your memorial both eternal and blessed or if you had rather the whole Common-wealth But now I find my self too hold and too busie in thus looking to particularities God shall direct you and if you follow him shall Crown you Howsoever if good be done and that betimes He hath what he desired and your Soul shall have more than you can desire The Success of my weak yet hearty Counsel shall make me as rich as God hath made you with all your abundance God bless it to you and make both our Reckonings cheerful in the Day of our Common Audit Never man received Advice more kindly than Mr. Sutton and blessed God for the return of his Prayers in the Garden He never was inclinable to Dr. Willet's former Proposal upon these accounts he understood the Patrons of Chelsey Colledge were few nor was his design to be an additional Benefactor but a Founder Besides he plainly saw those Enemies to the work who thought they lay in secret and what was more he perceived it was look't upon with a jealous Eye by the Universities as a disparagement to them Then other Divines and Churchmen thought they were undervalued because the Fellows of this Foundation were likely to gain Priviledges prejudicial to them And lastly the Politick States-men did dislike the Project suspecting Court Divinity and History from a Colledge This is supposed to be the place meant by the Incomparable Cowley in his excellent Instructions towards the Institution of a Colledge Nor to add a City-Hospital could he be induced though much solicited the poor of those places being likely to be well provided for by the daily Legacies of such who were not in any capacity to do so great things as himself Being thus solicited by others to perform that which he had long since resolved within himself and having observed how many hopeful Youths miscarried for want of competent Means for their Education and how many ancient Gentlemen having the same tender Breeding with their Elder Brothers yet have but the slender Fortunes of a Younger Brother that they were too generous to begg not made for work whose ingenuous Natures were most sensible of want and least able to relieve it but were cast away and brought to misery for want of a comfortable Subsistence in their Old Age Therefore he resolved to prevent by his memorable Charity as far as he could these growing inconveniences The blind Devotion of former Ages had so abused the ends and designs of Charitable Works that King Edward the First as well as Theodosius the Emperour made a Law of Mortmain whereby it is made unlawful for any man to bestow Land of such a value to any Religious or Charitable use without licence from the King of Mortmain in Parliament This Law of Amortization in the Emperor's time much grieved many good men For St. Jerome thus complains to Nepotian I am ashamed to say it the Priests of Idols Stage-players and Common Harlots are made capable of Inheritance and receiving Legacies only Ministers of the Gospel are barred by the Law thus to do and that not by Persecutors but Christian Princes neither do I complain of the Law but am sorry we have deserved it To the same purpose is that of St. Ambrose Ep. 31. deploring the State of the Clergy Upon the account of this Law Mr. Sutton was forced to petition his Majesty K. James and the Parliament March 10. 1609. for leave and licence to erect and endow an Hospital in the Town of Hallingbury Bouchers in the County of Essex An Act of Parliament granted to Thomas Sutton Esq to erect an Hospital at Hallingbury in Essex c. HVmbly beseecheth your Majesty your loyal and dutiful Subject Thomas Sutton of Balsham in the County of Cambridge Esquire That it may please your most excellent Majesty and the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled to enact ordain and establish And be it enacted ordained and established by the Authority aforesaid That in the Town of Hallingbury otherwise called Hallingbury Bouchers in the County of Essex there may be builded and erected at the costs and charges of your Suppliant one meet fit and convenient House Buildings and Rooms for the abiding and dwelling of such a number of poor people men and children as your Suppliant shall name limit and appoint to be lodged harboured abide and be relieved there And for the abiding dwelling and necessary use of one Schoolmaster and Vsher to instruct the sâ—m children in reading writing and Latin and Greek Grammar and of one Divine and godly Preacher to instruct and reach all the rest of the same House in the knowledge of God and his Word And of one Master to govern all these persons of in or belonging to the same House And that the same shall and may be called and named the Hospital of King James founded in Hallingbury in the County of Essex at the humble petition and at the only costs and charges of Thomas Sutton Esquire And that the right reverend Father in God Richard now Archbishop of