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diff --git a/old/62365-0.txt b/old/62365-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e341c8f..0000000 --- a/old/62365-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,18342 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The History of Lynn, Vol. 1 [of 2], by -William Richards - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The History of Lynn, Vol. 1 [of 2] - - -Author: William Richards - - - -Release Date: June 10, 2020 [eBook #62365] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF LYNN, VOL. 1 [OF -2]*** - - -Transcribed from the 1812 W. G. Whittingham edition by David Price, email -ccx074@pglaf.org - - [Picture: Book cover] - - THE - HISTORY - OF - LYNN, - - _Civil_, _Ecclesiastical_, _Political_, _Commercial_, _Biographical_, - _Municipal_, _and Military_, - FROM - THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE PRESENT TIME; - INTERSPERSED - With occasional remarks on such national occurrences as may serve to - elucidate the real state of the town, or the manners, character, - and condition of the inhabitants at different periods. - - TO WHICH IS PREFIXED - A COPIOUS INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT - OF ITS - _Situation_, _Harbour_, _Rivers_, _Inland Trade and Navigation_, - _the Ancient and Modern State_ - OF - Marshland, Wisbeach, and the Fens, - AND - Whatever is most remarkable, memorable, or interesting, in other - parts of the adjacent country. - - IN TWO VOLUMES. - - _BY WILLIAM RICHARDS_, _M.A._ - - _Honorary member of the Pennsylvania Society_, _for promoting the - Abolition_ - _of Slavery_, _and the relief of free Negroes unlawfully held in - bondage_. - - VOL. I. - - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - - LYNN: - PRINTED BY W. G. WHITTINGHAM, - AND SOLD BY R. BALDWIN; PATERNOSTER ROW; LONDON. - - 1812. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Materials for a history of Lynn have been collected as long ago as the -reign of Charles II. by _Guybon Goddard_, then recorder of this town, and -brother-in-law of Sir William Dugdale. At his death, which happened, if -we are not mistaken, about 1677, those materials came into the possession -of his son Tho. Goddard Esq; from whom our corporation soon after -endeavoured to obtain them; but we cannot learn that they then succeeded; -nor does it appear that they ever came into their hands. What became of -them, whether still in being or not, we have never been able to learn: -and it is presumed that all the present members of our body Corporate are -equally uninformed. See p. 831. - -About forty years after the death of Guybon Goddard, another attempt was -made to produce or compile a history of this town, by a nameless person, -but evidently a learned, ingenious, and industrious man. Unfortunately -his attention was chiefly engaged about the churches, and especially the -monuments and monumental inscriptions which they contained. These he -took no small pains with, and made fair drawings of most of them. This -work he carefully arranged, and fairly wrote out. It forms a moderate -folio volume, and is now in the possession, or at least in the hands, of -Mr. _Thomas King_ of this town, for we are informed that Dr. _Adams_ is -the real owner of it. There are at the end of it some curious documents -relating to divers ancient customs and occurrences, of which the compiler -of the present history has in some measure availed himself. The volume -was finished in 1724, and the author, it seems, died soon after. - -Within a few years after his death, the work fell into the hands of Mr. -B. _Mackerell_, who, after making a few paltry additions to it, actually -published the greatest part of it verbatim under his own name, and it -constitutes the bulk of that volume which has ever since been called, -_Mackerell’s History of Lynn_. This act or achievement is disreputable -to Mackerell’s memory; but the plagiarism has been scarcely known or -noticed till now. He makes, in his preface, some slight obscure mention -of the MS. but deigns not to tell the author’s name, though it must have -been well known to him. He also boasts of his having had free access to -the _town records_, and having “diligently searched and perused them, for -a considerable time together.” For aught we know, this may be all very -true; but if it be so, he must have laboured to very small purpose, as -all the discoveries he has been able to make amount to very little, and -may be comprised within a very narrow compass. - -_Parkin_ also, in his _continuation of Bloomfield’s History of Norfolk_, -and in his _Topography of Freebridge Hundred and Half_, has published a -history of Lynn, of above fifty large folio pages. It is in few hands, -and little known; and though it contains much useful information, (very -ill arranged,) it has no pretension to the character of a complete -history of the town. The same may be said of what has since appeared, in -the octavo history of Norfolk published at Norwich, and, more recently, -in the Norfolk Tour, and the Beauties of England; the former from the pen -of Mr. _Beatniffe_, and the latter from that of Mr. _Britton_. All these -are mere Epitomes, and never fail to excite in their readers a wish to -see a more copious and complete history of the place. Such a wish has -been often and very generally expressed; and some years ago, a young man, -of the name of _Delamore_, offered to gratify it, and supply this -deficiency and lack of service. He accordingly circulated printed -proposals for publishing, by subscription, a larger account of the town -than any that had yet appeared. But not meeting with sufficient -encouragement, he dropt the design, and soon after quitted this vicinity. -What materials he possessed, or how competent he was for the undertaking, -the present writer is not able to say. But it is very clear that the -public were not disposed to favour his proposal. - -For some years after the last mentioned occurrence, there was no talk or -expectation of a new history of Lynn. But somewhat more than seven years -ago, a sudden and severe domestic affliction (from the effects of which -he has never recovered) obliged the present writer to seek in solitude -some alleviation of his sorrow, which he despaired of finding in the way -of social intercourse, and even found himself incapable of attempting it, -without offering unbearable violence to his feelings. Thus shut up in -retirement, and buried among books, he tried to beguile his melancholy, -by forming and pursuing certain literary projects; among which was an -_ecclesiastical history of Wales_, which had often before employed his -thoughts; and likewise a _general history of Lynn_, which has been his -place of residence now near forty years, and whose history had also, not -unfrequently, engaged his attention. In both these works he made some -progress; which coming to the knowledge of his friends, they urged him to -publish, but they were not agreed which should be published first: some -called for the former work, of which some hundreds of copies were soon -subscribed for; others advised him to complete and publish the History of -Lynn first, and these prevailed—it being more convenient for him just -then to attend to this than to the other. An agreement was consequently -made with one of the book-sellers for its publication; and the public -manifested a disposition to encourage the undertaking. - -When the work was sent to the press, it was fully intended that it should -all be comprised in one volume; and this intention was persisted in, till -7 or 800 pages had been printed off. By that time the author had -received a large and unexpected quantity of new matter, much of it very -curious and interesting, which many of his subscribers wished him to make -use of and insert. He was therefore induced and constrained to depart -from his original design, and extend the work to two volumes. But as it -was then too late to have the pages numbered accordingly, they were of -course continued in a regular series through both volumes, so as to -amount in all to above 1200. - -The enlargement or extension of the work, beyond the original design, has -occasioned some derangement of the author’s first plan, so as to give the -latter part of the work somewhat of the appearance of disorder and -confusion; which the author sincerely regrets, but it was perhaps -unavoidable, as the case stood. Had he possessed at first all the -materials he has since obtained, he flatters himself that the task he -undertook had been much better executed. Some of the latter or lately -received documents were found to cast a new light on divers facts -previously stated, so as to convince the author that he had been in -several instances mistaken. He therefore never failed to seize the -earliest opportunity to rectify those mistakes; for he was fully resolved -to make his history the vehicle of truth, as far as it lay in his power. -Of this he thinks he has given frequent proofs. Yet even this very -practice, of rectifying, without loss of time, any mistakes which he -found he had previously fallen into, will probably be classed, by some, -among the defects of this performance. Be it so. He is more desirous of -being classed among honest men, and lovers of truth, than among polished -writers, or methodical and elegant historians. - -As to the CRITICS, _annual_, and _quarterly_, as well as _monthly_, he -has but little to say to them. He is very sensible of the defects of the -work; many of which however were unavoidable, in existing circumstances, -or in a first attempt like his, where many of the necessary materials -were not in his possession, or at his command, and seemed for a long -while unobtainable. Should the work come before their high tribunal, he -asks no favour. They will doubtless see in it many defects, but not more -perhaps than he is himself conscious of. They are welcome however to be -as severe as they please, provided they deal fairly, or with reason and -justice. It may be less cruel to exercise their severity here, than upon -some young authors, who are in quest of, and panting for popular -applause, or literary fame; neither of which has ever been sought for by -the present writer. - -The work being now finished, after many unforeseen delays, the author -respectfully submits it to the examination and judgment of the candid and -intelligent reader, by whom, he doubts not, both its merits and demerits -will be rightly estimated. Whatever may be said or thought of the -execution, he thinks it must be admitted, that there is here brought -together such a mass of interesting information relating to this town, as -few people could have expected to see, when the design of this -publication was first advertised. So that there may now be obtained as -much knowledge of the ancient and modern affairs of this town, as of most -towns in the county, or in the kingdom. He regrets that so many -typographical errors escaped him in revising the sheets; the chief of -which he has now pointed out, in a table of errata, (which will be found -in each volume,) by the direction of which he requests the subscribers -forthwith to correct the reading. - -It may have been expected, that this work would contain a _list of our -mayors_; but as no such list was known of, that might be depended upon -for its correctness, it has been omitted: nor did it seem to be at all -material, unless it had also been accompanied with lists of the -_recorders_, and other functionaries, which appeared unobtainable.—It was -intended to add an _alphabetical Index_; but as it would take up some -time, and increase too much the size of the concluding number, (already -almost three times as large at any of the others,) the design was given -up. The _Table of contents_ it is hoped, will supply, in a great -measure, the want of an index. Be that as it may, the work is now left -to take its chance and make its own way in the world—the author consoling -himself with the consciousness of having faithfully and honestly -performed the task he had undertaken. - -_Lynn_, _July_, 1812. - - - - -CONTENTS. -_OF THE FIRST VOLUME_. - - PART I.—INTRODUCTION. - - CHAP. I. - -_Site of Lynn—account of its harbour_, _and that of Wisbeach—ancient -and present state of its rivers—inland navigation—drainage—projects -of improvement—state of its shipping_, _commerce_, _and population_, -_at different periods_. - Page -SECT. 1. Situation of the town—its distance from the sea. 1 -&c.—its harbour—river Ouse and its tributary streams. -SECT. 2. Further account of the river Ouse—remarkable 8 -phenomenon—the poet Cowper—supposed etymology of the name -of Wisbeach—the Ouse diverted from its ancient course and -outlet—king John’s disastrous passage over that river, in -his last progress from Lynn—Extracts from Vancouver. -SECT. 3. Effects of the desertion of the Ouse and Nene, on 15 -Wisbeach and parts adjacent. -SECT. 4. Effects on Lynn and its harbour and navigation, 22 -of the great accession of fresh waters in the reign of -Henry III. -SECT. 5. Eaubrink Cut and other projects of former 27 -times—with slight hints on the comparative state of the -shipping, commercial consequence and population of Lynn at -different periods. - CHAP. II. - - _Of Marshland and adjoining parts_, _or great Fen Country—View of - their situation and revolutions in remote ages_, _or sketch of their - ancient history_. -SECT. 1. Account of their state before and after the 32 -arrival of the Romans—character of that -people—establishment of their power here—improvements made -by them in these parts. -SECT. 2. Further strictures on the ancient state of this 37 -country, and on the wonderful change it appears to have -undergone at a very remote and unknown period; from De -Serra’s account of a submarine forest on the coast of -Lincolnshire. -SECT. 3. Further observations from same paper—Epoch of the 42 -destruction of the said forest—agency by which it was -effected, &c.—similar appearances eastward along the -Norfolk coast. -SECT. 4. Some further geological observations relating to 49 -the fens, extracted from Dugdale’s Letters to Sir Thomas -Browne. -SECT. 5. Concise view of the ancient and modern history of 52 -the Fen country, from Pennant’s Preface to his 3rd. vol. of -Arctic Zoology. -SECT. 6. Further account of the Fens, from the Beauties of 58 -England. -SECT. 7. Of the Fens from the time of Henry VIII, or 64 -rather that of Elizabeth, to the Revolution; giving an -account of the different projects of improvement proposed -and carried on during that period. -SECT. 8. Same subject continued to the present time 70 -SECT. 9. Miscellaneous observations on the present 74 -appearance, produce, and state of the Fens. -SECT. 10. Miscellaneous observations continued—fen-reeds 77 -and their uses—starlings—tame geese, and singular -management of them—insalubriousness of Marshland—ancient -celebrity of the smeeth—decoys. -SECT. 11. Brief remarks on the parish churches of 87 -Marshland and Holland; with a short sketch of the history -of the castle and town of Wisbeach. -SECT. 12. History of Wisbeach continued. 99 -SECT. 13. Additional account of Marshland—Parkin—bishop of 112 -Ely’s manor in Terrington—queen Henrietta—admiral -Bentinck—cross keys demolishers of banks prosecuted and -suppressed—high tides—destructive inundations—principal -divisions of Marshland. -SECT. 14. Biographical sketches of some of the most 121 -distinguished personages of other times in Marshland and -its vicinity. - CHAP. III. - - _Of the parts about Lynn_, _on the eastern side of the Ouse_. -SECT. 1. Aspect of the country—its agriculture and rural 135 -economy—Wayland wood—memoir of Shuckforth—parish churches -and other edifices, ancient and modern. -SECT. 2. Further account of cables, edifices, and places 146 -of ancient note in these -parts—Brancaster—Rising—Hunston—Castle-acre—Wormegay— -Middleton—Gaywood, &c. -SECT. 3. Account of modern palaces, and other notable 162 -mansions in these -parts—Houghton—Holkham—Rainham—Narford—Narborough—Oxborough -SECT. 4. Biographical sketches of some of the most 174 -celebrated or memorable personages who were of this part of -the country—Coke—Sir Henry and Sir John -Spelman—L’Estrange—Walpole—Fountain—Folkes—Horace -Walpole—Nelson—Bewley. -SECT. 5. Of the animals, and particularly the birds, of 193 -this country -SECT. 6. Brief account of places hereabout, before 201 -omitted—Sechey—Runcton—Downham—Denver—Helgay—Southery— -Feltwell—Methwold—Stoke, &c. Feltwell -new-fen-district—Fincham—Swaffham—Babingley—Sharnborne— -great malthouse—Hunston Light-house &c. -PART II. OF THE ORIGIN AND ANTIQUITY OF LYNN, WITH A SKETCH OF THE -HISTORY FROM ITS FIRST RISE TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST. - - CHAP. I. - - _Of Lynn while Britain formed a part of the Roman empire_. -SECT. 1. Present town or borough of Lynn of no great 213 -antiquity—its site not the same with that of the original -town—the probable site of the latter, and era of its -origin. -SECT. 2. Digression relating to the first introduction of 216 -Christianity into Britain—Bardism. -SECT 3. Ancient history of Lynn continued—town supposed to 220 -have been founded by a colony of foreigners introduced by -the Romans—etymology of its name—mistakes of Camden, -Spelman, &c. -SECT. 4. Lynn the mother-town of the fens—further account 223 -of its supposed founders and original -inhabitants—remarkable works executed by them—great -improvers of the country—account continued to the -extinction of the Roman power. - CHAP. II. - -_Immediate consequence of the abdication of the country by the -Romans_, _and probable fate of Lynn_. -SECT. 1. Character of the Anglo-Saxons, with general 228 -observations on the invasion and conquest of this country -by them, and their barbarous treatment of the inhabitants. -SECT. 2. Of the ANGLES, from whom England and the English 235 -language derive their names—they seize on the parts about -Lynn, and the whole province of the ancient ICENI, which -receives the denomination of East Anglia, and forms one of -the kingdoms of the Heptarchy—revival of Lynn in the mean -time—with remarks on the adjacent country. -SECT. 3. Of the _Saltworks_ formerly at and about 239 -Lynn—paucity of appropriate materials to elucidate that -subject—apology. - CHAP. III. - -_Of the religious profession of the first Anglian inhabitants of -Lynn—their renouncing heathenism_, _and assuming the christian -name—account of their conversion_, _and character of their -Christianity_. -SECT. 1. Heathenism the religion of this town at the 241 -commencement of the Heptarchy—our townsmen and the rest of -the East Angles, with the other branches of the Heptarchy, -become professors of Christianity—account of their -conversion. -SECT. 2. Effects of the conversion of the East Angles, and 244 -the sister kingdoms—character of their Christianity. -SECT. 3. Christianity of the ancient inhabitants of Lynn 248 -and of this country further characterized—whether very -materially improved during the reign of ALFRED—remarks on -that reign—papal instructions to the first missionaries. - CHAP. IV. - -_Miscellaneous observations_, _on the social distinctions and the -general state of the community among the Anglo-Saxons_. -SECT. 1. State of society at Lynn, and in this country, 253 -before the conquest. -SECT. 2. Of the _Wittenagemote_ and other courts—maxims of 258 -jurisprudence—institution of tythings—nuptial and funeral -rites—sacerdotal, domestic, and other customs among the -Anglo-Saxons. -SECT. 3. State of learning, and of the medical profession, 264 -among the Anglo-Saxons. -SECT. 4. Expressive and remarkable names of the 266 -months—state of the coinage or currency—general value of -different commodities in this country before the -conquest—slavery—comparison with the present course of -things. -SECT. 5. Probability that Lynn was formerly concerned in 270 -the exportation of slaves—comparison between the ancient -and modern English slave dealers—_slaves_ and _horses_ the -chief exports of this country in those days—_corn_ not then -exported, though it had been formerly—imports, commerce, -miscellaneous hints and observations. -SECT. 6. Population of Lynn and the country in general, 277 -before the conquest—condition of the bulk of the -inhabitants in the mean time—sufferings of the inhabitants -of Lynn and the adjacent country from the _Danes_—intrepid -and ferocious character of that people—instruments of -vengeance on the Anglo-Saxons—their despotism and character -not much changed by their conversion to Christianity, so -called—remarkable instances of imposition, superstition, -and credulity. -SECT. 7. Of the Heptarchy and its history—remarks on 284 -_Egbert_, _Alfred_, and their most renowned -successors—character of _Canute_ and _Edward the -Confessor_—the latter the first of our monarchs that -touched for the Evil—remarks on that circumstance, and the -prevalence of that complaint in these parts. -SECT. 8. State of Lynn in the confessor’s time—chief sway 289 -borne here then by Stigand, Ailmer, and Harold—great power -of the latter, and sketch of his character—obtains the -crown at the confessor’s death—is soon disturbed by two -formidable invasions; one from the Danish or Norwegian -shores under _Halfagar_, whom he vanquishes; the other from -France, under William the Norman bastard, in opposing whom -he is himself vanquished and slain, which places the -conqueror on the English throne without further struggle, -through the defection and machinations of our bishops and -clergy. -SECT. 9. Sketch of the practice of the _royal touch_ in 298 -England, or a historical essay on the memorable _empiricism -of our English sovereigns_, from Edward the confessor to -George the first—credulity of _Whiston_ and -_Carte_—quackery, medical, political, and theological still -prevalent among us, though that of the _royal touch_ has -ceased—_Richard Brothers_, _Joanna Southcote_, and _William -Pitt_—memoir of the _Dumb doctor_. -PART III. HISTORY OF LYNN FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FRENCH OR -NORMANS IN ENGLAND TO THE REFORMATION. - - CHAP. I. -Observations on the Conquest—account of the changes then 327 -introduced—their effects on the kingdom in general, and on -Lynn and its vicinity in particular. - CHAP. II. -Further remarks on the revolutionary effects of the 342 -Conquest, throughout the whole kingdom as well as at -Lynn—Catalogue of bishops to whose civil rule the town used -to be subject, or who bore temporal sway here till the -Reformation. - CHAP. III. -State of Lynn previously and subsequently to its becoming a 374 -corporate town, or free burgh; or general remarks on that -event, and on the progressive state of society in the -cities and towns of this country, as well as at Lynn, in -those times—John, Henry III, and Henry VIII, great -benefactors to this town; the latter of whom put an end to -the temporal domination of the bishops here, and ought to -be held in grateful remembrance. - CHAP. IV. -Further observations on the history of Lynn during the same 390 -period—horrid treatment of the Jews here—probable state of -the town as to its internal police and municipal economy -previously to its being declared a free burgh and receiving -its first royal charter—changes resulting from that -event—statement of subsequent occurrences. - CHAP. V. -State of society at Lynn during this period—the subject 408 -elucidated from documents relative to the ancient -_gilds_—observations on the nature of those -institutions—very common in the country before the -reformation—names and number of those of Lynn. -SECT. 1. Observations on the origin of the gilds. 411 -SECT. 2. Names and number of the Lynn gilds, with 415 -additional observations. -SECT. 3. More particular account of some of our gilds. 419 -SECT. 4. Account of the gilds continued. 439 -SECT. 5. Account of the Holy Trinity company, or great 450 -merchant’s gild. -SECT. 6. Account of the remaining gilds, and particularly 474 -those of _St. Francis_ and _St. William_. - CHAP. VI. - - _Account of the monasteries and religious houses formerly here_. -SECT. 1. Account of the house of _Benedictines_ in priory 489 -lane, with a sketch of that religious order. -SECT. 2. Account of the convent of the _Carmelites_ or 493 -White Friars, with a sketch of that order. -SECT. 3. Account of the convent of the _Franciscans_, 498 -Friars Minors, or Grey Friars, with a sketch of that order. -SECT. 4. Account of the convent of the _Dominicans_ or 503 -Black Friars, with a sketch of that order. -SECT. 5. Account of the convent of the Augustinians, or 513 -Austin Friars, with a sketch of that older. -SECT. 6. Of the Friars de Penitentia, or brothers of 519 -repentance, and their convent here—also the college of -Priests, and the hospital and church of St. John. -SECT. 7. Account of _St. Mary Magdalen’s Hospital_, Lazar 530 -Houses, St. Lawrence’s Hospital &c. -SECT. 8. Of the _Red Mount_ and our Lady’s chapel 554 -there—also her chapel by the Bridge, and the chapels of St. -Ann, St. Catherine, and St. Lawrence. -SECT. 9. Account of _St. James’s Chapel_ (now the 564 -Workhouse) from its first erection, in the 12th. century, -to the present time; including an account of the -_management of the in-door pensioners there_, as well as -the out-door ones, and our present enormous _poor-rates_. - CHAP. VII. -_Brief_ Biographical _notices of the most remarkable and 585 -distinguished personages who appeared among the inhabitants -of Lynn in the intervening period between the Conquest and -Reformation_. _Nicholas—Sawtre—Alan—Wallys—Baret—De -Bittering—Wentworth—Petipas—Miller_. -Postscript or supplement to the History of the Royal Touch - - - - -PART I. -INTRODUCTION. - - -CHAP. I. - - -Site of Lynn—Account of its harbour, and that of Wisbeach—Ancient and -present state of its rivers—Inland Navigation—Drainage—Projects of -improvement—State of its shipping, commerce, and population, at different -periods. - - -SECTION I. - - -_Situation of the town—its distance from the sea_, _&c.—its harbour—river -Ouse and its tributary streams_. - -LYNN is situated on the eastern side of Marshland, and of the Great -Level, or Fen Country, about 12 miles from the Sea, 42 from Norwich, 46 -from Cambridge, and 98 from London. {1} It stands partly on each side of -the Ouse, but chiefly on its eastern banks; though it is supposed to have -stood originally all on the opposite shore, and hence that part of it is -still called _Old Lynn_. - -The Haven or Harbour is capacious, but the entrance to it is accounted -somewhat difficult, and even dangerous, owing to the numerous sandbanks, -and the frequent shiftings of the channel, occasioned by the loose and -light nature of the sandy and silty soil at the bottom. On which account -it is not deemed safe for ships to go in or out without pilots, who are, -or ought always to be well acquainted with the variations and actual -state of the channel. In the ages proceeding the 13th century this -harbour, compared with its present width, is said to have been very -narrow, being only a few perches over, though its depth of water was -then, probably, no less, if not greater than it is at present. - -The Ouse over against the town, is reckoned about as wide as the Thames -above London Bridge. Its name is evidently of British origin, {2} and -corresponds with those of several others of our rivers; such as the -_Usk_, _Esk_, _Ex_, _Isis_, _&c._ The word signifies, a _stream_, or -_the river_, by way of eminence. It is called the _great Ouse_, to -distinguish it from that called the _little_ or _lesser Ouse_, which is -now one of its tributary streams, and joins it some way below _Ely_, -though it had formerly no connection with it. It is also called the -_eastern Ouse_, to distinguish it from the _northern_, or Yorkshire river -of the same name. - -As Lynn owes most of its consequence to this river, which forms its -communication with the sea, and gives it so great an extent of inland -navigation, and consequently such a vast commercial intercourse with the -interior parts of the country, it will not be improper here to give some -account of it, together with its principal branches, or those tributary -streams which render it so considerable among the British navigable -rivers. - -_Kinderley_, many years ago, has given the following account of this -river and its several branches: “The Ouse (says he) formerly _Usa or -Isa_, which is the most famous of all the rivers that pass through this -Level, has its original head on a gentle rising ground full of springs, -under Sisam in Northamptonshire, 54 miles from Erith bridge, at which -place it first touches the Isle of Ely. It falls by Brackley, -Buckingham, Newport Pagnel, Bedford, Huntingdon, and St. Ives, to Erith, -and so on till it comes to Lynn. It has 5 rivers emptying themselves -into it, beside many brooks and rills; _Grant_, _Mildenhall_, _Brandon_, -_Stoke_, and the river _Lenne_, or Sandringham Ea [otherwise _Nare_,] -which rises under Lycham, and comes by Castleacre, Narford, and Sechy.” -[He omits the _Nene_, which surely he ought to have mentioned.] -Afterward he adds, “That the Ouse by its situation, and having so many -navigable rivers falling into it from eight several counties, does -therefore afford a great advantage to trade and commerce, since hereby -two cities, and several great towns are therein served; as Peterborough, -Ely, Stamford, Bedford, St. Ives, Huntingdon, St. Neots, Northampton, -Cambridge, Bury St. Edmunds, Thetford, &c. with all sorts of heavy -commodities from Lynn, as Coals, Salt, Deals, Fir-timber, Iron, Pitch, -Tar, and Wine, thither imported; and from these parts great quantities of -Wheat, Rye, Coleseed, Barley, &c. are brought down these rivers, whereby -a great foreign and inland trade is carried on, and the breed of seamen -is increased. The Port of Lynn supplies _six_ counties wholly, and -_three_ in part.” - -But of the Ouse and the other Lynn rivers, no one, perhaps, has given so -full and so good an account as Mr. _Skrine_, in his general account of -the British rivers. - - “The Ouse (he says,) traverses a very considerable part of the - Midland counties of England, rising in two branches, not far from - Brackley and Towcester on the borders of Northamptonshire and - Oxfordshire, from whence its course is eastward, a little inclined to - the north, through Buckinghamshire, joined at Newport Pagnel by a - small stream from Ivinghoe in the south; to reach Bedford it descends - by many windings toward the south, and then joined by the _Hyee_ from - Woburn, and the _Ivel_ from Biggleswade, it pursues its original - direction to Huntingdon, where a combination of streams from the - south-west contributes to its increase. From thence it passes nearly - eastward through the centre of the Fens of Cambridgeshire, where it - receives the _Cam_ near Ely from the south-west, and afterwards the - _lesser Ouse_ from Woolpit and Ixworth in the south-east, joined by - the _Larke_ from Bury St. Edmunds; it then inclines more and more to - the north, till it falls into the great Gulph of the sea between the - projecting coasts of Norfolk and Lincolnshire, beneath the walls of - Lynn Regis. - - “The Ouse is generally a stagnant stream, neither giving nor - receiving much beauty in all the great tract through which it passes. - Its course is uniformly dull and unimportant to Buckingham; nor is it - at all an object from the princely territory of _Stowe_, which - abounds in grand scenes and buildings.” - - This river “does not improve much,” (he further observes) “as it - traverses the plain counties of Bedford and Huntingdon, though it - adds some consequence to their capitals, being there navigable; at - St. Ives it sinks into those great marshes which abound on this part - of the eastern coast, through Norfolk, Huntingdonshire, - Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire. - - “The _Hyee_ which meets it a little below Bedford, passes near the - Duke of Bedford’s noble domain at Woburn Abbey, and the _Ivel_ flows - northward to it through a dull uninteresting tract of country. - - “The _Cam_ is composed of two branches, one of which rises on the - borders of Bedfordshire, and unites with the other, which bears the - classic name of _Granta_, flowing from the confines of Essex, through - the highly ornamented grounds of Audley End. They unite near - Cambridge, and then run nearly eastward till the Ouse receives them, - a little way from Ely. - - “The _Cam_ receives no small portion of beauty from the academical - shades of Cambridge, being crossed by bridges from most of the - principal Colleges, whose gardens join the public walks on its banks, - which are finely planted and laid out. The stream itself is but - stagnant and muddy, yet it adds something to the peculiar traits of - the landscape, with the several stone bridges; nor do the fronts of - the colleges, as they appear in succession, intermixed with thick - groves, any where shew themselves to such advantage. The Area in - front of Clare Hall, and the new building of King’s College, with its - superb chapel, matchless in that species of Gothic Architecture which - has been called “_the improved_,” exhibit one of the most striking - displays in England. Soon afterward the Cam sinks into the Fens, - where the proud pile and towers of Ely Cathedral appear finely - elevated over the level, just above the junction of the Cam and the - Ouse. - - “A dreary tract of Marsh accompanies these united rivers to Downham - in Norfolk; nor does the country much improve afterwards, but the - channel becomes very considerable, and the exit of these rivers is - splendid, where the flourishing port and great trade of Lynn present - a croud of vessels.” - -To the above account by Skrine, which is but imperfect, other rivers -might be added, which join the Ouse in the latter part of its progress, -and which ought not to be left here unnoticed; as the _Nene_, from -Peterborough, Whittlesea, and March; the _Wissey_ or _Winson_, from -Stoke, and the _Lenne_ or _Nare_, from Narborough and Sechhithe. The -former, a large branch of which joins the Ouse at Salter’s Lode, is a -Northamptonshire river, and rises near Catesby, under Anby Hill, in that -county, and making Northampton in its way, passes from thence to -Wellingborough, and along by Higham Ferrers, Thrapston, Oundle, Walmsford -or Wandesford, Castor, Peterborough, Whittlesea, March, and on to -Salter’s Lode and Lynn. The Wissey or Winson rises in the neighbourhood -of Necton and Bradenham, in Norfolk, and running by Pickingham, -Cressingham, Ikborough, Northwould, Stoke, and Helgay, enters the Ouse -some way above Downham. The Lenne or Nare, otherwise Sandringham Ea, is -also a Norfolk river, which after running by Litcham, Lexham, Castleacre, -Westacre, Narford, Narborough, Pentney, and Sechhithe enters the Ouse at -the South or upper end of the town of Lynn. It is a narrow, but in some -places a deep and rapid river, and navigable a good way into the country; -but has no very beautiful or striking sceneries any where upon or near -its banks. {7} Like all the rivers of this low, flat, and dull country, -it presents nothing that can be called striking or very remarkable, -unless it be, a perpetual succession, or uniformity of dullness. - - -SECTION II. - - -_Further account of the river Ouse—remarkable phenomenon—the poet -Cowper—supposed etymology of the name of Wisbeach—the Ouse diverted from -its ancient course and outlet—King John’s disastrous passage over that -river_, _in his last progress from Lynn—Extract from Vancouver_. - -In the respectable work called The Beauties of England, this remarkable -circumstance is quoted from _Walsingham_ relating to the river Ouse—That -on the first of January 1399 it suddenly ceased to flow between the -villages of Snelson and Harrold near Bedford, leaving its channel so bare -of water that the people walked at the bottom for full three miles. {8} -So strange a phenomenon seems not very easy to account for. It is said -to have been for a long time considered as _ominous_ of those dire -dissentions and bloody wars which the opposite claims of the rival Houses -of York and Lancaster shortly afterward occasioned. Nor is it at all -wonderful that such an idea should gain credit in those dark and -superstitious times: but to men of enlightened minds it must appear a -very idle and pitiful conceit. A Dr. Childrey endeavoured to account for -the said phenomenon, by supposing the stream above to have been congealed -by a sudden frost: but this also is very properly deemed untenable by the -writers of the work above mentioned; and they assign, as the most -probable cause, in their opinion, that the earth had suddenly sunk in -some part of the channel, so as to form there a deep and capacious -cavity, into which the waters flowed till it was filled up, leaving the -channel below in the mean time nearly dry, so that people might then -actually walk at the bottom, as the story asserts. This appears -reasonable enough, and was probably the real case; but as it cannot be -now very interesting there seems no need to investigate it any further. - -Dull and uninspiring, and in no sense classical ground, or a favourite -haunt of the muses, as the banks of the Ouse have been generally, and -perhaps justly considered, it must not be forgotten that they are become -of late entitled to no small portion of celebrity, by the distinguished -productions of the ingenious and excellent COWPER, one of the best, if -not the very best of all our English poets of these latter days. He -spent the greatest part of his time, and composed most of his works in -the vicinity of this river. Henceforth it may therefore be deemed a -classic stream: but it will be long, perhaps, before its banks shall have -again the honour of numbering among their inhabitants a poet or a man of -equal worth, genius, or renown. {9} - -Here it may be proper further to observe, that the Ouse did not always -visit Lynn, or pass that way in its progress to the Ocean. In ancient -times its course is said to have been by Wisbeach, to which that town -probably owes its name: _Wis_, or _Wys_, being apparently but another -name of the _Ouse_, and _Wisbeach_ the very same thing with _Ousebeach_, -and signifying the beach, side, or bank of the Ouse; in other words, a -place or town on the Shore and near the mouth of that river. {10} - -What diverted this river from its ancient and original course is said to -have been a great inland flood, which, meeting with obstruction, choked -up the channel (already become bad and neglected) broke over the banks, -and deluged the fens to a vast extent; from the effects of which they -have never been fully recovered to this day. - -This flood so deprived of a passage to the sea by the usual channel, and -consequently overflowing the adjacent country to a great depth, became a -most grievous and ruinous annoyance to the Fen people. At last, in order -to remove so unbearable and terrible a nuisance, instead of taking common -sense for their guide, and following nature, by opening the channel to -the ancient outfall at Wisbeach, they determined, seemingly, to force -nature, and set common-sense at defiance, by opening a passage for the -inundating waters, and consequently for the future course of the great -Ouse, the Cam, and the Larke into the narrow bed of the lesser Ouse, from -Little-port Chair to Priests Houses, across that ridge, or higher ground, -by which nature seemed to have forbidden the union of these rivers. {11} - -In this ill judged and preposterous measure most of the existing evils in -regard to the bad state of the Lynn and Wisbeach Harbours, the inland -navigation and the drainage of the Fens have probably originated. The -Ouse and the other rivers before mentioned have ever since followed the -same new and unnatural track: Nor is it now very likely that they will -ever again be permitted to follow any other. This memorable event, -according to _Dugdale_, happened in the reign of Henry the third: so that -in the reign of King _John_, the great patron of Lynn, the river or body -of fresh water which flowed that way was but very small and narrow; and -it was in crossing the Ouse, which did not then pass by Lynn, that he -lost his baggage and treasures, and probably many of his men. Ancient -records say that it was in crossing _Wellstream_, which was then the name -of the Ouse in its approach to Wisbeach and the Sea, that the said King -suffered those losses. {12} - -The following Extract from _Vancouver’s_ APPENDIX to his _Agricultural -Report_ will serve, it is thought, to corroborate some of the foregoing -observations.— - - “From the highlands in Suffolk (between the Mildenhall and Brandon - rivers) to the east of Welney, Outwel, Emneth, and thence to the sea - a positive dividing ground exists, formed by the hand of nature, - strongly marked, and distinctly to be seen between the waters of the - Lynn and of the Wisbeach Ouse. The hanging level, or natural - inclination of the Country on the north side of this dividing ground - draws the waters off to the sea through the lesser Ouse to the - outfall of Lynn; and on the south side of it draws them off to the - sea through the greater Ouse to the outfall of Wisbeach. To the - cutting through this dividing ground, in order to force the water of - the greater into the lesser Ouse, are all the evils of the south and - middle levels of the fens, and of the country below originally and - solely to be ascribed. At this time the bed of the Ouse where Denver - Sluices now stand, was at least 13 feet below the general surface of - the surrounding country; and then it was that, by the free action and - reaction of the tides the waters flowed five hours in the haven of - Lynn, ascended unto the Stoke and Brandon rivers, and into other - streams which nature had wisely appropriated to be discharged through - that outfall; forming the bed of the Ouse to one gradually inclined - plain _from the junction of the principal branches of that river into - the low country to the level of the Ocean_, _very near or in the - harbour of Lynn_. The Counteracting this disposition of nature by - forcing a greater quantity of water into the river than it could - discharge into the sea during the time of ebb, necessarily occasioned - the highland and foreign waters to override all those, which during - the time of ebb, would naturally have drained into the Lynn river, - and gave the waters of Buckingham and Bedford an exit into the sea in - preference to those which lay inundating the country within a few - miles, of their natural outfall.—In this condition at present are all - the lower parts of the country bordering upon the Lynn Ouse; and the - country above Denver Sluices, Downham, Marshland, and Bardolph fens, - exhibits the most important of many other melancholy examples and - evidences of it. In the higher parts of the country the consequences - of this measure seem to have been severely experienced on the lands - exposed to the unembanked waters of the old Ouse, between Hermitage - and Harrimere. The Old Bedford river was then cut from Erith to - Salter’s Lode, as a slaker to the Ouse, to relieve the country - through which the Ouse flowed, from Erith to Ely. The Ouse waters - thus divided a great part of them descended through the Old Bedford - river in a straight line of twenty miles into the Lynn Ouse. But as - that work was judged insufficient and defective, the New Bedford, or - one hundred foot river was determined upon, and Sluices were erected - at Hermitage to drive all the water of old Ouse from Erith (through - the One hundred foot) into the Lynn Ouse; but that river not having - sufficient capacity to utter them to sea, they reverted up the Ouse, - the Stoke and Brandon rivers, drowning the whole of that country, and - finally urging the necessity of erecting Denver Sluices, as the only - apparent cure for the evils with which the country was then - oppressed, and seemed further threatened with. In the execution of - this business, with a view of bringing the bottom of the Ouse on a - level with that of the hundred foot river (which was cut only five - feet deep) it was judged expedient to raise a Dam eight feet high - across the bed of the Ouse, upon the top of which the Sole or base of - Denver Sluices was laid. This measure has not only defeated the - purpose it was designed to promote, but has been the unfortunate - cause of a body of sand and sea sediment being deposited in the bed - of the Lynn Ouse at least eight feet deep at Denver Sluices, and only - terminating in its injurious consequences at the mouth of the Lynn - Channel. This shews to every calm and candid mind the necessity of - duly considering the probable effects of counteracting the laws of - nature, in cases where nature appears experimentally to have had - success on her side.—From a due consideration of the obstacles which - appear at this time to exist in what has long been considered the - principal outfalling drain to the Middle and South levels of the - fens, it is surely reasonable to direct our attention to the general - inclination of the country with respect to the sea, and to what has - all along been pointed out by nature as the main outlet thither, for - the waters of the middle and south levels, and see if some means - cannot yet be devised for recovering the general course of the - ancient and voluntary passage of the waters through their natural - channel of Wisbeach to the sea.” - -The above passage merits serious and particular attention. The -undisputed and indisputable fact, that the course of the Ouse lay -formerly by Wisbeach, seems a clear and decisive proof that it was its -natural course, and so may be considered as corroborating a great part at -least of the above reasoning. Upon the whole, therefore, it seems highly -probable that the evils now existing and complained of, as to the bad -state of the Wisbeach and Lynn harbours, the inland navigation and fen -drainage, have mostly originated in the abovementioned desertion of the -Ouse from its ancient and natural outfall, and the forcing of it to Lynn -through the channel of the lesser Ouse, in the 13th century, and reign of -Henry III. as was before observed. - - -SECTION III. - - -_Effects of the desertion of the Ouse and Nene on Wisbeach and parts -adjacent_. - -After the above mentioned disastrous aberration of the Ouse some plans, -it seems, were formed, and royal Commissions issued to bring it back -again into its old deserted channel by Wisbeach, but all proved in the -end ineffectual and fruitless, so that the port of Wisbeach, of course -would be materially injured. “Of old time” (says Badeslade—that is, -while the Ouse and the Nene discharged themselves that way) “ships of -great burden resorted to Wisbeach”—but after those rivers had deserted -their ancient outlet, that town soon ceased to be accessible to large -vessels. The bed or channel below the town being forsaken by the said -rivers, (or at most occupied only by an inconsiderable branch of the -Nene, which must have been insufficient to grind or scour it to its -former or usual depth,) would gradually be filled up in time with silt -and sand; and which evidently has been the case. This is confirmed by a -remarkable circumstance related by _Dugdale_—That in deepening the -Wisbeach river in 1635, (about 300 years after the desertion of the -Ouse,) “the workmen, at eight feet below the then bottom came to another -bottom which was stony, and there at several distances found seven boats -that had lain there overwhelmed with sand for many ages.” {16a} - -_Atkins_, who wrote in 1608, and dedicated his paper to _Andrews_ bishop -of Ely, speaks of the Wisbeach channel as “anciently an arm of the sea;” -{16b} and says that the time was when all the waters of the Ouse, even -those which then passed from Littleport Chair to Lynn had their passage -by _Welney_ and _Well_ to the North Seas at Wisbeach, and from thence to -the Washes—and he further observes that writers have said, that King -_John’s_ people perished in the _Waters of Well_. {16c} From Thorney Red -Book he also shews, that _Well Stream_ was an ancient appellation of the -Wisbeach river. He further adds, that this outfall, or arm of the sea, -had Holland and a part of the Isle on one side, and Marshland on the -other; these were defended from it by great sea-banks, which in the time -of Henry VI were ordained to be made and maintained fifty feet high. -Hither of old resorted (he says) ships and vessels of great burden. But -the sea, still forsaking the Isle, made the whole passage between -Wisbeach and the Washes high marshes and sands; and by the decay of the -river, the channel, or outfall, became so shallow and weak, as to admit -of people often going over on foot, bare legged under the knees. He also -imputes much blame to the people about Wisbeach, in not scouring and -dyking the river, as by ancient laws and presentments they ought to have -done; and not preserving and maintaining the petty sewers and drains. In -consequence of these omissions, not only the fens were drowned, but the -means were also lost of draining 13 or 14000 acres of inland grounds, the -support of three or four towns on the North of Wisbeach. - -That the bad effects of the desertion of the Ouse and Nene from their -ancient outfall at Wisbeach, soon became very grievous to that town and -the adjacent country, appears by the frequent complaints made, and laws -enacted for their relief. Some of those laws were made in the reign of -Henry VI, and measures were taken, it seems, in consequence of them, for -the relief and benefit of the sufferers. The most important and -beneficial of all those measures appears to be that adopted toward the -latter part of the 15th century under the direction of bishop _Morton_. -{18} “That prelate finding (says Atkins) that beside its being a very -chargeable course to his people of the hundred of Wisbeach, once in four -or five years to dyke this river, and that notwithstanding this dyking of -the river, the outfall below to the seaward nevertheless decayed; and -finding that without a great head of fresh waters, to scour both the -river and the outfall, all would be lost, took a part of _Hercules’ -labour_ upon him, and strove to bring in great abundance of fresh waters, -by divers courses, out of the Fens, to maintain this channel: viz. the -rivers Nene and Welland from _Southea_, and the river of the great cross, -or Plantwater, from the united branches of Nene and Ouse, descending by -_Benwick_.” But the bishop’s principal undertaking seems to have been -the cut of 14 miles, from Peterborough to Guyhorn, by which a large -portion of the Nene was brought down to Wisbeach, and proved of up small -benefit to that town and harbour, as well as to the drainage of the -country. This cut has transmitted the bishop’s name deservedly and -honourably to posterity; it being ever since known and distinguished -under the denomination of _Morton’s Leam_. Happy had it been for the -world, if all those of his order had deserved so well of their neighbours -and of their country. {19} - -“By this doing” (says Atkins, referring to the works of bishop Morton) -“Wisbeach Fens were made good Sheep pastures, and the fall of the water -at Wisbeach became so great, that no man would adventure under the -bridge, with a boat, but by veering through, &c. But succeeding ages (he -further observes) neglecting these good provisions, have thereby lost the -benefit.” The blame of this neglect, both Atkins and Sir Clement Edmunds -seem to lay entirely on the total want of public spirit, or the selfish -and sordid disposition of the people of Wisbeach, who strove at all -events to avoid the expence, alleging that the benefit of cleansing and -dyking the outfall would altogether accrue to the behoof of the upland -country, and therefore that they [the inhabitants of the said upland -country] ought to put their hands to the work, and contribute towards it -in some reasonable measure. The uplanders, on the other hand, produced -divers presentments, some of them as high as Henry VI, shewing, that they -ought not to be charged; at the same time expressing a willingness to -yield a reasonable aid, when the work was done, if it proved serviceable. -But those of Wisbeach required a previous contribution, to be expended as -the work should proceed. Their selfishness and perverseness, on these -occasions, carried them, it seems, to very extravagant and ridiculous -lengths, to elude the charge: “one while saying, they cared not if -Wisbeach were a dry town; another while by thinking to keep it as a -standing pool; [and again] another while enforcing [or urging] the making -of a Sluice between the town and the sea, that the tide should not silt -up the river, saying that otherwise the charge of dyking the river would -be but cast away.—And to the charge of this Sluice they would call in the -high-country people, such as they knew would not easily be brought to it, -so that nothing might be done.” This preposterous conduct of the -Wisbeachers appears to have effectually frustrated every reasonable and -salutary proposal. Atkins, however, gives it as his firm opinion, “that -were there in the Isle of Ely again another bishop _Morton_ the country -might well be regained by such means as might be easily set down.” {21a} -But it does not appear _that another bishop_ Morton has yet risen in the -Isle, whatever may be said of the regeneration, reformation, or amendment -of the good people of Wisbeach. - -Nothing of any consequence appears to have been attempted since, for the -benefit of the port or navigation of Wisbeach, except _Kinderley’s Cut_, -made in 1721 and 1722, by order of the Board of Adventurers, and not -without the consent of the town of Wisbeach likewise; only the -adventurers [it seems] ought to have had their consent under their hands: -at least so says Mr Kinderly. This cut, had it gone forward, would -probably have been of great advantage to the river. But by the time that -it was completed, and a dam was making across the old channel, to turn -the river into the new one, “the Wisbeach gentlemen, falsely, _or by -mistake_, apprehending the advantage of a wide indraught over all those -spreading sands, and complaining that this new cut was not wide enough, -(though it was wider than the river at Wisbeach by twenty feet) and that -therefore their river would immediately be choked up, and their -navigation lost. [So they now] violently opposed it, and raised the -Country for demolishing the works; and after that obtained an injunction -from the Lord Chancellor to stop all further progress.” {21b} A long -vexatious Law Suit ensued, but the Adventures could not recover the Money -they had laid out, amounting to nearly £2000, and the gentlemen of -Wisbeach gave ample proof that they still inherited, in full measure, the -genuine spirit of their ancestors, before mentioned. Their Harbour has -been for some years in a most miserable state, and seems to stand in need -of the aid of a _Morton_ or a _Kinderly_ as much as ever. - - -SECTION IV. - - -_The Effects on Lynn_, _and on its Harbour and Navigation_, _of the great -accession of Fresh Waters in the reign of Henry_ III. - -Let us now attend to the Ouse and its sister streams, in their now or -modern course, by Denver, Downham, St. German’s, and Lynn. By the -addition of so many large rivers to its former waters, Lynn might be -expected to have its Haven, by degrees, both widened and deepened, so as -to contribute materially to its future naval consequence, and commercial -importance. Previously to this great accession of water, the bed or -channel of the river, about St. German’s, has been represented as so very -narrow, that in some places a man might throw himself over with a -pikestaff; and in Lynn Haven it is said to have been but six poles, or -about an hundred feet wide. But afterward, by the said accession of -fresh waters, Lynn Haven and channel were made in time so wide and deep -as to become famous for Navigation. {22} - -Things appear to have continued pretty much in this favourable state, -till sometime after the erection of the Sluices at Denver; which by -preventing the tides from going further up into the country, as before, -proved very prejudicial to the harbour and Navigation of Lynn; and the -effects are felt, it seems, and much complained of to this day. The free -admission of the tides, and the natural course of the freshes are said to -have kept other rivers open and navigable; and this appears to have been -the case with the Ouse itself, while it possessed those advantages, or -till the adventurers erected the said sluices across its channel, which -are thought to have proved so very prejudicial, not only to the -navigation of Lynn, Cambridge, &c. but even to the draining of the Fen -districts and Marshland. - -Before the erection of those sluices, the tide is said to have gone up -the rivers a very great way. Into the Ouse, and Grant, or Cam, it went, -according to _Badeslade_, five miles above their junction, or 48 above -Lynn; into the Larke, or Mildenhall river, eight miles above its month, -or 42 above Lynn; into the lesser Ouse, or Brandon river, ten miles above -its mouth, or 36 above Lynn; into the Wessey, or Stoke river, six miles -above its mouth, or 24 above Lynn; and into the Nene, seven miles above -its mouth, or 23 above Lynn. {24a}—These rivers are said to be then -completely supplied with water from the sea, in the driest seasons, to -serve for inland navigation.—The Nene, to Well, Marsh, and Peterborough, -&c. with vessels of 15 tuns in the driest times: the Ouse, with vessels -of 40 tuns, 36 miles, at least, from Lynn, in ordinary neap tides; and to -Huntingdon, St. Neots, Bedford, and even as far as 90 miles from Lynn, -with vessels of 15 tuns. The tides then raised the waters at Salters -Lode 12 feet above low-water mark. These waters in their return scoured -the channel, and kept it clear and deep. This seems to have been the -case before the erection of the sluices; but whether it would have -continued so to this time, may, perhaps, be doubted. Badeslade and -Kinderly seem to have entertained different and opposite opinions on the -subject; as the reader may see by consulting their respective -publications. - -In a course of time, Lynn Haven is said to wear from 6 or 8 to 40 poles -wide; which seems not improbable, considering the situation of it, and -the accession of so many large rivers. In Badeslade’s time, as he says, -{24b} it was from 50 to 60 poles in the narrowest part; and now it can be -no less. The Lynn river, however, has been thought to be still narrower -than any other of equal size so near its outfall. Before the erection of -the said Dams, or Sluices no complaints appear to have been made of -either the haven, or yet the rivers above wanting a competent depth of -water. Barges carrying 40 chalders could then go up the Ouse 36 miles, -and those that carried from 26 to 30 chalders passed with ease to the -very town of Cambridge. Whereas, in Badeslade’s time, flat bottom -lighters, with eight or ten chalders, could hardly pass. Nor does it -appear that things have gotten to a better state since. As to the haven, -or harbour of Lynn, it was at those times wide, deep, and commodious. In -1645 its breadth is said to have been about a furlong. Ships then, and -for some years after, rode at the south end of the town, and the west -side in two fathoms, at low water. So they also did at the Crutch; and -the largest ships could go to sea at neap tides. Two parts of the -harbour were then remarkably deep; the one called _Fieln’s Road_, at the -end of the west channel; and the other _Ferrier’s Road_, at the end of -the east channel; and both of them three and half fathoms at low water. -The tides too were then so strong as to make it necessary to use stream -cables to moor the ships. _Guybon Goddard_, Esq. a former Recorder of -Lynn (and brother in law to Sir Wm. Dugdale) who died about 1677, says, -that at the World’s End in the Harbour of Lynn, there was not in any -man’s remembrance less than ten or eleven feet at low water; and at a -place called the _Mayor’s Fleet_ 8 or 9 feet. The channel to seaward, -below the haven, he says, near half mile wide at low water, was yet of a -depth sufficient for a Ship of 12 foot water to be brought up in any one -tide without wind. {26a} Upon the whole, it appears that the state of -Lynn Harbour, and of the rivers which discharge themselves that way, was -before the erection of the Sluices much superior to what it has been -since. {26b} - -As to the State of the Ouse and the other rivers up in the country above -Lynn, it seems to have been much better before the undertaking for a -general drainage and erection of the Sluices than since that period, as -appears from the views of the Sewers taken June 25, 1605, by Sir Robert -Bevill, Sir John Peyton, &c. at Salters Lode, where the Nene falls into -the Ouse. The commissioners declared the fall from the soil of the Fens -to low watermark as no less than ten feet, beside the natural descent of -the grounds from the uplands of Huntingdonshire thither; which shews the -bottom of the Ouse to be there much deeper then than it was afterward. -_Dugdale_ also, in his History of Embanking, says, that at Salter’s Lode -there was ten feet fall of the fens at low water mark. From these -statements it must necessarily follow, that the lands in the South Level, -though unembanked, must in general have been in a comparatively good -condition before the undertaking for a general drainage and erection of -the Sluices; for, the fall being so great, no water could lie long upon -them; and if at any time, by the descent of the upland waters, they -became overflowed, they would not long continue in that state. At -present, the case, it seems, is very different. - - -SECTION V. - - -_Of the Eabrink Cut_, _and other projects of former times—with some -slight hints on the comparative state of the Shipping—Commercial -consequence and population of Lynn at different periods_. - -It seems allowed on all hands that Lynn Harbour has grown much worse in -the memory of the present inhabitants, and that it is daily getting more -and more so. To remedy this growing and alarming evil, as well as to -promote and facilitate the inland navigation and drainage of the Fen -Districts, a project was formed some few years ago to open a straight cut -from Eabrink, about three miles above the town, into the upper part of -the said harbour, with the view of scouring, deepening, and improving the -same; and an Act of Parliament was obtained for that purpose. The work -however, has been hitherto postponed: it being, it seems, found difficult -to raise a fund adequate to the occasion. Vast benefits are said to be -confidently expected by many from the execution of this project; while -others appear much less sanguine in their expectations, and even consider -it as in no small degree dubious and problematical. - -The opening a straight cut from Eabrink to Lynn Haven is not indeed, -properly speaking, a new or a late project. It was suggested and -recommended many years ago, as a part of a far more extensive -undertaking, by Mr _Kinderley_, who wrote a large pamphlet on the -subject, the second and last edition of which was published in 1751.—His -favourite scheme was to continue the Cut from Lynn, through the marshes -below the _Wottons_, _Babingley_ and _Wolverton_, into what is called the -_Old Road_; and to bring the Wisbeach river from the mouth of the -_Shiredam_ across Marshland into Lynn Harbour. The Welland also or -Spalding river, he proposed to conduct by another cut to Boston, there to -join the Witham, and pass along with it to the sea by a new outlet, so -that there might be but _two outlets_ instead of _four_, for all the -great Fen rivers. The accomplishment of this vast plan, as he imagined, -would not fail of being productive of many and most important -benefits:—The harbours of Lynn and Boston, of course, would become more -accessible, and be otherwise greatly improved:—The two washes would -inevitably and soon be filled up, by the abundance of silt and mud which -the tides would lodge there, and which would shortly be converted into -firm and fertile land.—Also an extensive district larger than all -Marshland, and almost as large as the whole county of _Rutland_, and of -far greater value, would in no very long time be gained from the sea, and -brought into a condition to be effectually secured by embankments from -any future annoyance from the briny element.—Moreover, a good turnpike -road, straight as an arrow, might and would be made across this recovered -country, all the way from Lynn to Boston, to the no small convenience and -comfort of travellers, (as the obstructions and dangers of the _Washes_ -would no longer exist) and to the facilitating and perpetuating a safe -and easy intercourse between the inhabitants of Lincolnshire, as well as -of all the north of England and those of Norfolk, Suffolk and the whole -eastern coast of the Kingdom. The scheme or project, however, was not -adopted, nor perhaps ever sufficiently attended to; and it may not now be -worth while to inquire into the cause of its miscarriage or rejection. -Whether this same scheme shall hereafter be ever adopted, executed, or -realized, no mortal at present is capable of divining. - -Between Mr Kinderley and Mr Badeslade there seems to have existed a -considerable difference of opinion on some points. The former ascribed -the increasing foulness and decay of Lynn Harbour to the increasing width -of the channel below, the loose and light nature of the sand there, -subject to the powerful action of the tides, continually driving up those -sands and lodging them in the harbour and river above: whereas the latter -seems to ascribe it chiefly, if not solely to the Sluices, or the -obstruction which they occasioned to the free influx and efflux of the -waters. {30a} Each writer supports his own opinion with great -confidence; but the question remains undecided. Both of them, perhaps, -might be right in many or most of their ideas and reasonings. - -Very unlike most other great Sea-port towns, whose shipping and trade -have vastly increased within the last hundred years, Lynn appears to have -remained, in a great measure, stationary. As long ago as 1654 we hear of -_fourscore_ vessels or more belonging to the port of Lynn, (some of them -drawing 13 or 14 feet water) and that they used then to make from 15 to -18 Voyages annually to Newcastle, for coals, Salt, &c. Also that -Ship-building was at that period very briskly carried on in the town, to -keep up the stock. Moreover the number of seamen and watermen, then -employed here, is said to amount to, at least, fifteen hundred; and the -whole number of inhabitants was probably equal to that of any subsequent -period. It seems, indeed, to be now the prevailing opinion, that the -present population of Lynn exceeds that of any former time; which yet may -be deemed somewhat doubtful, if not quite improbable; especially as it is -known to have been formerly a _manufacturing_ town, {30b} which is not -its case at present. The point, however, may not now be very easy to -determine. But it seems very evident, that the trade of Lynn has not -increased to the degree or extent that might have been expected, from the -great opulence of its merchants and the vast extent of its inland -navigation. The real or probable cause of this will not become here the -subject of enquiry; but it may not be unworthy of investigation. - - - -CHAP. II. - - -Of Marshland and the adjoining parts, or Great Fen Country.—View of their -situation and revolutions in remote ages, or Sketch of their ancient -history. - - -SECTION I. - - -_Account of their state before and after the arrival of the -Romans—Character of that people—establishment of their power -here—improvements made by them in these parts_. - -AS Lynn may be considered as the Capital or Metropolis of Marshland and -the Fens, it will not be improper to give here some account of those -remarkable districts from the earliest times. All this flat and level -country is thought to have been originally a vast forest, which was -afterwards in some measure cleared, and converted into good cultivated -land, fertile fields, rich pastures, and numerous habitations of -industrious men. After that however, it was, it seems, for no short -period, covered by the sea, occasioned, perhaps, by an earthquake, or -some such convulsive event, which might considerably lower or sink the -whole surface of the country, and so make way for the violent influx of -the ocean. The overflowing waters in time gradually covering the -original surface of the ground with silt and sand to a very great depth, -or rather height, would at last recede. The present face of the country, -composed of silt to a vast depth,(and which seems no other than marine -sediment) confirms this hypothesis. Still however the parts next the -sea, such as Marshland and the low-lands on the eastern side of -Lincolnshire would remain as a great salt marsh, occasionally overflowed, -especially at spring-tides.—This seems to have been the case when _Julius -Cæsar_ invaded this country, and when _Claudius_ afterwards reduced it to -the state of a Roman Province. - -The Romans, with all their faults, were certainly a wonderful people. -Like all other invaders and conquerors they were in general very hard -masters, and in some respects most vile oppressors and tyrants. In other -respects, however, they may be said to have been eventually real -benefactors to many, if not to most of the countries and nations which -they subdued, as they were the means of greatly improving those -countries, and of introducing among their inhabitants the rudiments of -useful knowledge, habits of industry, and the laws of civilization. - -Julius Cæsar’s invasion of Britain seems to have proved upon the whole -unsuccessful; for he withdrew to the continent, without being able to -effect its subjugation, or to retain the conquests which he is supposed -to have made; which may be thought to furnish a pretty strong argument in -favour of the independent spirit, and high military character of the -British nation at that time. Nor does it appear that the Romans ever -attempted to give our ancestors any further disturbance afterward, till -the reign of Claudius, whose general, _Aulus Plautius_, a person of -senatorial dignity, was the first that established the power of that -people, or gave them a firm footing in this island. This was near a -hundred years after the retreat or departure of Julius Cæsar; and the -success of Plautius is said to have been chiefly or greatly owing to the -bitter dissentions which then raged among the British chieftains, some of -whom had invited the Romans hither, and afterward joined them against -their own country-men. Claudius himself came over sometime after, and -completed the conquest of a great part of South Britain, including, it -seems, the country of the _Iceni_, which comprehended the present -counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, with most, if not the whole of those of -Cambridge and Huntingdon, and probably some part of Lincolnshire. So -that the parts adjoining the Fens became subject to the Romans among -their earliest acquisitions in Britain. The inhabitants of these parts -are also said to have made the least resistance to them, at first, of any -of the British States, and therefore to have been for sometime more -highly favoured by them than any of the rest. Claudius at his departure -from this island, which is said to have been in the year 43 of the -Christian Era, left here a considerable force under Plautius, Vespasian -(afterwards emperor) and other experienced and able Generals, who were -succeeded by others, no way their inferiors, in experience, ability, or -military fame; among whom were Ostorius Scapula, Suetonius Paulinus, and -Julius Agricola. Besides Julius Cæsar, Claudius, and Vespasian, several -others of the Roman emperors are said to have spent some part of their -time in this island; and particular Hadrian, Severus, Constantius -Chlorus, and his son Constantine the Great. The latter is supposed to -have been born here, and his mother is said to have been a Briton. His -father, as well as his predecessor Severus, died at York, a place of no -small consequence and celebrity in those times. - -After the country was reduced, and made a part or province of the empire, -the Romans soon began to view it as a very important acquisition. -Accordingly they set in good earnest about improving it; and there are -still to be seen numerous proofs and monuments of their laborious, -ingenious, and successful exertions. Among their important improvements -here were included the draining of the Fens, and the embanking of the -Marshes, to secure them against the violence and destructive inroads of -the ocean. Marshland and the low lands of Lincolnshire, as was before -observed, they found in the miserable condition of a salt marsh, -occasionally and frequently overflowed by the tides. This country they -secured by very strong and extensive embankments, which bear their name -to this day. {35a} - -These improvements in the Fens and Marshes are said to have been the -works of a colony of foreigners, {35b} brought over, probably, from -Belgium, a country of a similar description, whose natives, from their -previous knowledge and habits, would be eminently fitted for such -employments. Not that those works can be supposed to have been effected -without the powerful co-operation of the native Britons, who would -sometimes loudly complain of the hardships they endured in labours of -this kind, imposed upon them by the Romans: a plain proof that they bore -their full share of them. _Catus Decianus_, it seems, was the name of -the Roman officer who had the chief direction or superintendence of the -improvements then projected and carried on in the Fens. {36} He was -probably the first Roman Procurator of the province of the Iceni, and -continued to be so for many years. Some things recorded of him, during -his government here exhibit him in a very unamiable and detestable light; -and it may be presumed that he was an unfeeling and severe task-master to -the workmen whom he employed in the fens and marshes, as well as -elsewhere; so that we need not wonder that they should sometimes loudly -complain of the hardships they underwent. The public works of which he -had the direction and superintendence seem, however, to have been carried -on by him with no small energy and effect, and to have been soon brought -to a state of considerable forwardness and perfection. - -The Fens must have been in a very dismal state before the arrival of the -Romans; and their exertions, undoubtedly, wrought a mighty, and most -happy change in the face of the country. Houses, villages, and towns -would now appear in places that were before perfectly desolate and -dreary. At this period we may venture to date the origin of Lynn; for it -may be pretty safely concluded that it owes its rise to the schemes -formed by the Romans for the recovery and improvement of these fens and -marshes. It is also very probable, not only that it was the first town -built in these parts, on that occasion, but also that it was built and -inhabited by those foreign colonists above mentioned, and derived its -name from them. This however is not the proper place for the further -elucidation of this point: our present business being with the history of -the Fens. - - -SECTION II. - - -_Further strictures on the ancient state of this country_, _and on a -wonderful change it appears to have undergone_, _at a very remote and -unknown period_; _from De Serra’s account of a submarine Forest on the -coast of Lincolnshire_. - -SOME very remote ages ago, the land, it seems, extended much further out -on the Lincolnshire coast than it does at present; and it appears that -whole forests once existed in places now wholly occupied by the ocean; -which must tend to corroborate what has been already suggested, that the -whole face of the fens was originally a forest. A remarkable Paper, -giving an account of a _Submarine Forest_ on the said coast, appeared in -the Philosophical Transactions for 1799. Part I. written by Joseph -Correa De Serra L.L.D. F.R.S. and A.S. in which the Author informs us of -a report in Lincolnshire, that a large extent of islets of moor, situated -along the coast, and visible only in the lowest ebbs of the year, was -chiefly composed of decayed trees. That report induced him to take a -journey thither for the purpose of inspecting so singular a curiosity. -Those islets, he observes, are marked in _Mitchell’s Chart_ of that coast -by the name of _Clay huts_; and the Village of _Huttoft_, opposite to -which they principally lie, he supposes to have derived its name from -them. - - “In the Month of September 1796, (says he) I went to Sutton, on the - coast of Lincolnshire, in the company of the right honourable the - President of the Royal Society, in order to examine their nature and - extent. The 19th of the month being the day after the equinoctial - full moon, when the lowest ebbs were to be expected, we went in a - boat, about half past twelve at noon, and soon set foot on one of the - largest islands then appearing. Its exposed surface was about 30 - yards long, and 25 wide when the tide was at the lowest. A great - number of smaller islets were visible around us to the eastward and - southward; and the fishermen whose authority in this point is very - competent, say that similar moors are to be found along the whole - coast from Skegness to Grimsby, particularly off Addlethorpe and - Mablethorpe. The channels dividing the islets were, at the time we - saw them, wide and of various depths; the islets themselves ranging - generally from east to west in their largest dimensions. - - “We visited them again in the ebbs of the 20th and 21st.; and though - it did not generally ebb so far as we expected, we could - notwithstanding ascertain that they consisted almost entirely of - roots, trunks, branches, and leaves of trees and shrubs, intermixed - with some leaves of aquatic plants. The remains of some of these - trees were still standing on their roots, while the trunks of the - greater part lay scattered on the ground in every possible direction. - The barks of trees and roots appeared generally as fresh as when they - were growing; in that of the branches particularly, of which a great - quantity was found, even the thin silver membranes of outer skin were - discernible. The timber of all kinds on the contrary, was - decomposed, and soft in the greatest part of the trees: in some, - however, it was firm, especially in the roots. The people of the - country have often found among them very sound pieces of timber, fit - to be employed for several economical purposes. The sorts of wood - which are still distinguishable are, birch, fir, and oak. Other - woods evidently exist in these islets, of some of which we found the - leaves in the soil; but our present knowledge of the comparative - anatomy of timber is not so far advanced as to afford us the means of - pronouncing with confidence respecting their species. In general the - trunks, branches, and roots of the decayed trees were considerably - flattened, which is a phenomenon observed in the _Surtarbrand_, or - fossil wood of Iceland, and which Scheuchzer remarked also in the - fossil wood found in the neighbourhood of the lake Thun in - Switzerland. - - “The soil to which the trees are fixed, and in which they grew, is a - soft greasy clay; but for many inches above the surface, the soil is - composed of rotten leaves, scarcely distinguishable to the eye, many - of which may be separated by putting the soil in water and - dexterously and patiently using the Spatula, or blunt knife. By this - method I obtained some imperfect leaves of the _Ilexaquifolium_, - which are now in the Herbarium of the right honourable Sir Joseph - Banks; and some other leaves, though less perfect, seem to belong to - some species of willow. In this stratum of rotten leaves we could - also distinguish some roots of _Arundo Phragmites_. - - “These islets, according to the most accurate information, extend at - least twelve miles in length, and about a mile in breadth, opposite - to Sutton shore. The water without them toward the sea, generally - deepens suddenly, so as to form a steep bank. The channels between - the several islets, when the islets are dry, in the lowest ebbs of - the year, are from four to twelve feet deep: their bottoms are clay - or sand, and their direction is generally from east to west. - - “A well, dug at Sutton by Joshua Searby, shews that a moor of the - same nature is found under ground in that part of the country, at the - depth of sixteen feet, consequently very nearly on the same level - with that which constitutes the islets. The disposition of the - strata was found to be nearly as follows: clay sixteen feet; moor, - similar to that of the islets, three or four ditto; soft moor, like - the scourings of a ditch bottom, mixed with shells and silt, twenty - feet; marly clay, one foot; chalky rock, from one to two feet; clay, - thirty-one yards; gravel and water; the water has a chalybeate taste. - In order to ascertain the course of this subterraneous stratum of - decayed vegetables, Sir Joseph Banks directed a boring to be made in - the fields belonging to the royal Society in the parish of - Mablethorpe. Moor of a similar nature to that of Searby’s well, and - the islets, was found very nearly on the same level, about four feet - thick, and under a soft clay. - - “The whole appearance of the rotten vegetables we observed, perfectly - resembles, according to the remark of Sir Joseph Banks, the moor - which, in Blakeney Fen, and in other parts of the East Fen in - Lincolnshire, is thrown up in the making of banks; barks like those - of the birch-tree being there also abundantly found. The moor - extends over all the Lincolnshire fens, and has been traced as far as - Peterborough, more than sixty miles to the south of Sutton. On the - north side, according to the fishermen, the moory islets extend as - far as Grimsby, situated on the south side of the Humber: and it is a - remarkable circumstance, that in the large tracts of low land which - lie on the south banks of that river, a little above its mouth, there - is a subterraneous stratum of decayed trees and shrubs, exactly like - those we have observed at Sutton; particularly at Axolme isle, a - tract of ten miles in length by five in breadth; and at Hatfield - chace, which comprehends 180,000 acres. Dugdale had long ago made - this observation in the first of these places; and Dela Prime in the - second. The roots are there likewise standing in the places where - they grew: the trunks lie prostrate. The woods are of the same - species as at Sutton. Roots of aquatic plants and reeds are likewise - mixed with them; and they are covered by a stratum of some yards of - soil, the thickness of which, though not ascertained with exactness - by the abovementioned observers, we may easily conceive to correspond - with what covers the stratum of decayed wood at Sutton, by the - circumstances of the roots being (according to Mr. Richardson’s - observations) only visible when the water is low, where a channel was - cut which has left them uncovered. - - “Little doubt can be entertained of the moory islets of Sutton being - a part of this extensive and subterraneous stratum, which, by some - inroad of the sea, has there been stripped of its covering of soil. - The identity of the levels; that of the species of trees; the roots - of these affixed in both to the soil where they grew; and above all, - the flattened shape of the trunks, branches, and roots, found in the - islets (which can only be accounted for by the heavy pressure of a - superinduced stratum) are sufficient reasons for this opinion.” - - - -SECTION III. - - -_Further observations from the same Paper—Epoch of the destruction of the -said Forest—Agency by which it was effected_, _&c.—Similar appearances -eastward along the Norfolk coast_. - - “Such a wide-spread assemblage of vegetable ruins, lying almost in - the same level, and that level generally under the common mark of low - water, must naturally strike the observer, and give birth to the - following questions: 1. What is the epoch of this destruction? 2. By - what agency was it effected? - - “In answer to these questions I will venture to submit the following - reflections: The fossil remains of vegetables hitherto dug up in so - many parts of the globe, are, on a close inspection, found to belong - to two different states of our planet. The parts of vegetables and - their impressions, found in mountains, of a colaceous and schistous, - or even sometimes of a calcareous nature, are chiefly of plants now - existing between the tropics, which would neither have grown in the - latitudes in which they are dug up, nor have been carried and - deposited there by any of the acting forces under the present - constitution of nature. The formation indeed of the very mountains - in which they are buried, and the nature and position of the - materials which compose them, are such as we cannot account for by - any actions and re-actions which in the actual state of things take - place on the surface of the earth. We must necessarily recur to that - period in the history of our planet, when the surface of the ocean - was at least so much above its present level as to cover even the - summits of those secondary mountains which contain the remains of - tropical plants. The changes which these vegetables have suffered in - their substance is almost total; they commonly retain only the - external configuration of what they were. Such is the state in which - they are found in England by Lhwyd; in France by Jussicu; and in the - Netherlands by Burtin; not to mention instances in more distant - countries. Some of the impressions or remains of plants found in - soils of this nature which were, by the more ancient and enlightened - oryctologists, supposed to belong to plants actually growing in - temperate and cold climates, seem, on accurate investigation, to have - been part of exotic vegetables. In fact, whether we suppose them to - have grown near the spot where they are found, or to have been - carried thither from different parts by the force of an impelling - flood, it is equally difficult to conceive how organized beings, - which, in order to live, require such a vast difference in - temperature and seasons, could live on the same spot, or how their - remains could (from climates so widely distant) be brought together - in the place by one common dislocating cause. To this ancient order - of fossil vegetables belong whatever retains a vegetable shape found - in or near coalmines, and (to judge from the places where they have - been found) the greater part of the agatized woods. But from the - species and state of the trees which are the subject of this memoir, - and from the situation and nature of the soil in which they are - found, it seems very clear that they do not belong to the primeval - order of vegetable ruins. - - “The second order of fossil vegetables comprehend those which are - found in the strata of clay or sand; materials which are the result - of slow depositions of the sea and of rivers, agents still at work - under the present constitution of our planet. These vegetable - remains are found in such flat countries as may be considered to be a - new formation. The vegetable organization still subsists, at least - in part; and their vegetable substance has suffered a change only in - colour, smell, or consistence; alterations which are produced by the - development of their oily and bitumenous parts, or by their natural - progress towards rottenness. Such are the fossil vegetables found in - Cornwall by Borlase; in Essex, by Derham; in Yorkshire by Dela Prime - and Richardson; and in foreign countries by other naturalists. These - vegetables are found at different depths; some of them much below the - present level of the sea, but in clayey and sandy strata (evidently - belonging to modern formation); and have, no doubt, been carried from - their original place and deposited there by the force of great rivers - or currents, as it has been observed with respect to the Mississippi. - In many instances, however, these trees and shrubs are found standing - on their roots, and generally in low or marshy places above, or very - little below the level of the sea. - - “To this last description of fossil vegetables the decayed trees here - described certainly belong. They have not been transported by - currents or rivers; but though standing in their native soil, we - cannot suppose the level in which they are found to be the same as - that in which they grew. It would be impossible for any of these - trees or shrubs to vegetate so near the sea, and below the common - level of its water. The waves would cover such tracts of land, and - hinder any vegetation. We cannot conceive that the surface of the - ocean has ever been any lower than it is now; on the contrary we are - led, by numberless phenomena to believe that the level of the water - in our globe is now below what it was in former periods. We must - therefore conclude, that the forest here described grew in a level - high enough to permit its vegetation; and that the force (whatever it - was) which destroyed it, lowered the level of the ground where it - stood. - - “There is a force of subsidence (particularly in soft ground) which - being a natural consequence of gravity, slowly, though imperceptibly - operating, has its action sometimes quickened and rendered sudden by - extraneous causes; for instance, by earthquakes. The slow effects of - this force of subsidence have been accurately remarked in many - places: examples also of its sudden action are recorded in almost - every history of great earthquakes.—In England, Borlase has given in - the Philosophical Transactions a curious observation of a subsidence - of at least sixteen feet in the ground between Sampson and Trecaw - islands in Scilly. The soft and low grounds between the towns of - Thorne and Gowle in Yorkshire, a space of many miles, has so much - subsided in latter times, that some old men of Thorne affirmed, “that - whereas they could before see little of the Steeples (of Gowle) they - now see the church yard wall.” The instances of similar subsidence - which might be mentioned, are innumerable. - - “The force of subsidence, suddenly acting by means of some - earthquake, seems to me the most probable cause to which the usual - submarine situation of the forest we are speaking of may be ascribed. - It affords a simple easy explanation of the matter; its probability - is supported by numberless instances of similar events; and it is not - liable to the strong objections which exist against the hypothesis of - the ultimate depression and elevation of the level of the ocean; an - opinion which, to be credible, requires the support of a great number - of proofs less equivocal than those which have hitherto been urged in - its favour, even by the genius of Lavoisier. - - “The stratum of soil, sixteen feet thick, placed above the decayed - trees, seems to remove the epoch of their sinking and destruction far - beyond the reach of any historical knowledge. In Cæsar’s time the - level of the north sea appears to have been the same as in our days. - He mentions the separation of the Wahal branch of the Rhine, and its - junction with the Meuse; noticing the then existing distance from - that junction to the sea, which agrees according to D’Anville’s - inquiries, with the actual distance. Some of the Roman roads, - constructed according to the order of Augustus, under Agrippa’s - administration, leading to the maritime towns of Belgium, still - exist, and reach the present shore. The description which Roman - authors have given of the coast, ports, and mouths of rivers, on both - sides of the North sea, agree in general with their present state; - except in places ravaged by the inroads of this sea, more apt from - its force to destroy the surrounding countries than to increase them. - - “An exact resemblance exists between maritime Flanders and the - opposite coast of England, both in point of elevation above the sea, - and of the internal structure and arrangement of the soils. On both - sides strata of clay, silt, and sand, (often mixed with decayed - vegetables) are found near the surface; and in both, these superior - materials cover a very deep stratum of blueish or dark coloured clay, - unmixed with extraneous bodies. On both sides they are the lowermost - part of the soil, existing between two ridges of high lands, on their - respective sides of the same narrow sea. These two countries are - certainly coeval; and whatever proves that maritime Flanders has been - for many ages out of the sea, must, in my opinion, prove also that - the forest we are speaking of was long before that time destroyed and - buried under a stratum of soil. Now it seems proved from historical - records, carefully collected by several learned members of the - Brussels Academy, that no material change has happened in the - lowermost part of maritime Flanders during the period of the last two - thousand years. - - “I am therefore inclined to suppose the original catastrophe which - buried this forest to be of very ancient date; but I suspect the - inroad of the sea which uncovered the decayed trees of the islands of - Sutton, to be comparatively recent. The state of the leaves and of - the timber, and also the tradition of the neighbouring people concur - to strengthen this suspicion.” - -The reader, it is hoped, will excuse, and even approve the length of this -curious extract, as it seems so well calculated to account for and -elucidate divers striking phenomena in the natural history of the Fens. - -Here it may not be improper further to observe, that the forest above -described seems to have extended from the coast of Lincolnshire a -considerable way along the Norfolk coast; as there is on the shore, near -Thornham in that county, at low water, the appearance of a large forest -having been, at some period, interred and swallowed up by the waves. -Stools of numerous large timber trees, and many trunks, are to be seen, -but so rotten, that they may be penetrated by a spade. These lie in a -black mass of vegetable fibres, consisting of decayed branches, leaves, -rushes, flags, &c. The extent of this once sylvan tract [on the Norfolk -coast] must have been great, from what is discoverable; and at high -water, now covered by the tides, is in one spot from five to six-hundred -acres. No hint of the manner, or the time, in which this submersion -happened, can be traced. Nothing like a bog is near, and the whole beach -besides is composed of a fine ooze, or marine clay. {49} - - -SECTION IV. - - -_Some further geological observations relating to the Fens_, _extracted -from Dugdale’s Letters to Sir Thomas Browne_. - -The fullest and most circumstantial account we have of these Fens is -contained in Sir William Dugdale’s History of Embanking, the substance of -which will be found in the following pages. He has also treated upon the -same subject in his correspondence with his friend Sir Thomas Browne, -published in the posthumous works of the latter; some extracts from -which, being much to the purpose, shall be here submitted to the reader’s -perusal. - -In Letter IV, he says to his friend, “I shall here acquaint you with my -conceit touching the spacious tract, in form of a sinus, or bay, which we -call the great level of the fens; extending from Lynn beyond Waynfleet in -Lincolnshire in length; and in breadth into some parts of the counties of -Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Northampton, and Lincoln: -intreating your opinion therein. That it was at first firm land I am -induced to believe, when I consider the multitude of trees (fir, oak, and -other kinds) found in those drains and diggings which have of late years -been made there.” After mentioning some instances, he adds—“Mr Goddard, -Recorder of Lynn, assures me that lately in Marshland, about a mile from -Magdalen Bridge, about seventeen feet deep (upon occasion of letting down -a sluice) were found below the silt (for of that sort is all Marshland -and Holland) in very firm earth, furze bushes, as they grew, not rotted; -and nut trees, with nuts, not perished; neither of which kind of bushes -or trees are now growing upon that silty soil of Marshland, though it be -fruitful and rich for other vegetables.”