7777 -SM YALE UNIVERSITY ART LIBRARY ABBEYS, CASTLES AMD ANCIENT HALLS OF ENGLAND AND WALES "mmmtifflffi .j *J VI OS a. o vl ras pulled down by Sir John Aubrey, about the year 1783: he had o'ic son, bom in 1771, who came to an early and melancholy death. When about five years old, he was attacked with some slight ailment, for which his nurse had to give him a dose of medicine. She then prepared for him some gruel, which he refused to take saying it was nasty. She then sweetened it, and he swallowed it. Within a few hours, he was a corpse ! She had made the gruel of oatmeal with which arsenic had been mixed to poison rats. Thus died, January 2, 1777, the heir of Borstall, and of all his father's possessions. The poor nurse became distracted; the mother never recovered the shock, and within a year died of grief, at the early age of 32. Sir John Aubrey, having thus lost his wife and child, pulled dowii the house in which they died, with the exception of the turreted gate way, which still exists, in fair preservation : it was built in 1312, by John de Handloo, and one of its bay windows still contains part of the original stained glass, particularly an escutcheon of the De Lazures and the De Handloos. The antique horn, said to be the identical one given to Nigel, as already mentioned, has descended with the manor of Borstall, and is still in the possession of the present proprietor. This hom is two feet four inches long, of a dark brown colour, resembling tortoiseshell. It is tipped at each end with silver-gilt, and fitted with a leather thong, to hang round the neck ; to this thong are suspended an old brass ring bearing the rude impression of a horn, a brass plate with a small hom of brass attached to it, and several smaller plates of brass impressed with fleurs-de-lis, which are the arms of the De Lazures, who intruded into the estate soon after the reign of William the Conqueror Stoke, or Stoke Pogeis, and Lady Hatton. This pleasant village, which lies between Colnbrook and Maiden head, obtained the appellation of Pogeis from its ancient lords of that name. The heiress of the family, in the reign of Edward III. mar ried Lord Mollines, who shortly afterwards procured a licence from the King to convert the manor-house into a castle. From him it de scended to the Lords Hungerford, from them to the Hastings, Earls of Huntingdon. The manor was, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, seized by the Crown for a debt. The old manor house of Stoke Pogeis is the 6cene of the opening of Stoke Pogeis, and Lady Hatton. 91 Gray's humorously descriptive poem, called The Long Story, in which the style of building, and the fantastic manners of Elizabeth's reign are de lineated with much truth : the origin of the poem is curious enough. Gray's Elegy, previous to its publication, being handed about in manu script, had, amongst its admirers, the Lady Cobham. The performance induced her to wish for the author's acquaintance, and Lady Schaub and Miss Speed, then at Stoke Pogeis, undertook to introduce her to the poet. These two ladies waited upon the author at his aunt's soli tary habitation, and not finding him at home, they left their cards. Gray, surprised at such a compliment, returned the visit ; and as the beginning of this intercourse bore some appearance of romance, Gray gave the humorous and lively account of it in the Long Story. The mansion at Stoke, and one of its tenants, are thus described : " In Britain's isle — no matter where— An ancient pile of building stands : The Huntingdons and Hattons there Employed the power of fairy hands — To raise the building's fretted height, Each panel in achievement clothing, Rich windows that exclude the light. And passages that lead to nothing. Full oft within the spacious walls, When he had fifty winters o'er him, My grave Lord Keeper led the brawls ; The seal and maces danced before him. His bushy beard and shoe-strings green, His high- crowned hat, and satin doublet, Moved the stout heart of England's Queen, Though Pope and Spaniard could not trouble it." This " grave Lord Keeper" was Sir Christopher Hatton, who, it must be remarked, was never the owner or occupier of this old mansion, although generally supposed to have been so by topographers, and by annotators of Gray's Poems. The old manor-house, indeed, was not completely finished till it came into the possession of Henry, the third Earl of Huntingdon, who, although it might have been burdened by a mort gage, certainly retained possession of it till his death. One of his letters, now in existence, is dated at Stoke, on the 13th December, 1592, and among the payments after his funeral, occurs this item — " Charges about the vendition of my Lord's goods in the county of Bucks, 8/." This most probably, refers to the sale of his property at Stoke. Now, Sir Christopher Hatton died in November, 1591, a year before the date of the Earl's letter from Stoke, and four years before his death, which occurred in 1593. But we have more conclusive evidence to the same effect. Sir Christopher Hatton has left numerous letters, from which 92 Stoke Pogeis, and Lady Hatton. his proceedings during the latter years of his life— the only time in which he could have been at Stoke— may be traced from month to month, almost from day to day, and not one of these letters affords the slightest indication of his connexion with Stoke. Nor is such connexion noticed in any parish record at Stoke. The idea rests solely on tradition, and can easily be accounted for. We are indebted for this correction of a popular error respecting Stoke, to a contribution by W. H. K. to Chambers's Book of Days, vol. i.'pp. 415-417. On the death of the third Earl of Huntingdon, (continues this Correspondent,) Sir Edward Coke, the great lawyer, purchased the manor, and resided at Stoke, and soon after, in 1598, married for his second wife, Lady Hatton, widow of Sir William Hatton, nephew and heir ofthe "Lord Keeper." This lady was sufficiently conspicuous to stamp the name of Hatton on the traditions of Stoke. [We need not here detail Lady Hatton's broils with Sir Edward Coke, or "the honeymoon of the happy pair" at her house in Hol born, as they will be found sketched in "The Strange History of Lady Hatton," in the first volume of the present work, pp. 77-83.] It will be sufficient to take up the narrative after Sir Edward Coke and Lady Hatton were reconciled, and "he flattered himself she would still prove a veiy good wife." The dismantled Manor-house at Stoke must now have been restored, and the reconciled pair were then living there with their daughter, whose marriage was negotiated with Sir John Villiers, brother of Buckingham, the King's favourite. The proposal was graciously received, and Sir Edward was delighted. His wife and daughter did not relish this scheme ; but this did not much trouble Coke, as he considered that his daughter, in such a case, was bound to obey her father's mandate. They had been talking the matter over one night at Stoke, when, highly gratified with the prospect, Coke retired to rest and enjoyed a quiet, undisturbed slumber. But the first intelli gence of the next morning was that Lady Hatton and her daughter had left Stoke at midnight, and no one knew where they were gone. Day after day passed, yet Coke could learn no tidings of the fugitives. At last, he ascertained that they were concealed at Oatlands, in a house then rented by a cousin of Lady Hatton. Without waiting for a war rant, Sir Edward, accompanied by a dozen sturdy men, all well armed, hastened to Oatlands, and after two hours' resistance, took the house by assault and battery, which Lady Hatton has described as Sir Edward Coke's "most notorious riot," in which he took down the doors of the gatehouse and of the house itself, &c. Having thus gained possession of his daughter, he carried her off to Stoke Pogeis, and Lady Hatton. 93 Stake, locked her up in an upper chamber, and kept the key of the door in his pocket. Lady Hatton then strove to recover her daughter by forcible means ; but to her astonishment, her husband, now fortified by the King's favour, threw her into prison. Thus, with his wife in a public prison, and his daughter locked up in his own house, he forced both to promise a legal consent to the marriage, which took place at Hampton Court in presence of the King and Queen, and nobility. Two years afterwards Sir John Villiers was raised to the peerage as Viscount Purbeck, and Baron Villiers of Stoke Pogeis. But the sequel was me lancholy. Lady Purbeck deserted her husband, and lived with Sir Robert Howard, which rapidly brought on her degradation, imprison ment, and an early death. Lady Hatton pursued her husband with rancorous hatred, and openly wished him dead. This gave rise to a report of his death, whereupon Lady Hatton immediately left London for Stoke, to take possession of the mansion ; but on reaching Coln brook, she met one of Sir Edward Coke's physicians, who informed her of his amendment, on hearing which she returned to London in evident disappointment. Sir Edward, in his solitary old age, had his daughter, Lady Purbeck, to console him. He died September 3rd, 1634, in his eighty-fourth year. Lady Hatton now took possession of the old manor-house at Stoke, and occasionally resided in it till her death in 1644. Her strange his tory might well be mixed up with the traditional gossip of Stoke, which Gray, in his poem, applied to the Lord Keeper, who certainly never pos sessed the old manor-house. It was, however, honoured bythe presence of his royal mistress. Queen Elizabeth, in 1601, visited at Stoke Sir Ed ward Coke, who entertained her very sumptuously, and presented her on the occasion with jewels worth fi-om ten to twelve hundred pounds. In 1647, the mansion was for some days the residence of Charles I., when a prisoner in the custody of the Parliamentary army. Ten years later, Sir Robert Gayer, by the bequest of his brother, came into pos session of the manor at Stoke. Sir Robert, at the coronation of Charles IL, was made a Knight of the Bath, which so strengthened his attachment to the House of Stuart, that he never could be respectful to any other dynasty. It is related in Lipscomb's History of Bucks, that 3ocn after William III. had ascended the throne, he visited the village of Stoke, and signified his desire to inspect the old manor-house. But its possessor, Sir Robert Gayer, flew into a violent rage, declaring that the King should never come under his roof. " He has already," said he, " got possession of another man's house. He is an usurper. Tell him to go back again !" Lady Gayer expostulated, she entreated, she 94 Stowe. even fell on her knees and besought her husband to admit the King, who was then actually waiting at the gate. All her entreaties were useless. The obstinate Sir George only became more furious, vociferat ing — " An Englishman's house is his castle. I shall open and close my door to whom I please. The King, I say, shall not come within these walls!" So his Majesty returned as he came — a stranger to the inside ofthe mansion, and the Stuart knight gloried in his triumph. Thus the old manor-house at Stoke, after having entertained one sovereign magnificently, received another as a prisoner in the custody of his subjects, and refused admission to a third monarch, was itself pulled down, except one wing, in 1 789, by its then owner, Granville Penn, Esq., a descendant of the celebrated William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. At this time was built, by James Wyatt, the magni ficent seat, Stoke Park. The grounds are adorned with a colossal statue of Sir Edward Coke. Gray passed much of his youth, with his mother, at Stoke; and here he composed his " Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College," and his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard." He died in 1771, and was buried, according to his desire, by the side of his mother at Stoke Pogeis : his remains lie, without any monumental inscription over them, under a tomb which he had erected over the remains of his mother and aunt In the year 1799, however, Mr. Penn erected, " in honour of Gray,' in a field adjoining the churchyard, a large stone sarcophagus, on a square pedestal, with inscriptions on each side ; and the late Earl of Carlisle pre sented to Eton College a bust of Gray, which has been added to thr collection of busts of other worthies placed in the Upper School-room. Stowe. This princely seat of the Buckingham family lies near the town of Buckingham, and has a brief but eventful history. The place, origi nally an Abbey, came into the possession of the Temple family in the sixteenth century. The house was originally built by Peter Temple Esq., in the reign of Queen Elizabeth ; it was rebuilt by Sir Richard Temple, Bart., who died in 1697. After the death of Lord Cobham, in 1749, the property merged in the family of the Grenvilles. The plea sure-gardens, from which Stowe obtained its principal fame, were laid out for Lord Cobham by Kent, who exerted his skill both as an archi tect and a garden-planner; and such a profusion of ornament arose from his invention, and that of Bridgeman and other artists, that Stowe, Stowe. 95 " when beheld from a distance, appears like a vast grove, interspersed with obelisks, columns, and towers, which apparently emerge from a luxuriant mass of foliage." The beauties of Stowe have been comme morated by Pope and West, who spent many festive hours with the then owner, Lord Cobham. The grounds are adorned with arches, pavilions, temples, a rotunda, a hermitage, a grotto, a lake, and a bridge. In the temples were busts, under which were appropriate inscriptions. The temples of Ancient Virtue and British Worthies may be mentioned as exhibiting objects for the mind as well as for the eye to dwell upon. The mansion, which has been greatly enlarged, extends 916 feet, whole frontage, and the centr?! part 456. " The rich landscape," says Walpole, "occasioned by the multiplicity of temples and objects, and various pic tures that present themselves as we shift our situation, occasion surprise and pleasure, sometimes rivalling Albano's landscapes to our mind, and oftener to our fancy the idolatrous and luxuriant vales of Daphne and Tempe." The interior is very superb. The principal rooms form one long suite, opening into each other. Here was the Rembrandt Room, so called from its being hung with pictures by that painter ; a marqueterie clock, ten feet high, formerly in the palace of Versailles ; carved and gilt frames, from the Doge's palace at Venice ; a state bed, constructed in 1737, for Frederic, Prince of Wales, and occupied in 1803 bythe Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV.; carved and gilt furniture from the Doge's palace at Venice ; marble pavement from the Baths of Titus, at Rome ; tapestry of old and quaint historic pageantry ; carpets from the looms of Persia and Turkey; draperies from the marble palaces of Venetian statesmen ; relics from classic Italy ; rich stuffs, the spoils of Tippoo Saib and other fallen Eastern warriors ; ornamental weaving from Holland and the Low Countries, &c. Add to this a valuable collection of paintings: among them, portraits — of Martin Luther, by Holbein ; Oliver Cromwell (said to be original), by Richardson ; Pope, by Hudson ; Charles I. and his Queen Henrietta, by Vandyke ; Addison, by Kneller ; Lady Jane Grey, Camden the anti quary, and others. The display of plate was magnificent : enormous gold and silver vases, candelabra, wine-coolers, cups, salvers and epergnes. This enumetation conveys but an imperfect idea of the rich treasures of art with which the galleries and saloons of princely Stowe were crowded. In this superb pdace, Richard, the then Duke of Bucking ham, entertained the royal family of France, Louis XVIII. and Charles X. and their suites, during their residence in England ; until the Duke, burdened with debt, was compelled to shut up Stowe and go abroad. His successor, Richard Plantagenet celebrated the majority 96 Whaddon Hall. of his son with costly cheer at Stowe in 1844 ; and in the following year received Queen Victoria and the Piince Consort, at enormous cost. In 1848 the crisis came: Stowe was dismantled of its sump tuous contents, which were sold in forty days, and realized upwards of 73,000/. — this vicissitude being the sad realization of a dream which the first Duke of Buckingham had in his compulsory exile upon the con tinent. Of the many instances of fallen fortune to be found in human history, the sad fate of Stowe and its possessors presents us with the most melancholy lesson — to lecture us with its fallen grandeur, and to impress us with the virtue of contentment, and teach us that — " Not a vanity is given in vain.'- Whaddon Hall. Not far fi-om the county-town of Buckingham stands Whaddon Hall, formerly a seat of the Duke of Buckingham : but which acquired greater notoriety as the abode of Browne Willis, the eccentric anti quary, born late in the seventeenth century. His person and dress were so singular, that though a gentleman of 1000/. a year, he was often taken for a beggar. An old leathern girdle or belt always surrounded the two or three coats he wore, and over them an old blue coat. Very little of Whaddon remained a century ago, and what was left was thought to be the offices, which were dark and gloomy. In the garden was then a venerable and remarkably sized oak, under which Willis supposed Spenser wrote much of his poetry. Willis is said, by Cole, the Cambridge antiquary, to have written the very worst hand of any man in England, such as he could on'y with difficulty read himself. He wore very large boots, patched and vamped till they were forty years old : they were all in wrinkles, and did not come halfway up his legs, whence he was called in his neighbourhood, Old Wrinkle-boots. He rode in his " wedding chariot," which had his arms on brass plates about it, was painted black, and not unlike a coffin. Mr. Willis never took the oaths to the Hanover family. He was as remarkable for his love of the structure of churches as for his variance with the clergy of his neigh bourhood. Yet he built by subscription the chapel at Fenny Stratford ; repaired Bletchley Church at a great expense; and Bow Brickhill Church, desecrated, and not used for a century. His most important work was his Survey of the Cathedrals of England. He presented to the University of Oxford his valuable collection of coins, and gave many MSS. to the Bodleian Library. He died at Wrhaddon Hall, Feb. 5, 1760. 97 Creslow House. In the reign of Edward the Confessor this manor was held by Aluren, a female, from whom it passed at the Conquest to Edward Sarisberi, a Norman lord. In 1120 it was given to the Knights Templars ; and on the suppression of that community it passed to fhe Knights Hospitallers, from whom, at the dissolution of the monasteries, it passed to the crown. From this time to the reign of Charles II. the manor was used as a feeding ground for cattle for the royal household ; and it is remarkable that nearly the whole of this manor, comprising over 850 acres, has been pasture land from the time of Domesday survey till now. It is still of extraordi nary fertility, and the cattle still fed here are among the finest in the kingdom. While Creslow Manor continued in possession of the Crown, it was committed to the custody of a keeper. In 1634 the regicide, Cornelius Holland, was keeper. This Cornelius Holland, whose father died insolvent in the Fleet, was "a poore boy in court waiting on Sir Henry Vane," by whose interest he was appointed by Charles I. keeper of Creslow Manor. He subsequently deserted the cause of his royal patron, and was rewarded by the Parliament with many lucrative posts. He entered the House of Commons in 1642, and after taking a very prominent part against the King, signed his death-warrant. He became so wealthy that, though he had ten children, he gave a daughter on her marriage 5000/., equal to ten times that sum at the present day. He is traditionally ac cused of having destroyed or dismantled many of the churches in the neighbourhood. At the Restoration, being absolutely excepted from the royal amnesty, he escaped execution only by flying to Lausanne, where he ended his days in universal contempt. On the 23rd of June, 1673, the manor was granted by Charles II. to Thomas, first Lord Clifford of Chudleigh, and has continued ever since in the possession of his successors. The manor-house itself, though diminished in size and beauty, is still a spacious and handsome edifice. The original parts date from the time of Edward III., including the crypt and tower; a good many alterations took place during the 15th century, of which period a pointed doorway remains ; still greater alterations took place in the time of Charles I., of which plaster ceilings and square windows remain. It is a picturesque and venerable-looking build- g8 Creslow House. ing, with numerous gables and ornamental chimneys, some ancient muUioned windows, and a square tower with octagonal turret. The walls of the tower are of stone, six feet thick ; the turret is forty- three feet high, with a newel staircase and loopholes. Some of the more interesting objects within the house are the ground room in the tower, a large chamber called the banqueting room, with vaulted timber roof ; a large oak door with massive hinges, and locks and bolts of a peculiar construction ; and various remains of sculpture and carving in different parts of the house. Two ancient cellars, called the " crypt" and " the dungeon," deserve special attention. The crypt, which is excavated in the solid limestone rock, is entered by a flight of stone steps, and has but one small window to admit air and light. It is about twelve feet square, and its roof, which is a good specimen of light Gothic vaulting, is supported by arches springing from four columns, groined at their intersections, and ornamented with carved flowers and bosses, the central one being about ten feet from the floor. The dungeon, which is near the crypt, is entered by a separate flight of stone steps, and is a plain rectangular building, eighteen feet long, eight and a half wide, and six in height. The roof, which is but slightly vaulted, is formed of exceedingly massive stones. There is no window or external opening into this cellar, and for whatever purpose intended, it must have always been a gloomy, darksome vault, of extreme security. It now contains several skulls and other human remains— some thigh-bones, measuring more than nineteen inches, must have belonged to persons of gigantic stature. This dungeon had formerly a subterranean communication with the crypt, from which there was a newel staircase to a chamber above, which still retains the Gothic doorway, with hood-moulding resting on tw,o well sculptured human heads, with grotesque faces. This chamber, which is supposed to have been the preceptor's private room, has also a good Gothic window of two lights, with head tracery of the decorated period. This is the haunted chamber ! For Creslow, like all old manor- houses, has its ghost story. But the ghost is not a knight-templar or knight of St. John — but a lady— Rosamond Clifford ! Seldom, indeed, has she been seen, but often has she been heard, only too plainly, by those who have ventured to sleep in this room, or enter it after midnight. She appears to come from the crypt or dungeon and always enters this room by the Gothic door. After entering she is heard to walk about, sometimes in a grave, stately manner. Creslow House. gg apparently with a long silk train sweeping the floor— sometimes her motion is quick and hurried, her silk dress rustling violently, as if she were engaged in a desperate struggle. As these mysterious visitations had anything but a somniferous effect on wearied mortals, this chamber, though furnished as a bed-room, was seldom so used, and was never entered by servants without trepidation and awe. Occasionally, however, some one was found bold enough to dare the harmless noises of the mysterious intruder, and many are the stories respecting such adventures. The following will suffice as a specimen, and may be depended on as authentic. About the year 18 — , a gentleman, who resided some miles dis tant, rode over to a dinner party ; and as the night became exceed ingly dark and rainy, he was urged to stay over the night, if he had no objection to sleep in a haunted chamber. The offer of a bed in such a room, so far from deterring him, induced him at once to accept the invitation. The room was prepared for him. He would neither have a fire nor a burning candle, but requested a box of lucifers, that he might light a candle if he wished. Arming himself in jest with a cutlass and a brace of pistols, he entered his formid able dormitory. Morning came, and ushered in one of those glorious autumnal days which often succeed a night of soaking rain. The sun shone brilliantly on the old manor-house. Every loophole and cranny in the tower was so penetrated by his rays, that the venerable owls, that had long inhabited its roof, could scarcely find a dark corner to doze in after their nocturnal labours. The family and their guests assembled in the breakfast room to hear an account of the knight's adventures, which he related in the following words : — " Having entered the room, I locked and bolted both doors, carefully examined the whole room, and satisfied myself that there was no living creature in it but myself, nor any entrance but those I had secured. I got into bed, and with the conviction that I should sleep as usual till six in the morning, I was soon lost in a comfortable slumber. Suddenly I was aroused, and on raising my head to listen, I heard a sound certainly resembling the light, soft tread of a lady's footstep, accompanied with the rustling as of a silk gown. I sprang out of bed and lighted a candle. There was nothing to be seen, and nothing now to be heard. I carefully examined the whole room. I looked under the bed, into the fire place, up the chimney, and at both the doors, which were fastened as I had left them. I looked at my watch, and it was a few minutes past twelve. As all was now perfectly quiet, I extinguished the ioo Great Hampden. candle and entered my bed, and soon fell asleep. I was again aroused. The noise was now louder than before. It appeared like the violent mstling of a stiff silk dress. I sprang out of bed, darted to the spot where the noise was, and tried to grasp the intruder in my arms. My arms met together, but enclosed nothing. The noise passed to another part of the room, and I followed it, groping near the floor, to prevent anything passing under my arms. It was in vain ; I could feel nothing — the noise had passed away through the Gothic door, and all was still as death ! I lighted a candle and examined the Gothic door, and there I saw — the old monks' faces grinning at my perplexity ; but the door was shut and fastened, just as I had left it. I again examined the whole room, but could find nothing to account for the noise. I now left the candle burning, though I never sleep comfortably with a light in my room. I got into bed, but felt, it must be acknowledged, not a little perplexed at not being able to detect the cause of the noise, nor to account for its cessation when the candle was lighted. While ruminating on these things I fell asleep, and began to dream about murders and secret burials, and all sort of horrible things ; and just as I fancied myself knocked down by a knight-templar, I awoke, and found the sun shining brightly !" " Doubtless there are no ghosts ; Yet somehow it is better not to move, Lest cold hands seize upon us from behind." Abridged from the Book of Days. Great Hampden. Great Hampden, the paternal seat of the patriot, John Hampden, and still the property of his descendant in the seventh generation through heirs female, stands in a secluded spot high up among the Chiltern Hills, about five miles south-west of Wendover. It is shrouded in ancient woods and approached by a long beech avenue. The house, one of the most ancient, has been sadly disguised and disfigured by modern stucco and whitewash, but the structure is the original one. It is difficult to assign a date to the building of this house. The first estate granted to the Hampden family in England was given by Edward the Confessor to Baldwyn de Hampden, whose name seems to indicate that he was one of the Norman favourites of the last Saxon king. The Hampdens, then, had settled in England, prior to its conquest by their countrymen, the Normans. Great Hampden. 101 The estate was fortunate enough to escape the rapacity of the Normans, and, amplified and extended by powerful alliances, it was passed down from father to son in succession, ever increasing in influence and wealth. There is a tradition that King Edward III. and the Black Prince once honoured Hampden with a visit, and that whilst the prince and his host were exercising themselves in feats of chivalry a quarrel arose, in which the prince received a blow on the face, which occasioned him and his royal father to quit the place in great wrath, and to seize on some valuable manors be longing to their host as a punishment for his rashness. The story gave rise to the following rhymes : — " Tring, Wing, and Ivinghoe, Hampden did foregoe, For striking of a blow, And glad he did 'scape so.'' The story is doubted, and no proof can be adduced that any of the mansions named in the rhyme ever were included in the Hampden estates. These, however, were very large, not only in Buckinghamshire, but also in Essex, Berks, and Oxfordshire, Queen Elizabeth was entertained at Hampden during one of her progresses, by Griffith Hampden, Esq., who, in order to afford her Majesty more commodious access to the house, is said to have cut an avenue through his wood, still called the Queen's Gap. The Hampdens appear to have been distinguished in chi valry ; they were often intrusted with civil authority, and repre sented their native county in several parliaments. We find in the Rolls of Parliament that in the wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster, the Hampdens took the side of the red rose — that some lands were escheated from them in consequence, and that they were excepted from the general Act of Restitution, in the first of Edward Fourth. " Edward Hampden," says Lord Nugent in his " Memorials," " was one of the Esquires of the Body and Privy Councillor to Henry VII. And in the succeeding reign we find Sir John Hampden of the Hill appointed with others to attend upon the English Queen at the interview of the sovereigns at the Field ofthe Cloth of Gold. It is to his daughter, Sybil Hampden, tvho was nurse to the Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward VI., and ancestress to William Penn, of Pennsylvania, that the monument is raised in Hampton church, Middlesex, which records so many virtues and so much wisdom. Griffith Hampden, who received Queen Elizabeth at his mansion, as already noted, served as High 11 II. 102 Great Hampden. Sheriff of his county, and represented it in the Parliament of 1585. His eldest son, William, who succeeded him in 1591, was member in 1593 for East Lode, then a considerable borough. He married Elizabeth, second daughter of Sir Henry Cromwell, of Hinchin- brooke, in Huntingdonshire, and aunt to the Protector, and died in 1 J97, leaving two sons, John and Richard. John Hampden, so frequently spoken of in history as " the Pa triot," was born in 1594. He succeeded to his father's estate in his infancy. After passing some years in the grammar-school at Thame, he was sent, at fifteen, to Magdalen College, Oxford. At nineteen he was admitted a student of the Inner Temple, where he made him self master of the principles of the English law. In 1619 (when now twenty-five years of age), he married Elizabeth, only daughter of Edmund Symeon, Esq. His marriage marks an era in his life. Prior to that event " he had indulged himself in all the licence in sports, in exercises and company which were used by men of the most jolly conversation ;" but no sooner was he married than from a life of great pleasure and licence he retired to extraordinary sobriety and strictness, to a more reserved and melancholy society. The events of his life are notable incidents in English history. He served in the Parliament of 1626, and in all the succeeding parliaments of the reign of Charles I. In 1636 he became uni versally known by his intrepid refusal to pay ship-money as an illegal tax. Upon this he was thrown into prison ; but his conduct under persecution gained him great reputation. When the Long Parliament began, the eyes of all men were fixed upon him as the father of his country. In the beginning of the civil war he com manded a regiment of foot, and did good service to the Parliament at the battle of Edgehill. The story of his last skirmish with the Royalists, and subsequent death, is told by Macaulay with his jsual spirit and picturesqueness : — In the early part of 1643, the shires lying in the neighbourhood of London, which were devoted to the cause of the Parliament, were incessantly annoyed by Rupert and his cavalry. Essex had extended his lines so far that almost every point was vulnerable. The young prince, who, though not a great general, was an active and enterprizing partizan, frequently surprised posts, burned vil lages, swept away cattle, and was again at Oxford before a force sufficient to encounter him could be assembled. The languid proceedings of Essex (the Parliamentary com mander) were loudly condemned by the troops. All the ardent Great Hampden. 