Isabell Sackvile Lady Prioresse of Clarkenwell is an eminent instance of longevity in this kinde For 1. In the one and twentieth of King Henry the seventh she was a * To be seen in the pedegree of the Barl of Dorset Weaver fun Mon. pag. 429. Nun in Clarkenwell-Priory when a Legacy was bequeathed her as Niece by William Sackvile Esquire and must be then conceived fifteen years of age 2. She was the last Prioresse of Clarkenwell at the dissolution thereof 3. She died in the twelfth of Queen Elizabeth as appears by her Epitaph in Clarkenwell-Church and by Computation must be allowed Eighty years of age But farre older was that Monk or Nun I am * Attested by 〈◊〉 Pymme's Kinsman to Godfrey Bp. of Gloucester See his printed Paper assured of the Story not the Sex to whom Living in or neer Hampshire Mr. John Pymme then an Officer in the Exchequer paid the last payment of his Pension about the fift year of King James SECTION VI. DOMINO THOMAE TREVOR Juniori Equiti Aurato MVlti sunt praeproperi Haeredes qui nimiâ parentum vivacitate cruciantur Hi languidâ expectatione macrescunt postquam Rura Paterna spe vanâ devoraverant At Tu è contra Venerandi Patris tui Canitiem si fieri posset immortalem reddere conaris cum eam perpetuo Obsequio humilime colas quo efficacius Kardiacum ad Senectutem ejus elongandam nequit confici Non in Patris sed â—undi senescentis Annos inquiris cum Historiâ plurimum delecteris cujus ope si Praeterita cum Praesentibus conferantur conjectura de Futuris statui potest quo nomine hoc opus nostrum tibi non ingratum fore confido Deus â—e Lectissimâmque Conjugem beat prole patrizante non tam privato commodo quà m Bono Publico ne Respulica tantarum virtutum Haeredi destituatur Of the Erection Officers Vse Continuance and Abolishing of the Court of Augmentation DUring the scuffling for Abbey-land Augmentation Court when erected in the 27 year of King Henry the eighth the Court of Augmentation was set up by Act of Parliament to be a Court of Record and to have an authentick Great Seal besides a Privie Seal and several Officers appointed for management thereof with large fees allowed unto them I finde the same exemplified in a fair Vellum Manuscript which lately was Archbishop Parkers since the Lord Cokes whence I transcribed as followeth Sir Rich Sackvile Chancellor three hundred pounds yearly Fee forty pounds Diet and six shillings eight pence for every Seale Sir Jo Williams Treasurer three hundred and twenty pounds Fee Sir Will Cavendish Treasurer of the King's Chamber one hundred pounds Fee one hundred pound Dyet and ten pounds Boat-hire Sir Thomas Moyle Sir Walter Mildmay Generall Receivers to each two hundred pounds Fee and twenty pounds Diet. Rich Goodrich Attorney one hundred pounds Fee and twenty marks Diet. Jo Gosnall Solicitor eighty pound Fee Diet twenty marks Besides Masters and Surveyors of the woods Clerks Keepers of Records Ushers Messengers Assistants Carpenter and Mason to the Court Auditors Receivers Surveyors Woodwards for every County the totall summe of their Fees yearly amounting unto Seven thousand two hundred forty nine pounds ten shillings and three pence This Catalogue by the persons mentioned therein seems taken towards the end of Edward the sixt when the Court began to decline 2. It belonged unto this Court to order The imployment of the Offiâ—eâ—s in this Court survey and govern sell let set all Manours lands tenements rents services tythes pensions portions advowsons patronages and all hereditaments formerly belonging to Priories and since their dissolution to the Crown as in the printed Statute * An. 17 HeÌ„ 8. cap. 27. more largely doth appear All persons holding any Leases Pensions Corodies c. by former grants from the Covents came into the Court produced their Deeds and upon examination of the validity thereof had the same allowed unto them And although providence for themselves and affection to their kindred prompted many Fryers and Covents foreseeing their rottering condition to antedate Leases to their friends just at the dissolution yet were they so frighted with fear of discovery that very few frauds in that kinde were committed The Court was very tender in continuing any Leases upon that least legall consideration 3. But after some continuance of this Court Motives for the dissolution of this Court the King 's urgent occasions could not stay for the slow coming in of money from the yearly Revenues of Abbey-land insomuch that He was necessitated to sell out-right a great part of those Lands for the present advance of Treasure and thereby quickly was the Court of Augmentation diminished The King therefore took into consideration to dissolve it as superfluous wherein the Officers were many their Pensions great Crown profits thereby small and Causes therein depending few so that it was not worth the while to keep up a Mill to grinde that grist where the Toll would not quit cost It was therefore resolved to stop up this by stream that all causes therein should run in the antient channell of the former Courts of Westminster 4. Indeed in the 7 of King Edw. 6. Finally dissolved in the first year of Queen Mary a doubt did arise amongst the Learned in the Laws whether the Court of Augmentation the Commencement whereof was first had by authority of Parliament would legally be dissolved extinguished and repealed by the King's Letters Patents And the Officers thereof wonder not if they stickled for their own concernments did zealously engage on the Negative Wherefore it was enacted by Parliament That the King during His naturall life had present power by His Letters Patents to alter unite annex reduce or dissolve any of those new erected Courts by His own Letters Patents And the same Act was confirmed in the first year of Queen Mary when the short-lived Court of Augmentation was dissolved as which from the birth thereof 1535 to the extinguishing 1553 survived but eighteen years The Lands of Chanteries free Chappels and Colledges dissolved KIng Henry the eighth his expences like sandy ground Prodigality alwaies wanteth suddenly suckt up the large shower of Abbey lands and little signe or shew was seen thereof yea such the parching thirst of his pressing occasions that still they called aloud for more moysture for whose satisfaction the Parliament in the 38 year of His Reign put the Lands of all Colledges Chanteries and free Chappels in His Majesties full disposition 2. This King made three meals King Henry's three meals on Abbey-lands or if you will one meal of three courses on Abbey-lands besides what Cardinal Wolsey the King's Taster herein had eat before-hand when assuming smaller Houses to endow his two Colledges 1. When Religious Houses under two hundred pounds a yeare â— Anno 1535 were granted to Him by the Parliament 2. When all greater Monasteries â— 1538 3. When Colledges Chanteries and Free
a By-Foundation of Postmasters in this House a kinde of Colledg in the Colledg and this Tradition goeth of their Original Anciently there was over against Merton Colledg a small un-endowed Hall whose Scholars had so run in arrears that their opposite neighbours out of charity took them into their Colledg then but nine in number to wait on the Fellows But since they are freed from any attendance and endowed with plentiful maintenance M r Willet being the first Benefactor unto them in that nature whose good example hath provoked many to follow his liberality These most justly conceive themselves much honoured in that Bishop Jewel was a postmaster before removed hence to be Fellow of Corpus Christs Colledg We take our farewell of this House when we have told it consisted lately viz. 1635. of one Warden twenty one Fellows fourteen a The same I conceive with the Postmasters Scholars besides Officers and Servants of the foundation with other Students the whole number being eighty 9. Come we now to the Kings retrenching the Popes power The Church ready to eat up the Common-wealth grown so exorbitant in England A principall part whereof consisted in the multitude of Monasteries daylie increasing in wealth and all at the Popes absolute devotion If posterity had continued at this rate to build and endow Religious Houses all England would in short time have turned one entire and continued Monastery and the inhabitants thereof become either Friers or Founders Where then should be any Souldiers to fight the Kings battels Seamen to steer his ships Husbandmen to plough the Kings land or rather any land of his to be ploughed by husbandmen 10. Besides The mischief of Mortmain to the Crown though these Friers had a living-hand to take and receive from any they had Mortmaine a dead-hand to restore and return any profit to the King again Yea such alienation of lands in Mortmaine setled on Monasteries which as Corporations neither married nor died afforded neither Wards Marriages Reliefs nor Knights-service for the defence of the Realm in a word enriched their private coffers impoverished the publick Exchequer It was not therefore such a dead band which could feed so many living mouthes as the King for his state and safety must maintain Wherefore for the future he restrain'd such unlimited Donatives to Religious Houses 11. Ignorance makes many men mistake meer transcripts for Originals This Law not new but renewed So here the short-fighted vulgar sort beheld the Kings Act herein as new strange and unprecedented whereas indeed former times and forein Princes had done the like on the same occasion First we finde some countenance for it in a Exod 36. 