—Afterward he adds, “I shall tell -you how I conclude it became a fen by the stagnation of the fresh waters; -which is thus—The sea having its passage upon the ebbs and flows thereof -along the coast of Norfolk to the coast of Lincolnshire, did in time, by -reason of its muddiness, leave a shelf of silt betwixt those two points -of land, viz. Rising in Norfolk, and the country about Spilsby in -Lincolnshire, which shelf increasing in height and length so much, as -that the ordinary tides did not overflow it, was by that check of those -fluxes, in time, so much augmented in breadth, that the Romans finding it -considerable for the fertility of the soil, made the first Sea-banks for -its preservation from the Spring-tides, which might otherwise overflow -it. And now, Sir, by this settling of the silt, the soil of Marshland -and Holland had its first beginning. By the like excess of silt brought -into the mouths of these rivers, which had their outfalls at Lynn, -Wisbeach, and Boston, where the fresh water is so stopped, as that the -ordinary land floods, being not of force enough to grind it out (as the -term is) all the level behind became overflowed; and as an ordinary pond -gathereth mud, so did this do more, which in time hath increased to such -thickness, that since the _Po-dike_ was made to keep up the fresh water -from drowning Marshland on the other side, and South Eau-Bank for the -preservation of Holland from the like inundation, the level of the Fenn -is become four feet higher than the level of Marshland, as Mr Vermuiden -assured me upon a view and observation thereof.”—Afterward he observes, -“That the time when the passage of Wisbeach was so silted up, as that the -outfall of the great river Ouse, which was there, became altered, and was -diverted to Lynn, was in Henry the third’s reign, as my testimonies (says -he) from records manifest.” - -In his 5th Letter he says to his friend—“Since I wrote to you for your -opinion touching the various course of the sea, I met with some notable -instances of that kind in a late author, viz. _Olivarius Uredius_, in his -History of Flanders; which he manifesteth to be occasioned from -_Earthquakes_.”—And this appears to have become afterward our author’s -own settled opinion, as to the ancient influx of the sea over this great -level country. - - -SECTION V. - - -_A concise view of the ancient and modern history of the Fen Country_, -_from Pennant’s Preface to his third volume of Arctic Zoology_. - -Among the modern authors who have treated of these Fens, no one, perhaps, -ranks higher than Pennant. Of this singular tract of country he gives -the following account. - - “The great Level, which comprehends Holland in this county, - [Lincolnshire] with part of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, - Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk, a tract of sixty computed miles - in length, and forty in breadth, had been originally a wooded - country. Whole forests of firs and oaks have been found in digging, - far beneath the moor on the solid ground; oaks fifteen feet in girth, - and ten yards long, mostly burnt at the bottoms, the ancient method - of falling them: multitudes of others entirely rooted up, as appears, - by the force of the sea bursting in and overwhelming this whole - tract, and covering it with silt, or mud which it carried with it - from time to time. - - “In process of time, this tract underwent another revolution. The - silt or mud gained so considerably as to leave vast spaces dry, and - other parts so shallow, as to encourage the Romans to gain these - fertilised countries from the sea. Those sensible and indefatigable - people first taught us the art of embanking, and recovered the - valuable lands we now possess. It was the complaint of _Galgacus_, - that they exhausted the strength of the Britons, _in sylvis et - paludibus emuniendis_, {53a} in clearing woods and draining marshes. - - “After the Romans deserted our island, another change took place. - Neglect of their labours succeeded: the drains were no longer kept - open, and the whole became fen and shallow lake, resembling the - present east fen; the haunt of myriads of water fowl, or the retreat - of banditti. Ely and many little tracts, which had the advantage of - elevation, were at that period literally islands. Several of these - in early times, became the retreat of the religious. Ely, Thorney, - Ramsey, Spiney and others rose into celebrated Abbeys, and by the - industry of their inhabitants first began to restore the works of the - Romans. The country above Thorney, is represented by an old - historian [_William of Malmsbury_] as a paradise. Constant - visitations, founded on wholesome laws, preserved this vast recovered - country; but on the rapid and rapacious dissolution, the removal of - several of the inhabitants, and the neglect of the laws of _sewers_, - the drains were filled, the cultivated lands overflowed, and the - country, again reduced to a useless morass.” {53b} - - In the 20th. of Elizabeth, the state of the country was taken into - consideration: {54} no great matters were done till the time of - Francis, and William his son, earls of Bedford, who attempted this - Herculean work, and reclaimed this vast tract of more than 300,000 - acres; and the last received, under the sanction of Parliament, the - just reward of 90,000 acres. I speak not of the reliques of ancient - banks, which I have seen in Holland in Lincolnshire, now remote from - the sea, nor yet the Roman timuli, the coins and other evidences of - the residence of that nation in these parts: it is to be hoped that - will be undertaken by the pen of some native, who will perform it - from actual survey. - - “The vast fenny tracts of these countries were in old times the - haunts of multitudes of water fowl, but the happy change, by - attention to draining, has substituted in their place thousands of - sheep; or, instead of reeds, made those tracts laugh with corn. The - _Crane_, which once abounded in these parts, has even deserted our - island. The common _wild duck_ still breeds in multitudes in the - unreclaimed parts; and thousands are sent annually to the London - markets, from the numerous _Decoys_. The _Greylag Goose_, the origin - of the tame, breeds here, and is resident the whole year. A few - others of the duck kind breed here. _Lapwings_, _Red-breasted - Godwits_, and _Whimbrels_ are found here during summer; but with - their young in autumn disperse about the island. The _Short-eared - Owl_ migrates here with the _Woodcock_, and is a welcome guest to the - farmer, by clearing the fields of mice. _Knots_ swarm on the coast - in winter: are taken in numbers in nets: yet none are seen during - summer. The most distant north is probably the retreat of the - multitude of water-fowl of each order which stock our shores, driven - southward by the extreme cold: most of them regularly, others whose - nature enables them to brave the usual winters of the frigid zone, - are with us only accidental guests, and in seasons when the frost - rages in their native land with unusual severity. - - “In the latitude of Boston, or about latitude 53, the following - remark may be made on the vegetable creation: a line may be drawn to - the opposite part of the kingdom, which will comprehend the greatest - part of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, the moorlands of - Staffordshire, all Cheshire, Flintshire, Denbighshire, - Caernarvonshire, and Anglesey. Beyond this line, nature hath - allotted to the northern parts of these kingdoms certain plants which - are rarely or never found to transgress that line to the south.”—In - another place he says, - - “From Hulm, the northern promontory of Norfolk, the sea advances - deeply westward, and forms the great bay called _The Washes_, filled - with vast sand banks, the summits of which are dry at low water; but - the intervening channels are the means of prodigious commerce to - Lynn, seated on the Ouse, which is circulated into the very inland - parts of our Island, through the various rivers which fall into its - long course. Lynn is mentioned in the _Domesday book_, but became - considerable for its commerce with Norway, as early as the year 1284. - - “The opposite shore is that of Lincolnshire. Its great commercial - town Boston stands on the Witham, a few miles from the head of the - bay. Spring tides rise at the Key fourteen-feet, and convey there - vessels of above a hundred tons; but greater ships lie at the scap, - the opening of the Estuary.—The sluggish rivers of these tame tracts - want force to form a depth of Water. - - “Lincolnshire and part of six other counties are the _pais bas_, the - _Low countries_ [or _Netherlands_] of Britain. This very extensive - tract, from the scap to the northern head land, opposite to Hull, - presents to the Sea a bowlike and almost unindented front; and so low - as to be visible from sea only at a small distance, and churches - instead of hills are the only land-marks to seamen, among which the - beautiful Steeple of Boston is particularly distinguished. The whole - Coast is pointed with Salt-marshes or sand hills, and secured by - artificial banks. Old _Hollingshed_ gives a long list of ports on - this now inhospitable coast. _Waynfleet_, once a noted haven, is at - present a mere creek. _Skegness_, once a large walled town with a - good harbour, is now an inconsiderable place, a mile from the sea: - and the port of _Grimsby_, which in the time of Edward III. furnished - him with eleven ships, is now totally choked with sand. - - “All these coasts of Lincolnshire are flat, and have been gained from - the sea. _Barton_ and _Barrow_ have not at present the least - appearance of ports; and yet by Hollingshed were styled good ones. - Similar accidents have befallen the low tract of Holderness, which - faces the congruent shores. _Hedon_, a few miles below Hull, several - hundred years ago a port of great commerce, is now a mile and half - from the water, and has long given way to the fortune of the latter - (a creation of Edward I in 1296) on account of the excellency of its - port. But in return the sea has made ample reprisals on the lands of - this Hundred. The site, and even the very names of several places, - once towns of note upon the _Humber_, are now only recorded in - history; and _Ravenspur_ was at one time the rival of Hull, and a - port so very considerable in 1332, that Edward Baliol and the - confederated English barons sailed from hence with a great fleet to - invade Scotland: Henry IV, in 1399 made choice of this port to land - at, to effect the deposal of Richard II; yet the whole of it has been - long since devoured by the merciless ocean; extensive sands, dry at - low water, are to be seen in their stead: except _Sunk Island_, which - till about 1666 appeared among them like an elevated shoal, at which - period it was regained, by embankments from the sea, and now forms a - considerable estate, probably restored to its pristine condition.” - - - -SECTION VI. - - -_Further account of the Fens_, _from the_ BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND, _and other -sources_. - - “That this vast level was at first a firm dry land, and not annoyed - with any extraordinary inundation by the sea, or stagnation of fresh - waters, is evident from the quantity of trees that have been found - buried in different parts of the fens, and also from a variety of - other circumstances. - - “Dugdale, in his _History of Embanking_, observes that in making - several-channels for draining in the isle of Axholm, great numbers of - oak, fir, and other trees were found in the moor. The fir trees lay - at the depth of between four and five feet, but the oaks were but - little more than three feet beneath the soil. They were discovered - lying near their roots, which “still stand as they grew,” that is, in - firm earth below the moor, and the bodies, for the most part, - northwest from the roots, not cut down with axes, but burnt asunder, - somewhat near the ground, as the ends of them, being _coaled_, do - manifest. The oaks were lying in multitudes, and of an extraordinary - size, being five yards in compass, and sixteen yards long; and some - smaller of a greater length, with a good quantity of acorns and small - nuts near them.” Similar discoveries have been made in the fen near - Thorney; in digging the channel north of Lynn, called Downham Eau; - and in many other places.” - -_Mr Richard Atkins_, a gentleman of considerable research, and a -commissioner of sewers in the reign of James I. was of opinion that the -Fens were formerly meadow land, fruitful, healthy, and lucrative to the -inhabitants, from affording relief to the people of the highlands in -times of drought. Peterborough, he observes, was of old called -Meadhamstead, on account of the meadows there, though most of the present -fens belong to that district. Likewise Ely, or Peterborough Great Fen -was once a forest. - - “In a Paper communicated to the Royal Society by the reverend _John - Rastrick_ of Lynn, and published in the Philosophical Transactions - (No. 279, 1702) it is mentioned, that on removing the foundation of - the old sluice at the end of Hammond’s Bank, where it falls into - Boston Haven, the workmen discovered many roots of trees issuing from - their boles, or trunks, spread in the ground; and in taking them up - with the earth in which they were embedded, they met with a solid - gravelly and stony soil, of the high country kind, but black and - discoloured, from the length of years, and the change which had - befallen it. - - “Mr. _Elstobb_, in his Historical Account of the Bedford Level, - affirms, that in his perambulations over the levels of Sutton and - Mepal, and others adjacent, in the counties of Cambridge and - Huntingdon, he observed, at the depth of about three feet under the - present moorish soil, multitudes of roots of large trees, standing as - they had grown, from which the bodies had manifestly been sawn off. - Some of them he saw lying at a small distance from their roots, at - the depth above-mentioned; and he was credibly informed that great - numbers had been and were still found severed and lying in the same - manner. - - “He also relates that in driving the piles for securing the - foundation of the great sluice at the mouth of the new cut, a little - above Boston, in 1764, roots of trees were found at the depth of - eighteen feet below the pasturage surface, standing as the trees had - grown. Some of them were obliged to be chopt through to make a - passage for the piles. In some other parts of the trench dug for - laying the same foundations, small shells were discovered, disposed - in the same manner as they are often found at the bottom and sides of - the marsh creeks. - - “The preceding instances are sufficient proofs, that the surface of - this level was anciently much lower than it is at present; {60} and - also that it must have remained dry for a vast number of years, - otherwise the trees would never have attained to the magnitude which - they appear to have done by the above statements. In what age, or - from what causes the waters overspread the country, and converted - this extensive district into fens, is uncertain; yet there are - reasons to believe, that the great level would have remained in a - flourishing state till the present time, if the operations of nature - had not been interrupted by the works of art. - - “_Dugdale_, in a quotation from the Life of Agricola, by Tacitus, - says that “the Britons complained that their hands and bodies were - worn out and consumed by the Romans, in clearing the woods, and - embanking the fens.” This sentence, when considered conjointly with - the foregoing accounts of the state in which the trees have been - found, enables us to form an idea of the time when the woods were - destroyed, which appears to have been before the Romans had secured - the entire possession of the island. Some of the trees, we find, - were _burnt_, and others _sawn_ down, and this evidently without any - regard either to profit or utility, since the trunks were left to - perish on the soil where they grew. It is probable therefore, that - they were felled to deprive the Britons of shelter, and to enable the - Roman soldiers to march in greater security, and obtain an easier - conquest. - - “The emperor _Severus_ is said to have been the first who intersected - the fens with causeways. _Dugdale_ has mentioned one, supposed to - have been made by him, of twenty-four miles in length, extending from - Denver to Peterborough. This was composed of gravel, about three - feet in depth and sixty feet broad, and is covered with moor from - three to five feet in thickness. This furnishes another proof of the - great alterations which the fens have undergone; yet the changes - which have taken place may be illustrated still further. - - “The celebrated _Sir Robert Cotton_, when making a pool, at the edge - of Connington Downs, in Huntingdonshire, found the skeleton of a - large sea-fish nearly twenty feet long, about six feet below the - superfices of the ground, and as much below the general level of the - fens. Many of the bones, which from their long continuance in the - earth, were incrusted with stone, were preserved, and are reported to - be still in the possession of Sir Robert’s descendants. - - “At Whittlesea, in digging through the moor, for the purpose of - making a moat to secure a plantation of fruit trees, at eight feet - deep, a perfect soil was found, with swaths of grass lying on it as - they were at first mowed.” This seems to indicate that the - inundation which overwhelmed the country, happened in summer, or - early in autumn, and had not been foreseen by the inhabitants. The - _nuts_ and _acorns_ before-mentioned, will also corroborate this - conjecture, as to the time of the year when this catastrophe - happened; and so do the swaths of grass, or mown hay, as to the - suddenness of it. - - “When the foundation was dug for Shirbeck sluice, near Boston, at the - depth of sixteen feet a _smith’s forge_ was discovered embedded in - silt, with all the _tools_ belonging to it, several _horse-shoes_ and - some other articles. Also in setting down a sluice a little below - Magdalene Fall, a stone eight feet long and a cart wheel were found - at a similar depth below the surface. Likewise near the river - Welland, at the depth of ten feet, several boats were dug up; and at - the same depth, on the opposite side of the river, the remains of - ancient tan-vats or pits, and a great quantity of horns were found. - - “_Henry of Huntingdon_, who lived in the reign of king Stephen, - describes this fenny country as very pleasant and agreeable to the - eye, watered by many rivers which run through it, diversified with - many large and small lakes, and adorned with many woods and islands. - _William of Malmsbury_ also, who lived till the first year of Henry - II, has painted the state of the land round Thorney in the most - glowing colours. He represents it as a paradise; the very marshes - abounding in trees, whose length, without knots, emulated the stars. - The plain there (says he) is as level as the sea, which with the - flourishing of the grass allureth the eye; and so smooth that there - is nothing to hinder him that runs through it; neither is there any - _waste_ place in it; for in some parts there are apple trees; in - others vines, which either spread upon the grounds, or run along the - poles.” - -Making every allowance for the florid colouring of the above -representations, it is manifest that the level in the times of the above -writers must have been in a very flourishing and superior condition to -what it was a few centuries afterwards, “when the fens were covered with -water, and the inhabitants of many islands in danger of perishing for -want of food.” Whatever occasioned the alteration, it clearly appears -that attempts at draining were made as early as the reign of Edward I, -and have been continued with various success to the present time. The -famous _John of Gaunt_, and _Margaret countess of Richmond_ were among -the first adventurers who embarked in this undertaking. They were pretty -soon succeeded by _bishop Morton_, whose patriotic efforts, as has been -already observed, were attended with considerable success. - - -SECTION VII. - - -_Of the Fens from the time of Henry_ VIII, _or rather that of Elizabeth_, -_to the Revolution_; _giving an account of the different projects of -improvement proposed and carried on during that period_. - -During the successive reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I, little -attention appears to have been paid to the state or improvement of the -fens. For most of that time, and ever after the dissolution of the -abbeys, to which a very great part of these fens belonged, they were, it -seems, almost entirely neglected, and soon reduced to a very wretched -condition: so little care having been taken by the new possessors to keep -the drains open and the banks in repair, compared with what had been done -by their wiser predecessors, the abbots and the monks. - -In Elizabeth’s time, however, things were gotten to such a pass as not to -admit of being any longer overlooked or neglected. The reign of that -queen (as Mr _Gough_ observes in his edition of _Camden_) “may be -properly fixed on as the period when the Great Level began to become -immediately a public care.” In her 20th. year a commission was granted -to Sir Thomas Cecil, Sir William Fitz-Williams, and others, to drain the -fens about _Clow’s Cross_; but the inutility of such a partial design -appears to have been early foreseen, as there is no account of the plan -ever being acted upon. In her 43rd year, an act of parliament was passed -on a general plan, which not only included the draining of the great -level, but likewise all the marshes and drowned lands in the kingdom. -This scheme, for which resources equal to the extent of the undertaking -are said to have been provided, was frustrated by the queen’s death. - - “In the beginning of the reign of James I, Sir _John Popham_, the - Lord Chief Justice, procured an act for draining the fens in the Isle - of Ely, and the lands in the adjacent counties. The work was - commenced with great spirit, but was soon retarded by the death of - Popham, and afterwards entirely dropt, through the opposition of some - land-owners, who conceived themselves injured. - - “The persons who next attempted to proceed with this important - undertaking, were the _Earl of Arundel_, _Sir William Ayloff_, - _bart._ and _Anthony Thomas_, _Esq._ but their proposals not being - agreeable to those who acted as commissioners on behalf of the - proprietors, and much time being lost by the meetings held to - determine the contested points, the _king_ himself resolved to become - an adventurer, and actually undertook the herculean labour of - draining the fens, on condition of his receiving 120,000 acres, as a - remuneration, when the work was completed. This agreement was - carried into a law, and there the design terminated; for the - political embarrassments, which attended the remainder of the reign - of the fickle James, prevented a single step being taken to carry it - into execution.” - -In the 6th year of Charles I. _Sir C. Vermuiden_, a Hollander, in a -contract with the Commissioners of Sewers, engaged to drain the fens, on -condition, that 90,000 acres of land, when drained, should be transferred -to him. But when he had again surveyed the Level, and made drawings of -the works that were necessary, he appears to have thought the reward -insufficient, and demanded an additional allotment of 5000 acres. This -proposal was rejected; more from the prejudices that prevailed against -him as a foreigner (and a disgust, probably, for not standing to his -first bargain) than from any supposition that his demands were -extravagant: for soon after, the commissioners with the consent of the -land-holders, engaged on the same terms of 95,000 acres with _Francis -Earl of Bedford_, who had large possessions in the fens, through the -grant to his ancestors of Thorney Abbey and its appurtenances. {66} - -Before the commencement of the work, thirteen gentlemen, of high rank and -respectability offered to become joint adventurers with the earl, and -their proposals being accepted, the undertaking commenced. In the year -1634, the king granted the adventurers a charter of incorporation; and -three years and a half from that period, the Commissioners adjudged the -Level drained, and, accompanied by his Majesty’s surveyor, attended to -set out the earl’s allotment. - -From this time the favourable disposition of Charles toward the -adventurers began to change; and early in the ensuing year, 1638, a -meeting was held at Huntingdon, of people devoted to the will of the -crown, who were empowered to examine into the utility of the measures -executed by the Earl. The new Commissioners declared that the works were -incomplete; and accepted the king’s proposals to drain the fens, for -which he was to receive not only 95,000 acres, but also 57,000 -additional! Every hope of advantage which Charles expected to reap from -this undertaking was entirely dissipated by the ensuing troubles, which -prevented every further prosecution of the work till the year 1649, when -_William earl of Bedford_, Son and successor of _Francis_, was restored -by the Parliament to all the rights of his father. - -The Act obtained at this period, settled the boundaries of the Level, and -gave fresh vigour to the undertaking. The works which had fallen to -decay, were repaired, and new channels made, with so much propriety in -the opinion of the Commissioners, that on the 25th. of March, 1653, the -Level was adjudged to be fully drained, and the 95,000 acres awarded to -the Earl and his participants; the latter of whom were nearly ruined by -the expence of draining, which amounted to upwards of £400,000. - -In the 15th. of Charles II, the former act was confirmed in its most -essential clauses; and a corporation, consisting of a governor, six -bailiffs, and twelve conservators and commonality, was established, under -the title of “Conservators of the Great Level of the Fens,” for its -better government. These commissioners were empowered to levy taxes on -the 95,000 acres, to defray whatever expences might arise in their -preservation; but only 83,000 acres were vested in the corporation, in -trust for the Earl of Bedford and his associates. The remaining 12,000 -having been allotted to Charles I, in pursuance of the agreement made by -the persons who met at Huntingdon, were now assigned to the king, with -the exception of 2000 acres, which had been granted to the Earl of -Portland. {69} - -Though the Corporation were invested with power by the above act to levy -taxes generally on the adventurers land, yet as the form and manner in -which that power was to be exercised was not prescribed, they could only -levy a specific sum on every acre; a proceeding manifestly unjust; as the -lands varied so much in value, that an _equal_ tax nearly amounted to the -whole sum the inferior lands were worth. Application was therefore made -to the Legislature for power to remedy this inconvenience, by granting -authority to substitute a gradual acre tax; and commissioners were -appointed by the Parliament to survey and rate the land according to its -value. Under this commission it was sorted into eleven degrees, and that -with so much impartiality, that the proportional values as then -ascertained, have ever since been regarded as a standard. {70} Nothing -very material, or remarkable, in regard to the fens, appears to have been -done afterwards during the remainder of Charles’ reign, or that of his -brother and successor James. - - -SECTION VIII. - - -_The same subject continued_, _front the revolution to the present time_. - -In the year 1697 the Bedford Level was divided into three districts, -North, Middle, and South; having one surveyor for each of the former, and -two for the latter. This distribution, which had been made for its -better government, was the source of considerable divisions. A -misconceived distinction of interest arose between the different -proprietors; and their dissatisfaction being increased during a long -minority in the Bedford family, to whom, as proprietor of the North -Level, the others were greatly indebted. Application was made to the -Legislature in 1753, and an act obtained to settle the account of the -corporation, and separate the North Level from the rest, except in those -instances wherein their alliance was necessary for the service of the -country. On this occasion the Duke of Bedford remitted the sum due to -him from the South and Middle Levels; and the Earl of Lincoln, to whom -they were also indebted, concurred in the generous example. - -Soon after passing the above act, which separated the north from the -middle and south levels, a treaty was negociated between the Bedford -Level Corporation and the principal persons interested in the trade -carried on through the river Nene, from the Port of Lynn to the counties -of Huntingdon and Northampton. That part of the river which lay within -the boundaries of the great Level, was so filled up by the silt and other -matter, which the tides and upland waters had deposited, that the -navigation was much impeded, and the expence of every voyage considerably -increased. This caused an application to the managers of the Bedford -Level, for their assistance in the necessary work of cleansing the -channel of the river, and making it deeper; and the parties, after -several meetings, agreed in the outlines of a plan intended to answer the -ends both of draining and navigation. The same year, the persons -interested applied to Parliament; and the measures proposed for their -mutual benefit received the sanction of the legislature. By the act then -passed, the corporation of the Bedford Level renounce the general power -possessed over the river and its banks, and unite with a stated number of -land-proprietors, chosen from the south and middle districts, in raising -a _fund_, {71} to be appropriated to scour out and deepen the bed of the -Nene and its communicating branches. - -The above acts form the basis of the constitution appointed for the -government of the Bedford Level; for though many others have been -procured within the last 50 years, for draining separate districts within -its limits, yet they all contain a clause, reserving the powers of the -Corporation as established in the 15th Charles II. - -Of late years a measure has been frequently agitated, and in 1795 passed -into a law, for improving the outfall of the river Ouse, and amending the -drainage of the south and middle Levels, by making a Cut across the -marshes from Eaubrink to Lynn. Great advantages are expected to be -derived from this new channel, and the commissioners appointed by the Act -are now employed in levying taxes to enable them to proceed with the -work; but it is not yet begun. - -Notwithstanding the various projects that have been executed and the vast -expence incurred to complete the drainage of the Fens, the work is yet -imperfect; and in many places the farmer is still liable to have all the -produce of his grounds carried away by inundations. The peculiar -situation of the Level, which renders it the receiver of the collected -waters of nine counties, and the want of attention to those comprehensive -measures which alone could have equalled the evil, by providing a -sufficient _outlet_ to the sea for the descending torrent, when swelled -by the numerous currents from the hills produced by a rainy season, are -frequently the occasion of high floods, by which many thousand acres of -prime land are overwhelmed and made useless for the whole year. - -Among the great variety of expedients employed to drain the marshes, -where the regular and common means have failed, is the erection of -windmills, or rather engines worked by the wind, which, from their number -and situation in some parts of the fens, present a very singular and -rather queer and grotesque appearance. These raise the water to a -sufficient height to admit of its being conveyed into receptacles enough -elevated to carry it into its proper channel. - -A great many thousand acres, within the extent of this low country, are -still in the condition of waste unimproved fen, the average value of -which is said to be little more than four shillings an acre. One writer -states that upwards of 150,000 acres are in that condition in -Cambridgeshire alone, {73a} which, however, has been thought by others -somewhat inaccurate, and beyond the truth. Be that as it may, the -quantity of such lands in the fens is certainly very great, and must -sufficiently demonstrate that the immense labour bestowed, in draining -the Level, has not been attended with the salutary effects which the -promoters of the various plans too fondly imagined and promised; and it -may still be questioned whether the remedies proposed, and partially -executed, are adequate to effect the intended purpose. {73b} - - -SECTION IX. - - -_Miscellaneous Observations on the present appearance_, _produce_, _and -state of the Fens_. - -The elevated spots on which the towns and villages are built in many -parts of the fens, appear like islands rising in the midst of low and -level marshes; and the churches being generally erected on the highest -parts, may be distinguished at the distance of several miles. The -cottages in many places are nothing more than mud-walls, covered with -thatch or reed. The application of the land is various. The crops of -oats are particularly exuberant, the produce being frequently from -forty-five to sixty bushels an acre; great quantities of wheat and -coleseed are also grown, and generally with a proportional increase. -Many thousand acres are also appropriated to pasture. - -In the neighbourhood of Elm, Upwell, Outwell, &c. considerable quantities -of hemp and flax are grown; but the culture of these articles, as a -preparation for wheat, does not receive that attention which their -importance demands. Some very fine butter is made in the dairy farms in -this district; and the vicinity of Cottenham is famous for a peculiar -kind of new cheese of a singularly delicious flavour; which is partly -ascribed to the mode observed in the management of the dairies, and -partly to the nature of the herbage on the commons. Many parts are -remarkably favourable for the growth of corn; but the situation of some -of them renders them so extremely liable to be overflowed, that their -luxuriant produce is too frequently destroyed by the floods. {74} It is -generally said, however, that if the occupiers have one good year in -every two or three, they will make a very tolerable shift to live. The -sheep in some parts are said to be very subject to the rot, which has -been attributed to the neglected state of the fens in those places, -occasioning the ground to produce rank and unwholesome herbage. - -The grounds are perhaps no where richer or more fertile, in any part of -this low country, than about Wisbeach and Long Sutton. The pastures -there are exceedingly fine and luxuriant. The crops of corn also are in -general abundant, but much more subject to blights than in the hilly -parts, and the grain is said to be lighter; and much inferior in quality -to that of the high country. - -Towards March and Chatteris, the land, though apparently very good, is -said to be apt to produce such an increasing quantity of thick moss, as -renders it in a few years unfit for pasturage; to remedy which, the -farmer has the surface pared off and burnt, preparatory to its being -ploughed up; by which means the moss is effectually destroyed, and a good -manure provided for the ensuing crops, which are for the most part very -plentiful. After a while it is again converted into grass land, and so -continued till the moss gathers and appears as before, when the former -process is again resorted to, as the only remedy. - -One very great inconvenience, which the inhabitants of this low country -labour under, is the want of good water, especially in dry summers, owing -to the scarcity of springs. Rain-water is the only water they can have -for domestic uses, almost throughout the year: to preserve which they -have troughs and spouts constructed and fixed under the eves of the -houses, by which it is conveyed into cisterns and reservoirs for the use -of their families. Even such populous towns as Boston and Wisbeach have -no better means of supplying themselves with good water; which in most -parts of Britain would be deemed an intolerable grievance. To Lynn, -however, the above case does not apply. The country on its eastern side -abounds with good springs, from which the town is plentifully supplied -with excellent water, as not to be exceeded in that respect, perhaps, by -any place in the kingdom. - -In Marshland and other parts of the country, it is with no small -difficulty that water can be procured for the cattle in very dry seasons. -Instances not few, are said to have been known at such times, of their -being driven daily some miles to water, as none could be procured at a -nearer distance. Such is the spongy quality of the soil in these parts, -that pits dug to preserve the rain water would not retain it unless they -were previously bottomed with clay, by which the water is prevented from -sinking into the earth. Such pits are dug almost in every field; and for -all the care and expence bestowed upon them, they are often found empty -and useless long before the end of a very dry summer. Thus it appears, -that this country, so fertile and desirable in some respects, has its -advantages greatly counter-balanced by some very serious inconveniences, -from which the more hilly and sterile districts of the kingdom are -happily exempted. On the whole, when the advantages and disadvantages of -this low fertile country are fairly compared with those of the more -barren and mountainous regions, it will probably be found that the -favours of providence are much more equally distributed than we are -sometimes apt to imagine. - -Here it may be further observed, that the system of agriculture, and even -the implements of husbandry are different in marshland and the fens from -those of the higher parts of Norfolk; which is probably to be ascribed to -the soil, or quality of the land being very different in the one from -what it is in the other. In the former it is for the most part strong -and heavy, but weak and light in the latter, so as not to require more -than two horses to draw the plough, and which are uniformly managed -without a driver. - - -SECTION X. - - -_Miscellaneous observations continued—Fen reeds and their -uses—Starlings—Tame Geese_, _and singular management of -them—Insalubriousness of Marshland—Ancient celebrity of the -Smeeth—Decoys_. - -Many parts of the fens abound with a remarkable species of _reeds_, which -appear in summer, at some distance, like extensive fields of corn. In -autumn, and at the approach of winter, they are resorted to by -innumerable flocks of Starlings, which then subsist upon the seeds of -those plants, and lodge or roost among their branches; from whence, when -scared, they ascend sometimes in such vast numbers as to appear in the -sky like a thick cloud, exhibiting a very strange and striking spectacle -to those beholders who are unused to the curious phenomena of this -singular country. The fen-fowlers, in their long boats, take these birds -sometimes by surprize, when thickly assembled among those reeds, and with -their long guns make prodigious havock among them. Myriads of them are -so destroyed, and become a considerable article of food in the latter -months of the year. - -The reeds to which these birds resort, and from whose seed, for many -months, they derive a great part of their subsistence, are no less -remarkable in another respect: vast quantities of them are cut down, or -reaped like corn, in the latter part of summer; being afterward carefully -dried and dressed, they are tied up in bundles or sheaves, made up into -stacks or ricks, and sold for coverings of houses, making perhaps the -best _thatch_ in the world. Great numbers of houses and barns, and even -some churches are covered with them about the Fens and Marshland, and the -adjoining parts of Norfolk. They are laid on very thick, curiously, and -judiciously, and constitute a very durable, as well as neat covering, -which is said to last sometimes thirty or forty years, with a little -shaving and trimming. It has been observed of thatch coverings (those -made of these reeds must be particularly so) that they make the coolest -houses in summer, and the warmest in winter of all coverings whatever; -being more impervious both to heat and cold than any other materials used -for the same purpose. Thatching is executed in this country in a style -of superior neatness, as well as firmness, and better calculated for -durability, than the writer of this has known any where else except, -perhaps, in the _Vale of Glamorgan_, where a similar method is used. The -material there, indeed is wheat straw, and not reeds, which in that -country cannot be obtained in any large quantity; but the process of -dressing and preparing the materials, as well as the method of laying -them on, seem to be there and here much alike. It seems somewhat -remarkable that districts so widely separated, and which are in most -other respects so very dissimilar, should yet in this particular bear so -near and striking a resemblance to each other. {79a} - -Some parts of the Fens, especially on the Lincolnshire side, have been -long famous for breeding vast flocks of tame _Geese_, of which great -numbers are usually sent alive to the London markets.—They have also a -remarkable custom of _plucking_ the geese, and stripping them of their -quills and feathers repeatedly every year, {79b} and so render each of -them conformable to _Plato’s_ memorable definition of _man_, “a -two-legged, unfeathered animal:” in which view it might be called -_humanizing_ the poor geese, or converting them into so many human -beings. The practice however, has been by many thought _inhuman_, and -barbarous, as it must put the poor creatures into no small degree of -pain; {80a} but as it is gainful to the owners, in yielding them a far -greater quantity of feathers than they would otherwise produce, there is -no great prospect of its being very soon, if ever, discontinued. - -The geese, during the breeding season, are lodged in the same houses with -the inhabitants, and even in their very bedchambers. In every apartment -are three rows of coarse wicker pens, placed one above another. Each -bird has a separate lodge, divided from the other, which it keeps -possession of during the time of sitting. A gozzard, or gooseherd, -attends the flock, and twice a day drives the whole to water, then brings -them back to their habitation, helping those that live in the upper -stories to their nests, without ever misplacing a single bird. {80b} - -Another odd custom in some parts of this same country, is that of -preparing _cow-dung_, and converting it into _fuel_, by forming it, in a -wet state, into the shape of turf, and afterward drying it in the sun. -It yields a strong disagreeable smell in burning, besides its depriving -the farmer of a very large quantity of his best manure. Materials for -fuel must, surely, have been very scarce in the country when this strange -expedient or substitute was first adopted. - -Marshland and the Fens are not deemed healthy, except, perhaps, to -consumptive persons, who are said to be sometimes sent thither on account -of the softness of the air. To most others the country is unhealthy, and -subject to aguish disorders, which has always been the case, it seems, -especially in Marshland; hence an ague is in Norfolk proverbially called -_the Marshland Bailiff_, and a person afflicted with that disorder is -said to be _arrested by the Bailiff of Marshland_.—Instead of hedgerows -the fields are here generally enclosed with deep dikes, which for the -most part of the year are filled with water, to which, probably, we are -chiefly to ascribe the unhealthiness of the country; or rather to the -putrid state of these dikes and stagnant waters, in the latter part of -summer and the autumn. {81} - -In passing along the road through this remarkable country, a stranger, -from the hilly parts, cannot help being struck at first sight with the -strange appearance of gates and gate-posts erected all about, without any -hedges or visible enclosures to indicate either the necessity, or yet the -utility of them; for as the dikes are not perceptable at a distance, the -land on every side appears in many places like a great open field. A -little time and reflection, however, generally rectify the wondering -traveller’s judgment. - -The soil of Marshland is for the most part very good and rich; but no -where more so than in that notable tract called the _Smeeth_, which has -been long celebrated for its uncommon fertility. Till lately it was all -a common belonging to the seven towns of Marshland; and old Authors used -to relate that it constantly fed 30,000 Sheep, with abundance besides of -the great cattle of the seven towns. So famous was this tract for the -richness and luxuriance of its soil, at the accession of _James_ I, that -a courtier is said to have mentioned it then to that monarch, as one of -the most fertile spots in all his English dominions; adding “that if over -night a wand or rod were laid on the bare ground, it would, by the next -morning, be covered with grass, of that night’s growth, so as not then to -be discerned.” To which his majesty is said jocosely to reply, “that -some parts of _Scotland_ far exceeded that, for that he himself knew some -grounds there, where if an _horse_ were put in over night it could not be -discerned the next morning;” alluding, it seems, to some of the bogs in -that country.—The Smeeth has been of late enclosed, drained, and -considerably improved. A great part of it has been ploughed up, and the -crops produced are said to be in general very abundant, and likely to -continue so. It may therefore be presumed, that the enclosing of the -Smeeth will prove no detriment, but rather an advantage to the public; -and also that its celebrity, as a most fertile spot, will not be -diminished by its being no longer an open and unimproved common. - -These parts have been long noted for great numbers of _Decoys_. They are -said to be now much less numerous than formerly, owing, seemingly, to the -various and progressive improvements that have taken place of late years, -especially in Lincolnshire, and the consequent decrease of the aquatic -wild-fowl. There are still, however, a good many decoys to be found in -different places, of which the best is said to be that of _Lakenheath_, -on the borders of Suffolk, from which very considerable numbers of -aquatic wild-fowl of different kinds are usually sent to the London -Markets.—An authentic account of this singular and curious contrivance, -it being in general but ill understood, and but imperfectly described in -books, shall be here inserted, as it is presumed it will not prove -unacceptable to the reader. - -A decoy is generally made where there is a large pond surrounded with -wood, and beyond that a marshy uncultivated country. If the piece of -water is not thus surrounded, it will be attended with the noise and -other accidents, which may be expected to frighten the wild-fowl from a -quiet haunt where they mean to sleep during the day time in security. If -such noises or disturbances are wilful, an action will lie against the -disturbers. As soon as the evening sets in, the decoy _rises_ (as the -term is) and the wild fowl feeds during the night. If the evening be -still, the noise of their wings, during their flight, is heard at a very -great distance, and is a pleasing, though melancholy sound. The _rising_ -of the decoy in the evening is, in Somersetshire, called _radding_. The -decoy-ducks are fed with hempseed, which is thrown over the skreen in -small quantities, to bring them forward into the pipes or canals, and to -allure the wild-fowl to follow as this seed floats. There are several -_pipes_, as they are called, which lead up a narrow ditch that closes at -last with a funnel net. Over these pipes, (which grow narrower from -their first entrance) is a continued arch of netting, suspended on hoops. -It is necessary to have a pipe, or ditch for almost every wind that can -blow, as upon this circumstance it depends which pipe the fowl will take -to; and the Decoy-man always keeps on the _windward_ side of the ducks, -holding near his mouth a lighted turf, to prevent his breath or effluvia -reaching their sagacious nostrils. All along each pipe, at certain -intervals are placed skreens, made of reeds, so situated and contrived, -that it is impossible the wild fowl should see the decoy-man before they -have passed on toward the end of the pipes where the purse net is placed. -The inducement of the wildfowl to go up one of these pipes is, because -the decoy-ducks, trained to this, lead the way, either after hearing the -whistle of the decoy-man, or enticed by the hempseed: the latter will -dive underwater or swim quietly away, while the wildfowl fly on and are -taken in the purse net. It often happens, however, that the wildfowl are -in such a state of sleepiness and dozing, that they will not follow the -decoy-ducks. Use is then generally made of a dog, that has been taught -his lesson: he passes backward and forward, between the reed skreens, (in -which are little holes, both for the decoy-man to see, and the little dog -to pass through); this attracts the eye of the wild-fowl, who, not -choosing to be interrupted, advance toward the small contemptible animal, -that they may drive him away. The dog all the time, by the directions of -the decoy-man, plays among the skreens of reeds nearer and nearer to the -purse net; till at last, perhaps, the decoy-man appears behind a skreen, -and the wild-fowl not daring to pass by him in return, nor being able to -escape upward, on account of the net covering, rush on into the purse -net. Sometimes the dog will not attract their attention, unless a red -handkerchief, or something very singular be put about him. The general -season for catching fowls in Decoys is from the end of October till -February; the taking of them earlier is prohibited by an act of 10. Geo. -II. c. 32. which forbids it from June 1, to October 1, under a penalty of -5_s._ for each bird destroyed within that time. Most of the Decoys of -this kingdom are in the Counties bordering on the great level of the -Fens. There are some also in Somersetshire. Lincolnshire used to be the -most noted county for its decoys, and it is probably so still. Amazing -numbers of ducks, widgeons and teals, used to be taken there and sent to -the London markets. Some years ago, within one season, and from ten -decoys in the neighbourhood of Waynfleet, the number amounted to 31,200 -in which were included several other species of ducks. The decoys are -said to be commonly let at a certain annual rent, from 10 to a £100. It -was customary formerly to have in the fens an annual driving of the young -ducks before they took wing. Numbers of people assembled on the -occasion, who beat a vast tract, and forced the birds into a net placed -at the spot where, the sport was to terminate.—150 dozens have been taken -at once; but the practice being thought detrimental, has been abolished -by act of Parliament. - - -SECTION XI. - - -_Brief remarks on the parish churches of Marshland and Holland_; _with a -short sketch of the history of the town and castle of Wisbeach_. - -By those who have visited Marshland, nothing, perhaps, has been more -admired than its parish churches, some of which are very large and -stately: that of _Walpole St. Peters_ is eminently so, and deemed one of -the most beautiful parish or country churches in the kingdom. It is -built of freestone, and consists of a nave, two aisles, and a chancel, -all covered with lead. The tower corresponds with the other parts of the -building, being a very handsome stone structure embattled. This edifice -was founded near the close of the reign of Henry V. and completed in the -first or second year of that of his successor. In one of the upper -windows of the south aisle of this church is said to be a most absurd and -profane representation of the Supreme Being, habited in a loose purple -gown, with a long beard, resting his right hand on a staff of gold, and -crowned with glory; pointing out the forefinger of his left hand, as -dictating to the Virgin Mary, who is seated before him, with a pen in her -hand, and paper on a desk before her. The Deity stands at the door or -entrance of a castle, embattled, and with turrets, surrounded by a wall -embattled; within this wall is the virgin; and many angels are looking -down from the tower.—Here it may be observed, that when superstition has -taken hold of the mind, there is scarce any thing too absurd to be -imagined, or too impious to be received. Sad and shocking must be the -state of religion in a country where men are employed in making pictures -or images of the deity, or where such images and pictures are preserved, -or suffered to exist in places of worship. It would not, surely, be to -the discredit of the minister and parishioners of Walpole to have the -above preposterous and profane representation defaced, or removed. - -Marshland indeed must not be thought singular, among the several -districts of this flat and stoneless country, for the largeness, -stateliness, and elegance of its churches. The case is much the same in -the adjoining district of _Holland_ in Lincolnshire, and in most of the -northern parts of Cambridgeshire. In no part of England are to be seen -larger or handsomer country churches. They are mostly built with good -freestone, and yet there is no freestone, or any other stones here to be -found, but what have been brought from a great distance. Where the -stones used in building these churches were procured, seems to be unknown -to the men of this generation. They must have been brought a very great -way, and conveyed by water carriage, as the expence would otherwise have -been enormous and unsupportable. Some, indeed, will tell us, that the -masons and carpenters worked then for a _penny a day_, and that other -labour was in the same proportion; but they seem to forget that their -penny was worth a great deal more than ours. Money, in this country, has -greatly sunk in its value since that time. A penny would then, probably, -go as far as 2s. or half a crown of our money; so that, at any rate, the -expence of the erection of these churches must have been very great, and -such as the present inhabitants, with all their boasted wealth and -resources, would hardly (or rather, not at all) be equal to. - -With sumptuous seats and magnificent palaces it does not appear that this -country did ever much abound. Its strength might be too much exhausted -in building churches, to admit of undertaking any other very expensive -edifices. The Castle of Wisbeach seems to be almost the only exception; -which, though situated a few yards out of the limits of Marshland, it may -not be altogether improper to give here a short sketch of its history, as -well as that of Wisbeach itself. - -Of that town little is known before the conquest. Sometime previous to -that event, and in the early part of the same century (the 11th) it is -said to have been given to the Convent of Ely (along with other large and -important possessions in the different counties of Cambridge, Norfolk and -Suffolk) by _Oswy_ and _Leoflede_, the parents of _Alwyn_, afterwards -bishop of Elmham, upon his admission into the said convent. As the -property of a convent, or monastery, it may be presumed to have been of -old a very _religious_ town; which character it seems still in no small -degree to retain, though in a different way. - -Of its Castle, however, no traces are known to exist before the arrival -of the Norman, with his conquering array of Frenchmen. In 1071, five -years subsequent to that event, the conqueror, it is said, built here a -stone Castle, the governor of which was dignified with the title of -_constable_, and the walls and moat were ordered to be kept in repair by -the proprietors of certain lands in West Walton, who held their estates -by a tenure to that effect. This fortress is supposed to have been -afterwards dismantled in the reign of Henry II, but upon what occasion we -are not informed. Nor have we any account of another such edifice at -Wisbeach till the reign of Henry VII, when a new Castle of brick appears -to have been built on the site of the former, between the years 1478 and -1483, by bishop Morton, already mentioned as an eminent benefactor to the -adjacent country. This new edifice became the said bishop’s palace, in -which he and several of his successors afterwards resided. - -In Mary’s time the place seems to have undergone some change, but whether -so as to cease being an episcopal residence, or not, does not appear. -But we find that some part of it, at least, was then appropriated for the -confinement of heretics, that is, of protestants. The names of two of -these, who were inhabitants of the town, are still upon record. One of -them was William Woolsey, and the other Robert Pygot. They were for -sometime confined in this Castle, and afterwards removed to Ely, where -they were both burnt, and along with them a great heap of books, which -seems to imply, that one of them at least was a scholar, or considerable -reader, and that, probably, was Woolsey; for it appears that Pygot was by -trade a painter, and therefore not very likely to be possessed of many -books. He is spoken of as remarkably meek and modest, whereas Woolsey -was a person of uncommon courage and boldness, viewing the impending -danger without dismay, and setting his unfeeling persecutors, and even -death itself at defiance. He was, it seems, somewhat fearful lest the -gentleness of his fellow-sufferer should give his enemies advantage over -him and occasion his recanting; but it did not prove so: Pygot stood firm -to his principles; and when the commissioners presented a paper for him -to sign, he said, “No, that is your faith, and not mine.” They suffered, -towards the latter part of the year 1555. {91} - -In the reign of Elizabeth, the then bishop, or bishops, it seems, -relinquished this castle for the use and accommodation of the civil -power; and it was then converted into a state prison for the papists, who -were charged with conspiring against her majesty’s government. Great -numbers therefore of these people suffered here a long and rigorous -imprisonment, and not a few of them miserably perished in its dreary -dungeons. That queen amply retaliated upon the papists what her sister -Mary had before inflicted upon the protestants. It is hard to say which -of these crowned sisters was the most bloody. Fox has largely described -the cruelties and atrocities of Mary’s government. Certain popish, as -well as protestant nonconformist historians have done the same in regard -to that of Elizabeth: and if the intolerance, iniquity, and cruelty of -the latter reign did not exceed those of the former, it seems pretty -clear that they fell not short of them. As to the number of victims, or -sufferers, the preponderance is evidently on the side of Elizabeth. -There was a difference, indeed, in the process or mode of immolation: -Mary had her victims burnt at the stake; whereas her protestant sister -had hers hanged, cut down alive, emboweled, and quartered. Which of the -two modes is the most humane and defensible—or rather, which of them is -the most barbarous and brutal, the present writer will not attempt to -determine. Nor will he pretend to say which of the two is attended with -the greatest degree of animal pain, as that may depend upon -circumstances. But if burning be the most cruel of all executions, as a -very able living writer has observed, it argues a defect in our laws, -which appoints this to be the punishment of petty treason, whilst the -Catholic sufferers underwent that annexed to high treason. He also -observes with respect to the greater part of those victims,— - - “that the sentence of the law was strictly and literally executed - upon them. After being hanged up, they were cut down alive, - dismembered, ripped up, and their bowels literally burnt before their - faces, after which they were beheaded and quartered. The time - employed in this butchery was very considerable, and, in one - instance, lasted above half an hour.—Great numbers also of these - sufferers, (he adds) as well as other Catholics, who did not endure - capital punishment, were racked in the most severe and wanton manner, - in order to extort proofs against themselves or their brethren. It - appears, (he further observes) from the account of one of these - sufferers, that the following tortures were in use against the - Catholics in the Tower: [and probably also in the Castle of - Wisbeach:] 1. The common rack, in which the limbs were stretched by - levers. 2. The scavenger’s daughter, so called, being a hoop, in - which the body was bent until the head and feet met together. 3. The - chamber, called Little-Ease, being a hole so small that a person - could neither stand, sit, or lie straight in it. 4. The Iron - Gauntlets. In some instances needles were thrust under the - prisoner’s nails.—Sir Owen Hopton, lieutenant of the Tower, was - commonly the immediate instrument in these cruelties there; but - sometimes Elmer [ Aylmer] bishop of London directed them.” {93} - -How far the bishop of Ely was concerned with similar proceedings at the -Castle of Wisbeach, we are not informed; but whether he was concerned or -not, we may presume that similar measures were pursued there. The -Wisbeach prisoners were distinguished, not only for their numbers, -amounting to some scores, at least, but also for their rank and eminence, -being mostly priests and scholars, who had been educated either at Oxford -and Cambridge, or at some of the foreign universities. Hence when their -more illiterate, or uneducated brethren, in other prisons, were called to -defend their tenets against the attacks or arguments of the clergy, they -would be expressing their wishes that some of their more learned friends, -from Wisbeach Castle, would be allowed to take their part: and when the -judge, at the trial of Barkworth, at the Old Baily, sneeringly proposed -his being tried by a _jury of priests_, “_That_ is right,” replied the -prisoner; “Your lordship knows that a complete jury of them may be found -at Wisbeach Castle.” {94a} In short, many of these catholic sufferers -under Elizabeth, appear to have been no less sincere and devout, and -even, no less unjustly treated, than those protestants, whose cruel -sufferings have rendered Mary’s reign so deservedly detestable. - -For a good while after the accession of James I, Wisbeach Castle was -still used for the same purpose as above described: but between the years -1609 and 1619, it is said to have been repaired by bishop Andrews, {94b} -who probably occupied it himself for some time after. On the abolition -of the hierarchy, after the death of Charles I, it was purchased by the -memorable secretary Thurloe, who rebuilt it in its present form, from a -design of the celebrated Inigo Jones: but though still called _The -Castle_, it no longer retained any appearance of a fortress. At the -restoration it reverted to the see of Ely, but does not appear to have -been ever afterwards an episcopal residence. It was from that period -usually granted on lease to some one or other of the principal families -of the town; the Southwells, in particular had it a long while, and -resided there. Of late it has been sold, under an act of parliament, by -the late bishop, to Joseph Medworth, Esq. The detached buildings have -been since removed, and some rows of elegant houses have been erected. -The plan of a large Circus has also been laid out, about one half of -which is already built: when the design is completed it will add greatly -to the pleasantness and beauty of the town. The Castle is still -standing, and likely to stand, with what may be called fair play, as long -as any of the new buildings, although it has been built now above 150 -years, and was, at the time of the sale, _stated_ (even by his lordship, -it seems) to be in a decayed and ruinous condition. - -The parish church of Wisbeach, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, is a -spacious handsome fabric, though of a very singular construction, being -furnished with two naves and two aisles. The naves are lofty and -separated from each other by a row of light slender pillars, with pointed -arches. The aisles are the most ancient, being divided from their -respective naves by low massy pillars, and semicircular saxon arches. -The tower is deemed very beautiful, and has been thought ancient, but its -claim to antiquity is said to be fully refuted by existing records, which -prove its erection to have been posterior to the 10th of March 1520.—On -the west side of the north entrance is a small chapel or chantry -dedicated to St. Martin, and originally endowed with lands for the -maintenance of a priest, to say masses for the soul of the founder. The -church is a vicarage, said to be heretofore worth 500_l._ a year, but -now, it seems, more than double that sum, in consequence of a late -litigation, which terminated in favour of the vicar, and the complete -discomfiture of his opponents. This is said to have occasioned not a -little ill blood between the good pastor and some of his flock; but -however that may affect them, so large an addition of income will -probably prevent his laying it very deeply to heart. It may, however, -perhaps be somewhat doubtful, if the present extraordinary juncture, and -most eventful period, be altogether the most safe or proper for the -clergy to promote or engage in these unconciliatory and offensive -litigations. - -Besides the parish church, there are at Wisbeach six other different -places of worship; one belonging to the _friends_, commonly called -_Quakers_, one to the _Independents_, or _Culymites_, one to the -_Wesleyan Methodists_, and three to those of the _baptist_ denomination. -Between the latter, though they all go under the same name, there yet -exist some strong shades of difference, so that very little of any thing -like good understanding or christian harmony is discoverable. Yet they -all lie, more or less, under the imputation of heterodoxy, from the great -or main body of their brethren, who are usually termed _particular -baptists_,—as well as from the rest of the right orthodox clans. Of -these three societies one belongs to a certain order or description of -arminian or general baptists, who are pretty numerous about -Leicestershire and the adjacent counties, and also in some other parts. -Except on the point of baptism, they agree very much with the Wesleyans, -and may, perhaps, without much impropriety, be called _Wesleyan -baptists_.—Another of these three societies belongs to a small party of -baptists, sometimes called _Johnsonians_, from the late John Johnson of -Liverpool, to whose peculiar tenets and spirit they are very much -attached; and they have, seemingly, but little charity or forbearance -towards any thing that does not come up to, or accord with that standard; -which may be said to be the worst trait in their character. They are -otherwise respectable, and so are the members of the society before -mentioned. Less bigotry would make both more amiable and more -respectable. The people who constitute the other baptist society assume -the name of _Unitarians_, and belong to a notable class of that -denomination which is said to be now much on the increase in different -parts of the kingdom. The leaders of this new religious class profess to -have for their main object to restore Christianity to its original -purity: they adopt a popular strain of preaching, and are by some people -looked upon as highly _evangelical_; so that, as we have had for some -time _evangelical trinitarians_, both in the church and out of it, we are -now, it seems, to have likewise _evangelical __unitarians_. Some zealots -among the orthodox will probably nibble at this, and even pronounce it -absolutely impossible; but the pastor of the said society, at Wisbeach, -is said to be ready to maintain, against the very best man among his -opponents, not only that those of his connection are really _no less -evangelical_, but even much _more so_ than any of those on whom it has -been the fashion of late years to bestow that honourable appellation. -Nothing further needs here be said on the subject: the public will have -an opportunity to judge for themselves, if any one will enter the lists, -or step forward to discuss the point with the said pastor. - -To have among its inhabitants so many different religious societies or -sects, can be no real reproach to Wisbeach. The exercise of free -enquiry, and unrestrained judgement and decision in matters of religion, -must be the undoubted and unalienable birthright of every rational being, -or moral agent: nor can a diversity of religious sentiments or -persuasions be any way detrimental to the welfare of the community, -provided all parties were earnestly to concur in promoting general -harmony and goodwill among their fellow citizens. It is, however, much -to be regretted that this has been hitherto but very imperfectly learnt -and practised by most of our religious fraternities, both in the -establishment and out of it. It is too generally the case, that the -leaders of the respective parties promote among their adherents a -hostile, and not unfrequently a most rancorous spirit towards their -differing neighbours: and the higher men are placed on the scale of -orthodoxy and evangelicalism, the more apt are they in general to run -into this enormity. It would seem as if they had taken their ideas, not -from Jesus Christ, but rather from those over-zealous and mistaken -disciples who would fain have confined the name and profession, as well -as the propagation of Christianity to those, forsooth, who would _follow -them_. Wherever real liberty exists, a diversity of religious opinions -and denominations must be expected; but that would furnish no just cause -of complaint, were the above evil sufficiently guarded against by all -parties. Acts of uniformity in religion, attended with national creeds, -tests, and articles of faith, may suit the piety of popes, or the crooked -policy of despotism, but they can never accord with the rights of man, or -the true principles of freedom: they will never be admitted in a land of -liberty, and can belong only to those hateful regions inhabited by slaves -and governed by tyrants. - - -SECTION XII. - - -_History of Wisbeach continued_. - -Wisbeach was formerly a parliamentary borough, and that as early as the -reign of Edward I. {99} The exact time when it ceased to be so, does not -appear. That privilege was afterward restored to it under the -protectorate, but withdrawn again at the restoration, and never restored -since; while such insignificant places as Castle-Rising and others of a -similar description, still continue (absurdly and ridiculously enough, it -must be said) to enjoy that privilege. Were such paltry places -disfranchised, to make room for the admission of such as Manchester, -Birmingham, Leeds, and Sheffield, it would appear very reasonable; but as -that is not at present to be looked for, we will here dismiss the -subject. - -Ever since the reign of Edward VI. Wisbeach has been a corporate town, -but of a sort most singular and whimsical, and at the same time the most -harmless that can well be thought of. Had all our corporations been like -it, there would have been, it is presumed, not much reason to complain of -them. This corporation appears to have emanated from a religious -fraternity, called the Guild of the Holy Trinity, instituted in 1379, and -possessed of estates for pious and charitable purposes. This -establishment shared the general fate of ecclesiastical foundations in -the reign of Henry VIII; but Edward VI, on his accession to the throne, -having passed an act which provided for the security of those -institutions that had been originally founded, either as grammar-schools, -for relief of poor persons, or for the maintenance of “piers, jetties, -walls, or banks against the rage of the sea, &c.” the inhabitants of -Wisbeach availed themselves of the statute, and through the solicitations -of Gooderich, bishop of Ely, were elevated into a corporation, on the 1st -of June, 1549, and invested with all the possessions of Trinity Guild, -(lying in eight different parishes, and occupied by thirty-nine tenants) -the revenues of which were then estimated at 28_l._ 2_s._ 3½_d._ but -were, undoubtedly, much greater. {100} - -By king Edward’s charter the inhabitants were directed to assemble -annually, and elect _ten men_, who were to have the direction of the -_business_ of the body-corporate: yet for the first thirty six years -after the charter was obtained, they seem to have done little else than -meet, once a month in the town-hall, and, “out of mutual love and amity,” -immediately adjourn to a tavern, where having _dined_, {101} they decided -petty controversies among the inhabitants. Afterwards they proceeded -further than they were warranted by the charter: they took cognizance of -the accounts of the churchwardens, and surveyors of the highways; they -directed the application of money over which they had no right; assumed -the privilege of levying an acre-tax; and moreover, during the _plague_, -which raged here in 1588 and 1588, they summoned delinquents before them, -and punished them at their own pleasure. - -On the 28th of January 1610–11, the inhabitants obtained a renewal of -their charter, at the great expence of 193_l._ 19_s._ 3_d._ They were -then constituted a body-corporate, by the style of “the Burgesses of the -town of Wisbeach;” but the right of election of the _ten men_, -thenceforward named “Capital Burgesses,” was limited to the possessors of -freeholds of the value of 40_s._ a year. From this period the said ten -_men_, as we are informed, became objects of veneration and confidence, -and were entrusted with the care of nearly all the donations for the -benefit of the poor. - -On the 17th of February 1669 they obtained a _second_ renewal or -confirmation of their charter; on what occasion we cannot discover. -Their executive officer is the _Town-Bailiff_, {102} who, though a person -wholly unknown to the charter, has the entire management of the estates -and affairs of the corporation. He is not at liberty, however, to expend -more than 5_l._ at one time, without an express order of the -body-corporate.—These Capital Burgesses have no connection with the -jurisprudence of the town, her have they any degree of civil authority, -as the civil government of the town is not distinct from the general -magistracy of the Isle of Ely, in which it stands: their principal -business is to regulate the management of the revenues of the estates -bequeathed, partly for charitable, but chiefly for public purposes. The -income, of which they direct the expenditure, amounts to about 800_l._ -annually; and to the credit and honour of the parties concerned, we are -told, that it appears to be not only honestly, but even wisely expended. -Part of the said sum arises from a grant made to the corporation by the -Trinity House, in 1710, of one penny per ton upon all goods exported and -imported, for the purpose of maintaining buoys and beacons, and keeping -clear the channel of the river. - -Among other improvements to which their attention has been directed, was -the building of an elegant stone bridge, in the room of the old wooden -one, over the great river. This was done about 1767, at the expence of -nearly 2,300_l._ It consists of one elliptical arch, very accurately -proportioned. A new Custom-House has been also erected; and the streets -are cleaned, lighted, and watched, at their expence. Of late a new Jail -and Shire-hall have been likewise built; and when a few more improvements -are made, and especially the finishing of the circus, but few towns will -be more handsome than Wisbeach. The Theatre is a commodious buildings in -nearly a central situation. The Rose Inn, where balls and monthly -assemblies are held, is said to have been a place of public reception -from the year 1475, at which period it was known by the sign of the Horn; -and on one of the out-buildings, erected in 1601, the figure of a horn is -yet to be seen. - -The trade of Wisbeach is said to have much increased of late years, -through the improved state of the drainage and navigation of the fens, -and consequent augmentation of the produce and consumption of the -country: and it would, no doubt, have increased much more, but for the -bad state of the harbour or river below. The average of the exports and -imports amounts to 40,000 tons annually. The principal articles of -traffic are coals, corn, timber, and wine. The neighbouring lands are in -high cultivation, chiefly on the grazing System. The Sheep and oxen grow -to a great size, and considerable numbers of them are fattened, and sent -twice every week to the London market. The inhabitants are employed in -commerce, there being no manufacture of any kind in the place, though the -surrounding country produces immense quantities of wool, hemp, and flax. -The market is abundantly supplied with poultry, fish, and butchers meat; -and the trade of the town is further promoted by six small fairs, for -hemp and flax, horned cattle and horses. The canal, which was completed -a few years ago, extending from Wisbeach river to the river Nene at -Outwell, and thence to the river Ouse at Salters-Lode Sluice, opened a -communication with Norfolk, Suffolk, and other counties, and has already -benefited the town considerably. {104} - -The Summer Assizes, and the January and Midsummer quarter sessions for -the Isle of Ely, are held at Wisbeach; where the magistrates assemble -also every Wednesday and Saturday to settle the assize of bread, and for -other purposes. The chief Justice of the Isle, and all other magistrates -are appointed by the bishop, who is here invested with temporal as well -as spiritual jurisdiction. The education of youth at Wisbeach is -provided for by a free school, and two charity schools, supported by -voluntary contributions. The appointment of Master of the Free-School is -vested in the Capital Burgesses, with the consent of any other ten -inhabitants, having voices in the election of those Burgesses. It -appears that the Trinity Guild used to allow the Schoolmaster the annual -salary of 10_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._ and that they also distributed annually -among the poor the sum of 3_l._ 15_s._ which last sum, as Mr. Hutchesson -assures us, has been continued invariably to this day. But 3_l._ 15_s._ -is now a very paltry sum, indeed, compared to what it was in the 15th and -16th centuries. Its value now is scarcely a tenth part of what it was -then. {105} - -An institution which has been justly deemed creditable to Wisbeach, is -its _Literary Society_, formed in 1781, whose members sometime ago were -about thirty, and its collection of books, or library, consisted of -upwards of a thousand volumes.—Besides this institution, and some reading -societies, or book-clubs, Wisbeach can also boast of a _Philosophical -Society_, the President of which is _Mr. Wm. Skrimshire Junr._ a -gentleman much and deservedly respected among his fellow-townsmen. He is -allowed to be well qualified for the presidentship of such an -institution, from his extensive knowledge of those subjects which it is -the aim of the Society chiefly to cultivate; and in some branches of -natural history he is said to be eminently conversant. He is a native of -the town, as well as one of the most ingenious, intelligent, and -respectable of its inhabitants. - -Many remarkable personages may be supposed, one time and another, to have -appeared among the natives of Wisbeach; but we shall here mention but two -of them, and those of very unequal merit.—One of them was _Dr. Henry -Southwell_, late rector of Asterby, and the reputed author of a well -known and popular Commentary on the Old and New Testament, commonly -called _Dr. Southwell’s Family Bible_; not a page of which, however, was -written by him, being absolutely unequal to such an undertaking, and but -a few degrees, if any, above an ideot. {106} But he sold his name to -some London booksellers for a certain pecuniary consideration, and they -employed one _Dr. Saunders_, a noted hackney writer, to do the work. -They also produced Letters of approbation and recommendation, addressed -to Dr. Southwell, from a great number of pretended eminent clergymen, in -different parts of the kingdom. The trick succeeded, and the credulous -public went taken in, as usual. It was, certainly, a most shameful -business, and must be contemplated by all honest men with abhorrence and -indignation: but the work brought no small gain to the publishers, for it -had, it seems, a great run; and that, with them, would sufficiently -sanctify the imposture. It is to be wished it could be said to be the -only instance of the kind that occurs in the transactions of modern -booksellers. But this is the age of imposition and humbugging, in which -not only booksellers, but even ministers of State have sometimes been too -fond of acting their parts. - -The other person that shall be here named, as a native of Wisbeach, is -_Thomas Clarkson_. He too is a clergyman; but of a character so very -different from the former, that no two human beings could well be more -unlike each other. His unparalleled exertions in behalf of the oppressed -Africans, and for the abolition of the detestable _Slave-trade_, so long -the disgrace and curse of this country, must place his name very high -indeed, among the modern sons of Britain—even far above our _Burkes_, our -_Pitts_, and our _Nelsons_, as the real friend of his country and his -species, and the benefactor of the human race. Compared with such -characters, he appears as an angel of light by the side of a group of -demons. The honour of giving birth to so estimable and distinguished a -person, must justly entitle the town of Wisbeach to no small degree of -lasting celebrity. He should, certainly, be placed at the head of those -memorable and venerable instruments, who contributed to the abolishment -and annihilation of our most shameful, detestable, and horrid traffick in -human flesh and blood. But for his vigorous and unwearied efforts, the -names even of a _Fox_ and a _Wilberforce_ had never perhaps been known, -as the promoters and champions of that honourable and sacred cause. But -the virtues he displayed, and the service he performed, on that never to -be forgotten occasion, are too well known, and too frequently -acknowledged, to need any eulogy that this feeble pen is capable of -attempting. Long may he live to enjoy his well-earned fame, and to -exhibit still more widely among his contemporaries, by his future -writings, the truth and importance of those exalted principles, for which -he so nobly and so successfully contended. - -The attention bestowed upon Wisbeach by _William_ I, in erecting there a -stone castle, has been already noticed. To some of our succeeding -monarchs it also appears to have been an object of partiality: we are -accordingly informed that _Richard_ I, March 28th, 1190, granted the -tenants of Wisbeach-Barton Manor an exemption or freedom from toll in all -fairs and markets throughout England. This grant was confirmed, in 1214, -by king _John_, who came to Wisbeach from Lynn in October 1216, as Dr. -Brady has proved from original records preserved in the Tower. In the -12th of Henry IV. it was renewed, and again confirmed by writ of privy -seal of Henry VI. Afterwards the privilege being forfeited, it was -restored through the exertions of _Nicholas Sandford_, who died in 1608, -and was buried in the church, where an inscription, on the brass plate -inserted in his tomb-stone, commemorates his singular bounty and -patriotism, as having, _at his own charge_, _freed the town from toll_. - -After Oliver Cromwell had been appointed governor of the Isle of Ely, for -his activity in swaying it to the interest of the Parliament, he caused -fortifications to be raised near the Horse-shoe on the north side of -Wisbeach, to secure the passes out of Lincolnshire, which continued -attached to the king. The soldiers stationed to defend them were -commanded by Colonel Sir John Palgrave, and Captain William Dodson; and -the ammunition, and other warlike stores, were supplied from a Dutch -ship, which the Queen had dispatched from Holland for the use of the -royalists, but which, very seasonably and conveniently, fell into the -hands of their opponents. - -In 1643 the burgesses lent 150_l._ to Captain Dodson, who was then -engaged in the siege of Croyland; and on the 25th of March 1644, they -delivered to Major John Ireton four muskets, three bandeliers, and two -swords, for the service of the Parliament. They also furnished the -latter with a loan of 250_l._ towards raising a troop of horse for the -defence of the Isle. This troop seems to have been supported even after -the Revolution, as on the 6th of June, 1690, 4_l._ were ordered to be -paid towards the expence of a horse to serve in “the Troop,” and the -town-bailiff was directed to defray a moiety of the charge for arms and -furniture. - -Between the restoration and the year 1672, cities, towns, and even -individuals, were allowed to coin copper money for the convenience of -trade: the Capital Burgesses of Wisbeach, therefore, in February, 1670, -ordered the town-bailiff to expend 20_l._ in coining halfpence, with the -words “A Wisbeach Half-penny,” on one side; and on the other, the -impression of the town-seal. In 1722, the poor-house was erected, at the -expence of 2000_l._ borrowed for that purpose by the Capital Burgesses, -on their corporation seal:—for being an invisible body, (like other -bodies-corporate) whose intentions cannot be manifested or expressed by -personal acts, or oral discourse, they could act and speak only by their -common seal. {109} - -The frequent journeys made by George II. to Hanover, (whither it was -supposed he transported a large share of the national treasure,) and his -attachment to Lady Kilmarnock, afterwards Countess of Yarmouth, excited -the displeasure of some of the inhabitants of this town; and the Rev. -_Thomas Whiston_, curate to Dr. Bell, preached a sermon full of asperity -against the King’s conduct. His text was from Proverbs vii, 19–22. “The -good man is not at home, he is gone a long journey, he hath taken a bag -of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her -much fair speech she caused him to yield. He goeth after her -straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the -correction of the stocks.” Mr. Whiston seems to have been endued with -that talent which gives its possessor a facility in adapting the language -and circumstances of distant ages to the occurrences of modern times; of -which he gave further proof after the suppression of the rebellion in -1745, and the return of the Pretender into France, when he zealously -defended the succession of the House of Brunswick, taking for his text, 2 -Kings, xix, 33. “By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, -and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord.” {110} One would -suppose this clergyman to have been in his day somewhat of an uncommon -and singular, though not apparently of a disreputable character. He was -evidently a patriot and anti-jacobite; and, unlike most of his order, he -could discern the errors and misdoings of the great, and even testify -against them in a very open and pointed manner. On the prudence and -propriety, or expediency of this part of his conduct, different persons, -no doubt, would entertain different opinions. What he would have -thought, said, or done, had he lived in the present reign, and to this -very time, it is impossible to know. Of royal journeys to Hanover, and -of female favourites, or mistresses of the sovereign, one may presume he -would have seen no cause of complaint. But that the same would have been -the case, as to all our state maxims, and public measures, and especially -our three last wars, is more, perhaps, than we are warranted to conclude; -as it seems rather probable, not to say more than probable, that Mr. -Whiston would have discovered in some, if not in all of them, no slight -cause of disgust and animadversion. How he would have stood affected -toward some of our princes of the blood, or royal dukes, and what texts, -or passages of scripture he would have applied to them, or made the -groundwork of sermons or addresses to his parishioners concerning them, -are questions that cannot now be answered or resolved. - -The river Nene, being navigable from Wisbeach to Peterborough, and many -other more distant inland parts, contributes much to the commercial -importance of the former. There are also passage-boats on this river, -which prove very convenient to travellers, in their progress to, or from -the great north road.—Before we quit Wisbeach it may be here just hinted, -that some of its inhabitants have often been heard loudly congratulating -themselves, on the very superior advantages of their town, compared with -Lynn and most other boroughs, where the corporation spirit is too apt to -encroach and bear hard upon the unprivileged part of the community; but -which, happily, never haunts, molests, or disturbs the people of -Wisbeach. If that be really the case, they have, certainly, cause for -boasting; and we can do no less than hail them on the occasion.—The -population of Wisbeach, as ascertained by the late act, amounts to near -five thousand: so that it is the most populous town in the county, except -Cambridge. - - -SECTION XIII. - - -_Additional account of Marshland—Parkin—Bishop of Ely’s manor_, _in -Terrington—Queen Henrietta—Admiral Bentinck—Cross Keys—Demolishers of the -banks prosecuted and suppressed—High Tides—Destructive -Inundations—Principal divisions of Marshland_. - -Being here to quit Wisbeach, we shall now recross the ditch, {112} and -take another turn in Marshland. In this remarkable District, as has been -already intimated, scarce any edifices are to be seen, either of ancient -or modern date, that are worthy of very particular attention, except the -parish churches; and of them it does not seem necessary to give here any -further description: but it may be just hinted, that next to Walpole -St-Peter’s, already described, the two Terringtons, one of the Tilneys, -West-Walton, and Walsoken, are deemed the most considerable and -remarkable. Some account of them may be found in Parkin’s History of -Freebridge Hundred and half. - -In the same work may also be found a pretty distinct and circumstantial -account of the different manors in this district, one of which belonged -formerly to the Crown, as a royal desmesne, and was repeatedly settled on -some of our queen’s consorts, as part of their jointures.—It lies in -Terrington, and is called the bishop of Ely’s manor, having once belonged -to his great lordship of West-Walton, Wisbeach, &c. It remained in the -See of Ely till the death of bishop _Cox_, in 1581, when it came to the -Crown by an Act of Parliament passed in the 4th of Elizabeth. James I. -granted it with all its appurtenances to his eldest son Henry, and after -his decease, to his other son Charles prince of Wales, on whose marriage -it was settled on his queen, as a part of her jointure; from which, -however, it has been thought not very likely that she ever derived much -benefit. {113} In the reign of Charles II. it was again settled on -Catherine of Lisbon, his consort, as part of her dower or jointure, and -was farmed by Sir James Chapman Fuller, bart. In 1696, William Bentinck, -earl of Portland, had a grant of it from king William. Admiral Bentinck, -a descendant of that family, is the present possessor of it, and of the -greatest part of Terrington.—Somewhere upon this estate of his, is said -to be one of the best spots in the whole country for forming a Decoy.—The -Admiral, within these few years, has added to his possessions here a -large extent of salt marshes, which he has rescued from the sea, and -secured by strong and capital embankments. No part of his valuable -territory here exceeds this newly recovered tract, in point of fertility: -nor is it exceeded, if equalled, by any other part of Marshland: and yet -it has been thought, from the high terms on which he lets it, that he -himself has overrated its value. This point, however, must be left for -him and his tenants to settle as they can. - -In Terrington is that Wash, or passage into Lincolnshire, commonly called -the _Cross Keys_. “Here (says Parkin) is a guide always attending, to -conduct passengers over, bearing a wand or rod in his hand, probably in -imitation of Moses, who had a rod when he conducted the Israelites -through the Red Sea.” {114} A guide certainly does attend; and it seems -he bears a wand; but that he does so in imitation of Moses, was, perhaps, -never supposed by any one before Mr. Parkin.