103 and daring spirits in the Parliamentary party were eager to have Hampden at their head. Had his life been prolonged, there is every reason to believe that the supreme command would have been intrusted to him. But it was decreed that, at this conjunc ture, England should lose the only man who united perfect disin terestedness to eminent talents — the only man who, being capable of gaining the victory for her, was incapable of abusing that victory when gained. In the evening ofthe 17th of June, Rupert darted out of Oxford with his cavalry on a predatory expedition. At three in the morning of the foUowing day he attacked and dispersed a few Parliamentary soldiers who lay at Postcombe. He then flew to Chinnor, burned the village, killed or took all the troops who were quartered there, and prepared to hurry back with his booty and his prisoners to Oxford. Hampden had on the preceding day strongly represented to Essex the danger to which this part of the line was exposed. As soon as he received intelligence of Rupert's incursion, he sent off a horse man with a message to the General. The Cavaliers, he said, could return only by Chiselhampton Bridge. A force ought to be instantly despatched in that direction to intercept them. In the meantime he resolved to set out with all the cavalry that he could muster for the purpose of impeding the march of the enemy till Essex could take measures for cutting off their retreat. A considerable body of horse and dragoons volunteered to follow him. He was not their com mander. He did not even belong to their branch of the service. But " he was," says Lord Clarendon, " second to none but the General himself in the observance and application of all men." On the field of Chalgrove he came up with Rupert. A fierce skirmish ensued. In the first charge Hampden was struck in the shoulder with two bullets, which broke the bone and lodged in his body. The troops of the Parliament lost heart and gave way. Rupert, after pursuing them for a short time, hastened to cross the bridge and made his retreat unmolested to Oxford. Hampden, with his head drooping, and his hands leaning on his horse's neck, moved feebly out of the battle. The mansion which had been inhabited by his father-in-law, and from which in his youth he had carried home his bride, Elizabeth, was in sight. There still remains an affecting tradition that he looked for a moment towards that beloved house, and made an effort to go thither to die. But the enemy lay in that direction, Turning his hoi te, 104 Great Hampden. therefore, he rode back across the grounds of Hazely on his way to Thame. At the brook which divides the parishes he paused a while ; but it being impossible for him in his wounded state to remount, had he alighted to lead his horse over, " he suddenly summoned his strength, clapped spurs to his steed, and cleared the leap. At Thame he arrived almost fainting with agony. The surgeons dressed his wounds. But there was no hope. The pain which he suffered was most excruciating. But he endured it with admirable firmness and resignation. His first care was for his country. He wrote from his bed several letters to London concerning public affairs, and sent a last pressing message to the head-quarters recommending that the dispersed forces should be concentrated. When his public duties were performed, he calmly prepared himself to die. He was attended by a clergyman of the Church of England, with whom he had lived in habits of intimacy, and by the chaplain of the Buck inghamshire Greencoats, Dr. Spurtow, whom Baxter describes as a famous and excellent divine. A short time before Hampden's death, the Sacrament was admi nistered to him. He declared that, though he disliked the govern ment of the Church of England, he yet agreed with that church as to essential matters of doctrine. His intellect remained unclouded. When all was nearly over he lay murmuring faint prayers for him self and for the cause in which he died. " Lord Jesus," he exclaimed in the moment of the last agony, "receive my soul. O Lord, save my country ; O Lord, be merciful to ." In that broken ejacu lation passed away his noble and fearless spirit. He was buried in the parish church of Hampden. His soldiers, bareheaded, with reversed arms and muffled drums and colours, escorted his body to the grave, singing, as they marched, that lofty and melancholy psalm in which the fragility of human life is con trasted with the immutability of Him to whom a. thousand years are as yesterday when it is passed, and as a watch in the night: The news of Hampden's death produced as great a consternation in his party, according to Clarendon, as if their whole army had been cut off. The journals of the time amply prove that the Par liament and all its friends were filled with grief and dismay. Lord Nugent has quoted a remarkable passage from the Weekly Intelligencer: — "The loss of Colonel Hampden goeth near the ceart of every man that loves the good of his king and country, and makes some conceive little content to be at the army now that he is gone. The memory of this deceased colonel is such that in no Great Hampden. t6j £ge to come but it will more and more be had in honour and esteem ; a man so religious and of that prudence, judgment, temper, valour, and integrity, that he hath left few his like behind." " He had indeed left none his like behind him. There still re mained, indeed, in his party many acute intellects, many eloquent tongues, many brave and honest hearts. There still remained a rugged and clownish soldier, half fanatic, half buffoon, whose talents, discerned as yet by only one penetrating eye, were equal to all the highest duties of the soldier and the prince. But in Hampden, and in Hampden alone, were united all the qualities which at such a crisis were necessary to save the state — the valour and energy of Cromwell, the discernment and eloquence of Vane, the humanity and moderation of Manchester, the stern integrity of Hall, the ardent public spirit of Sydney. Others might possess the qualities which were necessary to save the popular party in the crisis of danger ; he alone had both the power and the inclination to restrain its excesses in the hour of triumph. Others could conquer ; he alone could reconcile. A heart as bold as his brought up the cuirassiers who turned the tide of battle on Marston Moor. As skilful an eye as his watched the Scotch army descending from the heights above Dunbar. But it was when to the sullen tyranny of Laud and Charles had succeeded the fierce conflict of sects and factions, ambitious of ascendancy and burning for revenge, it was when the vices and ignorance which the old tyranny had generated threatened the new freedom with destruction, that England missed the sobriety, the self-command, the perfect soundness of judgment, the perfect recti tude of intention, to which the history of revolutions furnishes no parallel, or furnishes a parallel in Washington alone." Of the house of Great Hampden itself, as it is at present to be seen, not much remains to be said. It is entered by a curious old hall, surrounded by a wooden gallery. Among the relics of this ancient manor are a bust and two portraits of Hampden, portraits of Henrietta Maria, of Sir Kenelm Digby, by Vandyck ; of Oliver Cromwell, Hampden's cousin, in armour, and others. There is a curious fuU-length portrait of Elizabeth in the room occupied by her on the occasion of her visit to Great Hampden. At the top of the house is a long room, filled with old books, and named John Hampden's Library. In a small library below, where Hampden was sitting when the commissioners came to arrest him, is a Bible of the Cromwell family, with a register of his birth and those of his brothers and sisters. 10(5 Great Hampden. The church of Great Hampden stands near the house. On the south wall of the chancel is the monument erected by Hampden in memory of his first wife, Elizabeth, with the following beautiful epitaph : — " In her pilgrimage — The staie and comfort of her neighbours, The love and glory of a well-ordered family, The delight and happiness of tender parents — But a crown of Blessings to a husband. In a wife to all an eternal pattern of goodness And cause of love while she was. In her dissolution— A loss invaluable to each, Yet herself blessed, and they fully recompensed In her translation, from a Tabernacle of Claye And Fellowship with Mortalis, to a celestiall Mansion And communion with the Deity." Near this is the patriot's own grave, without any memorial. This grave was opened by Hampden's biographer, Lord Nugent, and the body was found in such a perfect state that the picture on fhe staircase of the house was known to be his from the likeness. io7 HERTFORDSHIRE. Waltham Cross. Waltham Cross, or West Waltham, a village in Hertfordshire, is situated one mile and a half west from Waltham Abbey, which we have just described. It derives its name from a cross which stands upon the spot where the procession which had conveyed Queen Eleanor's re mains from Lincoln, diverged from the high road to deposit the body for the night in the Abbey Church. The design of Waltham Cross, which is very elegant, is in the chastest style of Pointed architecture ; and it is deseiving of remark that one of the statues of the Queen in the second division very nearly re sembles the effigy which lies upon her tomb in Westminster Abbey, the figure being arrayed in long flowing drapery, and regally crowned ; whilst the right hand has bome a sceptre, and the left is represented as holding a crucifix suspended from her necklace. There were originally several shields, with the arms of England, Castile, Leon, Ponthieu, &c. In 1795, preparations were made for taking down this Cross, in order to remove it into the grounds of Sir William George Prescott, Bart, lord of the manor, for its better preservation ; but after removing the upper tier of stone, finding it too hazardous an undertaking, on account of the decayed state of the ornamental parts, the scaffold was removed, and proper measures were taken for its restoration. However, the Cross was in such a dilapidated state, that a subscription was entered into for renovating the whole in exact conformity to the original work. Although many parts had suffered, as well from the effect of time as from wanton defacements, yet the sculptural details (particularly where sheltered by the Falcon Inn) were sufficiently obvious to be fully understood, and of course to be correctly restored, except as to the crowning finial, of which nothing but the central shaft remained ; from this it would appear that the upper portion, which had beer removed in 1795, was not replaced as intended. During the year 1833. the restoration was proceeded with, under the direction of Mr. W. B. Clarke, assisted by a committee of the subscribers. The lower story bas been only new-faced, where necessary, but that above it, which is 1 08 The A bbey of St. A Iban. of open Pointed work, was entirely rebuilt ; the three stati. :s of the Queen were, however, left unrepaired. The structure is hexagonal in form, and, independently of the plinth and basement steps, consists of three storeys, each finished by an embattled frieze or cornice, and at each angle is a graduated buttress, enriched with foliated crockets and finials. Within the panelled tracery of the lower story, are shields boldly sculptured with arms &us- pended fi-om knots of foliage. There are two shields on each face of the octagon, the spaces over which are enriched with ornaments ; the spandrels being charged with rosettes, in diamond-shaped panelling, bearing a close resemblance to the ornamental facings of the eastern interior walls of Westminster Abbey Church. The second storey is even yet more elegant, both fi-om its pyramidical assemblage of open pointed arches and sculptured finish, as well as from the graceful statues of Queen Eleanor which enrich its open divisions. The Abbey of St. Alban. — Shrine and Relics, The town of St. Albans, in Hertfordshire, is situated close to the 6ite of the ancient Verulamium, probably at, first a British town, and then a town with some of the privileges of Roman citizens. The Roman road, called by the Saxons the Watling-street, was also called Werlaem-street, because it went direct to Verulam, passing close under its walls. Verulam was the scene of dreadful slaughter in the great rebellion under Boadicea, who destroyed here and at Londinium (London^ , and at other places, about 70,000 Roman citizens and their allies. Suetonius Paulinus, the then governor of Britain, in return for her barbarity, attacked her forces, gained a complete victory, and put 80,000 to the sword. Verulam was then rebuilt, and its inhabitants enjoyed their privileges until the Dioclesian persecution, a.d. 304 ; when the city was again rendered famous by the martyrdom of its citizen, St. Alban : " In Britain's isle was Holy Alban born.'- He being yet a pagan, entertained in his house a certain clergyman flying fi-om the persecutors. He was engaged in prayer and watching day and night, when Alban was gradually instructed by his whole some admonitions, cast off the darkness of idolatry, and became a Christian in all sincerity of heart. After the clergyman had been some days entertained by Alban, it came to the ears of the wicked Prince The A bbey of St. A Iban. log mat this holy confessor of Christ was concealed at Alban's house Soldiers were sent to make a strict search after him. Alban imme diately presented himself to the soldiers instead of his guest and master, in the habit or long coat which he wore, and was led bound before the judge, who was then standing at the altar, and offering sacrifices to devils. When he saw Alban, being much enraged that he should thus of his own accord put himself into the hands of the soldiers, and incur danger in behalf of his guest, he commanded him to be dragged up to the images of the devils, before which he stood, saying, " Because you have chosen to conceal a rebellious and sacrilegious person, rather than deliver him up to the soldiers, that his contempt of the gods might meet with the penalty due to such blasphemy, you shall undergo ah the punishment that was due to him, if you abandon the worship of our religion." Alban, who had voluntarily declared to the persecutors of the faith that he was a Christian, was not at all daunted at the Prince's threat, but putting on the armour of spiritual warfare, publicly de clared that he would not obey the commands. The judge being much incensed, ordered the holy confessor to be scourged; he was cruelly tortured, but he bore all patiently, or rather joyfully, for our Lord's sake. When the judge perceived that he was not to be overcome by torture, he ordered him to be put to death. Being led to execution, he came to a river, which ran rapidly between the wall of the town and the place of execution. A great multitude of persons had assembled and impeded Alban's progress, and when he reached the stream the water became dried up, and made way for him to pass. Among the rest, the executioner, who was to put him to death, saw this, and on meeting Alban at the place of execution cast down the sword which Ik had carried ready drawn, fell at his feet, praying that he might rather suffer with the martyr whom he was ordered to execute, or, if possible, instead of him. Alban then ascended a hill not far off; it was clothed with flowers, and sloped down to a beautiful plain. On the top of this hill Alban prayed that God would give him water, and imme diately a living spring broke out at his feet ; this was the river which, having performed its holy service, returned to its natural course. Here the head of our most courageous martyr was struck off; but he who gave the wicked stroke had his eyes dropped upon the ground, together with the blessed martyr's head. The spot whereon Alban suffered martyrdom was called Holm- hurst in the Saxon, signifying a woody place, hear the city of Verulam, where his remains were interred. Upon the arrival in Britain of Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, accom- 110 The Abbey of St. A Iban. panied by Lupus, Bishop of Troyes, whose mission was to preach heie against the Pelagian heresy, the remains of Alban were exhumed ; and having been placed by Germanus with great solemnity in a wooder. roffin, together with a goodly supply of holy relics, to preserve them, they were restored to the earth amidst prayers and lamentations. By the care of Germanus a small church was erected to the martyr's memory, and was constructed (according to Bede) with admirable taste, though only of timber and plank ; and as the recognised sepulchre of Alban, it continued in good repute, not only for the piety of the martyr but for the miracles there shown, and was worshipped by the religious of these times, and honoured by all. On the invasion of the Saxons, however, this church, with many others, was levelled to the ground, whereby all trace of the martyr's resting-place be came lost : it continued so until its well-known discovery by Offa, who, we are informed, was accosted in the silence of the night by an angel, who admonished him to raise out of the earth the body of the first British martyr, Alban, and place his remains in a shrine with suitable ornament This vision having been reported to Humbert, Bishop of Lichfield, and Turner, a Bishop of Leicester, and Ceolwolf, Bishop of Lindsey, his suffragans, they joined immediately with a great crowd of followers of both sexes and of all ages to meet the King at Verulam on the day appointed by him, and in array there they com menced their search for the grave of Alban with prayer, fasting, and alms. Fortunately their pious exertions were soon rewarded by suc cess, as a light from heaven assisted their discovery, and a ray of fire stood over the place " like the star that conducted the magi to Beth lehem." The ground was opened, and in the presence of Offa, the body jf Alban was found, excellently preserved by the relics already named, in ii coffin of wood, just as Germanus had placed them 344 years before. The body being then raised from the earth, they conveyed it in solemn procession to a little chapel without the walls of Verulam, where Offa is said to have then placed a circle of gold round the bare skull of Alban, with an inscription thereon, to signify his name or title: he also caused the repository to be enriched with plates of gold and silver, and the chapel to be decorated with pictures, tapestry, and other ornaments, until a more noble edifice could be erected. This transaction happened 507 years after the suffering of Alban, 344 after the invasion of the Saxon, and on the ist August, in the thirty-sixth of Offa's reign that is, a.d. 791. The Abbey was then erected, and on its completion the bones of Alban, who by that time had been promoted to the dignity of a Saint, were placed therein; and Offa procured for it and granted The A bbey of St. A Iban. 1 1 1 extraordinary privileges. As the Saint of this church was the first martyr in England, Pope Honorius granted the Abbot a superiority over all otha-s. It was opened for the reception of ioo monks of the Benedictine order, who were carefully selected from houses of the most regular discipline; gradually it increased and flourished for more than seven centuries, and was governed successively by forty-one abbots — " Till Henry's mandate struck the fated shrine, And sadly closed St. Alban's mitred line." Of Offa's munificence a murder was the true source. He invited Ethelbert, Prince of the East Angles, to his Court, on pretence of marrying him to his daughter, but beheaded him, and severed his domi nions. The pious Offa had recourse to the usual expiation of murder in those melancholy ages — the founding of a monastery. In the edifice was an ancient painting of King Offa, seated on a throne, with a Latin nscription, thus translated : — " The founder of the church, about the year 793, Whom you behold ill painted on his throne Sublime, was once for Mercian Offa known." In the lapse of time, the memory of the first church perished, and it was said that Offa was miracuously guided to the place where the re mains of St. Alban were entombed. From that time there had been a church on this site. After this we come down three hundred years at a leap, to the time of the Norman Conquest, when Abbot Paul jegan to build the church which remains to this day. It was con secrated in 1 1 13 ; thus the church is not only itself of great age, but it was constructed of the fragments of other buildings that had fallen into ruins. Abbot Paul ransacked Verulam, and brought a great quantity of materials therefrom for the erection of this church. The interior walls were full of Roman bricks, and the outside wall was of Roman brick and very Uttle else. Even where the brickwork did not appear, the flint and rubble were Roman materials brought to this spot. Two Abbots before Paul had collected materials for the rebuilding of the Abbey, but a time of famine coming on, they sold the materials to re lieve the wants of the poor. Not a vestige, however, of the splendid foundation is now left, except the Abbey Church, and a large square gateway. All the monastic buildings were pulled down in the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI.; but the church, to the lasting honour ofthe Corporation and inhabitants, was rescued from impending destruc tion, and purchased by them of the latter sovereign for 400/., and then made parochial. The church is in the form of a cross j its extreme length H2 The A bbey of St. A Iban. is 556 feet, being three feet longer than Winchester Cathedral, and thus longer than any of our cathedrals. There are two transepts, 170 feet long, and a central tower, 130 feet high, of the Norman period, from which time to that of Edward IV. the style of every age may be traced in succession. The most central parts are the most ancient. The carved oak ceiling of the Norman lantern is 102 feet from the pave ment. The interior was plundered by CromweU's soldiers, who left only one brass monument of great value — a plate 12 feet long, of Abbot de Ia Mare, who lived in the reign of Edward III. The Abbot in his robes, curiously engraven, is a capital specimen of sculpture in that reign. In an Abbey like St. Albans, relics were indispensable. On the authority of that well-known herald and antiquary, Elias Ashmole, we leam that Mr. Robert Shrimpton, who had been four times Mayor of St. Albans, and who lived when the Abbey was yet in the enjoyment of its privileges and authority, perfectly remembered a hollow image of the Virgin which stood near the shrine of the saint, and was large enough to admit a performer who governed the wires as instructed, caused the eyes of the figure to move, and the head to nod, according to the approval or otherwise of the offering made. Notwithstanding, however, the care taken to preserve the bones of the saint intact, they were not destined to long remain either in peace or in safety, as in the year 950, the Danes were committing great excesses throughout England ; and a party of them hearing the fame of St Alban, came to the Abbey, broke open the tomb, and seized the saint's bones ; they unceremoniously carried some of them off into their own country, and there deposited them in a costly shrine built for the purpose in a house of the Black Monks, hoping they would be wor shipped and adored with the like veneration in Denmark as they had been in England. Such was not the case ; some of the bones had been lost, and those which remained were collected and returned to their former resting-place. In less than a hundred years after this, the bones were again disturbed. During the time of jElfric, the nth Abbot, who ruled the monastery during the reigns of Canute, Harold, and Hardicanute. and part of that of Edward the Confessor, the Danes (in 1041) renewed their invasion. With a dread of their ravages, jElfric how ever resolved that no further portion of St. Alban's bones, nor of his shrine, should fall to the lot of the invaders. First, the real bones were secured by those in the secret removing the shrine containing them, and concealing it in 2 hole in the wall which had been specially pre- The A bbey of St. A Iban. 1 1 3 pared for the purpose, close under the altar of St. Nicholas. That done, other bones were substituted for the genuine ones, and placed in a very rich chest. The Abbot having then openly expressed to his monks the fears he entertained of the Danish invasion, proposed that for the effectual preservation of the relics of St. Alban, he should request the monks of Ely (which place was well secured by water and marshes from the attack of robbers) to take charge of the remains, together with some ornaments of the Abbey; and the Abbot completed tbe consignment with a very rough shagged old coat, which was commonly represented to be the very coat worn by Amphibalus, when he converted Alban. The Ely monks readily consented to receive and preserve the relics, and solemnly pledged their word to send them back whenever requested so to do. Fortunately, however, for iElfric's peace of mind, the Danish king, while going on board his ship, fell into the sea and was drowned. No sooner, therefore, was peace assured, than the monks of St. Albans requested their brethren of Ely to return them their sacred bones and relics. This they refused to do. It was useless that iElfric reminded his brother of Ely of the sanctity of his promise. Ely had got the bones, and resolved to keep them. jElfric on the other hand threatened he would not only tell the King but appeal to the Pope, and complain of such a breach of good faith and religious duty. The Ely monks then promised to restore the property. 'Tis tme they sent back the old coat and the rich chest containing bones, but not the bones. These they determined to keep to them selves, and they carried their plan into execution by forcing open the bottom of the chest and extracting the old bones they found there, and replacing them with another sham set. They then allowed the St. Albans monks to depart with the fullest assurance that they were taking with them the real remains of their much loved saint. Abbot jElfric however knew better, On the arrival of the convoy he quietly turned the substituted bones of Ely into the earth, and aided by his assistants drew the genuine bones from their hiding-place in the wall, and restored them to the shrine in the church. Thus matters remained for a century or more, but at length the monks of Ely admitted the authenticity of the bones at St. Albans. Still, a considerable portion of the flock abstained from discharging their religious duties at the Abbey, when, to induce them to return, a life-sized figure of St Alban, clothed in a magnificent robe, was dressed up, and occasionally carried by the monks into the town in solemn procession, and deposited at the market cross, where, after the appointed address had been delivered to the assembled multitude, the signal was given 1 r4 The A bbey of St. A Iban. for the saint's removal, whereupon commenced the miracle. The saint remained immovable until the Abbot had been sent for. On his arrival (duly armed with mitre and crozier) he laid the latter upon the rebellious saint, saying, " Arise, arise, St. Alban, and get thee home to the sanctuary," whereupon immediate submission was the result, and the saint returned as he came. Amongst the benefactors of the monastery was Geoffrey de Gor- ham, the 16th Abbot (1119-1146), who gave a very handsome vessel for the reception of certain relics then belonging to the Abbey. He also, with a pious regard for the relics of St. Alban, commenced a very sumptuous shrine for the reception of the saint's body, and had ex pended upon it 60/. (in our time about 800/.), when, owing to a great scarcity of food, he was compelled to convert the gold and silver ornaments of the shrine into money, and expended it for the relief of the poor. The famine having passed away, the Abbot collected money for the shrine, and by the aid of a monk named Awketill, a goldsmith, who had passed seven years in the service of the King of Denmark, he brought the shrine to great perfection, both in ornament and magni ficence, the materials of the shrine being of silver-gilt. For want of funds the upper part of the canopy, called " the crest," remained un finished, the intention being to adorn and ornament it with gold and precious stones, whenever they could be obtained in sufficient quantity. The shrine being erected in the space behind the great altar, a day was appointed for the translation or removal of the saint's remains, with great ceremony. Rumours, however, had got abroad that some of the saint's bones were missing ; when they were taken out, exhibited singly, and numbered. The head was then held up for the inspection of all present by the venerable Ralph, Archdeacon of the Abbey. On the fore part was a scroll of parchment, pendant from a thread of silk with this inscrip tion, " Sanctus Albanus." A circle of gold enclosed the skull, 'fixed by the order of Offa, and engraved with these words, " Hoc est corpus Sancti Albani, protomartyris Anglias." But one, namely, the left scapula or shoulder-bone was missing, and especial note having been taken of the fact, the translation was completed, with all the ceremonies and splendour of the Romish church. A few years after, two foreign monks arrived at the Abbey with letters credential from the Church and Monastery of Naunburg, in Germany, declaring that they were possessed of the missing " scapula," which had been brought to them direct from St. Albans by King Canute. The bone having been produced and identified, was added to the others in the shrine amidst great festivity The A bbey of St. Alban. 