6. Scripture when Moses by proclamation bounded the overflowing bounty of the people to the Tabernacle And in the Primitive times Theodosius the Emperor although most loving and favourable to the Clergie made a Law of A Mortisation or Mortmain to moderate peoples bounty to the Church Yet a great Father Jerome by name much disliked this Act as appears by his complaint to Nepotian of that Law I am ashamed to say it the Priests of Idols Stage-players Coach-men and common Harlots are made capable of inheritance and receive Legacies only Ministers of the Gospel and Monkes are barred by Law thus to do and that not by Persecutors but by Christian Princes But that passionate Father comes off well at last neither do I complain of the Law but I am sorry we have deserved to have such a Law made against us 12. b In his 31. Epist S t Ambrose likewise expresseth much anger on the same occasion out of his general zeal for the Churches good Ambrose angry with Mortmaine But had the aforesaid Fathers men rather pious then politick good Church-men no States-men seen the Monasteries swollen in revenues from an inch in their dayes to an ell by peoples fondness yea dotage on the four sorts of Friers in King Edwards Reign they would no doubt instead of reproving have commended his and the neighbouring Kings care for their Common-wealths 13. For the like laws for limiting mens liberality The Statute of Mortmaine were lately made in Spain and France and now at last followed by King Edward according to the tenour ensuing WHere of late it was provided Anno Dom. 1279. that religious men should not enter into the fees of any without licence and will of the chief Lords of whom such fees be holden immediately Anno Regis Ed. 〈◊〉 7. Nov. 4. And notwithstanding such religious men have entered as well into their own sees as in the fees of other men approprying and buying them and sometime receiving them of the gift of others whereby the services that are due of such fees and which at the beginginning were provided for defence of the Realme are wrongfully without own and the chief Lords do leese their Escheats of the same we therefore to the profit of our Realm intending to provide convenient remedy by the advice of our Prelates Earls Barons and other our subjects being of our Councel have provided made and ordained That no person Religious or other whatsoever he be that will buy or sell any Lands or Tenements or under the colour of Gift or Lease or that will receive by reason of any other title whatsoever it be Lands or Tenements or by any other Craft or Engine will presume to appropriat to himself under pain of forfeiture of the same whereby such Lands or Tenements may any wise come into Mortmaine We have provided also That if any person religious or other do presume either by Craft or Engine to offend against this Statute it shall be lawful to us and other chief Lords of the Fee immediately to enter in the land so aliened within a year from the time of their alienation and to hold it in fee and as Inheritance And if the chief Lord immediately be negligent and will not enter into such Fee within the year then it shall be lawful to the next chief Lord immediate of the same Fee to enter in the said land within half a year next following and to hold it as before is said and so every Lord immediate may enter into such Land if the next Lord be negligent in entering into the same Fee as is aforesaid And if all the chief Lords of such Fees being of full age within the four Seas and out of prison be negligent or slack in this behalf we immediately after the year accomplished from the time that such purchases Gifts or Appropriations hap to be made shall take such tenements into our hand and shall enfeoffe others therein by certain Services to be done to Us for the defence of our Realm saving to the chief Lords of the same Fees their Wardes and Escheats and other Services thereunto due and accustomed And therefore we command you that ye cause the foresaid Statute to be read before you and from henceforth to be kept firmly and observed
into Lothbury After their expulsion their Synagogue was turned into the Covent of the Friers of the Sack or De Poenitentia Jesu and after their supression it became successively the house first of a Lord then of a Merchant since of any man for his money being turned into a Tavern with the sign of the a Stow his Survey of London pag. 288. Wind-mill A proper sign to express the moveableness of that place which with several gales of success hath been turned about from so many owners and to so many uses 34. As for the civil government of Jews in England The Justicer of the Jews the King set over them one principal Officer called the Justicer of the Jews whose place in honor was next to the Barons of the Exchequer His office was to be the Patron Protector of the Jews in their just rights to decide all suits betwixt Christians and them and to keep the seal of the Jews their Corporation with the keys of their Treasury I conceive of such moneys as they paid as Tribute to the King otherwise the Jews had age enough to keep the Keys of their own coffers themselves and wit too much to trust them with others S r Robert de Hoo and S r Philip Luvel afterward Treasurer of England men of signal Nobility successvely discharged this place These Justicers often acted very high in defence of their Clients the Jews insomuch as I finde it b Additamenta Matthaei Parisiensis p. â—02 complained of by the English Clergy as a great grievance that when a Jew was convented before the Ecclesiastical Judg for his misdemeanours as Sacriledg violence offered to some Priest adultery with a Christian woman c. their own Justicer would interpose and by a Prohibition obtained from the King obstruct all legal proceedings against such a Jew as onely responsible in his own jurisdiction 35. In their spiritual government they were all under one Pontifex The High Priest or Presbyter of the Jews or High Priest We finde his name was Elias who Anno 1254. had that office He was also called the Presbyter of the Jews whose place was usually confirmed at least if not constituted by the King who by his Patent granted the same as may appear by this copie of King Johns as followeth REX a Ret. Cart. 1 Reg. Joh. part 1. memb 28. Cart. 171. omnibus fidelibus suis Anno Regis Ed. 1. 18. omnibus Judaeis Anno Dom. 1290. Anglis salutem Soiatis Nos concessisse praesenti Chartâ nostrâ confirmasse Jacobo Judge de Londoniis Presbyterio Judaeorum Presbyteratum omnium Judaeorum totius Angliae babendum tenendum quamdiu vixerit liberè quietè bonorificè integre its quòd nemo ei super hoc molestiam aliquam aut gravamen inferre praesumat Quare volumus firmiter praecipimus quod eidem Jacobo quoad vixerit Presbytoratum Judaeorum per totam Angliam garantetis manu teneatis pacificè defendatis si quis ei super eo foriffacere praesumserit id ei sine dilatione salva nobis emenda nostra de forisfactura nostra emendari faciatis tanquam Dominico Judaeo nostro quem specialiter in servitio nostra retinuimus Prohibemus etiam ne de aliquo ad se pertinente ponatur in placitum nisi coram Nobis aut coram Capitali Justitia nostra sicut Charta Regis Richardi fratris nostri testatur Taeste S. Bathomensi Episcopo c. Dat. per manus H. Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi Chancellarii nostri apud Rothomagum 31. die Julii Anno Regni nostri primo I have transcribed this Patent the rather for the rarity thereof it being a strange fight to see a Christian Arch-Bishop date an Instrument for a Jewish Presbyter 36. Their livelihood was all on Usury Jews griping Usurers One Verse in b Deut. 23. 20. Deuteronomy with their Comment thereon was more beneficial unto them then all the Old Testament besides Vnto a stranger thou maiest lend upon usury but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury Now interpreting all strangers who though neighbours at the next door were not of their own nation they became the universal Usurers of all England and did our Kingdom this courtesie that because all hated the Jews for their Usury sake all also hated Usury for the Jews sake so that Christians generally disdained to be guilty thereof Now seeing there are two wayes to wealth one long and sure by saving at home the other short but not so certain because probably it may meet with detection and punishment by oppressing abroad no wonder if the Jews using both wayes quickly arrived at vast estates 37. For Their rapaciousness and tenaciousness first for their fare it was course in the quality and yet slender in the quantity thereof Insomuch that they would in a manner make pottage of a flint Swines-flesh indeed they would not eat but dogs-meat they would I mean beef and mutton so poor and lean that the refuse of all Christians was the Jews choice in the Shambles Clothes they wore so poor and patch'd beggars would not take them up to have them Attendants they kept none every one waiting on himself No wonder then if easily they did over-grow others in wealth who basely did under-live themselves in all convenient accommodations Nor were they less gripple in keeping then greedy in catching of goods who would as soon lose their fingers as let go what they had clutched therein 38. I was of the opinion and perchance not without company in my mistake that the Jews were not permitted to purchase Lands in England Jews might purchase houses I thought onely the ground of their graves generally buried without Cripplegate in the Jews garden on the West side of S t Gyles's Church-yard now turned into Tenements in Red-cross-street could be termed theirs But since I am informed that Benomy c Stows Survey pag. 288 and 289. Mittun a Jew as certainly many moe besides him was possessed of much Land and many houses in several parishes in London Surely their purchases were limited within some restrictions But the Jews generally more fancied letting-out of money then buying in of Land as which made their estates less subject to discovery more plentiful in their encreasing and more portable in the removing thereof 39. It was an usual punishment legally inflicted on these Jews Lay-excommunication what it was for their offences not capital to Excommunicate them Thus such Jews should be Excommunicated who contrary to the Laws kept Christian-nurses a Additamentaâ— Matthaei Pari. pag 202. in their houses or who cast off that badg or cognizance which they ought to have worn over their upper garment Anno Dom. 1290. to be distinguished from Christians Anno Regis Ed. 1. 18. Surely such Excommunication was no Ecclesiastical censure needless to keep the Jews out of our Churches who hated all coming into them Rather it