—These guides might very -probably use a wand, or long rod, for the purpose of sounding the depth -of the water, or to discover any unevenness, dangerous holes, or sloughs -at the bottom. - -The Banks erected by the Romans to secure this country, appear to have -been well constructed (as was generally the case with the great works of -that people) and they served probably for ages as effectual bulwarks -against the encroachment of the ocean. In a long course of time, -however, they would naturally fall into decay; and the Saxons, who -succeeded the Romans, being never very remarkable for their attention to -such matters, or their skill in the management of them, it is not to be -wondered that we often hear in aftertimes of breaches in the banks; and -of high tides, or great inland floods deluging and desolating the -country. - -As long ago as the reign of Edward I. we read of certain lawless people -making breaches in the banks, and resisting those who would have stopt -them; upon which the king is said to have appointed certain persons to -inquire into those misdemeanours, and punish the offenders. Afterward, -in the same reign, mischievous persons are said to have thrown down the -bank at _Little-lode_; when a new commission was issued to search after -the offenders and bring them to justice. Another commission was issued -some few years after, when Robert Russel, bailiff to the Abbot of Ramsey, -John Mayner, Walter Halleman and others, were found out as offenders, -having by force of arms, broke down the Dam at _Smalelode_, and Richard -Curteys the other at _Wadynstowe_; and the Sheriff was ordered to -apprehend them. All this seems very plainly to indicate, that, even in -the reign of our boasted _English Justinian_, the state of things in this -country was very different from what it was in that of the immortal -_Alfred_. {116} In the 22, of Henry VIII. an act passed, making it -felony to demolish the sea banks, which seems to have put an effectual -stop to those flagitious proceedings. - -Among the shocking inundations, from which this low country greatly -suffered in former times, the following seem to be the most -remarkable.—In the year 1236, on the morrow after Martinmas-day, and the -eight following days, the sea, by the violence of the wind, was raised to -such a height, that the banks, yielding to the force of the water, were -broken so, that “of small craft, cattle, and men,” great multitudes were -destroyed. A similar calamity happened about nineteen years afterward. -Also in 1437, by a breach in the bank of Wisbeach Fen, 4,400 acres of -land were overflowed. Another of those disastrous events happened on -Monday and Tuesday, the second and third of October, 1570, by which all -Marshland together with the town of Wigenhale, were overflowed with salt -water; so that from Old Lynn to Magdalen-bridge there were not left ten -roods of the bank whole and firm, to the very great damage of the whole -country. How or when that damage was repaired, or the banks restored to -their former state, does not appear; but in the 39th of the same reign -(that of Elizabeth) complaint was made at a Session of Sewers, that -through neglect of keeping the water in at Rightforth Lode within the -crests of the same, the grounds on the north side of the said Lode were, -in time of great inundations, overflown, which occasioned the tenants, -for avoiding the water, to cut the old Powdike, and issue the said water -into Marshland Fen, to the great loss of the inhabitants and commoners -there. It was therefore ordained and decreed, by the commissioners, that -whoever should so transgress in future, should be fined 20_l._ for every -such default. - -After this, on the 1st of April 1607 (5. Jac.) there happened a mighty -tide, which broke Catt’s bank, and drowned Clenchwarton. About 1610, -provision was made for draining the waters of Oldfield, Outwell, &c. -without issuing them through Broken Dike into Marshland, and also for a -general repair of all the banks. How far these measures were carried on, -or effected, cannot now be said; but they proved entirely ineffectual to -secure the country from that dreadful inundation of the sea, which -happened on November 1, 1613 (11 Jac.) and which laid all Marshland and -parts adjacent under water, and proved exceedingly calamitous to the -whole country. In commemoration of this most disastrous event, the -following rather quaint Inscription was set up on the East Wall of the -south aisle in Wisbeach Church— - - “To the immortal praise of God Almighty, that saveth his people in - all adversities, be it kept in perpetual memory, That on the - Feast-Day of _All saints_, being the first of November in the year of - our Lord 1613, late in the night, the sea broke in through the - violence of a North East wind, meeting with a Spring Tide, and - overflowed all _Marshland_, with the town of _Wisbeche_, both on the - north side and on the south; and almost the whole Hundred round - about; to the great danger of men’s lives, and the losse of some; - besides the exceeding great lossc which these counties sustained - through the breach of the banks, and spoil of corn, cattle, and - housing, which could not be estimated.” - -Dugdale in his History of Embanking has preserved— - - “An Abstract of the losses in general (sustained on the above - occasion) as they were presented by the Jurors of several Hundreds at - the Session of Sewers held at Lynn, December 9, 1613.—_Within_ the - Ring of Marshland the statement of the said losses is as - follows—_Terrington_, 10,416_l_; _Walpole_, 3,000_l_; _West-Walton_, - 850_l_; _Walsoken_, 1,328_l_; _Emneth_, 150_l_; _Wigenhale_ and - _South Lynn_, 6,000_l_; _Tilney_ and _Islington_, 4,380_l_; - _Clenchwarton_, 6,000_l_; _West_ and _North Lynn_, 4,000_l_—in all - 35,834_l_.—_Without_ the Ring of Marshland, the damage was far less - considerable, and is given as follows, _Gaywood_, 205_l_; _South - Wotton_, 313_l_; _North Wotton_, 810_l_; _Watlington_, 500_l_; - _Totnel_ cum _Wormegay_, 60_l_; _Holm_ cum _Thorpland_, 40_l_; _Stow - Bardolf_, 100_l_: in all 2,028_l_; which added to the former account - will amount to no less a sum than 37,862_l_.”—A sum equal, perhaps, - to near half a million of our money. - -The damages at or about Wisbeach, and _out of Norfolk_, are not included -in the above abstract; though they must, doubtless, have been very -considerable, and probably not much less than the former: the whole -together must, of course, have been enormous, and equal to many hundred -thousand pounds of our money. - -In the months of January and February, and particularly on the 23rd of -March in the ensuing year (1614,) the country sustained much additional -damage from the snows that had fallen, and which had occasioned vast -floods from the upland countries upon their going off. A great part of -Marshland, from the bank called the Edge, between the towns and Emneth, -to the New Podike, was overflowed with fresh water, by divers breaches, -between Salter’s Lode and Downham Bridge. The country to the south of -Wisbeach also suffered greatly on the occasion; as did likewise the -greater part of the land within South Eaubrink in Holland, which was so -overflowed and damaged, from Spalding to Tydd St. Giles, as to be almost -entirely lost for that year.—From these premises it evidently appears, -that the boasted fertility, and numerous advantages of Marshland and the -adjacent parts have often been woefully counterbalanced by disadvantages -and evils of a most serious and distressing nature; so as to leave the -inhabitants but very little room to exult over their less wealthy -countrymen, whose lot is fallen in the more sterile and rugged parts of -the kingdom. - -Before we finish this Section, it may be proper to say something of the -principal divisions of Marshland, and its extent, which we often find -differently represented. In its fullest extent, or _within its ring_, as -it is sometimes expressed, Marshland comprehends the following parishes, -(with the exception of part of that of St. German’s, which lies on the -eastern side of the river Ouse.)—1. Emneth. 2. Walsoken. 3. West -Walton. 4. Walpole St Andrew’s. 5. Walpole St Peter’s. 6. Terrington -St Clement’s. 7. Terrington St John’s. 8. Clenchwarton. 9. North Lynn. -10. West Lynn. 11. Tilney All Saints. 12. Tilney St. Lawrence. 13. -Islington cum Tilney. 14. Wigenhale St. Mary’s. 15. Wigenhale St. -German’s. 16. Wigenhale St. Mary Magdalen.—In another view, as a -privileged district, and, particularly, as interested in the _Smeeth_, -Marshland has been considered as much less extensive, comprehending only -eleven parishes, or rather confined to _seven towns_, or townships: and -then N. and W. Lynn, with the three Wigenhales are excluded. These -townships; or the seven towns of Marshland, as they are usually called, -are thus enumerated—1. Emneth. 2. Walsoken. 3. West Walton. 4. The two -Walpoles, both under one. 5. The two Terringtons, both under one. 6. -Clenchwarton. 7. The two Tilneys and Islington, all under one, or -constituting one township.—At what time this division of the district -into seven townships took place, does not appear. It was, probably, at a -remote period, and before the formation of the eleven parishes, which -these townships now contain. It may, perhaps not unreasonably be -presumed to have originated under the East-Anglian government, at an -early period of the Heptarchy:—if not, indeed, even before either the -Heptarchy, or yet the East-Anglian government had ever sprung into -existence. - - -SECTION XIV. - - -_Biographical Sketches of some of the most distinguished personages of -other times_, _in Marshland and its vicinity_. - -Of celebrated characters, or men who attained to high renown among their -contemporaries, but a very moderate number appears to belong to Marshland -or its vicinity. Some such, however, seem to have sprung up there, at -different periods, within the last thousand years: and of them, whose -names have been preserved, the first place, at least in point of -seniority, seems to belong to - -1. HICKIFRIC, vulgarly called _Tom Hickatrif_ or _Hickathrift_. He is -supposed to have lived some time before the conquest, and to have been in -his day and generation, - - “A village Hampden, that with dauntless breast - The little tyrants of his fields withstood.” - -He has been represented as the proprietor of the _Smeeth_; though he -might, perhaps, be only entitled to the benefit of pasturage there, in -common with the rest of his neighbours. Be that as it might, it is -agreed on all hands that he was a person of uncommon strength, gigantic -stature, and unshaken fortitude. Very different from most other men of -might, it does not appear that he was ever accused of oppressing his -weaker neighbours, insulting their persons, or committing depredations -upon their property. His superior powers and valour were called forth -and employed only in defence of his own just right and property, and -those of his oppressed fellow-citizens. Tradition informs us of a -certain unwarrantable and base attempt being once made, by some lawless -and powerful men, to encroach upon the neighbouring inhabitants, and -dispossess them of their right to the _Smeeth_; or, at least, to deprive -them of some part of that fertile tract; and which was to be effected by -force of arms, as the inhabitants seemed determined to make resistance, -and not tamely to part with, or give up their rights. An engagement -accordingly ensued, which terminated in the total discomfiture of the -invaders, and the consequent reinstatement of the inhabitants in the -quiet possession of their wonted privileges. The victory was universally -ascribed to the singular prowess and irresistible exertions of Hickifric, -who fought that day, as the tradition says, with a cart-wheel in one -hand, instead of a buckler or shield, and an axletree in the other, -instead of a spear or battle-ax. In short he is said to have acquitted -himself on that memorable occasion, so as to establish his character, and -hand it down to posterity, as, at once, the firm patriot, and redoubtable -champion. A stone coffin, in Tilney churchyard, is shewn to this day as -having once belonged to him. But this, perhaps, may be questioned, as -may also some of the circumstances of the above story, though the -substance of it may be true: the affair of the _wheel_ and _axletree_, -for instance, like many other vulgar traditions, may be only -hyperbolically and not literally true; and implying no more than, that be -furnished himself for the said conflict with certain rustic, ponderous -and unusual weapons; which blind tradition and stupid credulity -afterwards converted into a cartwheel and an axletree. - -2. _Saint_ GODRIC. He is said to have been a native of _Walpole_, and -to have originally followed the humble occupation or profession of a -_Pedler_. He afterwards went on pilgrimage to Rome, and even to -Jerusalem; but whether he relinquished his former profession before he -set off, or took his pedlery along with him, does not appear. Some of -the pilgrims of those times, it is said, used to engage, clandestinely, -in certain pedling, mercantile, or commercial adventures, and to find -their account in so doing, as the garb, or profession of pilgrims -exempted them from the tolls or duties imposed upon mere pedlers, or -merchants. Whether that was the case with our Godric, or not, he -acquired the character of a _Saint_, and was _canonized_; which yet with -some people will make no very great deal in his favour. In the latter -part of his life he became a _hermit_, and lived sometime at _Finchale_ -near Durham, where he is said to have worn out no less than three -successive suits of _iron_ clothes, {123} which, with many, would be an -indubitable proof that his sanctity must have been far superior to that -of the wearers of _flannel_, _coarse woollen_, or even _haircloth_; by -which kind of dresses numbers of his brethren chose to distinguish -themselves. Godric died in 1170. Many miracles, of course, are ascribed -to him; and his _girdle_ that he left, was said to have in it such -uncommon and wonderful virtue, as to make barren women fruitful.—After -all, it seems not quite clear, or certain, that he was a better man, or -worthier character than Hickifric. - -3. _Sir_ FREDERIC TILNEY. He was one of the attendants and Captains of -_Richard_ I, in his memorable expedition to the Holy Land, and was -knighted by that monarch, in his third year, at _Acon_ or _Acre_, -otherwise Ptolemais—[a place rendered very famous during the Crusades; -especially by the heroic achievements of the lion-hearted Richard and his -followers; and no less so of late years, by its obstinate and successful -defence against the arms and repeated assaults of Bonaparte.]—Sir -Frederic Tilney was distinguished for his great stature and vast bodily -strength; being, perhaps, a descendant of Hickifric. He survived the -expedition to Palestine, and returned safe to his native country, where -he ended his days in peace, and was buried with his ancestors at -Terrington, _by Tilney_; that is, at _St. John’s_, as it is supposed; -where we are told his height was to be seen as late as 1556.—Sixteen -knights of the same name (and supposed to be his descendants) succeeded -him, most, if not all of whom lived at Boston. - -4. RICHARD DE TYRINGTON. He is said to have been one of the great -favourites of _King John_, who granted him, for his life, an annuity of -twenty marks. Little more is known of him. But as a king’s favourite, -he must have been a noted man in his day. That king had many favourites, -it seems, in and about Lynn. No part of his kingdom seemed to be more, -if so much attached to him. His favourites and adherents, and this -Richard of Terrington among the rest, may be presumed to be much of the -same cast with their royal, patron, and therefore the less said about -them is best. - -5. _Sir_ FREDERICK CHERVILL, or _Chervile_, otherwise _Kervile_. He -lived in the reign of Henry III. and had considerable possessions in -Tilney, Islington, Wigenhale, and Clenchwarton. He was found, in the -thirty-fourth year of that king, to have a _Gallows_ in Tilney, and the -liberty or power of trying and hanging offenders; by which it appears, -that he was in his time a person of no small consequence and dignity in -this country. He lived at the time when the Ouse deserted its ancient -course or channel by Wisbeach, and mixed with the waters of Wigenhale and -of Lynn. Of the qualities of his heart, or his particular deeds, good or -bad, no memorial now remains.—The seat of the Kerviles, for many -successive generations, was the manor-house of Wigenhale St. Mary’s, of -which only the gate-house now remains, and is visible from the Wisbeach -road. Its appearance seems to indicate that the mansion formerly -attached to it was in its day a sumptuous edifice; and for no short -period, perhaps, the first house in all Marshland. - -6. JOHN COLTON: a native of Terrington, chaplain to _W. Bateman_, bishop -of Norwich, and the first master of _Gonvil-Hall_ in Cambridge. -Afterward, on account of his great learning and piety, (as it is said) -Henry IV. advanced him to the archbishopric of Armagh, and primacy of -Ireland. While in that high station he was sent to Rome, and employed in -the affair of the schism between Urban VI. and Clement VII. which -occasioned his writing a learned treatise (as Fuller says) _De causa -Schismatis_; and also another _De remedio __ejusd_. He is supposed to -have resigned his archbishopric some time before his death, which -happened, it seems, in 1404. It does not appear that he was one of the -worst men of his order. - -7. WALTER TIRRINGTON, LL.D. a celebrated writer and author, is said to -have been another native of Terrington. At what time he flourished, is -rather uncertain; though it seems not improbable, that he was -contemporary with _Colton_. Nor is it now known what these writings were -which made him so celebrated as an author. Whatever they were, and they -might be highly valuable in their time, they seem to have been long ago -swallowed up in the dark devouring abyss or gulph of oblivion; and from -which the very name of their author has hardly escaped. - -8. JOHN AYLMER: born at Aylmer-Hall in Tilney, about 1521. When very -young, Henry Grey, Marquis of Dorset, afterward Duke of Suffolk, took a -great liking to him, entertained him as his scholar, and gave him an -exhibition at Cambridge, where his proficiency was so considerable, that -he was afterward deemed one of the best scholars of his time. {126} From -the University his noble patron took him to his family, and made him -tutor to his children, among whom was the memorable _Lady Jane Grey_. He -early imbibed the opinion of the reformers, and was very instrumental, -under the patronage of the Duke of Suffolk, and the Earl of Huntingdon, -in diffusing the same about Leicestershire, (in which bounty was the -Duke’s chief seat and residence,) where he seems to have had some -preferment, and to have been tor sometime the only preacher of that -description. In time he was promoted to the archdeaconry of _Stow_, in -the diocese of Lincoln, which qualified him to sit in Convocation, the -first year of the reign of Mary, where he defended protestantism with so -much zeal, learning, and acuteness, that he was soon after deprived of -his archdeaconry, and obliged to abscond and quit the kingdom, to avoid -the approaching storm. After he had embarked he was in no small danger -from the searchers, who came onboard, in quest of fugitives; but he -happily escaped, partly through his own diminutive size, (being of small -stature like _Zaccheus_,) and partly through the friendship of the -Captain, who placed him in the empty end of a wine _butt_, that had a -partition in the middle, where he sat very snugly, while the searchers -were drinking wine, which they saw drawn out of the other end. He was -sometime after landed on the continent, and got safe to Strasburgh, -whence he shortly after removed to Zurich, where he diligently prosecuted -his studies, and attended the Lectures of Peter Martyr. He afterwards -visited most of the universities of Italy and Germany, and at _Jena_, in -Saxony, he had the offer of the Hebrew Professorship, which he declined. -After the accession of Elizabeth he returned home, and was one of the -divines appointed to dispute at Westminster with an equal number of -popish bishops. He sometime after was made archdeacon of Lincoln; but -got no higher for a long while. At last, upon the translation of Sandys -to York, he was appointed his successor in the see of London. This -elevation he is said to have owed, in a great measure, to the interest -and friendship of that prelate, but which he afterward very ill requited. -He now forgot his former affection to the puritans, and became a bitter -persecutor. On Sunday afternoons he was fond of playing at bowls, and -would use such language at this game as justly exposed him to reproach. -When he happened to preach, if he observed his audience inattentive, he -would take a Hebrew bible out of his pocket, and read them a few verses, -and then resume his discourse. {128a} He was a man of great courage, -which he shewed on many occasions; one of which was his having a tooth -drawn, to encourage the queen to submit to the like operation. _Strype_ -says, he was a man of metal, and could use his hands and arms well, -{128b} and would turn his back on no man. _Fuller_ says, he was foully -belibelled by the puritans; but does not say how much provocation he had -given them for so doing. He died at his Palace of Fulham, June 3. 1594. - -9. _Sir_ ROBERT AYLMER, elder brother of the preceding, appears to have -been a person of some note in his time, and resided chiefly, as it is -supposed, at Aylmer Hall, above-mentioned; but as the particulars of his -history have not been recorded, and seem to be now entirely forgotten, no -more can be here said of him. - -10. THOMAS HERRING. He was the Son of the reverend _John Herring_, -rector of Walsoken, where he was born in 1693. At a proper time he was -sent to Cambridge, and in 1722, became chaplain to Dr. Fleetwood, bishop -of Ely. In 1726 he was chosen preacher of Lincoln’s Inn, and appointed -king’s chaplain; in 1737 he was made bishop of Bangor, and in 1743 was -translated to York. When the rebellion broke out, and the king’s troops -were defeated at Preston Pans, the archbishop convened the nobility, -gentry, and clergy of his diocese, and by an excellent speech removed the -general panic, and excited such zeal among his auditors, that a -subscription to the amount of 40,000_l._ was raised; and the example was -followed in most parts of the kingdom. On the death of Dr. _Potter_, in -1747, he was advanced to Canterbury, and so attained to the very summit -of ecclesiastical preferment and dignity; but his health very soon began -to impair, and after languishing about four years, he died, in 1757, -leaving behind him a very amiable and excellent character, in spite of -the many disadvantages of his elevated situation, and his long course of -worldly prosperity. He appears to have been a real and warm friend to -civil and religious liberty, as well as one of the best and worthiest men -of the age in which he lived. - -11. Dr. RICHARD BUSBY. He was not indeed born in Marshland, but close -by, at Lutton in Lincolnshire, in 1606. He had his education at -Westminster school, and afterward at Christ-Church, in Oxford. In 1640, -he was appointed master of Westminster school, and by his skill and -diligence in that laborious and important office, for the space of fifty -five years, bred up the greatest number of eminent men, in church and -state that any teacher or tutor could boast of in this, or perhaps in any -other country. In his school discipline, he was extremely and -proverbially severe, though he applauded and rewarded wit in his -scholars, even when it reflected on himself. After a long life of -unwearied assiduity and temperance, he died, in 1695, at the age of 89. - -Here it may not be improper to add, that the noble families of the -_Howards_ and the _Walpoles_ appear to have originated in Marshland.—The -ancestors of the former, sometime after the conquest, bore the name of -_Wigenhale_, or _de Wigenhale_, from that being their place of residence, -and where they had their most considerable possessions. In the 12th -century lived a notable person of this family, whose name was Sir William -de Wigenhale, and who, it seems, went sometimes under the name of William -de Clenchwarton, from his having large possessions in that parish. John, -the Son of this William, in the 13th century, took the surname of -_Howard_, (on what account does not appear,) and his descendants have -borne that name ever since. William, the son of this John Howard, became -one of the most eminent lawyers and distinguished characters of his time, -being Lord Chief Justice of England, in the reign of Edward I. and one of -that King’s privy Council. He owned the manor of East Winch, and the -manor-house there appears to have been his principal seat, and where the -family chiefly resided for some generations. In the chapel of St. -Mary’s, on the south side of East Winch church, supposed to have been -built by him, he and many of his earlier descendants are said to have -been buried. The Howard family continued to reside at East Winch till -towards the close of the 14th Century, and perhaps longer. Sir William’s -great grandson, Sir Robert Howard, lived there, and there, it seems, he -died and was buried, in 1388.—Sir William Howard rendered much good -service, of some sort, to the corporation of Lynn, of which that body was -not insensible, as appears by divers presents, which he and his lady -received in return;—such as the carcase of an ox, one time, to lady -Howard, which, with the conveying of it to Winch, cost _eleven -shillings_, a sum equal, no doubt, to many pounds of our money. Another -time a present of wine, together with two calves, and a collar, or shield -of brawn, were sent as a present to Sir William, and valued at _thirteen -shillings_. Another time, two salmons were sent to Sir William, on the -vigil of Easter, valued at _eleven shillings_; {131} which, compared with -the value of the other articles, seems to indicate, that salmon was a -very great rarity at that period.—Such was the origin of the far-famed -House of Howard, which has been long since divided into so many noble -branches, and makes so conspicuous a figure in the British Annals, and -whose chief is now, and has long been the first peer of the realm. - -As to the _Walpole family_, it appears to be no less ancient than that of -the Howards, although it did not rise so soon to very great eminence. -Like the Howards, or rather the _Wigenhales_, it first appeared among the -opulent Marshland families, not long after the conquest; but whether -either of these families is of Saxon, Danish, or Norman descent, does not -appear. The Walpole family took its name from the town of Walpole in -Marshland, where the forefathers of the family resided, and had large -possessions. Reginald de Walpole, who lived in the reign of Henry I. is -thought the lineal ancestor of the present family. His son, Richard de -Walpole, married Emma the daughter of Walter de Havelton (or de Houghton) -of Houghton, in Norfolk. From that time, the family, or the principal -branch of it, fixed its residence at Houghton, where it has continued -almost ever since. Sir John Walpole, knight, was a favourite of Henry -III. whom he accompanied in his expedition to Britany. His son, Sir -Henry de Walpole, was a Judge, about the 50th year of the same king’s -reign. Another of the family, Ralph de Walpole, was about the same time -bishop of Ely, and afterward of Norwich. {132} Some of the family, at -different times, long after the removal of one branch to Houghton, appear -to reside at Walpole; and in the reign of Henry VII. we find the owner of -Houghton residing at Lynn, as appears by his Will, where he is called -Thomas Walpole, Esquire, of Lynne Bishop. In that Will, among other -things, he leaves certain lands and tenements at Walpole, “to the -brodirhode of the Holy Trinity at Lynne Bishop, to the intent the -Alderman and Skyvens of the said Gylde shall find and pay yerly eight -marks to the wages of an abil prest to synge mess perpetually for his -sowl, and the sowl of Jone his wife, in the chapel of our Lady, in the -chapel of St. Nicholas in Lynne.”—For many ages the Walpoles made no mean -figure among the Norfolk gentry; but none of them appear to have been -advanced to the peerage till the eighteenth century; since which time, -they have ranked among the principal nobility of the kingdom. But of the -whole race, from first to last, the most distinguished and memorable -character was the famous Sir Robert Walpole, prime minister to our two -first sovereigns, of the present dynasty, and afterward created Earl of -Orford; of whom some account will be given in the next chapter, section -IV. - -Here it may be added, that the family of the _Coneys_ has also, for some -ages, figured among the principal inhabitants of Marshland. They seem -however, to have been originally of Lynn, and to have ranked, at a pretty -distant period, among the principal people of that town. Some of their -modern descendants are said to have prided themselves, not a little, on -the score of their remote ancestry, but as the remarkable, or memorable -part of the history of those remote ancestors of the family, or even the -very names of more than one of them, {134} have not yet come to the -knowledge of the present writer; it cannot be expected that he should say -any more here about them.—The pride of ancestry, or the plea of being -descended from renowned progenitors, is often very idle and childish, -especially when none of the eminent or estimable traits which -distinguished and characterized those progenitors are discoverable in -their descendants. - - - -CHAP. III. - - -Of the parts about Lynn, on the eastern side of the Ouse. - - -SECTION I. - - -_Aspect of the country—its agriculture and rural economy—Wayland -Wood—Memoir of Shuckforth—parish churches and other edifices_, _ancient -and modern_. - -After passing from Marshland to the eastern side of the Ouse, the country -presently begins to exhibit a very different appearance. The surface now -ceases to be flat and even as before, and the very soil appears -considerably altered and diversified. A light sandy soil soon presents -itself, and the land becomes higher and comparatively hilly, as well as -in general much less fertile and productive than in Marshland. The -style, or mode and process of agriculture also differs considerably, as -do likewise even the very implements of husbandry. There are certainly -some slovenly farmers on this eastern side, but there are many others who -manage their farms in a manner greatly superior to what is generally done -on the other side of the river. Indeed the comparative poorness of the -soil here may operate in no small degree as a spur to superior exertion -and improvement. Where the land is poor nature requires the greater -attention and assistance; and without skilful, laborious, and expensive -management the cultivator cannot expect to thrive. Those farmers who -have distinguished themselves, by a close attention to the pursuit of -wise projects of agricultural improvement, have found their account -abundantly in so doing. They have generally attained to considerable -opulence, so as to be able to exhibit the appearance of wealthy -independent country gentleman, instead of a servile, cringing yeomanry or -tenantry. Not a few of them are supposed to live as well as their -landlords: but the conduct of some of them towards the _poor_ has been -thought cruel and tyrannical. - -Dairies are said to be here rather neglected, and the farmers’ attention -chiefly directed to tillage and the growing of corn. The _cheese_ is for -the most part very ordinary and poor, and the _butter_ not excellent.—No -part of England exceeds Norfolk, or even equals it, in the culture of -_turnips_, for which its loose, light, and sandy soil is thought to be -very favourable. Much dependence is here placed on the turnip crop, for -subsisting the sheep and cattle during the winter season; and if it fail, -or is materially injured by early frosts, or other means, the complaints -become loud, and the consequences often prove serious and distressing. - -The turnip was only cultivated in gardens, as a culinary plant in this -country till the reign of George I. when Lord Townshend, an ancestor of -the present marquis, who had attended the king to Hanover, as secretary -of state, observing the profit and utility of the field cultivation of -turnips in that electorate, on his return brought with him the seed and -recommended it to his tenants who occupied land of a similar quality to -that of Hanover. The experiment succeeded adequate to expectation: the -practice gradually spread over the county, and made its way into other -parts of the kingdom. This important root, the great source of abundance -to the county, has been gradually rising to its present state, for -upwards of seventy years—A good acre of turnips in Norfolk will produce -between thirty and forty cart-loads, as heavy as three horses can draw; -and an acre will fat a Scotch bullock from forty to fifty stone, or eight -sheep. But the advantage of this crop does not end here, for it -generally leaves the land so clean and in such fine condition, that it -almost insures a good crop of barley, and a kind plant of clover; and the -clover is a most excellent preparative for wheat, so that in the -subsequent advantages the value of the turnip can hardly be estimated. -It has however been observed, that the cultivation of this root has -reached its acme; and that at present, from some latent causes, it is on -the decline: for recently more seed is become necessary, and the crop is -said to be more precarious. Some have attributed it to the want of -deeper ploughing, and instances have been adduced of the extraordinary -depth to which turnips, and even _wheat_ will radicate. This however has -been thought insufficient to affix the cause of failure to shallow -ploughing. {137} - -Among our enlightened agriculturists the first place in generally -allotted to those of Norfolk; and it has been observed, that the first -thing that attracts the eye of a stranger here, is the fine _tilth_ of -the soil, and the _succession_ of crops. The mode of cultivating the -arable lands is worthy, no doubt, of imitation, wherever it can be -adopted. The plough, which is of an admirable construction, is drawn by -two horses harnessed abreast, which with a pair of reins are guided by -the person who holds the plough. Instead of working the animals seven or -eight hours without drawing bit, as is the custom in some counties, they -are here worked eight hours in winter, and ten in Summer, by two -journeys, as they are termed, which enables them to do considerably more -than they would by one journey. The ploughings are repeated till the -land is high in tilth, when it is completely pulverized with _wheeled_ -drags and harrows, which are violently drawn by the horses being kept -upon a _trotting_ pace. Owing to this rapid movement, the clods are very -effectually broken, and the land well prepared to receive the seed. -After this is sown or planted, the utmost attention is paid to keep the -land free from weeds. The ridiculous custom of letting the land lie -_idle_ one year in every three, for the advantage of what is termed -_fallowing_, is here properly exploded. The necessity of it has been -superceded, and the reasons of it done away, by a judicious course of -_cropping_; so that one crop may fertilise as the other exhausts; and in -this manner are the lands cultivated like gardens, yielding various crops -in perpetual succession, to the mutual benefit of the landlord and -tenant; and of general utility to the public. - -The mode of cropping in general practice is what is termed a _sixcourse -shift_—the first year wheat; second, barley, with or without clover; -third, turnips; fourth, barley or oates, with or without clover; fifth, -clover mown for hay; sixth, grazed and ploughed up for wheat again. Some -vary this mode by a five or a four course shift. Wheat is a general crop -over the whole county, but thrives best on the stiff loamy lands. The -lighter soils are favourable to barley, vast quantities of which are -raised, malted, and in that state sent out of the county. Both wheat and -barley are principally either drilled, for which several kinds of -ingeniously-contrived _barrow-drills_ are used, or else planted with the -hand by women and children, called _dibbling_. The latter is among the -agricultural improvements that have originated in this county: it is very -generally practised, and its superiority, in several respects, or -circumstances, over the other methods has been generally admitted. The -quantities produced, according to the seed sown, are very unequal in -different parts of the county. Lands, in the hundred of Flegg and -Marshland, usually bear six quarters of wheat per acre, and ten of oats; -but in the very light soils, the farmer is glad to obtain two quarters of -oats, and three of barley. The average crops of the whole county may be -stated at three quarters of wheat, and four of barley, and other articles -in proportion, per-acre. {139} Oats are mostly sown only as a shifting -crop, and seldom more is raised than what are consumed within the county. -Other crops are rye, buck wheat, peas, beans, vetches or tares, coleseed, -clovers, rye and other artificial grasses; burnet; cocksfoot, chickary, -cabbages, mangel wurzel, luzerne, carrots, and potatoes. The latter, -though so valuable a root, and in other parts used as a preparatory crop -for wheat, has not lately been adopted as a field course in Norfolk. -{140a} _Flax_ and _hemp_, and even _mustard_ and _saffron_ are grown in -some parts about Marshland and the Fens.—Improved implements and -machines, to facilitate the operations of husbandry, are here in the -greatest variety and perfection. _Threshing machines_ are become general -throughout the county, as are also _drills_ of all kinds; but a -_drill-roller_ has been supposed to be peculiar to Norfolk. It is a -large cast-iron cylinder, with projecting rings round it, at about ten -inches distance from each other. This being drawn over the ploughed land -makes indentations, and the seed sown _broad-cast_ chiefly falls into the -drills, and is thus regularly and better deposited than in the common -mode of sowing.—Among _wheel-carriages_ the non descript one called a -_wizzard_, or _hermaphrodite_, is curious and remarkable; it is the -common cart, to which in harvest, or in pressing circumstances, a couple -of temporary forewheels are placed under the shafts, and two oblique -ladders to the frame, by which it is made to answer the purpose of a -waggon: in little farms, it is an object of no small utility, and in -large ones a great help in a busy season. {140b} - -The fat cattle of these parts, except those sold at home to the butchers, -are commonly sent up to London, and sold in Smithfield Market, by the -authorized and sworn salesmen of that place, who regularly remit the -money afterwards to the respective owners, to their entire satisfaction; -for no murmurs against these salesmen, or reflections unfavourable to -their integrity are ever heard. One man, commonly called _a drover_, -generally takes charge of the disposable cattle of a whole district, and -among them sometimes very fierce beasts, that would prove unmanageable to -most other people, but which he contrives to drive along with tolerable -ease, assisted only by a trusty and well-trained _dog_, his sagacious and -constant companion. - -The country eastward of Lynn, towards Westacre and Swaffham, soon becomes -more and more elevated and hilly: the soil also, in many places, is of a -very inferior sort—and so light, loose, and sandy, as to be easily, in -its ploughed state, drifted by the wind; for which the _marl_, that -abounds about those parts, is the very best manure, and almost the only -effectual remedy; and it is generally nigh at hand; often but a few feet -beneath the surface, and under the very soil that wants it. It is -usually laid on very thick, and seldom disappoints the farmer’s wish or -expectation, unless the soil be so incurably sterile as not to admit the -marl’s incorporating with it. Wonderful effects have often been produced -by this marling, upon lands that many would have deemed of invincible -sterility. - -Not far from the last mentioned town of Swaffham, between Watton and -Merton, is a place called _Wayland Wood_, which gives name to the Hundred -in which it lies. It is commonly called _Wailing Wood_, and tradition -has marked it out as the scene of the pitiable, miserable, and horrid -catastrophe recorded and commemorated in the old and well-known ballad of -“The Children in the Wood; or the Norfolk Gentleman’s last will and -testament.” The origin of the tradition, or the time when that shocking -event happened, cannot now, it seems, be ascertained. Even Blomefield, -with all his antiquarian sagacity, and extensive means of information, -was not able to find it out. It was probably the occurrence of a very -distant period: but that it really did happen, the ballad and the -tradition may be considered as very sufficient proofs; and the latter -renders it very probable, or rather more than probable, that Wayland, or -Wailing Wood was the very theatre of its perpetration. Of the untimely -and tragical ends of helpless and friendless orphans, by the procurement -of unprincipled, unfeeling, and cruel relations, who were heirs to their -possessions, the history of rude and barbarous ages furnish but too many -and very shocking examples; and it is devoutly to be wished that nothing -of the kind, or nothing equally inhuman and shocking, could be said of -the history of what are usually called civilized and enlightened times. - -At Saham Tony, not far from Watton and Wayland Wood, lived in the last -century a remarkable person of the name of _Shuckforth_. He was a -gentleman of good property, and resided there on his own estate. On some -occasion, unknown to the present writer, he retired from the world many -years before he died, and gave himself up to reading and meditation, and -to the practice of piety and charity. His religion appeared to be of -that cast that is usually and assumingly denominated orthodox and -evangelical, with no slight tincture of credulity, superstition, and -fanaticism. These, however, as his life was otherwise so inoffensive and -fruitful of good works, lost in him a great part of their deformity. His -oddities and eccentricities induced many of his neighbours, of the higher -orders, to impute to him a strong twist of insanity; while a great part -of their own conduct would have gone, perhaps, quite as far in supporting -a similar imputation against themselves. A course of life so singular, -unfashionable, and unadmired, as that which he chose and pursued, might -excite in many no small degree of surprize and disgust, but it ought not -to be taken as a proof of mental derangement. It was probably the result -of the sober exercise of his private judgement, and of a full conviction -that there was no other course in which he could so well serve God and -his fellow creatures, or promote his own present and future happiness. -He was seldom seen for many of his latter years, except by a few -domestics, one of whom was a constant attendant, and employed to read to -him, after his own eyesight had failed. He is also supposed to have been -the chief agent to distribute his charities, in the mean time, among the -neighbouring poor and indigent. Close to his house he had a lime-kiln -erected, from an idea that the smell, or effluvia of burning lime -conduced to health and longevity. Thus he passed his time, in innocent -and useful retirement, during a great part of a very long life. May his -opulent survivors imitate his benevolence and charitable actions, -whatever they may think of his peculiarities. He died in 1781, in his -91st. year, and was buried in one of his own fields, in a spot which he -had fixed upon, and enclosed for that purpose, near twenty years before; -and where he had erected a tomb, or a kind of mausoleum, with a long -inscription on each of its four sides, or on four different stones. The -inscriptions, as to the style and substance of them, have no great merit. -They possess no elegance; and may be very truly said to be far more -fanciful than judicious. But of the writer’s good intention, no doubt -ought to be entertained. As he had in his lifetime distinguished himself -by numerous acts of benevolence, so at his death; and by his will, he -left divers charitable donations to the poor of Saham and the -neighbouring parishes. Thus did he, in life and in death, remember the -poor, and maintain the character of the poor man’s friend. The blessing -of the poor, and of those who were ready to perish he doubtless obtained, -and even the blessing and approbation of Him who is the common parent, -benefactor, and righteous judge of the rich as well as the poor, the -creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe. - -The parish churches on this side the Ouse, for the most part, make but a -mean appearance, compared with those of Marshland and Holland. Here are, -however, and always have been other edifices greatly superior to anything -of the kind found in those districts: that is, the sumptuous mansions and -palaces, for which this county has been long remarkable, and not -inferior, perhaps, to any part of the kingdom. Of these, the most -distinguished, in former times, were, _Rising Castle_, once a royal -palace, and the residence, for many years, of queen _Isabel_, the relict -of Edward II; _Gaywode Castle_, the principal mansion, for some ages, of -the bishops of Norwich, and one of the best houses, in the meantime, if -not the very best, in the whole county; _Middleton Castle_, the seat of -Lord Scales; _Wormegay Castle_, the seat of lord Bardolf; _Castleacre_, -the seat of Earl Warren; and _Hunstanton Hall_, the seat of the -Lestranges. - -Among the modern mansions, or palaces, in these parts, the most -distinguished is that of Lord Cholmondeley, at _Houghton_, built by the -famous Sir Robert Walpole; that of Thomas William Coke Esq. at _Holkham_; -and that of Lord Townshend, at _Rainham_. Besides these, there are many -others worthy of notice; such as that of Mr. Henley, at _Sandringham_; -that of Mr. Styleman, at _Snettisham_; that of Mr. Rolfe, at _Hitcham_; -that of Mr. Coldham, at _Anmer_; that of Sir Martin Browne Folkes, at -_Hillington_; that of Mr. Hamond, at _Westacre_; that of Mr. Fountaine, -at _Narford_; that of Mr. Tyssen, at _Narborough_; that of Sir Richard -Bedingfield, at _Oxborough_; that of Mr. Pratt, at _Ruston_; that of Mr. -Hare, at _Stowe_; that of Mr. Bell, at _Wallington_; and that of Mr. -Plestow, at _Watlington_; to which several others might be added; but -most, if not all of them, are of inferior consideration. - - -SECTION II. - - -_A further Account of the Castles_, _edifices_, _and places of ancient -note_, _in these -parts—Brancaster—Rising—Garwood—Middleton—Wormegay—Castle-acre_, _&c._ - -RISING, or, as it is commonly called, _Castle-Rising_, is generally -considered as the most ancient of all places in this vicinity, except -Brancaster, {146} with which it might originally have some connection. -It is supposed to have existed in the time of the Romans, as one of their -military posts, or inferior stations, which Spelman thought not -improbable, from its situation, and the coins there discovered. But it -seems by no means clear, or certain, that it is a place of so much -greater antiquity than Lynn, as is generally supposed. As a borough, it -may, and seems to be the most ancient of the two; but that its origin, as -a town, was much, if at all, anterior to that of Lynn, is not so very -probable or indubitable as most people have imagined. That it is a place -of great antiquity, must however be allowed, as well as that it was -formerly of far greater extent, population, and consequence, than it is -at present, and than it has been for several ages; otherwise it could, -surely, never have acquired the rank of a corporate town, with distinct -municipal laws, chartered rights, and the privilege of sending members to -parliament—even as many as the county itself: which must always have been -absurd enough, but especially at this time, when it is actually one of -the most inconsiderable villages within the whole county. It is said to -have been formerly a noted sea-port; but the silt and sand, choking up -its harbour, have long deprived it of that advantage. To that cause the -decay of the town is, probably, to be ascribed. Spelman says, that -Rising is a burgh of such high antiquity, that the royal archives and -records give no account of it. But may it not be questioned, if his -premises will really warrant his conclusion? or, if the silence of the -archives and records amounts to a proof of its high antiquity, as a -burgh? Might not that silence be owing to some other cause? and may it -not be concluded, that the origin of some burghs, of which those archives -and records give an account, is yet more ancient than that of Rising? - -In its better times, Rising had two weekly markets, Mondays and -Thursdays; and also a fair, or free mart, for fifteen days, from the -feast of St. Matthew. But they have been long discontinued, and it is -doubtful, if any one now can tell when that happened. Rising has now -neither market nor fair, except a paltry, peddling merrimake, on or about -Mayday; the miserable remnant, probably, of the fifteen days mart. -Formerly the town was governed by a mayor, recorder, twelve aldermen, a -speaker of the commons, and fifty (some say seventy) burgesses. At -present the Corporation consists of two aldermen, who alternately serve -the office of mayor, and return two members to parliament, the mayor -being the returning officer. The burgage tenures are the property of Mr -Howard, and Lord Cholmondeley; and though five or six names generally -appear upon the poll, at an election for members of parliament, it is -said to be very doubtful, whether there is a single _legal voter_ -belonging to the burgh, except the rector. {148} The arms are a _Castle -triple towered_. We are told that this burgh first sent members to -parliament in 1558. - -The Church of Rising is an ancient pile, dedicated to St Lawrence, and -built in the conventual form, with a tower between the body of it and the -chancel, which last is now in ruins; the walls only of part of it being -standing; also a south cross aisle, joining to the tower, which is -entirely in ruins. The west end is adorned with antique carving, and -small arches; the roof of the church is flat, covered with lead.—Near the -east-end of the churchyard stands an hospital, built by Henry Howard, -earl of Northampton, in the reign of James I. It is a square building, -containing twelve apartments for twelve poor women, and one good room for -the governess, with a spacious hall and kitchen, and a decent chapel. It -is endowed with 100_l._ a year, out of lands in Rising, Roydon, S. and N. -Wootton, and Gaywood; also with 5_l._ every fifth year, toward keeping it -in repair, from an hospital in Greenwich, founded also by the said earl -of Northampton, and commonly called _Norfolk College_, for a Warden and -twenty pensioners, of whom twelve must be parishioners of Greenwich, and -eight of Rising and Shotisham in Norfolk, whose allowance is eight -shillings a week for commons, besides clothes, lodging, and salaries, -which are varied at the discretion of the managers. The whole income of -the said college, or hospital, amounts to about 1100_l_ yearly. {149}—The -allowance at Rising hospital is eight shillings a month for each -pensioner, and twelve shillings for the Governess, with some addition on -certain saints days, or festivals; also one chaldron of coals yearly for -each, and two for the governess. Each has also a new gown every year, -with a livery-gown, and hat, every seventh year.—The pensioners must be -all single women, of an unblemished character, and free from all -suspicion of heresy, blasphemy, and atheism. A further account of this -institution may be seen in the different histories of the county. - -The _Castle_ of Rising is of much more modern origin than the town -itself. It is supposed to have been built about the middle of the 12th -century, by William de Albini, first Earl of Sussex, and son of another -William de Albini, who was butler to William Rufus, and to whom that king -had made a grant of Rising, upon the defection or rebellion of his uncle -Odo, bishop of Bayeux and Earl of Kent, to whom his brother, the -conqueror, had granted it, upon the forfeiture and seizure of the vast -temporalities of Stigand archbishop of Canterbury, in whose possession it -was before the conquest. The Earl of Sussex is said to have been one of -the most celebrated warriors of the age in which he lived, and to have -married _Adeliza_ the dowager queen of Henry I. from which last -circumstance the Castle of Rising appears to have been from the very -first a royal palace. This Castle and lordship continued in the Albini -family till the death of Earl _Hugh_, in 1243, when they went, together -with the fourth part of the Tollbooth of Lynn, to Roger de Montalto, lord -of Montalt, (in Flintshire) by his marriage to Cecily, fourth daughter -and coheiress of William Earl of Sussex, and one of the Sisters of Earl -Hugh, who made it his chief seat, and place of residence. It continued -afterward, with all its appurtenances, in the Montalto family, till the -death of Robert Lord Montalt, in 1329, when Emma his widow surrendered -and conveyed them, with all her other possessions and castles, agreeable -to a former deed, executed in the life time of her husband, to the -dowager queen _Isabel_, the mother of Edward III. In 1330, soon after -the trial and execution of her great favourite Mortimer, the Castle of -Rising became the chief place of that queen’s residence, and continued to -be so ever after to the time of her death, in 1358, when it descended to -her grandson, Edward the black prince; but it does not appear that he -ever resided there, though it seems very probable that he had been there -often in the time of his grandmother. In the second year of the reign of -his son, Richard II. it was granted by that king to John Montfort, -surnamed the valiant, Earl of Richmond, and Duke of Britany (the husband -of his half sister _Joan_) in exchange for the town and castle of Brest. -On the defection of Montfort, about twelve years after, the king gave it -to his uncle Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester; who being murdered -at Calais, in 1398, Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, another of the -king’s uncles, obtained a grant of it, with the manors of Beeston, -Mileham, &c. in Norfolk; and at his death, in 1403, it came to his eldest -son Edward, Duke of York; who being slain in the memorable battle of -Agincourt, it came to his brother Richard Earl of Cambridge; and he being -beheaded the same year, it fell to the Crown, where it remained till the -36th of Hen. VIII. when it was granted, with its manor and appurtenances, -together with the manors of Thorpe, Gaywood, South Walsham, &c. &c. to -Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk, and Henry his Son, Earl of Arundel and -Surry, in exchange for the manors of Walton, Trimley, Falkenham, &c. &c. -On the attainder of the Duke of Norfolk, in 15th Elizabeth, it came again -to the crown, and was granted to Edward, Earl of Oxford; but this grant -being soon revoked, it was then granted to Henry Howard, Earl of -Northampton, brother to the said Duke; and it seems to have continued in -the Howard family ever since, together with its appurtenances, with the -exception of a small farm, which was purchased by Sir Robert Walpole, and -is now in the possession of his descendant, the present Lord -Cholmondeley, which secures him a moiety of the influence, or command of -the borough, in the election of members of Parliament. Among the titles -of the Duke of Norfolk is that of _baron_, or _lord Howard_, _of Castle -Rising_. - -The Castle, as Parkin observes,— - - “stands upon a hill, on the south side of the town, from whence is a - fine prospect over land and an arm of the sea. Great part of the - walls of the keep, or inward tower, are still standing, being a - gothic pile, much resembling that of Norwich, and little inferior; - the walls are about three yards thick, consisting chiefly of - freestone, with [some] iron, or car stone; encompassed with a great - circular ditch, and bank of earth, on which stood also a strong stone - wall, as appears by a presentment, in 31st Elizabeth, when the wall - on the said bank was said to be in part, and the rest in danger of - being overthrown, by the warrener’s conies. This ditch, now dry, was - formerly, probably, filled with water. There is but one entrance to - it, [which is] on the eastside, over a strong stone bridge, about - thirty paces long, and eight or nine broad, supported by a single - arch, over which stood a gate-house. The inward part of the castle, - or keep, is all in ruins, except the room, where the court leet of - that lordship is held.” - -The apartments were doubtless grand and sumptuous when queen Isabel -resided here, and when her son the great king Edward III. and his queen -and court were among her guests. A house resorted to by the very first -personages in the kingdom, or in Europe, and which could furnish suitable -accommodation and entertainment for them, may well be supposed to have -been both capacious and commodious, as well fitted up in a style of -superior elegance and magnificence. Some of our historians say, that the -king used to visit his mother here, once or twice annually, for many -years. - -In 1340, the king and queen were here for some time, as appears from the -account rolls of Adam de Reffham, and John de Newland, of Lynn, who sent -his majesty, in the mean while, a present of wine. In the summer of that -year workmen were employed at the Castle in making preparations, and the -queen sent her precept to the Mayor of Lynn, for eight carpenters to -assist on the occasion. Afterward, in 1344, the King and his court were -here for some time, as appears from certain Letters which he sent from -hence to the bishop of Norwich, then at Avignon, to be there delivered by -him to the Pope. On the 22nd August, 1358, queen Isabel died at this -Castle; and in November following her remains were taken to London, and -buried there in the Church of the Grey Friars, now called Christ Church, -where also (it seems) her favourite Mortimer had been buried. - -It is somewhat remarkable, that few of our historians seem to know where -this queen resided during the last 28 years of her life, or to have the -least idea of this Castle being ever the place of her residence. Rapin, -and Hume, and also the author, or authors of the Parliamentary history, -call the place of her habitation or confinement, “Rising Castle, _near -London_,” (they should have said, _near Lynn_,) and Petit Andrews calls -it “the castle of _Risings_, _in Surry_;” whereas it is a most -unquestionable fact, that it was no other than this very castle of Rising -tie _Norfolk_, which was formerly, as we have seen, a place of no small -note and consequence. But its best days are past, and its glory is -departed. - -Of HUNSTON, or _Hunstanton Hall_, not much is known that is worth -recording. It was long the chief seat and residence of the ancient -family of the Lestranges; of which the most notable person, perhaps, was -the famous _Sir Roger Lestrange_, who wrote and published more books than -most of his contemporaries; of some of which he was himself the author, -of others the translator only. He was also among our earliest editors of -Newspapers, and always a flaming church-and-king-man. Queen Mary the -second is said to have anagrammed his name into _Strange lying Roger_. -Hunston House, or Hall, is now uninhabited, and in ruins; and is the -property of Mr Styleman of Snettisham, a descendant of the Lestranges by -the female line. - -CASTLEACRE was formerly the principal seat and residence of the great -_Earls Warren_, who lived here in all the rude pomp and feudal splendor -which distinguished the great Norman barons, whom the conqueror -introduced into this country, and who largely shared in the fortunes of -their successful leader. The 11th 12th and 13th centuries were the times -when the Earls Warren flourished most. King Edward I. was entertained at -this Castle in 1297, by the then Earl Warren, who was one of the most -powerful among the English nobility of that time. The first English peer -of that name was nearly allied to the conqueror, and accompanied him -hither. He died in 1089. He that was the founder of Castleacre is said -to have owned no less than one hundred and forty lordships, or manors, in -Norfolk alone; and yet, among them all, no spot pleased him so well as -Castleacre; and therefore he determined to fix there his chief residence, -and to erect an edifice suitable to his high rank and vast possessions. -This Castle, or Palace, stood on a rising ground, including, with all its -outworks and fortifications, about eighteen acres of ground, in a -circular form. Through this there is now a way, or street, called Baily -Street, running directly north and south. At the entrance of this -street, on the north, stands a stone gate-house, with two round bastions. -The gate-house had an inward and outward door, with a portcullis in the -middle. A similar gate-house is supposed to have stood at the opposite, -or south entrance. On the east side of the north gate was a chapel for -the Castle, the walls of which are still standing; and on the east side -of the said street, near the middle, was another stone gate-house, -leading into the outward court of the great Castle, which was circular, -enclosed with a strong and lofty wall, of freestone and flint, &c. -embattled, seven feet thick. Further in is a deep ditch, and a lofty -embattled wall round it. Within this is the keep; and across the ditch -are three lofty walls at proper distances, which join the Castle wall, as -buttresses &c. The other part of the fortifications, on the west side of -Baily Street, is called the Barbican, and contains above ten acres of -land, and was enclosed with deep ditches, entrenchments, and high -ramparts.—Several coins of Vespasian, Constantine &c. have been found -here, and the spot is supposed to have been originally a Roman station. -From the North part of it there is said to run a way, by Castleacre -Wicken, and from thence across the country, leaving Massingham and -Houghton on the right, and Anmer on the left; then tending in a direct -course, leaving Fring a little on the right, for Ringstead and -Brancaster, which latter is known to have been a considerable Roman -station. This way is said to be commonly called the Pedder’s Way, and -probably went much further than Castleacre, even as far, at least, as -Castor by Norwich, the Venta Icenorum of antiquity.—From the beauty of -the situation of Castleacre, and the noble ruins at present remaining, of -which the semicircular wall of the Castle is a very grand and striking -part, the late Earl of Leicester, at one time, as it is said, entertained -an idea of building there: a situation which has been judged every way -superior to that of Holkham, which he afterward fixed upon. His Lordship -has been by some much blamed on this occasion; justly or not, cannot be -made here a subject of inquiry.—A little to the west of the Castle stood -the ancient _Priory_ of Castleacre; which was a building of great note -for many ages. The priory church was a large venerable gothic pile, -built in a cathedral or conventual form: the principal entrance was -through a great arch, over which was a stately window; on each side of -the great door were other doors to enter into the north and south aisles -under the tower, as the grand door served as an entrance into the nave or -body; at the north and south end of this front or west end, stood two -towers, supported by strong arches, or pillars; the nave, or body, had -twelve great pillars, making seven arches on each side, the lowest -joining to the towers; on the east end of the nave stood the grand tower -supported by four great pillars, through which was the entrance into the -choir: on the south and north side of this tower were two cross aisles or -transepts, and at the end of the north transept there seems to have been -a chapel, or vestiary. The choir was of an equal breadth with the nave -and aisles, but much shorter, and at the east end of it was in form of a -chapel, and here stood the high altar.—The cloister was on the south -side, and had an entrance at the west end, and another at the east end of -the south aisle, The chapter house joined to the east side, and the -dormitory was over the west part of the cloister, and adjoining was the -prior’s apartment. - -Castleacre was purchased, of his relations the Cecils, by lord chief -justice Coke, and is now the property of his descendant, Thomas Wm. Coke -Esq. of Holkham. - -Of WIRMEGAY, or WORMEGAY CASTLE but little seems to be known at present, -save that it was long the seat or residence of the Lords _Bardolf_, who -had great possessions, and bore no small sway for a long time in these -parts. This Castle of theirs appears to have been a place of -considerable strength and consequence. King Edward II. in his 18th year, -is said to have sent his precept to Lord Bardolf, to have great care and -guard of it, on account of the supposed approach of his queen and his -enemy Mortimer; as he also did to Lord Montalt in regard to his Castle of -Rising: which seems to imply, that they were two of the most important -places then in these parts. - -MIDDLETON CASTLE {158} was long the chief seat of the Lords _Scales_, -descended from Hardewin, or Harlewin de Scalariis, lord of Waddon in -Cambridgeshire, probably one of the conqueror’s favourite captains. The -first footing which that family had at Middleton is supposed to have been -in the reign of Henry II. by the marriage of Roger de Scales, with -Muriel, daughter and coheiress of Jeffrey de Lisewis. The family -afterward resided here, and had great possessions and power in these -parts, for many generations. At what time the Castle was built is not -known; but it was, probably, in the time of the said Roger, or at an -early part of the residence of that family in this neighbourhood. It -continued in the Scales family till the reign of Edward IV. when it -passed into that of the Wodeviles, by the marriage of the memorable -Anthony Wodevile Earl Rivers, and Elizabeth the heiress of Thomas the -last Lord Scales. After the fall of the Wodeviles, it is said to have -been granted, by Richard III. to the Duke of Norfolk. At the accession -of Henry VII. being forfeited with the Duke’s other possessions, it went -to the heiress of the Scales, in the person of the countess of Oxford. -Afterward it passed by marriage to the Lord Latimer, and thence, from -time to time, into other hands; such as Sir Edward Williams, Sir Roger -Mostyn, &c. Of this ancient Castle nothing now remains but the -gate-house, or tower, which is still pretty entire, and seems to have -been the entrance into a court, or quadrangle, which was moated in. This -tower is built of brick, about seventeen yards long, nine broad, and -eighteen high, with turrets, &c. Over the arch is the shield of Scales; -the inside of it is much decayed; the area, or court within is about -eighty four paces long, and forty six broad. The situation is low and -swampy, and what would not now be deemed very eligible for the habitation -or residence of a noble or genteel family. The power and possessions the -Scales were formerly very great in these parts. - -GAYWOOD CASTLE stood where the farm house, called Gaywood Hall, now -stands, as appears from the _moat_ which surrounds it, and which must -once have encircled a fortified edifice. That edifice could be no other -than the castle or palace of Gaywood, which was long the favourite, or -principal mansion and residence of the bishops of Norwich, who were from -an early period the temporal as well as spiritual lords of Lynn; on which -account the town was then called Bishop’s Lynn, or Lynn Bishop. So high -and mighty was the bishop’s lordly sway then at Lynn, that the very Mayor -was nominated and appointed by him, and was called _the bishop’s man_, -being in fact only his bailiff, or deputy. Afterward, the Mayor’s power -becoming more extensive and independent, would sometimes occasion no -small disagreement and strife between him and his prelatical master: a -very notable instance of which occurred in the reign of Richard II. and -the time of the famous bishop _Spencer_, of persecuting, fighting, and -crusading memory. This prelate, being one day in the town with his -retinue, quarrelled with the Mayor (who was supported by the townsmen) on -a point of frivolous etiquette. From words, the parties came to blows; -and a very serious battle ensued, which terminated in the total defeat of -the haughty prelate and his company, who were all driven out of town, -many of them much bruised and wounded. This bishop Spencer was sometime -after appointed generalissimo of Pope _Urban’s_ forces, in the war he -then waged against the antipope _Clement_ of Avignon; as is related by -Fox. It was he also who afterward prosecuted for heresy William Sawtre, -then minister of St. Margaret’s, and the first who suffered under the Act -_De hæretico comburendo_. Of these matters a more particular account -shall be given in relating the history of the town, at that period. - -The bishops having so much to do at Lynn, and deriving from it so much of -their consequence, it was natural for them to choose to reside in its -vicinity: hence the origin of the castle, or palace of Gaywood. At what -time it was first built cannot now perhaps be ascertained. We are told -that bishop John de Grey (about 1200, or soon after) erected, or rebuilt, -a sumptuous palace here, for himself and successors, where he much -resided. Succeeding bishops continued to reside here, and to pay -attention to the improvement of the grounds, as well as of the palace. A -deer park, and a warren, appear to have been made here by bishop William -de Raleigh, about 1240; who also granted liberty of common pasture to the -Earl of Arundel and Sussex, and his men, from the park of Bawsey to the -bridge of Gaywood, and the cawsey between the river of Bawsey and the -wood of the said Earl. In 1388, bishop Spencer, abovementioned, had -licence to embattle his palace of Gaywood. This seems to have been after -his return from the crusade, or war, in which he had been engaged for -Pope Urban, against his competitor Pope Clement, as he had been appointed -commander in chief five years before. From the high spirit and wealth of -this proud prelate, it may be presumed that Gaywood Castle made a very -splendid and princely appearance in his time; and it is likely that the -same might be the case long after, even till the reign of Henry VIII. -when it was surrendered, together with the bishop’s rights and immunities -at Lynn, into the King’s hands. It was soon after, with its -appurtenances, granted to the Duke of Norfolk, and then probably pulled -down. Its site, and the adjoining estate passed afterward to the -Thoresbys of Haveless hall, in Mintling; and from them to the Wyches, of -Hockwold; and latterly to Philip Case Esq.—and now are the property of -William Bagge Esq. of Lynn. Of the castle, or palace of Gaywood, no more -needs now be said, but that it is fallen, never more, in all probability, -to rise, or recover the least portion of its ancient splendor and -consequence. - -Besides the castles, or palaces above mentioned, there were formerly in -this country many religious houses, of different orders, and some of them -of considerable note: among which were Blackburgh priory, in Middleton; -Castleacre priory; Westacre priory; Crab-house nunnery, by Maudlin; West -Dereham Abbey; Flitcham priory; Massingham priory, and Pentney priory. -Of these some were extensive and noble edifices, and had large -possessions attached to them; but scarce any remains of most of them are -now to be seen, and their very memory seems to be approaching fast -towards oblivion. Such is the fate of the firmest fabrics: like those -who constructed them, they were composed of perishing materials. - - -SECTION III. - - -_Further Account of the modern palaces_, _and other notable mansions in -this country_.—_Houghton—Holkham—Rainham—Narford—Narborough—Oxborough_. - -Of all the fine houses that now exist in this vicinity, and even -throughout all the eastern parts of England, the precedence, in point of -size and magnificence at least, is allowed to be due to - -HOUGHTON HALL, now the princely seat of the Earl of Cholmondeley, but -formerly of the Earls of Orford, of the Walpole family, from which the -present possessor is maternally descended. This Splendid Mansion was -built by the memorable Sir Robert Walpole, while he was prime minister, -and between the years 1722 and 1735. The whole extent of the building, -including the Colonade and wings, which contain the offices, is four -hundred and fifty feet: the main body of the house extends one hundred -and sixty six feet. The whole building is of stone, and crowned with an -entablature of the Ionic order, on which is a balustrade. At each corner -is a Cupola, surmounted with a lanthorn. For a description of the inside -of the house, the reader is referred to the Norfolk Tour and other -printed accounts. It has been long distinguished for its noble -_Collection of pictures_, by the best masters; but it is no longer there; -it was sold in 1779 to the late Empress of Russia, for 45,500_l._ Its -removal out of the kingdom has been, much regretted, as a very -humiliating circumstance, and a national disgrace; and it has been -thought that the legislature ought to have purchased it, rather than -suffer it to be taken out of the kingdom. But it is unavailing now to -lament: that celebrated collection is irrecoverably lost to Britain. -Sometime before the removal of those pictures Lord Orford gave Mr Boydell -permission to take drawings of them, which he proposed having engraved by -the first artists, and published in fourteen numbers, at two guineas -each, which has been since done. - -The duke of Lorrain, afterward Emperor of Germany, and husband to Maria -Theresa, was once entertained by Sir Robert Walpole, at Houghton, with -more than British magnificence.—Relays of horses were, in the meantime, -provided on the roads, to bring rarities thither from the remotest parts -of the kingdom, with all possible speed: and this extraordinary -expedient, it seems, was continued all the while that august guest staid -at Houghton. Sir Robert’s expenses, in buildings and entertainments, -must have been so very great, that one is apt to wonder how he could -manage to bear them, but he was a prime minister, and prime ministers are -supposed capable of doing great things in the pecuniary way, without -embarrassing themselves. One of Sir Robert’s successors, however, a late -prime minister, seems to have been an exception to that idea: with ample -means, and without any great apparent outgoings, (except what his private -revels, or midnight orgies, might cost him) he could by no means manage -to live, or keep out of debt, and actually died insolvent!—Circumstances -so dissimilar in the history of two men who stood in the same situation, -must needs be deemed somewhat odd and remarkable. - -The woods, or plantations, about Houghton are extensive, and thought very -fine. - - “In the road from Syderstone (says the Author of the _Norfolk Tour_) - they appear we think to the greatest advantage; they are seen to a - great extent, with openings left judiciously in many places, to let - in the view of more distant woods; which changes the shade, and gives - them that solemn brownness which has always a great effect. The - flatness of the country, however, is a circumstance which, instead of - setting them off, and making them appear larger than they really are, - gives them a diminutive air, in comparison to the number of acres - really planted. For were these vast plantations disposed upon ground - with great inequalities of surface, such as hills rising one above - another, or vast slopes stretching away to the right and left, they - would appear to be almost boundless, and shew twenty times the extent - they do at present. The woods which are seen from the south front of - the house, are planted with great judgment, to remedy the effect of - the country’s flatness; for they are so disposed as to appear one - beyond another, in different shades, and to a great extent.” - -Next to Houghton (if that expression may be allowed) the very best house -in all this part of the kingdom is - -HOLKHAM HOUSE, the splendid Seat and residence of Thomas William Coke, -Esq. the far-famed patron of the Norfolk agriculturists, and one of the -representatives of the county in this and several of the preceding -parliaments. Mr Coke is also a descendant of the famous Lord chief -justice of that name, who was himself a Norfolk man. Holkham is not of -so long standing as Houghton: it was begun in 1734 by the Earl of -Leicester and completed by his dowager countess, in 1760. - - “The central part of this spacious mansion, built of white brick, is - accompanied by four wings, or pavilions, which are connected with it - by rectilinear corridors, or galleries: each of the two fronts - therefore display a centre and two wings. The south front presents - an air of lightness and elegance, arising from the justness of its - proportions. In the centre is a bold portico, with its entablature - supported by six corinthian columns. The north front is the grand or - principal entrance, and exhibits different, though handsome features. - The wings which partake of similar characteristics, have been thought - to diminish from the general magnificence of the building, by the - want of uniformity of style with the south front, and being too much - detached to be consistent with unity. The centre, which extends 345 - feet in length, by 180 in depth, comprises the principal apartments: - each wing has its respective destination. One contains the kitchens, - servants’-hall, and some sleeping rooms. In the chapel wing is the - dairy, laundry, with more sleeping rooms. Another contains the suit - of family apartments; and the fourth, called the strangers’ wing, is - appropriated to visitors. - - “This grand residence is rendered superior to most other great houses - in the kingdom, by its _convenience_ and appropriate arrangement. - The entrance _hall_, which forms a cube, has a gallery round it, - supported by twenty four Ionic columns. Next is the _saloon_, on - each side of which is a drawing room; and connected to this is the - _state dressing-room_ and _bed chamber_. Another _drawing room_ - communicates with the _statue gallery_, which connects a number of - apartments in a most admirable manner; for one octagon opens into the - private wing, and the other into the strangers’, on one side, and - into the dining-room on the other. This dining-room is on one side - of the hall; and on the other is Mrs. Coke’s bed-room, dressing-room, - and closets. From the recess, in the dining-room, opens a door on - the stair case, which immediately leads to the offices; and in the - centre of the wings, by the saloon door, are invisible stair-cases, - which lead to all the rooms and respective offices. Thus here are - four general suits of apartments, all perfectly distinct from each - other, with no reciprocal thoroughfares; the state, Mrs Coke’s, the - late earl’s, and the strangers’. These severally open into what may - be called common rooms, the statue gallery, and saloon, all which - communicate with the dining room. There may be houses larger and - more magnificent, and in some more uniformity and justness of - proportion may be visible; but human genius could not contrive any - thing in which convenience could be more apparent than in this. The - fitting up of the interior is in the most splendid style, and, in - numerous instances with the most elegant taste. The ceilings of many - of the rooms are of curious gilt, fret, and mosaic work; the Venetian - windows are ornamented with handsome pillars, and also profusely - gilded. The marble chimney pieces are all handsome; but three are - peculiarly deserving attention, for their exquisite sculpture. Two - are in the dining-room, one ornamented with a sow and pigs, and a - wolf; the other has a bear and bee hives, finely sculptured in white - marble. A third, representing two pelicans, is exceedingly chaste - and beautiful. The marble side-boards, agate-tables, rich tapestry, - silk furniture, beds &c. are all in the same sumptuous style of - elegance. - - “The _Statue Gallery_ consists of a central part and two octagonal - ends. The first is seventy feet long, by twenty two feet wide, and - each octagon, of twenty two feet in diameter, opens to the centre, by - an handsome arch. One end is furnished with books, and the other - with statues, &c. Among the latter, the figure of _Diana_ is - extremely fine. A _Venus_, clothed with wet drapery, is considered - exquisite. The Saloon is forty feet long, twenty eight wide, and - thirty two in height. This room, appropriated for paintings, - contains many by the most eminent masters; but they are not - exclusively preserved in this; a vast collection being distributed - over most of the apartments throughout the house.—In a brief - statement it will be impossible to give a just and adequate - delineation of the pleasure grounds and park, with the various - objects which environ and decorate this museum of taste and seat of - hospitality.” {168} - -Nor would such a delineation be very necessary for this work, as but few -of its readers can be supposed altogether unacquainted with the -premises.—After Holkham, the next place is due to - -RAINHAM HALL, the venerable seat and residence of the late _marquis -Townshend_. This house is of a much longer standing than either of the -former; being built, as we are told, about 1630, by Sir Roger Townshend, -bart. under the direction of that excellent and celebrated architect -Inigo Jones. Its situation has been supposed the most delightful in the -county. The house itself, though it has been greatly improved by the -late marquis, is said to be in the style of an exceeding good habitable -mansion rather than a magnificent one. The country around is rich, and -charmingly cultivated. The park and woods are beautiful, and the lake -below peculiarly striking. Extensive lawns, and opening views into the -country, enrich the enlivening scene, and display the beauties and -bounties of nature in their most enchanting and luxuriant pride. {169} -Since the death of the late marquis this house has ceased to be the -residence of the family.—To the preceding Mansions may be added - -OXBOROUGH, or OXBURGH-HALL, the seat of the _Bedingfields_, which is said -to present features of a striking kind, and to be a peculiar and -interesting remnant of ancient domestic architecture. It was erected as -long ago as the latter end of the fifteenth century, by Sir _Edmund -Bedingfield_, who obtained a grant, or patent of Edward IV. in 1482, to -build the manor house with towers, battlements, &c. It is built of -brick, and was originally of a square form, environing a court, or -quadrangle, one hundred and eighteen feet long, and ninety two broad; -round which the apartments were ranged. The whole building resembles -Queen’s College, in Cambridge; a structure of about the same period. The -entrance is over a bridge, formerly a drawbridge, through an arched gate -way, between two majestic towers, which are eighty feet high. In the -western tower is a winding brick staircase beautifully turned, and -lighted by quatrefoil ilet-holes. The other tower is divided into four -stories; each consisting of an octagonal room, with arched ceilings, -stone window frames, and stone fire places. Between the turrets is an -arched entrance gateway, the roof of which is supported by numerous -groins; and over this is a large handsome room, having one window to the -north and two bow windows to the south. These windows, and the whole -exterior of this part of the building appear to be in their original -state. The floor of the great room is paved with small fine bricks, and -the walls covered with very curious tapestry. This appears to be of the -age of Henry VII. and is mentioned in several wills of the family. The -apartment is called “the King’s room,” and is supposed to have been -appropriated to the monarch just mentioned, when he visited Oxburgh. In -the eastern turret is a curious small closet, called a _hiding place_, -which appears to have been an original part of the structure: it is a -cavity, or hollow in the solid wall, measuring six feet by five feet, and -seven feet high, and is approached by a secret passage through the floor. -A similar hiding place is said to have been destroyed in that part of the -building which has been taken down. The great hall, which had an oaken -roof, in the style of the justly admired one at Westminster Hall; and -other rooms, which formed the south side of the court, were taken down in -1778, and the distribution of almost every apartment has been -successively changed. The offices are now on the east side, and the -dining parlour, drawing room, and library, on the west. The whole is -surrounded by a moat, about fifty two feet broad, and ten feet deep, -which is supplied with water from an adjacent rivulet. In the different -apartments, which are both spacious and elegant, are preserved a few good -pictures, by eminent painters, and a collection of ancient armoury. {171} -This venerable seat is the property of Sir Richard Bedingfield, but at -present the residence of Lord Mountjoy. - -Of the other modern mansions in these parts, mentioned at the close of -the first section of this chapter, it seems needless here to give any -further account, except those of _Narford_ and _Narborough_. These, it -must be allowed, deserve a more particular attention; not on account of -the structures themselves, but of the curious and valuable articles they -contain—or lately did contain; for what did once so much distinguish -NARBOROUGH HALL, is no longer there.—It was a _noble collection_ of -_coins_ and _medals_, ancient and modern; and the most valuable private -collection, perhaps, in Britain, if not in Europe. Its possessor, the -late Mr. Tyssen, assured this writer, that it had cost him, from first to -last, above 20,000_l._ though he had been fortunate enough to purchase -many of the most valuable articles much under the prices they usually -fetch. In this collection were coins of the Grecian states and cities; a -regular series of those of Philip and Alexander, of Alexander’s -successors, of the Ptolemies, and the Cæsars—all in gold, in the highest -state of preservation, and of most exquisite workmanship, (all but those -of the former part of Philip’s reign, before he had become master of -Greece, and could command the service of its artists,) and far exceeding -the best of modern productions, except, perhaps, those of _Thomas Simon_, -and _Dossier_, which come the nighest to the ancients. Many other -curiosities were to be found at Narborough, and not the least among them -was a MS. copy of the _Eikon Bazilike_, one of the most perfect specimens -of fine penmanship extant, perhaps, on so large a scale. The pages, the -lines, and the letters, were uniform, and exquisitely neat throughput. -It was a quarto volume, and said to be written, or transcribed by I. -THOMASEN, schoolmaster, at Tarvin, in the county palatine of Chester. He -was said to have written three different copies, all in nearly equal -perfection: of the other two, one is deposited in the King’s library, and -the other in the British Museum; but this was said to be the best the -three. To the best of this writer’s recollection, Mr. Tyssen said, that -it cost him a hundred guineas, nor did he seem to repent of his bargain. -The price it fetched at the sale, however, fell greatly short of that -sum.—An ancient shield, denoting and commemorating the taking of -Carthage, was another of the late curiosities of Narborough: it -represented one of the fair damsels of that devoted city, bearing the -keys, and delivering them to Scipio, followed by a long train of the -principal inhabitants, whose dejected and woeful looks, bespoke the grief -and anguish that had then overwhelmed the Carthaginian nation.—Close to -Narborough Hall is an old fortification, the remains of an ancient -encampment, called the burgh; from whence to Oxburgh and Eastmore-fen, -extends a large foss and rampart, whose original designation seems not -very easy to discover.—In making a garden near the burgh, in 1600, -several human and pieces of armour were found. This place is said to be -peculiarly interesting to the antiquary; and it is supposed that a small -Roman station was once established here. John Brame, a monkish writer, -in a manuscript history, quoted by Spelman in his Icenia, says, that -Narborough was a British city, governed by an earl _Okenard_, about the -year 500, when it stood a seven months siege against a king _Waldy_: but -little reliance, however, can be placed on such authority. In the -adjoining parish of _Narford_, numerous Roman bricks and other relics, -are said to have been found: also a large brass vase, or urn, was dug up -in the court yard of the manor house, - -NARFORD HALL, the seat of Andrew Fountaine Esq. It was erected in the -reign of George I. by the late Sir Andrew Fountaine, Knt. of whom some -account will be given in the next section. He was a great collector of -rarities, and made his house the repository of works of art and learning. -At present it is said to display a choice collection of pictures, ancient -painted earthenware, some bronzes, coins, and a fine library of books, -supposed to be the best in the whole county. The room, in which these -books are deposited, is forty feet by twenty one; and contains, beside -the books, several Roman and Egyptian Vases, and portraits of eminent -men. This library seems not to have been collected for mere ostentation. -The original collector is said to have been a man of letters, as well as -a connoiseur and virtuoso, and one, at least, of his successors has been -reputed a literary character, and a proficient in some branches, -especially _Spanish_ literature; in which language the said library -contains many rare and valuable articles, one of which he sometime ago -translated into English, and it has since made its appearance from the -Swaffham Press. - -Several springs of mineral water, of the chalybeate kind, are to be found -in the neighbourhood of Lynn, on this eastern side; of which one is at -Riffley, and another on Gaywood common, both within two miles of the -town. There is also another beyond Setchey, on the Downham road. There -are others in East Winch parish, one of which is much more strongly -impregnated than any of the rest, and might, perhaps, be ranked, in point -of medicinal virtue, with some of those springs that have acquired so -much celebrity as to become places of considerable resort. This Spring -is said to be strongly impregnated with what chymists and mineralogists -call sulphate of iron. - - -SECTION IV. - - -_Biographical Sketches of some of the most celebrated_, _or memorable -persons who were natives of this part of the country_. - -Of all the eminent men who sprung up in this part of Norfolk, the -precedence seems unquestionably due to - -_Sir_ EDWARD COKE, the famous Lord chief Justice. He was the son of -Robert Coke, Esq. of Mileham, where he was born in 1550, or as some say -in 1549. At ten years of age he was sent to the free school at Norwich; -and after having spent there a competent time, he was removed to Trinity -College in Cambridge, where he continued about four years, and then went -to Clifford’s Inn, and the next year was entered a student of the Inner -Temple. He was called to the bar at six years standing, which in that -age was held very extraordinary. Lloyd tells us that “the first occasion -of his rise was his stating the Cook’s case of the Temple, that all the -house, who were puzzled with it, admired him; and his pleading it so, -that the whole bench took notice of him.” His reputation increased very -fast, and he soon came into great practice. When he had been at the bar -about seven years, he married a lady of one of the best families in his -native county, and with a very large fortune for that age. He now rose -rapidly: the cities of Coventry and Norwich chose him their Recorder; and -he was engaged in all the great causes in Westminster Hall. He was also -in high credit with Lord Burleigh and the other rulers, and often -consulted in state affairs. He became moreover, one of the -representatives of his native county in parliament, Speaker of the House -of Commons, and successively Solicitor-general, Attorney-general, Lord -Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and finally, Lord Chief Justice of -England, or rather _of the King’s Bench_, as king James would have it -called. Sir Edward was a high spirited man, and on many occasions -discovered much firmness and integrity, even when the other judges gave -way, and the mandates of the Sovereign required a different conduct. -This kind of behaviour, in time, rendered him obnoxious to the Court, and -brought upon him its heavy displeasure, which issued in his expulsion -from the Council Table, and his removal from the office of Lord Chief -Justice; the king declaring, “That he was for a tyrant the fittest -instrument that ever was in England.” He afterward joined the country -party, and made a distinguished figure among the great parliamentary -patriots, in the latter part of the reign of James and the former part of -that of Charles I. He died at his house at Stoke Pogey, in -Buckinghamshire, Sept. 3, 1634, in the 86 year of his age, and expired -with these words in his mouth, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” He -was one of the greatest Lawyers that England ever produced. He had quick -parts, a deep penetration, a retentive memory, and a solid judgement. He -was greatly honoured and esteemed among his brethren of the long robe; -and when persecuted by the Court, and a brief was given against him to -Sir John Walter, that gentleman, though Attorney-general to the prince, -laid aside the brief, with this remarkable sentence, “Let my tongue -cleave to the roof of my mouth, whenever I open it against Sir Edward -Coke.” He was observed to make a better figure in adversity than in -prosperity; and he was so good at making the best of a disgrace, that -king James said, “Let them throw him which way they would, he always fell -upon his legs.” He valued himself, and not without reason, upon this, -that he obtained all his preferments without employing either prayers or -pence, and that he became Speaker of the House of Commons, -Solicitor-general, Attorney-general, Chief Justice of both Benches, High -Steward of Cambridge, and a member of the Privy Council, without either -begging or bribing. In this he was very different from many of his most -eminent cotemporaries, and especially from his great and celebrated rival -Bacon, who was remarkable for the meanness with which he used to solicit -preferment. He was in his person well proportioned, and his features -were regular. He was neat, but not nice, in his dress; and would say, -that “the cleanness of a man’s clothes ought to put him in mind of -keeping all clean within.” He was twice married, but his second marriage -proved unhappy. He left behind him a numerous issue, as well as a large -fortune; and may be ranked among the greatest men of his time. {177a} - -In the latter part of his life he appears to have been among the reputed -_Jacobins_ of that day, [as is also said to have been the case, in the -estimation of some _wise_ and _virtuous_ people, {177b} with his present -descendant of Holkham, during the late memorable reign and rage of our -furious alarmists.] While he lay upon his death-bed, his house was, by -an order of council, searched for seditions and dangerous papers: and the -searchers took away his commentary upon Magna Charta; his commentary upon -Lyttleton, with the history of his Life before it, written with his own -hand; the Pleas of the Crown; and the Jurisdiction of Courts; his 11th. -and 12th. Reports, in MS; with 51 other MSS; together with his Last Will -and Testament, which contained the provision he had been making for his -younger grandchildren. These papers were kept from the family for -several years, and the Will was never heard of more. {178} - -2. _Sir_ HENRY SPELMAN. He was born at Congham, in 1561, or 1562. -Before he was fifteen he was sent to Trinity College, in Cambridge; but -his father dying in about two years and half after, he was taken home by -his mother to assist her in managing the affairs of the family. About a -year after, he was sent to Lincoln’s Inn to study the law, where having -continued almost three years, he retired into the country, and married a -Lady of good family and fortune. Beside his own rural and domestic -concerns, which now demanded and employed the chief of his attention, he -was also very assiduous to improve himself in the knowledge of the -Constitution, Laws and Antiquities of his Country. He was early admitted -a member of the Society of Antiquaries, which brought him into an -intimate acquaintance with Sir Robert Cotton, Camden, and others of the -most eminent men for that kind of literature. In 1604, he was appointed -High Sheriff of Norfolk, and about the same time wrote a description of -that county, which he communicated to _Speed_: but it was not the first -book he wrote: a book on Heraldry, and another on the Coins of the -kingdom, he had before written; and perhaps more. In 1607, the king -nominated him one of the Commissioners for determining the unsettled -titles of lands and manors in Ireland; on which occasion he went thither -several times, and discharged the trust reposed in him with great -reputation. He was also appointed one of the Commissioners to enquire -into the oppression of exacted fees in all courts and offices, as well -ecclesiastical as civil; which gave rise to his treatise _De Sepultura_, -or of the Burial Fees, in which he made it evident, that most part of the -fees exacted by the clergy and church officers, on account of funerals, -is no better than gross imposition. His close attention to those public -employments proved prejudicial to his family and circumstances; in -consideration of which the government made him a present of 300_l_, till -something better could be done for him. His majesty also conferred on -him the honour of knighthood, which, however, did probably impoverish -rather than enrich him. His majesty did what was still worse, in -prohibiting the Meetings of the Antiquarian Society, lest, forsooth, they -might be led to treat of _state affairs_! {179} His wise majesty seemed -conscious that those affairs were too brittle to be handled, and too foul -to be exposed to open daylight. When about fifty he went to reside in -London, and gave himself up to archaiological studies. He collected all -such books and MSS. as he could find of that description, whether foreign -or domestic. In 1626, he published the first part of his well known -_Glossary_, which he never carried beyond the letter L, because, as some -have suggested, he had said things under _Magna Charta_, and _Maximum -Concilium_, that could not then have appeared without giving offence. He -wrote many things, most of which are still held in considerable repute. -He died in 1641: his posthumous works were published in 1698, in folio, -under the inspection of bishop Gibson. At his death his papers came into -the hands of his eldest Son, - -3. _Sir_ JOHN SPELMAN, “the heir of his studies,” as he himself calls -him, who was also a very learned man, and had great encouragement and -assurance of favour from Charles I. That prince one time sent for Sir -Henry Spelman, and offered him the mastership of Sutton Hospital, with -some other advantages, in consideration of his good services both to -church and state. He returned his majesty thanks, and told him that he -was very old, and had now one foot in the grave, and should therefore be -more obliged if he would consider his son. Upon which the king sent for -Mr. Spelman, and conferred both the mastership of the Hospital and the -honour of knighthood upon him; and he afterwards employed him to draw up -several papers in vindication of the proceedings of the court. He -published the Saxon Psalter under the title of _Psalterium Davidis -Latino-Saxonicum vetus_, in 1640, in quarto, from a MS in his father’s -Library, collated with three other copies. He also wrote “The Life of -King Alfred the Great,” in English; which was translated into Latin, -sometime after the Restoration, by Mr. Christopher Wase, superior Beadle -of the Civil Law at Oxford; which translation, with notes and cuts by Mr. -Obadiah Walker Master of University College, was published, from the -Theatre Press, in 1679, in folio. The original English was also -published from the same press, by Mr. Thomas Hearne, in 1709. 