1 1 S and rejoicing. The Abbot ordered three hundred poor persons to be relieved at the gate of the monastery ; the priests sang four masses, and the rest of the brethren, by way of rejoicing, sang, instead of a mass, fifty psalms. The day of this solemnity was the 4th of the month of August, in the 29th year of Henry I., 1129, and for many years after wards the anniversaiy was solemnized with great devotion and festivity, and remission to penitents. Robert, the 18th Abbot, on his return from Rome, caused the coffin and shrine of the saint to be repaired, and the gold and silver ornaments and precious stones which had been taken from the shrine, in order to purchase their estate at Brentfield, to be reinstated in their former splendour. Robert's successor, Symond, spent the greater part of his time in procuring gold and silver, rich cups, and utensils, and with many precious stones decorating the shrine, so that Matthew Paris (who lived nearly a century afterwards) " had never seen a shrine more splendid and noble." It was then in the form of an altar tomb, rising with a lofty canopy over it, supported on four pillars, and upon it was represented the saint lying in great state. This shrine enclosed the coffin wherein the bones of the saint had been deposited by Abbot Geoffrey, sixteenth Abbot. This coffin was in its turn enclosed in an outer case, which on two sides was orna mented with figures, and embossed in gold and silver, portraying the chief events of the saint's life. At the head was placed a large crucifix, with a figure of Mary on the one side and St. John on the other, ornamented with a row of very splendid jewels. At the west, and in front of the choir, was placed an image of the Virgin holding her son in her bosom, seated on a throne ; the work being of richly embossed gold, and enriched with precious stones and very costly bracelets. The four pillars which supported the canopy stood one at each comer, and were shaped in resemblance like towers, with apertures to represent windows, all being of plate gold. The inside of the canopy was also covered with crystal stones. Such was the magnificent shrine of the Saint at that period. To the Abbey Treasury, in the time of William de Trumpington, the 22nd Abbot, an inestimable relic was added, one of the " Ribs of Wulstan," who was Bishop of Worcester in the time of William the Conqueror. A monk named Lawrence, who had just arrived from the monastery of Jehosaphat, near Jerusalem, brought a Holy Cross, cer tified to be made from a portion of the real Cross upon which the Saviour had suffered. Next was a human arm, positively declared to be that of St. Jerome, which the Abbot enclosed in a case of gold, set with jewels and stones of great value, and caused it from that tune to be borne ;ji the Abbey processions on all great festivals.- 1 1 6 The A bbey of St. A Iban. Hitherto we have spoken of the remains of St. Alban with a confi dence not to be mistaken ; we are gravely assured that in 1236, during the abbacy of John of Hertford, during some repairs then done at the east end of the Abbey, the workmen in opening the ground discovered a stone coffin which, according to the inscription upon it, contained the true bones of St. Alban. This discovery is said to have been made between the altar of Oswin and that of Wulstan, where the matins were usually said : here stood an ancient painted shrine, and under it a marble tomb or coffin, supported on marble pillars, and which place and tomb had been therefore considered and called the tomb of St. Alban. Here then it was decided the holy martyr had been interred on the day of his execution about 970 years before. Fortunately, this most important but unexpected discovery was made in the presence of the Abbot John, as well as of the Bishop of Bangor, and of Philip de Chester. There were present also all the inmates of the monastery, including Matthew Paris the narrator. As a conclusive proof of the authenticity of the remains of the Saint, miracles were performed at his coffin, and Matthew Paris relates that first one boy was thereby raised from death, and then another, and that many were cured of blindness, and of the paley. John of Wheathampstead, the justly famous Abbot, also caused a picture of the Saint, curiously enriched with gold and silver, to be painted at his own expense and suspended over the shrine ; but this has long since perished. To restore the pristine influence of the shrine as far as possible, the Abbot William of Wallingford caused the stately screen (the mutilated remains of which are still to be seen and admired) to be erected before the altar. By it the shrine was enclosed thenceforth, and only shown on rare occasions, and with great solemnity. Still despite the screen, the attractions of the shrine gradually faded away before the rising star of the Reformation, and were utterly extinguished on December 5th, 1539, when Sir Thomas Pope received the final surrender of the Abbey, its privileges and power, from the hireling Abbot, Richard Boreman. Immediately afterwards the hands of the spoiler became paramount, and so strongly was the work of destruction carried on that all trace of the former honours rendered to the saint soon disappeared, leaving the inscription "S. Albanus Verolamensis Anglorum Protomartyr, 17 Junii, 293," as the only existing link between the 16th century of the shrine of St. Alban and the Abbey relics. The Abbey— as such, became extinguished, its glories departed. its shrine was despoiled, and its relics scattered and lost. The church however, never lost its position as a place of worship, but remained in The A bbey of St. A Iban. 1 1 7 possession of the crown until the charter was conferred upon St. Albans in 1553 by Edward VI., at which period it was sold for the nominal sum of 400/. to a worthy and wealthy inhabitant of the town, rejoicing in the euphemistic and appropriate name of " Stump."* The Abbey was visited by the majority of our Sovereigns, until the reign of Henry VIII. To the visit of Henry I. and his "Queen Matilda of Scotland," we owe the production of the miniature like- nets of this royal benefactress, then taken by one of the limners of the Abbey : it was afterwards, in the early part of the 14th century, copied into the " Golden Register of St. Albans,'' which still exists, and is now to be found in the British Museum (Cottonian MSS. Nero D), and is a sort of conventual album, wherein were entered the portraits of all the benefactors of the Abbey, together with an abstract of their donations. In that miniature the Queen appears in the costume she doubtless wore at the consecration ofthe Abbey. She displays with her left hand the charter she gave the Abbey, from which hangs a very large red seal, whereon without doubt was impressed her effigy in grand relief. Henry III., on no less than six different occasions became the Abbot's guest, and evinced his favour to the Monastery in a very marked and substantial manner. Thus, in 1244, whilst John of Hert ford was the 23rd Abbot, the King visited St. Albans twice, and remained at the Abbey three days on each occasion. His Majesty's second visit took place on the feast of St. Thomas, just before Christ mas (21 December). On this occasion, whilst attending the Abbey mass, he, in the course of his devotion at the altar, made an offering of a very rich pall or cloak, and in addition gave three bracelets of gold to be affixed to the shrine to the honour of St. Alban, and in remem brance of himself. In 1249 Henry once more sought the hospitality of the Abbey on his way to Huntingdon, and at this time his Majesty was so distressed for money as to be obliged to entreat the Abbot John to lend him the trifling sum of sixty marks, and to prove the urgency of the want, he told John, on his handing the money, that " it was as great a charity as to give an alms at the Abbey gate." The King, however, was accustomed to these " loans," which he well knew could not be refused to him, as he honoured the Abbey so frequently with his presence, and presented to it habits and ornaments of great value. In 1251 the King came twice to the Abbey, and made an offering of * Condensed and selected from an elaborate paper by H. A. Holt, Esq., read to the British Archaeological Association Congress, at St. Albans, in August, 1S69. T II. 1 1 S The A bbey of St. A took three robes, manufactured entirely of silk, which with others before given, amounted to thirty in number, as well as two necklaces of great value. In the year 1252, during the abbacy of John the 23rd Abbot, Henry's Queen, Eleanor of Provence, honoured the Abbey with her presence, accompanied by her children. During her stay, the Queen was in imminent danger from a thunderstorm, as whilst sitting in her room the lightning struck the chimney of her chamber and shivered it to pieces. Tbe Abbey laundry burst into flames, and such a commo tion was caused by the elements that Alanus le Zouch, the King's chief justice of Chester and of the Welsh district (who was escorting two treasure carts, and had temporarily accepted hospitality at the Abbey), thinking the whole structure was devoted to destruction, rushed forth with his attendants into the highway, and as they went, they fancied a flaming torch or a drawn sword preceded them. As a token of gratitude for her preservation the Queen made an offering on the altar of a rich cloth called a " baldekin " of tissue of gold. In the beginning of March, 1257, the King again visited the Monastery, when the several inmates were habited in their best attire, the saint was borne on such portion of his shrine as was portable, the King him- ie!f following in the train, and testifying his veneration for the sacred relics of St. Alban. The King made great offerings to the shrine' consisting of a curious and splendid bracelet and valuable rings, as well as a large silver cup to receive the dust and ashes of the venerable martyr. He also gave six robes of silk as a covering to the said old monument. On this occasion his Majesty prolonged his stay for a week, and conversed much with the celebrated Matthew Paris, then an inmate of the Abbey, making him his companion at table, as well as in the audience chamber, and in his closet or private room. In 1264, St. Albans was a scene of great tumult and disorder, con sequent upon a dispute between Roger, the 24th Abbot, and the townspeople, connected with the use of the Abbey mills. In the midst of the confusion the Queen arrived, and multitudes crowded the way for the purpose of begging the royal interference in their behalf, but being foiled in this expectation by the Abbots introducing the Queen to the Monastery by some private way, the inhabitants became more outrageous than before, and so barricaded the town at every avenue, that from its fortified state it was called " Little London." It was during this tumult that Gregory de Stokes, the Constable of Hertford Castle, and his three attendants, were seized and decapitated by the infuriated townsmen ; for this outrage the King amerced the town in ioo marks, which they instantly paid. The A bbey of St. A Iban. 1 1 9 In 1268, the King made his last visit to the Abbey of which Vr; have any record — namely, on the Feast of St. Bartholomew. On this occasion Henry was accompanied by his eldest son, the Prince Edward— afterwards Edward I. The royal party entered the Church with great solemnity, and made offerings of rich palls, bracelets, golden rings, and of twelve talents besides, the King directing that the Abbot might convert these valuable articles into money if he pleased, provided that the proceeds were laid out in ornaments for St. Alban's shrine. Upon the accession of Edward II., that monarch demanded of John Maryus, the 26th Abbot, to be furnished on his Scottish wars with two carts and proper horses, and all appurtenances ; but the Abbot injudiciously pleaded his poverty, and declared his inability to comply with it; whereupon, on the King's visit to the Abbey in 131 1, accom panied by his favourite, Piers Gaveston, Edward refused either to see the Abbot, or to converse with him, whereupon Maryus at once sought the mediation of Gaveston, and by presenting the King with 100 marks of silver, peace was restored between King and Abbot ; but the King soon afterwards cut down a wood at Langley, near West- wood, under pretence of enlarging the royal mansion there, where upon the Abbot claimed the wood as belonging to the Monastery, but lost it. Though we have no knowledge of any actual visit of Edward III. to the Abbey, certain it is that the Abbot procured from this King many considerable donations for the shrine, amongst which may be mentioned a crucifix of gold set with pearls, a cup of silver-gilt of great value, sundry Scottish relics, timber for repairing the choir, and 100/. in money. Consequent upon the extortionate demands made upon the Monastery during the abbacy of Thomas de la Mare, the youthful Richard II. (soon after the death of Wat Tyler) hearing of the great commotions at St. Albans, decided to march thither and suppress the disorders ; it was not, however, until they were posi tively assured of the King being on his way to the town that they restored the goods they had stolen from the Abbey, and gave a bond to pay 200/. to the Abbot for damages. Richard was attended on this occasion by Sir Robert Tresillian, his much-dreaded chief justice, and escorted with a guard of 1000 bowmen and soldiers. The King was received at the west door by the Abbot and his monks, in pro cession, and with great solemnity.* * In the choir of the church there formerly hung a life-like portrait of Richard II., seated in State, with crown and sceptre upon what, from its con struction (the height of its pinnacles, and the fact of its being raised on a step 1 20 The A bbey sf St. A Iban. History is altogether silent as to either visit or donation by either King Henry IV. or his son Henry V., and it is not until we reach the 38th year of the reign of Henry VI., or 77 years after Richard's visit, chat royalty seems to have again smiled upon the Abbey. May 22, 1435, was a sad day for Henry VI., and one long noted in the annals of the Abbey. Upon it was fought the first famous battle of St. Albans, between the houses of York and Lancaster, which although it lasted but one short hour, yet proved so disastrous to Henry, and left him wounded in the neck by an arrow, and a prisoner to the Duke of York. The King remained on the field until he was left perfectly alone, under his royal banner, when he took refuge in a baker's shop, and was there visited by the conquering Duke, who bending his knee bade him " Rejoice, as the traitor Somerset was slain," — and then led the King, first to the shrine of St. Alban, and afterwards to his apart ments in the Abbey ; on the foUowing day he took him to London. In 1439, however, Henry and his Queen, with their youthful and only son, Edward Prince of Wales, then in his 7th year (called by Speed " The child of sorrow and infelicity"), visited the Abbey, and were entertained by John of Wheathampstead, the 33rd Abbot, and by far the most famous and illustrious of all the rulers of the Monastery. At Easter, 1439, t'le King again passed his holidays at the Abbey; being altogether without means to adequately acknowledge the hos pitality shown him, he ordered his best robe to be given to the Abbot as a token of his satisfaction. His treasurer, however, knowing that the King had not a second robe to his back, was amazed at the royal command, but with admirable presence of mind, whilst affecting to obey the King's wishes, whispered in the Abbot's ear, that " some of those days " he would send him fifty marks instead of the robe, but or steps), may certainly be called a lofty throne. Mr. Riley surmises that this portrait was painted for Abbot William de Colchester. Upon that Abbot's disgrace, and in order to protect the portrait from the Bolingbroke party, when Richard was unseated, it is supposed to have been removed from the Abbot's palace to the interior of the Abbey, where no one could molest it under penalties of sacrilege. "This, "says the AthentBum, "is more probable, perhaps, than another suggestion which has been made respecting the origin of this portrait. The Earl of Arundel, who had been ordered to attend the funeral of Richard's Queen, arrived so late in the Abbey, that the angry King on seeing the Earl and his indifference, seized a beadle's staff, knocked Arundel down, and would have murdered him on the spot but for the bystanders. As it was, blood from the Earl's wound desecrated the Abbey, and the rites were suspended till prayer had cleansed the place of sacrilege. It has been suggested that, in part expiation of the crime, Richard gave this, the first painted presentment now extant of any of our kings, to the Abbey ; but, as it seems to have been at St. Albans before it was at Westminster, Mr. Riley's later surmise seems to bear the greater amount of probability." Tlie Abbey of St. Alban. 121 Henry, hearing of the arrangement, would brook no delay in payment sf the money, and insisted on the Prior sending specially to London for it, which was done. The King had it counted, and paid over by the Lord Treasurer in the royal presence, but imposed as a condition that it should be expended by the Abbot in the purchase of gold cloth of great value, and commonly called " Cremsyne Thissue," and this to be made up in one cope or chasuble, two tunics, and one complete suit for the cover of the grand altar. On Shrove Tuesday (17th February), 1461, the hostile forces of York and Lancaster again met near St. Albans, when the fortune of the day rested with the Queen (Margaret). As night set in the defeated Yorkists fled precipitately, leaving their royal prisoner, King Henry, nearly alone in a tent with Lord Montague, his chamber lain, and two or three attendants. The Queen on being apprised of her lord's captivity, attended by her son the Prince of Wales, flew to greet Henry. The royal family and their northern lords then went immediately to the Abbey, at the doors of which they were met by the Abbot John, attended by his monks, who chanted hymns of triumph and of thanksgiving for the King s safety. The whole party then proceeded to the high altar to return thanks for the victory and deliverance of the King, after which the shrine of St. Alban was visited for a similar purpose, and on the conclusion of their religious duties, the King, Queen, and Prince were conducted to their apartments in the Abbey, where they took up their abode for several days, and then pro- ceeded to London. With Henry VI. the royal favours shown to the Abbey were fast drawing to a close. It is true that Edward IV.'s pleasures of the chase in the forest of Whittlebury, led to his early acquaintance with the Abbey and its rules, but no record is left of any state visit, holiday- making or regal offerings by this King, although, from an entry in the Abbey accounts, it appears that John of Wheathampstead expended 85/. (no inconsiderable sum in those days) in entertaining the young Sing, Edward IV., at his first visit after his coronation. Tolerance and protection to the Abbey appear to have been the leading features in Edward's time. Richard III. however, both before and after his accession, showed great favour to the Monastery, and warmly en couraged the completing and publishing of the celebrated St. Albans Chronicle ; but with his reign the last royal favour ceased for ever, and neither the ancient splendour of the Abbey nor its literary fame could any longer secure to it the grace and favour of the sovereign : it ex perienced a fatal blow when Henry VII. ascended the tfirone. 1 2 2 The A bbey of St. A Iban. Whilst under Morton and Fox the work of oppression and destruc tion became easy, yet with an hypocrisy only exceeded by his selfish ness, the King affected to manifest great respect and devotion to this Abbey, as in the 20th year of his reign he caused the Abbot and Convent of Westminster to engage to pay yearly to the Abbey of St. Albans iooj., in order to keep and observe a most solemn anniversary on the 7th Feb. ; and thereon to pray for the king and his father, and when his mother, the Countess of Richmond, should be dead, for her also.* Chaucer and our early authors complain as to the treatment of bond men, or villeins, which complaints certain modern writers say are grossly exaggerated, and that the condition of the Abbey bondman especially was little worse, comparatively, than that of a tenant farmer now. Here are two instances to the contrary, from the records of St. Albans. In 1353 Nicholas Tybbesone charged the Abbot of St Albans and his fellow-monk, Reginald of Spalding, that they assaulted, beat, wounded, and imprisoned him the said Nicholas, and kept him two days in prison till he paid them a fine of 76 shillings to let him go. They pleaded that Nicholas had no right of action against them, as he was their bondman. He could not deny this, and was in consequence " amerced for making a false complaint." Again, in 1333, the Abbot and his men break into the close of one of his villeins, John Albyn, and carry off his bull and twenty-four cows, of the value of twenty marks. On suing the Abbot, he pleads that Albyn is his villein ; and consequently, the poor man not only loses his cattle, but " is amerced for making a false claim" to his own property. — (Athenaeum journal.) One ofthe monks of St. Albans was Malken of Paris, and another was one of the first of our English printers. The first book known to have been printed by Caxton in this country is dated 1474, and in 1480 was published the earliest book printed at St. Albans Abbey, entitled Rhetorica nova Fratris Laurencii Gulielmi de Soona. Of this book three copies are extant. Two other works appeared the same year. In 148 1 appeared Aristotle's Physics, and a little after the St. Albans Chronicle, and then the Gentleman's Recreation, by the Prioress 01 the neighbouring nunnery of Sopwell, Dame Juliana Berners. The subject may be thought singular for a lady in such a position in our time. The work consists of three treatises — one on " Hawking," another on " Hunting and Fishing," and the third on " Brass Armour." Facing the entrance of the south door of the Abbey church is the * Condensed and selected from an elaborate paper by H F. Holt, Esq., read to the British Archaeological Association Congress, at St. Albans, ia August, i860. The Abbey of St. Alban. 123 monument to Humphrey, brother to King Henry V., commonly distin guished by the title of the Good Duke Humphrey. It is adorned with a ducal coronet, and the arms of France and England. In niches on one side are seventeen Kings ; but in the niches on the other side there are no statues remaining. Before this monument is a strong iron grating, to prevent the sculpture being defaced. The inscription, in Latin, alludes to the pretended miraculous cure of a blind man, detected by the Duke, and to the gift of books for the Divinity School at Oxford. It may be thus translated : " SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE BEST OF MEN. " Interr'd within this consecrated ground, Lies he whom Henry his protector found : Good Humphrey, Gloster's Duke, who well could spy. Fraud couch 'd within the blind impostor's eye. His country's light, and state's rever'd support, Who peace and rising learning deign'd to court : Whence his rich library at Oxford plac'd, Her ample school with sacred influence grac'd : Yet fell beneath an envious woman's wile, Both to herself, her king, and country, vile ; Who scarce allow'd his bones this spot of land, Yet, spite of envy, shall his glory stand." In the chancel is the vault, discovered in 1703, in which the Duke was buried ; at which time the body was entire, and in strong pickle ; the pickle, however, has long been dried up, the flesh wasted away, and nothing remains of this great and good prince but a few bones. We were shown, many years ago, some dust, stated to be the Duke's ! * * These mouldering remains gave rise to the following jeu d'esprit, by the illustrious actor, Garrick. In the summer of 1765, Garrick and Quin (who was hardly more renowned for his merits as a player than for his fondness for good living), with other friends, visited at St. Albans, where, at the Abbey Church, they were shown the bones of Duke Humphrey ; Quin jocosely lamented that so many aromatics, and such a quantity of spirit, should be used in the preservation of a dead body. After their return to dinner, and whilst the bowl was circulating, Garrick took out his pencil, and wrote the following verses, which he denominated " QUIN'S SOLILOQUY. " A plague on Egypt's arts I say — Embalm the dead ! On senseless clay Rich wines and spices waste ! Like sturgeon, or like brawn, shall I, Bound in a precious pickle lie, Which I can never taste? " Let me embalm this flesh of mine, With turtle fat, and Bordeaux wine, And spoil th' Egyptian trade ! Than Humphrey's duke more happy 1 I Embalm 'd alive, old Quin shall lie A mummy ready made 1" 1 24 The A bbey of St. A Iban. Near where the shrine stood is " the Watch Room," in which the monks attended to receive the donations of devotees, as well as to guard the riches of the shrine. Beneath the above is a stone coffin, on which is inscribed an account of Sir John Mandeville, the greatest traveller of his time. He was a native of St. Albans, and dying in 1372, was buried at Liege, in Flanders. Here are a beautiful stone screen, and some finely sculptured monu ments of Abbots Ramryge and Wheathampstead, and Frederic; a brass plate to the memory of Sir Anthony Grey, of Groby, knighted by Henry VI. at Colney, but slain next day at the second battle of St. Albans, February 17, 1461. Abbot Frederic made the boldest stand against William the Conqueror. The battle of Hastings was over, Harold was killed in it, no head was made against William's sub duing the whole island ; and he came on by slow marches to take possession rather than to subdue by force. Having passed the Thames at Wallingford, he rested at Berkhampstead, where Abbot Frederic stopped him by cutting down trees, and throwing them in the invader's way. By this delay the Abbot gained time to convene the nobility of the country at St. Albans, to consult about some effort to drive the Normans back, and free the country from their yoke; but their attempts to this purpose were vain. The Abbot's resolute answer to William is remarkable. Being asked by him, " Why he felled the trees to impede the army's pro gress ?" he boldly replied, that " he had done no mole than his duty ; and if all the clergy in the realm had done the same, they might have stopped his progress." This produced a menace from King William, " that he would cut their power shorter, and begin with him." Thus St. Albans greatly suffered from the conduct of its Abbot, who, on the dissolution of the confederacy, was obliged to seek refuge in the monastery of Ely, where he died of grief and mortification ; while William seized all the abbey lands between Barnet and London Stone together with the manor of Redburn; and would have effectually ruined the monastery, but for the solicitation of Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury. The stately Abbey Church had fallen into partial and piecemeal decay, when, in the year 1832, a fund was raised for its substantial repair, under the superintendence of Mr. L. N. Cottingham, architect. The subscription was headed by King William IV., who, being on a visit to the Marquis of Westminster, at Moor Park, near Rickmansworth his Majesty, during a drive through the grounds, halted to admire the massive form of the Abbey Church, in one of the picturesque prospects Hertford Castle. 125 from the beautiful domain. The opportunity proved a golden one to report to the King the repairs in progress, when his Majesty was pleased to signify his donation of 100 guineas to the funds. The good work has since been carried on; and in the autumn of 1869, a hope was expressed by the Lord Bishop of Rochester for the speedy and effectual restoration of the interesting fabric. The Bishop's hope has been fulfilled, the restoration of the Abbey has proceeded and still pro ceeds. The monument of St. Alban has been ingeniously restored. Here may be noted some particulars of Neckam, a scientific English man of the twelfth century, a native of St. Albans, born on the same night as Richard Cceur de Lion, and suckled at the same breast. He became a distinguished professor at the University of Paris, and was afterwards elected Abbot of Cirencester. In his treatise De Natura Rerum are many anecdotes characteristic of the times, and they especially teach us how great was the love of all animals in the Middle Ages, how ready people of all classes were to observe and note the peculiarities of animated nature, and especially how fond they were of tained and domestic animals. The mediaeval castles and great man sions were like so many menageries of rare beasts and birds of all kinds. His love for symbolism is great ; and wonderful is his dis covery of the whole doctrine of ihe Trinity in the first word of the Book of Genesis in Hebrew. Neckam was a precursor of Bacon. St. Albans has been made a Bishop's See. Hertford Castle. Hertford is a town of considerable antiquity, by some writers thought to have been originally a Roman station. In 673, a national eccle siastical council was held here by Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, to compel submission to the Papal see ; two of the Saxon Kings at tended. About 903, Edward the Elder erected the Castle, and re built the town, which had probably been ruined by the Danes. In the Civil War of the reign of John, the Castle was taken, after a stout defence, by the Dauphin Louis and the revolted Barons. It next came to the Crown. In 1357, Isabella, Queen of Edward IL, was re siding here, as we learn from the very interesting account of her last days, drawn from the Book of her Household Expenses, by Mr. E. 4. Bond, F.S.A., of the British Museum, We have here detailed her 1 2° Berkhampstead Castle. pilgrimage from Hertford Castle to Canterbury ; her reception of the renowned Captal de Buche, cousin of the Comte de Foix, who took part in the battle of Poitiers, and while at Hertford Castle was visited by several noble captives, taken in that battle. Then we read of Queen Isabella resting at Tottenham, on her way to Hertford, and presenting a gift to the nuns at Cheshunt, who met the Queen at the Cross. Isabella died at Hertford Castle, although often stated to have expired at Castle Rising. We have an account of numerous journeys of medical attendants, and bearers of messages during the month the Queen lay ill. Her body lay at Hertford, in the chapel of the Castle, whence her funeral left for London, for interment in the church of the Grey Friars. In 1362, at Hertford Castle, died Joan, wife of David, King of Scotland, and sister of Edward III., during whose reign Jean IL, King of France, and David, King of Scotland, spent part of their captivity here. In 1369, Henry, Duke of Lancaster (afterwards Henry IV.), kept his Court here when Richard II. was deposed. The Castle was then granted in succession to John of Gaunt, and to the Queens of Henry IV., V., and VI. ; the latter sovereign spent his Easter here in 1429. Queen Elizabeth occasionally resided and held her Court in Hertford Castle. Berkhampstead Castle. Berkhamstead, or Berkhampstead, as it is generally though corruptly ¦vritten, is an ancient market town in Herts, seemingly of Saxon origin. The name is certainly Saxon— Berg signifying a hill, Ham a town, and Stedt, a seat, it being seated among the hills ; or it may be from Burg, a fortified place, and Ham-stede, the fortified Hamstede, homestead. The kings of Mercia had certainly a palace or Castle at this place, and to this we may attribute the growth if not the origin of the town. William the Conqueror came to Berkhampstead on his way through Wallingford to London, after the battle of Hastings, and was obliged to make some stay there, his further progress having been intercepted by Frederic, Abbot of St. Albans, as described in page 27. The grand meeting afterwards held at Berkhampstead between WiUiam and the noble prelates who belonged to the powerful confederacy Abbot Frederic, who was of the royal blood of the Saxons, had organized with the object of compelling the Norman to rule according to the ancient laws and customs of the country, or else of doing their utmoft Berkhampstead Castle. 