examin all the Lords in Parliament as well Spiritual as Temporal severally and all the States of the Parliament how they think of the cases aforesaid which be so openly against the Kings Crown and in derogation of his Regalitie and how they will stand in the same cases with our Lord the King in upholding the rights of the said Crown and Regalitie Whereupon the Lords Temporal so demanded have answered everie one by himself that the cases aforesaid be clearly in derogation of the Kings Crown and of his Regalitie as it is well known and hath been of along time known and that they will be with the same Crown and Regalitie in these cases especially and in all other cases which shall be attempted against the same Crown and Regality in all points with all their power And moreover it was demanded of the Lords Spiritual there being and the procurators of others being absent their advise and will in all these cases which Lords that is to say the Arch-Bishops Bishops and other Prelates being in the said Parliament severally examined making protestations that it is not their minde to denie nor affirm that the Bishop of Rome may not Excommunicate Bishops nor that he may make translation of that if any Execution of Processes made in the Kings Court as before be made by any and censures of Excommunication to be made against any Bishops of England or any other of the Kings liege people for that they have made execution of such commandments and that if any executions of such translations be made of any Prelates of the same Realm which Prelates be very profitable and necessarie to our said Lord the King and to his said Realm or that the sage people of his Councel without his assent and against his will be removed and carried out of the Realm so that the substance and treasure of the Realm may be consumed that the same is against the King and his Crown as it is contained in the petition before named And likewise the same procurators every one by himself examined upon the said matters have answered and said in the name and for their Lords as the said Bishops have said and answered and that the said Lords Spiritual will and ought to be with the King in these cases in lawfully maintaining of his Crown and in all other cases touching his Crown and his Regalitie as they be bound by their Liegeance Whereupon our said Lord the King by the assnt aforesaid and at the request of his said Commons hath ordained and established that if any purchase or pursue or cause to be purchased or pursued in the Court of Rome or elsewhere any such translations processes sentences of Excommunications Bulls Instruments or any other things whatsoever which touch the King against him his Crown and his Regalitie or his Realm as is aforesaid and they which bring within the Realm or them receive or make thereof notification or any other execution whatsoever within the same Realm or without that they their notaries procurators maintainers abbettors fantors and councellors shall be put out of the Kings protection and their Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels forfeit to our Lord the King and that they be attached by their bodies if they may be found and brought before the King and his Councel there to answer to the cases aforesaid or that process be made against them by Praemunire facias in manner as it is ordained in other Statutes of Provisors and other which do sue in any other Court in derogation of the Regality of our Lord the King 43. Something of the occasion The occasion of this Statute name and use of this Statute the first is notoriously known from the Papal encroachments on the crown No Bishoprick Abathie Dignitie or Rectorie of value in England was likely to fall but a successour in reversion was by the Popes provisions fore-appointed for the same To make sure work rather then they would adventure to take the place at the first rebound Anno Dom. 1392. they would catch it before it light on the ground Anno Regis Ric. 2 16. This was imputed to the Popes abundance yea superfluity of care 〈◊〉 â—etur vacuum in the Church and rather then a Widow Benefice should mourn it self to death a second husband had his License for marriage before the former was deceased But great parishes where small the profit and numorous the people and where indeed greatest care ought to be had of their soules were past by in the Popes Bulls His Holiness making no provisions for those Livings which Livings had no provisions for his Holiness 35. Some will have it called Praemunire Why called Praemunire from fencing or fortifying the Regal power from forain assaults as indeed this was one of the best bulworks and sconces of Soveraignty Others that Praemunire signifieth the Crown fortified before the making of this Statute as fixing no new force therein but onely declaring a precedent and forgoing just right and due thereof Others conceive the word Praemonere turned by corruption of barbarous transcribers interpreters and pronouncers into Praemunire Others alledg the figure of the effect for the cause and the common Proverb Praemonitus Praemunitus Most sure it is that Praemunire sacias are operative words in the form of the Writ grounded on the Statute which may give denomination to the whole 36. It may seem strange such a Statute could pass in Parliament where almost sixty Spiritual Barons Popes covetousness odious to the Clergy Bishops and Abbots Voted according to Papal Interest except any will say that such who formerly had much of a Pope in their bellies had now more of Patriots in their breast being weary of Romes exactions Indeed no man in place of power or profit loves to behold himself buried alive by seeing his successour assigned unto him which caused all Clergy-men to hate such superinductions and many friends to the Pope were foes to his proceedings therein 37. This Law angred all the veines in the heart of his Holiness The Popes Letter against this Statute the Statute of Mortmain put him into a sweat but this into the sit of a fever The former concerned him onely mediately in the Abbies his darlings this touched him in his person and how cholerick he was will appear by the following Letter here inserted though written some fifty years after to make the story entire MArtinus Episcopus The Original of this Bill was in the Study of Sir Nichol. Bacon L. C ancellor whence the Arch-Bish of Armagh had this his Copy from which that of S Robert Cottons is derived servus servorum Dei 1393. Dilecto filio nobili viro Jobanni 16 Duct Bedsord Salutem Apostolicam Benedictionem Quamvis dudum in regno Anghae jurisdictio Romanae Ecclesiae liberatas Ecclesiastica suerit oppressa vigore illius Execrabilis Statuti quod omni divinae humanae rationi contrarium est Tamen adhuc non
space as possible they may after Our departure out of this transitory life One thousand marks of lawfull money of England part in the same place and thereabout where it shall please Almighty God to call us to his mercy partly by the way and part in the same place of Our buriall after their discretions And to move the poor people that shall have Our alms to pray heartily unto God for the remission of Our offense and the wealth of Our soule And We will that with as convenient speed as may be done after Our departure out of this world if it be not done in Our life that the Dean and Canons of Our Free Chappell of Saint George within Our Castle of Windesor shall have Manours Lands Tenements and Spiritual promotions to the yearly value of vj C. pounds over all charges made sure to them and to their successours for ever upon these conditions hereafter ensuing and for the due accomplishment and full performance of all other things contained with the same in the form of an Indenture signed with Our own hand which shall be passed by way of Covenant for that purpose between the said Dean and Canons and Our Executors if it passe not between Us and the said Dean and Canons in Our life That is to say the said Dean and Canons and their successors forever shall finde two Priests to say Masses at the said Altar to be made where We have before appointed our Tomb to be made and stand And also after Our decease keep yearly Four solemn Obits for us within the said Colledge of Windesor and at every of the same Obits to cause a solemn Sermon to be made and also at every of the said Obits to give to poor people in alms Ten pounds and also to give for ever yearly to thirteen poor men which shall be called Poor Knights to every of them Twelve pence a day and once in the year yearly for ever a long Gown of white cloth with the Gatter upon the breast imbroydered with a Shield and Crosse of Saint George within the garter and a mantle of red cloath and to such one of the thirteen poor Knights Ann. Dom. 1546. as shall be appointed to be head and governour over them iij li. vjs viij d. yearly for ever over and beside the said xij d. by the day And also to cause every Sunday in the year for ever a Sermon to be made at Windesor aforesaid Ann. Reg. HeÌ„ 8.38 as in the said Indenture and Covenant shall be more fully and particularly expressed willing charging and requiring Our Son Prince EDWARD all Our Executors and Counsellors which shall be named hereafter and all other Our Heirs and Successours which shall be Kings of this Realm as they will answer before God Almighty at the dreadfull day of judgment that they and every of them doe see that the said Indenture and Assurance to be made between Us and the said Dean Canons or between them and Our executors and all things therein contained may be duly put in execution and observed and kept for ever perpetually according to this Our last Will and Testament And as concerning the order and dispostion of the Imperiall Crown of this Realm of England and Ireland with Our Title of France and all dignities honours preheminences prerogatives authorities and jurisdictions to the same annexed or belonging and for the sure establishment of the succession of the same And also for a full and plain gift disposition assignment declaration limitation and