Canterbury and his Successors Archbishops there Thomas Lord Ellesmere Lord Chancellor of England and such as after him shall succeed to be Lord Chancellors or Lord Keepers of the great Seal of England for and during the time they shall so continue or be in the same office Robert Earl of Salisbury Lord High Treasurer of England and such as after him shall succeed to be Lord Treasurers of England for and during the time they shall continue or be in the same Office The Reverend Father in God Launcelot Bishop of Ely and his Successors Bishops there Richard Bishop of Rochester and Dean of the Cathedral Church of Westminster and his Successors of and in the same Deanery of Westminster Sir Thomas Foster Knight one of the Iustices of your Majesties Court of Common Pleas usually holden at Westminster Sir Henry Hobart Knight your Majesties Attorney General John Overall Doctor of Divinity Dean of the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul in London and his Successors Deans there Henry Thursby Esquire one of the Masters of your Majesties Court of Chancery Thomas Fortescue Thomas Paget Geffrey Nightingale and Richard Sutton Esquires John Lawe and Thomas Browne Gentlemen and such others as shall be from time to time for ever hereafter chosen and nominated in and to the places and steads of such of them as shall decease by your Suppliant during his life And after his decease by the most part of them which then shall be Governors of the said Hospital to be and succeed in and to the place and places of him and them deceasing shall and may be the Governors of the said Hospital and of the Members Goods Lands Revenues and Hereditaments of the same at all times hereafter for ever And that the same Governors and Hospital shall for ever hereafter stand and be incorporated established and founded in name and in deed a body politique and corporate to have
his Assistants for the time being to this end and purpose That they shall distribute or cause to be distributed the yearly profit arising of the same over and above the yearly Rent payable to the Kings most Excellent Majesty amongst the poorest people dwelling within the said Town of Beverly Also I give to the Maior and Aldermen of the City of Lincoln for the time being all such Profits and Revenues as shall arise and grow of the Parsonage of Glentham within the County of Lincoln and all the residue of the years that shall remain after my decease to this intent that they shall distribute and bestow or cause to be distributed and bestowed the same amongst twenty of the poorest people that shall then be dwelling in the said City with the consent and privity of the Dean of the Cathedral Church of Lincoln or the Recorder of the same for the time being they the said Maior Aldermen Dean and Recorder foreseeing that the Parsonage be letten for their most benefit Item I give into the Treasury or Store-house of mine intended Hospital to begin their Stock with and to defend the Rights of the House One thousand pounds of lawful English mony And I give to every one of my Feoffees whom I have put in trust about my intended Hospital to whom I have not given any thing in this my last Will the Sum of Twenty six pounds thirty shillings and four pence of lawful mony of England Item I give to Amy Popham if it please God she live to keep House three Feather-beds and so many pair of Holland Sheets with the Boulsters to them and so many Hangings of Tapestry as furnish her a Bed-chamber The rest of my Housholdstuff I will shall be sold by mine Executors for the speedier payment of my Legacies and performance of this my last Will. Item I give to the Widow Tassel of Balsham the Sum of Five pounds of lawful mony of England and to Thomas Lawrence the elder of the same Town Five pounds of lawful mony of England Item I give and bequeath unto the Brother of Percival Graung my late Servant deceased the Sum of Twenty pounds of like lawful mony of England And of this my last Will and Testament I make and ordain Richard Sutton of London Esquire and John Law one of the Procurators of the Arches London my Executors charging them as they will answer at the last Day of Judgment that they or one of them in the absence of the other endeavor themselves with all earnestness and diligence to see this my Will performed according to my true meaning and charitable intent And I make Overseers of this my last Will and Testament the Reverend Father in God George Abbot Arch bishop of Canterbury unto whom I give and bequeath the Sum of Forty Marks of lawful mony of England or a piece of Plate of that value at his election and choice And also Launcelot Andrews Almonizer to the Kings Majesty my other Supervisor and Overseer of this my last Will and Testament unto whom I give and bequeath the Sum of Twenty pounds of lawful mony of England or a piece of Plate of that value at his election and choice Item My will and