The language used in this story was very quaint, and was probably the
best tale related about Isabella, the Countess of Devon; but old
"Isaacke," the ancient writer, in his history remarks that it "will
hardly persuade credit."
We could not learn what became of William her husband; but Isabella
seemed to have been an extremely strong-minded, determined woman, and
rather spiteful, for it was she who blocked the river so that the people
of Exeter, who had offended her, could have neither "fishing nor
shipping" below the weir. On one occasion, when four important parishes
had a dispute about their boundaries, she summoned all their principal
men to meet her on the top of a swampy hill, and throwing her ring into
the bog told them that where it lay was where the parishes met; the
place is known to this day as "Ring-in-the-Mire."
We passed by Powderham Castle, and saw some magnificent trees in the
park, and on a wooded hill the Belvedere, erected in 1773. This was a
triangular tower 60 feet high, with a hexagonal turret at each corner
for sight-seeing, and from it a beautiful view over land and sea could
be obtained.
With regard to the churches in this part of England, we learned that
while Somerset was noted for towers and Cornwall for crosses, the
churches in Devonshire were noted for screens, and nearly every church
we visited had a screen or traces where one had existed, some of them
being very beautiful, especially that in Kenton church, which we now
went to inspect.
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