appointment with what conditions Our Daughters MARY and ELIZAsBETH shall severally have hold and enjoy the said Imperiall Crown and other the premises after Our decease and for default of Issue and Heires of the severall bodies of Us and of Our Son Prince EDWARD lawfully begotten and His Heirs And also for a full gift disposition assignment declaration limitation and appointment to Whom and of what estate and in what manner form and condition the said Imperiall Crown and other the premises shall remain and come after Our decease And for default of Issue and Heirs of the severall bodies of Us and of the said Son Prince EDWARD and of Our said Daughters MARY and ELIZABETH lawfully begotten We by these presents doe make and declare Our last Will and Testament concerning the said Imperiall Crown and all other the premises in manner and form following That is to say We will by these presents that immediately after Our departure out of this present life Our said Son Prince EDWARD shall have and enjoy the said Imperiall Crown and Realm of England and Ireland Our Title of France with all dignities honours preheminences prerogatives authorities and jurisdictions lands and possessions to the same annexed or belonging unto Him and to His Heirs of His body lawfully begotten And for default of such Issue of Our said Son Prince EDWARD's body lawfully begotten We will the same Imperiall Crown and other the premises after Our two deceases shall wholly remain and come to the Heirs of our body lawfully begotten of the body of Our entirely beloved Wife Queen Katharine that now is or of any other Our lawfull Wife that We shall hereafter marry and for lack of such Issue and Heirs We will also that after Our decease and for default of Heirs of the severall bodies of Us and of our said Son Prince EDWARD's lawfully begotten the said Imperial Crown and all other the premises shall wholly remain and come to Our said Daughter MARY and the Heris of Her body lawfully begotten upon condition that Our said Daughter MARY after Our decease shall not marry not take any Person to Her Huband without the assent and consent of the Privy Counsellours and others appointed by Us to Our dearest Son Prince EDWARD aforesaid to be of Counsell or of the most part of them or the most of such as shall then be alive thereunto before the said marriage had in writing sealed with their seals All which conditions We declare limit appoint and will by these presents Ann. Reg. HeÌ„ 8.38 shall be knit and invested to the said estate of our Daughter MARY in the said Imperiall Crown Ann. Dom. 1546. and other the premises And if it fortune Our said Daughter MARY to die without Issue of Her body lawfully begotten We will that after Our decease and for default of Issue of the severall bodies of Us and of Our said Son Prince EDWARD lawfully begotten and of Our Daughter MARY the said Imperiall Crown and other the premises shall wholly remain to come to Our said Daughter ELIZABETH and to the Heirs of Her body lawfully begotten upon condition that our said Daughter ELIZABETH after Our decease shall not marry nor taken any Person to Her Husband without the assent and consent of the Privy Counsellors and others appointed by â—â—s to be of Counsell with Our said dearest Son Prince EDWARD or the most part of them or the most part of such of them as shall
represent And seeing Sir Thomas More would have his own jests when dying no wonder if he makes others to jeer when dead 6. These two Supplications pressing both together for audience and reception The first Supplication best received that of the Beggars on earth found the best entertainment Whether because it came first which we know is great advantage in Beggars first come first served Or because these Terrestrial beggars were neerer at hand and so best able to manage their own suit whilst those in Purgatory were conceived at a greater distance Or chiefly because their Supplication suggested matter of profit to the King and His Courtiers and such whispers sound loud and commonly meet with attentive ears And as an introduction to the dissolution of all Abbeys spies were sent forth to make strict discovery of mens behaviours therein Indeed the Lord Cromwell Scout-Master-Generall in this designe stayed at the Court whilst his subordinate Emissaries men of as prying eyes as afterwards they proved of gripple hands sent unto him all their intelligence in manner and form as in due time shall ensue The lesser Monasteries bestowed on the King NOW because some moneths were imployed in that service before a perfect account was returned to the Lord Cromwell The suppressing of the smaller Monasteries may here seasonably be inserted For in the twenty seventh of the King's Reign Anno 1539 a motion was made in Parliament A gainfull motion made for the King That to support the King's States and supply His wants all Religious Houses might be conferred on the Crown which were not able clearly to expend above Two hundred pounds a year 2. Some may report Reported by mistake opposed by Bishop Fisher that John Fisher Bishop of Rochester earnestly though pleasently opposed the motion by alledging an Apologue out of Aesope That the Helve of the Axe craved a Handle of the wood of Oaks onely to cut off the Serebowes of the Tree but when it was a complete Instramentall Axe it felled down all the wood Applying it That the grant of these smaller Houses would in fine prove destructive to all the rest But Fisher being now in his grave this could not be spoken in this Parliament which with more probability was formerly urged by him against Cardinal Wolsey in dissolving the forty Houses whereof before 3. This Proposition found little opposition in either Houses Easily passed in Parliament Henry the eighth was a King and His necessities were Tyrants and both suing together for the same thing must not be denied besides the larger thongs they cut out of other mens leather the more intire they preserved their own hide which made the Parliament to ease their own purses by laying the load on those lesser Houses which they accordingly passed to the Crown 4. The Lord Herbert in his a Of Henry 8 pag. 376. Historie complaineth and that justly That this Statute for dissolution of the lesser Monasteries doth begin very bluntly A Preamble of importance restored out of the Records to the Printed Statute without any formall Preamble in the Printed Books they are Published It seemeth that herein he never searched the Record it self otherwise industrious in that kinde to which a solemn Preface is prefixed shewing some Reasons of the dissolution and pious uses to which they were attained In form as followeth The Preamble is this Forasmuch as manifest sin vitious carnall and abominable living is daily used and committed commonly in such little and small Abbeys Priories and other religious houses of Monks Canons and Nuns where the Congregation of such religious persons is under the number of twelve persons whereby the Governours of such religious Houses and their Covent spoile destroy consume and utterly waste as well the Churches Monasteries Priories principall Houses Farms Granges Lands Tenements and Hereditaments as the ornaments of the Churches and their goods and Chattels to the high displeasure of Almighty God slander of good Religion and to the great infamy of the King's Hignesse and the Realm if redresse should not be had thereof And albeit that many continuall Visitations hath been heretofore had by the space of two hundred years and more for an honest and charitable reformation of such unthrifty carnall and abominable living yet neverthelesse little or no amendment is hitherto had but their vitious living shamefully increaseth and augmenteth and by a cursed custome so grown and infested that a great multitude of the religious persons in such small Houses do rather choose to rove abroad in Apostasie than to conform themselves to the observation of good Religion so that without such small Houses be utterly suppressed and the Religion therein committed to the great and honourable Monasteries of Religion in this Realm where they may be compelled to live religioussly for reformation of their lives there can else be no redresse nor reformation in that behalf In consideration whereof the King 's most royall Majesty being Supreme head in earth under God of the Church of England daily studying and devising the increase advancement and exaltation of true doctrine and virtue in the said Church to the onely glory and honour of God and the totall extirping and destruction of vice and sin having knowledge that the premises be true as well by the compts of his late visitations as by sundry credible informations considering also that divers and great solemn Monasteries of this Realm wherein thanks be to God Religion is right well kept and observed be destitute of such full numbers of religious persons as they ought and may keep have thought good that a plain Declaration should be made of the premises as well to the Lords spirituall and Temporall as to other His loving Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled WHEREUPON the said Lords and Commons by a great deliberation finally be resolved That it is and shall be much more to the pleasure of Almighty God and for the honour of this His Realm that the possessions of such small religious Houses not being spent spoiled and wasted for increase of maintenance of sin should be used and converted to better uses and the unthrifty religious persons so spending the same to be compelled to reform their lives And hereupon most humbly desire the King's Highnesse that it may be enacted by authority of this present Parliament That His Majesty shall have to Him and to Hit Heirs for ever all and singular such Monasteries His Majesty shall have and enjoy c. As it foloweth in the printed b Cap. 28. Statute In this Preamble two principles are laid down of infallible truth Two principles which must not be questioned and posterity must not be so presumptuous as to question them 1. The smallest Convents were the greatest sinners and they who had the least lands led the leudest lives 2. It was harder to reform little Covents than those that were greater It seems such small Houses like little fishes could not be caught with the