full intent and meaning is That if any person or persons whosoever to whom I have in and by this my last Will and Testament given and bequeathed any Legacy or Sum or Sums of mony shall any ways gainsay impugn contradict or impeach this my last Will and Testament that then all and every one so impugning contradicting impeaching or gainsaying this my last Will and Testament and every of their Children and Kinsfolks to whom I have in and by this my last Will and Testament given and bequeathed any Legacy or Sum or Sums of mony shall have no part nor portion of any such Gift Legacy or Bequest but shall utterly lose the same and be utterly barred thereof as if no such Legacy Gift or Bequest had been given unto him her or them by this my last Will and Testament any thing before in these presents mentioned or contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding Item I give and bequeath to Richard Sutton one of my Executors before named the Sum of One hundred pounds and to Mrs. Law over and besides the Legacy before to her given I give the Sum of Forty pounds to make her a Gown withal Item I give to Master Hutton the Vicar of Littlebury Twenty pounds To the Town of Camps Castle where I dwell to be distributed amongst the poor of the same Parish Ten pounds Also to the poor of the Town of Elcomb to be equally distributed amongst them the Sum of Ten pounds Item I give and bequeath those my Mannors of Littlebury and Hadstock in the County of Essex to the Right Honourable the Lord Thomas Howard Earl of Suffolk and to his Heirs for ever upon Condition that he do well and truly pay or cause to be paid to my Executors before named or to the Survivor of them the Sum of Ten thousand pounds of lawful mony of England within One year next after my decease And if he shall refuse to pay the said Sum of Ten thousand pounds for the said Mannors then I give and bequeath the said Mannors of Littlebury and Hadstock to my said Executors and to their Heirs for ever And then I will and devise that the said Mannors of Littlebury and Hadstock shall be sold by my said Executors or the Survivor of them to the uttermost price and value that they may be sold for and the mony coming of the sale thereof together with as much more as shall make up the same Sum the full Sum of Twenty thousand pounds I will shall be imployed and bestowed by my said Executors or the Survivor of them with the advise of my Supervisors aforenamed in some good works and charitable uses for mine intended Hospital and for poor people or otherwise as they in their wisdoms and discretions shall think fit Item I give to Mr. Flud Parson of Newington the Sum of Thirteen pounds six shillings eight pence And to the wife of Benjamin King of Southminster Six pounds thirteen shillings four pence Item I give to Thomas Averell if it shall be found that he hath dealt faithfully and plainly with me in my business the Sum of Ten pounds which he oweth me Item I give unto the wife of Mr. Ingry of Littlebury Three pounds six shillings eight pence Item I give to Sir Henry Hubberd Knight the King's Majesties Attorney General a piece of Plate of the value of Ten pounds And to Mr Locksmith his Clerk the Sum of Ten pounds Item I give to the poor of the Parish of Hackney Ten pounds Item I give to Bridget Law the Sum of Ten pounds And to the Lady Altham daughter to Mr. Auditor Sutton the Sum of Twenty pounds Item I give to Sir Edward Philips Master of the Rolls a piece of Plate of the value of Twenty pounds And to
Sir James Altham one of the Barons of the Exchequer One piece of Plate of the value of Twenty pounds Item I give to my late wives kinsman Guy Godolphin the sum of Ten pounds Item I give to the Right Honourable my very good Lord the Earl of Suffolk the sum of Four hundred pounds All the rest of my Goods Chattels and Debts not before given and disposed I give and bequeath to my intended Hospital to be imployed and bestowed on and about the same according to the discretion of the Feoffees of my said Hospital or the greater part of them In witness hereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the Twenty eighth day of the Month of November above written Thomas Sutton Memorandum That the same Testator did acknowledge this his Will written and contained in these Three and twenty leaves to be his last Will and Testament and that his Hand and Seal set thereunto is his own Hand and Seal and that he had heard it read and was acquainted with the Contents of it the said Twenty Eighth of November above written In presence of us John Law Leonard Houghton Alexander Longworth Thomas Hall The Mark of Richard Pearce The Mark of Thomas Johnson Primo Decembris 1611. idem recognitum per Testatorem coram Jo. Crooke Quarto Decembris 1611. recognit to be the Testators last Will. Before me Henry Thoresby A Codicil to be annexed to the last Will and Testament of Thomas Sutton Esquire made