chelsea.

"Erasmus, who visited this place, says, that the chapel, then
rebuilding, was distinct from the church, and inside of it was a small
chapel of wood, on each side of which was a little, narrow door,
where those who were admitted came with their offerings, and paid
their devotions; that it was lighted up with wax torches, and that the
glitter of gold, silver, and jewels would lead you to suppose it to be
the seat of the gods.

"In one of his colloquies, entitled, _Peregrinatio_, is a very
humorous description of the superstitions of this place. The monks had
contrived to persuade many that the _galaxy_ in the heavens was a
miraculous indication of the _way_ to this place. Hence that was
called _Walsingham Way._

"The present remains of this once noble monastic pile, is a portal, or
west entrance; a rich ornamented lofty arch, sixty feet high, which
formed the east end of the church, supposed to have been erected in
the time of Henry the Seventh; the refectory, seventy-eight feet long
and twenty-seven broad, and the walls twenty-six and a half feet in
height; a Saxon arch, part of the original chapel, which has a zig-zag
moulding; part of the old cloisters, a stone bath, and two uncovered
wells, called the _Wishing Wells_. The devotees to the _Lady of
Walsingham_ were taught to believe, that whoever had permission to
drink of these waters could obtain, under certain restrictions,
whatever they might wish for."

"The principal part of the venerable ruins are included in the
pleasure gardens of Henry Lee Warner, Esq., who has a large,
commodious house, which occupies the site of the priory. The present
proprietor has progressively, for some years past, been making various
improvements in planting and laying