a barre of iron of the window whereas the examyned the Ladye Abbas that he might have gone in to her by night q This Copie was taken out of the MS. Letters in the Lib. of Sir Simon Dewes And that same window was their commoning place by night He perswaded the Sextene that he would be in his contemplacion in the Chorche by night and by that meanes was many nightes in the Chorche talking with her at the saide gate to the Nunnes Quire and there was their meeting-place by night besides their day communications as in cofession It were too long to declare all thinges of him that I have heard which I suppos it true This afternoone I intend to make forder serche both of some of the Brederen and some also of the Sisters of such like matters if I fynde any thing apparent to be true I shall God willing thereof sertefy your Mastorshipe tomorow by vij in the mornyng And after this daye I suppos there will be no other thinges to be knowne at yet here for I have already examined all the Brederen and many of them wold gladly departe hense and be ryghte weary of their habbyte such Religion and fained sanctetye God save me froe If Master Bedle had byne here a Frior and of Bushopes counsell he wold right welle have helped him to have broghte his mattores to passe without brekyng uppe of any grate or yet counterfetting of keayes such capassetye God hath sent him From Syone this Sondaye xij Decembere By the speedy hand of your assured poor Priest Richard * This was one of the Prime Visitoâ—s afore-mentioned Layton We will conclude this discourse with one observation how through ignorance the true meaning of that word Recluse was in that Age abused For in pure Latine it signifieth one set open or let loose to their own liberty * Hor. lib. 1. Epist 5. Quid non ebriet as designat operta recludit whereas Recluse was taken in that Age for one close shut up so that many Monks and Fryers were Recluses indeed not in the common acception but true notation of that name Abbots willingly unwillingly resigned their Monasteries to the King SAnders saith Monks perswaded into a resignation that King Henry sent a large Instrument to every Monastery fairly ingrossed in Parchment enjoyning them all to subscribe signe and seal the same with their seale conventual upon the pain of His displeasure It is not probable that such a formal Writing was sent unto them drawn up before-hand by the Kings Officers but most certain it is which amounts almost to as much in effect a generall intimation was given to all Houses how acceptable such an act would be to the King It was also pressed upon the said Monks Fryers and Nuns that they through their vitiousnesse being obnoxious to the Kings anger this might and would be done without their consent so that it was better for them rebus sic stantibus to make a vertue of necessity the rather because this complement conduced nothing to the Kings right on whom the Parliament had already bestowed those Abbey-lands but might adde much to their own advantage as being the way whereby their Pensions might the more easily be procured largely allotted and surely satisfied unto them 2. The premisses made such impression on the parties concerned therein Strive who should be the foremost that fearing the Lagge would be looked on with bad eyes they ran as it were a race in their resignations who should be first and foremost therein However they used severall forms therein some onely condemning their lives for superstitious but not confessing themselves personally vitious as by the following Instrument may appear The Å¿ Out of the Records of the Court of Augmentation surrender of the Warden and Fryers of S. Francis in Stanford FOr as moche as we the Warden and Freers of the Howse of Saynt Frances in Stanforde comenly callyd the gray Freers in Stanforde in the Countey of Lincolne doo profoundly consider that the perfeccion of Christain lyving dothe not conciste in the dome ceremonies weryng of the grey cootte disgeasing our selffe after straunge fashions dokyng and beckyng in gurding owr selffes wyth a gurdle full of knots and other like Papisticall ceremonies wherein we have byn moost principally practysed and misselyd in tymes past but the very tru waye to please God and to live a tru Christian man wythe owte all ypocrasie and fayned dissimulation is sincerely declaryd unto us by owr Master Christe his Evangelists and Apostles Being mindyd hereafter to folowe the same conformyng owr selffe unto the will and pleasure of owr supreme hedde undre God in erthe the Kinges Majestye and not to follow hensforth the superstitious tradicions of ony forincycall potentate or poore with mutuall assent and consent doo submytt owr selffes unto the mercye of owr said soveraygne Lorde And withe like mutuall assent and consent doo surrender and yelde upe unto the hands of the same all owr saide howse of Saynt Frances in Stanforde comenly callyd the grey Freers in Stanforde withe all Lands tenements gardens medowes waters pondyards feedings pastures comens rentes reverssons and all other our interest ryghtes or tytles aperteying unto the same mooste humbly besechyng His mooste Noble grace to disspose of us and of the same as best schall stonde wythe His mooste graciouse pleasure And farther freely to graunt unto every one of us His licens undre wretyng and seall to change our abites into seculer fassion and to receive such maner of livyngs as other secular Priestes comenly be preferryd unto And we all faythfully schall pray unto Almighty God long to preserve His moost noble grace wyth encrease of moche felicitie and honor And in witnes of all and singuler the premisses we the saide Warden and Covent of the grey Freers in Stanforde to these presents have put owr Covent Sceall the yeght day of Octobre in the thyrtythe yere of the Raygne of owr moost Soverayne King Henry the yeght Factum Johannis Schemy Gardian Per me Fratrem Johannem Robards Per me Fratrem Johan Chadwhort Per me Fratrem Ricardum Pye Per me Fratrem Johannem Clarke Per me Fratrem Johannem Quoyte Per me Fratrem Johannem Jarman Per me Fratrem JohanneÌ„ Yong. Per me Fratrem Johannem Lo vell Per me Fratrem Willielmum Tomson 3. Other Resignations were far more humble and submissive A more humble form of surrender with an acknowledgment of their vitious and voluptuous lives such was the surrender made by the Prior and Covent of S. Andrews in Northampton which because very tedious we shall onely transcribe so much thereof as concerneth our present purpose But as well as others our predecessors called religiouse persons within yowr said Monastery taking on us the habite of owtward vesture of the said rule onely to the intent to lead owr liffes in the ydle quyetnesse and not in vertuose exercyse in a stately estimation and
in terra supremum caput Anglicanae Ecclesiae Omnibus ad quos praesentes litterae pervenerint Salutem Cum nuper Monasterium de Carthus de Hinton in Com nostro Somer jam dissolvatur unde quidam Edmundus Horde tempore dissolutionis illiê° et diu antea Prior inde fuit Nos volentes rationabilem annualem pensionem sive promotionem condignam eidem Edmundo ad victum exhibitionem sustentationem suam melius sustinendum provideri Sciatis igitur quod nos in consideratione praemissoruÌ„ de gratia nostra speciali ac ex certa scientia meros motu nostris per advisamentum consensum Cancellarit consilii Curiae Augmentationum reventionum Coronae nostrae dedimus concessimus ac per praesentes damus concedimus eidem Edmundo quandam annuitatem sive annualem pensionem quadragint ' quatuor librar ' sterlingorum babend gaudendum annuatim percipiendum easdem quadraginta quatuor libras praefato Edmundo assignatis suis à festo Annuntiationis beatae Mariae virginis ultimo praeterito ad terminum pro termino vitae ipsius Edmundi vel quosque idem Edmundus ad unum vel plura Beneficia Ecclesiastica sive aliam promotionem condignam clari annui valoris quadragint ' quatuor librarum aut ultra per nos promotus fuerit tam per manus Thesaurarii reventionum augmentationum Coronae nostrae pro tempore existentis de Thesauro nostro in manibus suis de reventionibus praedictis remanere contingen ' quam per manus receptor exituum reventionum dicti nuper Monasterii pro tempore existen ' de eisdem exitibus reventionbus ad festum Sancti Michaëlis Archangeli Anuntiationis beatae Mariae virginis per aequales portiones Et ulterius de uberiori gratia nostra Dedimus pro consideratione praedicta per praesentes concedimus praefato Edmundo Horde undecim libras sterlingorum habend eidem Edmundo ex dono nostro per manus Thesaurarii praedicti de Thesauro praedicto vel per manus dicti Receptoris de exitibus reventionibus maneriorum terrarum tenementorum dicti nuper Monasterii solvend ' Eo quod expressa mentio de vero valore annuo Aut de certitudine praemissorum sive eorum alicujus aut de aliis donis sive concessionibus per nos praefato Edmundo ante haec tempora fact ' in praesentibus minime fact ' existit aut aliquo statuto actu ordinatione provisione sive restrictione in contrarium inde habit ' fact ' ordinat ' seu provis ' aut aliqua alia re causa vel materia quacunque in aliquo non obstante In cujus rei testimonium has Literas nostras fieri fecimus patentes Tesse Ricardo Riche Milite apud Westmonasterium vicesimo septimo die Aprilis anno Regni nostri tricesimo primo Duke Per Cancellarium concilium Curiae Augmentationum Reventionum Coronae Regiae virtute warranti Regii HENRY the Eighth by the Grace of God King of England and France Defender of the Faith Lord of Ireland and supreme Head of the English Church on earth To all to whom Our present Letters shall come Greeting Whereas the Monastery of the Carthusions of Hinton in Our County of Somerset is now lately dissolved whereof Edmond Horde was Prior at the time of the dissolution thereof and long before We are willing that a reasonable Pension annuall or sutable promotion should