8vo. Sir -John Spelman died in 1643. - -4. _Sir_ ROGER L’ESTRANGE is another of the notable natives of this part -of the county. He was the youngest son of Sir Hamon L’Estrange, Bart. of -Hunstanton Hall, where he was born Dec. 17, 1616. He received a liberal -education, which he is supposed to have completed at Cambridge. His -father being a zealous royalist, took care to instil the same principles -in his son, which the latter eagerly embraced; and in 1639, he attended -the king, in his expedition into Scotland. His attachment to the royal -cause became now very strong; and sometime after nearly cost him his -life: for in 1644, soon after the Earl of Manchester had reduced Lynn to -the authority of the Parliament, young L’Estrange, thinking he had some -interest in the place, as his father had been governor of it, formed a -scheme for surprising it; and received a commission from the king, -constituting him is governor, in case of success: but his design being -betrayed by two of his confederates, (named _Leman_ and _Haggar_,) though -both bound under an oath of secresy, he was seized, tried, and, by a -court-martial, condemned to die, as a traitor. While he lay in prison, -he was visited by Mr. Arrowsmith, and Mr. Thorowgood, two of the assembly -of divines, who very kindly offered him their utmost interest, if he -would make some petitionary acknowledgement, and submit to take the -covenant, but he refused. After thirty months spent in vain endeavours, -either to have a hearing, or to be put into an exchangeable condition, he -printed a state of his case, by way of appeal from the court martial (by -which he had been tried) to the Parliament. About the time of the -Kentish insurrection, in 1648, he escaped out of prison, with the -keeper’s privity, as he himself says, and went into Kent, and retiring to -the house of Mr Hales, a young gentleman, heir to a great estate in that -county, he spirited him up to head the insurrection; but that design -failed of success. After this miscarriage, he escaped beyond sea, where -he continued till the autumn of 1653; when taking his opportunity, in the -change of government, upon Cromwell’s dissolution of the long parliament, -he returned into England, and having an opportunity to speak to Cromwell, -and obtaining a favourable hearing, he escaped any further trouble, and -shortly after received his discharge, by an order dated 31. Oct. 1653. -How he spent his time for the next six or seven years does not appear; -but it may be presumed that he remained pretty quiet, and avoided all -interference with political, or state affairs. He is said to have -sometimes played before the Protector on the bass viol, for which he was -by some called _Oliver’s fidler_. After the Restoration he was little -noticed, either by the king or his ministers, for sometime; which he very -much resented. Afterward, however, he was appointed to a profitable, but -odious office, that of _Licencer of the Press_; which he held till a -little before the Revolution. In 1663 he set up a newspaper, called “The -Public Intelligencer and the News,” which was afterwards put down by the -_London_ GAZETTE; for which, however, government allowed him a -consideration. After the popish plot, when the Tories began to gain the -ascendant over the Whigs, he, in a paper called _the Observator_, became -a zealous champion for the former, and an advocate for some of the worst -measures of the Court. He was afterward knighted, and served in the -parliament called by James II. in 1685. After the Revolution he met with -some trouble, as a disaffected person. He is said to have been -particularly disliked by the queen, who very curiously anagrammed his -name, as was mentioned in the first section of this chapter. He died on -the 11th. of September 1704, in the 88th. year of his age, and was -interred in the church of St. Giles in the fields, where there is an -inscription to his memory. He wrote many political tracts, in a high -tory strain, and often with little regard to truth; and also published -translations of Josephus’s works, Cicero’s offices, Seneca’s morals, -Erasmus’s colloquies, Esop’s fables, Quevedo’s visions, &c. His style -has been praised by some, while others have represented it as intolerably -low and nauseous: and Granger represents him as one of the great -corrupters of our language. But there was something in his character -that was still worse and more detestable than even his style.—Having -mentioned him as one of our early compilers of newspapers, it may not be -amiss here just to note, that he had been long preceded in that -occupation, by a country-man of his, _Wm. Watts_, M.A. who is supposed to -have been the very first compiler of a weekly, or stated English -newspaper; at least his employer, _Butter_, seems to have been the first -editor of such a paper, which was begun in August 1622, under the name of -“The certain news of this present week;” and Watts is thought to have -been the compiler of it from the first, and is therefore deemed the -_Gallo-Belgicus_ of England: alluding to the first newspaper, or -periodical publication of the low Countries, about the beginning of the -17th century, which went by that name. But as Watts is said to have been -a native of Lynn, a further account of him shall be given in its proper -place. - -5. _Sir_ ROBERT WALPOLE, afterward Earl of Orford. He was born at -Houghton, in 1674. In 1700, he was chosen member of Parliament for Lynn, -which he also represented in many succeeding parliaments. In 1705 he was -made one of the council to Prince George of Denmark, as lord high -admiral. In 1707 he was made secretary at war; and in 1709 treasurer of -the navy. On the change of the ministry, the year following, he was -removed from all his places, and in 1711 was voted by the house of -commons guilty of notorious corruption, in his office as secretary at -war: it was therefore resolved that he should be committed to the tower, -and expelled the house. But being considered by the whigs as a kind of -martyr to their cause, the borough of Lynn rechose him, and though the -house declared his election void, yet the electors persisted in their -choice, and he sat in the next parliament. On the accession of George I. -he was appointed paymaster-general of the forces, and a privy counsellor; -but in a disagreement, two years after, with Mr. Secretary Stanhope, he -resigned, turned patriot, of course, and opposed the ministry. Early in -1720 he was again made pay-master of the forces, and the complaisance of -the courtier began once more to appear: nor was it long before he -acquired full ministerial power, as first lord of the treasury and -chancellor of the exchequer. The measures of his administration, during -the long course of his premiership, have been often canvassed, with all -the severity of critical inquiry, and variously determined. Though he -has been called the father of corruption, and is said to have boasted, -that he knew every man’s price, yet the opposition prevailed over him in -1742, and obliged him to resign. He was screened from any further -resentment of the house of commons, by a peerage, being created Earl of -Orford, and gratified with a pension of 4000_l_ a year. He is generally -allowed to have been a minister of considerable talents, and a notable -manager of parliaments. Whatever were his faults, and he doubtless had -many, he was evidently a _man of peace_, and _no war minister_, which -ought to endear his memory to posterity. Had his successors, and -particularly the late minister _Pitt_, been more of his disposition in -that respect, it had probably, at this time, been a happy circumstance -for the British empire, if not also for some other nations. - -6. _Sir_ ANDREW FOUNTAINE. He was born at _Narford_, and educated at -Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied the Anglo-Saxon language, of his -skill in which he afterward gave good proof, by a piece inserted in Dr -Hicks’s Thesaurus, entitled, “Numismata Anglo-Saxonica, et Anglo-danica, -breviter illustrata ab Andreâ Fountaine eq. aur. et æd. Christi Oxon -alumno, 1705.” King William conferred on him the honour of knighthood: -and he was afterwards, it seems, in 1726, made knight of the Bath, by -patent; at which time he was Vice Chamberlain to the princess of Wales. -He travelled for a considerable time in various parts of Europe, and is -said to have made a noble collection of antiques and curiosities; of his -adventures in the meantime, not all over and above delicate or reputable, -some curious anecdotes are still remembered. In 1709 he drew the designs -for the Tale of a Tub, by Swift, with whom he is said to have been very -intimate, as well as with Pope, who complimented him for the elegance of -his taste. In 1727 he was appointed Warden of the Mint, which office be -held till his death, in 1753. He was reputed an eminent connoisseur, -virtuoso, and antiquary; and Narford Hall owes to him most, if not the -whole of its boasted curiosities. - -7. MARTIN FOLKES, Esq. much distinguished in his time as a philosopher -and antiquary, was the eldest Son of a Barrister of the same name, by one -of the two daughters and coheiresses of Sir Wm. Hovell of Hillington -Hall; which accounts for the estate of the Hovells descending to him. He -was born in 1690, at Westminster, where his father then resided. His -education, which is supposed to have commenced at Westminster school, was -finished at Cambridge, where his proficiency appears to have been very -considerable. He became a member of the Royal Society in his 23rd year. -About ten years after, he was appointed vice president of the same -Society, to which he had been nominated by Sir Isaac Newton, the then -President. He was also a member of the Society of Antiquaries. On the -resignation of Sir Hans Sloane, in 1741, be was elected President of the -R.S. and not long after he was nominated one of the eight foreign members -of the Academy of Sciences at Paris. He died in 1754, and is said to -have been a person of very extensive knowledge and great respectability; -and in his private character polite, generous, and friendly. His -principal service to science was his elucidation of the intricate subject -of coins, weights, and measures. Though he had daughters of his own, he -left the seat and estate of his maternal ancestors, the Hovells, to his -brother, whose Son, Sir Martin Browne Folkes, bart. M.P. is their present -possessor. - -8. _The honourable_ HORACE WALPOLE, afterward _Earl of Orford_. He was -the youngest Son of the celebrated Sir Robert Walpole, and born about the -year 1717. In 1739 he set out upon his travels, accompanied by his -friend _Gray_, the poet: but they afterward quarrelled and separated. In -the parliament of 1741 he was a member for Collington; in that of 1747, -for Castle Rising; and in those of 1754 and 1761, for Lynn. At the -expiration of the latter parliament he retired from business, and -attached himself wholly to literary pursuits, residing chiefly, if not -wholly, at Strawberry Hill, in Surrey, where he had a private -printing-office, for the purpose of having his productions edited under -his own eye. His principal works are The Catalogue of Royal and Noble -Authors, and The Historic Doubts respecting the character, conduct, and -person of Richard III. He wrote also The Mysterious Mother, Castle of -Otranto, and other works, which are considered as proofs of his being a -person of very extensive reading, and of eminent genius and talents. On -the death of his nephew he succeeded to the family title and estates; but -did not long enjoy them. He died in 1797. - -9. _Admiral_ HORATIO NELSON, afterward _Sir_ HORATIO NELSON, and -latterly, _Lord Viscount Nelson_, and _Duke of Bronte_ in the kingdom of -Naples. He was the 4th Son of the Rev. Edward Nelson, rector of Burnham -Thorpe, where he was born September 29, 1758. He is said to have been -maternally related to the Walpoles and the Townshends, two of the first -families in his native county. He was sent early to sea, under the care -of a relation, who was a captain in the navy, where he soon distinguished -himself, and became in time one of the greatest naval commanders that -this or any other country ever produced. His most renowned achievements -were those at _Aboukir_, _Copenhagen_, and _Trafalgar_; the latter of -which he did not survive, being killed by a musket ball, near the close -of the engagement, which terminated in one of the most complete and -decisive victories ever recorded in the annals of naval warfare. He -arrived at high pre-eminence, through deeds of blood, and a vast -destruction of his species, which can have no place among the christian -virtues. But his biography and character are too well known to need -being here further enlarged upon. {189} - -10. WILLIAM BEWLEY was for many years a most distinguished character -among the inhabitants of this part of Norfolk. He was not a native of -this country, but came hither, it is thought, from the north of England, -about 1749, and settled at Great Massingham, as a surgeon and apothecary, -where he continued for the remainder of his days, greatly respected as a -professional man, but more especially so as a _philosopher_, in which -character he was thought inferior to few, if any, of his cotemporaries. -With some of the most enlightened of them he was held in high and -deserved estimation. Dr. _Burney_ and Dr. _Priestley_ were of that -number; the latter of whom he very materially assisted in his -experimental pursuits, and was the first who discovered and suggested to -him the acidity of mephitic or fixed air. Intimate as these two -philosophers appear to have been, they were in some respects, it seems, -of very different sentiments. Priestley was an admirer of _Hartley_, and -a decided materialist, while Bewley, on the other hand, was a disciple of -_Berkeley_, and a firm believer of the ideal system. Between these two -systems there is evidently a very striking contrast; yet that occasioned -no breach in their friendship, or any coolness or abatement in their -esteem for each other. Among theologians, and minor philosophers, much -slighter differences might have occasioned (as they generally do) endless -jarrings, and an irreconcileable antipathy; but Priestley and Bewley were -men of another, and a very different cast, and knew how to entertain the -purest friendship for each other, while they held, on some important -points, very dissimilar, and even opposite opinions. Their friendship -commenced about the time that Priestley published his History of -Electricity. Bewley’s critique upon that work, in the Monthly Review, -was the means, as the Dr. says, of opening a correspondence between them, -which was the source of much satisfaction to him, as long as Mr. Bewley -lived. The Dr. used instantly to communicate to him an account of every -new experiment that he made, and in return was favoured with his remarks -upon them. All that Bewley published of his own (except those articles -which he furnished for the Monthly Review) were papers inserted in the -Dr’s. volumes _on Air_, all of which, says the doctor, are ingenious and -valuable. Always publishing in that manner, he used to call himself _Dr. -Priestley’s Satellite_. There was a vein of pleasant wit and humour (as -the Dr. informs us) in all his correspondence, which added greatly to the -value of it. His Letters to the Dr. would have made several volumes, and -the Dr’s to him, still more. He was in his latter years a valetudinarian -of a very sickly appearance. When he found himself dangerously ill, and -his dissolution fast approaching, he made a point of paying the Dr. a -visit before he died. He accordingly made a journey from Massingham to -Birmingham, for that purpose, accompanied by Mrs. Bewley: and after -spending about a week there, he went to pay another last or parting visit -to his friend Dr. Burney, and there, at his house in St. Martin’s Street, -London, he died, on the 5th. of Sept. 1783. He was for many years one of -the writers of the Monthly Review, and the articles he furnished for that -respectable publication were thought not inferior to the productions of -the very ablest of his associates. How many articles he furnished for -that work is not known, except, perhaps, to the Editor. The review of -_PRIESTLEY’S History of Electricity_, (as was before observed,) of -_WHITEHURST’S Inquiry into the original State and formation of the -Earth_, and of _Sir JOHN HAWKINS’ History of Music_, are understood to -have been drawn up by Mr. Bewley. The last mentioned article is said to -have been much admired at the time by the late celebrated Dr. _Samuel -Johnson_. Mr. Bewley was sometimes denominated _The Philosopher of -Massingham_, and with as much propriety, it was supposed, as _Hobbes_ was -styled _The Philosopher of Malmsbury_. The branches of knowledge in -which he was said chiefly to excel were those of _Anatomy_, -_Electricity_, and _Chemistry_. He had naturally a fine ear, and was -particularly fond of music; and was not only an excellent judge of -composition, but also a good performer on the violin. He cultivated the -art and science of music as a relief from severer pursuits, and applied -to it in the hours of relaxation, with that ardour which characterized -all his undertakings. A love for every liberal science and an insatiable -curiosity after whatever was connected with them, were his predominant -passions. So strongly and lastingly did they operate, that he desired -some books might be brought to him on the very evening before he died, -when the excruciating pains of his disorder had a little abated; and -though unable to read himself, he listened to what was read, and drank in -knowledge with his wonted eagerness, and, - - —“with his latest breath - Thus shewed his ruling passion strong in death.” - -He was a remarkably warm friend, and an excellent husband: and withal of -so benevolent and peculiar a turn of mind, that he would not willingly -hurt a worm; nor would he, it seems, cut a living twig from a shrub or -tree, because he did not know, (as he would say) but the operation might -occasion pain. Many will probably affect to smile at this, under an idea -of their own fancied superiority, whose characters, nevertheless, would -bear no comparison with that of William Bewley, not to say as _scholars_, -and _philosophers_, but even as _men_, and _members of society_. In -short, he appears to have been a very _good_, as well as a very wise and -great man. {192} - - -SECTION V. - - -_Of the ANIMALS_, _and particularly the BIRDS of this country_. - -_Sir Thomas Browne_ seems to have placed the SPERMACETI-WHALE among the -animals of Norfolk. One of them sixty two feet in length, was taken, as -he says, near Wells. Another of the same kind, (he adds) about twenty -years after, was caught at Hunstanton; and not far from thence, eight or -nine were driven ashore, two of which were said to have young ones, after -they had forsaken the water. - -The PORPESSE, the DOLPHIN, and the _GRAMPUS_, are also, by the same -writer, numbered among the Norfolk animals. The flesh of the two former, -he represents as good food, especially that of the Dolphin, which when -well-cooked, he says, is generally allowed to be a good dish. But it is -very rarely that one meets with any that have tasted of it. - -As to the COMMON SEAL or _Sea-Calf_, being an amphibious creature, it is -not so unnaturally classed among land animals. Numbers of them are often -found sleeping on the shore and the sand-banks, below Lynn; while one, as -is said, is keeping watch in the meantime, lest his companions be caught -napping, and to apprise them of the approach of danger; in which case, -they all instantly rush into the deep and disappear. - -OTTERS also are not uncommon in this country. The young ones, says Sir -T. Browne, are sometimes, preyed upon by buzzards, having occasionally -been found in the nests of these birds. By many persons they are -accounted no bad dish, as he says; and he adds, that Otters may be -rendered perfectly tame, and in some houses have been known to serve the -office of turnspits. - -To the foregoing animals may be added _Badgers_, _Hares_, and _Rabbits_. -The latter are here more numerous than in most other parts of the -kingdom, and yet not so numerous it seems as they have been, owing to -modern agricultural improvements. Hares are also in general pretty -plentiful here in most places, and the game-laws very strictly enforced, -as many a poacher knows to his cost. - -The different Species of BIRDS found in this country, including the -_water-fowl_, are very numerous. The following List includes the chief -of them, and is taken mostly from Sir Thomas Browne’s Paper inserted in -the 20th volume of the Monthly Magazine. 1. The _Sea_ or _Fen_ EAGLE. -Some of this species are said to be so large as to measure three yards -and a quarter in the extent of their wings, and are capable of being -perfectly tamed, and will feed on fish, red herrings, flesh, or any kind -of offal. 2. The OSPREY, which hovers about the fens, and will dip his -claws into the water, and often take up a fish, and likewise catch -_Coots_. It is sometime called the _bald-buzzard_. 3. The KITE. This -species is said not to be very numerous. 4. The MERLIN, or _Hobby-bird_: -said to be subject to the vertigo, and sometimes caught in those fits. -5. The WOODCHAT, or _bird-catcher_; a small bird of prey about the size -of a thrush. 6. The RAVEN. 7. The ROOK. 8. The JACKDAW. 9. The -ROLLER: a very uncommon bird. 10. The CUCKOO. 11, 12, 13, 14. The GREEN -WOODPECKER; The GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER; The MIDDLE SPOTTED -WOODPECKER; and the NUTHATCH. 15. The KINGFISHER. 16. The HOOPOE, or -_Hoope-bird_, so called from its note. 17, 18, 19. The SKYLARK, -WOODLARK, and TITLARK. These are very common; but another, called _the -great crested lark_, it seems, is not so. 20. The STARES, or STARLINGS, -are in vast, and almost incredible numbers about the fens, where they -roost at night, about the autumn on the reeds and alders, from whence -they take their flight in the morning like thick clouds. The rooks, -though very numerous in some parts of the kingdom, are never any where -seen in such flocks as these birds are about the fens. 21. The HAWFINCH. -This bird is chiefly seen in summer, about cherry time; and is said to -feed on the kernels of cherries and some other kinds of stone fruit; and -by means of its amazingly strong bill it breaks the stone without much -difficulty. 22. The WAXEN CHATTERER; which is said to be a very -beautiful bird, but now a more uncommon bird than formerly. 23. The -CROSSBILL; is migratory, and arrives about the beginning of Summer. 24. -The GOLD-FINCH, otherwise _Fools-coat_ or _Draw-water_. 25. The -WHEATEAR. These breed in rabbit burrows, and warrens are full of them -from April to September. They are caught with a hobby and a net, and are -accounted excellent eating. 26. The GOAT-SUCKER, or _Dorhawk_, so called -from the circumstance of its feeding on dors, or beetles. It breeds here -and lays a very handsome spotted egg. [It flies about later than most -other birds except the owl; and while perching in the evening on a tree, -it makes a noise somewhat like the croaking of frogs, or rather the -twirling of a spinning wheel, from which it has in some parts been -called, _The Spinner_.] 27. The BUSTARD. A writer whose signature is X. -P. S. in the 20th volume of the Monthly Magazine, says that “the bustards -are at this time all extirpated out of Norfolk;” but he is certainly -mistaken: they are still to be found in the open parts of the country, -but not so frequently as formerly. They become more and more rare; and -they will, perhaps, be soon extirpated; but it is not the case yet. The -bustard is the largest of British birds, and is remarkable (says Sir -Thomas Browne) for the strength of its breast-bone, and for its short -heel. It lays two eggs which are much bigger than those of a turkey, as -the bustard itself is also larger, as well as handsomer than that bird. -It is accounted a dainty dish, and those who have eaten it, speak much in -its praise. This famous bird seems incapable of being tamed or -domesticated. {196} 28. and 29. BLACK and RED GAME, now unknown here. -Some of the latter, or grouse, were found, it seems, about Lynn, in Sir -Thomas Browne’s time. 30. 31. _PARTRIDGE_ and QUAIL are here in great -numbers. 32. The _CORNCRAKE_, or RAYLE is also commonly found here. 33. -The SPOONBILL, now but seldom found here, though formerly, it seems, -pretty common. 34. The CRANE, was formerly common here, but now scarcely -deemed a British bird. 35. The WHITE STORK, now rarely seen, though -formerly not so uncommon a bird. 36. The HERON still abounds here. 37. -The BITTERN, or _Bitour_, is also very common: both this and the -preceding are deemed good dishes. 38. The GODWIT or _Yarwhelp_, is very -common in Marshland, and deemed a dainty dish. It frequents the sea -shore and salt marshes in winter, and the fens and interior parts in -summer. 39. 40. The REDSHANK, and CURLEW, are not unfrequent in the -marshes and about the sea coast. 41. The GNAT or KNOT. This is a small -bird, but is at times very fat, and in much request for the table. They -are caught with nets. 42. The LAPWING is common here on all the heaths, -and in other parts. 43. The RUFF: so called from the feathers of the -neck projecting like a ruff. This is a marsh bird, and varies greatly in -its colours; no two of them are found alike. The female is smaller than -the male, has no ruff about the neck, and is called a _Reeve_. It is -very seldom seen. The males when put together will fight most bloodily -and destroy each other. They lose their ruffs towards the end of autumn, -or beginning of winter. They are very handsome birds. 44. The DOTTEREL, -is a bird of passage; comes in September and March, and is accounted -excellent eating. 45. KING DOTTEREL, or _Fen Dotterel_: somewhat less, -but better coloured than the former. 46. The STONE CURLEW, is a tall -handsome bird, remarkably eyed. It is said to be so common in this -country, as to have the name of the Norfolk plover. 47. The AVOSET, or -_skooping horn_, is a tall, black and white bird, with a bill -semicircularly bent upwards. It is a summer bird, and not unfrequent in -Marshland. 48. The OYSTER CATCHER or _Sea-pie_. 49. The Common Coote. -These birds are frequently observed in great flocks on broad waters, said -to be remarkable for their dexterous-defence of themselves and young, -against kites and buzzards. 50. 51. The MOOR, or WATER-HEN, and -WATER-RAILE. 52. The WILD SWAN, or ELKE. It is probable they come from -great distances, for all the northern travellers are said to have -observed them in the remotest parts. Like other northern birds, if the -winter be mild they usually come no further south than Scotland, if very -hard they proceed onward till they arrive in a country sufficiently warm. -53. 54. 55. _BARNACLE-GOOSE_, _BRENT-GOOSE_, and SHELDRAKE. The two -former are common; and the latter pretty much so, especially about -Norrold, where they are said to breed in rabbit-burrows. 56. 57. 58. 59. -60. The _SHOVELER_, _PINTAIL_, or _Sea-pheasant_, _GARGANEY_, or _Teal_, -_WILD-GOOSE_, and _GOSANDER_, _or Mirganser_, are all found in this -country. 61. The _DUN-DIVER_, or _Saw billed diver_. It is bigger than -a duck; and distinguished from other divers by a remarkable sawed bill to -retain its slippery prey, which consists principally of eels. 62. The -SNEW, as well as the _WIDGEONS_, and other species of wild ducks, are -very common. {199} 63. The _PUFFIN_, has a remarkable bill, which -differs from that of a duck in being formed not horizontally but -vertically, for the purpose of feeding in clefts of rocks, on shellfish, -&c. 64. The SHEAR-WATER, somewhat billed like a cormorant, but much -smaller, is a strong and fierce bird, that hovers about ships when the -sailors cleanse their fish, &c. They will live some weeks without food. -65. The _GANNET_, is a large, white, strong billed bird: Sir Thomas -Browne saw one of them in Marshland, which fought, and would not be -forced to take wing. Another he saw taken alive, and for sometime kept -and fed with herrings. 66. 67. The SHAG and CORMORANT, are generally -confounded by the country people. The former builds upon trees, and the -latter only in the rocks. 68. The NORTHERN-DIVER. 69. The GREAT CRESTED -GREBE, appear about April, and breed on the broad waters. Their nest is -formed of weed &c. and float on the water, so that their eggs are seldom -dry while they are set on. 70. The LITTLE GREBE, _small diver_ or -_Dabchick_, is found in the rivers and broad waters here. 71. The SKUA -GULL, is sometimes found here in very hard winters. 72. The HERRING -GULL, is found here, but more commonly about Yarmouth. 73. The -BLACK-HEADED GULL, is here very plentiful. The eggs are used by the -country people in puddings, and otherwise. The birds are sometimes -brought to the markets in great number, and even sent to London. 74. The -GREATER FERN, or _Sea Swallow_, is a neat white and fork-tailed bird, but -much larger than a swallow. 75. The MAY CHITT, is a small dark-grey -bird. It comes in great plenty into Marshland in May, and stays about a -month, seldom beyond six weeks. It is fatter than most birds of its -size, and accounted excellent eating. 76. The CHURRE, another small -bird, is frequently taken among the preceding. 77. The WHINNE BIRD, is -marked with five yellow spots, and is less than a wren. 78. The CHIPPER. -This somewhat resembles the former; comes here in the spring, and feeds -on the first buddings of birches and other early trees.—To all these may -be added, 79. The NIGHTINGALE, which is here a constant visitor. 80. 81. -82. The SWALLOW, MARTIN, and SWIFT. Also a variety of FINCHES, and -likewise of DIVING-FOWL, _mustela fusca_, _and mustela variegata_, so -called from the resemblance they have to the head of a -weesel.—Stockdoves, or wild pigeons, are here found in great numbers; and -so are Pheasants, Snipes, and Woodcocks. {200} The Magpie likewise and -the Owl are found among the birds of this country.—Not to mention the -Blackbird, the Thrush, the Yellow-hammer, the Wagtail, the Titmouse, the -Sparrow, the Wren, the Redbreast, and others that are common to most -parts of this kingdom. - -Many rare plants are said to be found in some parts of this country; but -as no good botanist is known to reside here, or to have drawn up a -catalogue of them, they cannot be now enumerated. The neighbourhood of -_East Winch_ is thought to be one very good spot for botanizing. - - -SECTION VI. - - -_Brief account of places before omitted_, _in the vicinity of Lynn_, _on -this eastern side of the -Ouse—Sechey—Runcton—Downham—Denver—Helgay—Southery—Feltwell—Methwold— -Stoke_, _&c._ _Feltwell -New-Fen-District—Fincham—Swaffham—Babingley—Sharnborne—Great -Malthouse—Hunston light-house_, _&c._ - -Before we conclude this chapter, and this first part the work, it may not -be improper, or unacceptable to the reader, to take some notice of a few -of the most remarkable places on this side, that have been omitted in the -preceding pages. We shall begin with - -SECHEY, {201} commonly called _Sech_, a small market town, which lies -about three miles from Lynn, to the south, on the Downham and London -road. Anciently it belonged to the Lords Bardolf, as apart of their -manor of north Runcton. In 33. Hen. III. the then Lord Bardolf had a -charter of free warren here, with a weekly market on Mondays, and two -fairs annually. Afterwards it passed, with the rest of the said manor, -to the Earl of Warwick, who in the reign of James I. had a grant of a -market here every fortnight, on Tuesdays, for fat cattle. It seems -rather doubtful, if these markets were originally kept every other -Tuesday _throughout the year_: at least it is said not to have been the -case for many years past, but only for some of the latter months of the -year. They begin at the dawn of day, and are generally over pretty early -in the morning. They are also said to be well attended by butchers and -graziers from different parts of the country, and sometimes from a -considerable distance, even as far as Norwich, or further, and also from -Lincolnshire.—The river is navigable, for lighters, a considerable way up -into the country beyond this place. Sechey is in the parish of _North_ -Runcton; some miles from which, in a southerly direction lies the church -of _South_ Runcton, now in a dilapidated state. This ruin presents a -semicircular east end of what has been thought an _ancient Saxon_ church, -and is believed to be the remains of one given to St. Edmund, in the -reign of Canute.—Of the reasonableness and tenability of this belief, -some doubts, perhaps, may be justly entertained. The said ruin has -certainly the appearance of considerable antiquity, but that appearance, -together with its uncommon and semicircular form, will not be quite -sufficient to satisfy every one, that it is altogether as old as the days -of Canute, or that it has actually stood the brunt and braved the blasts -of near a thousand winters.—A few miles further on, in the same -direction, is - -DOWNHAM, or _Market Downham_, as it is sometimes called. {203} It is -pleasantly situated on the side of a hill, and upon the Ouse, over which -it has a good bridge. It had heretofore two weekly markets, Mondays and -Saturdays, but that is no longer the case; the latter only are now to be -considered as its proper market days, on which the town is said to be -well supplied with fish and wild fowl, from the adjacent fens. Downham -was formerly celebrated for its great butter market, which used to be -kept near the bridge, every _Monday_, and which it seems, has before now -supplied London with the immense quantity of ninety thousand firkins in a -year. From its being sent by way of Cambridge, it obtained the name of -Cambridge butter. These markets have been discontinued, and the butter -is now taken for sale to Swaffham. It is said that the privilege of a -market was granted to Downham by Edward the confessor, and that its -principal manor, with the whole hundred, were given by king Edgar to -Ramsey Abbey, whose abbot, as we are further informed, was authorized by -King John to hold a fair here. By Henry III. he was invested with the -additional authority to try and execute malefactors at his “gallows of -Downham.”—Some monastic buildings, and particularly a _priory_ of -Benedictine monks, stood formerly near the church.—There is in this town -a small dissenting congregation, the chapel belonging to which, was -erected in the early part of the last century. In 1801 the town and -whole parish of Downham contained 278 houses, and 1512 inhabitants. - -Further on, in a low situation, is DENVER, a large village, noted as the -birth place of _Dr. Robert Brady_, the English historian. The church is -a mean structure, built of _Car_, _or rag-stone_, _camerated_ with -_wooden_ pannells, and covered with _reed_, or _thatch_. Near to this -place is _Denver Sluice_, termed the grand _erratum_ in our fen -improvements.—Not far from Denver and Downham lies the village of -_Helgay_, said by some authors {204} to be regularly infested, every six -or seven years, by an incredible number of field mice, which, like -locusts, would infallibly devour all the corn of every kind, but for the -friendly, seasonable, and effectual interposition of a prodigious flight -of owls from Norway, which never fail to arrive that year, and stay till -they have totally destroyed those mischievous vermin: after which they -quietly depart, re-cross the seas, and return to their native forests, -attended by the veneration and benediction of all the good people of -Helgay, who had derived from them, the most essential benefit, without -the least mixture of detriment; as they had, during their whole stay, -meddled with no one thing in the place, but the mice.—Such is the -substance and purport of this curious story, whose questionable and -improbable appearance might be supposed more than sufficient to prevent -its being ever passed upon the public as a matter of fact. That, -however, has not been the case: it has been therefore introduced here for -the purpose of exhibiting it in its true light, as a lying tale, that -those credulous people who have been imposed upon, and misled by others, -may be undeceived. - -Beyond Helgay are the villages of _Southery_, _Feltwell_, _Methwold_, -_Northwold_, _Stoke-ferry_, _Wereham_, _West Dereham_, _&c._ some of them -of pretty large size and population. _West Dereham Abbey_ was formerly a -place of no small note, and founded as early as 1188. At the dissolution -it went into private hands, and about the close of the 17th. century it -was the seat of Sir Thomas Dereham, a diplomatic character. More -recently it has successively been the seat of Sir Simeon Stuart, and Lord -Montrath. _Wereham_ in former times was possessed by the _Clares_, who -then ranked high among the English barons; and it was the head lordship -of what was, and still is called the _honor of Clare_, of which several -neighbouring manors were held. Those great lords had here a _prison_, -and of course a _gallows_ also; which indicate the great sway they once -bore in these parts.—These places lie in and about a remarkable drainage -tract, called _the Feltwell new fen district_, which, like the river -Nene, has proved a very unfortunate concern to many of those whose -property had been unhappily entrusted in the hands of its commissioners. -Suspicions of some disreputable doings are said to have been entertained -respecting both the above concerns, which will probably deter many from -affording any pecuniary aid to the projected Eau-brink Cut, lest it -should turn out, or be managed as badly:—if indeed the present formidable -opposition to it should finally fail to effect its entire relinquishment: -an event which many seem to consider as not at all improbable.—Northerly -from these parts is the village and parish of _Fincham_. In that parish -church is a square font, supposed to have belonged to the old church, -which is mentioned in Domesday-book.—Further on, in the same direction, -and the most considerable place that way, is - -SWAFFHAM. This respectable town stands on high ground, upon a dry -gravelly soil, and in a situation that seems greatly favourable to health -and longevity. Its streets are wide and airy, and the buildings -distributed over a considerable space of ground. The houses are -generally neat, and many of them large and handsome, inhabited by wealthy -and genteel families. The market-hill is pleasant and spacious, on which -was erected in 1783 an elegant cross, by the Lord Orford of that time. -The market is on Saturday, and plentifully supplied with good provisions. -The great butter-market, formerly kept at Downham, is now kept here. The -town stands so high, that some of the wells are said to be fifty-yards -deep. A handsome assembly-room has been erected on the west side of the -market-hill, in which subscription assemblies are held every month. But -the chief public structure of the town is the _Church_, a large and fine -edifice, built at different times, in the reigns of Henry VI. Edward IV. -and Henry VII. It is in the form of a cathedral, and consists of a nave -and two ailes, with two transepts on the south side, one to the north, -and a lofty well proportioned tower, which is surmounted with enriched -embrasures, and purfled pinnacles. The nave is very lofty, having -twenty-six cleristory windows, and its inner roof ornamented with carved -wood, figures of angels, bosses, &c. The north aile and steeple, are -said to have been built by one _John Chapman_, stated, but erroneously it -seems, to have been a _travelling tinker_; and who is also reported to -have been Church-warden in 1460.—In 1800 the houses of Swaffham amounted -to 452, and the population to 2220. Formerly there was here a rector and -a vicar; the latter presented by the former; so that the rectory was a -_Sinecure_, and probably a very rich one. The patronage of the vicarage -is in the bishop of Norwich.—Near this town is an extensive heath, which -forms a convenient race-ground. The races here are held about -michaelmas. Coursing matches are also frequent here, and the -_greyhounds_ are as regularly entered for the purpose, and placed under -the same restrictions as _running-horses_. {207a} - -Further on, between Swaffham and the sea-coast, there are not many places -that seem to demand very particular notice. _Babingley_ and -_Sharnborne_, which both lie that way, are traditionally reported to -contain the sites of the two first christian places of worship among the -East-Anglians, and supposed to have been erected in the seventh century. -In the same way lies _Snettisham_, a large village, said to have been -formerly a town, with a weekly market on Fridays. Here also have been -dug up several of those instruments, in the shape of hatchet-heads, with -handles to them, usually denominated celts, {207b} which, if taken to be -British, as is most generally thought, or even Roman, as has been judged -by others, most denote that Snettisham is a place of no inconsiderable -antiquity. _Brancaster_ has been already noticed, as once a famous Roman -station; and it may be here added, that it has of late years attracted no -small attention on account of its _great malt house_, built with a view -to the export trade, and supposed to be the largest edifice of that kind -in the kingdom; being 312 feet in length, by 31 in breadth, and furnished -with all the necessary offices and conveniences for conducting the -malting process on a large scale: 420 quarters of barley, are said to -have been there wetted weekly, during the malting season. - -To the west of Brancaster and the said great malt-house, and not far off, -is the village of _Hunstanton_, or _Hunston_, as it is most commonly -called: near to which, on a cliff, overlooking Lynn Roads and the -entrance into Lynn Haven, and elevated ninety feet above high-water mark, -stands the _Hunston Light-house_, which is upon a different construction -from other English light-houses, and supposed superior to any of them. -It is lighted by lamps and reflectors, instead of coals, on a much -improved and very judicious plan, the merit of which is due to MR. WALKER -_of Lynn_, by whom it was invented, and under whose direction it was here -executed in 1778.—This light is communicated by 18 concave reflectors, -each of eighteen inches diameter. They are fixed upon two shelves, one -placed over the other in such a manner that the strongest light may be -seen where it is most wanted. In the N by E direction a strong light is -necessary for ships to avoid the dangerous sands and shoals on the -Lincolnshire coast; here therefore are placed seven reflectors in the -space of two points of the compass, which will appear at some distance as -one light. In other directions a weaker light is sufficient. A single -reflector, with a lamp of ten single threads of cotton placed in the -focus of the curve, which is a parabola, will appear, at 15 miles -distance, larger than a star of the first magnitude:—that is, if the -glass be kept clean, and the lamp trimmed; otherwise, instead of light, -there will no doubt be found obscurity, for which no blame can attach to -the projector. {209} - -This house remained for many years the only one of the kind in the United -Kingdom; but about the year 1787, several others, on the same plan, were -erected on the coast of Scotland, as appears by the following extracts -from one of the provincial papers of that time.— - - “NORTHERN LIGHT-HOUSES. An Act of Parliament was obtained a few - years ago, by some gentlemen in Edinburgh, impowering them to erect - four Light-houses on the Northern parts of Great Britain. In - consequence of which the Trustees made diligent enquiry into the - several modes of erecting lights for the use of mariners, at sea. - These enquiries were made not only in this kingdom, but in foreign - parts, that their intended erection might be made on the best - principles. In September, 1786, the then Lord Provost of Edinburgh - applied to Mr. Ezekiel Walker of Lynn in Norfolk, for his opinion in - the construction of them. Mr. Walker’s answer to his lordship’s - enquiry, and the plan projected in it, gave such general satisfaction - to the Trustees, that they unanimously resolved on constructing and - lighting them on his principle; and in the spring of 1787, the work - was begun accordingly. The first of these lights stands on - _Kinnard’s Head_, [in the county of Aberdeen;] the second on _north - Ranaldshaw_, the northernmost of the Orkney Islands; the third on the - _point of Scalpa_ in the isle of Herris; and the fourth on the _Mull - of Kyntire_, which may be seen in Ireland.” {211} - - _Cumberland Packet of Sept._ 10. 1788. - -In the same paper, of Dec. 9. 1789, appeared the following passage— - - “_Light-houses_. The excellent method of erecting light-houses - prescribed by Mr. E. Walker is now sufficiently proved. That it - produces a _strong light_ is well known, but that this desirable - object is attained at a small expence of _oil_, can only come under - the inspection of a few; however one argument, even in favour of this - is now made public. The Commissioners for erecting four light-houses - on the northern parts of Great Britain obtained another Act the last - session of Parliament, authorizing them to erect a _fifth_: “For the - light-house on the south west point of the Mull of Kyntire is found - to be of the greatest importance to the navigation of ships passing - to and from the _north_ channel; but not to ships passing to and from - the Firth of Clyde through the _south_ channel. It is for the - security of ships navigating this _south_ channel that the - commissioners purpose erecting another light-house on the island of - ARRAN, or upon the little island of PLADA, near the same; which is to - be done _without any increase of the duties_ authorised to be levied - by the former act.”—This act also authorizes the commissioners to - erect other light-houses on the coast of Scotland, whenever the - produce of the present duties on the tonage of ships will enable them - so to do.—This at once justifies the decided opinion of the - commissioners in favour of Mr. Walker’s projection, and pronounces - the most unequivocal encomium on his abilities.” - -Being now about to close our remarks on the country about Lynn, it may be -here noted, in regard to Marshland and the fenny parts in general, that -so little care appears to have been taken there to counteract, or guard -against the natural insalubrity of the country, and promote the health of -the inhabitants, that not a few of the older dwelling-houses, and -particularly those of the cottagers, and lower classes, have their floors -actually underground, or below the surface of the land on the outside. -This can be said to furnish but a very indifferent sample or specimen of -the boasted wisdom of our ancestors. Those of the present generation, -however, cannot with much good grace blame them on this occasion, while -they are themselves at the expence and pains of keeping up and repairing -those same unhealthful dwellings. Our new houses indeed are generally, -if not always constructed upon a much better plan; and that may be said -to be one of the few things in which we appear to exceed our forefathers. -In other things we certainly fall short of them, and act our parts much -worse than they would have done—even so much worse, that they would -unquestionably have blushed for, and despised us, and that very justly, -had they foreseen some of our recent proceedings. - - _End of Part_ I. - - - - -HISTORY OF LYNN, PART II. - - -OF THE ORIGIN AND ANTIQUITY OF LYNN, WITH A SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY FROM -ITS FIRST RISE TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST. - - - -CHAP. I. - - -Of Lynn while Britain formed a part of the Roman Empire. - - -SECTION I. - - -_The present town_, _or borough of Lynn_, _of no great antiquity—its site -not the same with that of the original town—the probable site of the -latter_, _and era of its origin_. - -What is now called _Lynn_, _Lynn Regis_, or the _Borough of King’s Lynn_, -is generally considered as a place of no very high antiquity. It arose -probably during the Heptarchy, out of the ruins of the old town, though -not built on the same spot, and must soon have become a place of no small -consideration in the kingdom of the East Angles, as may very reasonably -be concluded, from the convenience of its situation for trade and -commerce. We hear not much of it, however till after the conquest, when -it presently appears as a place of growing importance, under the -direction and management of its new French masters, the enterprising -companions and agents of the successful Norman adventurer, the Bonaparte -of the eleventh century. - -But though no traces can be discovered of the existence of a town on the -_eastern_ side of the river, prior to the time of the Heptarchy, it is -more than probable, that there was a town on the opposite, or _western_ -side, long anterior to that period. That town has not yet entirely -disappeared. It may still be recognized in the little village called -_Old Lynn_; a name which plainly indicates, that the original town must -have stood there. It is well known that the town on the eastern side was -formerly called _New Lynn_, or rather _New LEN_, and that the other was -then distinguished from it by the name of _Old Len_. No good reason can -be assigned for this, but that the latter was the original town, known by -the name of _Len_ long before the other had any existence. The attempt -made by Spelman, Parkin, and others to elude this conclusion is weak and -frivolous. It does not appear that there ever has been any period, since -the eastern, or modern town existed, when the inhabitants did not apply -the name of _Old Len_, or _Old Lynn_ to the other. There can therefore -be no manner of doubt, but that it is to this same old Lynn we are to -look for the site of the ancient and original town. It is probable, -indeed, that that town might extend much nigher to the spot now occupied -by the present town, than what the village of Old Lynn now does, as the -bed of the river was formerly very narrow, compared with what it is at -present; and the waters are allowed to have made considerable -encroachments on the western shore. When, and by whom the original town -was founded, as well as, what may be the true etymology, or real meaning -of its name, are points that are involved in no small obscurity, and -cannot, therefore, be very easily and clearly settled, or ascertained. -It seems, however, highly probable, if not certain, as shall be shewn by -and by, that it took its name from its marshy situation, and was founded -by the Romans, at the time when they undertook to drain the fen-country, -and rescue Marshland, by strong embankments, from the power and ravages -of the ocean. It may also pretty safely be concluded, that this must -have taken place within the first century of the christian era, and -probably in the reign of Nero, if not in that of Claudius. {215} The -foundation of Lynn may therefore be considered as coeval with the first -introduction of Christianity into this island; which was nearly if not -quite 1750 years ago: and though this fixes the origin of Lynn at a -pretty remote period, and much beyond what has hitherto been supposed, -yet it seems to be supported by no small degree of probability. - - -SECTION II. - - -_A short digression relating to the first Introduction of Christianity -into Britain—Bardism_. - -Having, at the close of the preceding section, suggested an opinion that -the origin of Lynn was coeval with the first Introduction of Christianity -into this country, it will not, it is presumed, be any way improper, or -unacceptable to the reader to offer here a few observations toward -ascertaining the time when the last mentioned event took place, -especially as all our English writers and antiquaries have left the -matter very much in the dark. - -_Gildas_, a writer of the sixth century, and the most ancient of all our -British historians, states that “the Gospel began to be published here -about the time of the memorable revolt and overthrow of the Britons under -Boadicea,” which happened in the year 60 or 61, and was followed by a -long interval of peace, which could not fail of proving favourable to the -introduction of the new religion and the general success of its -publishers. Speaking of the said revolt, together with its disastrous -termination and consequences, Gildas adds, “In the mean time, Christ, the -true Sun, afforded his rays, that is, the knowledge of his precepts, to -this Island, benumbed with extreme cold, having been at a great distance -from the sun; not the sun in the firmament, but the eternal sun in -heaven.” - -This account, given by Gildas, is remarkably corroborated by the _Triads -of the Isle of Britain_, which are ancient British documents of undoubted -credit, though but little known. {217a} From them we learn that the -famous _Caradoc_, or _Caractacus_, having been overthrown in the war, and -afterwards basely betrayed and delivered up to the Romans, by _Aregwedd -Voeddig_ (the _Cartismandua_ of Roman authors) was, together with his -father _Brân_, (or _Brennus_) and whole family, carried captive to Rome, -about the year 52, where they were detained seven years, or more. At -that time Rome enjoyed the preaching of the gospel, and Brân with others -of the family became converts to the christian religion. After the -expiration of their captivity, they returned home, and were the means of -introducing the knowledge of Christ among their countrymen: on which -account, Brân is called, one of the three holy sovereigns, and his -family, one of the three holy lineages of Britain. The Triads also have -preserved the names of three of the primitive christians who accompanied -Brân on his return to this country, and who were probably the very first -christian ministers that ever set foot on this island: one was an -Israelite of the name of _Ilid_; of the other two, one was called -_Cyndav_, and the other _Arwystli Hên_, or Arwystli the aged. {217b} -This account is very curious, and, in all probability, authentic. {217c} - -When Brân returned to his native country, it has been understood that -some of his family stayed behind and settled at Rome. Of them _Claudia_, -mentioned, along with _Pudens_ and _Linus_, in the second Epistle to -Timothy, is supposed to be one, and the very same with _Claudia the wife -Pudens_, mentioned by the poet _Martial_, who lived in those times, and -who celebrates her, in his Epigrams, as a _Briton_ of extraordinary -beauty, wit, and virtue. To this it has indeed been objected, that -Martial, living in the reign of _Trajan_, cannot be supposed to speak of -Paul’s Claudia, who flourished in the reigns of _Claudius_ and _Nero_. -But it might be urged in reply, that though he lived in Trajan’s reign, -he lived also, and resided at Rome, in the reign of _Vespasian_, if not -in that of _Nero_; and the Epigrams in which he mentions _Claudia_ might -be written in his younger years, when she was in the prime and bloom of -life. Some have made her to be the _daughter of Caractacus_, which seems -not at all unlikely. _Pomponia Græcina_, the wife of Aulus Plautius, -Claudius’ Lieutenant, and the first Roman Governor here, has also been, -thought a Briton and a christian, and one of the earliest British -Christians. Tacitus speaks of her as an illustrious lady, but accused -for having embraced a _strange_ and _foreign superstition_; {218} and -though he says she was acquitted, as to any thing immoral, yet he -represents her as leading ever after a _gloomy and melancholy kind of -life_: all which will strictly coincide with the idea of her being a -_christian_. Tacitus could conceive or express himself no otherwise of a -person dissenting from his own pagan tenets, or of a religion disallowed -by the Roman law, which was with him the standard of truth, rectitude, -and orthodoxy. The above accusation and trial of Pomponia Græcina took -place, it seems, while Nero and Calphurnus Piso were Consuls, and after -Paul had come to Rome the first time, and therefore she may not -unreasonably be supposed one of his converts. - -Other authorities render it highly probable, that some of those captives -had embraced Christianity during their residence at Rome; but the -_Triads_, above-mentioned, may be said to settle the point, and reduce -the matter to a certainty. They were documents formed on purpose to -preserve and perpetuate the memory of remarkable and interesting events; -of which sort may justly be considered, the conversion of Brân and -family, and their introducing Christianity into this island. There is -every reason to conclude, that the religion of the first British -Christians was venerably simple, pure, and perfect, like what appears in -the New Testament, and very widely different from that of the men of the -present generation. But this subject we will now drop, and resume the -thread of the narrative. {219} - - -SECTION III. - - -_The ancient history of Lynn continued—the town supposed to have been -founded by a colony of foreigners_, _introduced by the Romans—etymology -of its name—mistakes of Camden_, _Spelman_, _&c. pointed out_. - -The great project formed by the Romans of embanking, draining, and -improving these fens and marshes, is said to have been executed by a -foreign colony, {220} brought over and settled here for that purpose, -but, without doubt, powerfully assisted by the natives. This colony is -presumed to have been of Batavian or Belgic origin; for where could the -Romans have found a people so fit for their purpose as among the -inhabitants of a country that so much resembles this, and who must have -been, while at home, habituated to the work in which they were here to be -employed? The vicinity of those countries to this, and their then -subjection to the Romans, may be considered as further corroborating this -opinion. From the exposed situation of Marshland, and its lying next to -the inhabited part of the country, it may very reasonably be supposed, -that these colonists would begin their work there, and even on its -eastern side, about where Lynn now stands: and as they would immediately -want habitations, it is very natural to conclude, that the town of Old -Len, or Lynn, was built for, or by them, and that they were the very -people that gave it its _name_. These conclusions appear remarkably -countenanced and supported by that very name itself; for LEN, in the -_Celtic_ (or _Belgio-celtic_) dialect, or language, is said to signify a -_Fen_, _Morass_, or _Marsh_. {221} LEN, therefore, as they applied, or -used the word here, might mean a town by a morass, the town in the marsh, -or the chief town and mother town of Marshland and the Fens. This seems -to be, by far, the most tenable and satisfactory explanation of the name -of this ancient town, that has ever yet been offered or suggested. - -_Camden_ derives the name of Lynn from the British word _Llyn_, which -signifies _a lake_; but circumstances do not at all support that idea. -There was anciently at Lynn no very large collection of waters: its very -river was inconsiderable, consisting only of the water of the _Little -Ouse_, and the _Wissey_, together with that of the _Nar_, or Setch river, -formerly called _Len_, and sometimes _Sundringham Ea_. {222a} The very -harbour also, for many ages, was remarkably narrow. As to the waters -below, in the roads, “It is very unlikely that the Britons should call -them _Llyn_, (_i.e. Lake_,) a name which they never appear to have given -to similar collections of water: but if we were to admit, that they -actually gave that name to these waters, still it would seem exceedingly -improbable, that this place should derive its name from thence, any more -than _Rising_, or other towns that are situated near to the like -estuaries, or arms of the sea.” _Spelman’s_ conjectures on this point -are weaker and more untenable still. He would have the name to be -derived from the _Saxon Læn_, or _Lean_, signifying, as he says, a -_farm_, or _tenure in fee_; but which sense, according to _Hicks_, is -unusual: nor is it likely, as _Gough_ has observed, that this tenure -should be more particularized here than elsewhere. {222b} Equally futile -is what he further advances, “that _Len_ is Saxon for church-land; whence -_Ter Llen_, in Welsh, is church-land:” which is most strangely -confounding those two languages, as if the one had sprung from the other. -Nor is it strictly true, that _Ter llen_ in welsh means _church-land_, or -even that there is such a welsh word in being. _Tir llan_ might, indeed, -have such a meaning, but it does not seem to be ever used in that sense. -_Llen_ or _Llëen_, in that language, means _literature_, and not church; -and as an adjective, it means _literary_, _scholastic_, or _clerical_; -whence _gwyr llen_, or _llëen_, signifies the _clergy_, as _gwyr lleyg_, -or _lleygion_ does _the laity_. But all this can make nothing for -Spelman’s point, and it must, of course, fall to the ground.—That Lynn -ever went by the name _Maidenburg_, from saint Margaret the virgin, seems -to be another of the idle whimsies of dreaming antiquarians. Of all such -dreamers none perhaps ever exceeded _Parkin_, the continuator of -Blomefield the Norfolk historian: whenever he is at a loss for the -etymology of the name of any town or village, he generally refers to the -_British_, and pretends to explain it accordingly. Never is he more -ready or flippant than when speaking of the signification of British -words; of which, at the same time, he knew nothing at all. - - -SECTION IV. - - -_Lynn the mother-town of the Fens—further account of its supposed -founders and original inhabitants—remarkable works executed by them—great -improvers of the country—the account continued to the extinction of the -Roman power_. - -Lynn, as has been already suggested, was, in all probability, the very -first town built by the above mentioned colonists, and so the mother town -of that extensive country, which they were the means of recovering, -improving, and securing from the annoyance of the salt and stagnant -waters. Being their original dwelling place, it may naturally be -supposed, that it would continue afterward to be their principal -habitation or settlement, although in the progress of their work, and as -they advanced further on, other dwellings and villages would of course be -constructed and inhabited. Considering these people as originally from -Belgium or Batavia, than which nothing is more likely, it may from thence -be inferred, that the intercourse between Lynn and the Low Countries must -have been of very early origin. Some connection or traffick between -these colonists and their mother country may fairly be supposed to have -commenced from their very first settlement here: so that the trade and -intercourse between Lynn and the Netherlands may be concluded to be now -of above seventeen hundred years standing. - -Those industrious colonists seem not to have, in the least, disappointed -the hopes or expectations of their employers. They appear to have -carried on and executed the work with great diligence, skill, and -success. It is probable, as before hinted, that they began on the -eastern side of Marshland, (that being nighest the habitable or inhabited -part of the country, and where also their first town or settlement would -naturally be erected) and from thence extended their labours to Wisbeach, -and so on to the Marshes of Holland, in Lincolnshire, and other parts of -the country which they were to recover and improve. The Banks which they -constructed in their progress were large, high, and firm, and such as -effectually secured the country from the incursion and depredation of the -sea. They are still known, in most places, and even on the eastern side -of the Ouse and in the vicinity of Lynn, by the name of the _Roman -Banks_. Nor does it appear that they were less judicious or successful -in their attempts to drain and improve the parts which they had so well -and effectually rescued from the Ocean’s destructive power; for by -accounts handed down from ancient writers, it would seem that the country -within their banks, at least a great part of it, was soon brought to an -admirable state of cultivation, improvement, and fertility, like another -paradise, and remained so for many ages. {225} - -Even _roads_, of considerable length and width, appear to have been made -by the same people in this new recovered and marshy country, constructed -of gravel of no small depth and breadth, and formed in a most masterly -manner: of which that leading from _Denver_ to _Peterborough_, or rather, -perhaps, to _Castor_, or _Caister_ in Northamptonshire, is a most -remarkable, and very striking instance. This road, according to -_Dugdale_ (as has been already observed in the _Introduction_) was -composed of gravel, three feet deep, and sixty wide: at present, it is -said to be covered with a moorish soil, from three to five feet thick. -The constructing of such a road, and carrying it for so many miles, -through a country almost totally destitute of gravel, stone, or any other -materials proper for road-making, which must therefore have been procured -from a vast distance, and with immense labour and difficulty, must have -been a very extraordinary and stupendous achievement. In comparison with -which, how puny are the efforts and performances of our modern -adventurers, or commissioners of roads, in this flat country! A proof of -this we have in the great Turnpike Road that leads from _St. German’s_ to -_Wisbeach_, where attempts have been making now for some years to cover -it with gravel, but hitherto with no very great effect. At any rate, it -must appear, that those ancient Colonists, introduced by the Romans, for -the purpose of recovering and improving this great fen-country, were -eminently qualified for the work in which they were employed, and ought -to be still held in grateful remembrance by the good people of England, -especially those of Marshland and the Fens, and esteemed among their very -best benefactors.—The merit of those works and improvements, however, -should not be _all_ ascribed to them: the _Romans_, who introduced, -employed, and maintained them, and who projected the undertaking, should -be allowed some share of it. Nor are the _natives_, or Britons, who -laboriously, powerfully, and effectually assisted in carrying on those -works and improvements, to be entirely overlooked or forgotten on this -occasion. The latter are said to have borne so large a share in those -laborious undertakings, as to occasion very serious complaints and -remonstrances from some of their countrymen to, and against the Romans, -as having cruelly exhausted their strength, by the excessive hardships -and fatigues they had been obliged to undergo in that service. Nor is -this at all incredible; for the Romans are known to have been often very -unfeeling, severe, and cruel task-masters to the nations they had -subdued. If the country was improved it was always at the expense of the -sweat and treasure, and not unfrequently of the groans and lives of its -inhabitants. - -The improvements begun in and about the fens, as well as in other parts -of the country, were probably in some measure attended to during the -whole continuance of the Roman power in this island. On the decline of -that power, and especially after the departure of the Roman legions, -there is reason to believe that they were neglected and relinquished. -The grievous and calamitous scenes which then ensued, would leave no room -or opportunity for such pursuits as could be attended to only in the -happy seasons of internal tranquillity. - -Although we have considered the original inhabitants of Lynn, Marshland, -and the Fens, as consisting for the most part of colonists from the -continent, we are probably not warranted to conclude, that they were in -fact, a Roman Colony, or invested with the rights and immunities of Roman -citizens. It may, however, be very reasonably supposed, that they were -favoured with some particular privileges, to which, indeed, they appear -to have been very justly entitled. But whatever they might be, it is not -likely that they enjoyed them for any great length of time after the -dissolution of the Roman government here: the country then soon fell a -prey to foreign and merciless invaders, and everything was involved in -universal confusion and ruin. - - - -CHAP. II. - - -On the immediate consequences of the abdication of the country by the -Romans, and the probable fate of Lynn. - - -SECTION I. - - -_Character of the Anglo-Saxons_, _with general observations on the -invasion and conquest of this country by them_, _and their barbarous -treatment of the inhabitants_. - -The Saxons, who soon succeeded the Romans in the possession of this -country, were never very remarkable for forming and encouraging projects -of improvement, or for cultivating the arts of peace. They were, indeed -a very different sort of people from the others, and possessed all their -bad qualities without any of their good ones. They had long been -distinguished as a fierce and lawless race, a nation of pirates, and -freebooters, like the modern _Algierines_, whose chief delight consisted -in predatory expeditions, and all manner of acts of violence and -brutality, which passed with them for national virtue, patriotism, and -military glory. - -Long before they had effected any settlement in Britain, they used to -make frequent descents upon the coast, particularly that of Norfolk, -Suffolk, and Essex. To guard against which, the Romans not only kept a -fleet cruising in these seas, but also built a chain of forts in the most -convenient places, which they had well garrisoned. These forts were nine -in number, and extended from Brancaster to Yarmouth, and thence down a -considerable way along the coast; and (as was before observed) the troops -here stationed, a good part of which consisted of cavalry, were under the -command of an officer called, _The Count of the Saxon shore_. This -provision, or precaution, however, proved, too often, but a very -imperfect security against the sudden inroads of those ancient and daring -marauders. {229} - -Of all the nations of the north, the Saxons appear to have been the most -barbarous and most sanguinary. The _Francs_, who conquered Gaul, were a -civilised people compared with them. Of the use of letters they were -totally ignorant. All knowledge that had not some affinity with piracy, -or tendency to improve their system of rapine and devastation, was by -them held in the utmost contempt and abhorrence. _Gildas_, who was born -but a few years after their arrival in this country, describes them as a -most fierce and detestable people, “a nation odious both to God and man.” -{231} They were invited here to assist the inhabitants in opposing the -incursions of the _Picts_ and _Scots_; but they soon turned their arms -against their infatuated employers, and converted the war into a system -of extermination. - -Their countrymen on the continent long retained the original character of -their nation. During many ages they continued preeminent for their -bloodthirsty disposition and savage manners. _Charlemagne_ subdued them, -after a thirty years war, and forced them to become converts to _his_ -Christianity, and submit to baptism; but their ferocity he did not -subdue, nor had their conversion any effect towards humanizing them. -They were, however, _called Christians_: which was like calling evil, -good, or Satan, an angel of light. These Saxon Christians, in the -twelfth century, quarrelled with the _Venedi_, a neighbouring nation, -because they objected against embracing _their_ Christianity, and refused -to renounce their own paganism, which they seemed to prefer, for its -cheapness. The former they found to be an institution attended with an -expence which they could but ill support. Bishoprics were to be erected, -with large revenues, Monasteries to be endowed, and an annual tribute, -under the name of tithes, to be paid by the whole country. Against this -the Venedi remonstrated, to Bernard Duke of Saxony, the christian -champion. They protested that they were very poor, and unable to bear -any heavy burden, such as providing for the maintenance of priests, and -especially for the dignity and parade of mitred prelates; that they were -fully determined to suffer any extremity, even to abandon their country -and state, rather than submit to so tyrannical an oppression. This firm -opposition of theirs to the will of the christian potentate, or rather -the Saxon tyrant, involved them in a long and bloody war, the final issue -of which was, their utter extirpation, by Henry Duke of Saxony, surnamed -the Lion, the great champion of the church on that occasion. The cruelty -with which he disgraced his victory, was horrible. Few revolutions in -history were attended with such circumstances of barbarity, or proved so -destructive to the ancient inhabitants. {232} Even Charlemagne, after he -had subdued the Saxons, by a long and bloody war, did not attempt to -destroy their whole race, but only transplanted a part, and the remainder -he endeavoured to reconcile to his empire by the establishment of his -Christianity. But the Saxons, by far more cruel than the Francs, were of -all conquerors the most destructive, extending the utmost rigour of the -sword against those who dared to contend with them for liberty or empire. - - “In the same ferocious manner, (says the historian) their ancestors - some centuries before had behaved in Britain, where they either - massacred or expelled the greatest part of the natives, who had - invited them over to their assistance. None of the other nations - that overran the Roman Empire behaved with such cruelty to the - conquered inhabitants, or were inflamed with such rancour and - animosity, as to attempt to convert those provinces into deserts. - The Goths, the Burgandians, the Lombards, instead of massacring the - Romans in cold blood, and endeavouring to extirpate their whole race, - enacted very just laws in favour of those people, in consequence of - which the Romans and those fierce barbarous, their conquerors, were - considered in the same light as fellow citizens. _Theodorick_ king - of Italy, a Gothic prince, upon sending an army into Gaul, makes use - of these words to his general, which deserve to be inscribed on - pillars of brass, “Let other kings delight in the plunder and - devastation of the towns they have subdued; we are desirous to - conquer in such a manner, that our new subjects shall lament their - having fallen too late under our government.” {233} - -How much happier had it been for the Britons to have been invaded by -Theodorick than by the Saxons! - -From the above account of the character of the ancient Saxons, one may be -enabled to form a pretty just, but shocking idea of the miseries in which -they involved the wretched inhabitants of this country, and those of Lynn -and its vicinity among the rest. The exterminating war which they here -waged, and the horrid devastation which attended their successful -progress, have been recorded by Gildas, who himself lived at that -eventful period, and must have been an eye-witness to no small portion of -the direful events which he describes. Nothing can exceed the tragical -description he gives of the diabolical and destructive operations of -those brutal invaders. He represents the whole country, and especially -the western parts, near to which he chiefly resided, as entirely laid -waste with fire and sword, and the inhabitants massacred wherever they -could be found. Of the wretched remnant, some fled to foreign countries, -others retired to the mountains, or hid themselves in deserts and -fastnesses, where, however, they could not long remain:—drawn forth by -the pressing calls of hunger and famine, multitudes were forced to -surrender to the merciless foe, begging that their lives might be spared, -on the abject and miserable condition of submitting to perpetual slavery. -Even of these not a few appear to have been instantly consigned to -destruction. {234a} Others, however, were spared; and from them, in all -probability, sprung the _Servi_, or slaves, with which the country -abounded for many ages after. {234b} Some of the wretched inhabitants -were so fortunate as to make their escape to their countrymen, either in -_Wales_, or in _Devon_ and _Cornwall_, or else in _Cumberland_ and the -northern parts, where they made a noble stand, and long maintained their -liberty and independence. - - -SECTION II. - - -_Of the_ ANGLES, _from whom England_, _and the English language derive -their names_—_they seize on the parts about Lynn_, _and the whole -province of the ancient_ ICENI, _which receives the denomination of East -Anglia_, _and forms one of the kingdoms of the Heptarchy—revival of Lynn -in the mean time—with remarks on the adjacent country_. - -Those Saxon conquerors of our island consisted of different clans, or -tribes, one of which went by the name of _Angles_; and though they are -not generally supposed to have composed the principal or most numerous -part of the invaders, yet it so happened, that the whole of the conquered -country and also the language of its new inhabitants took their names -from them. They took possession of the ancient country, or province of -the Iceni, and there founded the kingdom of East Anglia, or of East -Angles, comprehending the present counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, -Cambridge, and Huntingdon, which made some figure among its sister -kingdoms in the time of the Heptarchy. The kingdom of Mercia and that of -Northumberland also, it seems, were inhabited by the same people. - -Of Lynn, during that dark and disastrous period, no account has been -preserved. It was probably destroyed by those merciless invaders, during -their long and bloody contest with the ill fated natives, along with many -other towns, all over the country, which certainly met the same fate. -{236} At what time it revived, or rose again into existence, is no where -recorded. But from the convenience and advantage of its situation it may -be supposed to have done so pretty soon after the government of the -East-Angles had assumed a settled form, and acquired a competent or -tolerable share of stability. That it existed under the East-Anglian -kings, seems a very natural and credible supposition; but whether it -stood then on the western side only, or on both sides of the river, -cannot now be ascertained. Under the Saxon princes that succeeded the -dissolution of the Heptarchy, it is well known to have extended to the -eastern shore of the river; and it is then, most probably, that we are to -date the origin of the present town or borough of Lynn. In the time of -Edward, called the confessor, we find it a place of trade and -considerable note; a plain proof that it must have been in being, and -growing into consequence a good while before that period. It belonged -then to _Ailmar_, bishop of Elmham, and his brother _Stigand_, archbishop -of Canterbury, when blind superstition and ecclesiastical servility may -naturally be supposed to have been among the principal or most -distinguished characteristics of its inhabitants. It continued afterward -under episcopal domination and ghostly discipline till the memorable -reign of Henry VIII. who thought proper to take into his own hands that -power or supremacy which was before vested in the bishops. In -consequence of which, it has ever since been called KING’S _Lynn_, -instead of BISHOP’S _Lynn_, which was its former appellation: an -appellation, by the bye, which will serve further to corroborate the -idea, that it was formerly the deleterious abode of priest-ridden -credulity and ecclesiastical thraldom. Indeed it may be said to have -been long distinguished for illiberality, intolerance, and a persecuting -spirit: and it must appear somewhat remarkable, that the very first -person taken up and burnt, in England, under that diabolical law, _De -hæretico comburendo_, was a Lynn man, as was also the last, or one of the -very last that underwent persecution for nonconformity under the infamous -_conventicle Act_: The former was one of the preachers belonging to St. -Margaret’s Church, in the reign of _Henry IV._ and the latter a licenced -dissenting minister in that of _William_ III. Of each of them a more -particular account shall be given in its proper place. - -Not only Lynn, but most, if not all, of the adjacent towns and villages -appear to have been in being long before the conquest. They are noticed -in the celebrated old record, called _Domesday_, as places then in -existence, and seemingly of long standing and remote origin. They had, -in all probability, been erected and inhabited many ages before that -period, though it seems not likely that many of their present names, or -those given them in the Domesday book, are to be traced to a British -origin, as Parkin and others pretend. {238a} - -That Lynn had become a place of considerable trade in the Saxon times, or -before the Norman invasion, is evident from unquestionable existing -documents. It had then a toll-booth, and enjoyed certain duties and -customs, payable on the arrival of any goods or merchandise, of which the -bishop was in full possession of a moiety. This episcopal privilege is -supposed to have been as early as the conversion of the East Angles, and -establishment of Christianity among them. The town continued daily to -flourish and acquire increasing importance; and at an early period after -the conquest, one of the writers of that time calls it, “a noble city,” -on account of its trading and commercial magnificence. {238b} This was -at a period when Hull did not exist, and when Liverpool, if it did exist, -was but a very obscure and insignificant place. - - -SECTION III. - - -_Of the Saltworks formerly at and about Lynn—paucity of appropriate -materials—apology_. - -The vicinity of Lynn in the Saxon times, and long after, appears to have -been remarkable for its numerous Saltworks. {239a} At Gaywood alone, in -the Confessor’s time, there were no less than _thirty_ Salt pans, or -pits. {239b} The Salt springs of Droitwich, Nantwich, Northwich, &c. -were then, it seems, not so much attended to as to afford a supply to the -distant parts of the kingdom. The people of these parts were therefore -obliged to manufacture their own salt. To what extent the work was -carried on, or what quantity was generally, or annually produced, cannot -now be ascertained. Nor are we informed of the particular mode, or -process adopted and pursued in carrying on this ancient manufactory. It -was, probably, pretty simple and not very unlike that used in latter -times in the salt-works of South-town, by Yarmouth, and at other places. -By the great number of Salt-works then at Lynn, or in its neighbourhood, -it seems probable, that a considerable part of the adjacent country, and -the interior districts, were supplied from thence with that necessary -article: which might easily, even at that early period, be conveyed -thither, by means of the inland navigation, which always gave to Lynn the -vast advantage of a free and easy intercourse with all those places, -however distant, that are situated near the banks, or in the -neighbourhood of its numerous rivers. The Salt manufactured here was -made, it seems, from the sea water which the tides brought up to the -town, and which must have been, of course, much less salt, and less fit -for the purpose than the water found below in the roads, or at sea: it -appears therefore rather odd, that those salt-works should be placed so -far up the country, or so distant from the sea: and yet so it was; every -village and hamlet, almost, had then its Salt-work, or the moiety of one. -{240} Here it may be proper to observe, that, at the periods of which we -have been speaking, salt was not an article of revenue, and must -therefore have been a pretty cheap commodity compared to what it is now, -when the duty laid upon it by government is said to be above ten times -its prime, or original cost. - -In attempting to give an account of the state of things at Lynn during -the period which we are now contemplating, almost all our light must be -borrowed from the general history of the kingdom in the mean while, as -the paucity of materials, relating particularly to this town, leaves us, -for the most part, no other clew for our guidance. The reader must not -therefore be displeased with the method here generally pursued, in -exhibiting the state or history of Lynn under its East-Anglian and -Anglo-Saxon sovereigns. - - - -CHAP. III. - - -Of the religious profession of the first Anglian inhabitants of -Lynn—their renouncing heathenism, and assuming the christian name—account -of their conversion, and character of their Christianity. - - -SECTION I. - - -_Heathenism the religion of the first inhabitants of this town after its -revival_, _or restoration_, _under the East-Anglian government—they_, -_and the rest of the East Angles_, _together with the other branches of -the Heptarchy_, _become professors of Christianity—account of their -conversion_. - -The inhabitants of Lynn, after it had been rebuilt and repeopled by its -Anglian masters, appear to have been blind heathens, and gross idolaters; -for when the Angles, or Anglo-Saxons seized upon this country, and -founded the East-Anglian kingdom, they were a nation of pagans, -worshippers of _Thor_ and _Woden_, and the rest of the miserable objects -of northern, or Scandinavian adoration; and so continued till the seventh -century. At that period, one of their princes, named _Sigebert_, having -lived sometime in exile among the Francs, was there converted to -Christianity. At his restoration to his kingdom, he brought over with -him one _Felix_, a Burgundian priest, who was employed in recommending to -the people the religion of their sovereign, in which he appears not to -have been unsuccessful. He was consequently appointed the first bishop -of the East Angles, and had his see fixed at _Soham_, {242} in -Cambridgeshire, and afterwards at _Domnoc_, or _Dunwich_, in Suffolk. He -is said to have taken no small pains in promoting the conversion of the -inhabitants; and the parts about Lynn seem to have engaged a considerable -share of his attention. In these very parts he is reported to have -commenced his labours, which issued in the conversion of the whole -country. Tradition gives to _Babingley_, by Lynn, the honour of being -the place where he first landed, and where was erected the very first -christian chapel, or place of worship among the East Angles. The second -edifice of the same description is said to have been erected at -_Sharnborn_, in the same neighbourhood. At what time the first place of -that sort was built at Lynn, cannot now be determined; but it seems very -probable that it must have been as early, at least, as the middle part of -the seventh century. It cannot, however be said, that the Christianity -then introduced was of any great value. The national character was not -much, if at all, mended by it; and the people still remained grossly -ignorant, profligate, and savage. What they wanted in rational piety and -real Christianity, they made up in stupid credulity, blind zeal, and -miserable superstition; and it had been well if their descendants had -always carefully avoided the imitation of their wretched and pernicious -example. - -It is somewhat remarkable that Christianity, as it was called, was not -received among the East-Angles till it had made considerable progress in -most of the other kingdoms of the Heptarchy. In Kent it had been -received about the year 526, or soon after, by the ministry of _Austin_ -the monk: and even before that time, several years, some of the Kentish -people had been brought to think favourably of that religion, by the -means of _Luidhart_, a French bishop, who had accompanied the princess -_Birtha_, daughter of Cherebert, king of Paris, upon her marriage with -Ethelbert the Kentish king. The conversion of the East Saxons took place -about the beginning of the seventh Century under the ministry of -_Mellitus_, their first bishop: and soon after, that of the -Northumbrians, where _Paulinus_ appeared as a very active and successful -labourer. - -Felix did not begin his labours among the East Angles till about the year -630, when that religion had made some progress in all the other kingdoms, -perhaps, except that of Mercia, which seems to have been the last of the -seven to adhere to the profession of paganism. The Mercians, however, -were afterwards converted, and their country, at one time, formed into an -archiepiscopal province, whose seat or metropolis was _Litchfield_. Thus -the different branches of the hierarchy were all, by degrees, nominally -christianized. Of the nature, character, and value of that Christianity, -a just and proper idea may be formed from the following representations. - - -SECTION. II. - - -_Effects of the conversion of the East-Angles_, _and the other -sister-kingdoms—character of their Christianity_. - -No sooner were the good people of this country converted from paganism -than _monkery_ began to be in great request among them. Many monasteries -were accordingly founded in all parts of England, which were quickly -crowded with inhabitants. A fondness for the monastic life is said to -have been here very much increased by an impious doctrine which began to -be broached and believed toward the close of the seventh century, “That -as soon as any person put on the habit of a monk, all the sins of his -former life were forgiven.” This is said to have engaged many princes -and great men (who are sometimes as great sinners as their inferiors) to -put on the monkish habit, and end their days in monasteries; which, -whatever it might be to themselves, was, probably, no mighty loss to -their subjects and vassals, or to the world. - -Another remarkable feature in the character of the English christians of -the seventh and following centuries, was an extravagant veneration for -_relics_; in which the Romish priests drove then a very gainful trade, as -few good christians thought themselves safe from the perils or disasters -of life, and the machinations of the devil, unless they carried about -them the relics of some paint: nor could any church be dedicated without -a decent or certain quantity of the same sacred and precious ware. {244} - -Stories of _dreams_, _visions_, and _miracles_ were also propagated -without a blush, by the clergy, and believed without a doubt, by the -laity. Extraordinary _watchings_, _fastings_, and other arts of -tormenting the body in order to save the soul, became frequent and -fashionable; and it began to be believed in the seventh century, that a -journey to Rome was a most meritorious undertaking, and even, of all -others, the most direct road to heaven.