Strange to say, though the devils could
not disturb the holy man at his prayers, the nightingales of Northaw
woods did distract him, and he therefore prayed that God would keep
these little birds away, lest he should take too much delight in their
sweet songs; whereupon no more nightingales sang in those woods, and it
is recorded that long after his time no nightingale dared venture within
a mile of the spot where the hermit had dwelt. All which things are
written in the chronicles of the Abbey, of which the reader may believe
as little or as much as he will. Sigar was buried by the side of Roger.
The arch above their grave may be seen in the illustration (p. 80),
which also shows the Abbot's door which led into the cloister. It was
built by Abbot de la Mare in the latter half of the fourteenth century.
[Illustration: SAXON BALUSTER SHAFTS IN SOUTH TRANSEPT.]
#The Transept.#--From this aisle we pass into the transept. Its southern
arm, notwithstanding the havoc wrought by Lord Grimthorpe, still retains
many points of interest. On its eastern side the triforium, consisting
of three bays, contains some baluster shafts of Saxon date; it is
supposed that they were taken from the church which Abbot Paul
demolished.
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