be provided for the said Edmond the better to maintain and sustaine him in diet and maintenance Know therefore that Wee in consideration of the premises out of Our speciall Grace and favour certaine knowledge and Our meere motion by the advice and consent of the Chancellour and Counsell of the Court of Augmentations of the Revenues of Our Crown Have given and granted and by these presents doe give and grant to the same Edmond an annuity or yearly Pension on of forty four pounds sterling that the said forty foure pounds may bee had enjoyed or yearly received by the aforesaid Edmond and his Assignes from the Feast of the Annuntiation of the blessed Virgin Mary last past to the term and for the term of the life of the said Edmond or untill the said Edmond shall be preferred by Us to one or more Ecclestasticall Benefices or other sutable Promotion of the cleer yearly value of forty foure pounds or upwards as well by the hands of the Treasurer of the Augmentations of the Revenues of Our Crown for the time being out of Our treasure which shall chance to remain in his hands of the Revenues aforesaid as from the Receiver of the profits and revenues of the said late Monastery for the time being out of the said profits and Revenues at the feast of Saint Michael the Arch-angel and the Anuntiation of the blessed Virgin Mary by equall portions And furthermore of Our more plentiful Grace We have given and for the consideration aforesaid by these presents doe grant to the aforesaid Edmond Horde eleven pounds sterling that the said Edmond may have it from Our gift by the hands of Our foresaid Treasurer of Our foresaid Treasure or by the hands of Our foresaid Receiver to be paid out of the profits and Revenues of the Manours Lands and Tenements of the said late Monastery any Statute Act Ordinance promission or restriction to the contrary had made ordained or provided or any other matter cause or thing whatsoever in any wise notwithstanding In testimony whereof We have made these Our Letters Patents witnesse Richard Rich Knight at Westminster the twenty seventh day of April in the one and thirtieth of Our Reign Duke By the Chancellor and Councell of the Court of Augmentations of the Revenues of the Crown by virtue of the King's Warrant See we here the payment to this Prior consisted of two Summes of several natures or conditions Namely 1. The forty four pounds being properly the Pension paid yearly unto him 2. The additionall eleven pounds granted with an ulterius paid but once as advance-money to fit him with necessaries at his departure out of the Covent This is observable in all the Patents I have seen That constantly the King's gratuity for their vale some small fractions excepted bears the proportion of a fourth part of their yearly Pension 5. Suppose then this our Prior preferred to a Church Dignity What Church Livings were inconsistent with Pensions or Living amounting very neer but not to the full value of forty four pounds yearly this did not avoid his Pension but that he might hold it and his Living together Wherefore as it was the desire and endevour of every Monk so advanced to beat down the value of his Church-Living as low as might be thereby to render himself capable of it and his Pension so was it the proper work of the King's Officers in the Augmentation Court truly to state the valuation of the Livings of such Pensioners that the Crown might not be defrauded Where by
is provided that John Maplesden Clerk Sub-Prior of the said Hospital William Ermsteed Clerk Master of the Temple in London Walter Limsey and John Winter Chaplains there should every one of them have receive and enjoy the said Master and two Chaplains of the Temple doing their duties and services there during their lives all such Mansion-houses stipends wages with all other profits of money in as large and ample manner as they were accustomed to doe 12. No mention as in other Patents of any Gratuities in ready moneys given unto them Stout hearts can bear the lesse grief which probably cast into their Pensions made them mount so high As for the thousand pounds yearly allowed Sir Will Weston not one peny thereof was paid he dying the next day the House of his Hospitall * Weaver Fun. Mon. p. 460. and of his Earthly Tabernacle being dissolved both together Soul-smitten with Sorrow Gold though a great Cordial being not able to cure a Broken heart 13. We will here present a Female-Patent of the Pension allowed to the Abbesse of Buckland The Patent for a Pension to the Prioresse of Buckland though in all essentials very like unto the Former HENRICUS Octavus Dei gratia c. Cum nuper Monasterium de Buckland in Com' nostro Som ' jam dissolvatur unde quaedam Katherina Bowser tempore dissolutionis illius dicti antea Priorina inde fuit Nos volentes rationabilem annualem Pensionem sive promotionnem condignam eidem Katherinae ad victum exhibitionem sustentationem suam melius sustinendum providerâ— Sciatis igitur quod nos in consideratione praemissorum de Gratia nostra speciali ac ex-certa scientia mero motu nostris per advisamentum concensum Canâ—ellariâ— Concilii Curiae Augment ' reventionum Coronae nostrae Dedimus concessimus at per praesentes damus concedimus eidem Katherinae quandom anno itatem sive annualem Pensionem quinquaginta librarum sterlingorum iabendum gâ—â—dendum annuatim percipiendum easdem quinquaginta libr ' praefat ' Katherinae assignatis suis a festo Annuntiationis beata Mariae virginis ultimo praterito ad terminum vitae ipsus Katherinae tam per manus Thesaurarii nostri Reventionum augmentationum Corona nostra pradict pro tempore existen ' de Thesauro nostro in manibus suis de reventionibus praedict ' remanere contingen ' quam per manus Receptor ' Exituum reventionum dict' nuper Maner ' pro tempore existen ' de eisdem exit ' reventionibus ad festum Sancti Michaëlis Archangeli Annuntiationis beatae Mariae virginis per aequales portiones solvendum Et ulterius de uberiori Gratia nostra Damus pro consideratione praedicta per praesentes concedimus prafatae Katherinae viginti quinque libr ' sterlingor ' Habend ' eldem Katherinae ex dono nostro per manus dict' Thesauraii de Thesaure praedicto vel per manus dict' Receptoris de exitibus reventionibus Maneriorum terrarum tenementorum dicti nuper Monasterii solvend ' Eo quod expressa mentio c. In cujus Rei testimonium c. Teste Richardo Riche Milite apud Westmonasterium decimo die Maii Anno Regni nostri tricesimo primo HENRY the Eighth by the Grace of God c. whereas the late Monastery of Buckland in Our County of Somerset is now lately dissolved whereas one Katherine Bowser was Prioresse at the time of the dissolution thereof and long before We are willing that a reasonable Pension annual or sutable promotion should be provided for the said Katherine the better to sustein her in diet and maintenance Know therefore that We in consideration of the premises of Our speciall Grace and certain Knowledge and Our own meer motion by the advice and consent of the Chancellor and Counsell of the Court of Augmentations of the Revenues of Our Crown Have given and granted and by these presents doe give and grant unto the said Katherine a certain annuity or annuall Pension of fifty pounds sterling That the said Katherine or her assigns may have enjoy or yearly receive the said fifty pounds from the Feast of the Annuntiation of the blessed Virgin Mary last past for the term of the life of the said Katherine as well by the hands of Our Treasurer of the Augmentation of the Revenue of Our Crown for the time being out of Our Treasure which shall happen to remain in his hands out of the Revenues aforesaid as by the hands of the Receiver of the profits and revenues of the said late Monastery for the time being out of the said profits and revenues at the feast of S. Michael the Archangel and the Annuntiation of the blessed Virgin Mary to be paid by equal portions And furthermore of Our more plentiful Grace and for the considerations aforesaid We give and by these presents doe grant to the aforesaid Katherine twenty five pounds sterling for the said Katherine to have of Our proper gift by the hands of Our foresaid Treasurer out of Our treasury aforesaid or by Our said Receiver to be paid out of the profits revenues of the Manours Lands and Tenements of the said late Monastery because that expresse mention c. In witnesse whereof c. Witnesse Rich Rich Knightâ— at Westminster the tenth of May in the thirty first year of Our Reign There are but two considerable differences betwixt this and the former Patent 1. Whereas Pensions allotted to Priors and Monks were conditionall as determinable upon their preferment to Ecclesiasticall promotion of equall value this to the Prioresse as to all Nuns was absolute for term of life Women being not capable of any Church-advancement Secondly whereas the Gratuity allotted to Monks generally amounted to a fourth part of their Pension this to the Prioresse was double as much as a just moyety thereof Whether this proceeded from the King's courtesie to the weaker Sex or because Mundus Muliebris there was such a world of Tackling required to Rigge and Lanch them forth to shift for themselves in a Secular life 14. But as for ordinary Nuns Youth and strength accompted a pension to it self we finde that four pounds Pension and forty shillings Gratuity was generally their provision and that onely for those qualified with a Diu antea that they had been in the Covent a long time before the dissolution thereof otherwise I meet with no Portions to those that lately were entred into the Houses being outed and left at large to practice the Apostles * 1 Tim. 5. 14. precept I will that the younger women marry bear children guide the house c. 15. The vivacity of some of these Pensioners is little leste than a Miracle Mâ—thusalah Pensioners they survived so long For though none will say they lived out of despite to anger the King to pay their Pensions surely none so highly affected Him as to die in duty to exonerate His Exchequer of their Annuity