—Such was the christianity of the -good people of Lynn and the rest of their countrymen in those days. - -In the eighth century the humour of making pilgrimages to Rome, and of -retiring into monasteries, still increasing, _Coinred_ king of Mercia, as -_Henry_ informs us, laid down his sceptre, and took up the pilgrim’s -staff, in 709, and travelled to Rome, accompanied by _Offa_, a young -prince of the royal family of the East-Saxons, where they both became -monks. Not long after, _Ina_, the warlike and victorious king of the -West Saxons imitated their example, and ended his days in a cloister at -Rome, where he founded a house for the entertainment of English pilgrims, -and the education of English youth. - -Great numbers of _nuns_ also, and other English women, were among those -devout pilgrims who then travelled to Rome: but we have the testimony of -_Winfred_, alias _Boniface_, archbishop of Mentz, who lived at that -period, that they were generally debauched before they returned, and even -that many of them became common prostitutes in the cities of France and -Italy: he therefore exhorts and charges his friend _Cuthbert_, then -archbishop of Canterbury, to put a speedy stop to these scandalous female -pilgrimages. - -The religious prayers and songs, which constituted the church service, -were then all in _Latin_, and so not understood by the common people, who -were therefore directed by the 27th. canon of the first council of -Cloveshoos, or Cliff, in Kent, {246} held in 747, to affix any meaning -they pleased to the words in their own minds, and to pray in their hearts -for any or every thing they wanted, no matter how foreign to the real -sense of the public prayers. A curious salvo, says _Henry_, for the -absurd practice of praying in an unknown tongue. The same canon contains -also the following short form of _prayer_, _for the dead_; “Lord, -according to the greatness of thy mercy, grant rest to his soul, and for -thy infinite pity, vouchsafe to him the joys of eternal light with thy -saints.” - -Some of the nobility, or great men of that time, not very fond, it seems, -of going themselves through all the fastings and prayers enjoined them by -their confessors, would fain be allowed to have the service performed by -proxy: and it appears that they actually hired and employed poor people -to fast and pray in their stead. It was, certainly, a very notable as -well as convenient device, and became, it seems, pretty fashionable, -though it is said not to have the good fortune of obtaining the -approbation of the said council of Cloveshoos. {247a} - -A late historian, {247b} alluding to this period, observes, “that long -fasting was then ordered frequently; but as the wealthy might abstain by -proxy, a seven years fast might be performed in three days, if the -principal could prevail with 840 persons each to take his share. This -concise plan of atonement for crimes, (he adds) was condemned solemnly at -the council of Cloveshoos; but the decree was disregarded.” The practice -therefore seems to have gone on unchecked, notwithstanding the decree of -that council. It was not to be expected that so convenient a custom -could be very easily abolished. It may be worth while to inquire, -whether it had in it, after all, any greater absurdity, than there is in -the present practice of the _infants_ at the font, making a confession of -their faith _by proxy_. - -Towards the latter part of the above period, a law was enacted, enjoining -every priest to learn some handycraft, or manual occupation: which might -be very useful; at least, it could do no harm. Another law enjoined, -that they should all be capable of repeating the _Creed_, and the _Lord’s -prayer_: which also might be very right and proper; but it indicates that -learning was then at a very low ebb among the English clergy. We learn, -however, that in the reign of _Ethelred_, styled _the unready_, a mission -was sent from hence to Norway, at the request of the king of that -country, to convert the Norwegians and Swedes to the christian religion, -and that the archbishop of York, and other divines, actually went over on -that occasion, and met with great success; though some of them afterwards -are said to have suffered martyrdom; which seems rather odd, if the king, -as above suggested, was their patron. Whatever their learning might be, -their zeal must have been highly commendable and exemplary. - - -SECTION III. - - -_Christianity of the ancient inhabitants of Lynn_, _and of this country_, -_further characterized—whether very materially improved during the reign -of Alfred—remarks on that reign—papal instructions to the first -missionaries_. - -Ignorance and superstition, instead of diminishing, appear to have -increased in England, during the_ eighth_ century. Pilgrimages to Rome -became far more frequent, and were attended with worse effects than -formerly; the rage of retiring to monasteries became more violent in -persons of all ranks, to the ruin of every useful art; the clergy became -more knavish and rapacious, and the laity more abject and stupid, than at -any former period: of which the trade of relics, then at its height, and -which can never be carried on, but between knaves and fools, is a -sufficient evidence. - -During the memorable reign of the celebrated Alfred, the state of -religion has been supposed to have improved; but how far we are warranted -to admit, or carry that idea, does not seem very clear. Alfred was, -doubtless, a most excellent prince, as may fairly and justly be inferred -from that notable clause in his Will, “that the English had an undoubted -right to be free as their own thoughts,” and particularly from his so -greatly magnifying, and acting upon that never to be forgotten precept of -Christ, “to do unto others as we would have others do unto us;” not to -mention the many other notable and commendable deeds ascribed to him: -{249} but that he was instrumental in very materially reforming, or -improving the religion of his country, appears rather doubtful, if not -improbable. His altering the Ten Commandments, leaving out the _second_, -and adding another, to humour the worshippers of images, make very -considerably against the notion of his having much advanced the work of -religious reformation. The commandment which he added, was expressed in -these words, “Make not thou gods of gold, or of silver,” a precept, as it -has been observed, which few of his subjects could afford to transgress. -{250} - -From Alfred’s days to the conquest, the religion of England experienced -no amendment; nor ever after till the Era of the reformation, or the -16th. century, except what took place under the influence of Wickliff, -and the Lollards; but they were soon crushed under the heavy and strong -hand of priestly and royal persecution: the very first victim, as was -before observed, was a Lynn man. - -From the above representation of the original christianity of the English -nation, and of the Lynn people among the rest, one cannot be very much -biassed in its favour. But we shall cease to wonder at its being no -better, when we consider whence it proceeded, and under what sort of -rules or maxims it was introduced. It was first brought hither and -promulgated by _Austin_, a monk of the convent of St. Andrew’s at Rome, -accompanied by forty other Romish monks, all sent by the then Pope, whose -name was _Gregory_, commonly called Gregory the first, and _Saint_ -Gregory, who was advanced to the papal chair in 590. Austin and his -companions arrived here in 596. Among the instruction which pope Gregory -gave Austin for the regulation of his conduct and ministry, the following -are not the least remarkable.— - - “He was not to destroy the heathen temples of the English, but only - to remove the images of their gods, to wash the wails with holy - water, to erect altars, and deposit relics in them, and so convert - them into christian churches; not only to save the expence of - building new ones, but that the people might more easily be prevailed - upon to frequent those places of worship, to which they had been - accustomed. He directs him further, to accommodate the ceremonies of - the christian worship as much as possible to those of the heathen, - that the people might not be much startled at the change; and in - particular he advises him to allow the christian converts, on certain - festivals, to kill and eat a great number of oxen, to the glory of - God, as they had done formerly to the honour of the devil.” {252} - -These admonitions, (says Dr. Henry) which were but too well observed, -introduced the grossest corruption into the christian worship, and shew -how much the apostles of the sixth and seventh centuries had departed -from the simplicity and sincerity of those of the first. - - - -CHAP. IV. - - -Miscellaneous observations, on the social distinctions, and the general -state of the community among the Anglo-Saxons. - - -SECTION I. - - -_State of society at Lynn_, _and in this country_, _before the Conquest_. - -Of the state of Society in this country, as to the different ranks among -the inhabitants, the following is thought to be a pretty fair and true -representation.—The next rank below that of the royal family was held by -the _Thanes_, which were, it seems, of different degrees, and we are told -that the highest order among them went by the name of _king’s thanes_. -{253} These also are said to have been of two different sorts, -_Eoldermen_, and _Eorles_; the former supposed to be supreme in the -administration of justice; the latter comprehended military as well as -civil authority, but was not hereditary till the close of the Saxon -dynasty. The _Ceorles_ (Churles, or Carles) were next below the thanes. -They were free, descended from yeomen, and were chiefly engaged in -husbandry. To them the gate of nobility was open, and they might become -thanes by five different methods. {254a} Another order, or description -of men, in those times, was called _Huscarles_; (i.e. house-carles:) they -were retainers, or domestic dependents of the thanes, and reputed -freemen. All the rest of the community, it seems, were slaves, of -different descriptions. Of them however, it would sometimes happen, -though but very rarely, that some obtained manumission, and they formed a -particular class, denominated _Freed-men_; but we are told that they were -few, and little regarded. They could obtain, it seems, no rank in the -state; and applying, for the most part, to mechanical employments, seem -hardly to have been distinguished from the race which they had -quitted.—Slaves were never suffered to carry arms, and the very gift of a -weapon conferred freedom. Of the other orders no man went abroad without -his spear; and laws were enacted to guard against damages occasioned by -the careless bearer. In battle the ceorles who formed the infantry, -beside a broad sword, and sometimes a club, bore only a round shield with -an offensive pointed weapon in the centre. The cavalry being composed of -thanes, huscarles, and the richer ceorles, who could afford to keep -horses, was better provided with defensive armour. {254b} - -The enslaved part of the inhabitants, and which is said to have -constituted by far the most numerous class of the community, went, like -the privileged orders, by different names. Of them the chief and most -remarkably were the _Villani_ and the _Servi_. In regard to the former, -we are told that Villenage was of two kinds: 1st _Pure Villenage_, to -which some were subject from their birth, from whom uncertain and -indeterminate service was due to the lord. The successors of these are -our _copy-holders_; who, though time has dealt favourably with them in -other respects, still retain one mark of their original vassalage, or -servitude; for as of old the former were not reckoned as members of the -commonwealth, but merely as part and parcel of the owner’s substance, no -way entitled to the privileges of freemen, so do their successors still -continue without any right to vote at elections by virtue of their -copy-holds. 2nd _Villenage by Tenure_, which bound the tenant to perform -certain services agreed upon between him and his lord; such as ploughing -his ground, reaping his corn, &c. - -The lowest, as well as most numerous class of slaves among the -Anglo-Saxons were the _Servi_, who, (as well as all the rest of the -unfreemen,) were probably the descendants of the aboriginal inhabitants, -who had escaped the general massacre, or whose lives had been spared at -the reduction and conquest of the country. These were protected by -neither law nor religion, for a very long period; and they consequently -suffered the most unfeeling and cruel treatment. Christianity is said to -have ameliorated their condition. It certainly ought to have done so; -but from such a christianity no material amelioration could well have -been expected. Even our own boasted protestantism, how feeble has -generally been its influence in such cases! The long and bloody contest -between the rival and barbarous houses of York and Lancaster did more, it -seems, for the relief and emancipation of those poor English slaves than -any thing else; for the contending parties, in order to recruit and -reinforce their armies, found it convenient and necessary to liberate -great numbers of them: at length they were all manumitted, and Britain -now contains no people of that description. It would be well if the same -could be said of every other, part of the British dominions. These Servi -are often mentioned by Bloomfield and Parkin, and appear to have been -very numerous in the parts about Lynn before the conquest, and even long -after that period. - -Beside the Villani and Servi, we meet with other descriptions of bondmen, -whose condition seem to have been less abject; at least, less so than the -latter. Of those one sort was called _Bordarii_, _Bordars_, or -_Borderers_: they were such as held a cottage, or some small parcel of -land, on condition of supplying the lord with poultry, eggs, and other -small provisions for his board and entertainment. Such small estates -were formerly called _Bord-lands_, now _demesnes_.—_Coliberti_ was the -name of another description of bondmen among the Anglo-Saxons; and they -were, it seems, a middle sort of tenants, between servile and free; they -had their patrons, to whom they paid rent, and were manumised as servants -used to be, but were not absolutely free. They were such of the Servi as -were enfranchised, or liberated in a certain degree, but still paid some -duties to the superior lord. They appear to have been held in scarcely -any higher estimation than the class to which they had originally -belonged.—The _Burgaris_, _Burgenses_, or _Burgesses_, was another order -of bondmen among the Anglo-Saxons. They were tradesmen in great towns, -and had their patrons, under whose protection they traded, and to whom -they paid an acknowledgement; but some of them were in a more servile -condition, and altogether under the power of the king, or other lords. -{257a} Some of the above descriptions of Anglo-Saxon bondmen, or British -slaves, and particularly the Villani, the Servi, and the Bordarii, were -very numerous in the parts about Lynn, in the times of which we are now -speaking, and long after. {257b} England did then so abound in slaves, -and was so much _a land of slaves_, as to be able to carry on a trade in -that commodity with other nations, and especially the _Irish_, whom -English merchants, for a long time, abundantly supplied with that -favourite article, out of their home stock, or native produce, with as -little shame or remorse as they have in modern times supplied the West -Indies and North America with the poor defenceless natives of ill-fated -Africa. {257c} And yet the English was then, as well as now, a christian -nation, priding herself in the fond idea of the purity and pre-eminence -of her goodness, faith, and piety. Alas, for poor christianity! How -often hath her venerable name been profaned and postituted on the vilest -occasions, and for the basest of purposes! - - -SECTION II. - - -_Of the WITTENAGEMOTE and other courts_, _maxims of jurisprudence_, -_institution of tythings_, _nuptial and funeral rites_, _sacerdotal_, -_domestic_, _and other customs_, _among the Anglo-Saxons_. - -The _Wittenagemote_, or assembly of wise men, was the highest court among -the Anglo-Saxons, and from which our parliament seems to have originated. -Bishops, judges, and thanes composed it, and it does not appear that the -lower orders, or bulk of the people were there any how represented. The -business of this assembly was prepared and opened by the king.—Another -high court, but inferior to the former, was the _Shiregemote_, in which -much business was transacted in the way of a modern assize. The -Eolderman, or the Eorle was the president, and the domesmen, or judges, -with certain _lawmen_, as they were called, formed the bench. It was -held only twice in the year.—The _Hundred Court_ came next, over which -the Hundredary presided. Sales of estates, registering of Wills, -manumission of slaves, &c. were here transacted. It was also called -_Wapontake_, from the custom of always attending well armed. It was the -repository of deeds and records, was held monthly, and had the -jurisdiction of ten tythings. - -Compensation to the injured party or his family, rather than the -annoyance of the criminal, being the principle of the Anglo-Saxon -jurisprudence, capital punishments were unfrequent. The chastity of -maidens was protected by very severe laws; the ravisher of a nun was -fined as an assassin, and the violator of a child incurred the penalty of -a severe mutilation. Murder, as well as manslaughter, might be atoned -for, at a stated price: every wound had its exact value; robbery was -venial, and when committed on a bordering country, (although in peace) -was almost deemed laudable. {259} - -It was in the institution of _Tythings_, or neighbourships, that the -wisdom of the Anglo-Saxons appeared most conspicuous and admirable. -Every ten families were connected together, as fellows in arms and in -civil society. Each answered for the others’ good behaviour to the -magistrate, and each joined in paying the penalty which any one member -might casually incur. A man who was not inrolled in these tythings was -avoided by all, as a vagabond and person of bad character; nor could he -hope to be admitted to a tything unless his probity was generally -acknowledged. To Alfred this excellent institution is said to owe its -perfection; and its effects on society must have been very great and -salutary. {260} - -Of the customs of the ancient inhabitants of Lynn, and of the -Anglo-Saxons in general, relating to _matrimony_, the following appear to -have been some of the most remarkable and striking.—Every unmarried woman -was supposed to have a guardian, or owner: the virgin belonged to her -father, brother, uncle, or nearest male relation; the widow claimed the -same protection from her husband’s male relatives; the lover was obliged -to buy his mistress, of her guardian, by a gift, the amount of which was -settled by a law, that set a higher price on the maid, by one half, than -on the relict. If unadvisedly the wooer wedded the lady without the -guardian’s consent, her property and goods were still the property of -that guardian, and an injury offered to her was to be atoned for to him, -and not to the spouse. At the wedding, the guardian delivered up his -ward to the husband, a friend of whom had previously avowed himself the -guarantee of a proper provision for the bride in case of his death. At -the feast which followed, the usual and large presents of gold, silver, -arms, cloths, household stuff, &c. made by the invited friends and -relations, formed the portion of the bride, who had beside, from custom -immemorial, a right to ask of her mate, on the next sun-rising after her -nuptials, a gift, to serve her as pin-money. As to what related to -_divorces_, among these people, we meet with no particular account. In -the _education_ of their children, they only sought to render them -dauntless, and apt for the two most important occupations of their future -lives, war and the chase. It was a usual trial of a child’s courage to -place him on the sloping roof of a building, and if, without screaming or -apparent terror, he held fast, it was deemed a favourable omen, and he -was pronounced a _brave boy_. - -The _burial_ ceremony is said to have been much more joyous among them -than that of marriage; which seems to imply something very unnatural, as -well as barbarous. The house in which the body lay till its burial, was -a perpetual scene of feasting, singing, dancing, and every species of -riot. This, of course, was very expensive to the family of the deceased; -and it was in some places carried so far, that the corpse was forcibly -kept unburied by the visiting friends, till they were certain that they -had consumed, in games and frantic festivity, all the wealth the deceased -had left behind him.—Nothing can well exceed the barbarism and -brutishness of such a custom: and yet it seems to have long continued in -some parts of this island after the introduction of christianity, and -even of protestantism. Nay, some remains of it are known to have existed -in some places within the memory of some of the present inhabitants. It -is surprising how tenacious mankind often are of their ancient customs, -be they ever so vile, unseemly, or heathenish. Heathenish, certainly, or -of pagan origin, must this most odious practice have been: but it is not -the only English custom that comes under that description. The _Waites_, -that usually go about before christmas, may be considered as of the -self-same origin, and belonged, in all likelihood, to a certain pagan, -riotous, and lawless feast, celebrated at that time of the year: the -precursor and prototype of our principal christian festival. The -ushering in of May with the _blowing of horns_, a custom now almost, if -not _altogether peculiar to Lynn_, seems evidently to be of the same -class. It is still most tenaciously kept up in this town, by the boys -and children, though nobody pretends to know either its meaning or its -origin. But as May-Day is known to have been one of the highest and most -notable days of the year among our heathen ancestors, the said custom may -very safely be concluded to have originated with them; especially as that -day does not appear to have ever been very much thought of by the -papists. - -A notable custom among the Anglo-Saxon christians of the eighth century, -and from which Lynn cannot be supposed exempted, was that of the _Clergy_ -usually celebrating Mass, or administering the Sacrament _without Shoes -and Stockings_, and with chalices made of horn: which seems to shew, that -they had not then arrived at that sacerdotal pride and pomp, at least in -regard to their dress, which became so prevalent among those of their -order in latter times, when they thought proper to assume a consequence -so far above the other orders of the community. - -In private life the Anglo-Saxons are said to have been devout to the -extreme of credulity, and hospitable to drunken extravagance. Their -manners were rough, but social; their tables were plainly, but -plentifully served. Large joints of roasted meat seem to have had the -preference; salted victuals also were much in use. At table, the rank of -the guests was strictly observed; and, by the laws of Canute, a person -sitting above his proper station was to be pelted out of his place with -bones, at the discretion of the company, without the privilege of taking -offence. The lady, (or, as the Saxons named her, _leaf-dien_, the bread -giver) sat, as now, at the upper end of the table, and distributed the -provisions to her guests. The liquors used at genteel tables were wine, -ale, and spiced ale, pigment (a composition of wine, spice, and honey,) -morat, (honey diluted with mulberry juice) and mead. {263} Such, as may -reasonably be concluded, was the state of things with regard to these -matters, in the best of the families of Lynn at those times. - - -SECTION III. - - -_State of learning_, _and of the medical profession_, _among the -Anglo-Saxons_. - -Learning during the time now alluded to was at a very low ebb in this -Country. “Among the various discouragements, (says _Andrews_) which -literature was obliged to encounter in this ill-fated period may be -reckoned the extreme scarcity of materials for writing.” A strong proof -of which (he adds) “is that many of the MSS. of the 10th and 11th -centuries are written on parchment, from which older works (perhaps the -Decades of Livy) have been erased.” It was for want of parchment to draw -the deeds upon, (as he supposes,) that estates, were then frequently -conveyed from one family to another by the ceremony of a turf and a -stone, delivered before witnesses, without any written agreement. -However that was, England even in those dark times, exhibited some rays -of intellectual light, and produced some literary characters that would -have done honour to more enlightened ages. _Bede_, in particular, styled -_the Venerable_, who flourished in the 8th century, and has been called, -_the wise Saxon_, is believed to have comprised, in eight folio volumes, -the whole body of knowledge that his age afforded. To him may be added -_Egbert_, arch-bishop of York, and his pupil _Alcuin_, both distinguished -in their day for extraordinary literary attainments. _Alfred_ and his -learned associates appeared in the 9th century, and were the ornaments of -that dark age; but the light which they exhibited was not lasting, and -they left no successors that were any way worthy of them. In the 10th -(and most part of the 11th) century, scarce any man of literature -appeared among the English. _Elfric_ is said to have been by far the -most remarkable and eminent. He was styled _the grammarian_, from his -having written a Latin grammar. Two volumes of homilies, in MS. -translated by him from the Latin into the Saxon language, are said to be -still extant. Very few beside have in any degree contributed to -illuminate the gloom of that dismal period. _Gerbert_, however, who, -from a low origin, was advanced to the papal chair in 999, under the name -of _Silvester_ II. deserves to be respectfully noticed, as it is to his -experience, gained by travel, and a long residence among foreign nations, -that our arithmetic is said to owe the use of the Saracen numerals.—But -as none of these persons appear to have sprung from Lynn, or its -vicinity, no further notice can properly be taken of them in this work; -and what has been already said of them and other extraneous matters, was -chiefly intended for the purpose of pointing out the probable state of -things at Lynn in the meantime, for want of more suitable and appropriate -materials. - -PHYSIC and SURGERY, during those early ages, were in a most wretched -state in this country, and, of course, among the inhabitants of Lynn. -Old women were then the chief professors of the medical art; and as they -mingled charms and spells with their prescriptions, the patient’s fancy -sometimes effected, or, at least, assisted in effecting the cure. As -Christianity gained ground, the clergy, having much time on their hands, -applied themselves to the study of medicine, but made so little progress, -that for a long time, _Holy Water_ seems to have been the prescription to -which they chiefly trusted. If holy water were still in use, as a -popular, fashionable, or favourite medical prescription, instead of the -innumerable patent medicines, and other vile quackeries that now disgrace -this ill-fated country, it had been better, no doubt, for the health and -constitutions of myriads of our unwary and credulous fellow-subjects. -There seems, however, but little prospect of an end to this great and -growing evil, while quackery continues to be so convenient and gainful to -the state, or to contribute so largely, as it now does, to the revenue of -the kingdom. But it is not the only public evil, the prospect of whose -extinction appears very distant and hopeless. - - -SECTION IV. - - -_Expressive and remarkable names of the months—state of the coinage_, _or -currency—general value of different commodities in this country before -the conquest—slavery—comparison with the present course of things_. - -The inhabitants of Lynn and the rest of their countrymen, in the -Anglo-Saxon ages, could give more satisfactory reasons, it seems, for the -names of their months, than we can for those of ours. December, which -with them stood first, was called _Midwinter-monath_, the midwinter -month. January, was denominated _Aefter-yula_, that is, after Christmas, -or rather, after the feast called Yula, a pagan, riotous, lawless -festival, observed at that time of the year, and to which our Christmas -succeeded, with no small resemblance. February, they called -_Sol-monath_, the sun month, from the returning of the sun at that -season. March, they named _Rhede_, or _Reth-monath_, the rough, or -rugged month. April’s name was _Easter-monath_, from a favourite Saxon -goddess, whose festival was kept at that time, and may be said to be -still kept by us, under the idea of the christian passover, which we seem -to have dedicated to that same pagan goddess, by our continuing to -preserve her precious memory, and celebrating the feast still in her -name. May was called _Trimilchi_, from the cows being then milked three -times in the day. June’s name was _Seremonath_, the dry month, July was -called _Mœd-monath_, the mead month, from the meads being then in their -bloom and beauty, or the people being there employed in hay making. -August had the name of _Weod-monath_, the weed month, from the -luxuriance, or abundance of weeds at that time. September was named -_Hærfest-monath_, or the harvest month. October bore the name of -_Winter-fyllith_, or winterfall, from winter approaching with the full -moon of that month. November, their last month, they called -_Blot-monath_, blood month, from the blood of the cattle then slain and -stored for winter provision. - -The Anglo-Saxons are said to have made use of coins as early as the reign -of Ethelbright, or Ethelbert, who governed Kent from 561 to 616; as the -fines ordered in his laws are all estimated by shillings, which was even -then a denomination of money. The money-pound of the Anglo-Saxons, is -thought to have been the same with the Tower-pound long in use at the -mint, and to have weighed less than the Troy-pound by ¾ of a Troy-ounce. -Its value was about 2_l._ 16_s._ 3_d._ of modern money. {268a} The -_Mark_, like the Pound an imaginary coin, weighed eight ounces, or two -thirds of the Pound. The merchant reckoned 12 ounces to the mark. Its -value was 1_l._ 17_s._ 9_d._ The _Mancus_, a real coin, was valued at -the 8th. of a mark, or 4_s._ and 8_d._ The Shilling, a real coin, was -worth about eleven pence farthing of our money. The Anglo-Saxon penny, -(pening, or sceata,) was a silver coin, and weighed near three-pence of -our money. This little piece would do more in those times for its owner, -than some shillings would do now. Halflings and Feorthlings, were the -half, and the fourth, or quarter of the Anglo-Saxon penny, and were of -silver. To these may be added a small brass coin called Styca. Beside -these coins, it was usual with the Anglo-Saxons to complete the sum -destined for any particular purpose, by adding what they called _live -money_, such as oxen, sheep, horses, or _slaves_; {268b} which last -species of traffick was carried to an almost incredible height of -brutality. - -The value or price of cattle, land, and other commodities, in the times -of which we are now speaking, amounted to but a very small portion of -what they now fetch. - - “By the laws of Athelstan, (says Dr. Mavor) a sheep was valued at a - shilling, or fifteen-pence of our money: an ox was computed at six - times the value of a sheep, and a cow at four. A horse was valued at - thirty shillings of our money, and a mare at twenty-four. Between - the years 900 and 1000, a hide of land was purchased for about one - hundred and eighteen shillings, which was little more than a shilling - per acre. {269} On the whole, (he adds) when we combine the - alteration in the weight of the pound, and the modern value of the - precious metals from their greater plenty, we may conceive every sum - of money mentioned by historians, during the Anglo-Saxon, and even - the Norman times, as if it were multiplied more than a hundred-fold - above a sum of the same denomination at present.” - - - -SECTION V. - - -_Probability that Lynn was formerly concerned in the exportation of -slaves—comparison between the ancient and modern English -slave-dealers_—slaves and horses _the chief exports of this country in -those days—corn not then exported_, _though it had been -formerly—imports—commerce—miscellaneous hints and observations_. - -Considering how very fruitful in slaves England appears to have been -under the Anglo-Saxons, and how commonly they bought and sold their -slaves, (and even their own kindred,) and that they were actually a -principal article of their exports to other countries, {270} it is more -than probable that Lynn and other Norfolk ports were then deeply -concerned in that traffic.—Slaves are known to have then abounded in the -parts about this town; and no other commodity, or produce of the country, -was more marketable, or saleable, both at home and abroad; we may -therefore be sure that the merchants and opulent people of Lynn were not -inattentive to so fashionable and profitable a branch of commerce. Some -indeed, even then, disapproved of it, and a bishop, of the name of -_Wolfstan_, is said to have firmly set his face against it at Bristol, -and to have made the people somewhat ashamed of their proceedings; but it -does not appear that they relinquished it, for Bristol continued to be -the chief English mart for slaves, long after his time. His conduct, -however, was highly laudable, memorable, and exemplary; but where among -our modern prelates, can we find one that has virtue or fortitude enough -to imitate the noble example of Wolfstan! - -How vile and mercenary must the character of those ancient English -dealers in human flesh appear, when we contemplate them as selling their -own countrymen and neighbours, and even their kindred! It reminds us of -what has often been said of the modern commercial, or mercantile -character: that a merchant would sell his own father, if he could do it -safely and gainfully.—Between our ancient and modern English slave -dealers, there is some dissimilarity, though they both acted from the -same principle, and the conduct of each appears thoroughly unjustifiable -and atrocious.—The latter dealt only in strangers, at a great distance, -and of another colour; but the former trafficked, as was before observed, -in their own countrymen, and near neighbours, brought up among them, and, -occasionally, even in their own near relations. Of the two, therefore, -the conduct of the ancients appears, at first sight, as far the most -unnatural and stocking; but that will cease to be the case, upon further -consideration, and when times and circumstances are duly attended to. -Those ancients lived in rude and barbarous ages, when the natural rights -of man were not understood, and when darkness visible was every where -predominant; which must, in some measure, extenuate their misdeeds. But -our modern slave-dealers have carried on their operations in the open -day, and in the very face of the sun—they have adhered to this most -barbarous and savage traffick in the most enlightened age of the -world—they have persisted in it, in spite of the frequent and solemn -remonstrances of the most virtuous and enlightened of their countrymen, -and in defiance of the clearest demonstrations of the flagiciousness of -their conduct. They have, therefore, no cloak for their sin, no excuse -or palliating plea for their atrocities. To them belongs the -pre-eminence of turpitude and infamy, and they may be said to stand at -the head of those monsters who have been a disgrace to christianity, to -humanity, and to their country. - -_Slaves_ and _horses_ appear to have been the principal, if not the only -articles exported from this country during the Anglo-Saxon ages. Corn -constituted then no article of our exports, though it had done so -formerly, in a considerable degree, while Britain formed a part of the -Roman Empire. Agriculture must therefore have miserably declined here -since the arrival of the Saxons, and the country had no reason to -congratulate itself on its change of masters. After the introduction of -Christianity the monks are said to have been, by much the best -husbandmen, and also the best, if not the only gardeners in the country. -They were certainly the most enlightened class of the community, and the -little knowledge and learning which the country then possessed were -chiefly, if not entirely, confined within the solemn precincts of the -monasteries. - -Of our _imports_ in those days, _books_, _relics_, _pictures_, and -_images of saints_, _clerical vestments_, and _church ornaments_, are -said to have been the chief articles; which gives but a very miserable -idea of the state of the country, and its commerce, in the mean -time.—They were however, not the only articles, for it appears that -_wines_ also were imported from France and Spain, _cloths_ from Germany -and Flanders, _furs_, _deer-skins_, (and probably, _bear-skins_,) -_ropes_, _whale oil_, &c. from Scandinavian and even a portion of all the -different commodities then known in any part of Europe is supposed to -have been at that period imported to this country. Yet the balance of -trade is said to have been much in our favour—that is, we got much more -by the sale of our _Slaves_ and _horses_, in which our exports consisted, -than what we lost or laid out in the purchase of all the various articles -which we imported, many of which, at the same time, must have been pretty -expensive. This seems to imply, that those _Slaves_ and _horses_, with -which foreign markets were supplied from hence, must have been very -numerous, as well as very beneficial and lucrative to our English -merchants. - -During some part of this period the shipping of England seems to have -been pretty numerous; but what portion of it belonged to the port of Lynn -does not appear. The royal navy too, was at times on a respectable -footing, particularly in the reigns of Alfred and Canute, as well as in -those of Edgar, surnamed the peaceable, and Ethelred: the latter is said -to have possessed near 800 sail of men of war, {274} but they were all -what would now be called small vessels. The military force of the -kingdom consisted generally of about 50,000, though on extraordinary -occasions it considerably exceeded that number. - -For a long time, _markets_ were usually kept on _Sundays_, in or near -some _church_, but that being found somewhat inconvenient, as interfering -with the religious service of the day, they were afterwards changed to -Saturdays. The _fairs_ of those times were also generally kept within -the precincts of some great churches, or monasteries, on some notable -day, generally the anniversary of the patron saint, and it was customary -to oblige every comer to the fair, at the gate, before he entered, to -_swear_ that he would neither _lie_, _steal_, nor _cheat_: which might be -very useful, if the people had then a proper sense of the sacredness of -oaths, otherwise it would be of but little avail, as it is to be feared -it would also be in the present day, when, from the multiplicity or -commonness of oaths, a disposition to trifle with, or make light of them -is notoriously prevalent. For holding these fairs, bishops and abbots -obtained charters from the crown, with a view to increase their own -revenues by the tolls which such charters would authorise them to levy on -such occasions. Thus every thing contributed to the aggrandizement of -the church. Before the end of this period, the clergy had possession of -more than a third part of all the land in the kingdom, with the tithes of -all the rest. - -Much attention was then bestowed on the decoration of churches and -religious houses. Organs and bells were introduced toward the latter -part of this period. The famous _Saint Dunstan_ gave a fine organ, in -the reign of Edgar, to the abbey of Glastonbury. Bells became very -common about the 10th century, and were hung in the towers of churches, -which were then all of wood: only the altars were, it seems, built of -stone. The first _set_ of bells in this kingdom, that we hear of, was at -_Croyland_, in Lincolnshire, in the reign of Athelstan, a gift of the -abbot _Turketul_ to that celebrated monastery. {275} There had, however, -been _single_ bells in England long before that period, and even as early -as the 7th century, as is attested by _Bede_. In the time of M. Paris, -bells were not allowed to ring at funerals, as inspiring too gay and -unsuitable ideas. Clocks also began to be introduced here toward the -close of this period. About the same time, the English began to be -expert and noted manufacturers of woollen cloth; the value of a sheep’s -fleece, of course, was then well understood, and rated at two fifths of -the animal’s whole price. Silk, though now beginning to be imported, was -not woven here until some centuries afterwards: linen, in the mean time, -was extremely scarce. It is very remarkable, but seemingly an -unquestionable fact, that highly finished works in gold and silver, were -the production even of our darkest ages. The monks, in those times, were -the best artists, and the famous St. Dunstan inferior to none of them. -Yet the means of supplying life with necessaries, appear to have been but -imperfectly known and cultivated. The pagans of Sussex, in the 7th. -century, though starving for want of food, knew not how to catch any -fish, except eels, until bishop Wilfred, who came thither in 678, -instructed them in the use of nets. He took 300 at a draught; and by -thus supplying their bodily wants, rendered their minds tractable to his -doctrines, and easily succeeded in their conversion. {276}—Our modern -missionaries to the south sea isles, and other foreign parts, would do -well to imitate his example, and not confine their attention or labours -solely to religious instruction. A goodly pattern of the same kind has -also been very lately set before them among the North American Indians by -the _Quaker missionaries_. But it is to be feared that they and their -employers are too wise in their own eyes to profit by such examples. - - -SECTION VI. - - -_Population of Lynn_, _and the country in general_, _before the -conquest—condition of the bulk of the inhabitants in the mean -time—sufferings of the inhabitants of Lynn and the adjacent country from -the Danes—intrepid and ferocious character of that people—instruments of -vengeance on the Anglo-Saxons—their disposition and character not much -changed by their conversion to christianity—remarkable instances of -imposition_, _superstition_, _and credulity_. - -Of the population of Lynn, at any time during that long period, from the -establishment of the Saxons to that of the Normans, no estimate can now -be formed; but it is pretty certain that the major part of its -inhabitants, as well as those of the adjacent country, and of all the -rest of England, were _Slaves_, during the whole of that time, and long -after. Those unfortunate people, for the most part at least, appear to -have been the descendants of the original inhabitants, who were reduced -to that condition, at the subjugation, of conquest of the country, and -whose lives had been then spared, on condition of their becoming the -property, or goods and chattels of the conquerors. So did the Saxons -treat those of the natives whose lives they condescended to spare; all -the rest they butchered without mercy, except such of them as were -fortunate enough to escape to the unsubdued parts of the island. Of -these cruel and horrid deeds, they never appear to have repented, even -after they assumed the name of christians, for the bondage still -continued; but, in time, a severe retaliation took place, and the Saxons, -in their turn, were treated much after the same manner as they had -formerly treated the Britons. Long peace had destroyed their martial -spirit: from a very warlike people, they became gradually a most -dastardly race, and so fell an easy prey to the ferocious Danes. The -difference at that time between these two nations in point of military -prowess, is said to be so great that the Saxons, alias the English, -frequently fled before inferior numbers of the Danes, and could hardly be -prevailed upon to meet them in the field of battle on any terms. “Oh the -misery and worldly shame in which England is involved through the wrath -of God! (said an English bishop in the reign of Ethelred the unready) -How often doth two or three troops of Danes drive the whole English army -before them from sea to sea, to our eternal infamy, if we were capable of -feeling shame! But, alas! so abject are we become, that we worship those -who trample upon us, and load us with indignities.” Such was then the -abject submission of the English to the insolence of the Danes, “that -when an Englishman met a Dane on a bridge, or in a narrow path, where he -could not avoid him, he was obliged to stand still, with his head -uncovered, and in a bowing posture, till he was out of sight.” Nay, we -are assured that English submission and Danish insolence and brutality -were sometimes carried still further, and even to degrees that are almost -incredible, as well as too indelicate to relate. {278} These Danes, who -now became the instruments of retaliation and vengeance upon the -Anglo-Saxons, were remarkable for their extraordinary military skill and -intrepidity; and they were as unfeeling and ferocious as the latter -appear to have been at the time when they invaded and conquered this -country: they were therefore probably the fitter for the execution of the -work in which they were employed. Much has been said of the cruelties -committed by the Danes in this country: they were certainly very enormous -and shocking; but there is no reason to conclude that they exceeded, or, -perhaps, even equalled those which the Saxons had before exercised upon -the former inhabitants. Of all the perpetrators of Danish enormities, in -this island, _Guthrum_ seems to be the foremost, or most conspicuous, in -the pages of our ancient historians. Of him one of them speaks thus—“The -cruel Guthrum arrived in England A.D. 878, at the head of an army of -Pagan Danes, no less cruel than himself; who, like inhuman savages, -destroyed all before them with fire and sword, involving cities, towns, -and villages, with their inhabitants, in devouring flames; and cutting -those in pieces with their battle-axes who attempted to escape from their -burning houses. The tears, cries, and lamentations of men, women, and -children, made no impressions upon their unrelenting hearts; even the -most tempting bribes, and the humblest offers of becoming their slaves, -had no effect. All the towns through which they passed exhibited the -most deplorable scenes of misery and desolation; as, venerable old men -lying with their throats cut before their own doors; the streets covered -with the bodies of young men and children, without heads, legs, or arms; -and of matrons and virgins, who had been first publicly dishonoured, and -then put to death.” {279} This is very shocking, and looks like -providential retaliation. The annals of history exhibit many instances -of the same kind. The Danish warriors were always prodigal of life, and -not only did not fear, but even courted a violent death. A natural death -they dreaded, as a most ignoble and disgraceful end, and which they -always appeared very anxious to avoid. No wonder that they became the -terror of every nation against which they happened to wage war. No -greater evil could well befall any people than to have them for their -enemies and invaders. - -To no part of this island did the Danes prove a greater, or more terrible -scourge than to the province of the East Angles, which became one of -their principal settlements, and where they committed the most shocking -barbarities. Hence we may very safely conclude that the sufferings which -the inhabitants of Lynn experienced from them must have been exceedingly -grievous and deplorable. But as those sufferings have not been recorded -they cannot now be described or particularized. - -The Danes, as well as the Anglo-Saxons, when they invaded this country -were pagans. Both of them afterward took up the profession of -christianity; but it was only its profession, or bare name that they did -take up. Their former ferocity still remained. They continued grossly -ignorant, superstitious, and heathenish, and exhibited scarcely a spark -of the real spirit of the religion of Christ, except perhaps in the -latter part of the reign of Alfred. Their ghostly, or religious -instructors were miserable and blind guides, or knavish and artful -impostors, who taught them that the most meritorious actions consisted in -erecting and endowing monasteries, performing pilgrimages, and -reverencing the priesthood. From such pretended or pseudo-christianity, -what good effect could be expected? Grapes cannot be gathered of thorns, -or figs of thistles.—When Earl Alwine, who was the greatest and richest -man in England, in the reign of Edgar the peaceable, consulted St. -Oswald, bishop of York, what he should do to obtain the pardon of his -sins, the _sainted_ prelate made him the following eloquent harangue: “I -beseech your excellency to believe that those holy men who have retired -from the world, and spend their days in poverty and prayer, are the -greatest favourites of heaven, and the greatest blessings to the world. -It is by their merits that the divine judgements are averted and changed; -that plagues and famines are removed; that healthful seasons and -plentiful harvests are procured; that states and kingdoms are governed; -that prisons are opened, captives delivered, shipwrecks prevented, the -weak strengthened, and the sick healed: that I may say all in one word, -it is by their merits that this world, so full of wickedness, is -preserved from immediate ruin and destruction. I intreat you therefore, -my dear son, if you have any place in your estate fit for that purpose, -that you immediately build a monastery, and fill it with holy monks, -whose prayers will supply all your defects, and expiate all your crimes.” -The Apostles, no doubt, would have answered such an inquiry very -differently. The building of Ramsey abbey, however, as Dr. Henry -observes, was the consequence of this fine speech. {282} Such acts were -represented by the monks as contributing greatly to the future repose of -those who did them, and of their friends; whence it was usual for all -those who had any sense of religion, or concern, for their salvation, to -bequeath some part of their estates _to their own souls_, as they called -those bequests which they made to a church or a monastery. - -To promote and establish an unbounded veneration for the priesthood, -miraculous tales were industriously propagated, and as readily believed; -for the credulity of the people perfectly suited the knavery of the -priests. The following talc, or rather miracle, is related by William of -Malmsbury, in the very words, as he says, of one of the persons on whom -it was wrought: - - “I Ethelbert, a sinner, will give a true relation of what happened to - me on the day before Christmas, A.D. 1012, in a certain village, - where there was a church dedicated to St Magnus the martyr, that all - men may know the _danger of disobeying the commands of a priest_. - Fifteen young women and eighteen young men, of which I was one, were - dancing and singing in the church-yard, when one Robert, a priest, - was performing mass in the church; who sent us a civil message, - intreating us to desist from our diversion, because we disturbed his - devotion by our noise. But we impiously disregarded his request; - upon which the holy man, inflamed with anger, prayed to God and St. - Magnus, that we might continue dancing and singing a whole year, - without intermission. His prayers were heard. A young man, the son - of a priest, named John, took his sister, (who was singing with us) - by the hand, and her arm dropped from her body without one drop of - blood following. But notwithstanding this disaster she continued to - dance and sing with us a whole year. During all that time we felt no - inconvenience from rain, cold, heat, hunger, thirst, or weariness; - and neither our shoes, nor our clothes wore out. Whenever it began - to rain, a magnificent house was erected over us, by the power of the - Almighty. By our continual dancing we wore the earth so much, that - by degrees we sunk into it up to the knees, and at length up to the - middle. When the year was ended, bishop Hubert came to the place, - dissolved the invisible ties by which our hands had been so long - united, absolved us, and reconciled us to St. Magnus. The priest’s - daughter, who had lost her arm, and other two of the young women, - died away immediately; but all the rest fell into a profound sleep, - in which they continued three days and three nights; after which they - arose and went up and down the world, publishing this true and - glorious miracle, and carrying the evidence of its truth along with - them, in the continual shaking of their limbs.” - -A formal deed, attesting the truth of this ridiculous story, was drawn up -and subscribed by bishop Peregrine, the successor of Hubert, A.D. 1013. -{283} William of Malmsbury also, the most sensible of our old -historians, appears to have given it full credit. In short, it seems -very certain that it was long, in common with abundance of other similar -tales, universally believed; which shews how well established the -authority of the priesthood, and the popular reverence for that order, -must then have been in this country, and here at Lynn, as well as in -other places. - -Next to the priests and monks, the magicians and fortunetellers appear to -have then possessed the largest share of the public confidence and -veneration; and very probably with equal worthiness. Strange tales have -been related by historians of the ascendancy which these sorts of people -long had over the infatuated inhabitants, and even over those of the -highest orders among them. These things give but an unfavourable idea of -our national character in those times. It would but ill become us, -however, to think very contemptuously of those foibles in our poor -ancestors, while we ourselves with all our boasted advantages and wisdom, -have not yet entirely left off consulting fortunetellers and conjurers: -to say nothing of the multitude of other impostors, of different sorts, -that are daily countenanced and caressed among us. - - -SECTION VII. - - -_Of the Heptarchy and its history—remarks on Egbert_, _Alfred_, _and -their most renowned successors—character of Canute_, _and of Edward the -Confessor_: _the latter the first of our monarchs that touched for the -Evil—remarks on that circumstance_, _and on the prevalence of that -complaint in the parts about Lynn_. - -During a good part of the period from the Saxon invasion to the conquest, -England was divided into seven petty states, or kingdoms, usually -denominated, the Heptarchy, {285} the history of which is exceedingly -uninteresting; being, as Granger observes, a series of violence, wars, -and massacres, among petty tyrants, most of whom were a disgrace to the -human species.—Under the famous Egbert those states were consolidated, -and formed into one kingdom, under the name of England, which it has -borne ever since. The kings who have ruled it, from Egbert to the Norman -conqueror, were, for the most part, like their predecessors in the days -of the Heptarchy, very disreputable and worthless characters. There were -however, some exceptions, among which Alfred was far the most -conspicuous, and outshone the rest, as the sun does all the other -luminaries. - -Among the most renowned and respectable of the other English sovereigns -of that period, beside Egbert, already mentioned, were Edward the elder, -Athelstan, Edgar the peaceable, Edmund ironside, Canute the great, and -Harold the second. Of Edgar we are told, that he styled himself _King of -Great Britain_, as Edred, it seems, had done before him; but that title -was afterward discontinued, and not used by any succeeding monarch, till -the reign of James the first. The most potent among these crowned heads -was Canute, being the sovereign of Denmark and Norway as well as of -England. That he possessed great talents is allowed on all hands; and -though he was cruel here at first, he gradually became mild, devout, and -popular. Though an usurper and a foreigner, he was, perhaps, next to -Alfred, the wisest of our ancient kings, if not also the most virtuous -and enlightened, especially towards the close of his reign: of which his -memorable adventure, or experiment with the tide, and with the miserable -sycophants of his court, on the seashore, seems a pretty strong -indication. That he was also superstitious, and an admirer of relics, -must not be denied: but it was likewise the case with all the most -eminent of the princes of those days, the great Alfred himself not -excepted. There is a remarkable air of honest simplicity in the reason -given by Canute for undertaking a voyage, or journey to Rome, which he -did a few years before he died:—“I had been told (said he) that the -apostle Peter had received great authority from the Lord, and carried the -keys of heaven: therefore I thought it absolutely necessary to secure his -favour by a pilgrimage to Rome.”—How many of our modern visionaries and -devotees would appear more respectable than Canute, were they as honestly -to avow their motives, or give the reason of their proceedings? - -In adverting to the princes, or sovereigns of this period, to whom the -town of Lynn was in subjection, Edward, called the Confessor, must not be -left unnoticed: not so much for any shining qualities, or great -respectability of character which he possessed, for there he appears to -have been very deficient, as for certain incidents or events which -distinguished his reign, independent of any personal worth or merit of -his own. With the monks and ecclesiastics he was certainly a great -favourite, but what made him so redounded not at all to his honour, but -may be said to be a disgrace, rather than any credit to his memory. - -The most important and laudable occurrence of his reign was the -reformation of the law of the land. Before his time different parts of -the kingdom were governed by different laws: Wessex, by the West Saxon; -Mercia, by the Mercian; and Northumberland, by the Danish laws. In his -reign they were reduced into one body, by the name of the laws of Edward -the confessor, which then became common to all England. This together -with the abolition of that odious tax called _Danegelt_, seem to have -been his best and most commendable deeds, though probably to be ascribed -to his counsellors, such as Goodwin, Leofric, and Siward, rather than to -himself. It is said, however, that he was humane, temperate, and -charitable, and gave much alms: and, moreover, that he had visions and -revelations, the gift of prophecy, and even that of working miracles, his -extensive fame for which continued long, and procured him, about two -hundred years after his death, from pope Alexander III. the high honour -of canonization, under the name of _Saint Edward the Confessor_, an -appellation that must have been very oddly and unaccountably applied. - -But of all his memorable achievements, or traits of character, his -_touching_ for the Evil, or Scrofula, and pretending to the gift or power -of miraculously healing that complaint, are the most remarkable. As this -pretended gift or power is supposed to have originated with him, {288a} -and to have descended from him to all his legitimate successors on the -English throne, a sketch of the history of the practice, from first to -last, it is presumed, would not prove unacceptable or unentertaining to -the reader. And as the disorder, for whose cure this practice was -introduced, is said to be nowhere more common, or prevalent, than at and -about Lynn, {288b} which is supposed to have been also the case for many -generations, it may naturally and safely be concluded that frequent -applications to the throne for a cure would be made, time after time, -from these parts, while every body believed that the sovereign’s _touch_ -would infallibly remove the malady. Myriads and myriads, labouring under -scrofulous complaints, have certainly applied to the throne for relief -during the long interval between the time of the Confessor, when the said -practice commenced, and the accession of George I. when it was finally -laid aside. Even in the single reign of that _most religious_ prince (as -he has been called) Charles II. the number, it is said, amounted to -_above ninety thousand_; and it is morally certain that not a few of that -multitude, and of the rest, who resorted, before and since, to our -different sovereigns, for relief in the same case, were Norfolk and Lynn -patients. The insertion therefore, in this volume, of the proposed -Sketch of this notable affair, or practice of the royal touch, cannot, it -is presumed, be deemed any material deviation from propriety:—so it shall -appear in the last section of this chapter, at the conclusion of this -second part of the work. - - -SECTION VIII. - - -_State of Lynn in the Confessor’s time—Stigand_, _Ailmer_, _and Harold_, -_bore then the chief sway—great power of the latter—sketch of his -character—obtains the crown at the confessor’s death—is soon disturbed by -two formidable invasions—the one from the Danish_, _or Norwegian shores_, -_under Halfagar_, _whom he vanquishes and slays in battle—the other from -France_, _under his rival or competitor_, _William of Normandy_, _in -opposing whom he is himself vanquished and slain in the decisive battle -of Hastings_, _which places the conqueror on the throne_, _without -further struggle_, _through the defection and machinations of the bishops -and clergy_. - -In the time of the Confessor, as he has been already suggested, Lynn was -a place of considerable and growing consequence. The town then, and the -adjacent country belonged to three of the principal men of the realm. -Harold, who afterwards ascended the throne, was then Earl, or Duke of the -East Angles, {289} which must have placed Lynn under his jurisdiction. -He had besides, great possessions here, being chief proprietor and lord -of South Lynn and other places. Great Massingham, Westacre &c. did also -belong to him. Stigand, archbishop of Canterbury, likewise bore then no -small sway in this town and neighbourhood, as lord of Rising, &c. So -also did his brother Ailmer, bishop of Elmham, to which see, even at that -early period, the government of the borough of Lynn seems to have been a -kind of appendage. These two prelates were Anglo-Saxons, which was the -case, it seems, with but three more of the order in the kingdom; {290} -the rest being all foreigners, and mostly French, or Normans. These -being his countrymen, and in a manner his subjects, we need not wonder at -the facility with which the Conqueror obtained the English Crown; -especially as the Pope also patronized the undertaking. Though those -bishops could not prevent the accession of Harold, owing to his great -popularity and power, yet they kept themselves ready to promote the cause -and interest of his rival whenever a fair opportunity should offer, and -it was not long before they had their wishes completely gratified. - -Harold during the latter part of the Confessor’s reign was the most -powerful subject in the kingdom. He possessed also great talents and -courage, with no small share of ambition, and had acquired vast and -unrivalled popularity. It was therefore no great wonder that he should -pretty easily make his way to the throne at the very first vacancy. He -had had for sometime the chief management of public affairs, and his -conduct in the mean while appears to have given general satisfaction. No -one in the kingdom was better qualified, or perhaps more deserving than -he to wear the crown; and whatever the Norman, or monkish historians may -have said to the contrary, it seems pretty certain that he ascended the -throne with the general assent and approbation of the people. - -His reign however, was soon disturbed, first by a Danish, or Norwegian -invasion in the north, beaded by Harfager, or Helfager king of Norway, -aided by Harold’s own worthless brother Tosti; and shortly after by a -French invasion in the south, under William the bastard, Duke of -Normandy. The former Harold opposed with success; the invaders were -defeated with great slaughter, and the two chiefs, Harfager and Tosti, -fell in the action. Great and rich booty is said to have fallen into the -hands of the victors, including a considerable quantity of gold. Here -Harold appears to have committed a great error, and to have departed most -unwisely and unaccountably from his usual policy, by retaining all the -spoil for himself, instead of sharing it with his soldiers, which excited -great discontents among them, and proved afterwards, in no small measure, -detrimental to his cause. - -No sooner had the English monarch triumphed over the first invaders than -he learnt that the Duke of Normandy with a great army had made good his -landing in Sussex. He immediately commenced his march against that -fierce and formidable adversary, with an army greatly reduced by the late -bloody, though successful conflict, and rendered discontented by his own -impolitic and unwise conduct, already mentioned. Yet notwithstanding -those disadvantages, so rapid was his progress from Yorkshire to Sussex, -that he actually arrived within sight of his enemies before they had -proceeded but a little way from the place of debarkation. It had been -better, no doubt, had he taken more time, to refresh and recruit his -army, or acted on the defensive, for sometime at least, which could -hardly have failed of being very materially to his advantage, as he was -then circumstanced. But so impetuous was he, and resolute to bring the -contest to a speedy termination, that he absolutely rejected the -wholesome counsel given him by one of his brothers, to adopt a different -course. To his opponent this must have been perfectly agreeable, and the -very thing he wanted, as nothing could have been less his interest than a -defensive war on the part of the English, or to find in Harold another -_Fabius_. Both parties accordingly prepared for a speedy and decisive -engagement. The two armies are said to have spent the preceding night -very differently: the English impiously passed it in riot and revelry; -but the Normans, good creatures! were all the time occupied in the duties -of religion; for which, to be sure, from the nature of their errand, and -the object of their visit, they must have been preeminently qualified! -This story, we may presume, was fabricated afterwards by the monks and -priests and Norman historians, who were in the interest of the Conqueror, -and wished to pay their court to the reigning family. Be that as it -might, the battle of Hastings forms a memorable era in the history of -this country. Both armies fought with desperate valour, as if determined -to conquer or die; but the invaders proved victorious. Harold and his -two brothers, with the flower of the English army, fell in that bloody -and fatal field; and that single victory may be said to have placed the -conqueror on the throne of England, and advanced him to the first rank -among the European potentates of that age. In promptness, decision, -military and political talents, as well as good fortune, he may be said -strongly to resemble the present sovereign of Normandy and the French -Empire. But it is to be hoped that the resemblance will not hold, in -case the latter should ever attempt to accomplish his long threatened -invasion of this kingdom. - -From the disastrous and fatal field of Hastings, Edwin and Morcar, the -principal surviving English commanders, with the shattered remains of -Harold’s army, retreated in the night to London, where they convened the -people, and such of the grandees of the realm as were there to be found, -to consult upon the best mode of proceeding, at so critical and desperate -a conjuncture. They themselves were for placing Edgar Atheling, the next -heir, on the throne, and adopting vigorous measures for the discomfiture -and expulsion of the invaders; but their advice was not taken, their -reasons were set at nought, and every idea of any further resistance was -abandoned; so that William obtained the crown without fighting another -battle, or encountering any further difficulty. Nothing could exceed the -pusillanimity, or dastardly conduct of the English on that memorable -occasion, instead of the present prevailing and flattering idea, that one -Englishman can beat two or three Frenchmen, they seemed to believe, on -the contrary, that one Frenchman could beat, at least, two or three -Englishmen. In short, they appear to have erred as much on the one hand -as we do on the other. But it was not the only time when our dear -countrymen discovered a diffidence of their own superiority. - -The blame of rejecting the counsel of the two chieftains above-mentioned -has been imputed to the defection and machinations of the bishops and -clergy, who, as has been already suggested, were decidedly in the -interest of the Norman, and, of course, inimical to the Anglo-Saxon or -English, government, constitution, and succession. The chief reasons for -which, were probably the following—1. Many of them, and most of the -bishops were foreigners, and William’s countrymen and subjects; so that -it was natural for them to favour his enterprize and pretensions.—2. -Ecclesiastical power and priestly domination were more likely to be -promoted, and the popular, or opposite spirit depressed and crushed under -a Norman, than an Anglo-Saxon, or English government.—3. Even under the -Confessor, monk-ridden and priest-ridden as he was, the civil power was -so formidable, and superior to the ecclesiastical, that the parliament -actually procured the deprivation and banishment of _Robert_, archbishop -of Canterbury, as an incendiary and fomenter of disputes between the king -and his subjects, and had _Stigand_ appointed in his room: a change -therefore, or such a revolution in the constitution and government as -William was likely to effect or promote, must have been a desirable -object with the whole clerical body.—4. The Pope had openly appeared in -favour of the invasion, the success of which he was understood to have -much at heart: and so careful had he been to let all see that William was -his man, and the church’s favourite and champion, that he first made him -a present of a consecrated standard, a golden Agnus Dei, and a ring, in -which was pretended to be one of St. Peter’s hairs; (of course a most -precious relic;) and then he solemnly excommunicated all that should -oppose him. This conduct or example of the pope would alone have been -sufficient lo influence and determine the bishops, clergy, and monks, or -the whole body of the ecclesiastics, to betray and sacrifice the cause of -the people, or of the nation, and promote to the utmost that of the -invader. They would have done so without any other reason or inducement; -but being further stimulated by those before mentioned, we may safely -conclude that their zeal in the disgraceful cause which they had so -basely espoused, must have been of no ordinary fervour. - -This memorable co-operation of the clergy with the conqueror, so hostile -to the liberty and independence of the country, has been pronounced, in a -recent publication, to be “the true origin of the _alliance between -church and state_, so much contended for by some of our ecclesiastics; -who have renounced the penances of popery, but would fain retain both its -pride and its power.” {296} But if it was really its origin here, yet it -seems to have begun elsewhere at a much earlier period: for the world -does not appear to have existed a very long while before statesmen and -priests found it to be their interest to play into each others hands, and -enter into partnership, for the better management of their respective -concerns; or, in other words, for the sake of keeping the multitude more -easily and effectually in subjection. - -The papal presents and interference in favour of the Norman expedition, -despicable as they appear, must have largely contributed to recruit -William’s forces, inspire them with confidence and enthusiasm, and -eventually promote and ensure his success. Nor was he himself wanting on -his part. Nothing that an intrepid adventurer, and able leader could do -to give effect to his undertaking was by him omitted. He even went so -far as to make very liberal promises to divide the lands of the English -among his followers, in case he proved victorious; which promises he -afterwards very punctually and amply performed, so that the English -grandees were deprived of their possessions, or if they were permitted to -retain any part of them, they held the same under the Normans, who then -became every where the great lords and proprietors of the country. - -The whole English nation, in the meantime, was so completely subdued and -degraded, as to become, like the ancient Gibeonites, mere hewers of wood -and drawers of water for their haughty conquerors, whom providence seemed -to employ, like the Danes before, as instruments of retaliation and -vengeance, for the atrocities formerly committed on the original -inhabitants. The English language itself was now in a manner prohibited -and proscribed, and the _French_ substituted for it, or introduced in its -room, especially in the courts of law, and all legal transactions, which -continued to be the case for a long time. {297} French also became now -the sole language of gentlemen, or of all who moved in the high and -polite circles. None could be admitted into such circles, or allowed the -name of gentlemen, without that language, which bore very hard, no doubt, -upon many an English buck of those days; hence that well known old -proverb, “Jack would be a gentleman, but that he can talk no French.” - -The changes which the Norman Conquest produced in this country shall be -further noticed in the next part or division of this work, where it will -be seen how Lynn in particular, and its vicinity were affected by that -memorable and humiliating revolution. - -During the period of which we have been treating, Lynn exhibited no -appearance of a borough, or corporate town: that state, or order of -things belonged to the policy of a subsequent period, and resulted from -the revolution effected by the conquest, and the odious feudal system, -for their attachment to which the Normans were so very remarkable. Of -the population of Lynn before the conquest, a great part probably -consisted of _slaves_ of different descriptions, the vassals and property -of the bishop and other great men. The artificers, tradesmen, and -merchants of Lynn were then all, perhaps, in that condition, and -following their respective employments or professions, by the permission, -and under the protection or patronage of their lordly superiors and -proprietors, and also for their, as well as their own behoof or -emolument. It is not very clear or probable that the condition of these -people and of the rest of their unfree or enslaved countrymen, did or -could, by the conquest, suffer any very material deterioration. But with -their superiors, the high and mighty, or great men of the land, their -lordly and unfeeling oppressors, the case is known to have been far -otherwise: that event, like some modern conquests and revolutions, -degraded and humbled them with a vengeance. - - -SECTION IX. - - -_Sketch of the practice of the_ royal touch _in England_, _or a -historical Essay on the memorable_ empiricism of our English sovereigns, -_from Edward the Confessor to George the First_. - -It is generally agreed that this notable practice, which appears to have -been long deemed as a branch of the royal prerogative, began in this -kingdom with, or in the person of Edward the Confessor. {299a} Some -however seem to think it to have existed in France at an earlier period: -if so, Edward, who had long lived in that country, and appeared very -partial to it, and fond of French fashions, might take the hint from -thence, and introduce it here upon his accession to the throne, which he -might easily manage by the help of the monks, with whom he was so great a -favourite. - -_Clovis_, and _Robert_ of sainted memory, are named among the early -French sovereigns who successfully practised the royal touch, and were -greatly admired and venerated by their subjects on that account. In the -reign _of Philip_ the first, the virtue is supposed to have been somehow -lost, but happily revived again with undiminished splendor in that of -Lewis the fat, after which it seems to have long and regularly continued. -Francis I. {299b} and Henry IV. are represented as eminent practitioners; -how it was with the succeeding monarchs, descended from the latter, we -are not informed. No particular attention appears to have been paid to -it yet by the emperor Napoleon. What he may think proper to do -hereafter, no tongue can tell. Whether he possesses this power or not, -it is certain that he possesses some other powers in as great a degree, -at least, as any of his royal or imperial predecessors. - -But this miraculous gift of healing did not, it seems, belong exclusively -to the kings of France and England. {300a} The Earls, or princes of the -house of Hapsburg also, are reported to have had it in no scanty measure. -They cured the strumous, or scrofulous, it is said, by giving them drink, -and the stammerers, by kissing them. But the Kings of Hungary seem to -have exceeded all; for we are told that they _could_ cure, not only the -king’s evil, but all disorders occasioned by poison, the bite of a viper, -or any other venomous animal. - - “Mr. _Bel_, who tells us this, observes (what is as remarkable as the - account itself) that he cannot find in history, that these Hungarian - kings ever exercised this wonderful power. {300b} More shame for - them, the unfeeling wretches! if they possessed it. - - “The case was otherwise with the royal doctors of France and England, - who have not been so shy of exerting this power, or rather, of - practising this quackery. Some French writers (says Carte) ascribe - this gift of healing to the king’s devotion towards the relics of St. - Marculf, in the Church of Corbigny, in Champagne, to which the kings - of France, immediately after their coronation at Rheims, used to go - in solemn procession: and it must be owned there was formerly a great - veneration paid to this saint in England. It was in memory of him - that a room in the palace of Westminster frequently mentioned in the - rolls of parliament, was called the chamber of St. Marculf; being - probably the place where our kings touched for the Evil. It is now - (our historian adds) called the painted chamber: and though the name - of that saint hath been long forgot in this nation, yet the sanative - virtue of our kings still continues.” {301a} - -Of the most noted among our sovereigns, as practitioners in this healing -art, the following is thought a pretty complete list. Nothing seems to -be known in this way of Harold II. or yet of the four succeeding princes; -but that Henry II. practised very successfully is said to be attested by -Petrus Blesensis, who had been his chaplain. {301b} It seems highly -probable that Henry III. likewise was often applied to, and successfully -practised in the same way, as John of Geddesden, a physician, who is said -to live about that time, advises a scorfulous patient, after his remedies -had proved ineffectual, to apply to the king for a cure: for which he has -been much blamed, and seemingly not without reason, as, in case he deemed -the royal touch a certain care or remedy, he ought to have sent the -patient to the king at first, without troubling him with operation and -medicine. {302a} - -Henry’s great son, Edward I, also appears to have been no mean master of -this same art; and so, probably, might be his son, Edward II, though -otherwise no great conjuror; but as to his son, Edward III, few, if any, -seem to have gone beyond him in this sanative employment. _Bradwardine_, -who attended him in his wars, and whose counsel is said to have -contributed to his success, gives a pompous advertisement, in his book -_De Causa Dei_, of the wonderful cures wrought by that prince. _F. le -Brun_, however, pays no regard to this. He looks upon it as a crafty -stratagem, and says, he does not doubt but that Edward’s pretensions to -the crown of France excited his zeal to touch those who were diseased; -which is not unlikely; princes often, when nothing but politics lie at -the bottom, chusing to make religion to swim on the top. {302b} Edward’s -grandson, Richard II, cannot be supposed to drop or lay aside a practice -for which his grandfather and immediate predecessor on the throne had -been so celebrated. Nor is it at all likely that his successors, of the -rival house of Lancaster, should discontinue this practice, as that might -have been construed to imply a consciousness of inferiority to the -princes of the other house, or something like a defect in their own title -to the crown. - -Least of all is it to be supposed that this practice should be dropt or -neglected afterwards, on the restoration of the York line, in the person -of _Edward IV_, who would naturally take care to exercise every -prerogative or power supposed to have belonged to his ancestors, and -which had any way contributed to their popularity, consequence, or -celebrity. This monarch, though of a far less religious or devout cast -than his immediate predecessor Henry VI. might not on that account be the -less qualified to work these miracles, any more than _Charles II._ -afterwards; who, though by his clerical subjects denominated _most -religious_, was yet certainly, in fact, one of the _most irreligious_ and -profligate wretches that ever wore a crown: nevertheless he -unquestionably practiced the _royal touch_, as extensively, effectually, -and successfully as any one whatever in the whole list of our crowned, or -kingly practitioners. And why not?—as the extraordinary gift, -supernatural virtue, or miraculous power, belonged entirely, it seems, to -his regal quality or dignity; {303} and had nothing at all, apparently, -to do with his personal or moral character. - -_Richard_ III. also, after he ascended the throne, may be supposed to -possess as much of this supernatural and sanative virtue (whatever may be -said of the other virtues) as any one of his predecessors or successors; -and as it was evidently his interest to omit no popular observance, and -to avail himself of whatever had a tendency to excite or gain the -admiration of the people, and reconcile them to his government, we may be -sure he would not fail to follow, with spirit, the practice in question; -and so, by a copious display of its sanative virtue, compensate, in some -sort, or degree, for the absence of virtues of another description. -There is therefore abundant reason for setting him down among our royal -miracle-workers. - -None of all these princes appear to have made a greater figure, or to -have proceeded with more parade, solemnity, and success, in this royal -business or occupation, than Henry VII.—This politic prince, whatever -right he might have to the crown, had probably as good a right as any one -to try his hand at this notable and wonder working operation, the effect -or fame of which he knew full well how to manage profitably and turn to -the best account. He accordingly set about it in good earnest; and in -order, as may be supposed, to give the process the most striking, sacred, -and solemn appearance, and increase its effect, he had a new form, or -office, composed and introduced for the purpose. {304} The project -answered; and his success in this practice is said to have been very -considerable. This prince would also sometimes take upon him to _convert -heretics_; and he would even give them money to facilitate their -conversion; {306} which was certainly no illadapted device, or -unpromising expedient; and it is the more remarkable, as his majesty was -himself so great a lover of money, and appears to have been so -exceedingly close-fisted on other occasions. We may therefore be very -sure that the conversion of heretics was of the highest importance in -Henry’s estimation, and what lay very near to his royal heart. This -monarch also, with his queen and eldest son, visited the town of Lynn, -where he very probably exercised the _royal touch_, as scrofulous -patients may be supposed to have been then, as they are now, very -numerous here, all of whom, as well as the rest of the inhabitants, would -not fail to give full credit to his majesty’s ability to remove the -malady and restore the patients to perfect health; and, of course, would -be anxious to apply to him, which he would not be likely to discourage. -As to _heretics_, there might be then none of them here for him to try -his royal hand at their conversion. - -His son and high spirited successor, _Henry VIII_, would doubtless be -careful to continue the practice of all the rites and ceremonies -appertaining to the royal function, which had been handed down to him -from his father: and there is every reason to believe that the operation -in question would not be forgotten or omitted, were it only to be even -with his neighbour and rival, _Francis I_, who certainly performed it, -and would not be likely to be suffered or allowed to go beyond him on -such an occasion. Henry therefore may be safely set down among our said -royal practitioners, and even among the most able and powerful of them -all. But the _King’s Evil_ was not the only Evil in whose cure or -removal he was particularly concerned: He was no less concerned in the -cure or removal of the _Pope’s Evil_, another dreadful malady, which had -long and grievously afflicted most of the good people of this country, -and which was generally deemed incurable, till he took it in hand. All -the world know how powerfully and effectually _his royal touch operated_ -on that occasion.—It seems he had also the reputation of being endowed -with extraordinary gifts for the cure or prevention of the _cramp_; and -we find that he distinguished himself by the consecration of _cramp -rings_, which Stephen Gardiner says were much esteemed every where, and -often sought for. {308} So very eminent was Henry among our royal -doctors, and miracle mongers. - -_Edward VI_, Henry’s amiable son and successor, is not known to have been -at all an adept at this princely practice, or even to have been in the -least partial to it. He probably thought so very lightly of it as -entirely to omit and discard it, as he is also said to have done with -respect to the _consecration of cramp rings_, by which his royal father -so much distinguished himself. It is likely that Edward, young as he -was, had imbibed some sectarian notions which might unfit him for the -performance of these sublime operations. Even the royal and episcopal -work of _burning heretics_, so much approved of and delighted in by his -predecessors, and afterwards by his immediate successor, and so much -called for and applauded by ecclesiastics, was to him an object of utter -aversion; and if he once suffered it to be done, it was involuntary and -against his own better judgement, through the importunate intreaties and -urgent expostulations of his bishops, and particularly Cranmer, to whom -therefore the guilt and infamy of the deed must properly or chiefly -belong. {309} There is reason to believe that no such doings would have -sullied or disgraced his reign had he been left to judge and act for -himself. It is probable he was left so to judge and act with respect to -the _royal touch_; so that we need not be surprised at his declining the -practice. - -From _Mary_, his bloody sister and successor a different conduct might be -expected: and her conduct certainly was, almost in every thing, very -different from his. Superstitious as she was, and bigoted to the last -degree, it is not to be supposed that she should shrink from the -performance of any rite or ceremony, however absurd, that had been in -request with her popish predecessors, or devoutly practiced by them. -This of the _royal touch_ could never escape her attention: nay it is -expressly said that the office was indeed fairly written out for her use; -[that very office probably, which has been above inserted;] so that there -can be no question of her touching for the Evil, as devoutly, and as -successfully perhaps, as any of the rest. {310a} - -As to _Elizabeth_, heretic as she was, her legitimacy questioned, and her -title litigated, she _touched_ for the Evil with a success acknowledged -even by the papists themselves, who are said to ascribe it to the _sign -of the cross_. {310b} A case is mentioned by _Carte_ of a Roman -Catholic, who, being put into prison, perhaps for recusancy, and terribly -afflicted with the Evil, was, after he had been there a tedious time, at -a vast expence to physicians without the least relief, _touched_ by this -queen, and perfectly cured: which gave him occasion to say, he was now -convinced by undoubted experience, that the pope’s excommunication of her -signified nothing, since she still continued blessed with so miraculous a -quality. {310c}—It was well for the poor fellow that he was not a -_puritan_, or he might have gone long enough without his cure, as her -majesty is known to have been inexorably pitiless and spiteful against -that class of her subjects. - -Of _James_ I, with his strong faith in ghosts and witches, and lofty -notions of indefeasible right, royal prerogative and king-craft, it was -not to be supposed that he, of all men, would think meanly or lightly of -this royal and religious operation. It accordingly appears that he very -readily and warmly engaged in it, and actually became a most dexterous -and eminent practitioner—to the no small satisfaction and comfort, as we -may suppose, of his liege subjects, as well as advancement of his own -fame, or at least, the gratification of his vanity, of which it is well -known he possessed no common or scanty portion. Nothing could delight -him more than the idea that he could work miracles: his courtiers called -him _Solomon_; but that idea was calculated to make him think himself as -still greater than even Solomon. We are not informed how many patients -underwent or felt his royal touch; but there is every reason to suppose -and believe that the number must have been very considerable. - -His unfortunate son and successor _Charles_ I. was no less distinguished -in this same way than his royal father had been. Great numbers are said -to have been by him both touched and cured; of whom not a few were little -children, which has been urged as a proof that it could not be ascribed -to the effect or strength of imagination. Carte observes, that Dr. -Heylyn, an eye witness of such cures, says, “I have seen some children -brought before the King by the hanging sleeves, some hanging at their -mother’s breasts, and others in the arms of their nurses, all cured, -without the help of a serviceable imagination.” {312a} Both Heylyn and -Carte were full of faith in these miracles. If they were right, the -decapitation of Charles must have been a great loss to the nation, and -especially to those who were afflicted with the Evil. For twelve years -or more, after that event, not one of these miracles appears to have been -wrought in this country. - -As to _Oliver Cromwell_, it does not appear that he ever tried his hand -at this wonder-working operation; conscious, it may be supposed, that it -did not belong to his province, or to the protectoral office and dignity, -with which he was invested. What he would have done, had he accepted or -assumed the regal title, cannot be said or known with absolute certainty: -though the probability seems to bear against his even then becoming a -practitioner, as it would hardly have met the approbation of his best -friends, or accorded with the ideas of his most trusty and powerful -coadjutors, or even with his own. - -After a total cessation or suspension of this ancient princely practice, -during the whole time of the Common wealth and Protectorate, it revived -again at the memorable _restoration_; and _Charles II._ took it up -vigorously and solemnly, and on a very extensive scale. The Register of -the Royal Chapel is said to exhibit a list of 92,107 persons touched by -him for the Evil in a certain number of years; {312b} not including, it -seems, the whole of his reign; so that double that number, or more for -aught we know, may have passed under his hand during the whole course of -his government. Yet we find he practised only at some particular seasons -of the year; at least after the summer of 1662, when a royal proclamation -was issued to inform the public that such would be the case from -thenceforth. His majesty had been then a practitioner full two years, -during which time there is reason to believe that he had touched some -thousands. He began the work almost immediately after his restoration, -so that it may be considered among the first acts of his reign. Of the -state of the practice in his royal hands, or under his wise management, a -pretty accurate idea may be formed from the following extracts—out of -some of the principal Public Papers of that era. - -The following passage appeared in the weekly Paper called _Mercurius -Politicus_, of June 28, 1660— - - “Saturday being appointed by his majesty to touch such as are - troubled by the Evil, a great number of poor afflicted creatures were - met together, many brought in chairs and flaskets; and being - appointed by his majesty to repair to the Banqueting House, his - majesty sat in a chair of state, and stroked all that were brought to - him, and then put about each of their necks a white ribbon with an - angel of gold on it. In this manner his majesty stroked above 600; - and such was his princely patience and tenderness to the poor - afflicted creatures, that though it took up a very long time, his - majesty, never weary of well doing, was pleased to make enquiry, - whether there were any more who had not been touched. After prayers - were ended the duke of Buckingham brought a towel, and the earl - Pembroke a bason and ewer; who, after they, had made obeysance to his - majesty, kneeled down, till his majesty had washed.” - -This was within a month after his majesty’s arrival. - -The next is from the _Parliamentary Journal_, of July 9, 1660; a -fortnight after the other; and is thus curiously worded— - - “The kingdom having for a long time been troubled with the Evil, by - reason of his majesty’s absence, great numbers have flocked for cure. - His sacred majesty on Monday last touched 250 in the - Banqueting-House; among whom, when his majesty was delivering the - gold, one shuffled himself in, out of a hope of profit, which had not - been stroked; but his majesty presently discovered him, saying, this - man has not yet been touched. His majesty hath for the future - appointed every Friday for the cure, at which time 200 and no more - are to be presented to him, who are first to repair to _Mr. Knight_, - the King’s surgeon, living at the Cross Guns, in Russell Street, - Covent Garden, over against the Rose Tavern, for their tickets.