Excerpt from The History of the College of Bonhommes, at Ashridge, in the County of Buckingham, Founded in the Year 1276, by Edmund, Earl of Cornwall: Compiled From Original Records and Other Authentic Sources, to Which Is Added, a Description of the Present Mansion, Erected on the Site of the Ancient College The history of religious houses has afforded, and will long afford, employment equal to the ardour of the most industrious antiquary. The college of ashridge has exercised the diligence of Dugdale and Tanner, Of Kennet and Willis; men, to Whose exertions [any super structure of modern research must be indebted, both for strength and dignity. To intermix their treasures With some collections of later' Writers, and with new means Of information which the Noble Owner of ashridge has supplied, is therefore the Object Of the following pages. To the compiler of them it has been a pleasure thus to connect dispersed, and hitherto unexplored, materials; a pleasure, however, diminished by the consciousness, that his narrative is not equal to the subject; and that perpetual citation requires the relief of [ingenious disquisition. What was in his power, he has done faithfully. From records, belonging to the demesnes of ashridge, with which he became acquainted through the earl of bridgewater's friendly means, long before the death of the late possessor, the illustrious duke of bridgewater; and from other documents, which passed, according to the duke's bequest of his books and manuscripts, to the present marquis of stafford; have been extracted many curious particulars of ashridge While a Convent, and. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.