PCCA Home > Archive Texts > History of Photography > William Henry Fox Talbot

The Pencil of Nature (1844-46)

by William Henry Fox Talbot

Part IV: PLATE XVI. CLOISTERS OF LACOCK ABBEY.

About The Pencil of Nature
Part I.
Publisher's note, frontispiece, and title page.
Introductory Remarks.
Brief Historical Sketch of the Invention of the Art.
Plate I. Part of Queen's College, Oxford.
Plate II. View of the Boulevards at Paris.
Plate III. Articles of China.
Plate IV. Articles of Glass
Plate V. Bust of Patroclus.

Part II.
Plate VI. The Open Door
Plate VII. Leaf of a Plant
Plate VIII. A Scene in a Library
Plate IX. Fac-simile of an Old Printed Page
Plate X. The Haystack
Plate XI. Copy of a Lithographic Print
Plate XII. The Bridge of Orleans.
Part III.
Plate XIII. Queen's College, Oxford, Entrance Gateway
Plate XIV. The Ladder.
Plate XV. Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire.

Part IV.
Plate XVI. Cloisters of Lacock Abbey.
Plate XVII. Bust of Patroclus.
Plate XVIII. Gate of Christchurch
Part V.
Plate XIX. The Tower of Lacock Abbey
Plate XX. Lace
Plate XXI. The Martyr's Monument
Part VI.
Plate XXII. Westminster Abbey
Plate XXIII. Hagar in the Desert.
Plate XXIV. A Fruit Piece.


PLATE XVI. CLOISTERS OF LACOCK ABBEY.

THE Abbey was founded by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, widow of William Longspee, son of King Henry II. and Fair Rosamond.

This event took place in the year of our Lord 1229, in the reign of Henry III. She was elected to be the first abbess, and ruled for many years with prudence and piety. She lies buried in the cloisters, and this inscription is read upon her tomb:

Infrà sunt defossa ElÆ venerabilis ossa,
QuÆ dedit has sedes sacras monialibus Ædes,
Abbatissa quidem quÆ sanctè vixit ibidem,
Et comitissa Sarum virtutum plena bonarum:

The cloisters, however, in their present sate, are believed to be of the time of Henry VI. They range round three sides of a quadrangle, and are the most perfect which remain in any private residence in England. By moonlight, especially, their effect is very picturesque and solemn.

Here, I presume, the holy sisterhood often paced in silent meditation; though, in truth, they have left but few records to posterity to tell us how they lived and died. The "liber de Lacock" is supposed to have perished in the fire of the Cottonoian library. What it contained I know not -- perhaps their private memoirs. Some things, however, have been preserved by tradition, or discovered by the zeal of antiquaries, and from these materials the poet Bowles has composed an interesting work, the History of Lacock Abbey, which he published in 1835.

Back to top

All contents © copyright 2003-05
by A. D. Coleman/PCCA
and the authors and artists, except as indicated.
All rights reserved.
info@photocriticism.com

Site design by John Alley