127 to raise Edgar Atheling to the throne. William thought it prudent to take the required oath, and it is well known how he neglected it when he was firmly seated on the throne. In the distribution of territory among his followers which then took place, the Castle and Manor of Berkhampstead were given to his half-brother, the Earl of Mortaigne. Domesday Book informs us that the property was rated at thirteen hides, and that it was worth twenty-four pounds when bestowed on the Earl, but only sixteen pounds at Domesday time. Among other curious particulars in this account, it is mentioned that the land contained two arpends of vineyards. The Earl enlarged and strengthened the Castle ; but in the time of his son, it was seized by Henry I., and, according to most accounts, razed to the ground, on account of the rebellion of its possessor, William, Earl of Mortaigne ; and the town and manor reverted to the Crown. It is probable, how ever, that the demolition was only a partial one, or that the Castle was soon after rebuilt, as Henry II. occasionaUy kept his Court here, and granted great privileges "to the men and merchants of the honour of Wallingford and Berkhamsted St. Peter's." Among them it was granted that they should have " firm peace in all his land of England and Normandy, wheresoever they should be," with the enjoyment of all the laws and customs which they had in the time of Edward the Confessor and King Henry, his grandfather. He also granted that wheresoever they should go with their merchandizes to buy or sell through all England, Normandy, Anjou, and Aquitaine, they should be free fi-om all toll and all secular customs and exactions, and all servile works ; and should any man vex or disturb them, he rendered himself liable to a penalty of ten pounds. Robert, the Conqueror's half-brother, was Earl of Cornwall, and we find that the honour of Berkhamstead almost invariably accom panied every subsequent grant of the earldom. The Castle was given by Henry II. to Becket. At a later date it was the jointure of Queen Isabelle, the bride of King John ; and in 1216 it was besieged by Louis the Dauphin of France, who had come over to assist the discontented barons. The besieged held out till the King sent them orders to surrender. It was then the dower of the second queen of Edward I. , it next belonged to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, better known as the King of the Romans, who died here ; and later still was granted by King Edward II. to his favourite, Piers Gaveston. When Edward III., in the twenty-eighth year of his reign, advanced his eldest son, Edward the Black Prince, to the title and dignity of Duke of Cornwall, the Castle and Manor of Berkhampstead were given to him " to hokj 12 8 Berkhampstead Castle. to him and the heirs of him, and the eldest sons of the kings of England, and the dukes of the said place." Here resided for a time the Prince's illustrious captive, John, King of France. Accordingly, the property has since descended from the Crown to the successive Princes of Wales, as heirs to the throne and Dukes of Cornwall, under whom it has, for the last three centuries, been leased out to different persons. In 1496, Cicely, Duchess of York, mother of Edward IV. and Richard III., closed here her long life of sorrow and suffering, after witnessing in her own family more appalling vicissitudes than probably are to be found in the history of any other individual. The Castle at Berkhampstead appears to have been unoccupied after her death ; and was " much in ruin," even in Leland's time. The place declined in importance after it ceased to be even occa sionally a royal residence. The Castle became gradually ruined by neglect. The mansion, now called Berkhampstead Place, is said to have been erected out of the remains of the Castle early in the seventeenth century. The greatest part of this rmnsion was destroyed by fire about 1661, and only about a third part was afterwards repaired, which forms the present residence. The Castle itself was situated to the east of the town, and though the buildings are now reduced to a few massive fragments of wall, enough remains to evince the ancient strength and importance of the fortress. The works are nearly circular, and include about eleven acres. It was defended on the north-east by a double and on the other side by a triple moat. These moats are still in some parts wide and deep. On the bank, between the second and third moat from the outside, are two rude piers of masonry, between which the entrance probably lay over drawbridges connecting the several moats. The space enclosed by the inner moat is surrounded by a wall, constructed with flints coarsely cemented together, within which stood the habitable part of the Castle. Strongly as this Castle was fortified, it could not have been tenable after the invention of cannon, as its site, though elevated, is commanded by still higher eminences on the north and north-east. An account, written about fifty years since, describes the ramparts of the Castle as very bold, and trees growing on the site or the keep, which stood upon a high artificial mount. Although Berkhampstead was favoured by royalty, their visits were respectively but of short duration. Berkhampstead had two repre. sentatives in the Parliament of the 14th and 13th Edward III. but there is no record of such return from this place on any other occasion. 'J'he charter of incorporation granted by James I. scarcely survived the Bishop's Stortford Castle. 129 reign or his son Charles, who is said to have had a great affection for the place, in consequence of having been nursed at the manor-house with his elder brother Henry, under the care of Mrs. Murray. It is certain that the place was much distinguished by the favour of Charles, both before and after his accession to the throne. Bishop's Stortford Castle. Bishop's Stortford derives its name of Stortford from its situation upon the river Stort, and the prefix from having been, even from Saxon times, the property of the Bishops of London. Domesday Book records that the Conqueror gave the town and Castle of Stortford to Maurice, Bishop of London ; if so, he gave no more than he had previously taken, for the same document mentions that William, the last bishop but one before Maurice, had purchased the manor of the Lady Eddeva. It was worth eight pounds per annum, but had been worth ten in the time ofthe Confessor. The small Castle, which stood on an artificial hill, is said to have been built by William the Conqueror, to protect the trade of the town, and to keep it in subjection at the same time. It was, however, thought to have existed before the Conquest, and to have been strengthened and repaired by the King. It was called Wayte- more Castle, and stood on a piece of land surrounded by the Stort. The site is thought tohave been occupied as a Roman camp, as Roman coins of the lower empire have been found in the Castle gardens. It was a fortress of some consequence in the time of King Stephen, and the Empress Maud endeavoured, but ineffectually, to prevail upon the Bishop to exchange with her for other lands. King John caused the Castle to be demolished in revenge for the active part which Bishop William de St. Maria took against him in his difference with the Pope. When the Pope triumphed over the King, the latter found it neces sary to give the Bishop his own manor of Guildford, in Surrey, to atone for the demolition of this Castle. "The Castle hill," says Salmon (in his History of Hertfordshire, 1728), "stands yet a monument of King John's power and revenge r and the Bishop's lands remain a monument of the Pope's entire victory over him." Some of the outbuild;ngs and parts of the Castle were standing in the seventeenth century. The Hshops continued to appoint a custos, or Keeper of " the Castle and Gaol of Stortford" till the time of James I. The last who made use of the priso 1 was Bishop Bonner, in the time of 13° Bishop's Stortford Castle. Queen Mary, who in its deep and dark dungeon confined convicted Protestants, whence it obtained the name of the Convict's Prison ; of whom we learn, from the authority of Mr. Thomas Leigh, Vicar of Stortford, one was burned in Mary's reign, on a green, called Goose- meat, or God's-meat, near the causeway leading fi-om Stortford to Hockerill. This prison, which consisted of several rooms, was sold about the year 1640, and pulled down, with the bridge leading to it, by the purchaser, who erected an inn near it. Some remains of the lower walls of the dungeon are yet to be seen in the cellar of an ale house below the Castle Hill ; and quit-rents for Castle-guard are still paid to the see of London from many manors adjacent to Bishop's Stortford. The only fragments of the Castle existing in 1830 were a few stone walls of great thickness, overgrown with ivy, which stood on the lofty mount. The area formed by these ruins was planted with cherry, gooseberry, and other fruit trees ; and some years previously the people were allowed, on the payment of a trifling sum, to ascend the hill and regale themselves among the crumbling ramparts. Some ancient spurs, coins, rings, &c, have been found on this interesting spot ; and doubt less, were it properly excavated and examined, many other relics would be discovered. A well still exists, which penetrates through the hill itself, and into the ground many feet below it. Here, as in many other cases, the Castle seems to have formed an inducement for people to settle in the neighbourhood, as it offered a place of safety, to which they could retire with their moveables in time of danger. It must have been a place of some consequence when King John demolished it, to punish the Bishops that boldly published the Pope's interdict against the nation. These daring ecclesiastics were, William of London, Eustace of Ely, and Mauger of Worcester. Fuller, with his usual quaintness, writes, that " no sooner had they interdicted the kingdome, but with Joceline, Bishop of Bath, and Giles of Hereford, they as speedily and secretly got them out ofthe land, like adventurous empiricks, unwilling to wait the working of their des perate physick, except any will compare them to fearfull boyes which, at the first tryall, set fire to their squibs with their faces backwards, and make fast away from them. But the worst was, they must leave their lands and considerable moveables in the kingdome behind them. 131 Moor Park, Rickmansworth. This celebrated domain was anciently the property of St. Albans Abbey, from which it was severed during the contentions between the rival houses of York and Lancaster. Henry VII. granted it to John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who led the van of his army in the battle of Bosworth Field ; but it again reverted to the Crown, and was for some time in the possession of Cardinal Wolsey. The former house, nearly on the same site as the present one, is also stated to have been built by George Neville, Archbishop of York. Edward IV. had promised to make that prelate a visit there, and while he was preparing to receive his royal master, he was removed to Windsor, and arrested for high treason. The King seized at the Moor all his rich stuff and plate, to the value of 20,000/., keeping the Archbishop prisoner at Calais and Hammes. The mansion was of brick, in a square court, entered by a gatehouse, with tower ; and the whole was moated. It had afterwards several noble owners, among whom was the celebrated Lucy, Countess of Bedford, who originally laid out the ground in the formal style of her time. At the Restoration, if not earlier, the estate was purchased by Sir John Franklyn, whose son sold it to Thomas, Earl of Ossory, son to the Duke of Ormond, who also sold both the seat and the Park to the unfortunate Duke of Monmouth (son of Charles II. by Lucy Walters), whose widow, Anne, only daughter of Francis, Earl of Buccleuch is said to have ordered all the tree tops in the Park to be cut off immediately on being informed of the decapitation of her husband ; and the tradition is thought to be strengthened by the condition of many of the oaks at Moor Park, which are decayed from their tops. But the late Sir Joseph Paxton — a deservedly great authority in such matters — used to state this could not be the case. The Duchess of Monmouth sold the estate to H. H. Styles, Esq., who had realized a great fortune by the famous South Sea Bubble. After his decease, it was purchased bythe great Lord Anson, on the united fortunes of his two uncles devolving to him. It had several owners during the next century, and became the residence of Lord Ebury. The present mansion was built, it is stated, by the Duke of Monmouth ; but it was cased with Portland stone by Mr. Styles, who also attached to it a magni ficent Corinthian portico, and erected a chapel and offices, connected by Tuscan colonnades. His architect was Leoni ; and Sir James Thornhill painted the saloon, and acted as surveyor. He received for painting the ceiling of the saloon, after Guido, 3500/. Upwards of >3- Moor Park, Rickmanswortli. 13,800/. was expended in conveying the stone from London; and the entire expense was more than 130,000/. The north front commands the finest view ; to obtain this, the hill was lowered ; which Pope thus satirizes: — " Or cut wide views through mountains to the plain, You'll wish your hill a shelter'd seat again." This, Pope observes, in a note, "was done in Hertfordshire by a wealthy citizen, at the expense of above 5000/., by which means, merely to overlook a dead plain, he let in the north wind upon his house and parterre, which were before adorned and defended by beautiful woods :" but this is not correct ; the view opens to a fertile vale, watered by the Gade and Colne, and embellished with noble seats and villas. The ball-room ofthe mansion cost 10,000/. A reverse of fortune attending a possessor, Mr. Rous, he had the wings pulled down for the sake of selling the materials. Under the chapel in the west wing were buried Mr. and Mrs. Styles, and their bodies now lie beneath the grass-plot contiguous to the west angle of the house. The Park is about five miles in circumference, and cost Lord Anson 80,000/. in improving it. It is much praised by Sir William Temple. Lord Anson first planted here the famous " Moor Park Apricot ;" the lettuces are also famous. The entire estate now extends to nearly four thousand acres, the whole within a ring fence. There is a curious account of "the good Countesse Elizabeth Mon mouth," stated to have died at Watford. She was the wife of Robert Carey, of Leppington, created Earl of Monmouth, Feb. 3, 1626. Sir Robert was a great favourite with his royal mistress, Queen Elizabeth, till he rashly committed the offence of wedding a fair and virtuous gentlewoman, Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir Hugh Trevanion, of Corriheigh, Cornwall. In his Autobiography he says : " I married this gentlewoman more for her worth than her wealth, for her estate was about 300/. a yeare jointure ; and she had between five and six hundred pounds in her purse. The Queen was mightily offended with me foi marrying, and most of my best friends, only my father was no ways displeased at it, which gave me great content" Soon after the acces sion of James I., in 1603, Sir Robert says : " My wife waited on the Queen [Anne of Denmark], and at Windsor was sworn of her privy- chamber, and the mistress of her sweet coffers [mistress of the robes] , and had a lodging allowed her at Court. This was some comfort tc me that I had my wife so near me." To the care of Lady Carey was committed " the baby Charles," when the royal infant was between three and four years old ; and it was to her sensible management that the Hatfield House. 1 3 3 preservation of Charles I. fi-om deformity may be attributed. " When the little Duke was first delivered to my wife," writes Sir Robert, " he was not able to go, nor scarcely to stand alone, he was so weak in his joints, especially in his ankles, insomuch that many feared they were out of joint. Many a battle my wife had with the King, but she still prevailed. The King would have him put into iron boots to strengthen his sinews and joints; but my wife protested so much against it, that she got the victory, and the King was fain to yield." Again, Sir Robert tells us that, "at the Queen's death, in 1619, her house was dissolved, and my wife was forced to keep house and family, which was out of our way a thousand a-year, that we saved before." In the second year of Charles I. Sir Robert was created Earl of Monmouth, and died April 16, 1639. Both the Earl and the Countess were buried in Rickmansworth Church; but the monu mental inscription in the chancel of that church does not state the date of the death of the Countess. — Notes and Queries, 2nd S. No. 13. Hatfield House. The town of Hatfield lies nineteen miles north from London, and is of considerable antiquity. The manor of Hetfelle (as it is called in Domesday) was granted by King Edgar to the Abbey or Monastery of St. Ethelredaat Ely; and upon the erection of that Abbey into a Bishopric, in the reign of Henry I., a.d. 1108, is supposed to have acquired the designation of Bishop's Hatfield. It then became one of the residences ofthe prelates, who had no fewer than ten palaces belong ing to the see. The Bishop of Ely had a palace at Hatfield, which, with the manor, was made over to the Crown in the time of Henry VIIL, but had been before that period an occasional royal residence. William of Hatfield, second son of Edward III., was born here. During the latter part of the reign of Henry VIIL, Prince' Edward resided at the palace of Hatfield. Upon the death of his father, Henry VIIL, the young King Edward was escorted thence by his uncle, the Earl of Hartfort, and others of the nobility, to the Tower of London, previous to his coronation. In the fourth year of his reign the King conveyed the palace to his sister, the Princess Elizabeth. In the latter part of the reign of Queen Mary, the Princess was removed from the monastery of Ashridge, in Buckinghamshire, to London, and imprisoned in the Tower, in consequence of her being charged with IL 1 34 Hatfield House. participation in the rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyat ; she was, how ever, permitted to retire to Hatfield, under the guardianship of Sir Thomas Pope, the founder of Trinity College, Oxford. Here, in 1387, the Princess was visited by Queen Mary, at Hatfield, when she was received with great state and festivity, and a child sang, accom panied on the virginals by Elizabeth herself. Here, while seated beneath an ancient oak in the Park, the Princess received the intel ligence of the death of Queen Mary : in the old palace Queen Elizabeth held her first privy council, and from hence she was conducted to ascend the throne. At her decease, her successor, King James I., ex changed Hatfield for the palace of Theobalds with Sir Robert Cecil , afterwards Earl of Salisbury, about which time his Lordship com menced building the present mansion of Hatfield, which he finished in 1611. The brick entrance leading to the park and grounds seems to be of a little earlier date than the reign of Henry VIII. A wall of several feet in thickness has been found, probably part of a building of much more ancient date. After entering, all that remains of the old palace inhabited by Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth meets the eye. A large portion of this is used as stabling and other offices. Here is the room where Elizabeth was kept for some time a State prisoner : the chamber which she occupied is situated in the north part of this build ing : the exterior, of dark red brickwork still, is partly overgrown with ivy. The stable has a wooden roof springing from grotesque corbel heads, and is lighted from windows partly filled with stained glass on each side. This apartment is very lofty and of great size, and was the banqueting hall of the old palace : here were kept Christmas festivals ; and at Shrovetide, 1556, Sir Thomas Pope made for the " Ladie Elizabeth, alle at his own costes, a greate and rich maskinge, in the greate hall at Hatfielde, where the pageaunts were marvelously fur nished." At night the cupboard of the hall was richly garnished with gold and silver vessels, and a " banket of sweete dishes, and after a voide of spices and a suttletie in thirty spyce, all at the chardges of Si- Thomas Pope." On the next day was the play of Holophernes. Queen Mary, however, did not approve of these " folliries," and in timated in letters to Sir Thomas Pope that those disguisings must cease. The present mansion is a fine specimen of the architecture of the Elizabethan period. It is built of brick, in the form of a half H. In the centre is a portico of nine arches, and a lofty tower, on the front of which is the date 161 1 j and each of the two wings has two Hatfield House. r*5 turrets, with cupola roofs. By the north entrance you are admitted into a spacious hall, which leads to a gallery of great length, open on one side by a sort of trellis-work to the lawn. Here is dis played a large collection of arms, some of which were captured from the Spanish Armada. Here is the saddle-cloth, of rich materials. which was used on the white charger ridden by Queen Elizabeth at Tilbury. There is another saddle-cloth, used by the first Earl of Salisbury. There are also models, &c, and weapons captured in the Crimean war. The various apartments used as bedchambers and dressing-rooms have a sombre, yet rich appearance. In each chamber there are wardrobes and other furniture, carved in the style of James I.'s reign. The mantelpieces of some are supported by massive pillars en twined with flowers, by caryatides and other figures. In this wing a fire broke out in November, 1833, when the Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury, the grandmother of the present Marquis, perished in the flames. The building has been well restored ; and in the carved woodwork of a mantelpiece an oval gilt frame has been introduced, containing a well-painted portrait of the deceased Marchioness when she was a young girl. In the chapel, at the other end, is a stained glass window of con siderable brilliancy. It is of Flemish work, and contains, in compart ments, scenes from Bible history. The light streams in from the numerous windows on the dark oak floor, and lights up cabinets and furniture of curious workmanship. Here is a State chair, which is said to have been used by Queen Elizabeth ; and the hat which we are told was worn by the Princess Elizabeth when she received the mes sengers in the Park. At the eastern extremity of the gallery is a very fine room, called the Great Chamber, and was probably used as such by the Lord Treasurer Cecil for his royal master. The large mantelpiece of various marbles has in the centre a statue in bronze of James I. There are several famous pictures in this room, amongst them a head of Henry VIIL, by Holbein ; heads of Henry's wives; a characteristic portrait of Queen Elizabeth, and other historical personages. The Grand Staircase is one of the most magnificent features of this palace-home. It is ascended by a flight of five landings, and occupies a space of 35 feet by 2 1 feet in dimension. The balusters are massive, and boldly carved in the Italian form ; above the hand-rail are repre sented genii, armorial lions, &c. ; here is a carved hatch-gate, pro bably to keep the favourite dogs from ascending to the drawing-rooms. The upper division of the ceiling is enriched by a very beautiful I3<5 Hatfield House. pendant in the Florentine style, and has been coloured and relieved by oOld and silver enrichments, which are not, however, just to our taste. The wall is hung with choice portraits of the Cecils, many of them whole lengths, by Lely, Kneller, Vandycke, Zucchero, Reynolds, &c. One, the fourth Earl of Salisbury, has a novel appearance, there being a portrait of the unfortunate Duke of Monmouth rising rather above and immediately behind that of the Earl. It was discovered on the cleaning of the painting. The canvas originally possessed a portrait of the Duke of Monmouth, by Wissing ; but this has been repainted over, and the fourth Earl painted on it by Dahl. At the foot of the staircase is the door of the Dining Parlour, and over it a white marble contemporary bust of Lord Burghley. This room is panelled throughout with oak, and has an enriched chimney- piece and ceiling. This apartment is in the east front. Adjoining are the Summer, Breakfast, and Drawing Rooms ; and the remainder of the eastern wing, on the Ground Story, is occupied by spacious private apartments, furnished in the olden taste : with massive fire-dogs for burning wood. Some of the most valuable pictures are in these rooms ; among them Zucchero's celebrated portrait of Queen Elizabeth. The entire collection consists of nearly 250 paintings, some of which in clude the finest specimens of Zucchero, De Heere, Hilliard, Mark Gerards, and other esteemed portrait-painters in the reign of Elizabeth ; a portion of the collection having been the private property of that Queen, consisting of portraits of the favoured nobility and popular characters who formed her Court and household. There are five highly-finished original portraits of Elizabeth (including the large one by Zucchero), profusely decorated with jewels, pearls, symbolic eyes . and ears, and rainbow. The Grand Staircase also communicates with the upper end of the Great Hall, or, as it is called, the Marble Hall, 50 feet by 30. It is lighted by three bay windows rising the whole height of the apartment, besides the oriel at the upper end, near which the lord's table stood in the " golden days" of our ancestors. A massive carved screen runs the whole length ofthe hall at the east end, with an open gallery, enriched with carving, amidst which are introduced lions, forming part of the heraldic insignia of the family, bearing shields of the cartouche form, on which are blazoned the arms. The room is panelled with oak, and the walls lined with splendid tapestry brought from Spain. This hall presents one of the earliest departures fi-om the ancient open timber roof and louvre; the ceiling being coved, and its ten com partments filled with relievo heads of the Caesars. On ascending .Har/fidcl .Ho age. Hatfield House. 1 37 the staircase, the first apartment entered is the great chamber, called King James's Room, nearly 60 feet long and 27 feet wide, and lit by three immense oriel windows. This vast apartment has the ceiling elaborately decorated in the Florentine style, enriched by pendants, and most elaborately gilt. From it hang six gilt chandeliers, of pure Elizabethan design. Upon the walls are hung whole-length portraits of King George III. and Queen Charlotte, by Reynolds ; and portraits of the Salisbury family. Over the lofty chimney-piece is a marble statue of James I. ; and in the fireplace are massive silver fire-dogs. The whole of the furniture is heavily gilt. From King James's Room is entered the Gallery, which extends the whole length of the southern front to the Library. It is 160 feet long, panelled with oak, and has an Ionic screen at each end. The " Frette Seelinge" is entirely gilt, the intersections being ornamented in colours, in the same style as the coloured ceiling at the Royal Palace at Munich. The Library is of equal dimensions with King James's Room. Over the chimney-piece is a Florentine Mosaic Portrait of Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, 1608. The books, prints, and manuscripts are ranged in oaken cases, and above them is a series of royal and noble portraits. Hatfield is rich in historical- documents. Here are the forty-two Articles of Edward VI., with his autograph ; Cardinal Wolsey's instructions to the Ambassador sent to the Pope by Henry VIIL, with Wolsey's autograph ; and a pedigree of Queen Elizabeth, emblazoned (1339), tracing her ancestry to Adam ! The State- papers in the collection extend through the successive administrations of Lord Burghley and his son the Earl of Salisbury, and include docu ments which came into Lord Burghley's possession from his connexion Ivith the Court. Here are no less than 13,000 letters, from the reign of Henry VIII. to that of James I. Among the earlier MSS. are copies of William of Malmesbury's and Roger Hoveden's English History ; a splendid MS. on vellum, with a beautifully executed miniature of King Henry VII. ; a translation from the French of " The Pilgrimage of the Soul," with the autograph of King Henry VI., to whom it once belonged. Of the time of Henry VIII. are a treatise on Councils, by Cranmer ; and the original Depositions touching the divorce of Anne of Cleeves. Of Edward VI., here is the proclamation made on his ascending the throne, which is not noticed by historians. Of the reign of Mary, is the original Council-book. The historical MSS. of Eliza beth's reign contain memoranda in Lord Burghley's hand ; the Norfolk Book of Entries, or copies of the Duke's letters on Mary Queen of l3% Hatfield House. Scots ; a copious official account of the Earl of Northumberland's conspiracies, &c. Here are plans, maps, and charts, from Henry VIII. to the present reign ; the actual draft of the proclamation declaring James King of England, in the handwriting of Sir Robert Cecil ; and various MSS. illustrating Raleigh's and the Gunpowder Plots. Here are also several autograph letters of Elizabeth, and the Cecil Papers ; the oak cradle of Elizabeth ; the pair of silk stockings pre sented to her by Sir Thomas Gresham ; and the purse of James I. Here are also original letters and other memorials relating to the political affairs in the reigns of Henry VII. and Edward VI. The Chapel, enriched similarly to the rest of the mansion, has a large painted window, and an oaken gallery hung with scriptural paintings. The chapel and a suite of ten rooms were completed by the late Marquis, the rooms being of different woods, as oak, walnut, ash, sycamore, &c. King James's bedroom has the fittings, it is said, exactly as when the King last used them. The picturesque park and gardens have many interesting objects, besides charming prospects, the richly coloured brickwork harmoniz ing with the various shades of verdure. Near the house are a racket ground and riding-school. A host of historical objects and localities present themselves in the views from the windows of the mansion. Westward is the venerable Abbey Church of St. Albans, crowning a beautiful eminence ; the hill at Sandridge next breaks the Une, and the wide-spreading woods of Brocket HaU and Wood Hall appear on the north. Eastward are Digswell House, Tewin Water, and Panshanger ; while south are Gubbins or Gobions, near North Mimms, once a seat of Sir Thomas More ; and Tyttenhanger, anciently the residence of the Abbots of St. Albans, to which King Henry VIII. and his Queen Catherine retired for the summer of 1328. There are some brave old oaks, as the "Lion Oak," upwards of 30 feet girth, and 1000 years old; and Queen Elizabeth's oak : by the way, the man who brought her the news of Queen Mary's death, was one of many who supped once too often with my Lord of Leicester, and died in 1570, after eating figs at that table. The Gardens and Vineyard were celebrated as early as the days of Evelyn and Pepys, who, in their Diaries have described them. Evelyn notes, 1643, March 11—" I went to see my Lord of Salisbury's palace at Hatfield, where the most considerable rarity, besides the house (inferior to few then in England for its architecture), was the Garden and Vineyard rarely well watered and planted." Pepys notes, 1661, July 33, — " I come to Hatfield before twelve o'clock, and walked all Knebworth. 