—That - none might lose their labour he thought fit to make it known that he - will be at his house every Wednesday and Thursday, from two till six - of the Clock, to attend that service.—And if any _person of quality_ - shall send to him he will wait upon them at their lodgings, upon - notice given to him.” - -In the same paper of July 30 and August 6, notice was given, that no more -would be touched till about Michaelmas: and in the _Mercurius Politicus_, -of February 28, 1661, it is said, that _many came twice or thrice for the -sake of the gold_. - -Another weekly paper, called _Mercurius Publicus_, February 21, 1661, had -the following passage— - - “We cannot but give notice that certain persons (too many one would - think) who having the _King’s Evill_, and have been _touched_ by his - SACRED MAJESTY, have got the forehead to come twice or thrice, - alleging they were never there before, till divers witnesses proved - the contrary; which hath forced his MAJESTY to give order that - whosoever hereafter comes to be touched, shall first bring to his - MAJESTY’S Chirurgeons a certificate from the _Minister_ and - Church-Wardens (where they live) that they never were touched by his - MAJESTY before: the next healing will begin six weeks hence.” - -In the same paper of May 9, 1661, appeared the following notice or -advertisement: - - “WHITEHALL. We are commanded to give notice, that his MAJESTY finds - the Season already so hot, that it will be neither safe nor fit to - continue his healing such as have the king’s Evil; and therefore that - his MAJESTIES good subjects therein concerned, would at present - forbear to come to court; Friday next (may 10,) and Wednesday (May - 15.) being the last days that his MAJESTY intends to heal, till the - heat of the weather be allayed, and his MAJESTY’S further pleasure - known, whereof his good subjects shall have timely notice.” - -The same paper of August 15, 1661, contained the passage following:— - - “We are commanded to give notice That his _Majesty_ finds the season - such, that it will neither be safe nor fit to continue his Healing - those that have the King’s Evil; and therefore that His _Majesties_ - good subjects therein concerned do forbear to come to Court till - All-Saints Day next, till which time His _Majesty_ doth not intend to - Heal.” - -In the very same Paper, of July 17, 1662, appeared the following curious -courtly advertisement: - - “_Hampton Court_.—His Majesty lately set forth a _Proclamation for - the better ordering of those who repair to the Court for cure of the - disease called the King’s Evil_, wherein his Majesty being as ready - and willing to relieve the necessities and diseases of his good - Subjects by his Sacred Touch, which shall come for cure, as any of - his Royal Predecessors, in which, by the Grace and Blessing of God, - he hath in an extraordinary measure had good success, and yet in his - princely wisdom, foreseeing that fit times are necessary to be - appointed for the performing of that great work of Charity, doth - declare his Royal pleasure to be, that from henceforth the usual - times for presenting such persons, shall be from the Feast of - _All-saints_, commonly called _Alhallowtide_, to a week before - _Christmas_, and in the month before Easter, being more convenient - for the temperature of the season, and in respect of any contagion - that may happen in this near access to his Majesties Sacred Person. - His Majesty doth further command that none presume to repair to Court - for cure of the said disease, but within the limits appointed, and - that such persons who come for that purpose, bring certificates under - the hands of the Parson, Vicar, or Minister and Church-Wardens of the - Parishes where they dwell, testifying that they have not at any time - before been touched by the King; further charging all Justices of - Peace, Constables, &c. that they suffer not any to pass but such as - have such Certificates, under pain of his Majestys displeasure: And - that his Majesties Subjects may have the better knowledge of it, his - Majesties will is, that this Proclamation be published and affixed in - some open place in every Market Town of this Realm.” {317a} - -To the above Extracts, only one more shall be here added, from another -Public Paper, called _The Newes_, of May 18, 1664.— - - “His Sacred Majesty having declared it to be his royal will and - purpose to continue the healing of his people for the Evil during the - month of May, and then give over till Michaelmas next, I am commanded - to give Notice thereof, that the people may not come up to the town - in the interim and lose their labour.” {317b} - -From these premises it plainly appears that the king really pretended to -be endowed with the power or gift of working miracles, and of healing or -curing one of the most obstinate and incurable diseases incident to the -human frame, even by his _touch_. Most curious and ludicrous it surely -must be to see such a man as Charles making such a pretension, and -affecting to be hand and glove with Heaven; and no less so to see the -whole nation, or at least the whole body of the church folks, or national -religionists, (clergy and laity) which constituted the great bulk of the -people, giving him full credit for every thing, and deeming the least -doubt or hesitation about his miraculous claims as a sure indication of -disloyalty, and scarcely short of high treason. Allowing or supposing -his majesty to have really possessed this miraculous power, or -supernatural healing gift, still it must appear rather a queer case that -it should be affected by the _temperature of the seasons_, and actually -controlled, overpowered, and crippled, as it were, by the _hot weather_; -and that the royal operator, in the meantime, in case he persisted in his -benevolent practice, or labour of love, during the dog-days, and for some -time before and after, should be exposed to the imminent danger of some -alarming _contagion_: at least he and his courtiers seemed evidently to -have had such apprehension. In all this, however, his loyal and admiring -subjects could discover nothing, either marvellous or suspicious, or yet -any way inconsistent. Their sovereign’s miraculous claims found in them -the most ready acquiescence. With some, indeed, especially among the -poor persecuted nonconformists, the case was otherwise. They disbelieved -those royal pretentions. But it only served to strengthen the public -prejudice against them; being generally looked upon as an additional and -sure proof of their disaffection, or their moral and political -depravity.—So much for Charles’s supernatural powers and miraculous -deeds. - -His brother and successor, _James_ II. another of our _religious_ -monarchs, continued this practice with unabated zeal, solemnity, and -devotion. He appears to have made some improvement in the process; -particularly by restoring the sign of the cross, which had been -unaccountably omitted by his father, and grandfather. It is probable -that none of its ancient appendages were by him forgotten, or left -unrestored, if he did not also, in his princely wisdom, devise some -others, equally suitable and edifying: and had the crown continued in his -family, the good subjects of these realms would hardly have failed of -having the institution or practice still preserved amongst them, and -observed in all things according to the pattern exhibited by him. But -his unexpected abdication forced things into another channel, and -deprived us of so fair and important a chance. James is supposed to have -practised at Whitehall as frequently, in proportion to the length of his -reign, as his brother had done. But as his reign, compared with that of -Charles, was very short, (though, in some respects, much too long) it is -not to be supposed that he, like the other, could boast of his myriads of -patients and cures. It appears, however, that he was very assiduous in -this business, as well when his occasions called him abroad, as when -detained within the precincts of his own court or palace: hence when he -went to Oxford in 1687, about the affair of Magdalen-College and other -matters, part of his time there is known to have been employed in -_touching_; which shews how very partial he was to the practice, and how -very ready he was to attend to it on every occasion that might offer. -{319} _Dr. Sykes_ in a letter to _Dr. Charlett_, of September 4, 1787, -expresses himself thus, “This morning the king _touches_ in Christ Church -Quire; hears one Father Hall this morning at the new Popish Chapel there; -but whether he will be there in the afternoon, or at University College, -I know not.” And _Creech_ in a letter to _Dr. Charlett_, of September 6, -the same year, says, “On sunday morning the king _touched_. _Warner_ and -_White_ officiating: all that waited on his majesty kneeled at the -prayers, beside the Duke of Beaufort, who stood all the time.” {320} All -this shews how partial and devoted James was to this practice, as well as -how obsequiously the learned Oxonians observed and contemplated this part -of their Sovereign’s conduct. Had he not gone beyond this royal _touch_, -neither the Magdalenians nor any other Oxonian fraternity had ever -resisted his mandates: his popularity, in that case, might have been as -unbounded as that of our present sovereign, and his descendants might -have reigned here gloriously to this day. - -At the Revolution this practice or operation was again suspended. -_William_ III. was a Presbyterian, and _Oliver Cromwell_ an Independent: -the spirit and principles of these sects seem not to be congenial with, -or favourable to the practice; nor does this gift or privilege appear to -extend to sectarian or heterodox princes, but only to those of the -Romish, or Church of England faith. - -At the accession of _Anne_, of course, this sanative virtue and practice -again revived, and numbers were _touched_ by the royal hand of that -illustrious princess, among whom was the late celebrated _Dr. Samuel -Johnson_, then in his childhood. At the death of Anne, the said virtue -forsook the British throne: at least none of our succeeding monarchs have -yet ventured to revive the practice. The two first princes of the -present dynasty had, doubtless, their reasons for refraining from it; but -as it is not known what they were, it is impossible to say whether their -majesties were governed therein by wise or unwise, proper or improper -motives. We know that actions very right in themselves may yet be -performed upon very wrong and unjustifiable principles. There is, -however, no room to suppose that these two potentates were in any measure -influenced in this instance by what their enemies, the Jacobites, would -be ready to insinuate: an apprehension of their own title to the Crown -being defective. The voice of the Nation (than which, there can be no -better title) had placed them on the throne of these realms. - -His present majesty has hitherto followed the example of his two -immediate predecessors, in not restoring or resuming this dormant or -neglected branch of the royal prerogative. If he ever should hereafter, -at any time, think proper to restore or resume it, there can be no manner -of doubt of his meeting with ample success, as well as abundant -employment. In that case it may be presumed that multitudes of patients -would soon be flocking in from all quarters, not excepting the County of -Norfolk and the parts about Lynn Regis. His resolving to resume the -practice would instantly occasion the revival of the national faith in -the efficacy of the operation; and so far would such a resumption or -experiment be from endangering his majesty’s fair fame and popularity, -that it would, in all probability, augment the same, and so render him -for the residue of his reign, within the British Isles at least, more -popular and more celebrated than ever. But as we are not warranted to -expect that his majesty will ever try the experiment, or put to the test -the faith of his subjects in the miraculous efficacy of his _touch_, we -shall here drop the subject as far as it may concern him. - -It appears that after the death of queen _Anne_ it was firmly believed by -a great part of the nation, that the sanative virtue, or miraculous power -which she was allowed to possess, still existed in the person of a -certain exiled prince of her family. In proof of which a story was -industriously propagated of one _Christopher Lovel_, of Bristol, who -being most sadly and grievously afflicted with the Evil, after having -recourse to the most eminent of the faculty, and availed himself of the -best medical help in vain, went at last to the Continent, in quest of the -said prince. Having found his royal highness, and being kindly received, -he underwent the operation of the _touch_, got perfectly cured, and -returned home safe and sound, in full health and high spirits, after an -absence of four months and some few days. Carte, the historian, and many -more, gentlemen of the faculty as well as others, visited him, examined -the case thoroughly, and pronounced the cure complete. Some of them, of -whom one was _Dr. Lane_, an eminent physician, considered it as one of -the most extraordinary and wonderful events that had ever happened.—After -this, who can doubt the reality of the fact, that such a sanative virtue, -gift, or power, was actually possessed by the said prince?—It seems, -however, that the miracle did not effect a radical cure: poor Lovel -relapsed again, sometime after, and died of the Evil at last. Such, in -all probability, were all the other great cures performed by the rest of -our royal doctors, although many of them, like this, were attested as -_perfect cures_, by very respectable, but too credulous witnesses. - -It is somewhat remarkable that _Whiston_, as well as _Carte_, believed in -the efficacy of the royal touch: the former derives it from the _prayer_ -used at the time, while the latter seems to consider it as a divine or -miraculous gift bestowed upon, or inherent to all the rightful heirs to -the English throne. Both of them were men of considerable -respectability, and very confident, it seems, of the soundness of their -respective opinions in this case. Their opinions however appear equally -untenable, and may pretty safely be pronounced utterly unfounded. The -favourable effects, or apparent benefit which some of those patients -might experience after having undergone the operation of the _touch_, -must doubtless be ascribed to their own operative faith and strength of -imagination, rather than to any supernatural virtue proceeding from that -princely performance, or any miraculous gift possessed by the royal -practitioners. To the same cause must also be attributed the salutary -effects said to have sometimes resulted from the pretended animal -magnetism, as well as such empirical charms and nostrums as have acquired -an uncommon share of popular fame, or have stood very high in the good -opinion of the public. A patient’s favourable opinion of a remedy -administered to him, and his very confident expectation of deriving from -it very essential benefit, are allowed to have had a happy effect, and to -have done great things sometimes in very serious and dangerous cases. - -Now we may rest assured that on no other ground but this can we -reasonably account for benefits experienced by many who underwent the -royal touch; admitting that to have been really the case; for it is too -absurd to suppose that those royal personages were actually endowed with -power to work miracles, or that the ceremony performed, or yet the gold -given to the patients to wear about their necks, had in them any -supernatural or healing virtue to render them capable of producing such -effects. - -It must be rather mortifying to our national vanity and pride, to think -that our dear ancestors, for seven hundred years, firmly believed in the -miraculous efficacy of the royal touch, in scrofulous complaints. {324} -But while we reprobate, or pity their stupid and miserable credulity, in -this and other instances, let us not forget that we ourselves are not -without our errors and failings, and those no less inexcusable and -degrading: witness our general belief in witchcraft, conjuration, -prodigies, and newspapers, together with the unshaken faith of multitudes -in _Richard Brothers_, _Joanna Southcote_, and many other notorious -impostors of different descriptions: and it may be justly questioned, if -there ever was a period when the inhabitants of this country have been -more inexcusably credulous, more easily and egregiously imposed upon, or -more generally and universally duped, than in this very age.—But we will -here close this long section; hoping that its contents will not fail to -contribute, at least in some measure, to the amusement and satisfaction -of the inquisitive and candid reader; especially if he ever wished to -learn the history of the royal touch, of which he will find here, -perhaps, a more particular and circumstantial account than in any other -publication. - - * * * * * - - _End of Part_ II. - - - - -HISTORY OF LYNN. PART III. - - -HISTORY OF LYNN FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORMANS IN ENGLAND TO THE -REFORMATION. - - - -CHAP. I. - - -Observations on the Conquest—account of the changes then introduced—their -effects on the kingdom at large, and on Lynn and its vicinity in -particular. - -The conquest of England by the Normans appears to have been no less -complete than those which had been before effected by the Romans, the -Saxons, and the Danes. The English grandees were generally stript of -their possessions, and their lands divided among the conqueror’s chief -favourites and great captains, who then became the nobles of the realm, -and from whom are descended most of our present great families. This -conquest was obtained much easier than any of those that preceded it. A -single battle now determined the fate of the whole country, partly, as -was before observed, through the defection, intrigues, and influence of -the clergy, most of whom were in the interest of the invader, as he was -supported by their holy father the Pope, who had distinguished him by -such special marks of his favour as, could not fail of attaching them to -his cause. - -William’s army consisted of 60,000 men; not all his own subjects, (for -his duchy could not furnish and maintain such a force) but made up -chiefly of adventurers, or soldiers of fortune, who had engaged in the -expedition, on the promise of forfeited lands, in proportion to the -numbers they brought with them. Accordingly, some are said to have -afterward bestowed on them no less than 700 manors, others 5, 4, 3, 2, -and 100, or less; insomuch that all the land in England, if we except the -royal demesnes, the church lands, and those annexed to the cities and -boroughs, were in no more than about 700 hands, whose wide possessions -were again distributed among their numerous vassals, according to the -principles of the feudal system, which was now completely introduced and -established in England. {328} - -In consequence of this change, it became a fundamental maxim, and -necessary principle of our English tenures, that the king is the -universal lord and original proprietor of all the lands in his kingdom, -and that no man doth or can possess any part of it, but what has, -mediately or immediately, been derived from him, to be held upon feudal -services. This engrafting of the feudal tenure on almost all the land in -the kingdom, is said to have been the most important alteration which our -civil and military policy then underwent. {329a} The great lords held -their lands of the king, by certain services, as all their vassals held -theirs also of them. Thus the king had the whole power of the country -closely connected with, and dependent upon himself. This state of things -was calculated, no doubt, to secure the kingdom from external danger, and -may be considered as laying the foundation of that high military -character which England afterwards held among its neighbours. - -A vast demesne was now set apart for the king, amounting to 1422 manors, -together with many other lands which had never been erected or formed -into manors. Besides these he had the profits of all his feudal tenures, -his worships, marriages, and reliefs; the benefit of excheats, either -upon failure of heirs, or forfeiture; the goods of felons and traitors; -the profits of his courts of justice; besides many other casualties, -which amounted to an immense revenue; insomuch that the Conqueror, as we -are informed, had no less than 1060_l._ 10_s._ a day, the annual amount -of which, allowing for the comparative value of moneys &c. was equal to -several millions (perhaps twenty or more) of ours. {329b} So large a -revenue might probably justify the saying of Fortescue, that originally -the King of England was the richest in Europe. - -We are told, that William’s military tenants were obliged, on all -occasions, to furnish 60,000 knights, completely equipped, and ready to -serve forty days at their own expence. Every seaport also, in proportion -to its ability, was obliged to find, in time of danger, one or more ships -properly furnished with men and arms; which, joined with such other ships -as the king hired were generally an overmatch for the invaders. {330} -Thus we see how powerful and formidable England became after the -conquest, in its means of defence and resistance, under its Norman -sovereigns. - -Whilst we are noticing the changes now introduced into this country, it -may not be improper to observe, that the feudal system was a favourite -branch of the Norman policy, and which they appear carefully to have -established wherever they could get a firm footing. They did so, not -only in Normandy and England, but also in _Sicily_, which they appear to -have subdued much about the time of which we are now speaking, and which -has groaned under the oppression of that System ever since, even to this -day. Of the commencement of that order of things in that island, and its -present aspect and bearings, a very recent writer gives the following -account, which may serve to cast some light on the state of our country -at the period now under consideration. - - “Roger the Norman, conqueror of Sicily, and contemporary with our - William the First, on his accession to the throne, divided the lands - of the kingdom into three portions—One third of these was called the - demesnes of the Crown, which are administered by the corporation of - the royal towns where they are situated; each town, according to the - revenue of its demesnial lands, pays to the king a certain income, - besides maintaining the police, roads, &c. &c. and the tribute which - each territory pays is called the royal patrimony.—The next third - part of these lands was distributed by King Roger among his nobles; - some of these were fiefs contained within the territory of the - demesnial towns, while others had a town of their own, of which the - estate or barony formed the territory. Sometimes townships of these - baronial towns have estates belonging to them, which are administered - by their corporations, called giurati.—The remaining third portion - was either distributed among the bishops and mitred abbots, or served - to endow the several Convents, which in an age fertile in - superstition were so generally established. - - “This distribution of property has remained thus ever since the - Norman Conquest; and all the noble fiefs, as they are held by a grant - in military tenure, are supposed to belong to the crown, and given to - a family and their descendants, subject to military service. This - Circumstance supposes an absolutely strict entail, which prevents the - sale of fiefs without the king’s sanction; (verbo regio;) it supposes - also the indivisibility of the fief—hence the rights of - promogeniture, which has reduced the younger branches of families to - a most miserable state. Thus the lands of the nobles are entailed in - their families. Those of the church are attached to it, and the - demesne lands are equally so to the corporations, as - above-mentioned.” {331} - -Of the orders of Society in Sicily, the same writer says— - - “Those princes, dukes, marquisses, and barons, who hold estates which - have a town, or sufficient population, are called parliamentary - barons, and have a right to sit in the assembly of the nobles: all - others are called rustic fiefs, and give no right of this kind to - their landlords, though they be decorated with a title.—The next - order of men are the clergy, who form a distinct assembly or house of - parliament, and consists of archbishops, bishops, archimandrites, - mitred abbots, &c. The principal of these are younger brothers of - the noble families; so that, in fact, the ecclesiastical house of - parliament is tied to the lords.—The next order of men consists of a - second rank of nobles, who hold fiefs without burghs, or towns, and - who, though they have the same splendid titles, have no seat in the - parliament. The next order are the burghers of the different towns; - these apply to agriculture, to the church, and to the medical and - legal professions: then come the artisans and peasants. These are - the peasants of the demesne, and those who are the vassals of the - parliamentary lords.” - -After noticing the multiplied miseries under which the bulk of the people -is involved by this wretched order of things, which forms an insuperable -obstacle in the way of national happiness and prosperity, our author -informs us, that, according to the original constitution of Sicily, the -three houses of parliaments have the faculty of granting supplies to the -Crown; but the majority of the two houses (he says) are sufficient; by -which means the house of commons, or demesnial assembly becomes totally -nugatory, and the lords and ecclesiastics, after generously granting the -supplies, throw the whole burden of them on the commons. Whatever -remonstrances are made, the matter is left to the decision of those who -have done the evil, and the mischief is thus perpetuated: {333} for it -seems they never think of yielding in the least to the remonstrances of -the commons, or complaints of the people. - -In Sicily the feudal system exists without its original energies; and it -may be said to exist in its very worst state, so as to spend all its -force in oppressing beyond measure the middle and lower orders of the -community, or great body of the nation, without contributing to the real -benefit of any. The consequence is that the people, for the most part, -groan hopelessly under their burdens, and seem perfectly indifferent -about the issue of the present contest with France. Yet some people seem -to wonder at their supineness, and their not rising as one man in defence -of their king and country. They might probably have done so, had their -rulers been wise, and left them what would have been worth contending -for, or defending. When rulers cease to feel for the people, it is not -unnatural or unusual for the people also to cease to feel for them. -This, perhaps, will apply to many of the recent changes among the -European powers. - -Beside the feudal system, our Norman conqueror introduced into this -country divers other innovations—One of which was the separation of the -Spiritual courts from the Civil; which was effected (says Blackstone) in -order to ingratiate the new king with the popish clergy, who for sometime -before had been endeavouring all over Europe to exempt themselves from -the secular power; and whose demands the conqueror, like a politic -prince, thought it prudent to comply with, by reason that their reputed -sanctity had a great influence over the minds of the people; and because -all the little learning of the times was engrossed into their hands, -which made them necessary men, and by all means to be gained over to his -interests. And this was the more easily effected, because the episcopal -sees being then in the breast of the king, he had taken care to fill them -with Italian and Norman prelates. This innovation produced very grievous -consequences; so that by degrees the rights and privileges of the English -clergy were delivered up into the hands of the Pope, who taxed them at -his pleasure, and in process of time drained the kingdom of immense -treasures: for besides all his other dues, arising from annates, first -fruits, peter-pence, &c. he extorted large sums of money from the clergy -for their preferments in the church. He advanced foreigners to the -richest bishopricks, who never resided in their dioceses, nor so much as -set foot upon English ground, but sent for all their profits to a foreign -country; nay so covetous was his Holiness, that before livings became -void, he sold them provisionally among his Italians, insomuch that -neither the king nor his clergy had any thing to dispose of, but every -thing was bargained before hand at Rome. {334} - -Another grievous innovation, introduced at the same period, consisted in -the depopulation of whole countries for the purposes of the king’s royal -diversion; and subjecting both them and all the ancient forests of the -kingdom to the unreasonable severities of forest laws imported from the -continent, whereby the slaughter of a beast was made almost as penal as -the death of a man. In the Saxon times, though no man was allowed to -kill or chase the king’s deer, yet he might start any game, pursue, or -kill it, upon his own estate. But the rigour of these new constitutions -vested the sole property of all the game in England in the king alone; -and no man was entitled to disturb any fowl of the air, or beast of the -field, of such kinds as were specially reserved for the royal amusement -of the sovereign, without express licence from the king, by a grant of a -chase, or free warren: and those franchises were granted as much with a -view to preserve the breed of animals as to indulge the subject. From a -similar principle to which, though the forest laws are now mitigated, and -by degrees grown entirely obsolete, yet from this root has sprung a -bastard slip, known by the name of the _game law_, now arrived to and -wantoning in its highest vigour: both founded upon the same unreasonable -notions of permanent property in wild creatures; and both productive of -the same tyranny to the commons; but with this difference, that the -forest laws established only one mighty hunter throughout the land, the -game laws have raised a little Nimrod in every manor. {335} - -Another innovation produced by the conquest was, “narrowing the remedial -influence of the country-courts, the great seats of Saxon justice, and -extending the original jurisdiction of the king’s justiciaries to all -kinds of causes arising in all parts of the kingdom. To this end the -_Aula-regis_, with all its multifarious authority, was erected; and a -capital justiciary appointed, with powers so large and boundless, that he -became at length a tyrant to the people, and formidable to the crown -itself. The constitution of this court, and the judges themselves who -presided there, were fetched from Normandy: and the consequence naturally -was, the ordaining that all proceedings in the king’s courts should be -carried on _in the Norman_ [_or French_] _instead of the English -language_:—a provision the more necessary, because none of his Norman -justiciaries understood English; but as evident a badge of slavery as -ever was imposed upon a conquered people.” And yet the nation was -obliged to submit to it and bear it, for ages. The former plainness and -simplicity now gave way to the abstruseness, chicanery, and subtilty, -which have ever since so unhappily characterized our legal proceedings. -{338a} - -Another of the hateful innovations of the same memorable period was, the -introduction of the _trial by combat_, for the decision of all civil and -criminal questions of fact in the last resort. This was the immemorial -practice of all the northern nations, but first reduced to regular and -stated forms among the Burgundi, about the close of the fifth century: -and from them it passed to other nations, particularly the Franks and the -Normans; which last had the honour to establish it here, though clearly -an unchristian, as well as most uncertain method of trial. But it was a -sufficient recommendation of it to the conqueror and his warlike -countrymen, that it was the usage of their native duchy of Normandy. -{338b} This vile remain of ancient barbarism, and foul disgrace of the -legal polity of our ancestors, has long ceased to exist in our island. - -As the general changes introduced by the conqueror must have affected the -inhabitants of Lynn, in common with the rest of their countrymen, the -above sketch of them became necessary, in order to give the reader some -idea of the state of things here at and subsequent to the conquest. -Before and at that period, as has been already observed, Lynn and its -neighbourhood formed part of the possessions of Harold, of Stigand -archbishop of Canterbury, and of Ailmar bishop of Elmham. All the -possessions of the former, of course were forfeited by the conquest. -Those of the two others soon followed; for being both Anglo-Saxons, (or -Englishmen,) and deemed inimical to the Norman succession, they were both -expelled, and their sees filled by foreigners. Ailmar’s power and -possessions here were in right of his see, and of his lordship of -Gaywode, which had been long attached to that see: those of Stigand were -in his own right, or that of his lordship of Rising, and that of the -hundred of Freebridge, which he held, (as well as the lordship of the -hundred of Smithdon, and many other lordships,) as a lay fee. His -possessions in these parts were bestowed by he conqueror on his half -brother Odo, bishop of Bayeux, in Normandy, whom he created Earl of Kent. -On his rebellion afterward against William Rufus, he was deprived of -them, and they were bestowed on William de Albini, that king’s butler, -whose son, of the same names, was created Earl of Sussex [of this more -may be seen in the account of Castle Rising.]—Ailmar’s possessions here -went to his successor Arfast or Herfast, who removed the see from Elmham -to Thetford, in whose successors they continued for many generations. - -Most, if not all the great gentry of England, in these parts, and -throughout the whole kingdom, at or within a few years after the -conquest, were deprived of their power, stript of their possessions, and -completely humbled. Great numbers of them lost their lives under the -charge of treason, sedition, or other crimes. Those who escaped with -their lives were reduced to poverty, and obliged to occupy such humble -stations as they could not one day have thought of without disdain. {340} -This memorable revolution, (as such revolutions mostly do,) chiefly -affected the higher orders. It affected them, indeed, with a vengeance. -The middle classes seem to have felt but little of it, at least compared -with their superiors. The lower orders felt it still less, or, perhaps, -not at all. They were _slaves_ before, and so they continued for several -ages after, seemingly without any material change. Nor does their hard -condition appear to have been at all ameliorated till after the civil -wars broke out between the rival houses of York and Lancaster. The fatal -effects of those wars in reducing the numbers of each party, obliged the -leaders (as has been before observed) to turn their attention to the -lower orders, that is to the real _slaves_, great numbers of whom were -then emancipated, to fill up the thinned and reduced ranks of their -respective armies. And this seems to have been the only good that -attended those bloody and destructive wars. It certainly proved of great -national benefit, although, like the reformation of Henry VIII, it sprung -from no virtuous or honourable motive. The proverb says, It is an ill -wind that blows no good; and it may be very safely said, that seldom, if -ever, have any calamitous occurrences been known, but what have been -productive of some real benefit. This, doubtless, is owing to the -overruling hand of providence, and ought to be acknowledged as such. - -But though the manumission of great numbers of English slaves took place -during those bloody and fatal wars, and also in consequence of the -politic and wise measures adopted by Henry VII. Yet it does not appear -to have been fully or universally effected, or that slavery was then -totally eradicated in England. We find that there were here some slaves -in the reign of Henry VIII. and of Edward VI. and even of Elizabeth: -{341a} and it may be doubtful, if they had entirely ceased to exist here -before the reign of Charles I. and the civil war. They abounded in the -parts about Lynn for a very long period; but whether as late as in some -other parts of the kingdom is rather uncertain. {341b}—In talking and -boasting of our great charter, and of the unwearied and undaunted -exertions of our ancient barons and patriots to obtain and enforce it, -and how careful they were on every occasion to maintain inviolate the -rights and liberties of the people of England, we are seldom aware that a -great part of the nation was all the while in actual slavery, and not a -soul among the whole host of contemporary patriots and redoubtable -zealots for freedom, ever once thinking of pleading their cause, or -commiserating their sufferings! So also in more recent times have we -been congratulating ourselves on our national virtue and ardent love of -liberty and justice, while we were every year dragging thousands and tens -of thousands of the poor Africans into west-indian slavery!! - - - -CHAP. II. - - -Further remarks on the revolutionary effects of the conquest throughout -the whole kingdom as well as at Lynn—Catalogue of bishops who formerly -bore rule in this Town. - -The mighty change effected in this country by the conquest must have been -felt at Lynn in common with all other places of a similar description. -The great and opulent were doubtless the people who felt it most. {342} -As to the middle classes, (if such there were that might properly be so -denominated,) it must have affected them much less, and the lower orders -very little, or perhaps, not at all. The latter were all _slaves_ -before, and most unfeelingly treated by their masters and proprietors; -and they could but be slaves still; nor is it likely that they met with -worse treatment from their new masters. What might not be hoped from the -virtue or justice of the Normans, might yet be expected from their -policy; for in that quality they seem not to have been deficient; and it -may be reasonably supposed that it would induce them to use the numerous -slaves they found here no worse than they had been used by their former -proprietors. Thus a great part of the nation, and perhaps the greatest -part of it, might not be so very materially affected, or injured, by the -Norman conquest, as some would be apt to imagine—if indeed it did not -prove, on the whole, a benefit rather than detriment to them. {343} - -We must not however imagine or suppose that this revolution bore any -resemblance to that which took place in this country above six hundred -years afterwards, and which has been justly the fond and proud boast of -our countrymen ever since. They were scarcely in any thing alike, except -in the names of their respective authors. But William of Normandy must -not be compared with William of Nassau; for they were two men of very -different and opposite characters: the former came over to subdue and -enslave the nation, the latter came as the champion and guardian of its -rights and its freedom—one came to rob and destroy, the other to succour -and to save—one merited the detestation and execration, the other the -esteem, the gratitude, and the benediction of mankind. - -Of all the English grandees, who were ruined by the conquest, none were -more completely undone than the three great proprietors and lords of -Lynn. One of them as has been already observed, was king _Harold_: of -his downfall we need say no more. The other two were archbishop -_Stigand_, and his brother, bishop _Ailmar_. The former seems to have -been the elder brother and head of the family, and was probably of noble -birth, and of Danish extraction, as the bulk of his vast possessions lay -in East Anglia. Carte says, that it appears from the Domesday book, that -he had the best estate of any man in England, except Harold and Edwin: -there can be little doubt therefore of his being the head of one of the -first families in the kingdom. He was lord of Rising, and of the -Hundreds of Freebridge and Smithdon, and also, of divers other extensive -districts. He is represented as a man of no great learning, but of -eminent natural parts, improved by reflection, exercise, and experience, -and directed by a clear head and solid judgment. He had the reputation -of being endowed with uncommon capacity for business; and we also hear -that he was a person of very great weight and power in the country, of -which no doubt can be entertained when his immense wealth is considered, -and the vast influence, arising from both his temporal and spiritual -dignities. That such a man should be marked out as one of the victims of -the Norman revolution, was naturally to be expected: his being an -Englishman, and so very opulent and powerful, were sufficient temptations -to sacrifice him. But he seems to have conducted himself so warily at -that critical juncture, that the Conqueror for sometime appeared at a -loss how to proceed against him. At last some frivolous or pretended -ecclesiastical misdemeanor was found out, for which he was deprived of -his spiritual dignity, under the sanction of the papal authority, by two -popish legates, at a council held at Winchester in 1070. This appeared a -hard and severe measure: but William, as a politic prince, laid the whole -blame or responsibility of it on the then Pontiff, Alexander II. Yet he -immediately seized on Stigand’s vast estates in East Anglia and -elsewhere, and confined him in prison on a very scanty allowance, where -it is said he died, of want, in the course of the same year, and so did -not long survive his disgrace, or rather his downfal. His great -possessions, in and about Lynn, the Conqueror bestowed on his half -brother Odo, bishop of Bayeux, in Normandy, whom he created Earl of Kent, -and, who then became one of the new masters and lords of Lynn. {346a} - -Stigand’s brother, bishop Ailmar, who had still greater power in this -town, is supposed to have been deprived, at the same time, and by the -same council. It is likely that he too was then immured in a prison, and -never released from it to his dying day. Such has often been the fate of -men who had attained the highest honours and preferments among their -countrymen.—Ailmar was succeeded in the see of Elmham, and in his -jurisdiction and possessions at Gaywood and Lynn, by Herfast, one of the -conqueror’s chaplains, as Rapin says.—Here it may not be improper, or -unacceptable to the reader, to subjoin a List of the names of all the -bishops that preceded and succeeded Ailmar, as masters and lords of Lynn, -from Felix the Burgundian, first bishop of the East Angles, to Richard -Nykke, or Nix, 31st. bishop of Norwich, {346b} who surrendered into the -hands of Henry VIII. his authority or dominion over this town, when the -name of it was changed from _Bishop’s_ LYNN to _King’s_ LYNN, which it -has retained ever since.—Those bishops were, - -1. FELIX _the Burgundian_. He was the apostle of the East Angles, among -whom his ministry was attended with eminent success, and issued in the -conversion of the whole nation: schools were consequently instituted, and -numerous places of worship erected throughout the whole country. He was -consecrated their bishop in 630, and fixed his seat first, it seems, at -_Soham_ in Cambridgeshire, and then at _Silthestow_, afterwards called -_Domnoc_, and since _Dunwich_, in Suffolk. He has been represented as -very learned and pious. The fame of his uncommon sanctity was so great, -that after his death, which happened in 647, he was canonized as a saint, -and his festival stands on the 8th of March, in the Romish calendar. -(See more of him above at p. 242.)—His immediate successor was THOMAS, -who had been trained up under the famous _Paulinus_ archbishop of York, -to whom he had been appointed deacon. On the expulsion of that -metropolitan from his see, Thomas served the same office under Felix, -till his death. After presiding five years he died, in 653, and was -succeeded by BONIFACE, who also sometimes goes by other names. He was a -native of Kent, a priest of Canterbury, whose archbishop consecrated him, -in 653; and dying in 669, he was succeeded by BISUS, or _Bosa_, who was -consecrated by Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury. In his time the -diocese was divided into two sees, one of which remained at Dunwich, and -the other was fixed at _North Elmham_, in Norfolk, among whose -possessions the demesne or lordship of Lynn and Gaywood was included.—The -bishops of Elmham, according to the best account we have met with, were -the following, - -I. BEDWINUS, or _Baldwinus_. He has been spoken highly of as a man of -profound learning and exemplary virtue, and author of numerous works (now -lost) which confirmed many in the christian faith. 2. NORTHBERTUS, or -_Northbert_, succeeded sometime after 679.—(3) HEDULACUS, or _Hadulac_, -filled this see in 731; when Bede completed his ecclesiastical -History.—(4.) EDELFRIDUS, or _Ethelfrith_.—(5.) LAMFERTHUS, or -_Lameferd_.—(6.) ATHELWALFUS, or _Ethelwolph_, occupied this see in -811.—(7.) ULFERTUS, or _Alberth_: said to attend at the council of -Cloveshoe, in Berks, where King Offa proposed erecting a new bishopric at -_Lichfield_.—(8.) SIBBA, or _Sibban_: he sat in 816.—(9.) HUNFERTH, or -_Hunferd_: was living in 824.—(10.) HUMBERT, or _Humbrit_: it was he who -crowned king Edmund, or St. Edmund, in 856, with whom he perished in 870, -or 871, in opposing the Danes. He too was canonized.—(11.) WYBRED, -_Wyred_, or _Wilbred_: He was set over the two sees of Dunwich and -Elmham, which occasioned their being then reunited: the seat was fixed at -Elmham. - -_Bishops of Elmham after the union of the sees_.—(1.) THEODRED I. He is -reported to have been an eye witness of St. Edmund’s corpse being found -uncorrupt, 70 or 80 years after his death.—(2.) THEODRED, II. surnamed -the _Good_: He was first bishop of London, and then of Elmham; both of -which he held till he died, sometime after 962.—(3.) ATHULF, or _Adulf_: -succeeded in 966; or, as some think, earlier.—(4.) ALFRIC or _Alfrid_: -was one of those who signed and confirmed king Edgar’s charter to the -abbey of Croyland. He died in 975, at the close of Edgar’s reign.—(5.) -ATHELSTAN, _Edelstane_, or _Elstane_: He was consecrated the latter part -of 975.—(6) St. ALGARE, or _Algarc_: he had been Confessor to St. Dunstan -archbishop of Canterbury, and promoted to this see in 1012. He -afterwards resigned, and retired among the monks of Ely, where he died in -1021.—(7.) ALFWIN, or _Elfwin_, succeeded the same year. He had been -keeper or guardian of the body or remains of St. Edmund, and afterwards -removed the same from Bury to London. He was also a violent stickler for -the monks, or _Regulars_, in their furious squabbles with the _Seculars_. -He resigned in 1032.—(8.) ALFRIC II. succeeded, and died in 1038; and was -succeeded by—(9.) ALFRIC III. surnamed the _Little_, who is said to die -in 1139. {349}—(10.) STIGAND; (afterwards archbishop) he had been -chaplain to king Harold Harefoot; but having obtained this see by simony, -which his vast wealth would enable him easily to do, he was afterwards -ejected by king Hardicanute, in 1040.—(11.) GRINKETEL: he held it in -commendam with the bishopric of the _South-Saxons_, during the rest of -Hardicanute’s reign. Under the Confessor, Stigand was restored to -favour, and promoted to Winchester, and last to Canterbury.—(12.) -EGELMAR, _Ailmar_, of _Almar_: of whom an account has been given already, -as well as of his brother Stigand.—(13.) ARFAST, or _Herfast_, chaplain -to the Conqueror. He succeeded at Easter, 1070. In compliance with an -order of a council held by _Lanfranc_, that all episcopal sees should be -removed from villages to the most eminent cities or towns in the -respective dioceses, Herfast translated the see of Elmham to _Thetford_. -He was by birth a Norman, in great favour with the Conqueror, and -chancellor of England. He died in 1084; and in 1085 was succeeded by -(14.) WILLIAM GALSAGUS, _de Bellafago_, or _Beaufo_. He also was one of -the Conqueror’s favourites, had been his chaplain, and became chancellor -of England. He was, like most of that monarch’s great favourites, a -person of immense wealth; which at his death, in 1091, was, by his will, -divided between his family and see: and this must have contributed not a -little to augment the large possessions that were formerly attached to -this bishopric. In his time the celebrated survey, called _Domesday_, -was made, in which, at folio 145, is contained an enumeration of the -estates then belonging to the bishopric; and at folio 148, is an account -of the lands of the said bishop, either in fee or inheritance. As many -of the latter were bequeathed to the bishopric, the revenues of the see -at that period may nearly be ascertained. All these were alienated in -the exchange made by Henry VIII. {350}—After this bishop’s death the see -was removed from Thetford to Norwich. - -_Bishops of Norwich_.—1. HERBERT LOZINGA, who having, through the favour -of Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, obtained, by grant and purchase, certain -lands, called _Cowholm_, commenced the execution of his favourite plan of -building a magnificent cathedral, the first stone of which was laid by -him in 1096. He erected a palace also for his residence, on the north -side, and a monastery on the south side, which he furnished with 60 -monks, all which doings were sanctioned by Pope Paschal II. Herbert was -also abbot of Ramsey, and lord Chancellor of England; and moreover a most -notorious simoniac, for which the pope imposed upon him some heavy -penances, in the doing of which he very notably acquitted himself, and -gave good proof how well he was cut out for that kind of -business.—Besides the large edifices he erected at Norwich, he also built -the two great churches at Yarmouth and Lynn; the latter he dedicated to -_St. Margaret the Virgin_, or, as some say, to St. _Mary Magdalen_, _St. -Margaret_, _and all the maiden saints_. A priory was also built by him -on the south side of this church. These he is said to have undertaken -_at the request_ of the people of Lynn; and yet it seems as if those same -people were not otherwise very forward in their encouragements to him; -for he was obliged to have recourse to a very ungraceful expedient in -order to induce them to hasten their contributions:—to all who would -subscribe or contribute towards these erections he offered and granted an -indulgence, for forty days; {351} or, in other words, a _Licence_ to -commit with impunity any species of wickedness, or all manner of sin and -villany, for the space of _forty days_! It is supposed that this -expedient fully answered the bishop’s purpose; for the buildings were -soon finished, in a style of superior magnificence. It reflects no -credit on the memory of our townsmen of that day, that in order to do -some good, or contribute liberally towards the erection of religious -edifices in the town, they must be indulged with a licence to commit all -manner of crimes. It shews that they were much more attached to evil -than good, and liked sin far better than holiness. How much the present -population of Lynn excels them, is a question that will not here be -discussed.—Bishop Herbert died in 1119 and was buried before the high -altar of his new cathedral. - -2. EBORARD, or _Everard_, succeeded Herbert, after a vacancy of almost -three years. In his time the Jews, as we are told, crucified a boy, -named William, who being considered a martyr, and canonized, brought no -small gains to the church, by the numerous pilgrimages and offerings made -annually on this occasion. Though the truth of this shocking crucifixion -story seems more than doubtful, yet the monks managed to procure it -general belief, and to get the poor boy (real or fictitious) canonized, -under the name of _Saint William_. Their main object no doubt was to -bring grist to the mill; and as that end was amply obtained, it may be -said that they received their reward, and did not labour (or rather -invent the tale) in vain. This bishop was the founder of the hospital -and church of St. Paul in Norwich; and a great benefactor to the -monastery which had been endowed by his predecessor. He was deposed, or -resigned about 1146, and died at _Fountain_’s Abbey in Yorkshire, in -1149, and was succeeded by - -3. WILLIAM TURBUS, or _Turbeville_. He was a great stickler for -_Becket_, whose influence, even while in disgrace and exile, drove him -sometimes to unwarrantable and perilous lengths; especially when he -excommunicated the bishop of London, the Earl of Norfolk and some other -nobles, who were disliked by that proud prelate. He died in 1174, and -was succeeded the next year, by - -4. JOHN OF OXFORD, who was very differently affected towards Becket, and -took part with the king against him, by which he greatly ingratiated -himself with his sovereign; who being desirous of having the laws more -strictly executed, and a more impartial administration of justice -enforced, appointed him, together with the bishops of Ely and Winchester, -his three principal justices for the purpose. He built Trinity Church at -Ipswich, repaired the damages his cathedral had sustained by fire, in the -time of his predecessor, and was a great benefactor to the episcopal -convent at Norwich. He died in June 1200, and was succeeded by - -5. JOHN DE GREY, who was promoted to the see by that great and memorable -patron of Lynn, _King_ JOHN, with whom he appears to have been in very -high favour, and from whom he procured the liberties of Magna Charta for -his diocese. He also obtained from that monarch a charter to make his -town of Lynn a free borough, which was dated at Lutgershall, Sept. 14, -1204, the 6th year of that reign. This was the first of the Lynn -charters. These concessions the king was induced to grant, as it is -said, either to obtain favours, or in return for some he had received. -The wealth of this prelate is reported to have been of great service to -the sovereign in his troubles; and for various loans he had obtained, he -pledged to the bishop his _regalia_, viz. his great crown, the surcoat, -cloak, sandals, gloves, spurs, &c. This bishop built the palace of -Gaywood, and so seems to have resided pretty much here, and may be -supposed to have acquired among the inhabitants a good portion of -popularity. We are also told that he confirmed to the monks of Norwich -our church of _St. Margaret_, and the chapels of _St. James_ and _St. -Nicholas_, and the church of _Mintling_, together with the _tithes_ of -_Gaywood_, &c. This bishop died at Poictou, in 1214: after which the see -was vacant seven years; when - -6. PANDULPHUS, an _Italian_, was consecrated in 1222. He had been sent -to England as legate by the pope, on account of the deposition of -archbishop Langton by king John. While at Rome, to have his election to -this see confirmed, on his representing that it was greatly in debt, -(whether true or false, we know not,) he obtained a grant of the whole -_first fruits_ of the clergy in his diocese, for himself and successors; -which thenceforth became attached to those prelates, till the time of -Henry VIII, and must have considerably augmented the episcopal revenues. -He died in Italy, in 1296; but his remains were brought to England for -interment, and buried in his cathedral. - -7. THOMAS DE BLANDEVILL succeeded him, and died in 1236, when - -8. RALFO succeeded, and died the next year; of whom as well as the -former, nothing remarkable is known to be recorded. His successor was - -9. WILLIAM DE RALLEIGH, who obtained the bishopric after three years -contesting his right. He granted, we are told, an indulgence of twenty -days pardon, to all in his diocese who would contribute towards the -building of St. Paul’s in London. Hence it appears, as well as from the -case of Herbert Lozinga, above noticed, that _bishops_, as well _as -popes_, in those times, assumed the power of giving a licence to sin with -impunity. They must have been rare teachers of morality, who could -pretend to promote good works by allowing the people, for a limited time, -to run into all possible excesses of riot and evil doing:—and, on the -other hand, their intellects must have been in a most unenviable and -degraded state, who could accede to the preposterous proposals of such -instructors, or patiently listen to such shameless representations. The -doctrine of indulgences was afterwards made good use of by Luther and his -coadjutors, in their successful struggle against the papal -tyranny.—Bishop Raleigh was translated to Winchester, where he died, soon -after his induction. He was succeeded by - -10. WALTER DE SUTHFIELD, or _Suffield_, who was consecrated in 1224. He -obtained for the bishopric a charter of _free warren to_ himself and -successors. So we may presume that he was himself a _sportsman_. By the -command of Pope Innocent, he drew up a general and particular valuation -of all the ecclesiastical revenues in the kingdom; which, after receiving -the papal confirmation, was called the _Norwich-Inquest_; and -subsequently became the ratio of clerical taxation. He erected and -endowed the Hospital of St. Giles, in Norwich, for poor pilgrims, and -died in 1257. He was succeeded the next year by - -11. SIMON DE WALTONE, who died in 1265; and was succeeded the same year -by - -12. ROGER DE SKERNING, in whose time several dreadful affrays happened -between the citizens of Norwich and the monks, in one of which the -cathedral was burnt. This bishop died in 1278; and was succeeded the -same year by - -13. WILLIAM MIDDLETON. The cathedral being partially repaired, he was -enthroned at Norwich; and he rededicated the church, in presence of the -king and queen and principal nobility, who were assembled on the -occasion. He died in 1288; whose successor was - -14. RALPH DE WALPOLE, a Marshland man, it seems, and ancestor of the -present noble family of the _Walpoles_. He was translated to Ely, in -1299, and his successor at Norwich was - -15. JOHN SALMON, or _Salomon_. Enlarging or rebuilding the palace at -Norwich, and founding the Charnel-house, now the free school, are among -the principal works ascribed to him. He died in 1385, and his successor -was - -16. ROBERT DE BALDOCK, who resigned shortly after, and was succeeded by - -17. WILLIAM DE AYRMINNE, who employed himself in enclosing his palace, -cathedral, &c. with stone walls, and fortifying then with embattled -parapets. He died in 1336; and had for his successor - -18. THOMAS HEMENHALE, who soon resigned this see, and accepted that of -Worcester in lieu of it. Then succeeded - -19. ANTHONY DE BECK, a man of the most imperious and turbulent temper, -who had terrible quarrels with the monks, by whose instigation, as it was -thought, he was poisoned by his own servants at his seat of Hevingham, in -1343. His successor was - -20. WILLIAM BATEMAN, dean of Lincoln. He was a great benefactor to the -nunnery of Flixton in South Elmham, and gave the nuns a body of statutes -for their regulation; and, in 1347 founded _Trinity Hall_ in Cambridge, -for the express purpose of supplying his diocese with persons properly -qualified for the discharge of the duties of parochial cures. He died in -1354, at Avignon, while on an embassy to the pope. This prelate was a -native of Norwich, but spent much of his time abroad, and chiefly at -Rome, till the pope promoted him to this bishopric. So great was his -interest with his holiness, that he also obtained for himself and -successors, the first fruits, as we are told, of all vacant livings -within his diocese, which occasioned, it seems, frequent disputes between -him and his clergy. But the clergy were not likely to gain much by -disputing with him, for he is represented as “a stout defender of his -rights, and one who would not suffer himself to be injured or imposed -upon, or his dignity insulted, by any one.” In proof of which, the -following anecdote has been related of him by some of our -historians:—“Lord Morley, having killed some of the bishop’s deer, -infringed upon his manors, and abused his servants who opposed him, was -obliged to do penance by walking through the streets of the city with a -wax candle of six pounds weight in his hand, and kneel down before the -bishop, in the cathedral, and ask his pardon, although the king had sent -an express order to the contrary.”—From this anecdote we may safely -infer, that this prelate governed his slaves and vassals, the inhabitants -of Lynn, with despotic sway. It is said that there was in his time such -a dreadful plague in England, and throughout Europe, as scarcely left a -tenth part of the inhabitants living; and that it appears from the -Chronicle of Norwich, that from the first of January to the first of July -1348–9, 57374 persons, besides ecclesiastics and beggars, died in Norfolk -alone. We cannot learn how many of them were of the town of Lynn.—A -circumstance that seems to corroborate this extraordinary mortality is, -that this bishop instituted and collated 850 persons to benefices vacant -at this time. {358} His successor was - -21. THOMAS PERCY, youngest brother of the Earl of Northumberland, though -but twenty-two years of age. After erecting the steeple of the -cathedral, which had been blown down by a violent wind, and repairing the -choir, which had been much damaged, he died, in 1369. The next year he -was succeeded by - -22. HENRY SPENCER, or _Le Spencer_, a prebendary of Salisbury. He was -consecrated in March 1370, _by the pope in person_, which probably -contributed not a little to cherish that self importance and haughtiness -for which he was so remarkable. In an aid granted through the kingdom to -the king’s use, this prelate certified for his diocese, that it -contained, in Norfolk 806 parishes, and in Suffolk 515; and each county -was accordingly rated. He took a most active part, at the commencement -of what is called _the grand Schism_, in the memorable warfare between -pope _Urban_ and his competitor pope _Clement_: for there were then two -popes; two infallible heads of the catholic church! and each reviling and -damning the other without mercy, and most bloodily seeking his -destruction!! Bishop Spencer was on the side of pope Urban, with whom he -was in very high favour. In 1383 that pontiff published a bull, in which -he called upon all who had any regard for religion, to exert themselves -in its defence, by taking up arms for him, against his rival Clement and -his adherents; promising at the same time, for the encouragement of all -who would volunteer in this meritorious service, the same _pardons_ and -_indulgences_ as had been usually granted to those who had engaged, or -lost their lives, in the great eastern crusades, or holy wars. {359} -This papal bull met with no small success in England, owing perhaps to -France being on the side of pope Clement, and to Urban’s choosing an -English ecclesiastic for his general. This was our bishop Spencer, “a -young and stout prelate (says Fox) much fitter for the camping cure than -for the peaceable church of Christ.”—A most dashing and bouncing high -priest he certainly was; of which he gave repeated and abundant proofs, -both at home and abroad. This right reverend warrior, and champion of -holy church, (at least, of Urban’s portion or moiety of it) having -obtained an aid or subsidy, of the English parliament, set out upon his -continental expedition against the Clementines at the head of 50,000 foot -and 2,000 horse: but he did not bring back quite so many. {360} Our -general with his furious crusaders, after they had landed at Calais, to -shew their strict regard for propriety and consistency, turned their arms -against Flanders; a country that was not favourable to Clement, but had -actually declared for Urban. After ravaging the country, taking divers -towns, and defeating the Flemish force which had attempted to oppose -them, an effectual stop was put to their career, by the French king, -Charles VI. at the head of a powerful army. In short the expedition -ended disgracefully, as it deserved, and not very unlike certain -expeditions to Flanders and Holland in modern times. The great general, -bishop Spencer, at his return, found himself somewhat in disgrace; in -which he proved more ill-fated than our modern Yorks and Chathams. The -king ordered the temporalities of his see to be seized, and several of -his officers to be imprisoned. In a year or two, however, his -temporalities were restored, and he probably regained the royal -favour.—He lived in great splendor, and had divers sumptuous palaces, -among which was that at Norwich, another at South Helingham, and another, -supposed to be one of the chief of them, at Gaywood by Lynn, the -inhabitants of which town had ample experience of his imperious and -turbulent spirit. Being one time in town with his retinue, he quarrelled -in the street with the mayor (who was supported by the townsmen) on some -point of frivolous etiquette. From words the parties came to blows, and -a very serious battle ensued, which terminated in the total defeat of the -haughty prelate and his company, who were all furiously driven out of -town, many of them sorely bruised and wounded. This turbulent high -priest afterwards bent his rage against the poor _Lollards_, and appeared -among the first to proceed against them upon the law _De hæretico -Comburendo_. He prosecuted _William Sawtre_, minister of St. Margaret’s -at Lynn, who at first recanted, and afterwards became minister of St. -Osith in London, where he relapsed, and was the first that suffered under -the above law. This bishop also afterwards persecuted _Sir Thomas -Erpingham_ at Norwich, and as a penance, for favouring Lollardism, -enjoined him to build the _gate_, at the entrance of the College -precinct, which still goes by his name. Bishop Spencer died in 1406, and -was, it seems, the first prelate who quartered the episcopal arms with -his own. His successor was - -23. ALEXANDER DE TOTINGTON, who, though immediately elected, was not -admitted to his spiritualities till the following year. Some of his -manor-houses and palaces having fallen into decay, through the negligence -of his predecessors, he is said to have spent large sums in repairing and -beautifying them, which constituted, apparently, his most meritorious and -memorable deeds. He died in 1413, and was succeeded by - -24. RICHARD DE COURTNEY, chancellor of Oxford, who died suddenly, about -two years after, at the siege of Harfleur; from which it would seem that -he was a prelate that delighted in war, or another of our fighting -bishops, who, at the best, are but unamiable characters. He was -succeeded, in 1416, by - -25. JOHN DE WAKERYNG, archdeacon of Canterbury, who was confirmed by the -_archbishop_; which unusual circumstance was owing to the ecclesiastical -anarchy still existing, occasioned by the continuance of the grand -schism, which was then at its height. During that period there always -were _two_ popes, but they were now _three_, and each prefering a legal -claim to the papal chair, as the lineal descendant of St Peter! Three -contemporary popes exhibited an unusual and queer spectacle, and would -naturally suggest the idea of three heads of the church: and a church, or -any thing else, with _three heads_ may pretty fairly be deemed a -_monster_. Even the protestant church of England, however, has had -before now _two_ heads; one in London, and the other at St. Germans; -which ought to deter its members from bearing too hard on the church of -Rome in the above case. Bishop Wakeryng is said to have made -considerable improvements in and about his cathedral; which seems to have -been among his most praiseworthy performances. It appears that he died -in 1425. - -Here it may be proper to observe, that in this bishop’s time, and that of -some of his predecessors, as well as of his immediate successor, the -tranquillity of the town of Lynn appears to have been exceedingly -disturbed by the violence of two contending factions, which kept the town -in a continual state of discord and distraction, it seems, for the space -of about thirty years: as may be gathered from existing documents, or -copies of Letters, of that period, still preserved in a MS. History of -Lynn, in the possession of _Mr. Thomas King_ of this town. {363} From -which we discover that those two contending factions were headed by two -of the Aldermen of that time; one of whom was _Bartholomy Petipas_, who -was _twice_ mayor, and the other _John de Wentworth_, who served that -office _three times_. The cause and nature of the difference that arose -between these opposing parties is not easy to develop. That their -animosity was bitter and violent is but too obvious, but its source or -ground is involved in no small obscurity. - -This however is not the place to enter minutely upon the subject, which -shall be resumed in another part of the work. This dire contention seems -to have begun in 1403, the 7th of Henry IV. and to have lasted till 1434, -the 13th of Henry VI. The first of those years were the 3rd. of -Wentworth’s mayoralty, between whom and Petipas there evidently existed -some serious competition; but whether it was merely a contest for power -or superiority in the management of the town, or arose from certain -political questions about a reform of abuses, on which the parties -disagreed, does not very plainly appear. It is however very well known -that questions of a political, as well as theological nature, were then -much agitated in different parts of the country, by the enlightened and -patriotic disciples of Wickliff, who were anxious to promote every where -political as well as ecclesiastical reformation; but that such was -actually the case then at Lynn, and the ground of the said disagreement -cannot perhaps be positively affirmed. There are indeed some intimations -of _insufficient_ or _suspicious_ persons having for sometime been chosen -or found among the 24 Jurats that were here annually elected, in a Letter -or injunction from Henry VI, addressed, seemingly, to the mayor and -burgesses, and dated November 23 in his 13th year, which may indicate -that politics had no small share in the said contention, and the persons -alluded to might belong to the advocates of reform, or democrats of that -day. But this subject we will now drop, {365} and proceed with our -episcopal catalogue. John de Wakeryng dying in 1425 was succeeded the -following year by - -26. WILLIAM ALNWICK, archdeacon of Salisbury, who, having sat ten years, -was translated to Lincoln. The principal entrance of the palace is said -to have been erected at his expence, and by his arms being united with -those of the see, on the west end of the cathedral, he is supposed to -have contributed towards the erection of that also. - -27. THOMAS BROWN, or _Breus_, succeeded him, being translated hither -from Rochester, by Pope Eugenius IV. by bull, dated September 19, 1436. -We are told that he left a sum towards the payment of the city tax, and -exhibitions for poor scholars, prosecuting their studies in the -universities, who might be natives of the diocese: so that he seems one -of the better sort of those of his order. He died at Hoxne, in -1445.—JOHN STANBERY, a carmelite friar, was chosen to succeed him, but -never consecrated, owing to papal interference, then at its height. The -real successor therefore was - -28. WALTER HART, or _Lyhart_, master of Oriel College Oxon, who was -appointed by the pope, and consecrated February 27, 1446. Paving the -cathedral; and erecting the elegant carved roof of the nave, where a -_hart_, or deer couchant, in sculpture, alluding to his name, is seen in -several places, are the works ascribed to him. He died in May 1472, and -was succeeded by - -29. JAMES GOLDWELL, the Pope’s Prothonotary, who was made bishop by -papal provision, and consecrated at Rome by pope Sixtus IV. October 4, -1472. He appears to have been a thorough-paced ecclesiastic, and -legitimate son of his Holy Father. Before he left Rome, at the time of -his consecration, he is said to have obtained of the Pope a _perpetual -indulgence_, to repair and ornament the cathedral; by which he was -empowered to grant, to all persons who frequented it annually, on Trinity -Sunday and Lady-day, _twelve years_ and _forty days_ pardon, in lieu of -offerings made on the occasion: and having received the sum of 2200 -marks, for dilapidation, he finished beautifying the tower; made the -elegant stone-fretted roof of the choir; and ornamented the chapels on -each side of it; especially that dedicated to the Holy Trinity, in which -he was afterwards interred.—We need not wonder that he could do so much, -when he was empowered to grant such long indulgences, and such extensive -and ample pardons. Wealthy people, who could believe him really -possessed of such a power, might be expected to furnish him pretty -readily with any sums of money he wanted for his sumptuous buildings and -architectural decorations. To such pious frauds and cunning devices, -many of our ecclesiastical structures, throughout the kingdom, owe much, -perhaps, of their boasted beauty and magnificence. Sad however must have -been the case of this country, when such vile tricks could take, or -succeed, even with the most enlightened part of its population; and -sadder still must be our case, if we are not yet proof against equally -vile and palpable impositions.—Bishop Goldwell died in 1498, {370} and -the see, on the refusal of _Christopher Urswyke_, was filled by - -30. THOMAS JANE, archdeacon of Essex, and Canon of Windsor, who was -consecrated in 1499, and died the next year: whose successor was - -31. RICHARD NYKKE, or _Nix_, archdeacon of Exeter, who was elected in -1500. He must have been a man of an unamiable and hateful character. -Writers unanimously concur to brand his name with the greatest obloquy. -Of his vile persecuting spirit no further evidence need be adduced than -the fact, that by his sanguinary judgments, _Ayers_, _Bingy_, _Norrice_, -and the amiable _Bilney_ were consigned to the flames, for only, in a -peaceable manner, expressing those sentiments, which, as they were -sanctioned by conscience, they had a right to suppose were the dictates -of truth. He died January 14. 1535. In his time _Chorepiscopi_ were -first appointed by act of parliament; their office answering to that of -suffragan, which, prior to that period, had been chosen at the discretion -of the diocesan. While this bishop bore sway, as master and lord of -Lynn, there was among the aldermen here a very remarkable person, whose -name was _Thomas Miller_. He was mayor of the town six or seven years, -but not six or seven times; for the first time he was in the office for -four years successively, viz. 1520 and the three following years. He was -mayor again in 1529, and again in 1546, the last of Henry VIII. That he -was a man of spirit and intrepidity appears by his contending with his -lord, the bishop, about the right of having the sword carried before him, -which his lordship, it seems, objected to, and claimed as his own proper -and exclusive right and prerogative. Our mayor and the corporation, not -satisfied with this, went boldly to law with their lordly master, on the -occasion, and carried their cause; which determined and established the -point, and the sword has been carried before their worships, the mayors -of Lynn, ever since, without any further demur or litigation. It appears -indeed that it would have so happened, in no long time after, had the -said law-suit, or legal decision not taken place; for the king, in the -course of a few years, thought proper to require of this same bishop the -relinquishment and surrender of his supremacy, or dominion over Lynn, for -such valuable considerations as his majesty, in his princely wisdom, saw -fit to grant or allow him, by way of exchange or remuneration. To this -his lordship readily acceded; for he must have known the king too well to -suppose that it would have been any way safe for him to have done -otherwise. But he died soon after, and before the affair was fully -concluded. The actual surrender, therefore, and probably under some new -arrangements, was left to be executed by his immediate successor, the no -less memorable - -32. WILLIAM RUGG, or, _Reppes_, fortieth abbot of St. Bennet’s in Holme, -and native of North Repps, in this county, where his father, of both his -names, is said to have resided. He had his education at Cambridge, and -was fellow of Gonvill Hall in that university. After being abbot of St. -Bennet’s about six years, he was promoted to this see, by way of -recompence, as some seem to think, for the part he had acted among the -Cambridge divines, in obtaining from that university the judgment his -majesty wished, respecting his marriage with queen Catherine. They might -also suppose, that his being a warm and stanch stickler for the king’s -ecclesiastical supremacy, and influencing those of his convent to -subscribe to the same, in 1534, were additional recommendations that -contributed to his promotion. But when we consider the hard terms, or -humiliating conditions, on which he was to obtain, or hold his episcopal -dignity, (that is, by relinquishing the greatest part of the revenue and -possessions attached to his see,) it will not be a very easy matter to -prove that any favour was intended by this preferment, and much less a -recompence or reward for former services: this was certainly very -different from Henry’s wonted manner of using his favourites, and -rewarding his approved servants. But this point is too uninteresting to -merit any further discussion.—Abbot Rugg being promoted to the see of -Norwich in 1536, he, by virtue of a private act of parliament, parted -with all the lands of his bishopric, except the site of his episcopal -palace in Norwich, to the king, by way of exchange for the revenues -belonging to the abbey of Holme and priory of Hickling; which last being -soon after alienated by him, the whole income, since his time, -appertaining to the see of Norwich, has been only the estate of Holme -monastery, which his successors still enjoy, according to the purport of -the said act, which, continuing unrepealed, gave occasion to bishop -Montague, in the time of Charles I. to subscribe himself, in his leases, -“_Richard_, _by divine permission_, _lord bishop of Norwich_, _and Head -Abbot of St. Benedict’s de Hulm_.” The exchange of the lands of the -bishopric, for those of the Abbey of St. Benedict’s and priory of -Hickling, is said to have been made by Abbot Rugg some months before his -election to the see of Norwich, {372} though not before his promotion -thither had been predetermined. We are further informed that this -prelate alienated from his bishopric, not only the priory of Hickling, -but many good manors besides, belonging to the abbey, some by absolute -gift, others upon trifling exchanges, and gave long leases, so that, at -last, he was unable to maintain the state of the bishopric, and forced to -resign, with an annual pension of 200 marks. He seems to have been a -singularly improvident and thoughtless prelate, and very different from -most of that order, who seldom lose sight of their terrestrial interests, -or temporal concerns, whatever they may do as to those that are of an -eternal nature. After having resigned the see for the paltry pittance of -200 marks, or, as some say, 200_l._ per annum, he died in 1550. In -allusion to the straits and difficulties to which his manifest and -manifold indiscretions had reduced him, one of the members or officers of -his household is said to have made the following verses on his -resignation: - - Poor Will, thou _rugged_ art and _ragged_ all: - Thy _abbey_ cannot bless thee in such fame, - To keep a pallace fair and stately hall, - When gone from thence what should maintaine the same. - - First pay thy debts, and hence return to _cell_, - And pray the blessed _saint_ whom thou dost serve, - That others may maintaine the _pallace_ well; - For if THOU stayst, we all are like to starve. - -The convent, or abbey of St. Benedict’s, appears to have been his chief -palace, or place of residence, during the whole time of his sustaining -the episcopal character: after which it soon went into decay, and ceased -to be the residence of his successors; with whom however we have no -further concern, as they were no longer the temporal lords and masters of -Lynn. Here therefore ends this episcopal catalogue; which exhibits a -pretty long list of names, though but few among them appear to have -merited the praise and benediction of their contemporaries, or the -veneration and imitation of posterity. - - - -CHAP. III. - - -State of Lynn previously and subsequently to its becoming a -corporate-town, or free borough, with general remarks on that event, and -on the progressive state of society in the towns and cities of this -country, as well as at Lynn, in those times. - -It is difficult to ascertain the exact state of this town, or the nature -of its police, and the social condition of its inhabitants, not only -before and at the Conquest, but also for a good while after, any further -than that its population appears to have then consisted chiefly, if not -entirely, of the bishop’s slaves or vassals, governed by such agents or -officers as he thought proper to appoint, whose administration as may be -reasonably presumed, would not always be of the mildest, or most -equitable and unexceptionable description. Had there been now in -existence regular and authentic records of the affairs of the town, in -those days, we should probably discover that its police, at least the -spirit of it, bore but too much resemblance to our present West Indian -jurisprudence. Slaves, in those ages, seem to have constituted the bulk -of our population; and were, in all probability, the offspring of the -lower orders of the original inhabitants, whose lives had been spared, -when the Anglo-Saxons over-run and conquered the country, on condition of -submitting to perpetual servitude. Such seems to have been the origin of -those slaves of different descriptions which formerly abounded in this -country for many ages. These, in country places, were the cultivators of -the soil, or tillers of the ground; and in the towns, they were the -tradesmen, mechanics, artificers, and labourers. In short, both in the -towns and in country places all useful employments were occupied by them. -As to their masters, the nobility, gentry, and every description of -military men, who constituted the great or main body of reputed freemen, -they were all above engaging in any such employments. War and the chace -were the only occupations that were deemed worthy of them; and there lay -the whole stock or sum of their knowledge and acquirements. Literature -of every kind they usually set at nought; scorning to learn so much as to -write their own names, as an attainment that would be too degrading for -an English gentleman. Under such beings, how unenviable, miserable, and -deplorable must have been the condition of the enslaved or unfree part of -the community. - -Of the original, low, and servile state of the inhabitants of our -English, and other European towns, and their progress from thraldom to -freedom, no one has perhaps given a juster account than _Dr. Adam Smith_, -in the second volume of his celebrated Inquiry into the Nature and Causes -of the Wealth of Nations. He there observes that the inhabitants of -cities and towns, after the fall of the Roman Empire, were not more -favoured than those of the country. - - “They consisted, indeed, of a very different order of people from the - first inhabitants of the ancient republicks of Greece and Italy. - These last were composed chiefly of the proprietors of lands, among - whom the public territory was originally divided, and who found it - convenient to build their houses in the neighbourhood of one another, - and to surround them with a wall, for the sake of common defence. - After the fall of the Roman empire, on the contrary, the proprietors - of land seem generally to have lived in fortified castles on their - own estates, and in the midst of their own tenants and dependants. - The towns were chiefly inhabited by tradesmen and mechanics, who - seemed in those days to have been servile, or very nearly of servile - condition. The privileges which we find granted by ancient charters - to the inhabitants of some of the principal towns in Europe, - sufficiently shew what they were before these grants. The people to - whom it is granted as a privilege, that they might give away their - own daughters in marriage without the consent of their lord, that - upon their death, their own children, and not their lord, should - succeed to their goods, and that they might dispose of their own - effects by will, must, before those grants, have been either - altogether, or very nearly in the same state of villanage with the - occupiers of land in the country. They seem, indeed, to have been a - very poor, mean set of people, who used to travel about with their - goods from place to place, and from fair to fair, like the hawkers - and pedlers of the present times. In all the different countries of - Europe then, in the same manner as in several of the Tartar - governments of Asia at present, taxes used to be levied upon the - persons and goods of travellers, when they passed through certain - manors, when they went over certain bridges, when they carried about - their goods from place to place in a fair, when they erected in it a - booth or stall to sell them in. These different taxes were known in - England by the names of passage, pontage, lastage, and stallage. - Sometimes the king, sometimes a great lord, would grant to particular - traders, to such particularly as lived in their own demesnes, a - general exemption from such taxes. Such traders, though in other - respects of servile condition, were upon this account called - Free-traders. They in return usually paid to their protector a sort - of annual poll tax. In those days protection was seldom granted - without a valuable consideration, and this tax might, perhaps, be - considered as compensation for what their patrons might lose by their - exemption from other taxes. At first, both those poll-taxes and - those exemptions seem to have been altogether personal, and to have - affected only particular individuals, during either their lives, or - the pleasure of their protectors. In the very imperfect accounts - which have been published from Domesday-book, of several of the towns - of England, mention is frequently made, sometimes of the tax which - particular burghers paid, each of them, either to the king, or to - some other great lord, for this sort of protection; and sometimes of - the general amount only of all these taxes.” {377} - - “That part of the king’s revenue which arose from such poll-taxes in - any particular town, used commonly to be lett in farm, during a term - of years for a rent certain, sometimes to the sheriff of the county, - and sometimes to other persons. The burghers themselves frequently - got credit enough, to be admitted to farm the revenues of this sort - which arose from their own town, they becoming jointly and severally - answerable for the whole rent.” - -In return, being allowed to collect it in their own way, and to pay it -into the king’s exchequer by the hands of their own bailiff, they would -be altogether freed from the insolence of the -king’s officers; a circumstance in those days of no small importance. - - “At first, the farm of the town was lett to the burghers, in the same - manner as it had been to other farmers, for a term of years only. In - process of time, however, seems to have become the general practice - to grant it to them in fee, that is for ever, reserving a rent - certain, never afterwards to be augmented. The payment having thus - become perpetual, the exemptions, in return for which it was made, - naturally became perpetual too. Those exemptions, therefore, ceased - to be personal, and could not afterwards be considered as belonging - to individuals as individuals, but as burgesses of a particular - burgh, which, upon this account, was called a Free-burgh, for the - same reason that they had been called Free-burghers or Free-traders. - Along with this grant, the important privileges above mentioned, that - they might give away their own daughters in marriage, that their - children should succeed them, and that they might dispose of their - own effects by will, were generally bestowed upon the burghers of the - town to whom it was given. The principal attributes of villanage - find slavery being thus taken away from them, they now, at least, - became really free in our present sense of the word Freedom.