seaven hundred ninety five pounds two shillings and a penny all bestowed by charitable people for that purpose Amongst whom Thomas Barow Dr. of Civil law Arch-deacon of Colchester formerly Fellow of Kings hall and Chancellor of his house to King Richard the third gave for his part two hundred and fourty pounds 55. One may probably conjecture The foundation of Christs-Colledge that a main motive which drew King Henry this year to Cambridge was with his presence to grace his mothers foundation of Christs-Colledge now newly laid without Barnwell-gate over against St. Andrews-Church in a place where Gods house formerly stood founded by King Henry the sixth This King had an intention had not deprivation a civil death prevented him to advance the Scholars of this foundation to the full number of sixty though a great fall never more than foure lived there for lack of maintenance Now the Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond and Darby acounting her self as of the Lancaster-line heir to all King Henries godly intentions onely altered the name from Gods-house to Christs-Colledge and made up the number viz. One Master twelve Fellows fourty seaven Scholars in all sixty 56. Great and good were the lands The fair endowments thereof which this Lady by her last Will bestowed on this Colledge in severall Counties In Cambridge-shire the Manors of Malton Meldred and Beach with divers lands and rents elsewhere in that County Leicester-shire Aliàs Disworth the Manor of Ditesworth with lands and tenements in Ditesworth Kegworth Hathern and Wolton Northfolk All these I have transcribed out of her last Will. the Abbey of Creyke which was in the Kings hands as dissolved and extinct settled by the Popes authority and the Kings licence Essex the Manor of Royden Wales Manibire an Impropriation This Lady being of Welsh affinity a Teuther by marriage and having long lived in Wales where her Sonne King Henry the seaventh was born in Pembroke thought fitting in commemoration thereof to leave some Welsh land to this her foundation 5. Once the Lady Margaret came to Christs-Colledge A Lady of pity to be hold it when partly built This I heard in a Clerum from Dr. Collings and looking out of a window saw the Deane cal a faulty Scholar to correction to whom she said Lentè lentè gently gently as accounting it better to mitigate his punishment than procure his pardon mercy and justice making the best medley to offenders 6. John Maior a Scotishman John Maior a Student in Christs Colledge and a Scotish Historian of good account was onely for the terme of three moneths a Student in this Colledge as himself acknowledgeth He reporteth that the Scholars of Cambridge in his time Lib. de gest Scotorum c. 5. usually went armed with bowes and swords which our learne * Cain Hist Ac. Can. p. 74 Antiquary is very loth to beleeve except it was John Maior his chance to come to Cambridge in that very juncture of time when the Scholars in fend with the Townsmen stood on their posture of defence Thus Pallas her self may sometimes be put to it to secure her wit by her weapons But had Maior lived as many years as he did but moneths in this University he would have given a better account of their peaceable demeanour 7. John Leland John Leyland Fellow therein that learned Antiquary was a Fellow of this Foundation as he gratefully professeth Anno Regis Hen. 7. 21 I account it therefore in my self an excusable envie Anno Dom. 1505 if repining that the rare Manuscripts of his collections were since his death bestowed on Oxford Library In vita Regis Seberti fol. 70 and not here where he had his education But I remember a Maxime in our Common Law wherein the Lands such are Books to Scholars of a Sonne deceasing without heirs fall rather to his Uncle or Aunt than Father or Mother 7. Many yeers after the founding of this Colledge Reformation of augmentation complaint was made to King Edward the sixth of superstition therein the Master and twelve Fellowes of this Christ-Colledge superstitiously alluding to Christ and his twelve Apostles Probably the peevish informers would have added that the Discipuli or Scholars in this House were in imitation of Christs seventy Disciples save the number corresponds not as being but fourty seven by the originall foundation Hereupon King Edward altered this number of twelve not by Subtraction the most easie and profitable way of reformation but Addition founding a thirteenth Fellowship and three Scholarships out of the impropriation of Bourn which he bestowed on the Colledge and so real charity discomposed suspected superstition This good King also gave the Colledge in lieu of the Mannor of Royden which he took from it the entire revenues of Bromwell Abbey such was his bountifull disposition Nor can it be proved that in his own person he ever did to any an injurious action though too many under him if those may be termed under him who did what they pleased themselves were too free of their favours in that nature 9. It may without flattery be said of this house The worthies of this Colledge Many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all if we consider the many Divines who in so short a time have here had their education Prov. 31. 29. Let Papists tell you of Richard Reignalds Doctor of Divinity a Monk of Zion of William Eximew a Carthusian both bred here and martyred say they for the Catholique cause Anno 1535. of Richard Hall who ran beyond the Seas Pitzeut in Cent. ult became Canon of Cambray and wrote the manuscript-life of Bishop Fisher we chiefly take notice of the Divines bred here since the Reformation Masters Bishops Benefactors 1 John Sickling Fellow of Gods-House first Master 2 Richard Wiat Dr. of Divinity 3 Thomas Tompson D. D. a good Benefactor 4 John Watsonne D. D. 5 Henry Lockwood D. D. 6 Richard Wilks D. D. chosen 1549. 7 Cuthbert Scot D. D. chosen 1553. 8 William Taylor D. D. chosen 1557. 9 Edward Hawford D. D. chosen 1559. he was a good Benefactor 10 Edmond Barwell D. D. chosen 1581. 11 Valentine Carey D. D. chosen 1610. 12 Thomas Bainbrigg D. D. chosen 1620. 13 Samuel Bolton 14 Ralph Cudworth 1 Hugh Latimer Bishop of Worcester 1535. and Martyr 2 Nicholas Heth * So saith Dr. Willet in his dedication of his Comment on Samuel to this Colledge Indeed I finde one Heth but not his Christian name fellow of this Colledge 1520 Archbishop of York 1553. 3 Cuthbert Scot Bishop of Chester 1556. 4 William Hughs Bishop of St Asaph 1573. 5 Anthonie Watson Bishop of Chichester 1596. 6 Valentine Carey Bishop of Exeter 1620. D. Johnson Arch-bishop of Dublin Brute Babington Bishop of Derrie in Ireland George Dounham Bishop of Derrie in Ireland William Chappel Bishop of in Ireland William Chappel Bishop of in Ireland 1 John Fisher Bishop of
subscribing the same Chaâ—â—er Afterward Harold usurpeth the Crown Will. Conq. 1. but enjoyed it not a â—ull year 1067 kill'd in Battle-fight Harold Crowned killed buried at 〈◊〉 thaâ— by King William the Conqueror Where either of their swords if victorious might have done the deed though otherwise both their titles twisted together could not make half a good claim to the Crown Githa Mother of Harold and two religious men of this Abby Osegod and Ailâ—iâ— with their prayers and tears hardly prevailed with the Conquerour at first denying him burial whose ambition had caused the death of so many to have Harolds Corps with his two Brethren Girth and Leofwin losing their lives in the same battle to be entombed in Waltham Church of his foundation He was buried where now the Earl of Carlile his leaden Fountain in his Garden then probably the end of the Quire or rather some Eastern Câ—appel beyond it His Tomb of plain but rich gray Marble with what seemeth a Cross-Floree but much descanted on with art upon the same supported with Pillarets one Pedestal whereof I have in my house As for his reported Epitaph I purposely omit it not so much because barbarous scarce any better in that Age but because not attested to my apprehension with sufficient Authority A Picture of King Harold in glass was lately to be seen in the North-window of the Church Deforming Reformers till ten years since some barbarous hand beat it down under the notion of Superstition Surely had such ignorant persons been imployed in the dayes of Hezekiah to purge the Temple from the former Idolatry under the pretence thereof they would have rended off the Lilie-work from the Pillars and the Lions Oxen and Cherubims from the Bases of Brass However there is still a place called Harolds-Park in our Parish by him so denominated Let not therefore the village of Harold on the North side of Oâ—se neer Bedford properly Harewood or Harelswood on vulgar groundless tradition contest with Waltham for this Kings interment The Re-foundation of WALTHAM-ABBY by HENRY the Second ONe will easily believe Waltham Canons in a sad condition that at the death of King Harold Waltham-Abby Founded by him was in a swoon and the Canons therein much disheartned However they had one help which was this that Edward the Confessour was the confirmer of their Foundation whose memory was not onely fresh and fair in all mens mindes bearing a veneration to his supposed sanctity but also King William the Conquerour had the best of his bad titles by bequest of the Crown from this Confessour So that in some sense Waltham-Abby might humbly crave kindred of King William both deriving their best being from one and the same person The industry of Rob. Fuller last Abbot of Waltham Know Reader that what ever hereafter I alledg touching the Lands and Liberties of Waltham if not otherwise attesed by some Author in the margin is by me faithfully transcribed out of Waltham Leidger-Book now in the possession of the Right Honourable JAMES Earl of Carlile This Book was collected by Robert Fuller the last Abbot of Waltham who though he could not keep his Abby from dissolution did preserve the Antiquities thereof from oblivion The Book as appears by many inscriptions in the initial Text-letters was made by himself having as happy an hand in fair and fast writing as some of his Sir-name since have been defective therein Not long after the Conquest Queen Maud gives Waltham Monks a Mill. Waltham-Abby found good Benefactors Anno Dom. 1102 and considerable additions to their maintenance Anno Regis Hen. 1 3. For Maud the first Queen to King Henry the first bestowed on them the Mill at Waltham which she had by exchange for Trinity-Church in London which I take to be part of the Trinity-Priory now called the Dukes-place Adelisia Queen Adelisia the Tythes second wife to King Henry the first 1130 being possessed of Waltham as part of her Revenue 31. gave all the Tythes thereof as well of her Demesnes as all Tenants therein to the Canons of Waltham Mean time how poorly was the Priest of the place provided for Yea a glutton Monastery in former ages makes an hungrie Ministrie in our dayes An Abby and a Parsonage unimpropriate in the same place are as inconsistent together as good woods and an Iron Mill. Had not Waltham Church lately met with a Noble Founder the Minister thereof must have kept moe fasting-dayes then ever were put in the Roman Calender King Stephen King Steven his bounty though he came a wrong way to the Crown 1135 yet did all right to the Monastery of Waltham as who generally sought the good will of the Clergie to strengthen himself and confirmed all their Lands Steph. 