1 39 alone in the Vineyard, which is now a very beautiful place again ; antf coming back I met Mr. Looker, my Lord's gardener, who showed m> the house, the chappel with brave pictures, and, above all, the gardens, such as I never saw in all my life ; nor so good flowers, nor so great gooseberrys, as big as nutmegs." Then he tells us how, one Lord's- day, he got to Hatfield in church-time, " and saw my simple Lord Salisbury sit there in the gallery." The Vineyard is entered through an avenue of yew-trees, cut in singular shapes, straight and solid as a wall, with arches formed by the branches, and imitating a fortress with ,towers, loopholes, and battlements ; and from the centre turfed steps descending to the river Lea. The Vineyard is mentioned in the accounts of building the mansion and laying out the grounds, all which cost but 7631/. 1 1 j. 3d. The Privy Garden, on the west side, was very small, being only 150 feet square: encompassed by a stately arched hedge; a close walk, or avenue, of limes round the sides ; in the centre of the plot a rockwork basin ; the angles of the garden occupied by small grass- plots, having a mulberry-tree in each, reputed to have been planted by King James I. ; and bordered with herbaceous plants and annuals. The garden facing the east front is in the ancient geometrical style of the seventeenth century ; and below it is a maze, which belongs to the same period of taste. Below the south front is the Elizabethan garden. The northern front is the principal one, and here and at the south front three pair of metal gates were placed in October 1846, when the Marquis of Salisbury was honoured with a visit by her Majesty and the Prince Consort. To conclude, no home in the kingdom, erected at so early a date, remains so entire as Hatfield ; the additions or re-erec tions have been made accordant with the original style ; and the gates just mentioned are evidences of this judgment ; they were cast in Paris, and are extremely rich and beautiful in detail ; the coronet and crest of tlie family, in the head-way, being picked out in colours. Knebworth. This ancestral home of one so various and accomplished as to unite in himself the characters of the dramatist and poet, the novelist and statesman, possesses great attraction ; and when to this living interest is added the historic vista of centuries in the transition from the hill fortress of the Norman period to the picturesque mansion of the Eliza bethan age, much may be expected from the olden story of such an 14° Knebzvort/i. aDOde, and its eventful associations, as well as from the instant interest which attaches to the present distinguished owner. Such is Kneb worth, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, the seat of Lord Lytton, who, on succeeding to the Knebworth estate, by the will of his mother, in 1843, took the surname of Lytton by sign-manual. Knebworth, which is placed upon the highest elevation in the county, was held as a fortress by Eudo Dapifer, at the time of the Norman Conquest. Sir Bernard Burke, in his Visitation of the Seats and Arms ofthe Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain, tells us that Knebworth was possessed by Thomas de Brotherton, fifth son of King Edward I. His eldest daughter and co-heiress brought the lordship of Knebworth to the celebrated Sir Walter Manny, Knight of the Garter ; and at his decease she continued to hold it under the title of Duchess of Norfolk. From her, Knebworth passed to her daughter and heir, Anne, the wife of John de Hastings, Earl of Pembroke. It was then sold to Sir John Hotoft, Treasurer of the Household to Henry VI. From him it went to Sir Thomas Bourchier (son to Sir John Bourchier), Knight of the Garter, and was purchased of him by Sir Robert Lytton (of Lytton in the Peak), a Knight of the Bath, Privy Councillor to Henry VIL, Keeper of the Wardrobe, and under-treasurer. Sir Robert Lytton immediately set about enlarging the fort ; and the work was continued by his successor, William de Lytton, Governor of Boulogne Castle. Knebworth was completed in the reign of Elizabeth by Sir Rowland de Lytton, Lieutenant for the shires of Hertford and Essex, at the time of the Spanish invasion. Queen Elizabeth frequently visited Sir Row land at Knebworth ; and the room in which she slept at the time of the Armada, is preserved, and named " Queen Elizabeth's Chamber." Knebworth, thus enlarged, in the early Tudor style, was a large quad rangle, the east front or gateway having been a portion ofthe ancient fort. For many years it was but in part inhabited ; till, in 181 1, Mrs. Bulwer commenced the restoration of the mansion ; when three sides were, of necessity, removed ; and the fourth side, built by Sir Robert de Lytton, in a style resembling Richmond Palace, and erected in the same reign, was restored. Its embattled tower and turrets are seen from the Ste venage station of the Great Northern Railway, from which Kneb worth is 2 miles south, Stevenage lying 28 \ miles from the metropolis. The principal apartments in the mansion are the banquet-hall, the oak drawing-room, the library, and the great drawing-room or presence- chamber. The hall ceiling is of the age of Henry VIL; the screen Elizabethan ; the chimney-piece in the style of Inigo Jones ; and the ViraUs are bang with suits pf armour. A dopr leads tp the capacious Knebworth. 14 j cellar, whither, in the olden time, it was customary for the gentle men to adjourn after dinner from the hall, to finish their potations Another door leads to the oak drawing-room, where, in the reign of Charles I., the great Parliamentary leaders, Pym, Eliot, and Hampden, met their staunch supporter, the Sir William Lytton of that day. The library, fitted up in the style of Henry VI I.'s reign, con tains two bronze candelabra, with lamps of bronze inlaid with silver ; they were dug up in Apulia, on the site ofthe palace of Joan, Queen of Naples, and are supposed to be genuine Roman antiquities. A double flight of stairs leads to the State rooms, the carved balustrades supporting the lion rampant, one of the ancient family crests. The staircase is hung with armour and trophies, and family portraits ; and the windows are blazoned with descents from the alliance of Barrington and that of the St. Johns. The first State room has stamped and gilt leather hangings, carved panels, and an armorial ceiling. The long ante-room is hung with bugle tapestry, very rare. Hence, an oval drawing-room conducts to the old pre sence-chamber (now the oak drawing-room), with armorial ceiling and windows charged with ninety-nine quarterings. The furniture includes items of the seventh and eighth Henries' reigns ; portraits of rare historic interest ; armour from the Crusades to the Civil War ; and some fine specimens of Italian and Dutch art. Over the hall is the music gallery, communicating with the Round Tower chamber ; whence a corridor leads to the Hampden cham ber, where John Hampden once slept j and beyond is Queen Eliza beth's room. This fine old mansion is charmingly and lovingly described by its former owner, Lord Lytton — the poet, novelist, and essayist — to whom Knebworth was the cradle of childhood, the home of youth, the retreat and solace of a life-struggle, and became at last the prized heritage of honoured age. That he knew every chamber and turret of the mansion, every wide prospect and sequestered nook of the estate is, of course, only to be expected ; but that he should write of them, as he did in the following delightful and exquisitely finished passages, and of himself in connexion with them, so can didly, and with so much spontaneous feeling — taking the reader into his confidence, and imparting to him his impressions as they rise — was a graceful concession to the natural and intelligent curiosity of the tens of thousands who admired and regarded him and were interested in hearing him talk of himself, which must be appreciated. In an essay on Knebworth, by the noble owner of this ancient hall, 142 Knebworth. the following morceaux of charming description and just and candid reflection occur : — Amidst the active labours in which from my earliest youth I have been plunged, one of the greatest luxuries I know is to return, for short intervals, to the place in which the happiest days of my child hood glided away. It is an old manorial seat that belongs to my mother,* the heiress of its former lords. The house, formerly of vast extent, built round a quadrangle, at different periods, from the date of the second crusade to that of the reign of Elizabeth, was in so ruinous a condition when she came to its possession, that three sides of it were obliged to be pulled down, the fourth ye*; remaining, and much embellished in its architecture, is in itself one of the largest houses in the country, and still contains the old oak hall with its lofty ceiling and raised music gallery. The place has some thing of the character of Penshurst, and its venerable avenues, which slope from the house down to the declivity of the park, giving wide views of the opposite hills crowded with cottages and spires, impart to the scene that peculiarly English, half stately, and wholly cultivated character which the poets of Elizabeth's day so much loved to linger upon. As is often the case with similar residences, the church stands in the park, at a bowshot from the house, and formerly the walls of the outer court nearly reached the green sanctuary that surrounds the sacred edifice. The church itself, dedicated anciently to St. Mary, is worn and grey, in the simplest architecture of ecclesiastical Gothic, and, standing on the brow of the hill, its single tower, at a distance, blends with the turrets of the bouse, so that the two seem one pile. Beyond, to the right, half way down the hill, and neighboured by a dell girded with trees, is an octagon building of the beautiful Grecian form, erected by the present owner — it is the mausoleum of the family. Fenced from the deer is a small surrounding space sown with flowers — those fairest children of the earth, which the custom of all ages has dedi cated to the dead. The modemness of this building, which contrasts with those in its vicinity, seems to me, from that contrast, to make its objects more impressive. It stands out alone, in the venerable landscape with its immemorial hills and trees — the prototype of the thought of death — a thing that, dealing with the living generation, admonishes them of their recent lease and its hastening end. For with all our boasted antiquity of race, we ourselves are the ephemera • The collection in which this essay is included was published in 1835. Knebworth. 143 of the soil, and bear the truest relation, so far as our mortality is concerned, with that which is least old. The most regular and majestic of the avenues I have described conducts to a sheet of water, that lies towards the extremity of the park. It is but small in proportion to the domain, but is clear and deep, and, fed by some subterraneous stream, its tide is fresh and strong beyond its dimensions. On its opposite bank is a small fishing cottage, whitely peeping from a thick and gloomy copse of firs and larch and oak, through which shine, here and there, the red berries ofthe mountain ash ; and behind this, on the other side of the brown, moss-grown deer paling, is a wood of considerable extent. This, the further bank of the water, is my favourite spot. Here, when a boy, I used to while away whole holidays, basking indo lently in the noon of summer, and building castles in that cloudless air until the setting of the sun. The reeds then grew up, long and darkly green, along the margin ; and though they have since yielded to the innovating scythe, and I hear the wind no longer glide and sigh amidst those earliest tubes of music, yet the whole sod is still fragrant, from spring to autumn, with innumerable heaths and wild flowers and the crushed odours of the sweet thyme. And never have I seen a spot which the but terfly more loves to haunt, particularly that small fairy, blue-winged species which is tamer than the rest, and seems almost to invite you to admire it — throwing itself on the child's mercy as the robin upon man's. The varieties of the dragon fly, glittering in the sun, dart ever through the boughs and along the water. It is a world which the fairest of the insect race seem to have made their own. There is something in the hum and stir of a summer noon which is inexpressibly attractive to the dreams of the imagination. It fills us with a sense of life, but a life not our own— it is the exuberance of creation itself that overflows around us. Man is absent, but life is present. Who has not spent hours in some such spot, cherishing dreams that have no connexion with the earth, and courting, with half shut eyes, the images of the Ideal ! Stretched on the odorous grass I see, on the opposite shore, that quiet church, where the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep — that mausoleum where my own dust shall rest at last, and the turrets of my childhood's home. All so solitary and yet so eloquent ! Now the fern waves on the slope and the deer comes forth, marching with his stately step to the water side to pause and drink, O Nymphs ! — O Fairies ! — O Poetry, I am yours again ! 144 • Knebworth. I do not know how it is but every year that I visit these scenes I have more need of their solace. My departed youth rises before me in more wan and melancholy hours, and the past saddens me more deeply than the present. Yet, every year, perhaps, has been a stepping-stone in the ambition of my boyhood, and brought me nearer to the objects of my early dreams. It is not the mind that has been disappointed, it is the heart. What ties are broken — what affections marred ! the Egeria of my hopes, — no cell conceals, r.o spell can invoke her now ! Every pausing-place in the life of the ambitious is marked alike by the trophy and the tomb. But little men have the tomb without the trophy ! . . . . The churchyard — the village — the green sward — the woods — the fern-covered hills — the waterside, odorous with the reeds and thyme — the deep-shagged dells — the plain where the deer couch, — all united and blended together, make to me the place above all others which renews my youth and redeems it from the influence of the world. All know some such spot — blessed and blessing — the Kaaba of the earth — the scene of their childhood, the haunt of their fondest recollections. And while it is yet ours to visit it at will — while it yet rests in the dear and sacred hands to which it belonged of yore — while no stranger sits at the hearth, and no new tenants chase away " the old familiar faces," who has not felt as if in storm and shower there was a shelter over his head — as if he were not unprotected — as if fate preserved a sanctuary to the fugitive and life a fountain to the weary ! It would be strange indeed if this noble remnant of past times had not, in the progressive ages and amid the varying fortunes of its owners, gradually surrounded itself with traditions. One of the strangest of these was that of " Jenny Spinner, or the Hertford shire Ghost," which is the title of a very interesting little book published at the beginning of the present century, and which tells the story of the nightly visits of the ghostly housewife that haunted the old mansion of Knebworth, and thrilled the hearts of the sleep less, o'nights, with the sound of her spinning wheel. Under what doom this ghostly lady was compelled to draw out the thread after her own had been cut short, and at that witching hour, when every hooded ghost— whatever his occupations during the remainder of the twenty-four hours may be — gives himself up, as a rule, to mere vagrancy and aimless revisitings of the glimpses of the moon, it would be difficult to say. The old wheel upon which the spectre Sopwell Nunnery. 145 spinner used to perform, and which was extant at the beginning of the century, has been destroyed, and we believe the ghost is now seen no more. Sopwell Nunnery. Occupying a considerable space of ground, about half a mile south-eastward of St. Albans, are the dilapidated remains of this once famous establishment of monastic times. The nunnery was ofthe Benedictine order, and was founded about 1140, by Geoffrey de Gorman, sixteenth Abbot of St. Albans, on the site of a dwelling that had been reared with the trunks of trees, by two pious women. who lived here in seclusion and strict abstinence. The Abbot or dained that the number of nuns should not exceed thirteen, and that none should be admitted into the sisterhood but maidens. He also granted them some lands, and their possessions were increased Dy different grants from Henry de Albini, and others of his family. An estate in the parish of Ridge was likewise given to them by Richard de Tany, or Todenai. In the year 1541, Henry VIII. granted the site and building of he Nunnery to Sir Richard Lee, who had been bred to arms, as was the person who had previously obtained the grant of the lands ying contiguous to the Abbey church. According to Newcome, Sir Richard was indebted for Sopwell to the solicitations of his handsome wife, whose maiden name was Margaret Greenfield, and who was in no smaU favour with the licentious King. By Sir Richard Lee the buildings were enlarged and altered for his own residence ; and the surrounding grounds were inclosed by a wall and converted into a park. He died in 1575, leaving two daughters. By Anne, the eldest, who married Sir Edward Sadlier, second son of Sir Ralph Sadlier, of Standon, in the same county, Sopwell passed into that family. About the time ofthe Restoration, it again fell to an heiress, married to Thomas Saunders, Esq., of Beechwood ; it was afterwards sold to Sir Harbottle Grimstone, an ancestor of the Earl of Verulam, of Gorhambury. Sir Harbottle was a lawyer, and sat in Parliament for Colchester in the reign of Charles I. ; and afterwards rose to eminence in the law. The ruins of Sopwell are mostly huge fragments of wall, composed of flint and brick. This Nunnery is said to have obtained the name of SopweU from the circumstance of the two women who first 146 The Great Bed of Ware. established themselves here sopping tneir crusts in the water of a neigh bouring well. Many of those who assumed the veil at Sopwell were ladies of distinguished rank, family, and learning. It has been said that Henry VIII. was privately married to Anne Boleyn in the chapel at Sopwell ; but it is better known that this ill-observed ceremony was performed in one of the chambers of Whitehall. The Great Bed of Ware. Ware, called Waras in Domesday-book, lies on the great North road, and on the river Lea. In 1408, the town was destroyed by a great inundation, when sluices and weirs were made in the river, to preserve it from future floods. In the reign of Henry III., Margaret, Countess of Leicester, founded here a priory for Grey, or Franciscan Friars ; and here, too, was an alien priory of Benedictines, some re mains of which existed to our time. A more popular object of antiquarian curiosity is, however, " the Bed of Ware," or rather a Bedstead, of unusually large dimensions, which has been preserved, between two and three centuries past, at an inn in the town ; and its celebrity may be inferred from Shakspeare employing it as an object of comparison in his play of Twelfth Night, bearing date 16 14, thus: " Sir Andrenu Aguecheek. Will either of you bear me a challenge to him ? Sir Toby Belch. Go, write it in a martial hand ; be curst and brief: it is no matter how witty, so it be eloquent, and full of invention : taunt him with the licence of ink ; if thou thou'st him some thrice, it shall not be amiss ; and as many lies as will He in thy sheet of paper, although the sheet were big enough for the Bed of Ware, in England," Act iii. sc. 2. In a much later comedy, Serjeant Kite describes the Bed of Honour as " a mighty large bed, bigger by half than the Great Bed of Ware. Ten thousand people may be in it together, and never feel one another." — Farquhar's Recruiting Officer. Still, we gather little from the county historian relative to the Bed. Clutterbuck, in his folio History, records : " One of the inns at Ware, known by the name of the Saracen's Head, contains a Bed of unusually large dimensions, measuring 12 feet square, consisting wholly of oak, curiously and elaborately carved. After diligent inquiry, I have not been able to meet with any written document, or local tradition, which throws any light upon the history of this curious Bed, to which allusion is made by Shakspeare, in his play of Twelfth Night. There is a date of 1463 painted on the back of the Bed ; but it appears to be The Great Bed of Ware. 147 more modem than the Bed itself, which, from the style of the carving, may be referred to the age of Queen Elizabeth." In Chauncy's Hertfordshire, there is an account of the Bed receiving at once twelve men and their wives, who lay at top and bottom, in this mode of arrangement : first, two men, then two women, and so on alternately, so that no man was near to any woman but his wife. The possession of the Bed has also been attributed to Warwick, the King-maker; which tradition, in all probability, explains the date of 1463 — the period at which Warwick flourished, in the Wars of the Roses — which we suspect to have been painted to suit the story ; and which further states the Bedstead to have been sold, amongst other moveables belonging to Warwick, at Ware Park. The common story is, that the Bedstead was made by one Jonas Fosbrooke, a journeyman carpenter, and presented to the Royal Family, in 1463, as a rare specimen of carving, and for the use of the said Royal Family, for princes or nobles of gentle blood to sleep in on any great occasion. The King (Edward IV.) being much pleased with the workmanship, and great labour of the maker, allowed him a pension for life. There is also the following strange legend attached to the Bed : that, after many years, being much neglected, this Bed was used on occasions ofthe town being very full, for any large parties to sleep in ; such as those engaged in hunting, or attendant on weddings, &c. Whenever so used, its occupants were always unable to obtain their wished-for sleep, being in the night subject to all kinds of pinching, nipping, and scratching, till at last the Bed became deserted. The reason is said to be this — that the spirit of Jonas Fosbrooke always hovered about his favourite work, and being vexed at the base use it was put to (he having made it for nought but noble blood to sleep in), prevented any body else from getting a moment's rest. There is also a story of one Harrison Saxby, of Lancashire, a Master ofthe Horse to King Henry VIIL, who having fallen deeply in love with the daughter of a miller and maltster, residing at Chalk Island, near Ware (she having other suitors of her own rank), swore he would do any thing to obtain her. This coming to the ears ofthe King, as he waspassing through Ware, on his way to his favourite retreat at Hertford, his Majesty ordered the girl and all her suitors before him, and, to set the matter at rest, promised her hand to him who would sleep all night in the Great Bed, provided he were found there in the morning. The tuitors, all being superstitious, declined ; but the Master of the Horse complied, and retired to the chamber, though not to sleep, or rest ; for, I48 The Rye House and its Plot. in the morning, on the servants ofthe King entering the apartment, he was found on the floor, covered with bruises, and in a state of exhaustion. The Bed is stated to have been kept at the Old Crown Inn, where they had a ceremony at showing it, of drinking a small can of beer, and repeating some health. It was at the Saracen's Head, in Septem ber, 1864, when it was put up for sale by auction, at 100 guineas. It has since been purchased by the Prince of Wales. The Rye House and its Plot. In the parish of Stanstead, in the road from Hoddesdon t» W«iie, on the Great Eastern Railway, in Hertfordshire, is Rye House, an ancien' house erected by Andrew Osgard, in the reign of Henry VI., that monarch having granted him a licence to build a castle on his manor of Rye. Part of the building has both battlements and loopholes : it was the gatehouse ofthe Castle which Andrew Osgard had libertyto erect; and it is consequently among the earliest of those brick buildings erected after the form of bricks was changed from the ancient flat and broad to the modern shape. The Rye House has become celebrated from having been tenanted by Rumbold, one of the persons engaged in the real or pretended con spiracy to assassinate Charles II. and the Duke of York (afterwards James II.) in 1683, on their return from Newmarket. The plan ofthe conspirators was to overturn a cart on the highway, and when the royal cortege was thrown into confusion, to shoot the King and his brother from behind the hedges. Fortunately for the King, the house in which he was staying at Newmarket took fire, and he returned to London three days before the appointed time, which of course upset the plans of the conspirators. The plot, however, was betrayed, and the dis covery led to that of another, though of a different nature, and by parties of a much more exalted station. In consequence of the infor mation given, the Earl of Essex, and Lords Russell and Howard, Al gernon Sydney, the great republican, and Hampden, son of the great John Hampden, the friend of Cromwell, were arrested, tried, and although there was in reality no evidence against them, were found guilty ; when, to the infamy of England, Russell and Sydney were exe cuted, Hampden was heavily fined, Lord Howard escaped by turning evidence against his fellow-prisoners, and the Earl of Essex was found dead in his cell, but whether from suicide or murder is a matter of debate to the present day. Sydney took bribes from France. 149 Historical Hertfordshire. At the Congress of the British Archasological Association, held at St. Albans in 1869, Lord Lytton, the President, in his inaugural address grouped the historical sites of the county with his wonted felicity, being, from the long connexion of his family with the county of Herts, master of all its details : thus picturesquely illustiating the text of Camden, that " for the renown of antiquity Hertfordshire may vie with any of its neighbours, for scarce any other county can show as many remains." Lord Lytton remarked, that in that county and at St. Albans the Asso ciation would find memorials and reminiscences, that illustrated the his- toryof our native land from the earliest date. Round the spot, too, on which they were assembled, one of the bravest and the greatest of the British tribes held dominion ; far and near round that spot they trod on ground which witnessed their dauntless and despairing resistance to the Roman invader. * * * * England never seemed, from the earliest historical records, to have been inhabited by any race which did not accept ideas of improved civilization fi-om its visitors or con querors. The ancient Britons were not ignorant barbarians, in our modern sense of the word, at the time of the Roman Conquest. Their skill in agriculture was considerable ; they had in familiar use imple ments and machinery, such as carriages, the watermill and the wind mill, which attested their application of science to the arts ot husbandry. The Romans were to the ancient world what the railway companies were to the modern — they were the great constructors of roads and highways. Again, to the Romans the Britons owed the introduction of civil law, and the moment the principle of secular j ustice between man and man was familiarized to their minds the priestly domination of the Druids, with all its sanguinary superstitions, passed away. It was to Rome, too, that Britons owed that institution of municipal towns to which the philosophical statesman, M. Guizot, traced the rise oi modem freedom in its emancipation from feudal oppression and feudal serfdom. When the Romans finally withdrew from Britain, ninety- two considerable towns had arisen, of which thirty-three cities pos sessed superior privileges. Among the most famous of these cities was Verulam, which was a municipium in the time of Nero, and the remains of which were being more clearly brought to light by the labours of the Association. The members would be enabled, he believed, to see at least the stage, the proscenium, and the orchestra of the only Roman theatre yet found in this country. Lastly, it was to the Roman con- I- II. 150 His tor teal Hertfordshire. queror that the Briton owed, if not the first partial conception, at least the national recognition of that Christian faith whose earliest British martyr had bequeathed his name to St. Albans. When they passed to the age of the Anglo-Saxons their vestiges in that county surrounded them on every side. The names of places familiar as household words marked their residences. And here he might observe that the main reason why the language of the Anglo- Saxon had survived the Norman invasion, and finally supplanted the language of the Conqueror, did not appear to him to have been clearly stated by our historians. He believed the reason to be really this. The language that men spoke in after-life was formed in the nursery ; it was learnt from the lips of the mother. The adventurers of Scan dinavian origin who established themselves in Normandy did not select their wives in Scandinavia, but in France, and thus their children learned in the nursery the French language. In like manner, when they con quered England, those who were still unmarried had the good taste to seek their wives among the Saxons, and thus the language of the mothers naturally became that of the children, and being also the language of the servants employed in the household, the French language necessarily waned, receded, and at last became merged into the domestic element of the Anglo-Saxon, retaining only such of its native liveliness and adaptability to metrical rhyme and cadence as enriched the earliest utterances of our English poetry in the Muse, at once grave and sportive, at once courtly and popular, which inspired the lips of Chaucer. In the county in which they were assembled were the scenes of fierce, heroic conflict between the Saxons and the Danes. Where now stood the town of Ware anchored the light vessels which constituted the Danish navy as it sailed fi-om London along the Thames to the entrance of the river Lea. There they besieged the town of Hertford, and there the remarkable genius of Alfred the Great, at once astute and patient, studying the nature of the river, diverted its stream into three channels, and stranded the Danish vessels, which thus became an easy prey to the Londoners. Nor was the county destitute of memorials of the turbulent ages which followed the Norman Conquest. When Prince Louis of France invaded England no stronghold, with the exception of Dover, resisted his siege with more valour or with greater loss to the invaders than the Castle of Hertford, and