—Nor was - this all. They were generally at the same time erected into a - commonality, or corporation, with the privilege of having magistrates - and a town-council of their own, of making bye-laws for their own - government, of building walls for their own defence, and of reducing - all their inhabitants under a sort of military discipline, by - obliging them to watch and ward; that is, as antiently understood, to - guard and defend those walls against all attacks and surprises, by - night as well as by day. In England they were generally exempted - from suit to the hundred and country courts; and all such pleas as - should arise among them, the pleas of the crown excepted, were left - to the decision of their own magistrates.” {379} - -For the origin of corporate towns, in this country, we are generally -referred to the times of which we are now treating, that is, the ages -subsequent to the Conquest; and yet it seems to be very evident from the -old book called _The Mirrour_, that there existed here some towns of that -description even as early as the days of Alfred: {380} but they were -probably few, and disregarded afterward, if not entirely disannulled; -till a good while after the accession and establishment of the Norman -dynasty: nor can we learn scarcely any thing of the cause and object of -their formation, or the nature and principles of their constitutions. -The case is otherwise as to those corporations formed since the Conquest; -which seems to apply to all those that now exist in this country: it is -not so difficult to find, or make out, how and why they were formed; and -it is with them only that we have here any concern. Before they sprung -up the feudal system was in its full and utmost vigour; and the power of -the country was divided between the sovereign and the barons, or great -lords; and the latter were sometimes an over match for the former. As a -counter-balance or check to the formidable and enormous power of the -barons, the incorporation of the great towns and cities seems chiefly to -have been resorted to, or adopted. At least this appears to have been -the case as far as any good policy, and not mere caprice, had any share -in the business: for justice and humanity, or a desire to enlarge the -liberty, and promote the welfare of the people were totally out of the -question. These were motives too sublime and godlike to enter into the -contemplation of the English kings and courtiers of those days. - -But the said measure, whatever might be its cause and object, or the -motive for its adoption, appears to have produced very salutary effects: -for by forming cities and towns into corporations, and conferring on them -the privileges of municipal jurisdiction, the first check was given to -the overwhelming evils of the feudal system: and under their influence -freedom and independence began to peep forth, from the rigours of -slavery, and the miseries of oppression. To be free of any corporation, -however, was not then, as at present, merely to enjoy some privilege in -trade, or to exercise the right of voting on particular occasions, but it -was to be exempt from the intolerable hardships of feudal service; to -have the right of disposing both of person and property, and to be -governed by laws intended to promote the general good, and not to gratify -the ambition and avarice of individuals. These laws, however rude and -imperfect, tended to afford security to property, and encourage men to -habits of industry. Thus commerce, with every ornamental and useful art, -began first in corporate bodies to animate society. But in those dark -ages force was necessary to defend the claims of industry; and such a -force the municipal societies possessed; for their towns were not only -defended by walls and gates, vigilantly guarded by the citizens, but -oftimes at the head of their fellow freemen in arms, the mayor, aldermen -and other officers, marched forth in firm array, to assert their rights, -defend their property, and teach the proudest and most powerful baron, -that the humblest freeman was not to be injured with impunity. It was -thus the commons learned and proved they were not objects of contempt; -nay, that they were beings of the same species as the greatest lords. -{381} - -In this country the king is said to be the fountain of honour; and such -he was to the incorporated towns and cities. From him they derived their -chartered and municipal privileges, and to him they owed their -emancipation from their former bondage, or manumission from feudal -servitude. Though these royal acts appear to have proceeded from no -generous or noble motives, such as the love of justice, or a regard for -liberty, but rather from a selfish and sordid policy; yet, as they proved -of vast benefit to the inhabitants of those towns and cities, they -strongly attached them to the throne, and greatly added to the power and -resources of the sovereign. The aversion and contempt manifested by the -nobles towards this new body of freemen, tended to promote still further -their attachment and subserviency to the court. The lords despised the -burghers, whom they considered not only as of a different order, but as a -parcel of emancipated slaves, almost of a different species from -themselves. - - “The wealth of the burghers never failed to provoke their envy and - indignation, and they plundered them on every occasion without mercy - or remorse. The burghers naturally hated and feared the lords. The - king hated and feared them too; but, though perhaps he might despise, - he had no reason either to hate or fear the burghers. Mutual - interest, therefore, disposed them to support the king, and the king - to support them against the lords. They were the enemies of his - enemies, and it was his interest to render them as secure and - independent of those enemies as he could. By granting them - magistrates of their own, the privilege of making bye-laws for their - own government, that of building walls for their own defence, and - that of reducing all their inhabitants under a sort of military - discipline, he gave them all the means of security and independency - of the barons, which it was in his power to bestow. Without the - establishment of some regular government of this kind, without some - authority to compel their inhabitants to act according to some - certain plan or system, no voluntary league of mutual defence could - either have afforded them, any permanent security, or have enabled - them to give the king any permanent support. By granting the farm of - their town in fee, he took away from those whom he wished to have for - his friends, and, if one may say so, for his allies, all ground of - jealousy and suspicion, that he was ever afterwards to oppress them, - either by raising the farm rent of their town, or by granting it to - some other farmer.” {383} - -The armed force, with which the towns now furnished themselves, must have -produced a very material change in the state of the kingdom. This new -order of warriors, or trained bands of the towns, seem not to have been -inferior to those of the country; and as they could be more readily -assembled on any emergency, they are said to have frequently had the -advantage in their disputes with the neighbouring lords. In some parts -of the continent they became so powerful and successful as to subdue the -nobles in their vicinity, and enable the cities to which they belonged to -form themselves into independent republicks. But in England, the cities -and burghs had no opportunity to become entirely independent. They -became, however, so considerable, as Dr. Smith observes, that the -sovereign could impose no tax upon them, beside the stated farm-rent of -the town, without their own consent. They were, therefore, called upon -to send deputies to the general assembly of the states of the kingdom, -where they might join with the clergy and the barons in granting, upon -urgent occasions, some extraordinary aid to the king. Being generally, -too, more favourable to his power, their deputies seem, some times, to -have been employed by him as a counterbalance, in those assemblies, to -the authority of the great lords. {384} Hence, as it seems, the origin -of the representation of burghs in our parliaments. - -However useless or objectionable our modern burghs or corporate towns may -be, it must be allowed that they were originally productive of no -inconsiderable national advantages. In them, as has been observed by the -writer last mentioned, order and good government together with the -liberty and security of individuals, were established at a time when the -occupiers of land in the country were exposed to every kind of violence. -That industry also, which aims at something more than necessary -subsistence was found in them before it was commonly practised, or did -exit among the country farmers. - - “If in the hands of a poor cultivator, oppressed with the servitude - of villanage, some little stock should accumulate, he would naturally - conceal it, with great care, from his master, to whom it would - otherwise have belonged, and take the first opportunity of running - away to a town. The law was, at that time, so indulgent to the - inhabitants of towns, and so desirous of diminishing the authority of - the lords, over those of the country, that if he could conceal - himself there, from the pursuit of the lord, for a year, he was free - for ever. Whatever stock therefore accumulated in the hands of the - industrious part of the inhabitants of the country, naturally took - refuge in cities, as the only sanctuaries in which it could be secure - to the person that acquired it.” {385} - -Thus it appears the cities and towns were then replenished with -inhabitants from the industrious and most valuable part of the population -of the country, and not, as is too often the case in our time, from the -most idle, profligate, and worthless. - -From what has been already said of the motive or policy that seems to -have given birth to our burgh-system, it might naturally be expected that -those princes, who lived upon the worst terms with their barons, would be -the most ready and active promoters of it, and the most liberal in their -grants of municipal immunities. This, at least, appears to have been the -case: and we find our _king_ JOHN, for example, and we may add, his son, -and successor, HENRY III. were most munificent benefactors to those -towns; of which Lynn, may be mentioned as one notable instance. This -town owes, to those two sovereigns, its political redemption, or -elevation to the rank of a corporate town, or free borough. The era of -its arriving at this high, and proud distinction, was the 13th century; -whereas it was, before that period, the miserable abode of a horde of -slaves, the vassals of the lord bishops of the see in which it is -situated. - -But though Lynn acquired then the rank and denomination of a free burgh, -it does not appear, that it also became possessed of equal freedom from -baronial domination, and feudal vassalage, with all the rest of our -corporate towns; or, that it actually arrived at that state or degree of -liberty, for a very long while after, even till the reign of _Henry_ -VIII. about 300 years after it had been first declared a free burgh by -king _John_ and his successor. The time when it acquired the name of -_King’s Lynn_, seems, therefore, to be the true era of its actual, and -entire liberation from its former feudal encumbrances. Lynn then is a -place where the memory of the last Henry ought to be held dear, and where -he should be commemorated as one of its best benefactors. These, -however, are circumstances, not generally adverted to; but they seem to -be real matters of fact, and may deserve here some elucidation. - -King _John_, granting to Lynn its charter of incorporation at the -instance of bishop _Grey_, who had so much interest with him, and to whom -he had very great obligations, was not likely to attempt to deprive him -of his baronial rights, or supreme power and jurisdiction, in this town: -nor do we know that the bishop was at all disposed to relinquish the -same. We accordingly find an express clause in the royal charter, -_saving to the said bishop and his successors_, _the liberties_, _&c. -which had previously belonged to the bishops of Norwich_. That this was -understood as securing to the bishops their former rights and authority -in this town, may be inferred from the general conduct of the succeeding -prelates for many generations, who seem to have been uniformly striving -to retain and perpetuate the said rights and authority, and keep the -inhabitants in their original state of subjection to them. Nor did the -mayor and corporation appear, at all, disposed to the point with their -lordships, except in very few instances; as in the time of bishops -_Spencer_, _Wakeryng_, and _Nix_, already noticed. There seems, also to -have been some stir, of the same sort, made in the time of bishop _Hart_, -or _Lyhart_, in the year 1446, and the corporation, probably, complained, -or appealed to the king, (Henry VI.) who then visited this town, and -seems to have favoured the cause of the corporation; for he is said to -have ordered the sword to be carried before the mayor. But the bishop -would not long submit to this royal order, for the very next year he had -the sword carried before himself, as formerly, the mayor following, as -one of his retinue or municipal officers. {387} - -On the whole, therefore, it seems pretty evident that though Lynn became -a corporate town, and was declared a free burgh as early as the beginning -of the 13th century, yet it was not entirely freed from the temporal -jurisdiction of the bishop, and the hard yoke of feudal domination, and -so did not attain to equal liberty and independence with the generality -of our English boroughs till a good part of the 16th century had elapsed. -We accordingly find that the mayor and corporation, in the mean time, or -during most part of it, seemed perfectly ready to approve as well as -profess themselves the lordly prelate’s _humble tenants and devout -bedesmen_; giving him the most explicit and solemn assurance, “that he -should find in them _as lowly tenants as any that longed to him within -his lordships_,” and that their _bodies_ as well as _goods_ were entirely -at his service, &c. agreeably to the tenour of the above memorable letter -to bishop Wakeryng. {388}—We may therefore venture to affirm that this -town was, at most, but partially liberated from feudal vassalage, till -the period above specified; that is, within these 300 years; before which -the _mayors_ of Lynn appeared, or might justly be considered, as the -bishops’ head-men, chief bailiffs, or slave drivers; and the _aldermen_ -as so many underlings, or petty officers, implicitly executing his -lordship’s paramount orders or commands.—Though the Charters might -sometimes be thought to entitle his worship and his brethren to greater -independence and a higher character, yet till then it does not seem that -they were enabled to assume their proper dignity and consequence. The -bishops being so powerful here, took care always to manage so as to -thwart and baffle all their attempts. Nor did there seem to be any -prospect of their succeeding in obtaining their proper station while the -bishop continued to retain a paramount sway and uncontrolled power in the -town. This the king, probably saw: and it might be one, if not the chief -reason of his requiring the bishops, _Nix_ and _Rugg_, to relinquish -their oppressive jurisdiction here. However that might be, it is certain -that his majesty deserved well of this corporation: and whatever their -ideas or feelings may have been, or may now be, on this point, it must be -said, that they ought to consider _Henry_ among the very chief of their -royal benefactors; with whom such princes as _Charles_ and _James_ the -second, can, surely, bear no comparison; to whom, nevertheless, _statues_ -have been here erected!! {389} - - - -CHAP. IV. - - -Further observations on the history of Lynn during the period under -consideration—probable state of the town, as to its internal police and -municipal economy previously to its being declared a free burgh and -receiving its first royal charter—changes resulting from that -event—statement of subsequent occurrences. - -It has been already observed that Lynn was a place of considerable trade, -and of growing importance and opulence, at and before the Conquest. -Afterward its trade kept rapidly increasing; and in the reign of -_Richard_ I. it was become a place of distinguished eminence, insomuch -that it was called by William of Newburgh, who lived at that time, “a -noble city, or a city of note for its trade and commerce.” {390} Foreign -merchants had then a regular established connection and intercourse with -this town, and their ships and sailors frequented it in great numbers. A -considerable body of Jews also had settled here, and must have been among -the most active and useful part of its population; which further -corroborates the report of its being in those days a place of no small -commercial note and consequence, for those people were not likely to -settle, in any great numbers, except in places of that description. {391} -Indeed it seems pretty clear and certain that both in the reign of -Richard and that of his brother and successor John, Lynn ranked very high -among the trading towns of this kingdom, in point of commercial -importance: and it is recorded upon undoubted authority, that in the -sixth year of the last of those two reigns, (the date of our first royal -charter) the tax or tallage of the king at Lynn, amounted to 651_l._ -whereas that of London at the same time amounted only to 836_l._ 12_s._ -6_d._ {392} From which we may infer that the revenue which the crown -then derived from the trade of this town, was more than two thirds of -what it derived from that of London; and consequently that the trade -itself of this town did in the mean time bear the same proportion to that -of the metropolis; which may be presumed to have been the case of very -few places, if any, besides in the kingdom.—Lynn being allowed to have a -mint, or mints for the coining of money, belonging to the king and the -bishop, {393a} has been deemed another proof of the flourishing state of -the town at that period. - -Of the government of Lynn, or its municipal economy in those times, very -little is known, except that it appears to have been under the management -of an officer who bore the name of _provost_, who doubtless was nominated -by the bishop, and acted as his bailiff or deputy; but whether he was -elected annually or held his office for a longer or shorter term, or -during the pleasure of his master, seems rather uncertain. He was, -however, the chief magistrate of the town, and had, of course, other -officers assisting and acting under him, like our chief magistrates of -more modern times. It is very provable that the order of things in this -town was not so materially changed by _king_ JOHN as some may imagine. -The chief alteration apparently was, that the town now ranked among those -incorporated by royal charter, was consequently declared a free burgh, -had its burgesses exempted from tolls, &c. in all parts of England, but -London; and finally, had its chief magistrate denominated _mayor_, -instead of _provost_, {393b} a circumstance, probably of no mighty -consequence, or real benefit to the community, though highly gratifying, -perhaps, to the pride and vanity of the corporation. The real -difference, however, between a _mayor_ and a _provost_, seems to be very -little, if any thing, more than that between _Tweedledum_ and -_Tweedledee_. The former indeed is generally taken to be the highest and -most honourable appellation, and therefore our corporations naturally -prefer it to the other, as the title of their head man, or chief -magistrate. After all, the inferiority of the _provost_ does not seem -always perceivable; and nobody, perhaps, would deem the _lord_ MAYOR _of -York_ as superior in dignity to the _lord PROVOST of Edinburgh_. - -The smiles and favours of royalty are always gratifying to most people: -those of _king JOHN_ were so, no doubt, to his Lynn subjects, and may be -supposed to have confirmed them more than ever in their attachment to -him, which appears to have continued strong and steady afterwards during -the remainder of his reign. Of the worth and merit of that attachment, -his majesty seemed duly sensible: as a proof of which, they received from -him in return, some very flattering and lasting tokens, beside the -immunities and privileges specified in his charters; especially the -silver _cup_ which is still in being, and shewn to strangers and others -as a great curiosity. It is an elegant double-gilt, embossed, and -enamelled cup and cover, weighing 73 ounces, and of exquisite -workmanship, and shews the uncommon skill and ingenuity of some our -silver-smiths of that period, who were probably of the monkish order, as -our best artists, as well as most renowned scholars, were then chiefly to -be found within the solemn precincts of our monasteries. - -The _sword_, which is usually carried before our mayors, has been also -considered as another mark or token of king _JOHN’S_ favour to this town; -but this appears a very questionable matter. This weapon, which has a -silver mounting, the king is said to have taken from his side, and given -to the corporation, to be carried before the major: but it does not -appear that there was a sword at all carried before our mayors as early -as the reign of king John, or even for a long time after. If such a -ceremony was really observed here before the reign of Henry V. or of -Henry VI. it must seemingly have been appropriated solely to the great -lords of the place, the bishops of Norwich, who appear, all along to have -claimed, that honour as their own peculiar, and exclusive prerogative: -the mayors having no share in it, but only as they followed their -masters, the bishops, and formed a part of their retinue. Bishop Gibson, -in his additions to Camden, observes that the present sword, though said -to have been given by king John, was really the gift of Henry VIII. after -the town came into his possession, and he changed their _burgesses_ into -aldermen. John’s charter does not mention the sword, but that granted by -Henry expressly says, that he granted them a sword to be carried before -their mayor. As to the inscription on the blade of the present sword, -purporting its being the gift of king John, it proves nothing, being -apparently the unauthorized contrivance of two forward fellows of the -town, a sword cutler and a school-master, as late as the reign of queen -Elizabeth. {395} But, however improbable it may be that the said _sword_ -was ever the property of king John, and given by him as a present and -mark of his royal and special favour to this corporation, yet there does -not seem to be any just reason for entertaining similar doubts respecting -the _cup_ before-mentioned. The only circumstance relating to the cup -which one would be inclined to deem doubtful, or rather incredible, is a -certain sly insinuation, which has been sometimes heard, that it was a -part of a parcel of stolen goods, which his majesty, while on a visit at -Walsingham, contrived to pilfer from that celebrated abbey, and coming -afterward to Lynn, made a present of it to the corporation. - -Lynn seems to have paid very dearly for the said king’s favours. Camden, -in his account of this town observes, that it enjoys very large -immunities, which its inhabitants “purchased of king John with the price -of their own blood, spent in the defence of his cause:” alluding, -probably, to the powerful assistance they afforded him in reducing the -disaffected barons of this county, whose subjugation proved an arduous -undertaking, and whom he afterwards severely chastised. The assistance -they rendered to this sovereign consisted not only in recruits for his -army, or a strong and resolute body of landsmen, but also in sailors and -ships for his naval operations: hence Lynn and Yarmouth are mentioned by -Carte among the principal places that furnished his majesty with a -_fleet_ to oppose that of France on a certain occasion. {396} In short, -the good people of this town appear to have assisted that memorable -monarch to the utmost of their ability, or in all the ways, and by all -the means that were in their power. He, on the other hand, is said to -have been very partial to them, and deemed them so trustworthy, and their -town so secure a place, that he deposited there, for some time his crown -and regalia, and his most valuable treasures; but took them away at his -last visit, and lost them all, soon after, in crossing the Wash, at an -improper place, or improper time; which he laid so to heart that it -hastened his death, which took place a very short time after at Newark. -There is indeed no small disagreement among our historians in their -accounts of king John after his last departure from Lynn. Some represent -him as crossing the _Wash_, or rather the _Ouse_, then called -_Wellstream_, at the _Cross Keys_; others represent him as crossing it at -_Wisbeach_, and the latter seems to be the truth. Some, again, ascribe -the illness which terminated his life, to _poison_, administered by a -monk of Swineshead; others ascribe it to _vexation_ for the loss of his -treasures; while others assure us that it is to be ascribed to neither of -these causes, but that he was ill before that disaster of losing his -treasures befel him. Nay, some have alleged, or suggested, that his last -illness originated at Lynn, and was occasioned by his intemperate living -during his stay here. In accounts different and contradictory, it is no -easy task to distinguish truth from fiction. It seems however to be -pretty well established that the said king left Lynn on the 11th of -October, 1216, was at Wisbeach on the 12th, at Sleaford on the 15th, and -at Newark on the 18th, where he died the very next day: but the story of -the poison seems very doubtful and even improbable; nor does that -concerning the loss of his crown and treasures seem perfectly clear and -indubitable. {398} - -Even the fact that Lynn had been the depository of the king’s treasures, -with his crown and regalia, during his absence from these parts, and till -he removed them at his last departure, becomes very doubtful, or rather -quite improbable, if we believe Rapin’s assertion, from M. Paris, that -the king’s great competitor, the Dauphin, not long before, and within -that same year, had actually reduced Lynn, and made the whole county, as -well as those of Suffolk and Essex tributary to him. In that case, those -treasures, &c. if deposited here, must inevitably have fallen into the -Dauphin’s hands, and so be entirely lost to the king. We must therefore -either conclude that the alleged fact of Lynn having been the depository -of the said treasures, for any length of time, is unfounded, or that the -said assertion, that Lynn had been that year taken by the Dauphin, is so. -But as these matters are not very interesting, we will now drop them, and -also our account of king John for the present. - -After the death of John, and in the reign of his son and successor, Henry -III. the people of Lynn, at one time, seem to have sided with the -malcontents of that period, and so forfeited their chartered rights: but -their defection was of no long duration; they returned to their duty with -every appearance of contrition, and soon gave full proof of the ardour, -as well as the unfeignedness of their loyalty. Camden says that they -“purchased their lost liberties of Henry III. not without blood, when -they sided with him against the outlawed barons, and unluckily engaged -them in the Isle of Ely. An account whereof we have in the book of Ely, -and in Matthew Paris.” {399a} The battle here alluded to was fought -somewhere about Littleport, where the Lynn volunteers of that day were -very roughly handled by their opponents, and lost a considerable number -of their people; of which mention has been made by several of our -historians. In the 8th and 9th years of that king’s reign, licence was -granted to foreign merchants to come with safety to the fair of Lenn; and -in the 11th year a talliage was granted to the king by the bishop. The -oath of the burghers then was, “You shall faithfully pay your talliage -made by the lord (bp.) at his will, of all your chattels’ of your own -property, whatever they are, and of the chattels of your wife, and all -that is your due to pay.” {399b} Thus payment was made upon oath; but -the tax was granted to the king by the bishop, without the concurrence of -the burghers; and also assessed and levied by him _at his will_, without -check or control. In such a case, and under such circumstances, it might -be reasonably supposed there would be some misdoings, and not a few -causes of complaint, and that misunderstanding would arise between his -lordship and his Lynn vassals, which might lead to very serious results. -That it really did so happen appears from authentic documents. - -Sometime after the above taxation, the people or burgesses of Lynn, -dissatisfied, it seems, with the arbitrary and oppressive proceeding of -their lord, the bishop, in that instance, and questioning his right to -tax them at will, or without their consent, took upon them to tax -themselves without consulting him, as well as to elect a mayor also -without his permission. This his lordship greatly resented, as -absolutely illegal and highly criminal: and he also, very sorely felt it, -no doubt, as deeply affecting his own baronial claims here, or -endangering his feudal dominion. He accordingly proceeded against them -in the ecclesiastical court, and had them all excommunicated. In that -grievous dilemma, and from so arbitrary and galling a sentence, they -appealed to the king’s justices at Westminster, before whom the affair -underwent a legal investigation: of which, and its result, the following -account is given by Parkin. - - “In the 8th. of this king (Henry III.) a fine was levied, at - Westminster in Trinity term, before Robert Lexington, William de - York, Ralph de Norwich, William de Lisle, Adam Fitz-William, and - Ralph de Rokele, the king’s justices, between the mayor and - burgesses, querents, and Thomas Blundevile, bishop of Norwich, - deforcient. The Mayor &c. complained, that the bishop had impleaded - them in a court christian (ecclesiastical or spiritual court) and had - excommunicated them, because they had created a mayor among - themselves, and had taxed and talliaged themselves, in the said burgh - without his assent; and it was agreed between them in the said court, - that the bishop should grant for himself and successors, and his - church of Norwich, that the said burgesses, for the future, may chuse - and create to themselves a mayor, whomsoever they pleased of their - own body, on this condition, That immediately after his election, or - creation, they should present him to the bishop and his successors, - wherever they should be in the diocese of Norwich; who on the - presentation should be admitted by the bishop without any - contradiction: and for this fine and concord, the mayor and burgesses - grant for themselves, their heirs and successors, that whosoever - shall be so created and elected mayor by them, shall promise on his - good faith and fealty, by which he is engaged to the bishop, and his - successors, that he will observe all things that belong to his - office, as long as he shall continue therein, and preserve, as much - as is in his power, the liberties of the church of Norwich. This - agreement and fine was made in the presence of the king, who - consented to it. This king, as appears from many instances, sate - frequently in the court of king’s bench at the head of his justices.” - {401} - -It does not appear from the above account how the taxation or assessment -business was then settled; but it seems most probable that it was taken -out of the hands both of the bishop and the burgesses, and committed to -the management of certain officers appointed by the crown. It is likely -indeed that that point had been previously settled, and that the names of -the first officers, or assessors, are still preserved: for we are told -that “in the 17th. of the said reign, (which was the year preceding that -of the above trial) Thomas de Milton, and Warin, son of Imbert, were -named by the king, to assess the talliage, and all the demeans of the see -of Norwich.” {402} This point therefore might not come under discussion -in the above trial at Westminster. But the case of creating, or choosing -a mayor, seems to have been there very carefully investigated. The -result was (as above stated) that the right of the burgesses, to elect a -mayor from among themselves, was fully established; on the express -condition, however, that, immediately after his election they should -present him to the bishop, wherever he should be within the diocese; who -on his part was to receive him without any refusal, disapproval, or, -contradiction. - -From the preceding statement one would be apt to conclude, that the right -of the burgesses to choose a mayor, independently of the bishop’s will -and pleasure, was now fully settled and that his lordship would no longer -presume to interfere, either directly or indirectly, on that occasion. -But it cannot be affirmed that the event warrants that conclusion. The -lust of power is a strong passion, and not very soon or easily subdued. -The bishops having so long borne uncontrolled sway in the direction and -management of every thing in this town, it was not to be expected that -they would be very ready to resign or relinquish it. The mayors here -from the first, it seems, were called _The bishop’s men_, and their -lordships appeared always desirous to perpetuate the appellation, or, at -least, to do all in their power to prevent its becoming inapplicable. -Though the words of charters, the opinions of judges, and even the -declarations of kings, might appear against them, yet they were scarcely -ever at a loss for ways and means to surmount or evade all such -difficulties, and secure their own beloved power and preponderance. So -the case seems to have been at Lynn for a very long period. Neither the -provision of charters, the verdict of judges, nor the orders of princes, -could effect any material or lasting diminution of the exorbitant power -of the bishop over this town, till the 16th century. It appeared like an -inveterate evil, or incurable malady, until it felt the royal touch of -Henry VIII. when it gave way at once, and underwent a radical and perfect -cure. - -As to the above agreement between the contending parties at Westminster, -it does not appear that the bishops thought proper long, if at all, to -act in compliance with it, and so refrain from any further interference -in the election of appointment of a chief magistrate. This must have sat -uneasy on the minds of the corporation, and they would naturally, and -perhaps repeatedly complain to their sovereign against so oppressive an -infringement of their municipal rights. Even the king himself also would -feel it as an insult offered to him, as he was personally present when -the agreement was made, and had sanctioned it by his own express -approbation. On this ground we may account for that clause in the -charter which he granted to our burgesses in the 52nd year of his reign, -in which he not only confirms their former liberties, but also allows -them to choose a mayor of themselves, _without presenting him to the -bishop_. This last exemption from a former obligation and customary -observance, seems plainly to indicate that the bishop had taken some such -undue advantage of his power and influence as was before suggested; of -which his majesty now thought proper to signify his entire -disapprobation, by discharging the burghers from every obligation to pay -his lordship any further regard, in their future choice or appointment of -a chief magistrate. This the bishop must have felt somewhat mortifying. -But as his feudal jurisdiction here still continued unabolished, it was -not likely he would be long at a loss to find means to evade the force or -operation of that humiliating clause, and secure or reestablish his -wonted preeminence. That it actually did so happen, appears but too -evident by all that we know of the subsequent history of the town. Every -attempt to reduce the bishop’s predominance here, during the period of -which we are now treating, proved unsuccessful. The burgesses never -could effectually shake off his yoke, or cease to be his vassals and -subjects; and even their elections of mayors, in general, if not always, -might be compared to the modern conge d’elire elections of bishops, by -our Deans and Chapters. - -During the long reign of which we have been speaking, this kingdom -suffered extremely from civil discord and intestine commotions, and the -inhabitants of Lynn bore their share in those sufferings. Great numbers -of their people perished in a bloody and unfortunate engagement against -the barons, up in the country somewhere towards Littleport, as has been -before noticed; which must have proved a most distressing calamity to the -whole town, and especially to the wives and children and other relatives -of the vanquished and slaughtered warriors. The enemy, being so strong -and formidable in and about the Isle of Ely, must also have cut off all -communication between Lynn and that district, and even interrupted its -intercourse with all the interior parts of the country, as he had the -entire command of the rivers and channels of internal navigation. This -seems to have continued a long while, and must have distressed this town -in a very great degree. It appears, however, to have been quite over, -and tranquillity fully restored in the 41st year of that reign, as we -find the mayor and burgesses were that year commanded by the king to -permit the men of Ely to come here to sell their beer, and exercise -merchandise, as they had been used to do before the disturbance. {405a} -In the 50th year the same reign, as we are further informed, the king’s -purveyors bought at Lynn 36 tuns of wine, which the sheriff of Norfolk -was ordered to have conveyed to his majesty, then at the siege of -Kenilworth, or Kennelworth Castle, in Warwickshire. {405b} This also -shews that there were then no very serious or dangerous commotions in the -parts about the Fens, and westward of Lynn, otherwise it would have been -out of the sheriff’s power to have the said wine conveyed across that -country, and to his majesty’s camp before Kennelworth. It however -alleged by our historians that the malecontents who seized upon the Isle -of Ely were the last that held out, and that they did not surrender till -after the reduction of Kennelworth Castle. However that was, it is -allowed that the rebellion was now soon quelled, and that the country -afterwards enjoyed peace and tranquillity, for a long period. - -It was in this king’s reign, as was before observed, that the Ouse and -other rivers deserted their ancient and natural course by Wisbeach, and -after inundating the fen country to a very great extent, from the effect -of which it has never yet recovered, forced their passage into the sea by -Lynn. A neglecting of the old outfall, which occasioned the choking up -of the channel and impeding the course of the waters, in the time of a -great flood, has been assigned as the cause of that memorable event. But -as the malcontents had for sometime occupied the fens, and made their -last stand there, and as the inundation might conduce materially to their -defence, it seems very natural to suspect that they also had some hand in -the business. Yet as our historians are silent on this head, we cannot -affirm it as a matter of fact. The event proved, no doubt, detrimental -to Wisbeach; and yet not materially advantageous, at least, not -immediately so, to Lynn. Nor does it appear that even our harbour was at -all improved by so large an accession of fresh water: on the contrary, -for aught we know, the approach from the sea to this town was quite as -good before as it has been since. It may be said however to be an event -that somewhat contributes to preserve the memory of the third Henry, -among the people of these parts. The character of this monarch is well -known, and is no way worthy of respect or imitation. He was great in -nothing but the vileness of his government and the length of his reign, -which extended to the 57th year: the longest of any English reign, for -the last ten centuries. For the evils of which, and of all the bad and -unfortunate reigns that have occurred ever since that period, many, it is -supposed, will deem the blessed prosperity of the present wise and happy -reign as more than a sufficient counterbalance and -compensation—especially, if it should also last as long, or still longer -than that of Henry III. which seems not at all improbable: and who is it, -within this favoured country, but does consider this as a consummation -most devoutly to be wished? - - - -CHAP. V. - - -State of society at Lynn during the period under consideration—the -subject may be elucidated from documents relative to our ancient -Gilds—observations on the nature of those fraternities—very common in -this country before the reformation—names and number of those of Lynn. - -It is sad enough to think, that during so long an interval as that -between the conquest and the reformation, the good people of Lynn should -never be able entirely to emancipate themselves from their feudal -vassalage. But as that desirable object always proved to them -unattainable, they appear to have submitted to their hard fate with -exemplary patience and forbearance; well knowing, it seems, to use the -words of the old adage, that what cannot be cured must be endured. It is -much to be doubted if their descendants, or rather their successors of -the present day, would have endured what they did with equal propriety -and long suffering. We are indeed but imperfectly acquainted with the -social complexion, or characteristic features of the community here in -those times; but from what we do know, there is reason to think -favourably of the prevailing disposition of the inhabitants. Except in -the shocking affair of the poor Jews, and what happened in the time of -bishop Spencer and of bishop Wakeryng, and of the two aldermen Wentworth -and Petipas, already noticed, we perceive no vestige here of tumultuous -risings or factious combinations. Industry and harmony appear generally -to have prevailed at Lynn, and the community seldom failed in the duty of -submission to their superiors, or of obeying the higher powers. - -On the state of society in this town, during the period now under -consideration, nothing perhaps throws so much light as certain existing -documents relating to out ancient Gilds, which seem to have been more -numerous here than any where else in the kingdom. They were friendly -associations formed for the mutual benefit of their respective members. -Some of them were large trading companies, holding considerable -possessions, in houses, lands, and mercantile property. Others were of a -humbler sort, suited to the convenience and wants of those who moved in a -lower sphere, and constructed on principles, perhaps, somewhat similar to -those of our modern purse clubs, or benefit societies. All were -calculated to help the individuals who composed them, to pass through -life more comfortably, obtain a more easy and plentiful subsistence, -cherish love and goodwill within their respective circles, and promote -the peace and welfare of the town or community in general. - -The Gilds, certainly, form a most prominent feature in the character of -the ancient inhabitants of Lynn. They were indeed very common in this -country before the reformation, and during the period we are now -considering; but were more numerous in this town than anywhere else we -know of, which is a very remarkable and, perhaps, unaccountable -circumstance. It seems very honourable to the memory of our -forefathers—more so, probably, than any thing else we can mention; and -therefore we shall dwell upon the subject with the greater pleasure. It -shews that there was then among the inhabitants a prevailing or general -disposition to assist one another, and to give to every honest individual -an opportunity to place himself in such a situation as would not fail of -bettering his condition, and procuring him useful friends and reputable -associates. - -These useful institutions, in most other places, only amounted to one or -two, or a few, by which only a small part of the population could be very -materially benefited by them. But here they were formed on a large -scale, and multiplied to _above thirty_; some of them varying pretty much -from others, to suit, as we may suppose, the different conditions of the -inhabitants, all, or most of whom might consequently accommodate -themselves, or easily find a fraternity whose constitution exactly -corresponded, with their respective capacities, wants, or wishes.—Our -Gilds had all of them a strong tincture of religion, or rather of -superstition, according to the prevailing fashion of the times. In that -view they exhibited, no doubt, a large portion of weakness, ignorance, -and absurdity. But they appear to have been very free from that -jealousy, bigotry, and ill will towards each other, which too often -disgrace the religious fraternities of the present day, who look upon one -another with such an evil eye, that they may be too justly said to hate -one another. Trusting in themselves that they are righteous, they -despise others, and are ready to say to their neighbours, and all who -differ from them, stand by yourselves, come not near to us, for we are -holier than you. While they inveigh against Pharisees, and a pharisaical -spirit, they give impartial and intelligent bystanders every reason to -think, that they are themselves, in fact, the Pharisees of the present -day, and are led by the very spirit against which they declaim. But we -will drop this subject for the present, and resume that of the Gilds, -which we shall here handle under different heads, or sections. - - -SECTION I. - - -_Observations on the origin of our ancient Gilds_. {411} - -The author of a late publication, entitled _Caledonia_, gives it as his -opinion, that the monks were the earliest Gild brethren, and had -exclusive privileges of trade and of fishery when boroughs had scarcely -an existence. To which the annual reviewer of that work objects, and -affirms that the origin of Gilds lies hidden in obscurity inaccessible: -and against the idea of their being of monkish origin, he urges, their -being constructed so much on the principles of a purse club, that they -can hardly not have been founded by married men. {412} The truth seems -to be, that they originated among the Anglo-Saxons, long before the -Conquest, if not also before their conversion to Christianity, and the -commencement of English monkery. At first, they may be supposed to -assume a simple and homely appearance, among the civil institutions of -the Anglo-Saxon community; but afterwards to pass through different -changes, and especially after the conquest, when the general state of -society and the whole order of things experienced so considerable a -revolution. They were then, at first, perhaps, put down or laid aside, -and afterwards revived and resumed: at least, we hear little or nothing -of them under the first Norman kings, or till about the 13th century. - -The most common and prevailing opinion seems to be, that the gilds sprung -from the Anglo-Saxons _tithings_: though it may, perhaps, be questioned, -if the tithings themselves did not take their rise from them. Jacob, -from Camden, informs us,— - - “that the origin of gilds and fraternities is said to be from the - Saxon law, by which neighbours entered into an association, and - became bound for each other, to bring forth him who committed any - crime, or make satisfaction to the party injured; for which purpose - they raised a sum of money among themselves, and put it into a common - stock, whereout a pecuniary compensation was made according to the - quality of the offence committed. From hence came our fraternities - and gilds: and they were in use in this kingdom long before any - formal licences were granted for them: though at this day [that is, - in Camden’s time] they are a company combined together, with orders - and laws made by themselves, by the prince’s licence.” {413a} - -Chambers, in his Cyclopædia, expresses himself much to the same purpose.— - - “The original of Gilds, says he, is thus related: it being a law - among the Saxons, that every freeman {413b} of fourteen years old - should find sureties to keep the peace, or be committed to prison; - certain neighbours [therefore] entered into an association, - [consisting of ten families,] and became bound for each other, either - to produce him who committed an offence, or to make satisfaction to - the injured party. That they might the better do this, they raised a - sum of money among themselves, which they put into a common stock; - and when one of their pledges had committed an offence, and was fled, - then the other nine made satisfaction out of this stock, by payment - of money according to the offence. Because this association - consisted of ten families, it was called a _decennary_: hence came - our fraternities. In observance of the above law, or custom, as the - same writer informs us, the sheriffs at every county court did from - time to time take the oaths of young persons, as they arrived at the - age of fourteen, and see that they belonged to one _decennary_ or - another.” {413c} - -Such is the account given by these writers of the ancient decennaries or -tythings, from which the gilds are supposed to have sprung; but it seems -uncertain, after all, whether the gilds sprung from the decennaries, or -the decennaries from them, or which of the two is the most ancient. They -might be coëval, and grow up together: and the gilds having survived the -decennaries might occasion their being supposed to have sprung from them. - -Turner, the ingenious historian of the Anglo-Saxons, seems also to -ascribe to them the origination of Gilds: and he observes, that the -gilds, or social confederations, in which many of those people chose to -arrange themselves, deserve very particular attention. Among other -things, he says, that their gilds are sometimes alluded to in the laws. -If a man without paternal relations should fight and kill another, then -his maternal kinsmen were ordered to pay one third of the Were, his gild -a third, and for the other part his gild was to escape. In London there -appears to have been free gilds. In a charter of Canterbury, the three -companies of the Citizens within the walls, and those without, are -mentioned. Domesday also mentions a Gild of the Clergy in that city. In -short, Gilds appear to have been very common, and in great request among -the Anglo-Saxons. They seem on the whole, as our author thinks, to be -friendly associations, made for mutual aid and contribution, to meet the -pecuniary exigencies which were perpetually arising, from burials, legal -exactions, penal mulcts, and other payments, or compensations. That much -good fellowship was connected with them, cannot be doubted. The fines of -their own imposition imply that the materials of conviviality were not -forgotten. In short, he thinks they may be called the Anglo-Saxon -clubs.—Even the more uncommon species of those confederations, called -_Gilda Mercatoria_, _or Merchant’s Gild_, seems to have existed among the -same people. That in mercantile and Seaports, says the same author, -there were also gilds and fraternities of men constituted for the purpose -of carrying on more successful enterprizes in commerce, even in the -Anglo-Saxon times, appears to be a fact. Domesday, (he adds,) mentions -the Gihalla, or Guildhall of the burghers of Dover. {415} - -The Gilds of Lynn, however, cannot be traced to so remote a period as -that of the Anglo-Saxons. There may, indeed, have been gilds here at -that period, and the fact can hardly be doubted, as they were then so -much in vogue, but we have no traces of them now remaining. All the Lynn -Gilds, whose names and remains have reached our time, seem to have sprung -up long after the conquest. Of them we shall treat in the ensuing pages. - - -SECTION II. - - -_Names and Number of our ancient Gilds_; _with some additional -observations_. - -Of the Lynn Gilds our printed books give but a very imperfect and -wretched account. Their list of names is extremely defective, and the -idea which they give of those institutions is equally so. For a more -correct and ample information on this subject we are chiefly indebted to -Mr. King’s MS. volume, before mentioned, which was compiled about a -hundred years ago, by some unknown hand, or hands, from certain ancient -and authentic documents, which seem no longer to exist. Both Mackerell -and Parkin appear to have seen this volume, but they have not availed -themselves of it to the extent they might have done. Even its most -curious and interesting parts they have left unnoticed. In the latter -part of this volume is inserted the following “Catalogue of the Gildes in -the Towne of Lynn”—amounting in all to thirty one. They stand in the -following order: 1. The Gild of _St. George_. 2. The Gild of _St. -Erasmus_. 3. The Gild of _St. John Baptist_. 4. The Gild of _St. Gyles -and St. Julian_. 5. The Gild of _St. Ethelerede_. 6. The Gild of _St. -Margarett_. 7. The Gild of _St. Anne_. The Gild of the 12 _Apostles_. -9. The Gild of _St. Christopher_. 10. The Gild of _our Lady_. 11. The -Gild of _St. Micheal the Archangel_. 12. The Gild of _St. Nicholas_. -13. The Gild of _St. Awdreys_. 14. The Gild of _St. Michael and King -Henry_. 15. The Gild of _St. Cyprian_. 16. The Gild of _St. Fabian and -St. Sabestian_. 17. The Gild of _St. Lawrence_. 18. The Gild of _St. -Agnes_. 19. The Gild of _Corpus Christi_. 20. The Gild of the -_Trinity_. 21. The gild of _St. Andrew_. 22. The Gild of _Holy Rood_. -23. The Gild of _St. Lovis_. 24. The Gild of _St. Austin_. 25. The Gild -of _St. Barbara_. 26. The Gild of _St. Antony_. 27. The Gild of _St. -Stephen_. 28. The Gild of _St. Francis_. 29. The Gild of the -_Shoemakers_. 30. The _Red Gild_. 31. The Gild of _St. William_, -trading to North Bern. - -Such a large number of these fraternities, in such a place as Lynn, and -at such a period, must appear not a little extraordinary, and what seems -very difficult, if not impossible, to account for, but on the -supposition, that there existed here, in the mean time, a very -respectable degree of public and social virtue, or in other words a -prevailing disposition among the inhabitants to promote each other’s -interest and happiness. Upon that idea they must be thought very highly -as nothing could well be more creditable or honourable to their memory. -A tribute of respect, which seems to be so fairly and justly their due, -ought not to be here withheld from them.—Nor should it here pass -unnoticed, that Lynn is still distinguished for a respectable number of -similar institutions; that is to say, for its purse-clubs, or benefit -societies, the gilds of the 18th and 19th centuries. Their number is -about _twenty_; and their members, altogether, may amount to 700, or -more; but, as most of them have families, the benefit or advantage of -these useful associations may be supposed to extend, perhaps, to more -than three times that number. Of the real and important utility of these -social institutions no doubt can be entertained. The fact is universally -admitted. They are certainly beneficial, not only to the individuals -more immediately concerned, but even to the community at large, by -keeping a great many honest and industrious people from becoming -burdensome to the parishes to which they belong.—It ought also to be -remarked that the benefits resulting from these estimable institutions -are to be attributed neither to the wisdom of government, nor yet to the -fostering care of the corporation, but merely to the very commendable -thoughtfulness and virtue of the individuals that compose them. But here -is not the place to enlarge upon this topic: we shall therefore drop it -for this time, and resume the former subject. - -Of these thirty one Gilds, above named, several seem to have been of the -higher order of those associations, or of the mercantile sort, consisting -of trading or commercial adventurers, who enjoyed certain privileges by -grants from the crown. This appears to have been the case with the 1st -the 4th, the 19th the 20th, and 31st in the above catalogue; that is, the -Gild of _St. George_, that of _St. Gyles_ and _St. Julian_, that of -_Corpus Christi_, that of the _Trinity_, and that of _St. William_, -trading to north Bern. There might probably be some few more of the same -description. All the rest, it is supposed, were friendly associations, -formed for the benefit of the lower orders of freemen, that is, of those -who were not in a state of villanage, for none of the latter appear to -have been admitted into those fraternities. Poor creatures! they were -debarred from all such advantages and comforts! In further considering -the Lynn gilds, we shall take them in the order in which they stand in -the catalogue, though it does not seem to be the most regular and natural -order, that of seniority. - - -SECTION III. - - -_A more particular account of some of the Lynn Gilds_. - -1. St. _George’s Gild_. Of this fraternity the following account is -given by Parkin— - - “Henry IV. by his letters patent, gave and granted licence to John - Brandon, Bartholomew Sistern, and John Snailwell of Lenne Epispopi, - that they might make, found, and establish to the honor of God, and - the glorious martyr, St. George a certain fraternity, brotherhood, - and perpetual Guild of themselves and others, who out of their - devotion, were willing to be of the said fraternity: and that - brothers and sisters of the fraternity and guild for the time being - might chuse, make, and ordain one alderman, and four custodes of the - said fraternity and guild, yearly, for the good and profit of the - same, and out of the brethren of the said fraternity and guild: and - that the said alderman and custodes and their successors, by the - names of the alderman and custodes of the said guild, should have - power, and be able to take, receive, and hold, any lands, tenements, - rents, and possessions whatsoever, or should be by any ways or means - granted to them, and to do in all other respects, &c. and to act as - the rest of his liege subjects, or persons do, and have power, and - are enabled to act.—And further the said king, out of his abundant - grace, granted and gave licence, by his said, letters parent, for - himself and his heirs, to the aforesaid alderman and custodes and - their successors, for the time being, that they might receive and - hold to themselves and their successors for ever, and purchase of J. - March the right that Richard Waterden had therein of all that - tenement, with a kay adjoining, with all its buildings and - appertenances in Lenn aforesaid, which belonged to Robert Baylly, - which tenement is in the street called Cheker, between the tenement - formerly of John de Couteshale and the heirs of the late William - Bytering, now of William Hundredpound, and the heirs of the late John - Wyntworth, on the south part, the tenement formerly of Nicholas - Swerdeston, late of John Wyghton, wherein Walter Tudenham now dwells, - and extends itself in length from the common way towards the west to - the tenement formerly of Dominick Baude, afterwards of Richard Denne, - lately of John Grene, clerk, then of Thomas Botekesham to the east. - And the aforesaid kay lies opposite to the said tenement, in breadth, - between the kay formerly of the aforesaid John Couteshale, lately of - the aforesaid John Wyntworth, to the south, and the common lane, - (venellam) called cornlane, on the north, and extends itself from the - common way to the east, to the great bank (ripam) of Lenne, to the - west, as well as for the maintenance of one or two chaplains, as to - pray for the good estate of the king and his most beloved consort - Joan, queen of England, as long as they lived, and for their souls - after their deaths, and for the souls of their most beloved father - and mother, deceased, as also for the good state of all and singular - the brothers and sisters of the fraternity and guild aforesaid, - according to the will and ordinance of the aforesaid alderman, the - custodes, and their successors.” {420} - -This Gild, it is said, received many other grants of lands and tenements -from Henry V. which probably might also be the case from some of the -succeeding princes. But at the reformation it was dissolved, as were -also the rest, at least those that were of a trading nature: {421a} all -whose possessions, it is supposed, were given to the corporation by -Edward VI.—The premises here described were in Checker Street, and -comprehended the Gild Hall of the fraternity, called St. George’s Hall, -now the Play-house. {421b} - -From the above extract the reader may form some idea of our ancient gild -of St. George. But in order to have a more accurate and perfect -conception of it, and of the others, all the following accounts must be -compared together. Of most of our gilds we have only the names. Of -others some further information is still obtainable, of which the author -will endeavour in these pages to make the best use he can. It may be -here just observed, that the gilds of the higher order appear to have -their respective _altars_ in the different churches of the town, which -shews how much religion was blended with those institutions, and what a -high character for sanctity the members assumed. They had also their -respective _chaplains_, to act as their proper religious functionaries, -and pray for the souls of their members and benefactors, dead as well as -living. - -Of the second and third gild in the above catalogue, that is, those of -_St. Erasmus_ and of _St. John Baptist_, we have been able to obtain no -further information. They were probably of the lower description of -these fraternities, and having no large possessions attached to them, -they left behind scarcely any trace or memorial of their existence. They -might, for all that, be very respectable in their day, and their members -be as useful and worthy members of the community as those who composed -the great trading or mercantile gilds. - -Of the fourth gild in the catalogue, that of _St. Gyles_ and _St. -Julian_, we know more than of the two last mentioned. This, in its day, -must have been a notable gild. It was founded in the 14th century, and -in the reign of Richard II. as appears from the following very curious -document, preserved in Mr. King’s book, and which is here given in the -original orthography— - - “In the honour of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Ladie Seynt Marie, - and of all the holy company of heaven, and speciallith of the holy - corsayntis Seynt Gyles and Seynt Julian, This Gild is ordeynd and - begonnen ye year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1384.—And this Gild - shall be holden at Lenn the Sunday next after ye ffeast of the - apostelis Peter and Paul, that the alderman and gild bretheren and - sisters of this gild shal gone togeder to ye church of Seynt James of - Lenn orderly and manly two and two togedir, and offer there at ilke - messes each brother and sisters ob. upon payn of a pound of wax.—Also - ordeynd is that the alderman of the gild and also the gild brothers - and sisters shal dyen togedir every general day and each brother and - sister shall pay to ye subsidie and costages of this gild 8_d_ on the - morng. after the general day without any long abideing, as well those - that are absent as those that are present, except the officers, that - is to say, the alderman, 4 skyveyns, clerk, and dean, which shall no - subsidie pay for the time they are in office.—And also it is ordeynd - that what brother or sister of this gylde yt is in the towne of Lynne - or in 40 mile and in heela and will not come to his general day and - to his mornspech and does as is aforesaid and make none attone for - him he shall pay for the amendment of the gild as oft sithes as may - be P’nd on him 6_s._ 8_d._ without any forgiveness.—And also ordeynd - it is that what man that will bene a brother of this gilde from this - time aforesaid shall not be received but at the genll. day, or at the - mornspech, and that he have 2 bretheren to withness with him yt he is - good man and able and of good conversation before ye alderman & all - ye gild bretheren, & he shall pay to the profith of this house 6_d._ - that is to say, to ye wax 2_d._ to the alderman 2_d._ to the clerke - 1_d._ to the dean 1_d._—And also each man yt shll enter into this - gild for to be a brother, he shll pay for his entry to ye increase of - ye chattels of ye gild 13_s._ 4_d._ and find a sufficient {423} to - pay it within ye first year after his coming in upon pain of double - or his {424a} for him.—And also if any brother or sister of this gild - be deed in ye towne of Lenn ye dean shall warn all ye gild bretheren - & sisters yt are in towne to go to ye church with ye cors & offer - each man a ffarthing, & who comandett & is in towne & in hele on this - maner he shll not come nor do as is aforesaid, he shll pay to the - amendment of this gild one pound of wax, and if the dean fail of - comanding ilke brother and sister yt is in towne & none comand he - shall payen 1_d._—And what brother or sister of this gild be deed in - ye contre or in any other place as soon as ye alderman may wit it he - shall see the dean warn all the gild bretheren & sisters yt are in - Lenn & in hele to go with him to ye church of St. James aforesaid & - so sing a messe for him or hir yt is dede as if the body were there - present & offer in ye maner aforesaid upon ye paine aforesaid & whoso - be not in towne nor offer in ye manner aforesaid nor with the corps - where it is buryed he shall pay at next mornspech after a ffarthing, - & yt shall be done for the soul of him or hir yt is dede by ye - ordeynance of ye alderman and ye officers.—And where yt any of ye - bretheren dye in ye countre & any of his bretheren be near him be 10 - miles he shll go to ye place where as he is dede & ordeyne & see yt - his goods be saved & kept & done for his soul as best is after ye - will of him yt is dede upon ye payn of 6_s._ 8_d._—Also it is ordeynd - yt no brother or sister of yis gild shall amerse no emplead either in - courte nor in consistorie nor in non other place for no maner of - cause till he have revealed his greivance to ye alderman or his - deputy & have leive of him upon payn of 2_l._ {424b} if ye alderman - nor his deputy may not accord hem he shll gife hem leive for to - persue ye same yt way they hope best to spede.—And also what brother - of this gild yt bete upon or mysay other in contre or in any other - place and it may be proved on hym he shall pay to ye amendment of - this gild a stone of wax and make amends to hym that he trespass - to.—An if any brother or sister of this gilde or other in strange - place or in coledge in power or in mischief through theves or other - sudeyne {425a} shall releve him after yat his state is in—And whose - trespass agst ye alderman or any of ye gilde bretheren in time of - mornspech or of drinke or of any other time unskilfullich he shall - pay to ye amendment of this gild 6_d._ and make his peace yt he - trespasst.—And while the Gild plener drynketh ye alderman shll have - every night gallon of ale, either skyvans a pottle, ye clerke a - pottle, & ye dean a pottle.—And who is chosen in office of alderman & - he forsake his office he shll pay to ye amendment of the gild 20_s._ - each skyvan 10_s._ & ye Dean 3_s._ 4_d._ and ye clerke 6_d._—And the - clerke shall have for his travail by ye year 3_s._ {425b}—And whosoe - discover the counseil of this gilde to any strange man or woman shall - pay to ye amendment of this gilde 10_s._ without any forgiveness. - {425c}—And whosoe enter in the house where the ale lithe without leve - of the officers he shall pay to ye amendment of yis gild 4_d._—Also - ordeynd it is by ye alderman and gild bretheren that the Skyveyns yat - shall have ye cattel of this Gild in hand each of ym shall find 2 - sureties to bring ye cattel of ye gild every generall mornspech or - their sureties for ym & lay it down with the increase thereof afore - ye alderman & ye gild brotherg each of ym upon paine of the double - yat he have received.—Also it is ordeynd yt ye bretheren of this gild - shall be hooded in . . . {426a} every year and have ye use of his - hood 2 year, & whosoe refuse his hood or give it away within 2 years - shll pay to ye amendment of ye gild 3s. 4d.—Also it is ordeynd yat no - brother in time of mornspech shall gone oute of ye Hall {426b} nor - stand no roome time of mornspeck no of drynke withouten leve of ye - alderman in lettyng of ye officers upon payne of 1lb. of wax.—And - also ordeynd is that if any brother of yis gild use snarlings, false - weights or measures, or any other such thing that may be reputed as - vilany to ye company he shll pay to ye amendment of this gilde 20_s._ - as often sithes as it may be proved on him without any - forgiveness.—Also ordeynd it is yt this company shll have a Preist to - sing for them, & each bro. & sister shll pay each year to ye costage - of ye Preist aforesaid 6d. {426c}—Also it is ordeynd yt after ye - bretheren and sisters have dyned togedir on ye generall day ther - shall no mo meles ben holden afterwd but bread & cheese & drink.—Also - it is ordeynd yat whosoe will bene a brother of this Gild he shall - not be received by ye alderman & all ye company at ye generall day, & - yt he have 2 sufficient sureties of ye gild as well as of his - entrance as of his good beryng & honest.—Also it is ordeynd by ye - alderman & all ye gild bretheren yt ye alderman shall call up 4 men, - which 4 men shll call up 8 men to ym to gone on ye election to chosen - ye officers of ye Gild, yt is to say, an alderman, 4 Skyveyns, 1 - clerke, & 1 dean, but they shll no man chuse to none of these offices - of ym yt are of ye election for yt year, & also what brother - rebelleth or letteth ye alderman in ye first 4 calling he shll be - fined to ye use of ye company 20s. so often as he so doth.—Also ye - election have ordeynd at ye geull mornspech in ye yr of our Lord 1406 - yt they yt come in as bretheren shll there take his charge and find - sufficient securities for their enterance, yt is to say 13s. 4d. - which shll belong to Lenn _holy company_ abateing and also they yt - bene as bretheren but be lawful for ym with yt subsidy to make ym - merry there and if so think to ye company as bene more proffit to ye - Gild to send home ye money of ye entres of ye bretheren yat come - in—Also it is ordeind by ye election ye 1st. day of July year of ye - reign of Henry 5th. they have ordeynd that this company shll none - have [hoods {427}] but at every 2 yrs end.—Also ordeynd yt no man - shll have hooding but be paid therefore as cometh thereto.—Also it is - ordeynd by ye same election yt wht bro. dye of this company he shll - have sung for him 30 messes for his soul so soon as it is known yt he - is dead and yt shll be done after ye old manner of ye alderman & ye - officers yt shll be for ye time.—It is ordeynd by ye alderman & all - ye bretheren yt what come into ye said Gild shall pay 7s.—Also it is - ordeynd by ye election of the company by ye alderman & all ye - bretheren yt ye skyveynts shall find all ye costs of ye house.” - -[Then added by way of conclusion, or memorandum,]— - - “These be ye names of ye flounders and benefactors of ye Gild of St. - Gyles and St. Julian holden in St Jame’s church in Lenn.” - - “Edmd. Bellyter, Mercht. Tho. Constantyn, Esq. & Margaret his - daughter, William Inot, Mercht. Founders of ye Gild of St. Gyles and - St. Julian holden, &c.” - -[I.e. in St. Jame’s church in Lenne, as before.—Then are added the names -of the principal subsequent benefactors, as we may suppose.] - - “Tho. Hulyett, Mercht. Robt. Braybroke, Mercht. Walter Coney, - Mercht. William Wallis, Mercht. William Nicholson, Mercht. Robt. - Scryme, & Julian his wife, John Soame, Richd. Evelyn, Mercht. Wm. - Amfles, Mercht. John Taylor, Mercer, Richd. Amfles, Mercht.—Special - benefactors of ye said Gild, & for all ye bretheren and sisters souls - of this said Gild, & for all xn Souls.” - -From some notes, in the same volume, immediately following the above long -extract, it appears that there was an _Almshouse_ connected with the said -Gild, or under its patronage, from the first: Also that there was a -_charity company_, dwelling in a _Bede house_ adjoining to that same -Almshouse; which likewise became afterwards connected with the said gild. -The Bedehouse was, probably, the present women’s Hospital, still -sometimes called _the Bedehouse_; and the Almshouse might stand where Mr. -Bonnett’s dwelling and school now do. From the same notes it also seems, -that the date of the foundation of the said Gild, as given above, must be -wrong, owing perhaps to the carelessness of the transcriber, and that it -had been founded earlier.—The notes alluded to are the following; which -are here inserted, that the intelligent reader may have an opportunity to -judge for himself. - - “1476. This day comond {429} of ye Almeshouse by St. James’s & it is - agreed that Wm. Walter, Robt. Braybroke, Tho. Constantine, John - Bambage, Robt. Bastard, & John Gillom shall have the oversight of the - Almeshouse between this and ye genll day to the use of the Gild. - - “Also Tho. Constantine on of ye bretheren of this gild as executor to - Margarett his daughter, heir to Edmd. Bellyete hath granted this same - day to make a lawful estate of ye said almeshouse in ffee simple to - such persons as shall be named by the gild. - - “1477. As for ye rule and keeping of ye almeshouse & vestments to be - left to ye alderman & 4 of the bretheren. - - “1487. Given by ye gild to ye prior towards repairing ye church - 6_s._ 8_d._ the rest towards repairing ye chappell of St. Julian and - ye almeshouse. - - “Wheras John Reed, Mercht. has been misguided agst ye alderman and - officers, John Goodwin, Mayor, & John Bunton, alderman, have ordered - he shd pay 6s. 8d. for his broke, which was pd accordingly, but was - returned on condition he shd. give to ye Almeshouse 2 new pair of - sheets, 2s. 4d. the pair. - - “1473. Delivered to John Waller a Whystle wt. 12¼ oz. the gift of - Robt. Gring to ye fellowship. - - “The skyvants to bear ye charge of ye light before St. Julian. - - “The Preist to pray every Sunday for ye bretheren & sisters of ye - gild. - - “The Alderman to gather in ye debts of ye gild & to have 20_d._ to ye - £. which debt is for repairing ye chappel of ye gild & ye almeshouse. - - “Ordered yt ye bretheren shall go about in ye even praying for ye old - benefactors, & ye benefactors to be written in ye Gild Book, & ye - Bellman to have a list of their names, & yt Thos. Toylet be - remembered in ye Bederoll when ye Bellman goeth about. - - “1482. Ordered yt ye sisters be received into ye gild paying their - dutys without delay & ye said sisters shall go with ye bretheren on - ye same daies. - - “Such bretheren & sisters as be in poverty & not able to bury - youselves shall have the dean & wax at the cost of the Gild so they - be clear in the Gild. {430} - - “The Alderman to lay out 2_l._ 11_s._ 1_d._ in his hands towards - repairing the Almeshouse & beding. - - “John Soame, Alderman gave 3_l._ to ye Gild. - - “At one of the Generalls there was a vote in ye fellowship for hoods, - 42 was for hoods, & only 8 {431a} which wd. have none, whereupon it - was agreed they shd. have hooding. - - “In the 28th year of the reign of K. Hen. 6th. the Generall mornspech - was kept at Corpus Christa [Christi] Hall {431b} Cyprian Pouleson - have taken into ye same fraternity the charity company with the - ornaments pertaining to the same. - - “These be ye implements pertaining to ye altar of St. Lawrence {431c} - in St. James’s Church belonging to the charity company Anno 1533. - - “ffirst 3 altar clothes 3 pillows a vestment of cloth of Bawdekyn - with a cross of cloth of gold in ye midst, a printed Mass Book, 2 - latten candlesticks, one altar cloth before ye altar stained, 2 - stained curtains, 2 Bulls for pardons, 2 curtains of darnick, a Pall - of black wursted, with I. H. S. of gold embroidered, and a cross of - white ffustin in ye midst, a crucifix of timber with a foot, a blue - say for the Herse, 2 great candlesticks of timber for ye Herse with - scallops and 4 iron bars at ye feet, a Horn harnessed with silver. - - “N.B. The above Charity Company dwelt in ye Bedehouse adjoining the - above Almeshouse.” - - “1488. The alderman to have for making his dinner on the gild even - for the officers & minstrells {432a} 3s. 4d. a Botte of good Ale and - 4d. in Bread.” {432b} - -[A Bill, as it is called, and some memoranda are annexed to this last -article in the MS. Volume. They were thought curious, and well worth -preserving. The reader will find them in the note below, and will, of -course, judge for himself, as to the merit or value of them.] Then -follows - - _An Inventory of the ornaments belonging to the Altar of St. Gyles & - St. Julian in St. James’s Church_. - - _Imprimis_. A Cyprus hanging before the Altar. - - Two Pillows, one of portray’d work with the Holy Lamb, another of - needlework with an Hart in the midst, Two curtains of stained work - with angels. - - Two Irons for the Curtains. - - An altar-cloth stained with our Lady & her child on her knee. - - A stained altar-cloth with the Salutation of our Lady. - - Three low candle-sticks lattin. - - Two altar clothes of plain cloth with crosses of red silk with 8 . . - . a Peice & C on the corners of the same clothes & one of red silk in - ye middle. - - 2 Chests of Cyprus wood. - - Witnesses Sr. Wm. ffinne, Sr. Richd. Houghton, Sr. Tho. Knights, - Priests, with many others. - - * * * * * - - _An Inventory of the Jewell belonging to the above gilde_. - - oz. dwt. -_Imprimis_. A Chalice of Silver and gilt with 18. 1. -gold Pottant of the same, wt. -A great Maser with a print of St. George. 46. 0. -A Maser with St. Julian and a Hart in the bottom 18. 0. -with a Scepter. -A Maser with I. H. S. in the bottom. 13. 0. -A Maser with Rich. Collyns name. 16. 0. -A Horne harnissed with Silver and gilt with three 43. 0. -feet the same. - - A Scepter silver part gilt with a Christall stone. - - 3 Table clothes. - -[Then follows an Inventory of furniture in the _men’s_ and the _women’s -Almshouse_.] - - These be the Parcells belonging to the Almeshouse - - FOR THE MEN. - - Imprimis. _In the first Chamber_, _called the Schooler’s Chamber_. - A Mattriss stuffed with . . . A Bolster, one pair of Blanketts, one - pair of Sheets & one Coverlid white & black. - - _In the second Chamber_, A Mattriss 2 Pillows 1 pair of Sheets 1 pair - Blanketts & a Coverlett red & yellow. - - _In the third Chamber_. A Mattriss a Bolster one pair Blanketts one - pair Sheets a Coverlett blue & yellow. - - _In the fourth Chamber_. A Mattriss a Bolster one pair Blanketts one - pair Sheets & a Coverlett red & white. - - _In the fifth Chamber_. A Mattriss a Bolster 1 pair Sheets 1 pair - Blanketts a Coverlett black & yellow. - - _In the sixth Chamber_. A Mattriss a Bolster a pair Sheets a pair - Blanketts & a Coverlett red and yellow. - - _In the seventh Chamber_. A Mattriss a pair Sheets a pair Blanketts - a Coverlett red & yellow. - - IN THE WOMEN’S HOUSE. - - _First Chamber_. A Mattriss a Bolter a pair Sheets & a Coverlett. - - _In the second Chamber_. A Mattriss a pair Sheets a Coverlett of red - & yellow another Coverlet white & black. - - _In the third Chamber_. A Mattriss a Traunsome a pair Sheets a pair - Blanketts & a Coverlett red & yellow. - - _In the fourth Chamber_. An old Mattriss a Daggeswaine & a Coverlett - white & green. - - _In the fifth Chamber_. A Mattriss a Transome a pair of Blanketts a - pair of Sheets a Coverlett red and yellow another red & green. - - _In the sixth Chamber_. A Mattriss a Bolster a Blankett Lincy wolley - a Coverlett red & black lined with woodmill. - - _Implements_. A fforme with 2 ffeet, a Rake of iron, a Joiner’s - Table, a Lanthorn to hang in the middle of the house. - - _To the Well_.—A Buckett hooped with Iron, a Boile of Iron, a Chain - of Iron with 9 lincks with a swivell of Iron. - - _Implements belonging to the WOMEN’S House_. - - lb. oz. -_Imprimis_. A Brass Pott 2. 10. -wt. -An old Brass Pott wt. 9. 0. -An old Brass Pott. 1. 0. -An old Brass Pott. 1. 10. -A little Pott. 5. 10. -A Kettle without a Boile. 7. 0. -3 old Pans. 5. 0. -A Pewter dish. 1. 10. - - 3 old fformes, 2 old small Joiner’s stools. - - An old little Stoole, an old Table with 4 ffeet, an old Joiner’s - chair. - - _In the Kitchin_. Imprimis. A gridiron, 1 pair Cobbirens, 1 hanging - Brandlett, 2 Spitts, a chopping knife, A hanging Lanthorn with an - Iron Chain & three ffeet.” - -[To the above is immediately added the following regulation relating to -the said almshouse.] - - “The keeper of the Almeshouse to Ring the Bell every night from - Hallowmass to Candlemas at 6 of Clock at night & lett in ye poor - folks, & lock’d [lock] in ye door all night: & likewise to Ring the - Bell again at 7 of Clock in ye morn, & then to let them out: & in - summer from Candlemass to Hallowmass to Ring & shutt in ye doors at 8 - of clock at night & open them at 5 of the morning.” - -The account of St. Gyles & St. Julian’s Gild is closed with the following -remarkable & curious - - “_Memorandum_. John, bishop of Ledence, have granted to every - brother & sister of the fraternity or Gild of St. Gyles & St. Julian, - holden at St. James’s Church in Lynn, that at the time or season that - any manner of person or persons do intend to drink in St. Julian’s - Horn {436a} with good devotion, are granted by the said bishop, as - often as they do, 40 days pardon, which grant was confirmed by the - same bishop in the mansion place of John Baxter of Lynn, Grocer, in - the presence of Cyprian Pouleson, alderman, the said John Baxter, - Thomas Brampton, & other men the 5th day of August in ye yr of our - Lord 1532 in the 24th yr of K. H. 8. John Powis, Mayor, & my Lord of - Norwich Richd. Pykk [Nykk] then bishop did visit the same time.—The - said John bishop [of Ledence] was then suffragan {436b} to my Lord - West bishop of Ely.” - -From these Extracts it is very evident that the above fraternity of St. -Gyles and St. Julian must have stood high among our ancient Gilds. It -consisted, it seems, of divers opulent members, who did honour to their -feelings by the attention which they paid to the wants and sufferings of -their indigent neighbours of both sexes: for we find that there were two -Almeshouses, one for poor _men_, and another for poor _women_, under -their patronage, and supported by them, if not also founded by them. On -this account we ought to respect their memory, papists as they were; for -this part of their conduct was, surely, very commendable and exemplary. -Such a conduct is worthy of respect and commendation wherever it is seen: -among papists as well as protestants; and even among mahometans or -heathens as well as christians. There are Almeshouses still at Lynn, but -we know not that they owe much, if any thing, to the bounty or liberality -of any of our present opulent families, or to any of their immediate, or -even remote progenitors. They were endowed by wealthy families or -individuals of other times, whose descendants have long disappeared. Our -modern men of wealth are otherwise disposed: and our Allens, our Bagges, -our Bowkers, and our Cases, have lived and died without exhibiting any -symptoms of feelings like those that appeared in the charitable -fraternity of St. Gyles and St. Julian. If the latter were also in other -matters weak and superstitious, that was perhaps unavoidable by people in -their circumstances. We have our weaknesses and superstitions too, and -those, probably, much less excusable, considering our superior -advantages, than those of the brethren and sisters of the said Gild. -Instead, therefore, of decrying, or pitying their failings, we ought to -blush for our own. - -Furthermore, it is observable of the above brotherhood, that they -consisted of _good men and able_, _and of good conversation_. (see p. -423.) So careful were they on this head, that every member at his -admission was obliged to find _two sureties_, who were to answer for the -due performance of his engagement to the gild, and also to testify of his -_good beryng and honest_, or that he was a person of irreproachable moral -character. (see p. 426.) We are not certain that our modern _protestant_ -Gilds, the benefit societies, &c. are equally careful that those whom -they receive among them be persons of good report, or blameless -conversation. It would certainly be very creditable to them.—The said -gild also appeared anxious to support a respectable religious character, -and promote, what they deemed, the practice of piety among themselves: -hence they had their proper chaplain or religious functionary, as was -before noticed. Indeed they seemed as if desirous to be thought to excel -in this department, as is pretty plainly indicated, by their assuming the -name of the _Lenn holy company_, which may be thought to smell a little -pharisaical. However that was, as they possessed so many good qualities, -and deserved well of their neighbours and fellow citizens, we can do no -less than dismiss or take our leave of them respectfully. - - -SECTION IV. - - -_Account of the Gilds continued_. - -After St. Gyles and St. Julian’s Gild, the next, in the Catalogue, is -that of _St. Ethelered_, or _Ethelred_. Of this Gild we have met with no -particular account; and but little more of the next to it, that of _St. -Margaret_: Parkin just mentions that it was founded in the 8th of Henry -IV. a patent being granted by that monarch for that purpose. {439a} Of -_St. Anne’s_ Gild, the 7th in the Catalogue, Parkin only says, that there -was here such a Gild, as appears by the inquisition taken in the 3rd of -Elizabeth. He also queres, if there was not a chapel dedicated to St. -Anne, somewhere near the Fort which still bears her name? {439b} which -seems very reasonable to suppose. Of the next, the Gild of the 12 -_Apostles_, we have met with no further account; nor yet of that which -immediately succeeds it, the Gild of _St. Christopher_. - -Of the 10th Gild, that of _our Lady_, the following mention is made by -Parkin— - - “These are the brethren and sisters of the Guild _Tigulat._ founded - to the honour and purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, _ao._ 3 - Edward III.—Thomas de Langham, and Christian his wife; Charles de - Secheford, and Alice his wife; Robert de Derby, and Margery his wife; - William, son of the said Robert, &c. [The names of the rest are not - given.] Robert seems to be alderman of the Guild.—These are the four - Morwespeches of the said Guild: the first morwespeche is on the - Sunday [_le Dymeynge prochein_] after the purification of the Blessed - Virgin, the second on the day of the annunication of our Lady, the - third on the day of the assumption of our Lady, the fourth on the - conception of our Lady.—It is ordained that if any of the brethren be - summoned on any of the four morwespeches, and are in the said town, - and make default, they shall pay 1_d._ to the honour of our Lady.” - {440a} - -This Gild, as the above writer hints, had its Alderman, {440b} and -likewise, probably, all the other kind of officers mentioned in the -account of St. Gyles and St. Julian’s Gild; with laws also somewhat alike -those of that fraternity; but its records relating to those matters -having all perished, nothing more can be said on those heads.—The chapel -of our Lady, which belonged to this Gild, or to which the gild belonged, -was not that _by the bridge_, to which it gave name, but that _on the -mount_, which was formerly a very noted place in this town, both for its -curious architecture and its reputed sanctity—the offerings there -sometimes exceeding those of all our other holy places. But more of -these matters when we come to treat of the religious houses. - -Of the five Gilds, mentioned in the Catalogue next after that of _our -Lady_, namely those of _St. Michael the Archangel_, _St. Nicholas_, _St. -Audrey_, _St. Michael and King Henry_, and _St. Cyprian_, no particular -information has been obtained. We therefore know not how they were -constituted, or what were the particular objects of their respective -confederations. That the members of all or of any of them were as useful -and respectable in their generation as those of St. Gyles and Julian can -neither be affirmed nor denied. They might be all very good sort of -people, in their way, for aught we know. But we may without any breach -of charity suppose they had their full share of childish credulity and -stupid superstition. These were the predominant failings of their time, -of which, however, even our own time, and with all its boasted advantages -and improvements, is not yet quite clear. We must therefore suppose, -that they readily and implicity believed all the marvellous monkish tales -which were then propagated; especially those that particularly related to -their respective tutelar or patron saints. The members of _St. Audrey’s -Gild_, for instance, would all readily believe the extraordinary and -miraculous virtues ascribed to her wonderful _Smock_ at _Thetford_: and -those of _our Lady’s Gild_ would no less readily believe the wonderful -accounts of her _appearances_ to divers persons in the very same town. -Thetford being so nigh to Lynn, and in the same county, the miracles -pretended to have been worked there would soon be reported and credited -here; and those, especially, that were ascribed to _St. Audrey_ and _Our -Lady_, would be so among the members of those Lynn Gilds which bore their -names. {441} - -The sixteenth Gild in the above Catalogue is that of _St. Fabian_ and -_St. Sabestian_, or _Sebastian_, of which the following account is given -by Parkin— - - “At a colloquium, or general meeting (in the reign of Henry VII.) of - this Guild, held in St. George’s Hall, on Sunday next after the feast - of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, September 2, John Nicholl was chosen - alderman; John Johnson, William Manning, Robert Bachelor, William - Whithed, scabins; clerk of the guild, Thomas Haw,—dean, John Gyles. - The chattels of the guild in the scabins keeping—It was then - ordained, That the skevinths shal bere all as they have done before - tyme;—Also that the said skevens shall have of every brother, on the - general day, as many as dine there 2_d._ and the morspect l_d._—Also - ordained, that Thomas Rudwell and John Lowyn shall bere the ded - money: and Thomas Rudwell received 9_s._ the said John Lowyn received - 9_s._ Also that the said Thomas and John, shall give for occupying - of the ded money, by yere, 11_s._ 8_d._—Also ordained the electioners - {444} shall find to the encresse or the company and in the worchep of - God and the seynt, the furst morspech; the alderman shall find the - second with the help of the feloshep, that he may have to the profits - of the seynt.—Also, that the skevens shall bere the 3 morspechs, - beside the general day, accordyng to the beforeseid.” - -The above seems to be taken from some old record relating to this gild; -Parkin then adds— - - “I find at this time several men and women admitted brethren and - sisters, the men paying 2_s._ admission, and the woman 1_s._ Among - them Domps. Robs. Metford, _monachus_, and paid 2_s._ and prior - William Lobbis, or Cobbis, 2_s._ It was a mean Guild. At one - Colloquium I find expended in lervis. 9_d._ in pane 3_d._ in casu & - carn. 3_d._ _Colloq. tent. in aula Hen. Bretenham_, _Die Dominic. - prox. post fest. see. Cather. Ao. Hen. VII. 3º_.—_Colloq. Gen._ on - the feast of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, Ao. 3, Hen. VII. John - Nichol chose alderman, &c. when it was ordered that there should be - kept 2 morspech in the yere, besides the general, and that the - skevens shall have of every brother and sister of the general day, as - many as dine and sup, 2_d._ and the morspech-pence.—_Colloq. Gen._ in - St. George’s Hall on Sunday next after the feast of St. Fabian and - St. Sebastian Henry. VII. 4º. Robert Johnson chose alderman: ordered - that there be bert one morspech in the year, besides the general day, - this morspech to be kept the Sunday before St. Margaret’s day—ordered - that the brethren and sisters dyne and sup together, and pay every - brother and sister that dine and sup 1_d._ and the morspech 1_d._ - when it appeared that they had goods and chattels belonging to - them.—Ordered that the clerk’s wages shall be 12_d._ and the dean - 10_d._ _per annum_. {445a} and we will that John Sturmyn shall bere - the perk money for to find the perk lights.—_Dna. Alice Belle_, a - recluse, entered and paid 1_s._—1492. Adam Mylke then alderman—Henry - Bretenham chose alderman, 1492, after Mylke, when I find children - entered brothers and sisters, under age.—_Dompn. Geor_. . . . prior - of Lyn entered brother 1495.—_Mem._ that the alderman gave a drinking - the first Sunday in May, and 3_s._ 4_d._ was gathered and delivered - to the alderman, to be delivered the next general day to the brethren - again, with his good devotion to God, and to the good holy seynt, and - in encressin of the Gyld.—At a drinking, on Sunday next after - Allhallowsmass, at John Bevies smith, gathered 2_s._ 4_d._ for the - perk money.—_Dnus_. Nicholas Berdeney, intrat. Ao. 4 Henry. VII. - The Morspech held on Relick Sunday 1490. Robert Johnson, - alderman;—In the 7th of Henry VII. Ad. Mylke alderman; ordered that - every brother, on the next morrow after the general, shall wait on - the alderrnan for the time being, at our Lady of the mount, {445b} at - nine of the clock, and there every brother to offer then, and what - brother come not, without a lawful excuse, shall pay at the next - morspech following after the general, half a pound of wax, without - any grace, and he that come not, to send his offering, and every - brother having a wife, or sister, they to offer betwixt them a - halfpenny.—This general held Sunday 22d of January.—In 1492, Adam - Mylke occurs alderman, chose on Sunday after St. Fab. and the feast - in St. George’s Hall.—Adam Mylke, alderman, 1493.—In 1493, there - seems to be 38 of this guild, the morspech pence being 8_s._ 2_d._—In - 1493 the second paid at their dinner and supper, by every brother - 1_d._ to the Gild and 1_d._ to the scevyns, a brother and his wife - 3_d._—1_d._ to the gyld and 2_d._ to the schevens.—In the 10th of - Henry VI [VII.] Henry Bretenham chose alderman, on Sunday next after - St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, and occurs 1495. Ordered that the - skyvens on the day of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, or one of them, - come to the church, and do ring none, and see that the candles about - and afore the awter be light, at evening and at service, on the day, - on pain of dim. lib. of wax, each of them to the lightward; and I - find 4 minstrells belong to them and brethren.—In the 13 of Henry - VII. Bretenham occurs alderman.—The altar light, perk, &c. kept by - the guild, and that of the bason, and the dead.—In 1500 H. Bretenham, - Mayor; and 1501, H. Bretenham, alderman; and 1502, and 1503.—In the - 2d of Henry VIII. Thomas French, late alderman, died.—In the 4th of - Henry VIII. Robert Baker, chose alderman.” - -Such is the account we have of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian’s Gild. As -it had _goods and chattels_ belonging to it, it was probably dissolved at -the reformation, like all others so circumstanced. Parkin calls it _mean -gild_: it might perhaps be so, compared with some of the wealthier ones; -but there is reason to believe that it was superior to some of the -others. It had its _company of minstrels_, which may be thought to -answer to a modern _band of music_, and seems to indicate that this -society was not among our meanest or lowest gilds. The number of its -members in the reign of Henry VIII. Parkin reckons to consist of 38, by -the amount of the morspech pence; but if the officers were exempted, from -that payment, they might be no less than 45.—However that was, this gild -in its days might answer some very useful purposes. - -Of the two Gilds named, in the catalogue, next after that of St. Fabian -and St. Sebastian, namely, those of _St. Lawrence and St. Agnes_, nothing -is known but the names: all the rest seems to have gone long ago into -irrecoverable oblivion.—Of the next, the 19th Gild, that of _Corpus -Christi_, something more is known. Both Parkin and Mackerell have made -some mention of this ancient fraternity. The former speaks of it as -follows— - - “Licence was granted that John de Brunham, and John Waryn, of Lenn, - might give one messuage, 75_s._ 7_d._ _ob._ rent. with the - appurtenances in Lenn, and that Richard Dun might give the rent of - 12_d._ and the profit of one passage-boat beyond the port of the - village of Lenn, with the appurtenances, to Thomas de Couteshale, - master of the said guild, [as I take it] and the aforesaid John and - Richard might give to Thomas de Couteshale, one Shop and solar, with - the appurtenances in the said Village, which Thomas de Couteshale - holds.—John de Brunham, John de Perteneye, and Adam Skert, burgess of - Lynn, grant, &c. to Jeffrey Talboth, Thomas Botekysham, John de - Dockyn, &c. 2_s._ which they used to receive of the heirs of John de - Syssewell of West Lenne, for the liberty of a ferry, of a - passage-boat over the water.—Dated at Lenn Bishop on Sunday after the - feast of the purification of the blessed Virgin, in the 3d. of - Richard II.—Jeffrey Talboth then mayor:—Witnesses John de - Tyteleshale, Roger Paxam, &c.” {448} - -Hence it appears that this Gild had goods and chattels, was in possession -of a ferry boat, &c. And must have been a fraternity of some -consequence. From Mackerell’s account it seems to be one of the -commercial, or mercantile gilds; what he says of it is contained in the -following passage— - - “_Of the Company of Merchants of_ CORPUS CHRISTI, _their agreement_, - _and for what_.