and declared the Day whereon he died being the Twelfth of December One thousand six hundred and eleven ITem he gave and bequeathed to Mr. Judge Crooke one of the Judges of the King's Bench at Westminster the Sum of Ten pounds And to Mr. Henry Thoresby one of the Masters of the Court of Chancery the like Sum of Ten pounds And to Mrs. Sutton of London Widow the Sum of Three pounds six shillings eight pence to make her a Ring Also he gave to Mr. Hutton Clerk and Vicar of Littlebury the Advowson or next Presentation to the Parsonage of Dunsby in the County of Lincoln Also he did then publish and declare before Mr. Flud Parson of Stoke-Newington in the County of Middlesex Robert Petit Alexander Longworth John Parsons and Thomas Johnson his Cook that he had made his Will and thereof had made and ordained Richard Sutton of London Esquire and John Law his Executors I thought good to make a Conclusion of all with some proper Devotions relating to those particular Occasions which concern the Fourscore pious and aged Gentlemen c. Not that I intend by any means to detract from the excellency and usefulness of the Prayers of the Church for these are only designed for private Offices at home and possibly by Gods assistance may be instrumental to the Improvement of their Thankfulness to God and their Preparation for their latter end Here likewise I thought it might be convenient to place several Orders which hang up in the lesser Hall of the Pensioners by which they are to square and regulate their Manners so that they might have in a narrow compass contained the several Instances of their publick and private Duty Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all People To be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Eccles 12. The years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them while the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkned nor the Clouds return after the rain In the day when the a The ribs keepers of the house shall tremble and the b The Legs strong men shall bow themselves and the c Teeth grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the d Eyes windows be darkned Or ever the e Circulation of the Blood silver cord be loosed or the f Liver golden bowl be broken or the pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel at the cistern then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it Job 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in his season ORDERS made by the Governours of the Hospital of King JAMES founded in Charter-house by Thomas Sutton Esquire at several times since the beginning of the said Hospital and yet continuing in force and to be observed or known by the poor Men Pensioners and Brothers of the said Hospital for the time being as follow NO poor Man shall be admitted into the Hospital unless he shall appear to be clean and sound of body from any foul and infectious Disease Per Ordinem fact 10 Decemb. 1613 And to prevent that none be admitted that is infected with any infectious Disease It is Ordered that the Chirurgion of the Hospital for the time being shall view and search the Body of such a person if there be any cause of suspicion before he be admitted Per Ordinem 24 Februarii 1622. No poor Man that shall be a Member of the Hospital shall wear any long Hair or any Weapons within the said House or have any Weapons within their several Lodgings Per Ordinem 10 Decemb. 1613. Every poor Man of this Hospital that shall happen to fall so sick that he cannot come into the Hall to take his repast then he shall have his part in Diet in his Chamber or his weekly allowance in mony for it as the Master and the Steward in their discretions shall hold meet Per Ordinem 22 Decemb. 1615. The Master of the Hospital for the time being and every Officer poor Man and every Member of the same shall take their Diet in the Dining Halls appointed for that purpose and not in their Chambers unless it be in time of Sickness or upon some urgent occasion such as the Master shall allow of Provided that they do not then exceed the proportion of Diet that is set down and established Per Ordinem 21 Januarii 1618. No Officer Pensioner or Member of this Hospital shall send or carry away any Bread Beer or Meat from their Tables when they shall be at Dinner and Supper in the said Dining-Halls but if any Bread Beer or Meat shall happen to be left it shall be bestow'd on such poor men and women that shall from time to time be appointed and allowed to do service in the said Hospital or otherwise as the Master in his discretion shall hold fitting but not any of it to be sold for mony Per Ordinem 21 Januarii 1618. One of the poor Men of the Hospital in their several turns and the Master Cook of the said Hospital shall go weekly to the Market with the Steward or his Man to buy the Provision of Fish and Flesh for the Diet of the Hospital that choice may be made by