under the soil around its walls lay the bones of many an invading Frenchman. At St. Albans, on the 22nd of May, 1433, Henry VI. pitched his standard against the armies of the White Rpse led by Richard, Duke of York, and the great Earls pf Warwick Historical Hertfordshire. \t\ and Salisbury; and then again, on the 17th of February, 1461, Henry VI. was brought from London to be the reluctant witness and representative of a conflict against his Queen, who, however, delivered him from the custody of the Yorkists, and sullied her victory by such plunder and cruelty as a few days afterwards insured the crown to Edward IV. On the summit of Christ Church tower, at Hadley, was still to be seen the lantern which, according to tradition, lighted the forces of Edward IV. through the dense fog which the superstition of the time believed to have been raised by the incantation of Friar Bungay, and through the veil of that fog was fought the battle of Barnet, where the power of the great feudal barons expired with Warwick, the king-maker, and a new era in the records of libert; and civil progress practically commenced. For he was convinced from a somewhat careful study of the time that the contests between the Houses of York and Lancaster was not a mere dispute of title to the throne, or a mere rivalry for power between the great feudal chiefs. The House of Lancaster with its monkish King represented a more intolerant spirit of Papal persecution ; it was under that house that the great religious reformers had been mercilessly condemned to the gibbet and the flames, and the martyrdom of the Lollards under Henry IV. and Henry V. left a terrible legacy of wrath and doom to Henry VI. Besides the numerous descendants of these Lollards, large bodies of the Church itself, including the clergy, were favourable to religious reform, and these were necessarily alienated from the House of Lan caster and inclined to the House of York. With the House of York, too, were the great centres of energy and intelligence, London and the powerful trading cities. The commercial spirit established a certain familiar sympathy with Edward IV., who was himself a merchant, venturing commercial speculations in ships fitted out by himself. Thus the Battle of Barnet was fought between the new ideas and the old, and those new ideas which gave power to the middle class in the reign of Henry VIL, and rendered the religious reformation in the reign of Henry VIII. popular in spite of its violent excesses, shared at Barnet the victory of the King, under whom was established tbe first printing- press known in England. But Hertfordshire had also furnished the birthplace or the home of no inconsiderable persons. According to tradition, Cashiobury was the royal seat of Cassibelaunus, and passing to the noble family that now held its domains, it found an owner as brave as its old British possessor in the first Lord Capel, faithful in life and in death to the cause of Charles I. King's Langley was the birthplace of Edmund de 152 Panshanger House. Langley/ the brave son of Edward III., and close beside it was born Nicholas Brakespeare, afterwards Pope Adrian IV. Moor Park was identified with the names of Cardinal Wolsey and the ill-fated Duke of Monmouth. Sir John Mandeville, the famous traveller, who, if he invented his travels, certainly beat them all in the art of romance, was a native of St. Albans. Panshanger was associated with the name of Cowper, while the delightful essayist, Charles Lamb, boasted his descent from Hertfordshire. Future archaeolo gists will revere at Brocket, the residence of the two distinguished men who swayed the destinies of the country in our time as first Ministers of the Crown — Lords Melbourne and Palmerston, akin by family connexion, akin still more by the English attributes they held in common — an exquisite geniality of temper united with a robust and simple manliness of character. At Hatfield members of the Association would find a place stored with brilliant memories and associations. There still stood the tower from the window of which, according to tradition, the Princess Elizabeth envied the lot of the humble milkmaid, and there was still seen the trunk of the oak under which she heard the news of her accession to the throne. And what Englishman — nay, what stranger from the foreign nations to which, conjointly with the posterity of his native land, Francis Bacon intrusted the verdict to be pronounced on his labours and his name — would not feel that he was on haunted ground when he entered the domain of Gorhambury and examined the remains of the abode in which the Shakespeare of Philosophy united the most various knowledge of mankind with the deepest research into the secrets of Nature and the elements of human thought ? Panshanger House. — The Story of Spencer Cowper. Panshanger is a remarkably handsome, large, and splendid house, situated on the north-east bank of the river Meriman, in the midst of a spacious park in the county of Hertford, and about two miles from the town of that name. It is the family residence of Earl Cowper, but has only become so within recent years — Colne Green at a little distance to the south-west, having hitherto been the favourite family seat. Panshanger was erected at the commencement of the last century, but was pulled down in 1801 by the Earl Cowper of that Panshanger House. 153 date, and the present mansion erected near its site. The grounds are laid out with much taste. One of the " lions" of the park is a huge oak, measuring seventeen feet in circumference at five feet from the ground. It was called the " Great Oak" in 1709. The collection of paintings here is exceedingly fine, and the different works are arranged in splendid apartments with much taste. " The drawing-room," says Waagen, " is one of tho**- apart ments which not only give pleasure by their size and elegance, but also afford the most elevated gratification to the mind by works of art of the noblest kind. This splendid apartment receives light from three skylights, and from large windows at one of the ends ; while the paintings of the Italian school are well relieved by the crimson silk hangings. I cannot refrain from praising the refined taste of the English for thus adorning the rooms they daily occupy, by which means they enjoy from their youth upwards the silent and slow, but sure influences of works of art." There are two invaluable pictures of the Virgin and Child, by Raphael. Of the Infant Christ, seated on his mother's lap, by Fra Bartolomeo, Dr. Waagen says, " This is the most beautiful picture that I am acquainted with by this friend of Raphael." Three or four portraits, and figure paintings of Joseph making himself known to his Brethren, with others representing in the most spirited way some old Italian legend, are by the great Andrea del Sarto. Of the portrait of the artist by himself the conception is extremely animated and noble — the tender melancholy wonder fully attractive, and the finely drawn head very softly executed in a deep, clear sfumato treatment. There is a fine picture by Titian, representing three children, as well as admirable specimens of Annibale Caracci, Guido Reni, Guercino, Carlo Dolce, and other artists of the later Italian schools ; and examples also of Poussin, Rembrandt, Vandyke, and the English Wilson. The art treasures of this noble hall have lately been increased in number, and speci mens are now to be seen of Perugino, Correggio, Paul Veronese, Teniers, Rubens, Gaspar Poussin, and Sir Joshua Reynolds. The family of Cowper is descended from John Cowper, Esq., of Strode, in Sussex, during the reign of Edward IV. The third in descent from him was John Cowper, Esq., one ofthe sheriffs of th» city of London in 1551, and alderman of Bridge Ward. His son. William Cowper, Esq., of Ratling Court, Kent, was created a baronet in 1642, and was succeeded by his grandson, Sir William Cowper. M.P. for Hertford, whose eldest son and successor, Sir 1 54 Panshanger House. William Cowper, achieved a splendid reputation as a lawyer of the highest ability. His advancement was rapid and his political career illustrious. He was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in 1705, and elevated to the peerage in the following year as Baron Cowper, of Wingham, Kent. In 1706, also, he was chosen one ofthe commissioners forthe arrangement ofthe treaty of union between England and Scotland. In 1707 he rose to be Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. On the death of Queen Anne, Lord Cowper was appointed one of the Lords Justices until the arrival of George I. from Hanover. He was appointed Lord High Steward of Great Britain in 17 16, for the trial of the rebel lords ; and in the following year he was advanced to the dignities of Viscount Ford- wick and Earl Cowper. Soon afterwards, however, he resigned the seals. He died in 1723, and was succeeded by his elder son William, second Earl Cowper, who assumed the surname Clavering before that of Cowper, in obedience to the will of his maternal uncle. He married Henrietta, daughter and eventually sole heiress of Henry de Nassau Auverquerque, Earl of Grantham, son of the famous marshal, and the sole descendant of the legitimized children of Maurice of Nassau. The second earl was succeeded by his son George Nassau, third Earl Cowper, who was created a prince in Germany by the Emperor Joseph II. as the sole remaining repre sentative of the princes and counts of Nassau Auverquerque. He was succeeded by his son George-Augustus, fourth earl ; but he dying unmarried, the honours fell to his brother Peter- Leopold, fifth earl. The fifth earl died in 1837, and was succeeded by his son, George Augustus Frederick, sixth earl ; and he dying in 1856, was succeeded by his son, the present inheritor of the honours and estates of this famous house, Sir Francis-Thomas-de Grey Cowper, K.G., seventh earl. He is a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, and as heir-general of Thomas, Earl of Ossory, eldest son of James, first Duke of Ormonde, inherits the barony of Butler in the English peerage, and that of Dingwall in the peerage of Scotland. The annals of this family are not wanting in those incidents which give to the sober page of history the colours of romance. William, the first baronet, and who owed his baronetcy to Charles I., was a devoted adherent to the royal cause in storm and sunshine, in good and evil report. He suffered for his fidelity in being subjected by the republicans to a long and severe imprison ment. His fate was shared by his eldest son, who, however, died in confinement. It was in consequence of this sad event that we Panshanger House. 155 find die estates passing from the first baronet to his grandson. At the time of the Revolution the politics of the family underwent a change ; and indeed the Cowpers from this time onward may be ranked among the principal Whig houses. William Cowper, mem ber for Hertford, had been in arms for the Prince of Orange and a Free Parliament, although his father had suffered death by im prisonment for the King. This sudden and entire change of poli tics drew upon the Cowpers at the close of the seventeenth and the early part of the eighteenth century a bitterness of party hatred and an amount of obloquy for which it is difficult, in these more tolerant days, to account. During the closing year of the seven teenth century, after the session was over, and when the passions of partizans no longer found vent in the accustomed place, the vio lence of the opposing parties manifested itself throughout the country, embittered provincial squabbles, and even influenced the decisions of circuit judges. The Cowpers, perhaps, suffered more from the deadly malice of political opponents than any other family of this period. Sir WiUiam Cowper, the M.P. for Hertford already mentioned, had two sons, William, his successor, who raised the family to the summit of its greatness, and Spencer Cowper, a barrister, and the grandfather of that excellent poet and most amiable yet most un happy of men, William Cowper. By a strange chain of unfortunate, or, accordingly as they were viewed, suspicious circumstances, Spencer Cowper became impli cated in a mysterious death which occurred in the town which his father represented in Parliament — Hertford. The death took place en the night on which the barrister arrived in the town, at the com mencement of the assizes, and he was the person who was known to have been last in the company of the deceased. No sooner was suspicion attached to the name of Cowper than the Tory party of the town rose to the scent and exerted their ut most endeavours, their ingenuity, and their political animosity to run their game to death. Spencer Cowper's elder brother, William, had succeeded his father in the representation of Hertford, and the family had considerable influence here. But among the electors there was a strong, active, and bitter Tory minority, and though Cowper had carried his seat it was not without a hard fight in which blows, that could not readily be forgiven, had been exchanged between the fierce politicians. An opportunity had now arisen for crushing the influence of the Whiggish Cowpers in Hertford foi 1 56 Panshanger House. ever. A cadet ofthe family, one who was fast rising into practice. as a barrister on the Home Circuit, was to take his place at the ba" on a charge of murder, and his enemies were resolved to leave no means untried to find a verdict against him. It seems astounding that gentlemen should have been not only willing but eager to in crease their " political capital " by the sacrifice of a human being, but it is simply a fact undeniable and illustrated by many a story besides the following one : — Mr. Spencer Cowper, a barrister and a married man (this latter point should be borne in mind), set out at the Spring Assizes of 1699 for the Home Circuit and took his way from London to Hert ford on horseback. He was intimately acquainted with a Quaker lady and her only daughter, named Stout, who stayed in Hertford, and with whom he had on several occasions when visiting the town passed the night. He had on this occasion forwarded a letter to Mrs. Stout, announcing his intended visit to Hertford and intimating his intention to lodge with her for the night. On reaching the town, he alighted at an inn to get rid of the marks of travel, and in the meantime sent on a servant with his horse to Mrs. Stout's, with the message that he himself would follow in time for dinner. At the appointed hour he arrived and waited till four o'clock, when he left, after having arranged to come back in the evening and pass the night Cowper kept his promise so far. He returned, supped with Mrs. Stout and her daughter, and remained conversing with them till about eleven o'clock, when orders were given to the maid in his hearing, and without any remonstrance or interruption on his part, to prepare his bed. This was done, but Mr. Cowper did not come up, as expected, to his room. The maid, after waiting and wondering at Mr. Cowper's delay, was surprised to hear the street-door slam. Going down stairs she was still more astonished to find Miss Stout as well as Mr. Cowper gone. At once she communicated with Mrs. Stout, who had retired some time previously. Her surprise was almost unbounded, yet having great confidence in Mr. Cowper she, at the time, felt neither alarm nor suspicion. The only feature of the mysterious case that seemed perfectly clear to her was, that her daughter must have gone out with Mr. Cowper ; for, as was stated in the subsequent trial, " the nature of the door was such, that it makes a great noise at the clapping of it, so that any particular person in the house may be sensible of another's going out." And the dooi had been heard to slam only once. Neither the young lady nor Mr. Cowper came back to the house Panshanger House. 157 The next morning the dead body of Miss Stout was found floating among the stakes of a mill-dam on the stream called the Priory river. The neck was slightly disfigured with swelling and black- ress, according to the deposition of one medical witness. Mr. Cowper was the last person seen in her company. These circumstances, the simultaneous or supposed simultaneous departure of the young couple from the house, and the body being found with marks that might indicate violence, rendered the position of Mr. Cowper, in relation to the case, very suspicious indeed. On many occasions has capital punishment been inflicted where guilt did not seem so apparent. Yet, on the other side of the question, there were many points de manding attention and examination. It was known, and was proved in court, that Miss Stout was labouring under hypochondriasis, if not actual insanity ; and that on certain occasions she had confessed that she had resolved on committing suicide to put an end to her melancholy. To one who conjured her to put all thoughts of self- destruction out of her mind the unhappy girl replied, " I may thank God that ever I saw your face, otherwise I had done it ; but I can not promise I will not do it." It is thus evident that for some time previously Miss Stout had been contemplating suicide as the one cure for the melancholy that oppressed her. Mr. Cowper proved his innocence of the murder at once by an alibi. Mrs. Stout's servant distinctly stated in her evidence that it was a quarter to eleven or less when the door slammed ; and a dozen respectable witnesses proved that he was in the Glove and Dolphin Inn before the clock struck eleven — the distance between the mill-stream and the inn being at least half an hour's walk. It has already been stated that Miss Stout was hypochondriacal, if not actually insane. It is known, further, that her character was not above reproach, and that she cherished an ungovernable and unlawful passion for Mr. Cowper. She was in the habit of writing letters to him which no woman under the control of her judgment would have written. These letters were produced in court. In consequence of these letters Mr. William Cowper, the future Lord Chancellor, persuaded his brother not to stay again at Mrs. Stout's, but to take private lodgings. Mr. Spencer Cowper acceded to this advice, and only went to Mrs. Stout's to pay over some money he had received for her, and to excuse himself for not coming there to lodge as he had promised. He perceived that to declare this in tention would give rise to a scene on the young lady's part, and 158 Panshanger House. therefore, when the order was given to the servant to prepare his bed, he offered no objection. It was only when the two were alone that the explanation came. Having announced his resolution of putting an end to the intimacy between them, and then having de parted, Cowper left the girl a prey to her passion and despair. She crept softly to the door some little time after, closed it gently after her, and sought in a suicide's grave the peace which her ill-regulated mind and the constitutional gloom which preyed upon her, denied to her in life. It need scarcely be added that the verdict was Not Guilty and that Mr. Cowper was discharged. The prosecution was conducted by the Quakers, to which sect the Stouts belonged, and the Tories, who were only too eager to spring at the reputation of an influential Whig family. The coali tion between the Quakers and Tories formed an opposition, fired by religious bigotry and political animosity, which might have attained its aim but from the evident innocence of Cowper. The Tories exulted in the prospect of winning two seats from the Whigs, and the whole kingdom was divided between Stouts and Cowpers. The malignity and unfairness of the prosecution seem to us almost incredible ; but, on the other hand, Cowper defended himself with admirable ability and self-possession. The verdict gave general satisfaction, but even then the malevolence of his enemies did not cease. He was held up to public execration in a succession of libels. But the public did him justice, and his advancement in his career and in the good opinion of his fellow-men went on together. On his brother's elevation to the Woolsack, Spencer Cowper suc ceeded him in the representation of Beeralston, and sat for Truro. He adhered to the Whig party inflexibly, and was a frequent and successful speaker. He was appointed Attorney-General to the Prince of Wales on the accession of George I., and at length he took his seat, with general applause, on the judicial bench, and there distinguished himself by the humanity which he had never failed to show to unhappy men who stood, as he himself had once stood, at the bar. 159 Cassiobury. Close to the town of Watford, and distant seventeen miles frorr London, is Cassiobury House, the seat of the Earl of Essex, a spacious and very beautiful building, in a magnificent and well- wooded park, through which flows the river Eade. The manor is sup posed to derive its name from Cassibelanus, the British chief of the Cassii. In Doomsday Survey it is stated that " the Abbot of St. Albans holds Caisson." The whole of the land in the parish of Watford seems to have been comprehended in the manor of Cashio. The abbot continued to enjoy this among his other demesnes until the Dissolution, when it came to the Crown. In the 37th year of his reign, Henry conveyed it to Richard Morison, Esq., a learned and accomplished gentleman, about the place of whose birth there is much uncertainty. He spent several years at Oxford, where he made rapid progress in philosophical studies and in the classics. He then travelled in foreign parts, and having acquired the cha racter of a learned and proficient gentleman, attracted the notice of Henry, who knighted him and employed him in several embassies to the Emperor Charles V. and other princes of Germany — in which expeditions he was attended by no less a personage than Roger Ascham. Morison was employed in the same capacity under Edward VI., and that prince finding the scholar full of zeal for the Protestant religion, appointed him one of the reformers of the University of Oxford. He afterwards resided many years abroad ¦¦—during the reign of Queen Mary, under whom his emphatic Pro testantism was not appreciated — and then returning to his native country, he began to build a mansion at Cassiobury. Of the distinctive character of this early edifice we have no precise record, but we may conjecture from his weU-attested taste and his wealth that his mansion was both large and handsome, and that being built before the middle of the sixteenth century, it bere the ordinary architectural features of the Tudor style. An old writer informs us that Sir Richard commenced " a faire and large house, situated upon a dry hill not far from a pleasant river, in a faire park, and had prepared materials for the finishing thereof; but before the same could be half built, he was forced to fly beyond the seas." Again he found himself out of tune with the times as far as his religious opinions went, and to prevent untoward complications he fled from England. He died at Strasbourg in 1556. l6o Cassiobury. The building of the " faire and large house," however, was carried on and completed by his son, Sir Charles Morison. The mansion remained the home of the family for a hundred years, and it was not until the Capels, subsequently Earls of Essex, became owners of Cassiobury by marriage with the great-granddaughter of Sir Richard Morison, that the mansion was rebuilt. The first Earl of Essex of this line wholly rebuilt the house with the exception of the north-west wing. The house thus rebuilt, with its gardens, &c, are thus described by that prince of diarists, Evelyn, who, writing on the 1 6th April, 1680, says : — " On the earnest invitation of the Earl of Essex, I went with him to his house at Cassioberie, in Hart- fordshire. It was Sunday, but going early from his house in the square of St. James's, we arrived by ten o'clock : this we thought tco late to go to church, and we had prayers in his chapell. The house is new, a plain fabric, built by my friend Mr. Hugh May. There are diverse faire and good roomes, and excellent carving by Gibbons, especially ye chimney-piece of ye library. There is in the porch or entrance a painting by Verrio, of 'Apollo and the Liberal Arts.' One room parquetted with yew, which I liked well. Some of the chimney mantles are of Irish marble, brought by my lord from Ireland, when he was Lord-Lieutenant, and not much inferior to Italian. The lympanum, or gable at the front, is a basso- relievo of Diana hunting, cut in Portland stone handsomely enough. I did not approve of the middle dores being round, but when the hall is finished as designed, it being an oval with a cupola, together with the other wing, it will be a very noble palace. The library is large and very nobly furnished, and all the books are richly bound and gilded ; but there are ho MSS. except the Parliament rolls and journals, the transcribing and binding of which cost him, as he assured me, 500/. No man has been more industrious than this noble lord in planting about his seat, adorned with walks, ponds, and other rural elegancies ; but the soile is stonie, churlish, and uneven, nor is the water neere enough to the house, though a very swift and cleare streame runs within a flight-shot from it in the valley, which may be fitly called Coldbrook, it being indeed ex cessive cold, yet producing faire troutes. 'Tis pity the house was not situated to more advantage, but it seems it was built just where the old one was, which, I believe, he onlley meant to repaire ; this leads men into irremediable errors, and saves but a little. The land about it is exceedingly addicted to wood, but the coldnesse of the place hinders the growth. Black cherry-trees prosper even to Cassiobury. 161 considerable timber, some being 80 foot long ; they make alsoe very handsome avenues. There is a pretty oval at the end of a faire walke, set about with treble rows of Spanish chesnut trees. The gardens are very rare, and cannot be otherwise, having so skilful an artist to govern them as Mr. Cooke, who is, as to ye mechanic part, not ignorant in mathematics, and portends to astrologie. There is an excellent collection of the choicest fruit." This mansion, as described by Evelyn, remained in the main unaltered for more than a hundred years. In the year 1800 it was pulled down by George, fifth Earl of Essex, and the present building erected from the designs of Mr. James Wyatt. We have seen from the brief description of an early chronicler what manner of building was originally erected in Cassiobur) Manor by Sir Richard Morison its first secular proprietor, and we have the minute, critical, and altogether admirable description of the mansion which succeeded it by Evelyn. We now proceed to notice the house as it at present exists. Cassiobury House, commenced in the beginning of the present century, is in the peculiar style of Wyatt's works, of which Fonthill Abbey and parts of Windsor are other examples. The general plan is square, with a courtyard or quadrangle in the middle. The entrance is to the west ; on the side of the sunny south are the principal rooms ; the private or family apartments are to the east ; while the kitchen, servants' offices, &c. are to the north. The entrance doorway is screened by a porch, and to the east of it is the great cloister, with five windows with stained glass, and containing pictures, mostly family portraits. The saloon between the dining and drawing rooms branches off from the cloisters. Its ceiling is adorned with the painting Evelyn mentions as belonging to the hall of the old mansion, and as having been the work of Verrio ; the subject being composed chiefly 'of allegorical figures — Painting, Sculpture, Music, and War. In this apartment are two cabinet; containing numerous miniatures painted by the Countess of Essex The dining-room, a noble apartment with wainscoted walls, con tains among other pictures, the " Cat's Paw " by Landseer, and the " Highlander's House " by Wilkie, together with numerous family and other portraits by Vandyke, Hoppner, and others. The grand drawing-room, a jnast luxurious apartment, evincing the utmost elegance and refinement of taste, contains a number of the choicest cabinets, &c, and is adorned with rare and beautiful examples of the great English masters in Art — Turner, Calcott, 1 62 Cassiobury. Collins, &c. The library extends over four rooms, named respec* lively the great library, the inner library, the dramatists' library, and the small library, and embraces collections of rare and valuable books in every branch of literature. In the rooms of the library the fine collection of the family portraits may be studied with advantage. Here, too, are still to be seen the matchless wood carvings of Gibbons, referred to by Evelyn, adorning the former mansion. There are in the library also a few relics that will be regarded, at least, with curiosity. They consist of the handker chief which was applied by Lord Coningsby to the shoulder of William III., when he was wounded at the battle of the Boyne, and which still bears a stain as of blood ; a piece of the velvet pall which covered the tomb of Charles I. at Windsor, when it was opened in 1813, and a fragment of the garter which the King wore at his execution. It is needless, after describing the principal rooms, to notice those apartments which have fewer pretensions to splendour. We may only add that the family portraits are very numerous, and embrace examples of Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Peter Lely, as well as the artists already named. There are also, scattered throughout the different rooms, excellent specimens of Rembrandt, Cuyp, Teniers, &c. Cassiobury Park has an area of about seven hundred acres, and is divided by the river Eade into the " Home Park," and the " Upper Park." These are well wooded with majestic trees, the growth of centuries, conspicuous among them, besides the beech, oak, and elm plantations, being the enormous firs, resembling the giant trees of Norway. Several of the beeches cover an area of [50 feet. The gardens of this ancient manor have been celebrated for more than a hundred years. Among the successive owners of Cassiobury several have been placed in conspicuous positions by the rush of the events of the country's history, and dependant mainly on the troubles caused by the Revolution. It has already been mentioned that the great- grand-daughter of Sir Richard Morison (we retain the spelling of the name given in Clutterbuck's excellent and sumptuous " History of the county of Hertford ") married Arthur Capel and, being an only child, carried the Morison estates with her into the Capel family. The House of Capel is illustrious at once for its antiquity, and for the genius and the heroic qualities of many of its members. It appears to have sprung originally from Capel's Moan, near Stoke Cassiobury. 