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HASTINGS |
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But then his wofull wife of God, with piteous praiers gann
crave, That her own corps wth husbands hers, might joyne in
darkso grave. And that her soule, his soule might seeke, amongst ye
saints above, And there in endless blysse enjoye her long desired love, The which our gracious God did graunt, to her of Marche
ye last, When after that devorcement sower, one yere and more
was past."
Battle, though a small place, has much of the character of a town, with two regular streets meeting in an open space before the abbey gate. It contains a few old houses ; the deanery is a picturesque brick building with stone mullioned windows, battlements, tiled roof, and Ionic doorway. Suitably enough it was once very famous for making gunpowder, which De Foe thought perhaps the best in Europe. In 1801 there was a terrific explosion, and how it happened as there were no fires in the stoves at the time no one could tell. The indignant neighbours who came for compensation could get very little out of the owner of the mills, who explained, to quote Thomas Hood's poem—
"'If I do have a blow, well, where's the oddity? I merely do as other tradesmen do,
You Sir—and you—and you ! I'm only puffing off my own commodity.'" |
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