1 profits and priviledges unto them King Henry the second utterly dissolved the foundation of Dean and eleven Canons at Waltham King Henry dissolves the Dean and Canons at Waltham The debauchedness of their lives is rendred in his Charter as the occasion thereof 1156 Cum in ea Canonici Clericique minùs religiosè aequaliter vixissent Hen. 2 2. ita quòd inâ—amia conversationis illorum multos scandalisasset Whether these were really or onely reputed vitious God knows seeing all those must be guilty whom power is pleased to pronounce so Sure it is King Henry outed this Dean and Canons and placed an Abbot and Regular Augustinians in their room encreasing their number to twenty four And because to use the Kings own words it was fit that Christ his Spouse should have a new dowry he not onely confirmed to this Monastery the primitive patrimony mentioned in the Confessors Charter cum peciis terrae with many pieces of land and tenements which their Benefactors since bestowed upon them but also conferred the rich Manors of Sewardstone and Eppings on this Monastery The whole Charter of King Henry is too long to transcribe Augustinians substituted in their room but some passages therein must not be omitted First the King had the consent of Pope Alexander for the suppression of these Canons the rather moved thereunto quia praedictis Canonicis sufficienter provisum fuit because the aâ—oresaid expelled Canons had sufficient provision made for them For grant them never so scandalous this was to add scandal to scandal to thrust them out of house and home without any means or maintenance Secondly this Charter Presents us with the ancient liberties of Waltham-Church that Semper suit Regalis Capella ex primitiva sui sundatione nulli Archiepiscopo vel Episcopo sed taâ—â—ùm Ecclesiae Romanae Regiae dispositioni subjecta And though since Reformation the Church hath been subjected to the Arch-Bishops jurisdiction as succeeding to the Royal power and sometimes with grumbling and reluctancy to the Episcopal power yet it never as yet owned an Arch-Deacon or appeared at his Visitation The metioning of the consent of Pope
but finde him a Mecaenas and grand favourer of Learned men For when the School of b Ascham Câ—â—nend Epist fol. 210. Idem fol. 208. Sedbury in the North belonging to S t Johns in Cambridg was run to ruine the Lands thereof being sold and embezeled S r Anthony procured the reparation of the Schoole and restitution of their means firmly setling them to prevent future alienation Hear what character c M r Ascham gives of him Religio Doctrina Respublica omnes curas tuas sic occupant ut extra has tres res nullum tempus consumas Religion Learning Common-wealth so employ all thy cares that besides these three things you spend no other time Let then the enemies if any of his memory abate of this character to what proportion they please pretending it but the Orators Rhetorical Hyperbole the very remainder thereof which their malice must leave will be sufficient to speak S r Anthony a worthy and meriting Gentleman I finde an excellent Epitaph made on him by one the Learned'st of Noblemen His Epitaph made by the Lord Howard and Noblest of Learned men in his age viz. Henry Howard Earl of Surrey and eldest son to the Duke of Norfolk worthy the Reader his perusal Vpon the Death of Sir Anthony a Weavers Funeral Monuments p. 852. Denny Death and the King did as it were contend Which of them two bare Denny greatest love The King to shew his love 'gan far extend Did him advance his betters far above Neer place much wealth great honour eke him gave To make it known what power Princes have But when Death came with his triumphant gift From worldly cark he quit his wearied ghost Free from the corps and straight to Heaven it lift Now deem that can who did for Denny most The King gave wealth but fading and unsure Death brought him bliss that ever shall endure Know Reader that this Lord made this Epitaph by a Poetical Prolepsis otherwise at the reading thereof who would not conceive that the Author surviv'd the subject of his Poem Whereas indeed this Lord died beheaded 1546. in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth whom S r Anthony out-lived being one of the Executors of his Will Nor was it the worst piece of service he performed to his Master when all other Courtiers declining the employment he truly acquainted him with his dying-condition to dispose of his soul for another world S r Anthony died about the second of Edward the sixth His issue by Dame Joan his wife Dame Joan his Wife surviving him Daughter she was to S r Philip Champernoon of Modbury in Devon-shire a Lady of great beauty and parts a favourer of the Reformed Religion when the times were most dangerous She sent eight shillings by her man in a Violet coat to Anne b Fox Acts Monuments fol. 1239. Aschough when imprisoned in the Counter a small sum yet a great gift so hazardous it was to help any in her condition This Lady Joan bought the Reversion in Fee of Waltham from King Edward the Sixth paying three thousand and hundred pounds for the same purchasing therewith large priviledges in Waltham-Forest as by the Letters Patents doth appear She bare two Sons to S r Anthony Henry Denny Esquire of whom hereafter the second S r Edward who by Gods blessing Queen Elizabeths bounty and his own valour atchieved a fair estate in the County of Kerry in Ireland which at this day is if any thing in that woful war-wasted Countrey can be enjoyed by his great Grandchild Arthur Denny Esq of Tralleigh The condition of Waltham Church from the Dissolution of the Abby untill the Death of King HENRY the Eighth HAving the perusal of the Church-Wardens accounts wherein their Ancient expences and receits are exactly taken fairly written and carefully kept I shall select thence some memorable Items to acquaint us with the general devotion of those dayes Know then there were six Ordinary Obits which the Church-wardens did annually discharge viz. For Thomas Smith and Joan his wife on the sixteenth of January Thomas Friend Joan and Joan his wives on the sixteenth of February Robert Peest and Joan his wife on the tenth of April Thomas Towers and Katharine his wife the six and twentieth of April John Breges and Agnes his wife the one and thirtieth of May. Thomas Turner and Christian his wife the twentieth day of December The charge of an Obit was two shillings and two pence and if any be curious to have the particulars thereof it was thus expended To the Parish-Priest four pence to our Ladies-Priest three pence to the Charnel-Priest three pence to the two Clerks four pence to the Children these I conceive Choristers three pence to the Sexton two pence to the Bell-man two pence for two Tapers two pence for Oblation two pence Oh the reasonable rates at Waltham two shillings two pence for an Obit the price whereof in Saint Pauls in London was fourty shillings For forsooth the higher the Church the holier the service the dearer the price though he had given too much that had given but thanks for such vanities To defray the expences of these Obits the parties prayed for or their Executors left Lands Houses or Stock to the Church-Wardens Thomas Smith bequeathed a Tenement in the Corn-Market and others gave Lands in Vpshire called Pater-noster-Hills others ground elswhere besides a stock of eighteen Cows which the Wardens let out yearly to farm for eighteen shillings making up their yearly accounts at the Feast of Michael the Arch-Angel out of which we have excerpted the following remarkable particulars Anno 1542. the 34 th of HENRY the 8 th Imprimis For watching the Sepulchre a groat This constantly returnes in every yearly account though what meant thereby I know not I could suspect some Ceremony on Easter-eve in imitation of the Souldiers watching Christs grave but am loath to charge that Age with more superstition then it was clearly guilty of Item Paid to the Ringers at the coming of the Kings Grace six pence Yet Waltham Bells told no tales every time King Henry came hither having a small house in Rome-land to which he is said oft privately to retire for his pleasure Item Paid unto two men of Law for their counsel about the Church-leases six shillings eight pence Item Paid the Attorney for his Fee twenty pence Item Paid for Ringing at the Prince his coming a penny Anno 1543. the 35 th of HENRY the 8 th Imprimis Received of the Executors of S r Robert Fuller given by the said S r Robert to the Church ten pounds How is this man degraded from the Right Honourable the Lord Abbot of Waltham the last in that place to become a poor S r Robert the title of the meanest Priest in that age Yet such his charity in his poverty that besides this legacy he bequeathed to the Church a Chalice a The Church-wardens account Anno 1556. silver and gilt which they