163 Neyland in Suffolk. Here in 1261 lived Sir Richard Capel, Lord Justice of Ireland. John de Capel was chaplain to Lionel, Duke uf Clarence, son of Edward III., who in 1368 left his spiritual adviser " a girdle of gold, to make a chalice in memory of my soul." The faculties of the Capels seem to have been various. Another John Capel became a draper and citizen of London, and rose to be successively alderman, sheriff, representative of the city in Parliament, and Lord Mayor. This member of the family, whose prosperity was surpassed only by that of the renowned Whittington, himself a brother merchant, received the honour of knighthood from the hand of Henry VII. Civic honours were heaped upon him. He was re-elected Lord Mayor, and represented the city in several Parliaments. Dying in 15 15, he was buried in a chapel founded by himself, on the south side of the church of St. Bartholomew, neai the Royal Exchange. His name is commemorated in Capel Court. His grandson, Sir Henry Capel, married Anne, granddaughter of the Duchess of Essex, sister of King Edward IV. Arthur Capel, perhaps the most famous member of this family, was born about the year 1614. He was brought up under the tuition of his grand father, Sir Arthur Capel, Knight. In the troubled times, when the Revolution was growing to a head, he espoused the cause of Charles I., and was one of the most devoted, zealous, and most highly esteemed ofthe royalist nobles. It is of him that Charles I. writes to his Queen : — " There is one that doth not yet pretend, that deserves as well as any ; I mean Capel ; therefore I desire thy assistance to find out something for him before he ask." He was raised to the peerage with the title of Baron Capel, of Hadham. He was appointed Lieutenant-General of Shropshire, Cheshire, and North Wales in 1643, and he soon brought his district into an association and raised a body of horse and foot. In the same year he was named by the King one of the Council to attend the person of the Prince of Wales, and after frustrating a design formed to seize the prince he was instrumental in finding him a secure re treat in Pendennis Castle, and afterwards in Scilly Island, whence he sailed with him to Jersey in 1646. In the meantime the House of Commons voted that his estate should be sold. Soon after he arrived in England, and, entering into terms with the Republicans, was allowed to retire to his Manor of Hadham, where he sought repose from the distractions of those troublous times in the affec tion of his family and the intercourse of his friends. Impatient and restless, however, about the welfare of the King, he waited 164 Cassiobury. upon him at Hampton Court, and there Charles informed him of the overtures which the Scots had made, and of their design of entering England with a powerful army for the purpose of liberating him and restoring him to the throne. Capel now acted up to the instructions he had received in watching for the coming oppor tunity, and in raising men to join the expected movement. In con junction with the Earl of Norwich and Sir Charles Lucas in Essex, he raised a force of 4000 men and fortified Colchester, where they were closely besieged by Fairfax, to whom after a gallant resistance they surrendered on the condition of receiving quarter. Fairfax, however, in violation of all the rules of honourable warfare, caused Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle to be shot in cold blood under the walls of the castle they had so manfully defended. At their execution the Parliamentary general turned to Lord Capel, who was expecting every moment to suffer the same fate, and said, in excuse of this bloody proceeding, that, " having done what mili tary duty required, the lives of the rest were safe, and that they should be well treated, and disposed of as the Parliament should direct." To which, this patriotic nobleman, with the true undaunted spirit of a Roman, replied that " they should do well to finish their work, and execute the same rigour to the rest." This saying of Capel's was the cause of an altercation between him and Ireton, which is thought to have occasioned the severity of the sentence afterwards passed on the Royalist Lord. From Colchester he was sent, a prisoner, to Windsor, and afterwards to the Tower. His cou rage and ingenuity enabled him to break from his prison ; but a strict search being made for him, and 100/. being offered for his capture, he was discovered and taken in Lambeth, and again placed in the Tower. About his ultimate fate the court seemed to hesitate. . They could not accuse him of treason — he had chosen his side, and had remained loyal to it, in the face of the utmost danger and at the risk of death. His lady petitioned Parliament on his behalf, and over this petition there was a long debate. But his enemies were numerous and un forgiving. It was resolved that he should not be reprieved. He was condemned to be beheaded, 6th March, 1648, after having been on examination before the court five times. A short time before he went to the scaffold he told Dr. Morley, who attended him, that ' if he thought there were nothing of vain ostentation in it, he Avould give orders that his heart should be taken out of his body md kept in a silver box until his Majesty came home (as he doubted npt but he would), and then that it might be presented to him with Cassiobury. 165 sis humble desire, that where the King, his father, was interred it might be buried at his feet, in testimony of the zeal he had for his service, and the affection he had for his person, while he lived/ Being brought to the scaffold he mounted it with a firm step, and laying his head on the block met death with the greatest resolution. " In his life," says Fuller, " he wrote a book of meditation, pub lished since his death, wherein much judicious piety may be dis covered. His mortified mind was familiar with afflictions, which made him to appear with such Christian resolution on the scaffold, where he seemed rather to fright death than to be frighted with it Hence one not unhappily alluding to his arms (a Lion Rampant in a field Gules betwixt three Crosses), thus expresseth himself : — ' Thus, lion-like, Capel undaunted stood, Beset with crosses in a Field of Blood.' " This was the Capel who married Elizabeth Morison, and so became possessed of Cassiobury and the other rich estates which had been acquired by the merits and services of the founder of the Morison family. He was succeeded by his son Arthur, second Baron Capel, who was created Earl of Essex in 1661. On a charge af being concerned in the " Rye House Plot " he was apprehended at Cassiobury and thrown into the Tower, where it is believed he was foully murdered — having been found dead in his cell with his throat cut. M U- 166 SUFFOLK. Dunwich Swallowed up by the Sea. Dunwich, in ancient times a city with six or eight churches, but now a mere village, three miles and a half from Southwold, stands upon elevated ground on the Suffolk coast, washed by the German Ocean It was once an important, opulent, and commercial city ; but unlike the ruined cities whose fragments attest their former grandeur, Dun wich is wasted, desolated, and void. Its palaces and temples are no more, and its environs present an aspect lonely, stern, and wild. From the discovery of Roman coins here, it has been set down as a Roman station. With respect to its ecclesiastical history, we learn that Felix, the Burgundian Bishop, whom Sigebert, King of the East Angles, brought here to reconvert his subjects to Christianity, fixed his episcopal see at Dunwich in the year 636. The see was, however, divided, and Dunwich had the Suffolk portion only. In Domesday Book, Dunwich was valued as paying 30/. a year to the King, and 60.000 herrings. In King Stephen's time the ships at Orford paid toll to Dunwich, which, in the time of Henry II., is said to have been stored with riches of all sorts. King John granted it a charter, and the wrecks at sea ; and to the burgesses the liberty of manying their sons and daughters as they would. Here were certainly six if not eight parish churches, besides three chantries, the Temple Church, which, probably, belonged to the Templars, and afterwards to the Hospitallers ; two houses of Franciscan and Dominican friars, each with churches. The Franciscan walls remain within an inclosure of seven acres, with the arches of two entrance-gates, the group of ruins covered with ivy. The city being seated upon a hill of loam and loose sand, on a coast destitute of rock, the buildings successively yielded to the encroach ments of the sea. In the reign of Henry III. It made so great a breach that the King wrote to the Barons of Suffolk to assist the inhabitants in stopping the destruction. The church of St. Felix and the cell of monks were lost very early, and before the 23rd year of the reign of Edward III., upwards of 400 houses, with certain shops and wind mills, were devoured by the sea. St. Leonard's church was next over- St. Edmund King and Martyr: a Suffolk Legend. 167 thrown ; and in the 14th century, St. Martin's and St. Nicholas were also destroyed by the waves. In the 16th century two chapels were overthrown, with two gates, and not one quarter of the town was left standing. In 1677 the sea reached the market-place. In 1702 St. Peter's church was divested of its lead, timber, bells, &c., and the walls tumbled over the cliffs as the waves undermined them. In 1816 the encroachment was still proceeding, when the borough consisted of only forty-two houses, and half a church. The place was wholly disfran chised by the Reform Bill of 1832. St. Edmund King and Martyr : a Suffolk Legend. In the ninth century the Danes had acquired considerable skill in the art of war, and during their invasion of England, in the year 870, they displayed more than their usual ferocity. Lincolnshire was attacked by them ; and here, according to the traditions of the country, they were resisted with more conduct and valour than in other parts of England. Three Danish Kings were slain in one battle. But fresh reinforcements ofthe invaders more than supplied the loss; and five kings and the like number of Jarls or Earls, poured their barbarian hordes into the country. Great numbers of the inhabitants were slain ; and the monas teries of Croyland, Medhamstede (afterwards Peterborough), Marney, Ramsey, and Ely, were laid in ruins. Their attacks had a settled plan of strategy and operation, which was to post their forces across the island, and also to occupy the best stations on the seacoast; thence they now attacked East Anglia. At this period the East Angles were governed by Edmund, a King of singular virtue and piety, and who defended his people with great bravery. But the King was over powered by numbers, defeated, and made captive. It is said that this event took place at Hoxne, in Suffolk, on the banks of the Waveney, not far from Eye. The catastrophe is picturesquely related by Sir Francis Palgrave, in his charming Anglo-Saxon History. " Being hotly pur- 6 ued by his foes, the King fled to Hoxne, and attempted to conceal himself by crouching beneath a bridge, now called Goldbridge. The glittering of his golden spurs discovered him to a newly-married couple, vvho were returning home by moonlight, and they betrayed him to the Danes. Edmund, as he was dragged from his hiding-place, pronounced d malediction upon all who should afterwards pass this bridge on their way to be married ; and so much regard is paid to this tradition by the 1 68 Sacking of the Monastery of St. Edmund, Bury. good folks of Hoxne, that now, (1831,) or at least within the last twenty years, no bride or bridegroom would venture along the forbidden path. A particular account of Edmund's death was given by his sword-bearer, who, having attained a very advanced age, was wont to repeat the sad story at the court of Athelstane. Edmund was fettered and manacled, and treated with every species of cruelty and indignity. The Danes offered him his life on condition that he denied his faith ; but, firmly refusing, he was first cruelly scourged, then pierced with arrows, which were also shot at him as a mark : he continued steadfast amidst his sufferings, until his head was struck off by Inguair and Ubba, and the head w«s thrown into a thicket. Hence Edmund was reverenced as a saint and martyr, and is still retained in the Church Calendar. The ancient service contains the following legend of the discovery of his remains. A party of his friends having ventured in search of them, " they went seeking all together, and constantly calling, as is the wont of those who oft go into woods, ' Where art thou, comrade ?' and to them answered the head, ' Here, here, here.' They all were answered as often as any of them called, until they all came through the wood calling to it. There lay the grey wolf that guarded the head, and with his two feet had the head em braced, greedy and hungry, and for God durst not taste the head, and held it against wild beasts. Then were they astonished at the wolfs guardianship, and carried the holy head with them, thanking the Almighty for all His wonders. But the wolf followed forth with the head until they came to the town, as if he were tame, and after that turned into the woods again." The remains were removed to a town originally called Badrichesworth, and there interred, the place being ir consequence called Bury St. Edmund's — a monastery having been founded there to his honour by King Canute. " Of this building, once the most sumptuous in England, only a few fragments remain ; but the name of Edmund, transmitted from generation to generation in the families of Norfolk and Suffolk, attests the respect anciently rendered in East Anglia to the martyred Sovereign." Sacking of the Monastery of St. Edmund, Bury. The final disasters of his reign were thickly gathering about the Xing, Edward II. The whole kingdom was in confusion; and whilst the Queen and nobles were in arms against the king, the burgesses and populace exhibited in the most lawless manner their dislike of some of Sacking of the Monastery of St. Edmund, Bury. 169 the principal ecclesiastical corporations. The monasteries of St Albans, Abingdon, and Bury St. Edmunds, suffered greatly. Queen Isabella, in 1326, landed in Essex on the 24th of September, with her son Prince Edward. She came to Bury St. Edmunds on Michaelmas day, and thence set out on that expedition against the King which, within four months, deprived him of his crown. His son, Edward III., was declared King on the 20th January, 1327. Eight days before this, on the 12th of January, the discontented burgesses of Bury St. Edmunds assembled at the Guildhall, and determined on ex torting from the monastery some change in the administration of the affairs of the town and the property of the convent, which they had long wished to obtain. The very next day they took forcible possession of the monastery, committing vast destruction in it on that and the two following days. They continued in possession no less than ten months, keeping the monks in constant terror by frequent ravages ; but the chief ravages after the first three days were early in February, when they imprisoned the Abbot ; in May, when the secular clergy were conspicuously leading the rioters; and in October, when the complete destruction of the monastery seemed resolved upon, and for several days it was given up to the flames, the people carrying off the lead from the roof as it fell down molten into the gutters, and using tortoises and other appliances to ascend to the top, to remove this valuable material. At length, the presence of the sheriff put a period to the destruction, which had been so complete that they found no shelter for their horses except in the parlour of the monks. The King's judges soon arrived, and made such short work of their business that on the 14th of December nine teen of the rioters were hanged. For several years the convent was engaged in lawsuits for the recovery of damages, of which very full particulars are preserved, till finally they got a verdict against the townspeople for 140,000/. ; which proved so ruinous to them that the King himself arranged with the convent to remit it altogether. In the narrative of the first attack on the monastery, the progress oi the spoliators is very clearly described. In the ravages the mob were split into so many gangs, all operating at once, and the destruction became general. In the first attack the rioters, about three thousand in number, having first broken the great gates and effected an entrance, destroyed the doors and part of the sub-cellary, drew out the spigots from the casks, and let the beer run out to the ground. Thence entering the cloister, they broke the lockers, carrols, and closets in it, and carried off the books and muniments. Afterwards they entered the chamber of ^O Sacking of the Monastery of St. Edmund, Bury. the prior, took thence vessels of silver and jewels, and broke the chests and closets of the sacristan, which they emptied of their valuable contents and muniments, and consumed his wine. Thence they visited the infirmary and chamberlain's department, carrying off eveiything of value, and greatly disturbing the infirm monks. Next they broke into the treasury of the church, and spoiled it of a vast amount of gold and silver vessels, money, jewels, charters, and muniments. At a second visit to the vestry they carried off a quantity of the richest tunics, copes, chasubles, and dalmatics ; thuribles, festival or processional crosses, golden chalices and cups, and even took the " Corpus Dei " in its golden cup from the altar of the church. They also plundered the refectory. During the summer they took away all the arras from the wardrobe of the Abbot, carried away in the Abbot's carts the victuals of the convent, broke the conduit, and cut off the water-supply, took down the church doors, and destroyed the glass windows of the church. For the last attack, on Sunday the 18th of October, they entered the presbytery of the church after vespers, but were driven out by the monks. They then rang the bell in the Tolhouse of the town, and the fire-bell in St James's tower, and so collecting an immense multitude, they burnt the great gates of the Abbey, with the chamber of the janitor and master ofthe horse, the common stable, the chambers of the cellarer and sub-cellarer, of the seneschal and his clerk, the brewery, cattle-shed, piggery, mill, bakery, hay-house, bakery of the Abbot; Priory stable, with its gates and all the appendages ; the great hall, with the kitchen, and with the chamber of the master of the guests, and the chapel of St. Lawrence ; the whole department of the chamberlain and sub-chamberlain, with all its appendages ; the great edifice formerly of John de Soham, with many appendagis ; part of the great hall of the priory ; the great hall of the infirmary ; a certain solemn mansion, called Bradfield, with the hall, chamber, and kitchen, which the King occupied so frequently ; the chamber of the sacrist, with his vinarium, or wine store ; the tower adjoining the Prior's house ; the whole home of the Convent without the great wall of the great court ; besides, within the great court, the entire almonry, from the great gates of the court, with a penthouse for the distribution of bread, as far as the hall of pleas, which they also burnt ; the chamber of the queen, with the larder of the Abbot and his granary ; the granary of the sub-cellarer, with his gate and the chapel built over it : the chamber of the cook in the larder of the convent, the place of dole bread, and chamber of the precentor. Framlingham Castle. f Constantinople divided the Western 17% The Roman Castle of Burgh. At the Castle were found, in the autumn of 1866, during some rail. way excavations, an elegant pectoral Cross and Chain of gold, believed to have belonged to Lionel, Duke of Clarence. On the cross, which has been enamelled, is carved a crucifix ; there are four pearls in the angles of the cross, and the reverse is adorned with " pounced" work. The Cross and Chain are now the property of her Majesty the Queen. At the visit of the Archaeological Institute to Clare, in 1869, a curious circumstance was noted respecting Clare Church. In the Athenxum report of the meeting it is remarked that " Dowsing, who is so often quoted as an illustration of the iconoclasm of Cromwell, said ' the thing that is not.' He writes, ' in the church of Clare I destroyed one thousand images in niches.' It is a tall Perpendicular church, with not a niche in it. He says also, I destroyed ' the sun and the moon.' I do not know how many suns and how many moons the good people of Clare required in the olden time ; but there is a sun and there is a moon still in the east window. Mr. Bloxam, who, I believe, is an authority, averred that the yellow glass in the east window was of the reign of Elizabeth. If Dowsing's attack on Clare church was so • thorough,' how could he have left the monogram of the Virgin that is still on the finely carved wooden pew or chapel that remains ? The glass that remains is more than in many places of which we have not such a detailed account of the destruction." The Roman Castle of Burgh. This ancient Roman encampment lies on the borders of Suffolk, and on the east side of the river Waveney, near its confluence with the Yare, Its extent is 642 feet long by 400 feet broad ; the walls are about 14 feet high, and 9 feet thick. The east side of the walls is furnished Empire amongst their leading chieftains, Clarentza, with the district around it, and which comprised almost all ancient Elis, was formed into a Duchy, and fell to the lot of one of the victorious nobles, who transmitted the title and dukedom to his descendants, until the male line failed, and the heiress of Clarence married into the Hainault family. By this union, Philippa, the consort of Edward III., became the representative of the Dukes of Clarence ; and on this account was Prince Lionel invested with the title, which has since remained in our Royal Family. It is certainly singular that a wretched village in Greece should have bestowed its name upon the British Monarch." Accord ing to the above account, Clarentia is a corruption of Clarentza, and perhaps took its name in honour of the son of the warlike Edward ; but as to "a wretched village in Greece" bestowing its name upon the British Monarch,, the writer must be aware, according to his own account, that in ancient times Clarentza was no more a poor village than Clare is what it was when tha wassail-bowl cheered the baronial hall of its now mouldering castle. The Roman Castle of Burgh. 179 with circular watch towers, and is almost perfect ; but the walls on the north and south sides are partly in ruins ; the west wall, if evW there was one, has entirely disappeared. The site of the encampment is slightly elevated towards the west, and the interior is irregular, which may be accounted for on the supposition that the small eminences are occasioned by the ruins of former edifices. The whole area of the in closure was about four acres and three quarters. The walls are of rubble masonry, faced with alternate courses of bricks and flints ; and on the tops of the towers, which are attached to the walls, are holes two feet in diameter and two feet deep, supposed to have been intended for the insertion of temporary watch towers, probably of wood. On the east side the four circular towers are fourteen feet in diameter. Two of them are placed at the angles, where the walls are rounded, and two at equal distances from the angles. An opening has been left in the centre of the wall, which is considered by Mr. King to be the Porta Decumana, but by Mr. Ives the Porta Praetoria. The north and south sides are also defended by towers of rubble masonry. The foundation on which the Romans built these walls was a thick bed of chalk-lime, well rammed down, and the whole covered with a layer of earth and sand, to harden the mass, and exclude the water ; this was covered with two-inch oak plank, placed transversely on the foundation, and over this was a bed of coarse mortar, on which was roughly spread the first layer of stones. The mortar appears to be composed of lime and coarse sand, unsifted, mixed with gravel and small pebbles, or shingles. Hot grouting is supposed to have been used, which will account for the tenacity of the mortar. The bricks at Burgh Castle are of a fine red colour and very close texture. They are one foot and a half long, one foot broad, and one inch and a half thick. We give these details minutely, as the Castle presents one of the finest specimens of this kind of construction which our Roman conquerors have left us. The west side of this station was, probably, defended in ancient times by the sea, which is now, however, at some distance, the river Waveney being at present the western boundary. The fact of the sea having receded is proved by an old map, supposed to have appeared in the year 1000. A copy of this map was made in the time of Elizabeth, and is preserved in the archives of the Corporation of Yarmouth. In confir mation of this circumstance, there have been discovered at Burgh Castle parts of anchors, rings, and other large pieces of iron. This station may have been founded by Ostorius Scapula, an officer of the Roman army, who, on being appointed Governor of Britain, in the year 50, gained a decisive victory over the Icenians, who attempted 1 80 The Roman Castle of Burgh. to prevent his building a chain of forts between the Severn and the Avon, or Nen. His success against the natives enabled him to reduce part of the island into the form of a province. He obtained triumphal honours, and died in the year 51, to the great joy of the Britons, from great fatigue, before he had held the command for a single year. Such, 't is believed, was the founder of this great Roman work of defence. The Pratorium, or General's Tent, is placed by some at the south-west comer of the station. Others consider it to be an additional work by the Saxons or Normans, similar to the Saxon keep at the south-east corner of the Castrum (or camp) at Pevensey, in Sussex. The towers are thought to have been added after the walls. There are some re mains of a fosse on the south side. This was the Roman Garianonum, which, in its perfect state, is engraved in the Penny Cyclopedia, voce Burgh Castle. It is calculated that the Castle was capable of containing one whole cohort and a half, with their allies. Several Roman coins and other antiquities have been discovered here. The oldest is a copper coin of Domitian. A coin of Gratian, of silver, and some coins of Constantine have also been found. Some silver and gold coins were given by a former possessor of the place to Dr. Moore, Bishop of Norwich. Besides these, coins were found both in the inclosure and in a field con tiguous to the Castle. There have been found coarse urns, a silver spoon with a pointed handle, bones of cattle, coals, burnt wheat, rings, keys, fibulas (buckles), and a spear-head. The field is supposed to have been the burial-place. The earliest modern notice of Burgh Castle is in the reign of Sigebert, 636, when Furseus, an Irish monk, having collected a company of religious persons, settled at this spot. In the tune of Edward the Confessor, Bishop Stigand held it by socage. The Castle was after wards held by Hubert de Burgh, from whom the present name is probably derived. He was formerly seneschal of Poitou, and with Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester (" a man well skilled in war ") shared between them the rule of the kingdom for a while. He was frequently employed in foreign embassies by King John, and strenuously supported his cause against the Barons. He was the chief ruler of the kingdom during the early years of Henry III., held a number of the most important offices, as Constable of Dover and Burgh Castles, and sheriff of several counties, and received the earldom of Kent. But at length he fell into disgrace, was deprived of power, and obliged to sur render several strong castles — among which was that of Burgh, in the reign of Henry III., who pave it to the monastery of Bromholde, Hadleigh — Martyrdom of Dr. Taylor. i8t in the county of Norfolk. It afterwards came into the possession of laymen. The massive remains of Burgh Castle attest to this day the strong fortresses which nearly two thousand years ago were erected on the Suffolk coast. Reculver and Richborough, and Lymne, in Kent, and Pevensey, in Sussex, are especially interesting, as evidently built to guard a tract of country almost coinciding in limits with those "of the famous incorporation of the Cinque Ports, and thus rendering probable the Roman origin of that peculiar system for the defence of the seaboard. " Castles and towers, — Burgi as they were called by the Romans — were constantly garrisoned by armed men. The stations were so near to each other, that if a beacon was lighted on any one of the bulwarks, the warriors who garrisoned the next station were able to see and to repeat the signal almost at the same instant, and the next onwards did the same, by which they announced that some danger was impend ing, so that in a very short time all the soldiers who guarded the line of wall could be assembled. The coast was protected with equal care against any invading enemy ; and the ancient maritime stations, Garianonum and Portus Rutupis (Burgh Castle, in Suffolk, and Richborough, in Kent) may be instanced as specimens of Roman skill and industry."— Sir F. Palgrave's History of England — Anglo-Saxon Period. Hadleigh — Martyrdom of Dr. Taylor. Hadleigh, in Suffolk, nine miles west of Ipswich, is said to have been the burial-place of Guthrum the Dane, to whom Alfred ceded East Anglia. It is also memorable as the place of the Martyrdom of Dr. Rowland Taylor, burned in the persecution under Queen Mary, on what was commonly, but improperly, called Aldham Common, near the town, February 9th, 1333. Dr. Taylor was rector of Hadleigh froir the year 1344 to 1334. Of his great and pious character it is scarcely possible to speak in terms too laudatory ; he was, in fact, the perfect model of a parish priest, and literally went about doing good. Of his sufferings and martyrdom, Dr. Drake, in his Winter Nights, has left this very touching account : — It was not to be expected, therefore, that when the bigoted Mary ascended the throne of these realms, a man so gifted, at the same time so popular as was Dr. Taylor, should long escape the arm of persecu tion. Scarcely had this sanguinary woman commenced her reign, when w IT- 1 82 Hadleigh — Martyrdom of Dr. Taylor. an attempt was made to celebrate Mass by force in the parish church of Hadleigh ; and in endeavouring to resist this profanation, which was planned and conducted by two of his parishioners, named Foster and Gierke, assisted by one Averth, rector of Aldham, whom they had hired for the purpose, Dr. Taylor became, of course, obnoxious to the ruling powers ; an event foreseen, and no doubt calculated upon by the instigators ofthe mischief. A citation to appear before Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Win chester, and then Lord Chancellor of England, was, on the information of these wretches, the immediate result of the transaction. And though the friends and relatives of the Doctor earnestly advised his non compliance, and recommended him instantly to fly, he resisted their solicitations, observing, that though he fully expected imprisonment and a cruel death, he was determined, in a cause so good and righteous, not to shrink from his duty. " Oh ! what will ye have me to do ? (he exclaimed), I am old, and have already lived too long to see these terrible and most wicked days. Fly you, and do as your con science leadeth you ; I am fully determined, with God's grace, to go to the Bishop, and to his beard to tell him that he doth naught" Accordingly, tearing himself from his weeping friends and flock, and accompanied by one faithful servant, he hastened to London, where, after enduring with the utmost patience and magnanimity the virulence and abuse of Gardiner, and replying to all his accusations with a truth of reasoning which, unfortunately, served but to increase the malice of his enemies, he was committed a prisoner to the King's Bench, and endured a confinement there of nearly two years. During this long period, however, which was chiefly occupied by Dr. Taylor in the study of the Holy Scriptures, and in preaching to md exhorting his fellow prisoners, he had three further conferences with his persecutors. The second, which was held in the Arches at Bow-church, a few weeks after his commitment, terminated in his being deprived of his benefice, as a married man. The third, which did not take place until January 22nd, 1333, and was carried on not only with the Bishop of Winchester, but with other episcopal commis- lioners, ended, after a long debate, in which the piety, erudition, sound sense, and christian forbearance of the sufferer was pre-eminently con spicuous, in his re-commitment to prison, under a threat of haying iudgment passed upon him within a week. This judgment was accordingly pronounced at a fourth conference; on the 28th of the same month, the Bishops of Winchester, Norwich, London, Salisbury, and Durham, being present ; when, on the Doctor Hadleigh — Martyrdom of Dr. Taylor. 183 again declining to submit himself to the Roman Pontiff, he was con demned to death, and the day following removed to the Poultry Compter. Here, on the 4th of February, he was visited by Bonner, Bishop of London, who, attended by his chaplain and the necessary officers, came to degrade him. Refusing, however, to comply with this ceremony, which consisted in his putting on the vestures, or mas' garments, he was compelled to submit by force, and when the Bishop as usual, closed this disgusting mummery with his curse, Taylo' nobly rephed — " Though you do curse me, yet God doth bless me. I have the witness of my conscience, that ye have done me wrong anvere resolute in producing objects of adoration, in proportion as their votaries were numerous and devoted. These ladies Suckling entertained with every rarity which wealth could collect and taste 206 Barsham Hall. prescribe. But the last course displayed his sprightly gallantry ; it consisted not of viands yet more delicate and choice, but of silk stockings, garters, and gloves, — presents at that time of no con temptible value." But while thus engaged for the most part he began to contract a love for pleasures of a still more exciting kind. He became ena moured of play, and soon won the unenviable reputation of being the best hand at cards in the kingdom. Towards his latter years, however, he began to evince some degree of earnestness and seriousness of purpose. The merely fri volous was beginning to pall upon his taste. His companions now were for the most part men dignified by their virtue and distin guished by their abilities. Lord Falkland, Roger Boyle, Lord Brog- hill, upon the occasion of whose marriage Suckling wrote one of the most beautiful ballads in our language, were among his chosen companions, while with Stanley, the editor of Eschylus, Davenant, and Jonson, Shirley Hall, and Nabbes, all men of high literary culture, he was on terms of the most intimate friendship. While Suckling was basking in the sunshine of the Court, a cir cumstance of considerable importance to his reputation and happi ness occurred. The story is thus told in the Strafford State Papers : " Sir John Suckling, a young man, son to him that was comptroller, famous for nothing before but that he was a great gamester, was a suitor to a daughter of Sir Henry Willoughby's, in Derbyshire, heir to a thousand a year. " By some friend he had in Court he got the King to write for him to Sir H. Willoughby, by which means he hoped to get her ; for he thought he had interest enough in the affection of the young woman, so her father's consent could be got He spoke somewhat boldly that way, which coming to her knowledge, she intrusted a young gentleman, who also was her suitor — a brother of Sir Kenelm Digby's — to draw a paper in writing, which she dictated, and to get Sir John Suckling's hand unto it. Thereon he must disavow any interest he hath in her by promise or otherwise. " If he would undertake this," she said, " it was the readiest way he could use to express his affection for her. He willingly undertakes it, gets another young man, a Digby, into his company, and having each of them a man, goes out upon this adventure, intending to come to London, where he thought to find him ; but meeting Suck ling on the way, he saluted him and asked him whither he was going ? He said on the King's business, but would not tell him Barsham Hall. 207 whither, though he pressed him if it were not to Sir Henry Wil- 'oughby's ? He then drew forth his paper, and read it to him, and pressed him to underwrite it. He would not, and with oaths con firms this denial. He told him he must force him to it ; he answered nothing would force him. Then he asked him whether he had any such promise from her, as he gave out ? In that, he said, he would not satisfy him." The narrative, which slightly rambles, goes on to state that at this point Digby attacked Suckling with his cudgel — the latter never offering to draw his sword. Digby was obliged by the King to make a very abject apology afterwards ; but from this time forth there is a slur resting on Suckling's courage. This slur, by which his manhood is tarnished, seems, on examination, to be wholly undeserved. Digby was the best swordsman of his time, and besides was a man of great strength and a habitual brawler. That it was his intention to provoke Suckling to draw first, and thus give him an excuse for drawing and despatching his enemy, which he was both strong enough and skilful enough to do, seems only too evident. Suckling sank for a time in the opinion of his frivolous friends, and we hear of him shortly after as taking seriously to public busi ness, and as being much employed by his monarch. In 1637 Suckling published his " Sessions of the Poets," a strikingly original work, which has had hosts of imitators ; and about the same time appeared his " Account of Religion by Reason," which, according to Dr. Johnson, is remarkable for soundness of argument and purity of expression, far exceeding the controversial writings of that age. In the following year he published his chief play, " Aglaura," which is said to have been the first play acted in this kingdom with scenes. In 1639 appeared his tragedy of " Brenoralt," with its first title of the " Discontented Colonel," and which was intended as a satire upon the rebels. But his efforts in behalf of his monarch were not confined to his pen. The Scottish " League and Covenant" having ended in open rebellion, he re solved on offering more direct assistance. Charles was at this time unable to carry on his own cause from the want of supplies, and Suckling stood forward to show his coun trymen the duties of loyalty at such a crisis, and presented his Majesty with a troop of one hundred horsemen, whom he clothed and maintained from his own private resources. The uniform adopted for this body of men was white doublets ^03 Barsham Hall. with scarlet coats, breeches and hats ; while a feather of the samt colour attached to each man's bonnet completed his attire. As they had been selected with great attention to vigour and manly appearance, and were well mounted and armed, this troop was con sidered as the finest sight " in his Majesty's " army. Raising this troop is said to have cost Suckling twelve thousand pounds. The poet joined the King's army on its march to the north. On 29th May, 1639, the army arrived at Berwick, carrying with it, says Lord Clarendon, more show than force. Another weak point in the expedition was that its leader, the Earl of Arundel, had no claim to abilities, either military or political. The armies having come within sight of each other, orders for an advance were given. The command of the English cavalry had been intrusted to Lord Holland, who is described by Sir Philip Warwick as " fitter for a show than a field ;" and who has further been suspected of treachery to his own cause. In any case it has been ascertained that he disgraced the king's troops by ordering a retreat without striking a blow ; or, as some have asserted, without having even seen an enemy. The whole English army broke into flight And although the whole force laid itself open to ridicule, yet one can understand how all that ridicule came down on the head of Suckling alone. He, a wit himself and the rival of wits, was per haps the only officer in the army whose career was closely watched. And then there was so much bravery in the dress of his troops — those scarlet runners — and so little bravery in the men themselves, that on the whole the subject was too tempting, too delicious, not to overcome the sense of fairness and justice in the mind of the London epigrammatists, and they poured their contemptuous verse upon him mercilessly. The ballad of Sir John Mennis has con siderable humour in it. It ends, after describing Suckling's un willingness to get too far in front, as follows — " The colonell sent for him back again, To quarter him in the van-a ; But Sir John did sweare he wouldn't come there, To be killed the very first man-a. ¦' To cure his fear he was sent to the rear, Some ten miles back and more-a, Where Sir John did play at trip and away, And ne'er saw the enemy more-a. " But now there is peace he's returned to increase His money, which lately he spent-a ; But his lost honour must lie still in the dust, At Berwick away it went-a." Barsham Hall. ?og Suckling was afterward prosecuted on an absurd charge of con spiracy and he fled the country, convinced that the court which had shown its inability to protect Strafford was unable to shield his adherents. " The active life of our poet," concludes his biographer, "was now drawing rapidly towards its closing scene. Time as it rolled its increasing course brought no prospect of a national reunion, while the interdict against his safety continued in full validity." Reduced at length in fortune and dreading to encounter poverty, his energies gave way to the complicated wretchedness of his situation, and he contemplated an act which he had himself condemned in others. He purchased poison of an apothecary, he swallowed it, and thus put an end to his life. Other accounts of his last days have been given ; this one, however, is sanctioned and confirmed by family tradition based on ascertained fact. Thus perished prematurely and in a land of strangers the accom plished Suckling, the darling of the court he adorned and refined. If he be charged with want of prudence in the direction of his great abilities to his own advancement, they were at least ever exerted in favour of the learned and the deserving. If his earlier years were stained by habits of intemperance and frivolity, he amply redeemed himself by the exertions of his maturer age. To a kind and amiable temper he united a generous and friendly dis position, while the proofs of his patriotism and loyalty have been so fully developed that, with all his imperfections, he is entitled to rank with the most distinguished men of his day. Sir John had sold the property of Barsham to his uncle, Charles Suckling of Woodton, who appears as lord in 1640. The manor and advowson remain with his descendants. 2IO NORFOLK. Norwich Castle. Norwich is built on an eminence, with the River Wensum flowing ai its feet, and spreads over a large site, with openings planted with trees, and towers of churches surmounting each block of building, thus recalling old Fuller's description : — " Norwich (as you please) either a city in an orchard, or an orchard in a city.'' It is not mentioned in history before the time of the earlier Danish invasions. It appears to have risen gradually from the decay of Caistor or Castor St. Edmunds, now a small village, about three miles south of Norwich, but anciently a British, and subsequently a Roman town under the name of Fenta Icenorum. An old distich records that ' ' Castor was a city when Norwich was none, And Norwich was built of Castor stone. " During the existence of the separate kingdom of the East Angles, their kings had erected upon what was then a promontory on the shore of the estuary of the sea, and is now the Castle Hill, a royal fortress. The town grew around the Castle, and, in the time of Edward the Confessor, had 1320 burgesses and twenty-five parish churches; and it may be questioned if at this time it was exceeded in wealth and population by any place in England except London, and perhaps York. The Castle, which stands on a lofty eminence in the centre of the town, bears evidence of Norman construction, built on the site of a strongly fortified place which existed long before that period, and is attributed to Uffa, the first King of East Anglia, about 575 ; and the fact of lands granted in 677 to the monastery of Ely being charged with castle guard to Norwich Castle is strong in support of the above con clusion. Mr. Harrod has examined the question of the site with great care, and considers the earthworks to be British. The fortress was built early in the Conqueror's reign. The hill was encircled with walls and towers, of which some remained in 1581. Its history is interesting. In the Conqueror's time it was entrusted to Ralf de Gunder, Earl of Norfolk; but he rebelling against the King, in 1075, and being defeated, took shipping at Norwich, and fled into Norzvich Castle. 211 Bretagne. His wife, who valiantly defended the Castle, was obliged to capitulate. The constableship of the Castle, with the Earldom of Norfolk, was then conferred on Roger Bigot, or Bigod, to whom, on strong presumptive evidence, the erection of the present keep has been ascribed. On theaccession of William Rufus, the city was damaged by this Earl Roger Bigod, who held the Castle for Robert of Normandy, William's eldest brother. On the peace of 1091, Roger was pardoned, and retained his office. In his time, and probably by his encourage ment, the bishopric of the East Angles was removed from Thetford ta Norwich, and the foundations of the Cathedral were laid. The Con- questand the rebellion of Gunder had materially injured the town, for at the Domesday Survey the number of burgesses was only half the number of those in the Confessor's time. Henry I. granted the citizens a charter, and soon after this the Flemings began to settle here, and in troduced the worsted manufacture. The Castle remained (except for a short interval in the reign of Stephen) in the hands of the Bigod family, until the reign of Henry III. Hugh Bigod, being in the interest of young Henry, son of Henry IL, took the city by assault in 11 74, with the aid of a body of Flemish troops. Henry 1 1., to reward the loyalty of the citizens, who had resisted this attack, restored or confirmed their privileges by a charter, which is still extant, and which is one of the oldest in the kingdom. In the time of King John, Roger Bigod having joined the insurgent Barons, Norwich Castle was seized by the King. Soon after John's death, it was taken by the Dauphin Louis, but on the peace which fol lowed his departure, it was restored to the Bigod family, by one of whom, about 1224, it was surrendered to the Crown. It was subse quently committed to the charge of the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, and made the common prison. The area originally comprehended 23 acres. The keep, the only part remaining, is no feet 3 inches from east to west, and from north to south 92 feet 10 inches; height to the battlements 69 feet 10 inches ; it has been recased, but in barbarous taste. When the Archaeological Institute visited Norwich in 1847, the Castle was described as " Norman structure, recently re-cased in what was called twenty years ago, good old Norman ; but now we know a good deal better, and can see the gross defects of this restoration. Some good old genuine Norman work remains within, sufficient to create a wish that the Castle itself had been let alone. Norwich Castle was of i. very different character." 112 The Burning of Norwich Cathedral Priory. In the Liber de Antiquis Legibus of the Corporation of London, it is related that in August, 1272, there happened at Norwich a certain most grievous misfortune, and among Christians unheard of for an age : That the Cathedral Church in honour of the Holy Trinity, there anciently founded, was completely destroyed by fire, wilfully placed, with all the houses of the monks constructed within the cloisters. And this was occasioned by the Prior of the monastery ; for with his assent messen gers and servants of the monks often entered the city, abusing and wounding men and women within and without their houses, and doing much evil. The Prior endeavoured to draw away men of the commons from the city. The monks had every year a fair, and it happened this year that about the Feast of the Holy Trinity the citizens coming with their merchandize had, foi the most part, returned home at the end of the fair, when the servants of the monks wickedly assaulted those who remained, abusing, wounding, and killing certain of them ; and for this they never made any redress, but persevering in their malice and wickedness, perpetrated all sorts of evil against the citizens, who, not being able to bear it any longer, assembled, and prepared to arm them selves to repel force by force. When the most detestable Prior understood this, he caused to come from Yarmouth who in the time of trouble in the kingdom had been robbers.'ravishers, and malefactors; all these came by water to the monastery, ascending the belfrey where the bells were hung, furnishing it with arms like a camp, and thence they fired with bows and catapult?, so that no one was able to pass near the monastery without being wounded. The citizens, seeing their violence, supposed those persons were manifestly evil-doers against the peace uf our lord the King, who had made a hostile camp in their city. They, therefore, gathered together, ordering men to apprehend and lead them to the King's Justice, furnished themselves; when these persons ap proached the closed gate of the court, not being able to enter by reason of the array ol men-at-arms who defended it, raised a fire, and fiercely burned the gate. As the fire waxed stronger, the belfrey was burned, and all the houses of the monks, and also, as some say, the Cathedral Church, so that all which could be burned was reduced to ashes, except a certain chapel which remains uninjured. The monks, how ever, and all who were able, taking to flight, got away, but certain men were killed. The King (Henry HI.), when he heard these most horrid rumours, The Burning of Norwich Cathedral Priory. 2 1 3 was greatly grieved ; and in fury and vehement wrath proceeded to the city, and when he had arrived, he caused the suspected citizens to be apprehended and incarcerated in the Castle. And he caused men re maining without the city to be summoned, desiring on their oaths to know the truth of this affair ; and when they presented themselves before the King's Justices for this purpose, the Bishop of the place, Roger by name, came forward, not falling short of the wickedness and cruelty of his Prior, neither considering his religious vows nor his own dignity, but lacking all religion and pity, desiring as far as he could to condemn the citizens to dcsth, he before the whole people excom municated all who for favour, pay, religion, or pity, should spare any of the citizens from undergoing trial ; so that, after his opinion had been declared, the King would extend favour to none, although he was entreated by many religious men within and without the city. And no allowance was then made to the citizens, on the ground that the Prior and his accomplices were the origin and cause of all that misfortune, nor by reason of the losses or evils which the citizens had suffered by means of the Prior and his men ; but the only inquiry made was, Who took part in this conflict ? And all who were convicted of this were by the jurors condemned to death; and Laurence de Broke, a justice at Newgate for a gaol delivery, who was there present acting as Judge, condemned about thirty young men belonging to the city to a most cruel death — namely, to be drawn, hung, and their bodies burnt after death. A certain priest also, and two clerks, were clearly convicted of robbing in the church, and they were sent to the Bishop to be judged according to the custom of Holy Church. Afterwards, by a most truthful inquest of forty knights, who re mained near the city, it appears that the church was burned by that accursed Prior, and not by the fire of the citizens ; for he had secretly caused smiths to go up into the tower of the church, who made there weapons and darts to be cast by them with catapults into the city ; and when these smiths saw the belfry on fire they fled, and did not ex tinguish their own fire ; and as this fire increased, the tower caught fire and burned the church. It appeared also that the most wicked Prior proposed to burn the whole city ; for which purpose, by his accomplices, he caused fire to be raised in three parts of the place. Certain of the citizens, however, wishing to avenge that evil, increased it very grievously, for tbey burned with the same fire the gate of the Priory. The wicked Prior was also convicted of homicide, of robbery, and nnumerable other cruelties and iniquities, perpetrated by him per- p II. 214 Thetford Priory. sonally, or by his iniquitous accomplices. Therefore, the King caused him to be apprehended, and gave him into the hands of his Bishop, who being far too favourable to him, purged himself after the ecclesiastical manner, and so that most wicked man (with shame be it said) re mained unpunished for the crime laid to his charge. Subsequently, within the next half-year, divine vengeance overtaking him, as the authority believes, he miserably died. This circumstantial account of the fire varies considerably from that of Cotton as to its actual causes. He says, on the Feast of St. Lawrence the citizens encircled and besieged the monastery, and when by assault they were unable to obtain ingress, they fired the great gates of the monastery, and beyond it a parochial church, which, with all the ornaments, books, and images, and everything contained therein, they burned. They also fired the great house of the almonry, and the gates of the church ; also the great belfrey, which, together with the bells, was immediately destroyed. Certain of them also, without the tower of St. George, with catapults, threw fire into the great belfrey, which was above the choir, and by this fire they burned the whole church, except the chapel of the Blessed Mary, which was miraculously preserved. The dormitory, refectory, strangers' hall, infirmary, with the chapel, and almost all the edifices of the court, were consumed by fire. The difference between this account and the London narrative is amusing enough. Cotton's (says Mr. Harrod) is, of course, the monkish history of it. Thetford Priory. Thetford was, in ancient times, the metropolis of the East Angles: it had eight monasteries, twenty churches, and other religious founda tions. When the Danes invaded England in the reign of Ethelred L, they fixed their head-quarters, a.d. 870, at Thetford, which they sacked. There appears to have been an Abbey near the town at a very early period, for King Edred, the grandson of Alfred the Great, ordered a great slaughter to be made of Thetforda (as it was then called), in revenge ofthe Abbot whom they had formerly slain. The town was fired bythe Danes a.d. 1004, and again in 1010. In the reign of William the Conqueror the bishopric of East Angles was transferred to it from North Elmham, but was transferred to Norwich in 1094. After this a Cluniac Priory was founded here by Roger Bigod ; and twelve Cluniac monks, with Malgod the Prior arrived at Thetford in 1104, amidst great rejoicing, and for three years, laboured hard at the build- Thetford Priory. 215 mgs ofthe monastery adjacent to the church of Saint Mary the Great. Malgod was then recalled, and Stephen, sent from Lewes, replaced him ; and disapproving of the site, with the approbation of the founder and the King, the establishment was removed to the Norfolk side of the Ouse, the site on which it now stands. The founder died in 1107, and had directed his body to be buried in the monastery ; but the Bishop obtained it for his own foundation at Norwich, it being a valuable source of revenue, by masses, offerings, and commemorations of so great and wealthy a man as the founder. In 1 1 14, the monks removed to their new monastery. Matthew Paris tells a strange story of the Prior in 1248 ; he was a Savoyard by birth, and a monk of Clugny, and declared himself a kinsman of the Queen : he invited his brothers, Bernard, a Knight, and Guiscard, a clerk, to come to his house at Thet ford: there he remained, according to custom, the whole night, till cockcrow, eating and drinking With them, forgetting his matin devotions ; and seldom was he present at mass, or even little masses, or at canonical hours. These gluttonous persons swallowed up all the food ofthe monks in the Charybdis ofthe belly, and, afterwards, when well gorged, loaded them with insults. Meanwhile, a strife arose between the Prior and one of his monks, whom the former swore should proceed on a pilgrimage with the scrip and wallet, when the demoniac monk drew a knife and plunged it into the Prior's belly. The wounded Prior, with the death-rattle in his throat, endeavoured to rouse the monks, but in vain, when the monk again rushed upon him, and buried the knife up to the handle in his lifeless body. The assassin was secured, and committed to prison. When the crime came to the knowledge of the King (Henry III.), worried by the continued complaints ofthe Queen, he ordered the murderer to be chained, and, after being deprived of his eyes, to be thrown into the lowest dungeon in the castle of Norwich. These occurrences were talked of by an enemy of the monks as an opprobrium to religious men, one of whom said, in reply, " Amongst the angels the Lord found a rebel ; amongst the seven deacons a deviator from the right path ; and amongst the Apostles a traitor; God forbid that the sin of one man or of a few should redound to the disgrace of such a numerous community." The Convent had fallen into a bad state. Still, the Bigods and the Mowbrays were buried there ; and then the Howards, many of which noble family sleep within these hallowed walls. Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, strove hard to save the Priory from suppression, but in vain : the Surrender deed was executed by the Prior and twelve monks, and the site and possession were given to the Duke, who removed the bones 2 1 6 Rising Castle. md tombs of some of his family from Thetford to Framlingham, and ihe building was then abandoned to decay. A small etching, by Hollar, shows the ruins as they existed in his time. Gough tells us how the edifice was destroyed by rapacious tenants. Mr. Harrod, F.S.A., in 1854, was enabled, by excavations by subscription, to verify points, to construct a large plan of this noble Priory. Among other noteworthy results was the identification in the choir of the tomb of John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, who died in 147,15 5 this had been mistaken for the tomb of Thomas, Duke of Norfolk (" Jockey of Norfolk"), killed on Bosworth Field. In the large hall was the famous picture of the Blessed Virgin, purchased for this Priory by the Lady Maude de Sax mundham, a lay sister ofthe Convent. In the Scriptorium, the erudite monk Brame may have toiled in recording the marvels wrought at his favourite shrine; but he is not over -credulous when he remarks: "There were many of saints beside those named, whose names and merits God knows, but we, out of regard for truth, should not presume to mention " Rising Castle. Of the history of these noble ruins, Mr. Harrod brought together a large mass of materials in 1850, for his truthful Gleanings among the Castles and Convents of Norfolk.* The village above which the Castle stands lies north-east of Lynn, in a dreary country. The Castle is in the midst of stupendous earthworks, a fine specimen of Norman castrame- tation. Rising was, at the Conquest, part of the lordship of Snettisham, and, with other possessions, was forfeited by Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Conqueror bestowed them upon his half-brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux ; and on his rebellion against William Rufus, they were granted to William d'Albini, from whom they descended to his son, who married Adeliza, the widow of Henry I., and to whom the erection of the Castle is usually attributed, before 1176; but the edifice appears to enclose a fragment of a more ancient building. By tenure of this Castle the descendants of the founder enjoyed a third part of the customs of the port of Lynn until the 27th Henry III., when the people of Lynn besieged the Earl in his Castle, and com pelled him to relieve them from his claim. An old traditional saying declares that "Rising was a sea-port town when Lynn was but a marsh." The trade was considerable, and the town was incorporated, * To this work of patient and discriminative research we are largely indebted for the details of our Norfolk Sketches. Rising Castle. 217 but the harbour being choked up with sand, was deserted, and the place fell to decay. Rising received the elective franchise in the time of William and Mary ; but the number of voters having diminished to two or three, the franchise was taken away by the Reform Act. The descent of the Castle and Manor of Rising would occupy more space than is at our command. One of its possessors was Robert de Montalt, a man of note as a warrior and statesman, who had a re markable lawsuit with the Corporation of Lynn, arising out of his claims ofthe tollbooth and tolls. It was commenced 6 Edward II. An assault on Robert and his men had been committed or permitted upon his being in Lynn, when Nicholas de Northampton, with others, with banners unfurled, insulted the said Robert and his men, pursuing him to his dwelling-house, which they besieged, broke down the doors, beat him and his men, and carried away certain arms, swords, spurs, a gilt zone, purses with money, and jewels to the value of 40/. The defendants led away and imprisoned his men, confined him for two days, and then compelled him by fear of death to release all actions against the Mayor, to give up the right of appointing a bailiff, to leave the profits for twenty years to them, &c. They afterwards carried him to the market-place, and there compelled him, in the presence of a mul titude of persons, to enter into these compacts. The damage of the said Robert de Montalt being laid at 100,000 marks. Judgment was given in his favour, and damages 6000I. awarded, which, or a composi tion of 4000/., they were compelled to pay by instalments, and the town was heavily taxed to raise these sums. But the fact of the greatest interest in the annals of Rising, that which casts a lurid light on the history of this Castle, was its posses sion by the " she-wolf of France," Isabella, Queen Dowager of England. Rising has been usually pointed out as the place of her imprisonment and death. After Mortimer's execution, on 29th November, in the fourth year of Edward III., we are told that "the Queen Mother was deprived of her enormous jointure, and shut up in the Castle of Rising, where she spent the remaining twenty-seven years of her life in obscurity." Edward, however, paid her a respectful visit at least once a year, and allowed her 300c/., and afterwards 4000/., for her annual expense. It is remarkable that Blomefield, who repeats the story oi her twenty-seven years' imprisonment, and death at this place, prints, but a few pages further on, Letters Patent under her hand, dated from her " Castle of Hertford," in the 20th year of Edward III. Miss Strickland quotes and adopts the account of Froissart much to the same effect, adding that " Castle Rising was the place where Queen 2I8 Rising Castle.