—This Indenture made witnesseth, that John Pygot, - burgels, merchant of Lynne Byshope, Master of the company of Corpus - Christi in Lynne aforesaid, hath delivered to William Marche, - Wex-Chandeler of Lynne C and vi _lb_ (i.e. 106 _lb._) in clene wex - vxx and xii _lb._ (_i.e._ 112_lb._ for the hundred) and in torches - half an c and xxi _lb._ of wex and in x grete chapterell xvii _lb._ - and half a _lb._ of wex and Rosyn, and in smale chapterell xi _lb._ - Wex and Rosyn: To have the kepyng of the same weight of Wex duryng - the terme of x yeers. The seid William to fynde every yeer duryng - hys seid Terme, as welle all the lyghtes about the Tabernacle of - Corpus Christi, in the Chirche of Seynt Margaret in Lynne, the - lyghtes of all the torches which the seid Company spendeth or shal - spende every yeer durylnge the seid Terme. And the seid William to - sette up every year the Heerse of the said Company in the chirch - before-said, and take it downe upon his owne costs and expens, as it - has ben doon and used aforne this tyme; and in the ende of the seid - Terme the seid William to deliver ageyn the seid Weyght of Wex - Torches and Chapterell to the Mayster of the said Company for the - tyme beeng, for the which Lyght-making, and fyndyng every yeer, the - seid William shall have of the Maister and Company V Marks and X - shillings of good money of Inglond to be paid to the seid William - every yeer in the utasse of the feste of Corpus Christi. Into - Witnesse hereof, the partyes aforesaid to these Indentures alternatly - have sette their seales. Written at Lynn foreseid on Wednysday the - feste of Seynt Gregory the Pope, the yeer of the reigne of King Henry - the sixth after the Conquest xxvii.” {449a} - -From this last extract it is very evident that the Society of Corpus -Christi made no mean figure among the Lynn gilds. The _Tabernacle_ of -Corpus Chisti, {449b} in the church of St. Margaret, belonged to this -Gild, and must have been attended with considerable expense, both in its -formation, and the subsequent charges which it occasioned, for the lights -that were there kept, &c. Indeed we are expressly told that they were a -_company of merchants_, and therefore we need not wonder that they were, -and could afford to be at more expense than most of the others. In -short, we may pretty safely conclude that this must have been one of our -most opulent Gilds. Had we known more of its history we might be able to -record some of its good deeds, and prove that it deserved an honourable -remembrance; but as that is not the case, our account of it must be here -concluded. - - -SECTION V. - - -_Account of the holy Trinity Company_, _of great merchants’ Gild_. - -Of all the Lynn gilds, that which assumed the name of _Trinity_, and is -the 20th in the Catalogue, appears to have been by far the most eminent -and opulent. It had very considerable possessions, in houses, lands, and -other sorts of property; and there is still preserved a more particular -and full account of this gild than of most, or indeed of any of the rest: -of which its large landed property may be one principal reason, as that -could not well be conveyed into other hands without some mention of its -original or former possessors, and such mention too as would be likely to -be long remembered. Most, if not all the property of this mercantile -company, and particularly what consisted in houses and lands, was, at the -reformation, when the company was dissolved, vested in the corporation, -and still constitutes a great part, or most, of their property of that -description. The best account of this gild, that we know of, is -contained in a MS. volume which once belonged to the late Henry Partridge -Esq. but is now the possession of our venerable townsman Thomas Day Esq. -who has very obligingly favoured the present writer with the use of it. -This account extends much further than that given in Parkin’s printed -History of Lynn, though it seems to have been originally drawn up by the -same hand, and transcribed from the papers of that eminent antiquary, -with his consent, by the procurement of the late Mr. Partridge, in -1749.—We learn from the printed account, as well as from that in -manuscript, that though this gild is _said_ to have been _founded_ by -_king_ JOHN, at the request of his great favourite, bishop De _Grey_, yet -that, in fact, it existed long before that time, as appears by an answer -to a certain writ of enquiry, in the reign of Richard II. so that what is -called _founding_ it _then_, seems to mean no more than that monarch’s -giving it his royal sanction, or taking it under his kingly patronage: -and we know not how far that proved of material benefit to the -institution. The interference and patronage of statesmen have not always -proved favourable to commercial prosperity. But we will now proceed to -lay before the reader the account which we have obtained of this gild. - - “John de Grey bishop of Norwich persuaded {451} king John to found - the guild of the holy Trinity at Lynn: the brethren of which were - bound, under the penalty of a gallon of wine, to have Mass celebrated - every Trinity Sunday, in St. Margaret’s Church, for the souls of the - said king and bishop.—It was called the _great_ Guild of the holy - Trinity in Lynn, in respect to other less guilds in the same town; - the head or chief person of this guild, or fraternity, was stiled, - the Alderman, or Custos, and was chose by the commonalty of the said - town, and continued so on that choice for life, unless upon account - of any great infirmity or inability, or some other reasonable cause, - he was set aside and removed. - - “This Guild was said to have _its rise and begining_ before the reign - of king John, as appears from the answer of Thomas Botesham, alderman - of it, and his brethren, in the time of Richard II. to a writ of - enquiry of that king relating to its foundation, authority, &c. that - its origin was not known, that king John, considering the great - concourse of merchants to this town, granted the alderman that then - was, and the commonalty and their successors, by Letters patents, - bearing date in his sixth year, that they might have a guild of - merchants in the said town: and Henry III. son to the said king John, - by his Letters patents, granted one of their own body and community - to be mayor of the said town, which said mayor and alderman for the - time being, should always have the rule and government of it; and - which said alderman, in the vacancy of a mayor, or in the absence of - the mayor from the said town, should have the rule and government of - the said community, as the alderman and his predecessors, the - aldermen of the said town, had and enjoyed. - - “As to _their possessions_, &c. they are thus returned to the - aforesaid enquiry, That they had a place called the Common Staith - with its appurtenances, valued at 42_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._ per annum clear, - besides all reprises, That the goods and chattels of the aforesaid - Guild amount in the whole to 260_l._ 13_s._ viz. in ready money - 60_l._ 13_s._ In divers merchandize 200_l._ and that in many books, - vestments, chalices, and other ornaments for the chaplains of the - said Guild performing Divine service as well in the parish church as - in the chapels {453} annexed to the said church, and that in wax for - lights in the said church and chapels, in the honour and laud of the - holy Trinity, yearly found, and for torches at the funerals of poor - brethren, &c. of the said Guild, and that out of the profits of the - common Stathe, and out of the goods and chattels aforesaid, together - with diverse goods and chattels bequeathed and left to the said - Guild; the alderman, &c. sustain and find _thirteen chaplains_, daily - and yearly to pray, as well for the king, his ancestors, and for the - peace and welfare of his kingdom, as for the souls of all the - aldermen, brethren, and benefactors of the said Guild, also for the - souls of all the faithful deceased: _six_ of which officiated in the - church of St. Margaret aforesaid, _four_ in the chapel of St. - Nicholas, and _three_ in the chapel of St. James in Lenne, who all - day, as they are stated and appointed in the church and chapels - aforesaid, celebrate high mass, by note, and on Sundays and other - festival days, celebrate mass at Mattins, and at Vespers, by note; - and if any of the aforesaid chaplains neglects his duty and office, - or is not of an honest life and conversation, when he has been - admonished by the alderman, and does not amend, he is removed from - the service, and the said alderman appoints another able and honest - one in his place. And further, that out of the profits of the said - Common-Stath, goods and chattels aforesaid, many almsdeeds and works - of charity were yearly given, which, one year with another, are - computed at 30_l._ viz. towards the support of the poor brethren of - the said guild, to the blind, lame, and other distressed persons, to - poor clerks keeping school, and poor religious houses, as well of men - as women, to the lepers in and about Lenne, and in repairs &c. of the - parish church and chapels aforesaid, and in the ornaments of the - same, together with the alms given to the four orders of friers in - Lenne, and to the maintaining of several aqueducts for the use of the - said town: all the goods and chattels aforesaid are in the hands of - the said alderman, and of four men of the said guild, called skivins, - {454a} who yearly distribute the said goods as aforesaid: and - further, that the brethren of the said guild never had nor used any - one suit of livery, either in their vestments or hoods.” {454b} - -The following were the _Rules and Ordinances of this Gild_. - - 1. If any stranger is willing to enter into the fraternity, he ought - to pledge into the hands of the alderman 100_s._ _et jus p’ dict. - domus_; _scil._ to the alderman 4_d._ to the clerk 2_d._ to the dean - 2_d._ and afterwards out of the 100_s._ pledged with the alderman and - his brethren, _ad melins_. . . . _poterit_, and shall immediately - give one sextary {455a} of wine, viz. 10_d._ {455b} - - 2. If any brother has a son, or sons, legitimate, who are willing to - enter into the said fraternity, each one ought to pay for his - entrance 4_s._ the aforesaid right being excepted. - - 3. Whoever will enter into the said fraternity, ought on the first - day of his admission to wait and serve before the alderman and the - brethren, honourably, in neat clothes, and {455c} . . . of gold or - silver. - - 4. The alderman to have, on the day of Pentecost, one sextary of - wine, and the dean half a sextary, the clerk half, and each of the - skivens {455d} the same day half a sextary, and every day after as - long as the drinking shall continue, the alderman shall have half a - sextary, the dean, clerk, and each of the Skivins one gallon, and - each of the attendants half a gallon, at evening. - - 5. If any of the brethren shall disclose to any stranger the - counsels of the said guild, to their detriment, without the assent of - the alderman and his brethren, he shall forfeit the sum of 32 pence. - - 6. If any of the brethren shall fall into poverty, or misery, all - the brethren are to assist him by common consent out of the chattels - of the house, or fraternity, or of their proper own. - - 7. If any brother should be impleaded, either within Lenne or - without, the brethren there present ought to assist him in their - council, if they are called, to stand with him and counsel him - without any costs; and if they do not, they are to forfeit 32 pence. - - 8. None of the brethren is to come into the guild before the - alderman and his brethren with his cap or hood on, or barefoot, or in - any rustick manner, if he does he is to be amerced 4 pence. - - 9. If any one should sleep at the guild, either at the general - meeting or at their feasts and drinking, he is to forfeit 4 pence. - - 10. If any one turns him rudely to his brother, or calls him by any - rude name, [he is] to be amerced 4 pence. - - 11. If any one is called and cited at a prime (or general meeting) - and does not come before the issue of the first consult, he is to pay - 1_d._ by order of the dean; and if he refuses and sits down, he is to - be amerced 4 pence. - - 12. If any one should be cited to the prime, and shall be found in - the town, or shall come late to the drinking, and the dean shall say - to him to be there at the next prime, and he does not come before - they begin to take judgments of defaults, he shall either make some - reasonable excuse, or pay 12_d._ and if he comes before the defaults - are adjudged, and shall depart without leave, shall pay 12_d._ - - 13. If any one of this house shall buy any thing, and a brother - shall come in unexpectedly before the agreement, {457} or at it, he - ought to be a partner with him that buy, and if the buyer refuses it, - he is to be amerced half a mark. - - 14. If any servant of the brethren comes at the drinking, or the - prime, he is to lay down the cap and cloak, and give it to the - janitor to keep, whilst he enters and speaks to his master, and then - he is to depart forthwith: if it is at the drinking, let him drink - once or twice, provided he does not sit, and then he is to depart, - and if he does not, his master is to be amerced. - - 15. If any one refuse to obey the precept of the alderman, or dean, - for the honour and profit of the house, he is to be amerced 12_s._ - - 16. If any poor brother shall dye, the alderman and brethren shall - see that his body be honourably buried, of the goods, or chattels of - the house, or out of alms, if he has not wherewith to bury himself. - - 17. If the alderman shall dye, none belonging to him, neither son, - or any other can act in any thing as alderman but the brethren may - choose a new alderman whom they please. - - 18. If any brother shall dye, the dean is to summons all the - brethren to make their offerings for the soul of the deceased; and if - any one is absent, he is to give one halfpenny at the next prime - following, for the soul of the defunct, and the dean is to have 4_d._ - of the alms collected for citing the brethren. - - 19. If any brother, or alderman shall act contrary to the ordinances - of this house, he is either to forfeit his brotherhood, or pay half a - mark for the good of the house. - - 20. No one shall intrude himself while the drinking continues. - - 21. If any brother shall offend another brother, in word or deed, he - shall make no complaint but to the alderman first, and the mayor; if - he does not, he is to be amerced half a mark. - - 22. If the skivins shall merchanize with the chattels of the house, - no brother shall have any part therein, but the whole profit to go to - the use of the guild. - - 23. The skivins are to swear, when they receive the chattels of the - house, that they will employ the same faithfully to the good of the - guild, and will fully account and answer for the profit. - -The following additional articles are given, in the said MS. volume, as -_Usages and Customs_ of the gild. - - [1.] There are four meetings of the alderman and his brethren (viz.) - The _first_ on Friday in the first week of Lent, to settle and order - their alms and other works of charity. The _second_ on Friday next - before the feast of the holy Trinity, to choose the officers of the - said Guild, (viz.) the skivins, and to settle and take the accounts - of them that are then removed. The _third_ on the vigil and day of - the holy and undivided Trinity, to the laud and honor thereof at the - vespers of the said feast, to have placebo {459a} and dirige {459b} - decently and honourably performed, for the souls of all the ancestors - of our lord the king, all the aldermen and brethren of the said - guild, all their benefactors and faithful deceased: and on the feast - of the said festival to have the solemn masses, as well of the said - festival, as the masses of requiem for the souls aforesaid, and to - make their offerings for the same. The _fourth_ on the Friday next - after the feast of the exaltation of the holy cross, {459c} to look - into the state of the said guild, and to receive the arrears, if any - were left in the hands of the skivins of the foregoing years, and to - dispose and order the goods and chattels of the said guild. - - [2.] If any brother of the said guild shall dye in the said town, - another brother of the same, deputed by the alderman shall appoint 12 - torches to be at the funeral of the said deceased; and further every - brother of the guild in town, shall be warned to make his offering - for the deceased, at the mass that is celebrated on the day of the - burial. - - [3.] It any of the aforesaid brethren shall dye in the said town or - elsewhere, as soon as knowledge thereof shall come to the alderman, - the said alderman shall order solemn Mass to be celebrated for him, - at which every brother of the said guild, that is in town, shall make - their offering; and further, the alderman shall make every chaplain - of the said guild, immediately on the death of any brother, to say 30 - Masses for the deceased. - - [4.] The alderman and skivins of the said guild are by duty obliged - to visit, four times a year, all the infirm, all that are in want, - need, or poverty, and to minister to, and relieve all such, out of - the alms of the said guild. - - [5.] If any brother shall become poor and needy, he shall be - supported in food and cloathing, according to his exigency, out of - the profits of the lands and tenements, goods and chattels of the - said guild. - - [6.] If any one has a desire and is willing, for the honour of the - holy Trinity, to be received into the said guild, that he may be - partaker of the alms and benefactions thereof, he shall give to the - said guild a certain sum of money to the maintenance of the said alms - and benefactions according to what shall be agreed up on by the - alderman and brethren thereof. - - [7.] If any brother has a son, or sons, after his entrance into the - guild, lawfully born and begotten, especially if such be of good and - honest fame and conversation, they are to be received every one of - them into the said guild, if he so thinks well, four shillings each. - - [8.] No born slave, {461} or one of such like condition, nor any - apprentice can be received, and if any one of such like condition - should be received into the said guild, the alderman and his brethren - not knowing it, when it is truly and lawfully proved, such a one - shall lose the benefit of the said guild. - - [9.] No one until he arrive at the age of 21 years, and is of honest - fame and condition, can be received into the said guild. - - [10.] If any alderman shall happen to dye, or shall be removed from - his office on [for] any just and reasonable cause, the community of - the said town shall immediately choose another into the said office, - which alderman so elected, in the presence of the said community, - shall promise, that he will faithfully perform and observe all and - singular those things which belong to his office. - - [11.] When any one shall be received into the said guild, he shall - promise in the hands of the said alderman on his faith, that he will - be obedient unto the said alderman and his officers of the guild for - the time being, in all lawful and honest things touching their - office, and that he will faithfully observe, as far as he is able, - all the lawful ordinances which, for the good rule and government of - the said guild, and honourable support of the said chaplains, and the - alms and good works of the said guild, are already made, or shall be - made hereafter. - - [12.] It was ordained on Wednesday in the week of Pentecost in the - 7. of Edward {462a} that the brethren should keep a general - Morwespech {462b} three times a year; to wit, on Friday in Whitsun - week, on Friday after the exaltation of the Holy Cross, and on Friday - on the first week of Lent. - - [13.] Likewise it was ordained, by common consent, that the alderman - and his brethren should take care that a solemn mass should be - celebrated for the soul of John de Grey, formerly bishop of Norwich, - who first obtained the liberty of the said guild; viz. on the feast - of the holy Trinity, where every one of the brethren was to make an - offering of an halfpenny, and if any one made default, he was to give - one sextary of wine to the alms of the said house and gild. - - [14.] And on Friday on the week of Pentecost in the 44. Edward III. - [1370] Thomas de Bockisham then alderman of, &c. it was agreed - unanimously that all the brethren who were well in town should meet - at Vespers at St. Margaret’s church, and should hear together Vespers - and Placebo for the soul of the aforesaid king John and John [de] - Grey bishop of Norwich, and on the day following, on the feast of the - holy Trinity, they should all be there present, and hear the mass - said of the holy Trinity, and, immediately after that, the mass for - the dead, by note, for the souls aforesaid. - - [15.] On Friday on the week of Pentecost, in the 23 Edward 3. it was - provided by common assent, for ever, that no brother ought to buy or - sell any millstones, or marble stones, brought to Lynn to be sold, as - long as the scabini of this house would buy them for the profit of - the guild and pay for them to the full, and if any one brother should - act contrary hereto, he should for ever be deprived of the society. - - [16.] On Friday the week of Pentecost the 24. Edward 3. it was - provided and agreed that every one of the skivins shall faithfully - and separately give in his account before the alderman and his - brethren to shew to them how many millstones he has bought or sold, - to whom he has sold, and for what price; and what size every - millstone was which he either bought or sold: and all the ready money - (silver) he has he shall bring with him; and if he does not, as is - here provided, he shall give six pound of silver to the use and - profit of the said house, or be discharged the society. - - [17.] If any brother shall be elected to the office of a skivin and - he shall refuse it, he shall pay 40_s._ to the good of the house, or - be expelled. - - [18.] On Friday in Pentecost week, 16. Edward III. it was provided - and ordained unanimously by the alderman and the fraternity that the - skivins for the time being may at any time of the year distrain and - bring their distresses for rents and farms belonging to the guild, - according to the customs, &c. of the Burgh of Lynn, and that for the - time to come the skivins should be responsible for the full payments - of the said rents and firmis till the time of their accounting shall - come, and that the skivins for the time being, whether they are - elected this present year or have been elected the foregoing year - shall every year at the feast of St. John Baptist account with their - tenants, and the said tenants shall hire again of the said skivins - the houses which they shall hold beyond the term of the said St. John - as the said skivins shall see to be most for the profit of the said - guild: and whatever accident shall happen, either by the occupation - of the said houses, the king’s ministers, or any other persons - whatever, or by any other accident whatever, the said tenants of the - farms aforesaid shall answer for the whole time to the said skivins - in full without any deductions at the terms aforesaid. {464} - - [ 19.] On Friday on the week of Pentecost in the 27. of Edward III. - Jeffrey Drew then alderman, it is provided that if any brother was - found guilty and convicted of any notorious and scandalous falsehood - to the loss or disgrace of the guild, he should be deprived, and - never be reconciled, but looked upon as a convict and perjured - person. - - [20.] On Friday next after the feast of the exaltation of the holy - Cross, in the 31. of Edward 3. Jeffrey Drew then alderman, it was - unanimously agreed by the alderman and his brethren, that as by the - grant of the king in his charter the Burgh of Lynn Epi. had this - Liberty, that the burgesses of the same in all fairs through the - kingdom of England were free and enjoyed that freedom; when therefore - any one of the said burgesses or brethren should go to the fair at - Stirbridge, or where any such like fair is held, and has taken his - place by the consent of any of the bailiffs of those places, and - marked it out by stakes or pins, by wood or stone, if any other - burgess of Lynn, or brother, either by presents or favour should - deprive of or expel the aforesaid burgess, or brother, from his place - so taken as aforesaid, he is to be looked upon and esteemed as a - transgressor of the aforesaid Liberty, and to be fined 40_s._ so that - the person so deprived and expelled may have 20_s._ of it; and if the - transgressor shall happen to be a brother of the said gild, he shall - be obliged by the alderman to pay 20_s._ for the benefit of the said - guild; and if the transgressor shall be a burgess, and not a brother - of the guild, he shall be obliged to pay 20_s._ by the mayor of the - town, for the benefit of the commonalty of the said town. - - [21.] It is provided that none of our brethren shall come into the - guild before the alderman and his brethren capped, or hooded, or - barefooted, or in any other rude or rustick manner, and if he does he - shall pay 4_d._ for alms. {466a} - - [22.] 16. Richard 2. 1393. Licence was granted that John de Brunham - and Thomas de Couteshale, of Lynn, might give to Henry de Betely, - alderman, the rents and profits of five messuages, one Kay, 11_l._ - 6_s._ 8_d._ rent, and the profit of one passage boat beyond the port - of Lynn Epi. with the appurtenances in Lynn, P. C. P. &c. N. 54. pt. - 2. {466b} - -It is very evident from the above extracts that the fraternity of the -_holy Trinity_ stood very high among the Lynn Gilds; and there is reason -to believe that it far surpassed any of the rest in power and opulence: -of which the number of its _chaplains_ and the extent of its -_possessions_ may be considered as very good and competent proofs. Of -those possessions we can form but a very imperfect idea from what has -been above said upon that subject. A much more correct and adequate idea -may be obtained from the charter of Edward VI. after the dissolution of -the gilds, in which the said possessions are by him transferred or -granted to the mayor and burgesses.—This Charter bears date 21. May 1548, -the 2nd year of that reign. The substance of it, as it relates to this -gild, and serves to elucidate the present subject, is as follows— - - “Edward VI. by the grace of God, &c:—Whereas certain lands and - tenements, and other hereditaments lying in our burgh of Lynn Regis, - South Lynn, Hardwick, Gaywood, Sechehithe, Middleton, Westwinch, - Snetsham, Shernborn, Eaton, Ingoldesthorpe, in the County of Norfolk, - and certain lands and tenements lying in Brandon Ferry in Suffolk, - which amount to the yearly value of 32_l._ 12_s._ 11_d._ besides all - reprises, were formerly given and granted to the alderman, custodes, - or scabins, and the brethren of the Merchants’ guild of the Holy - Trinity, in Lynn Regis aforesaid, and their successors.—and all and - singular whereof come to us, and are in our keeping, by virtue of an - act of parliament made at Westminster 4. Nov. in the 1st year of our - reign; and whereas the rents and profits of the same were formerly - laid out in defending the breaches of the sea, repairing of banks, - walls, fleets, and water courses, in Lynn aforesaid, without which - the said village could not be kept and preserved against the violence - of the sea. We therefore considering and having regard to the good - state and defence of the said village, out of our good will, and by - the advice, &c. . . . have given and granted to the Mayor and - Burgesses of Lynn aforesaid, out of the aforesaid lands and - tenements, &c. two messuages, one water-mill, 241 acres and 2 roods - of arable land, 6 acres and 1 rood of meadow inclosed, and 46 acres - of pasture inclosed, lying and being in the village and fields of - Snetsham, Ingoldesthorpe, Eaton, and Shernborn, now or late in the - tenure of William Overend; one messuage called the Chequer with 2 - acres of land thereto belonging, and another messuage called Pepers, - with 2 acres thereunto adjoining; 120 acres of arable land, 3 acres - of pasture, and the liberty of a fold for 340 sheep, and the rent of - 24_d._ per annum, in Brandon Ferry aforesaid, in the tenure of John - Atmere. Also one tenement now or late in the tenure of William - Bolton, two tenements in the tenure of John Salter, one tenement now - or lately in the tenure of Thomas Wyer; one tenement now or lately in - the tenure of Thomas Wild, one tenement now or lately in the tenure - of John Standfast, one tenement, &c. in the tenure of John Shoemaker, - one tenement in the tenure of Jas. Mayner, one pasture in the tenure - of John Waters, one messuage, or inn, called the White Hart, &c. in - the tenure of Thomas Mese, one tenement in the tenure of Edward - Baker, one tenement in the tenure of Richard Norman, one tenement in - the tenure of Richard Newgate, one tenement in the tenure of Beatrice - Isloppe, one tenement in the tenure of Joan Wilson, diverse tenements - in the tenure of George Felton, two tenements in the tenure of James - . . . one tenement in the tenure of Robert Bleisby, one tenement in - the tenure of Edw. Newton, one tenement in the tenure of Edw. - Irishman, one tenement in the tenure of the Mayor and Burgesses, two - tenements in the tenure of Wm. Manderson, one tenement in the tenure - of . . . Jareth, one tenement in the tenure of Alan Newton, one - tenement in the tenure of . . . Coke, one tenement in the tenure of - John Hart, one tenement in the tenure of Nich. Feries, one tenement - in the tenure of Francis Balden, one tenement in the tenure of John - Cragge, one garden in the tenure of John Wrenche, one tenement in the - tenure of Cornelius Adrianson, one messuage, called Le Guild Hall, in - the tenure of the Mayor and Burgesses, one tenement in the tenure of - . . . Wilson; seven houses, called warehouses, and six chambers over - them on the north side of the port called Common Stath; nine houses, - called warehouses, with chambers over them, on the south side of the - Common Stath; one tenement in the tenure of Thomas Courte, one - tenement in the tenure of Robt. Smith, one tenement in the tenure of - Cuthbert Atkinson, one tenement in the tenure of Rt. Rowes, two - tenements in the tenure of Wm. Clayborne, one Curtilage in the tenure - of John Wilson, one Cartilage in the tenure of Tho. Lockwood, one - Curtilage in the tenure of Rt. Parke, one Curtilage in the tenure of - Sim. Newell, one tenement in the tenure of John Curson, one tenement - in the tenure of John Eldred, one tenement in the tenure of John - Sharpe, one tenement in the tenure of Thomas Furnes, one tenement in - the tenure of Tho. Archers, one tenement in the tenure of Andrew - Skite, one in the tenure of Tho. Maltward, one in the tenure of - Reginald Taylor, one in the tenure of Robt. Weyman, one capital - messuage, late Brasum, now or lately in the tenure of the guild of - the holy Trinity, one Messuage, called New-hall, in the tenure of the - mayor and burgesses, one garden in the tenure of Thomas Miller, and - one passage over the port of Lynn, late in the tenure of Oliver - Braikett; all and every part of which are and lie in the Village of - Lynn aforesaid. And also 15 acres of land in Islington, in the - tenure of Robert Balding, 15 acres of land in Sechehithe in the - tenure of John Barvell, 3 acres of land in Westwinch, in the tenure - of Malachy Cogley, 3 acres of land in Seche, in the tenure of Thomas - Baker, one pasture in Gaywood, in the tenure of Barnard Water, and - one messuage, 46 acres of land, an 100 acres of pasture, 45 acres of - meadow and 50 acres of marsh with the appurtenances lying in South - Lynn in the tenure of Henry Bleisby. Also certain yearly rents - issuing out of the tenements called Baretts, and out of the tenements - late Richard Humphreys, and out of the tenements of William Pipers, - and out of the tenements late Wilsons, and out of the tenements of - Thomas Dawson; and out of the tenements late John Alexander, and out - of the tenements of John Parmyter, and out of the tenements late - Robert Amflet, lately belonging to the mayor and burgessess, and out - of a curtilage late John Baxter’s and William Hall, and out of the - tenement of Robert Gervys, and out of the tenements belonging to the - Warden of the chapel of St James in Lynn, and out of a Pasture called - Paradise in Lynn, and out of the tenements late John Powers, and out - of the tenements of Henry Duplack, called the White Horse, in Lynn, - which were lately parcell of the lands, possessions and revenues - belonging to the Merchants’ Guild of the Holy Trinity in Lynn - aforesaid; together with all the wood, timber, trees, underwood, &c. - liberties of foldage, and all other lands, tenements, &c. lying in - Lynn Regis, Snetsham, Ingoldesthorpc, Eaton, Sherborne, South Lynn, - Hardwick, Gaywood, Sechehythe, Middleton, Seche, {471} and Westwinch - in Norfolk, and Brandon Ferry in Suffolk, belonging to the guild of - the Holy Trinity, to be held of the king and his heirs, paying 13_l._ - 16_s._ yearly, at the feast of St. Michael and the annunciation, by - equal portions, the court augmentations. And we further grant to the - said mayor and burgesses all the stock of millstones, amounting to - the value 40_l._ late parcell of the goods and chattels of the Guild - of the Holy Trinity. And we further grant to the said mayor and - burgesses and their successors, that they may purchase and acquire to - themselves and successors lands and tenements to the value of 100_l._ - per annum, or any other sum than 100_l._ per annum, without any fine - to us or to our use, and that these Letters patents should be granted - them without any fee to be paid or given. Dated at Wansted, 21 May - Aº 2º.” {472} - -This document makes it very clear, that our Trinity Gild had acquired -large possessions: nor is it to be concluded that the above items, or -specifications, constituted the whole of them; their mercantile property -and revenue, at least, are still to be added, which cannot be supposed -inconsiderable; and there might be lands and tenements beside, that -belonged to them, which the king might not choose to include in the above -grant. However that was, it may be reasonably and safely presumed that -the possessions of this fraternity were much larger than those of any of -the rest, and that its weight and influence in the town were also very -considerable, not only exceeding those of any of the others, but even, -perhaps, of the corporation itself.—Its 13 chaplains may be considered as -a proof of its great opulence, as well as of its assuming a very high -religious character, which was looked upon, it seems, in those times, as -essential to the reputation and prosperity of all social institutions, -those of a civil and commercial, as well as of an ecclesiastic nature. -The case is not exactly so in the present day. Between our present -protestant corporation, with _only two_ chaplains, and this same gild -with _thirteen_, one may presume there must be what may be called a -pretty strong and striking contrast. We would fain hope, however, that -the advantage to the community lies very materially on the protestant -side.—Be that as it may, very different from what it is at present must -have been the state of things at the period of which we are now treating, -when the members of a fraternity which comprehended the first families in -the town, were prohibited, as has been already remarked, to appear before -the alderman, or at the gild meetings, _barefooted_; which clearly -indicates that it was then customary, for even the principal families, to -go about, ordinarily, _without shoes and stockings_. It was the case, no -doubt, with those of both sexes—shoes and stockings constituting then -only a part of the Sunday and holyday dress, or the _full dress_, of even -the people of the first fashion in the place, such as the Bagges, the -Everards, and the Hoggs of those days: Nor are we warranted to conclude, -that they were, therefore, less respectable or less happy than their -successors of the present generation. It was the fashion in those times, -and it could affect neither their respectability nor their happiness. - - -SECTION VI. - - -_Account of the remaining Gilds_, _and particularly those of_ St. Francis -and St. William. - -Next, in the Catalogue, after the gild of the Trinity, are those of St. -Andrew, Holy Rood, St. Lovis, St. Austin, St. Barbara, St. Antony, and -St. Stephen; of none of which have we been able to obtain any further -information.—They were, probably, fraternities of the lower sort; and -having no large or permanent possessions attached to them, such necessary -records as might exist among them would not be likely to remain to any -distant period. Whatever they were, they seem to have long ago perished; -and so, in all likelihood, had also their very names, but for the -laudable care and industry of the unknown compiler of Mr. King’s valuable -MS. Volume, who, finding them in some old record which fell in his way, -thought proper to transcribe and insert them among his curious -collections and memoranda. - -Of the next gild, the 28th, in the catalogue, that of _St. Francis_, the -said MS. volume contains a very particular, and what may also be called a -very curious account. It has preserved a copy, as it seems, of the -incorporating instrument, original agreement, or foundation deed of this -gild. This document is certainly uncouth enough, both as to style and -orthography: but as it may on that account be no less valuable or -interesting, it shall be here inserted, for the entertainment and -information of the curious and intelligent reader.—We find that the Gild -to which it relates was founded by a priest, or friar, of the name of -_John Wells_, who is called Sir John Wells, it being customary in those -days to prefix the term, or title of _Sir_, mostly, if not always, to the -name of an ecclesiastic. He seems to have been also its alderman in -1467, if he was not so from the time of its foundation, 13 years -earlier.—The said Deed, or Instrument, reads as follows. - - “Be yt knowen to all chrysten evydently be yis present wryghthyng, - yat in ye yeer of our Lord M, CCCC, LIIII. a certen compan [company] - of ye towne of Lenn begonne a gilde in the honour and reverence of - all myghty God, & of his blessyd confessour seynt Ffransseis, for to - be holde and kept perpetually in the convent of the ffryers mynors of - Lynn before seyde. Wherefore the brethryn be comown assent of hem - all ordeynd hir statuys [statutys] wretyn in a forme to be pronownsyd - & redde two tymys in ye yeer among all ye brethryn of ye gilde, & if - it be not so yat be ye negligens of ye aldyrman yeis statutys be not - redde in all ye yeer ye aldyrman shall pay to ye mendyng of ye - company 1_lb._ wax. Be yt ordeynd yt every yeer shall be schosyn an - aldyrman in yis foorme, first & foremost ye aldyrman shll chose iiij - men, and ye iiij men shll calle to hem other iiij men, and ye viii - sall chose an aldyrman, to whose precepts & commandments ye hole - ffraternyte sall abeygn, and be hym yei sall be governd in all - thynggs yat be loful & proffytabyl to ye gylde, & also yei chose iiij - skevents in whos handys sall be ye catel of ye gylde, & yerof to - geeve a trewe a counth at dew tyme asynd by ye aldyrman & yt be ye - oths made beforne all ye brethryn, of ye which iiij ij sall be ffrers - of ye same place: Also yei shall chese a clarke & a dene to whose - offyce yt lougyth to somawne and warne ye brethryn to cwm toged yr - whan ye aldyrman send for yem for to have her mornspicheoz or any - other thyng ye which sulld be to ye hononr & worshyp of ye gylde in - peyne of a _lb._ of wax, & when ye fforseyd viii men have gevyn ye - verdyt of her electyon and ye aldyrman which is chosyn at ye tyme - refuse to execute ye office he shall paye to ye encres of ye gylde - iiij_s._ iiij_d._ & on the same wysse every skeventh 2_s._ & ye - clarke 12_d._ & ye dean 12_d._ It is ordeynd ye clerke for his - labour in ye yeer sall have 10_d._ and ye dene 12_d._ - - “Also yt [is] ordeynd yt every yere ye new officerys, yt is to say, - ye alderman skyventys clarke and dene, sulld make an othe or a - promesse to ye olde aldyrman aforne all ye brethyrn at yt time - present to make a promise yat yei sall honestly governe ye fraternyte - in her yer folowyng up her power with all her myght & her - understandyng & manfully ye aldyrman sall defendyn all maner of - hevynes & prejudicys fallyng to ye gylde. - - “Also yts ordeynd yt ye generall day sall be holden honestly on ye - Sonday after ye feast of sent Francesse in ye monyth of October, les - yan sent Francesse day fall on Sonday, yan sall yt be holden ye same - day, lesse yan any reasonabyl cawes why yt may be holdyn yan, & yan - yt sall befall to ye aldyrman to sett a day as hym thynkkyth behovely - to be sett on in the honowr & reverens of yat blyssyd conffessour yat - he may be good mediator betwix God & us, {476} for ye which - solempnite non of ye brethyrn sull absent yem in peyne of a _lb._ - wax, but he have a resonabyl excusacyon: also yt ys ordeynd yt every - yer upon ye day beforne ye generall sall be seyd a placebo for all - our gyld brethyrn & systers, & on ye next day followyng a messe of - requiem be noate at ye awter of Sent Frawnces for ye sowlys of all ye - brethyrn & sisters yat be paseyd outh of yis ward, at ye which messe - every one sall offer an _ob_. {477a} - - “Also yt ys ordende yat yis gyld sall have iij or iiij morspytch ys - ye yer, ye fyrst to be holdyn on ye general day, ye othyr morspytchys - to be holdyn most behovely at dyverse tymes in ye yer to ye most - proffitt of ye gyld be ye avyse & assent of ye aldyrman & his - officerys convenyently accordyng. - - “Also yt ys ordeynd yt every brodyr shall kepe pes love & charyte - with othyr in as myche as he can or may; harm nor hevynes wyllfully - he sall not do but what with worde strenkyth & mygth as weel with - owthyn ye towne as with inne, he sall socowr & keep hym yt need. - {477b} - - “Also yt ys ordeynd yt yf any dyscorde or heavynesse ffall betwix ye - brethyrn, thorow ye informatyon of any othyr wickyd man, yat neydyr - of hem sall vexen nor sewyn othyr in temporal cowrthe nor spyrytual - in to ye tyme yt ye aldyrman and brethyrn competently & wysly make - thereof a ffynial ende in ye payne of 40_d._ so yat ye cawce be - swyche yt lawfully it may be determynd betwix ye brethyrn. - - “Also yt ys ordeynd yat yf any of ye brethyrn or systyrs be somownd - of ye dene in lefull {477c} & lawful tyme & will not obeygn nor - aperyn in honest place as wyr a synyd be ye alderman & ye skeventys - at yer morspychys or for othyr thyngs whych sulld profyth to ye - gylde, or yer cum not at ye warnyng of ye dene, yei sall pay 1_lb._ - wax, but yf he have a reasonabyl excusacyon ye whych excuse sall be - examynd wysly a mong ye brethyrn whedyr yt be leful or nowth, & yf ye - dene faile in yer somewnys of any brodyr or systyr yat yan ben not - warnyd thorowhys defawthe ye dene sall pay for every brodyr & sistyr - not warnd thorow hys defawte 1_d._ - - “Also yt ys ordend yt yf any of ye brethyrn or systyrs dey yt all ye - breyeryn [bretheryn] sull cum to ye place of ye dede berying ye body - to chyrche & yer to offyr for ye sowle & for to have messe of requiem - & sythe to be tendannce in yat holy place tyl ye body be beryde & - browth to erde, lesse yay have leve of the aldyrman for to go hoome, - to ye which statute ye ffryerys ben exempte save a cowpul or too - [two] & ye dene for his labour & lyghtys sall have of ye dede - iiij_d._ - - “Also what brodyr or systyr sall be receyvyd into yis gylde he sall - paye fyrste hys ffees yt ys v_d._ to ye wax 1_d._ to ye aldyman - ij_d._ to ye clerke 1_d._ to ye dene 1_d._ & moreover to ye encres of - ye gylde aft yt he sall pay xii_d._ - - “Wher yt was ordeynd syne be ye eleccyon of viii men so yt yt sulld - be consent of ye aldyrman and ye gylde breyeryn, every brodyr & - systyr yt sall be reseyves all pay ii_s._ & thereto they sall make a - promesse upon yer feyth to be trew brodyr & systyr & to kepyn ye - cowncellys of ye gylde & not to bewray yem & to kepe ye statutys of - ye gylde & yt ye clerke geff hem her charge fforthwyth on ye sam day - whych yf any go undyschargyd thorow ye negligens of ye clerke he sail - for yche of yem 1_lb._ wax,—Also ye aldyrman sall have to hys costys - on ye general day brede & ale & of sylvyr xi_d._” - -[To the above in the said MS. volume are subjoined the following -particulars.] - - “MEMORANDUM. Sr John Wells has gyffen to this ffraternite a Maser - with a prynte of seynt John’s hede in ye bothome, with a cover to ye - same, wryten with, soft words swageth ye suffyr and have thi desyre, - which maser shall remayne with the Wardeyn for the time beyng & alway - to be present at every mornspech & general {479}—Also a towelle with - a dubbyl w of dyapyr & a dozen sponys. - - “N.B. The above Sr John Wells was ffounder of this gild.” - - “_Memorandum_. There be xii sponys sylvyr gevyn be Willm. Lyster ye - which weyyth xiii vn. [oz] a quartr. less. - -“Item, A maser with the bond & a prente of s. d. -sylvyr gilte yt weyyth xiii vn: -_The Charge of a General Day_.—In brede iii. iiij. -In Ale iij dosey iiij Galons v. -In xii Gees [3_d._ ¾ apiece] iij. ix -In Moton [_Mutton_; but we know not how iiij ij. -much] -In Conynys [_Rabbits_; we know not how ij iiij -many] -In Onyonys [_Onions_.] ob {480a} -In Mylk iiij. -In Colys iiij b. [_cabbages_ probably.] vi. -In Garlek [_Garlick_] ob {480c} -In ye Cok [quere, _Cooking_] xii. -For ye tornors [quere, _turnspits_] ij. -For ye lyth be forn seynt Ffrawseys xii. -For Swyllers i. -For half an hondryd woode of belet vi. -For ye holdyrs of ye torchys ij. -For Rich. Wylgele i. -For sponys ij. -Sum. xxii_s._ vii_d._ - - “_Memr._ The price of 3 sheep 8_s._ & 3 calves 8_s._ 10_d._ {480b} - - “At a generall day holden at ye ffryers mynors, als. Grey ffryers, on - St. Lucas day, in ye yere of our Lord God M VC XII [1512] it was - ordaynd yt ye morespech shal be kept on Sonday after St. ffraunces, & - ye ffryers of ye order of St. ffraunces to have v_d._ for ever dede - broder & systyr yt ys dede this yer followyng. - - “Ordeynd yt John Judd shall finde contenuelly ye wax lyght before St. - ffraunces, & to have for his wax & labour ii_s._ viii_d._ & all - overplus money to go towards repairing the north yle of ye Grey - ffryers chirch. - - “The good wills of those yt have gyven toward ye said Grey ffryers - chirch as follows— - - s. d. -Ffryer Thomas Peke warden iii. iiij. -Ffryer Water Martyn Lycster xx. -Willm. Gerves thelder iii. iiij. -John Dowghty smyth iii. iiij. -Willm. Barker painter iiij treys lyme -John Judd—iiij treys lyme -Willm. Hall tailor xx. -Willm. Wiggon iij ml. [3000] lath nayles -Willm. Hall draper iii bunches lath -Robt. Smyth, a smyth ii ml. [2000] lath nayles - - “1524 Ordeynd yt ther shall be kept every sonday next before All - Seynts yearly a solemn masse with dirge for ye sowles ye byfore tyme - departyd & ye dene to warne every broder to offer for ye dede upon - ij_d._ loss to St. Ffraunces. - - “The monastry of ye ffryars minorites als. white ffryars [it should - be _alias Greyfriars_] of the order of st. Ffraunces, in which was ye - warden & 9 ffryars. - - “1508. Ffrater Rich. Flete, Prior of ye ffryars Augustus. - - Ffrater John Wells, Prior of ye ffryars Carmelites. - - Ffrater John Lobby, Prior of ye ffryars Preachers. - - Ffrater Thomas Peke Gaurdian [Warden] of ye ffryars minos. - -It does not appear that the above Gild had a separate hall, like some of -the others, but met, as we have seen, in the abbey, or monastery, of the -Grey friars. It seems a very remarkable fraternity, being a mixture of -friars, or ecclesiastics, and laics. Its very founder, and, seemingly, -its first alderman, and perhaps all its succeeding aldermen, were of the -monkish order, and therefore it may be supposed that that description of -members bore in it the principal sway, and had the chief management in -the direction of its affairs. However that was, it might be in its time -a very useful institution, and productive of many valuable and important -benefits to its respective constituents. Like the other gilds it -appeared particularly attentive to what was then deemed sound doctrine in -regard to morality and religion; and, from the character of its leading -members, it may be supposed to have exceeded the others, rather than -fallen short of them, in the strictness of its attention to those -matters, as well as in the rigidness, or severity of its general -discipline. - -The above extract, with all its uncouthness of style and orthography, -will yet, it is presumed and hoped, add to the value of this work, at -least, in the estimation of its most curious and enlightened readers, who -will be able to draw from it many useful inferences, which are here -necessarily omitted, in order to avoid being too tiresome to others whom -the author would wish to gratify, and who probably constitute by far, the -most numerous part of the encouragers of this undertaking.—Dry and -insipid, as many, perhaps, will deem these old documents relating to our -gilds, they seem nevertheless to cast a greater light on the state of -society in this town, during the period now under consideration, than any -other materials that have fallen in the way of the present writer, or -whose existence lie within the compass of his knowledge. - -What now remains, before we dismiss this tedious subject, is to say a few -words respecting the three remaining gilds mentioned in the catalogue. -The next, or 29th in that list, is _the gild of the Shoemakers_, which -consisted, probably, of persons of that occupation, or the brethren of -the _gentle craft_, as it has been sometimes called. They might be -pretty numerous then at Lynn; and yet it would seem rather odd if they -were so, when most of the inhabitants, those of the better sort as well -as others, seem to have been pretty much in the habit of going about -_barefooted_; unless it might be supposed that shoes were then made here -for exportation, as is now the case in many places, where a great many -more hands are employed, of course, than is necessary for furnishing the -population of those places with that article. This point, however, must -be left undetermined: all we know is, that, among the numerous Lynn -Gilds, one was called the _gild of the Shoemakers_, who, whether very -numerous or otherwise, seem to have been then a thoughtful, provident, -and brotherly set of people. - -The 30th Gild was called the _Red Gild_. The reason for giving it that -name we are utterly unable to discover, or even to conjecture. Nor do we -know whether it was rich or poor—consisted of many, or of but few -members—managed its affairs wisely or unwisely:—We just learn, that it -was called _the red gild_; and there our knowledge of it begins and -ends.—Some may, perhaps, be apt to suspect, that both this and the -preceding gild were no better than they ought to be, in point of piety, -or what in those days was so denominated, as they did not assume the name -of any saint, or angel, or sacred object, like the other gilds, but went -each of them, by a plain, simple name, that had nothing in it -sanctimonious, venerable, or prepossessing. As the times went, it cannot -be thought that these two gilds could be in favour with the friars and -the other orders of religious functionaries: nor are we sure that they -were at all solicitous about it, or thought proper to employ a single -chaplain in their service. They might, however, not be the worse for -that, if they were duly attentive to those moral obligations which they -owed to one another, and to the rest of their fellow-citizens. - -The 31st Gild, and the last in the catalogue, had also, like most of the -others, a saint in its belly; and that saint was the poor lad whom the -Jews were said to have crucified at Norwich in the 12th century, (as was -before noted, at page 352,) and whom the pope sometime after canonized, -under the name of _saint William_. {485} His patronage, no doubt, was as -effectual a guard to those good folks who chose to put themselves under -his protection as that of any other dead saint would have been. This -gild, as we are told, traded to North Bern, which plainly implies, that -it was another mercantile fraternity, or gild of merchants. By _North -Bern_ is probably meant North Bergen, or Bergen in Norway, with which -country Lynn appears to have carried on a considerable trade from a very -remote period. The connection between this town and those parts was then -so great that Lynn merchants usually resided there: and there is to be -seen in Mr. Day’s MS. volume, p. 55, the copy of a Latin letter, of the -date of 1305, from Bartholomew, the king of Norway’s chancellor, to the -mayor of Lynn, in behalf of Thurkill and other merchants resident there. -It was also customary for our merchants to have a consul of their own, or -alderman, as they called him, appointed for Norway: for which purpose or -appointment it was necessary, it seems, to obtain a royal warrant. There -is in Mackerell the copy of such a warrant from Henry V. which runs thus— - - “HENRY, by the grace of God, king of England and of France, and lord - of Ireland; to our trusty and well beloved the mayor, aldermen, and - other merchants inhabiting within our town of Lynn, shewed unto us, - that by the old privilege among you, used in exercising the sale of - your merchandizes in the lands and countries of Denmark and Norway, - ye have an ancient custom to have an alderman chosen by election - among you to be ruler and governor of your company in the said - countries, and to see good rule and order kept among you there, which - we woll be content to help and see to be holden for the increasing - and augmentation of the common weal and prosperity of you and all - other our true subjects; we having the same in our good remembrance, - be content and woll, that ye gadre and assemble toguider, and among - you chuse such oon to be your said alderman, as ye shall think - convenient, good, honest, and sufficient for the premisses; and to - use, have, enjoy, and occupy the liberties and franchises in this - cause heretofore accustomed. Yeven under our Signet at our Manor of - Greenwich, the 18th. day of July, the fifth year of our reign.” - -As to our Gild of St. William, that seems to have consisted of mercantile -adventurers who traded only to Bergen, which was probably at that time -the capital of Norway. It was perhaps an opulent gild, but as none of -its records are known now to remain, we must here close our account of -it, and so dismiss the subject. {486} - - - -CHAP. VI. - - -Account of the Monasteries and Religious Houses that were formerly at -Lynn. - -From the fraternities called gilds the transition is pretty short and -natural to the monasteries and religious houses. Of these there were -here formerly a great many, the account of some of which is so imperfect -and confused, that it is difficult to fix their exact number, or point -out the places where they all stood. The following were probably the -chief of them—1. A _Nunnery_, or Convent of Nuns: the site unknown. 2. A -_Priory of Benedictins_; situated in Priory Lane. 3. A _monastery or -Convent_ of the _Carmelites_, or _White Friars_; situated in South Lynn. -4. Another of the _Grey-friars_, _Friars minors_, or _Franciscans_; -situated in Fuller’s Row, now St. James’s Street. 5. Another of the -_Black Friars_, _preaching friars_, or _Dominicans_; situated in Clough -Lane, or rather between that and Spinner Lane. 6. Another of _Austin -Friars_, or _Hermits __of the order of St Augustin_; situated in Hogman’s -Lane, alias Hopman’s Way, now St. Austin’s Street. 7. Another of _Friars -de Penitentia Jesu_; its site now unknown. 8. A _College_; situated near -the Town Hall; now inhabited by Mr. Toosey. 9. _St. John’s Hospital_; -the site not known. 10. _St. Mary Magdalen’s Hospital_; its site where -the Gaywood Almshouse now stands. 11. _Four Lazar Houses_; sites, it -seems, at West Lynn, Cowgate, Hardwick, and Gaywood.—To these may be -added divers other religious houses and chapels, such as those of _St. -James’s_, _our Lady’s on the Mount_, _our Lady’s on the Bridge_, _St. -Anne’s_, _St. Catherine’s_, _&c._ the sites of some of which appear not -very easy now to mark out. They seem, all of them, to have been laid by -at the reformation, when the dissolution of the monasteries and gilds -took place: except the _Nunnery_ first above-mentioned; which had long -before been removed hence to Thetford. Concerning which removal we are -informed, that a certain priory of monks at Thetford being, in 1176, -reduced to two, the Abbot of Bury persuaded them to resign; upon which he -placed in their stead a convent of nuns who had previously resided at -Lynn. {488} But it is not said how long their residence here had been, -or for what reason they were removed hence. Of the other convents, &c. -we propose giving a further account, under the several following -subdivisions or sections. - - -SECTION I. - - -_Account of the House of the Benedictins in Priory lane_, _with a sketch -of that religious order_. - -This House, or Priory, was founded by Herbert Lozinga, first bishop of -Norwich, in the reign of William Rufus. {489a} We are told that this -house and the church of St. Margaret were both built by bishop Herbert at -the request of the men of the town of Lenn; and that he, in order to -facilitate the undertaking, granted an indulgence of 40 days pardon to -all who should contribute towards it: also that he settled the tithes and -ecclesiastical dues of the whole town upon this church and priory, and -had the same confirmed by the pope. He is also said to have given or -settled upon them all he had or possessed, as far as the church of -William the son of Stanquin, {489b} on the other side of Scwaldsfeld, in -rents, lands, and men, {489c} except Seman and his land, and the saltwork -which the mother of Seman held. He likewise granted the Saturday -mercate, and the Fair on St. Margaret’s day to this house, or rather to -his great house the priory of the Holy Trinity at Norwich, to which this -priory of Lynn was a cell. The said bishop also gave them the new mill -in Gaywode marsh, with that marsh, the churches of Gaywode and Mintling, -the priest at Mintling, the tithes of his demeans at Gaywode, with a -villain called Edward, and all his land; also his saltworks in the said -town, except two, and that which Leofric, son of Limburgh held, and the -mother of Seman: also the church of Sedgford with the tithes, and all -that Walter the archdeacon had, as he held it; the church of Thornham, -with the tithes and all belonging to it; his land at Fringes, with 70 -acres of land in Sedgeford, free and quit of all service, with the land -of Owen of Lakesle. {490} Thus were the donations or endowments -specified. - -This Lynn Priory being accounted only a cell to the Priory of Norwich, -that house appointed a monk of their body to be prior here at Lynn, who -was responsible to the priory of Norwich for the rents and profits he -received, and seems to have been removable at pleasure. Many other -grants were afterwards by succeeding bishops made to this priory, as may -be seen at large in Blomefield and Parkin. - -This house stood on the north side of Priory Lane, which took its name -from it; but it took up a considerable part of the ground between that -lane and the church, and seems to have been a pretty extensive building. -Its prior, though subordinate to him of Norwich, and removable by him and -his monks at their pleasure, was yet a person of no small consequence -among the monks of Lynn, as well as in the estimation of the inhabitants. -He was, no doubt, looked up to, for many ages, and esteemed among the -principal personages of the place: but he is no longer remembered; and in -a few years the present heads of the town will be as little thought of. -After the dissolution, the Lynn Priory was partly pulled down, to enlarge -the church yard. What was then left was in time removed, and scarcely -any remains of it now exist, except what may be discovered in some of the -walls of the old dwellings on the north side of the lane. The monks of -this house, at one time, according to Parkin, were grown so rich, beyond -the design of the founder, as to endanger the bishop’s preponderance in -the place; which occasioned bishop De Grey, who then filled the see, to -take measures for reducing their power and securing his own, by making an -exchange with the priory of Norwich, of lands or possessions belonging to -them here, for other lands belonging to his see elsewhere. A copy of the -bishop’s deed for this purpose has been preserved by Parkin, {491a} as -have been also many particulars relating to this priory, which, though -not altogether uninteresting, must be here omitted. - -The Benedictine order, to which the monks of this house belonged, is of -considerable antiquity. It was instituted, according to Mosheim {491b} -A.D. 529, by BENEDICT of _Nursia_, a man of piety and reputation for the -age he lived in. From his _rule_ of discipline, which is yet extant, we -learn that it was not his intention to impose it upon all the monastic -societies, but to form an order whose discipline should be milder, their -establishment more solid, and their manners more regular, than those of -the other monastic bodies; and whose members during the course of a holy -and peaceful life, were to divide their time between prayer, reading, the -education of youth, and other pious and learned labours. But in process -of time the followers of this celebrated ecclesiastic degenerated sadly -from the piety of their founder, and lost sight of the duties of their -station and the great end of their establishment. - -Having acquired immense riches from the devout liberality of the opulent, -they sunk into luxury, intemporance, and sloth, abandoned themselves to -all sorts of vices, extended their peal and attention to worldly affairs, -insinuated themselves into the cabinets of princes, took part in -political cabals and court factions, made a vast augmentation of -superstitious rites and ceremonies in their order, to blind the multitude -and supply the place of their expiring virtue; and, among other -_meritorious_ enterprizes, laboured most ardently to swell the arrogance, -by enlarging the power and authority, of the Roman pontif. The good -Benedict never dreamt that the great purposes of his institution were to -be thus perverted, much less did he give any encouragement or permission -to such flagrant abuses. His rule of discipline was neither favourable -to luxury nor ambition; and it is still celebrated on account of its -excellence, though it has not been observed for many years. - -The same writer observes, that this order made a most rapid progress in -these western parts, and in a short time arrived at the most flourishing -state. “In _Gaul_ its interests were promoted by MAURUS; in _Sicily_ and -_Sardinia_ by PLACIDUS; in _Italy_, &c. by GREGORY the GREAT; in -_England_, by AUGUSTIN and MELLITUS.” Its sudden and amazing progress as -ascribed by the Benedictins to the wisdom and sanctity of their -discipline, and to the miracles which were worked by their founder and -his followers. But a more attentive view of things will convince the -impartial observer, that the protection of the Roman pontifs, to the -advancement of whose grandeur and authority the Benedictins were most -servilely devoted, contributed much more to the lustre and influence of -their order, than any other circumstance, nay, than all other -considerations united together. In the ninth century the credit and -power of those of this order became so great and predominant as actually -to absorb all the other religious societies, and hold unrivalled the -reins of monastic empire. But by that time, and therefore long before -their settlement at Lynn, they had departed from their original -simplicity and were become a degenerate and corrupt order. Consequently -it is not very likely that its establishment here could be of any very -substantial or important advantage to our ancestors. - - -SECTION II. - - -_Account of the convent of the Carmes_, _Carmelites_, _or White Friars_, -_in South Lynn_, _with a sketch of that religious order_. - -This House stood close to the river Lenn or Nar, in the field now called -_the friars_. All the remains of it have long disappeared, except the -Gateway or Gate-house, which is supposed to have been the principal -entrance into the place. It is said to be founded about 1269, by the -lord Bardolph of that time; though others say that the founder was Thomas -de Feltsham, but that the lord Bardolph, the lord Scales, and Sir John -Wigenhale were also considerable benefactors to it. William le Breton -was also among its benefactors in the reign of Henry III. having endowed -it with lands in South Lynn, Burgh Green, Dillingham and other places, in -Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. William lord Randolph, who died in the 9th -of Richard II. was buried here. In the 12th of the same reign these -monks had a patent for the rent of ten quarters of _frumenti_, and ten -quarters of barley, to receive them annually of the manor of Stow -Bardolph, granted by John lord Bardolph.—April 13th, 1379, Sir Hamon -Felton, of Litcham willed his body to be buried in the church of the -Carmes, at Lynn. The noble family of Hastings also appear to have been -great benefactors to this house.—From all these circumstances it may be -very plainly seen, that this convent was a place of considerable note and -reputation, and that, probably, for many ages. But nothing could save it -from that dissolution which all such places experienced in the memorable -reign of Henry VIII.—The site of it was then purchased by John Eyre Esq. -who was one of that king’s auditors or receivers; and he conveyed it to a -priest, from whom the corporation purchased it, who have been in -possession of it ever since. How long after that it was suffered to -stand does not appear. The Steeple was probably that part of it which -stood the longest, except the Gatehouse above-mentioned. The said -Steeple appears to have stood near a 100 years after the dissolution: it -fell, as we are told, for want of due repair, on the 9th of April 1631, -after having stood upwards of 360 years. Where this lofty steeple and -the great church and convent of the Carmelites stood for so many ages, -not a stone is now left upon another. A plain field or pasture is all -that is now to be seen; just as if such an extensive edifice had never -existed or stood there. The case is much the same with the other Lynn -monasteries, except that of the Grey Friars, whose steeple still remains, -owing to more attention being paid to the keeping of it in repair. - -The Carmelites, together with the Franciscans, Dominicans, and -Augustinians, constituted the four famous orders of Mendicants: and it is -somewhat remarkable that they all established themselves at Lynn, and had -the whole town, in a manner, divided among themselves, which seems not to -have been unusual with them. {495}—Of the present order, that of the -Carmes, or Carmelites, the following account will give the reader, it is -presumed a sufficiently correct idea. - - “About the middle of this century (the 12th) a certain Calabrian, - whose name was _Berthold_, set out with a few companions for mount - Carmel, and there, upon the very spot where the prophet Elias is said - to have disappeared, built an humble cottage with an adjoining - chapel, in which he led a life of solitude, austerity, and labour. - This little colony subsisted, and the places of those that died were - more than filled by new comers; so that it was at length erected into - a monastic community by _Albert_, patriarch of Jerusalem. This - austere prelate drew up a rule of discipline for the new monks, which - was afterwards confirmed by the authority of the Roman pontiffs, who - modified and altered it in several respects, and among other - corrections mitigated its excessive rigour and severity. Such was - the origin of the famous _Order of Carmelites_, or, as they are - commonly called, of the _Order of our Lady of mount Carmel_, which - was afterwards transplanted from _Syria_ into _Europe_, and obtained - the principal rank among the mendicant or begging orders. It is true - the Carmelites reject, with the highest indignation, an origin so - recent and obscure, and affirm to this very day, that the prophet - Elias was the founder of their ancient community. Very few, however, - have been engaged to adopt this fabulous and chimerical account of - their establishment, except the members of the order, and many Roman - Catholic writers have treated their pretensions to such a remote - antiquity with the utmost contempt.” - - “Scarcely, indeed, (says Maclaine) can any thing be more ridiculous - than the circumstantial narrations of the occasion, origin, founder, - and revolutions of this famous order, which we find in several - ecclesiastical authors. They tell us, that _Elias_ was introduced - into the state of monachism by the ministry of angels; that his first - disciples were _Jonah_, _Micah_, and also _Obadiah_, whose wife, in - order to get rid of an importunate crowd of lovers, who fluttered - about her at the court of _Achab_ after the departure of heir - husband, bound herself by a vow of chastity, received the veil by the - hand of _father_ ELIAS, and thus became the first abbess of the - Carmelite order. They enter into a vast detail of all the - circumstances that relate to the rules of discipline, which were - drawn up for this community, the habit which distinguished its - members, and the various alterations which were introduced into their - rule of discipline in process of time. They observe, that among - other marks which were used to distinguish the Carmelites from the - seculars, the _tonsure_ was one; that this mark of distinction - exposed them, indeed to the mockeries of a profane multitude; and - that this furnishes the true explication of the term _bald-head_, - which the children addressed, by way of reproach, to _Elishah_, as he - was on his way to _Carmel_. (2 Kings ii. 23) They tell us, moreover, - that even _Pythagoras_ was a member of this ancient order; that be - drew all his wisdom from mount _Carmel_, and had several - conversations with the prophet _Daniel_ at _Babylon_, upon the - subject of the Trinity. Nay they go still further into the region of - fable, and assert, that the Virgin _Mary_ and _Jesus_ himself assumed - the habit and profession of Carmelites; and they load this fiction - with a heap of absurd circumstances, which it is impossible to read - without the highest astonishment.” {498} - -The Carmelites came into England in 1240, and appear to have obtained an -establishment at Lynn not a very long while after. What sort of men they -were, the reader can now form some idea. - - -SECTION III. - - -_Account of the convent of the Grey Friars_, _Friars Minors_, _or -Franciscans_, _in Fuller’s Row_, _now St. James’s Street_, _with a sketch -of that religious order_. - -This Convent is said to have been founded about 1264; {499a} and the -founder’s name, according to Parkin, was Thomas Feltham, or de Folsham, -{499b} the very same person, probably, he mentions as one of the reputed -founders of the Carmelite Convent, though the name is somewhat -differently spelt. Parkin says, that the Grey Friars settled here about -the 52d. of Henry III, (a date, by the bye, somewhat later than that -given above,) “and built this convent near Synolf’s fleet, on which the -mill formerly called Swagg’s mill, afterwards the common mill, or town -mill, stands.” That mill, however, has long ago ceased to stand there, -though the memory of it is still preserved in the name of the adjoining -lane, which is yet called _mill lane_. “In 1287, (as the same writer -informs us) on Monday August 7, in the court at Lenn, Adam de St. Omer -being then mayor, and Richard de Walsingham, steward, Richard Sefull gave -by deed 12_d._ rent _per ann_. which his ancestors used to receive out of -a certain area by the church-yard of Saint James’s to the west, which the -said Adam de St. Omer purchased of Adam Silvester, for the enlarging of -the area, where the Friars Minors now inhabit.” He also says, that -Bernard le Estree, within the same year, purchased of William de -Lindesey, in St. James’s Street, a certain area, and gave it to enlarge -the friars minors’ area. In the 7th of Edward II, as we are further -told, these friars had a patent for bringing the water to their house -from a spring in North Runcton, called Bukenwell. In the 38th of Edward -III, they had a patent for two messuages to enlarge their manse. From -the same writer we also learn, that Richard Peverel, Esq. of Tilney, by -will, dated March 15, 1423, bequeath his body to be buried in the church -of the friars minors of Lynn Bishop, appoints Mr. John Spencer, vicar of -Tilney, his executor—proved May 15, 1424.—The said testator also left a -house of 10_l._ value to the duke of Exeter, to be supervisor of his -will, of whom he held lands. This is the chief of what Parkin relates of -the Lynn Grey Friars and their convent; except that the house was -surrendered by the Warden and nine brethren Oct. 1, the 1539, the 30th of -Henry VIII.—It is some what remarkable that the steeple or tower of this -edifice, or of the church of the Grey Friars, though apparently but of -slight construction, has survived all the rest, and is still standing: -and it may, possibly, with proper attention, stand yet many years. The -Dominicans, and Augustinians had probably their towers also, as well as -the Carmelites, but they have all long ago disappeared. - - [Picture: Remains of the Grey Friars Monestry and part of St. James’s - Chapel] - -Of this famous order of mendicants it will not be easy, perhaps, to give -the reader a better idea that by laying before him the following outline -of the history and character of its founder, commonly called _saint -Francis_. This distinguished personage appeared a short time before his -equally distinguished contemporary St. _Dominic_. He was born in 1182, -at Assisi, in Umbria. In his youth he is said to have been of a -debauched and dissolute character, but at 25, after his recovery from a -severe fit of illness, occasioned by his licentious course of life, he -became so wholly religious, and so unfit for any other business, that his -father threatened to disinherit him; to which he was so far from having -any objection that, in presence of the bishop of Assisi, he solemnly -disclaimed all expectation from him, and declared that from that time he -would acknowledge only his father in heaven. He is said to have then -devoted himself to works of charity of the most humiliating kind: and -being one day at church, hearing mass, he was so forcibly struck with -those words, Matt. x. 9. _Provide neither gold_, _nor silver_, _nor -brass in your purses_, _nor scrip for your journey_, _neither two coats_, -_neither shoes_, _nor yet staves_, _for the workman is worthy of his -meat_; that he cried out “This is what I seek!” and immediately threw -away his shoes, staff, wallet, and all his money, and kept only one coat. -He also laid aside his girdle, which was of leather, and made use of a -piece of rope in its stead. From this time, in imitation of the -apostles, he began to exhort other persons to _repent_; and he did it in -a very forcible manner, and with wonderful success, always beginning his -discourse with saying “God give you peace.”—When he had got _three_ -disciples, they dispersed, to preach in different places. Some received -them with great humanity, looking with astonishment on their -extraordinary dress and great austerities, while others made a mock of -them and abused them: this however they bore very patiently. - -When he had _seven_ disciples, he exhorted them to go to different -countries, preaching repentance, without regarding any treatment they -might meet with; assuring them that in a short time many learned and -noble would join them, and they would preach to kings and princes, as -well as to the common people. When he had _eleven_ disciples, one of -whom was a priest, he wrote out a rule for them, taken wholly out of the -Gospels, and presented it to pope Innocent III, who, after making some -objection, approved of it, in 1210.—Having obtained this confirmation of -his institute, Francis went with 12 disciples and established himself in -a church which he had repaired at Pontremoli, and this was the first -house of his order, which, by way of humility, he called that of the -_minor brethren_, _frates minores_, in French _feres_, in English by -corruption _friars_, as the Dominicans had at the same time assumed the -name of _preaching brothers_, or friars.—From this place they went forth -preaching in the neighbouring towns and villages, not with studied -harangues, (but like the methodists of our time) in a manner that made -uncommon impression upon the hearers, as they had the appearance of men -of another world, having their faces always turned towards those regions -whither they were continually directing their audience.—In 1211 they -founded several convents, the most considerable of which were those of -Cottona, Pisa, and Bologna; and Francis himself, having preached through -all _Tuscany_, returned to Assisi, in Lent, 1212. - -In such veneration was he held at this time, that when he went into any -city, they rung the bells, and the clergy and people went to meet him, -bearing branches of trees, and singing, thinking themselves happy, who -could kiss his hands or feet. That Lent he preached at his native place, -where he had many converts, and among them St. _Claire_, a young woman of -a noble family, who by his direction, though only at the age of eighteen, -abandoned the world, and notwithstanding the remonstrances of her -relations, fixed herself in a monastery, first at St. Ange de Pansa, -where she was joined by her sister _Agnes_, and then at St. Damien of the -order of the Benedictines, which was the first church St. Francis had -repaired. Here she continued 42 years, many disciples joining her; and -thus was formed the order of _poor women_, or that of _St. Claire_, being -the second order of Franciscans. - -About 1216, he gave instructions for his disciples to go in pairs, as the -Apostles had done. Thus they went into Spain, Provence, and Germany, -into which country he sent no less than 60 brothers.—So rapidly did the -order now increase, that at a chapter general held in 1219, when Dominic -was present, there appeared to be not less than 5000 in it; though they -had not been established more than 9 or 10 years.—In June, 1219, pope -Honorious III issued a bull, addressed to all bishops, recommending the -Franciscans as apostolical men.—Many women, now converted by his -preachers, formed themselves into monasteries, but he refused to take -charge of any of them, except that of St. Claire. - -After this he sent his chief disciples into distant countries with a -number of companions, taking for himself and 12 others the mission of -_Syria_ and _Egypt_. They went forth in the spirit of confessors and -martyrs; for when men expose themselves to almost certain death, there -cannot be a doubt of their being in earnest. Two going to Africa -endeavoured to go into a mosque; and preaching in the streets, and -putting themselves in the way of the king, he first ordered them to be -confined; but as they continued their importunity, he was so enraged, -that he struck off their heads with his own hands, while they suffered -with great resignation. Francis himself went to Egypt, during the siege -of Damieta, and getting access to the Sultan, he offered to go into the -fire in proof of the truth of his religion. But the Sultan, who heard -him with great patience, did not choose to put him to the test, but -admiring his courage, dismissed him with much good humour, desiring him -to pray to God, that he would shew him what religion was most agreeable -to him. In 1221, seven went to Ceuta to preach to the Moors; but they -were soon apprehended, and not yielding to the command of the king to -turn Mahometans, they were all beheaded. {504} - -In the Rule of the Franciscans, which was fully confirmed in 1213, by -Pope Nicholas III, besides engaging to live in obedience to their -superior, in chastity, and without property, they also vowed obedience to -the pope and his successors. These orders of mendicants, particularly -this and that of St. Dominic, were of much greater use in support of the -papal hierarchy, and combating heretics than all the orders of monks had -ever been. Such was the number of persons in this period disaffected to -the see of Rome, that it is very doubtful whether without this seasonable -assistance it could have been supported at all. In this view we cannot -contemplate their labours without regret: but even here they may not have -been more blameable than some of our present religious orders, who, -though seemingly well meaning people, are ever ready to defend, or at -least to make excuses for almost every species of corruption. - -St. Francis pretended, or, at least, his adherents did so, that the -particulars of his rule had been dictated to him by God himself. It is -also said of him that retiring to Mount Alverne on the borders of -Tuscany, in 1224, to pass the Easter, he saw in a vision the appearance -of Christ on the cross, descending from heaven; and when he awoke he -found all the marks of crucifixion on his own body. Such tales were -doubtless invented to magnify his name and promote the credit of the -order. They might answer then, and still in some places; but they are -not here introduced as worthy of belief. The Franciscans came into -England in the reign of Henry III, and in that same reign established -themselves in this town: but their first establishment in England is said -to have been at _Canterbury_. Of the probable effects of their making -Lynn one of their head quarters, or places of residence, the reader must -now form his own opinion. {505} - - -SECTION IV. - - -_Account of the convent of the Black Friars_, _Preaching Friars_, _or -Dominicans_, _in Clough Lane_, _with a Sketch of that famous order_. - -Of this convent, (once perhaps inferior to none of the rest, if indeed it -did not exceed them all, both in size and magnificence,) nothing is now -to be seen but some old walls, whose thickness and massy appearance seem -to indicate that they once sustained a large and sumptuous fabric. It -was founded, as Parkin says, by Thomas Gedney, who was then, no doubt, a -great and leading character in these parts. The above author does not -seem to know the exact time when this convent was built, but it must have -been sometime previous to 1272, for he assures us that these friars were -then here. Indeed he says also, that they settled here about the time -the Grey Friars did, as appears from a writ, _Ad quod damnum_, for a -fountain or spring granted them in Middleton, by William, lord Bardolph, -called Brokewell, and a certain aqueduct coming from that spring to their -convent at Lynn; (for which he refers to _Esch. in Turri Lond._ Aº. 21, -_Edw._ I. Nº. 71.) We may therefore fairly conclude, that this convent -was built almost, if not altogether as early as that of the Grey Friars. - -The following is the chief of what that writer has further said, relating -to this convent.— - - “Thomas Thorndon aliened to these friars preachers a piece of land 18 - feet long and 21 broad, in Lenn Episcopi, in the 3d. of Edw. III. In - the same year these friars had a patent to enlarge their house - here.—Simon Parche, _alias_ Tyler, of Watlyngton, Norfolk, wills, in - 1442, to be buried in the chancel of the friars preachers, or black - friars, of Lyn, and gives to the fabrick, de la stalles in the said - chancel, to be new made, 16_l._ Reg. Doke, Norw.—The chapel of St. - Catherine, in the church of the friars preachers, mentioned in 1497. - Reg. Sayve. Norw.—The image of our Lady in the body of the church.” - {507} - -Of this convent, as well as that of the Carmelites, we are also told that -an _anchorage_ belonged to it: by which we are probably to understand, a -place in the harbour for mooring ships, or a certain duty, payable by the -ships there moored to the said convents. The ground in all ports and -harbours being considered as the king’s, this anchorage may be supposed -to have been a grant from the crown to those two orders of friars at -Lynn. - -The same writer further informs us that this convent of Dominicans was -surrendered by the prior and eleven brethren on the 30th of Sept. 1539, -30th of Henry VIII. Its site, as we further learn, was granted, about -six years after, to John Eyre Esq. with land there in the tenure of John -Kempe. This John Ayre, (our author adds) on the dissolution had 37 -messuages, 9 gardens, in the tenure of divers persons, given him by the -said king in his 36th year, and messuages and tenements called Bishops -Stath, and an house called the Steward’s Hall, with other messuages and -lands here, belonging to the see of Norwich. The site of this convent -the said John Eyre conveyed to a priest, from whom it came to Thomas -Waters, of —, who had Edward Waters, and a daughter married to George -Baker. The said Edward’s son in law, Sir John Bolls, of Scampton, in -Lincolnshire, Bt. sold it to one Killingtree, since which time it seems -to have passed through a great many hands. The said site at present is -thought to be partly the property of the corporation, and partly that of -the Carey family. About the garden of the chief mansion of that family -are several scattered remains of this ancient edifice. We shall next -endeavour to acquaint the reader with the character of that religious -order, or fraternity for whose use this convent was originally erected, -and in whose occupation it ever after continued. - -The Dominicans, although their settlement at Lynn was not anterior to -that of the Franciscans, yet they appear to have found their way to -England a good many years before them: for we are told, that Dominic, -just before his death, sent _Gilbert de Fresney_, with twelve of the -brethren into England, where they founded their first monastery at Oxford -in 1221, and soon after another at London. In the latter place they -became in time so popular, and so much in favour with the corporation, -that, in 1276, the mayor and aldermen, as we are told, gave them two -whole streets by the river Thames, where they erected a very commodious -convent, whence that place is still called _Black-Friars_, for so they -were called in this country, {508} perhaps from the colour of the habit. -They were also called _Friars preachers_, or _preaching friars_, from -_preaching_ being their chief object, employment, or profession; and -_Dominicans_, from the name of their memorable founder; an epitome, or -outline of whose history and character we shall here subjoin. It will -enable the reader, it is hoped, or, at least, help him in some measure, -to form a pretty correct estimate of the merits and demerits of these -predicant friars; as it may be very confidently and safely expected that -they resembled their leader, according to the old adage “Like master like -man.” - -DOMINIC, commonly called _Saint Dominic_, the father of the Dominicans, -was a _Spaniard_. He was surnamed _de Guzman_, being descended from an -ancient and noble family of that name. Having finished his studies at -Palencia, he was made canon, and afterwards archdeacon of Osma in -Castille, and then professor of Theology at Placentia. But this he -quitted to go to preach after the manner of Francis, which he did in -several parts of Spain, giving proof in the meantime of great charity -towards the poor and afflicted. Coming into France with the bishop of -Osma, he greatly distinguished himself by preaching against the -_Albigenses_, and there he formed the design of instituting an order of -_preachers_. Fulk bishop of Thoulouse brought him to the council of -_Lateran_, in 1215, that he might be examined by the pope. His holiness -approving of the scheme of Dominic, the latter consulted with his -followers, when they agreed to adopt the rules of _St. Austin_, but with -several additions. They resolved to have no estate in lands, but only -revenues. They were then sixteen in number, and the bishop of Thoulouse -gave them their first church, that of St. Romanus in that city; and near -it he built cloisters, with cells over them, where they might study and -sleep. Pope Honorious III. confirmed the order in 1216, exempting them -from paying tithes of their possessions, and ordering that they should -depend upon the diocesan for episcopal functions; and the prior to be -chosen by the free votes of the brethren: so that the Dominicans, at -their first institution, were not _beggars_, nor exempt from episcopal -jurisdiction, but canons regular. - -Next year Dominic sent out his followers in pairs, after choosing a -superior, to whom he gave the tide of _abbot_; but all the succeeding -ones were called _masters_, and the superiors of particular houses -_priors_. He sent four to Spain, four to France, and two more to study -there. Hearing of the death of that ferocious and bloody crusader, Simon -de Montfort, at the siege of Thoulouse, Dominic went thither to comfort -the brethren. Thence, in 1218, he went into Spain, and founded two -monasteries, one at _Madrid_, and the other at _Segovia_. Thence he went -to Paris, where he found thirty brethren: thence he proceeded to Bologna, -where Arnauld, who joined him at Rome, had been very successful, and had -formed a large society. Going to Parma, he there met St. Francis, of -whom he seemed to entertain a very high opinion, when, after conferring -together, they agreed not to accept of church livings: which might -suggest to Dominic the idea of that profession of poverty which he -afterwards imposed upon those of his order. {511} - -In 1220 he made some new and more rigorous regulations respecting the -_nuns_. In the same year he held the first chapter general of his order -at Bologna, when it was resolved that the preaching friars should profess -perfect _poverty_, and make that the fundamental principle of their -order. It was now agreed that these chapters should be held every year, -at Paris and Bologna alternately. At the second chapter general at -Bologna eight provincials were chosen to superintend the preachers in the -eight provinces of Spain, France Lombardy, Romagna, Provence, Germany, -Hungary and England. Presently after this, August 26, 1221, Dominic died -in the 51st year of his age. {512} Lest his order should be hurt by the -maxims of worldly prudence, he forbad, under the curse of God and his -own, the introduction of temporal possessions into the order. The second -year after his death he was _canonized_, and so reached the very summit -of ecclesiastical dignity and fame. - -These preaching friars, as we are told, were so zealous at the first, and -considered preaching as so essential to their institution, that they were -not satisfied if they did not exhort some, at least one person, every -day. - -Each of them carried with him a copy of the gospel of Matthew, and of the -seven canonical epistles, according to the express order of Dominic: but -that could redound to the credit of neither him nor them, while they -lived in open violation of the most important precepts and the very -spirit of those sacred writings. Had they made them, indeed, the ground -of their religion, and the rule or guide of their lives, they would have -been a blessing to the world in their day, and their memory would have -been revered by all good men, to the latest posterity. But they -preferred their own rule to that of the New Testament, and the -persecuting and murderous ferocity of Dominic to the forbearance and -meekness of Christ, and so became the oppressors instead of the -benefactors of their species. In short we know not of any material -benefit which the former inhabitants of this town derived from the Clough -Lane convent, {513} or the incessant labours of its preaching friars. -The reader however, on this point, as well as all others, must judge for -himself. - - -SECTION V. - - -_Account of the Convent of the Austin Friars_, _or Hermits of the order -of St. Augustin_, _in Hogman’s Lane_, _or Hopman’s Way_, _now St. -Austin’s Street_, _with a sketch of that religious order_. - -This house must have been once a large, respectable, and stately edifice, -inferior to none, and in some respects superior to most, and probably to -all others in this town; especially in point of fitness for the -accommodation of illustrious personages, or those of princely dignity, -who might happen to come this way. It accordingly became the abode, or -place of residence of the king and queen, the prince of Wales, the king’s -mother, and the royal retinue, during their visit or stay here in 1498. -Had there been any other house then in the town better adapted for their -reception, it would, no doubt, have been chosen in preference, or instead -of this, on so unusual and important an occasion. But however -commodious, respectable, or stately a structure, this Augustinian convent -then was, it has long ago disappeared, and not a stone of it has been -left upon another. A gateway, or the arch of a gateway, filled up with -brick, but once, perhaps, the principal entrance into the hallowed -premises, is all that now remains, or is recognised as having ever -belonged to it. Thus our firmest fabrics, though they may endure for -ages, are doomed to perish like the very mortals by whose hands they were -constructed. - -Parkin says that the Augustin friars settled herein the beginning of -Edward the First’s reign, as appears by a writ _Ad quod damnum_, for a -messuage in Lynn, granted by Margaret de Southmere to them.—Inquis. 22. -Ed. I. in turri Lond. N°. 112. He also adds, that they had a patent -granted them by Edward II. in his 4th year, for purchasing, of Thomas -Lexham, one messuage contiguous and adjoining, for the enlargement of -their manse or house.—Pat. 4th. Ed. II. pt. 2. m. 14.—He further says, -that Licence was granted by Ed. III. to Thomas Drew, William Bitering, -John de Couteshale, and John Drew of Lenn Bishop, that they might give -and assign five messuages in Lenne, adjoining to the manse of the prior -and brethren of hermits of the order of St. Augustin of Lenn, to the said -prior, &c. for the enlargement of their manse, on condition that the -reverend father, Thomas, bishop of Norwich, of whom the said messuages -are held, will grant his licence to the said prior, &c. And the said -king gave licence to Robert de Cokesford, Agnes his wife, and to Richard -de Houton and Alice his wife, that they may give one messuage in Lynn, -(not held of us, as appears by the inquisition of Roger de Wolfreton, -escheator of Norfolk) to the bishop and his successors, on the same -condition of granting licence to the prior, &c. of receiving the said -five messuages of Thomas Drew, &c.—Teste Rege, dated at Westminster, 6 -May, 38. Edw. III.—The bishop’s licence was soon after obtained, dated 1 -July following. - -In the 6th of Richard II. these friars had a patent for a certain -aqueduct, to be made by them from Gaywode.—In the 7th Henry IV. they had -a patent to enlarge their manses and in the 1st Henry V. a patent for -certain messuages granted to them. For each of these particulars Parkin -refers to his authorities; the insertion of which here seems needless.—He -also asserts on the authorities of Bale and Holinshed, that in the last -mentioned reign, William Wellys, or Wallys, was a monk here, a learned -man, and general of the order, who wrote many books, (which he does not -name,) and died in 1421.—It seems therefore that learning was not -entirely neglected here among our Austin friars, and that they had at -least one learned man in their fraternity. - -Our author further informs us, “that this house was surrendered 30th -Sept. 1539, 30th of Henry VIII. by the prior and 4 brethren:” if so they -must have been then reduced below their wonted number. But 4 brethren is -probably a mistake for 14, which is the number given by Burnet in his -history of the reformation, and other authorities.—About 6 years after -the above date, this house was granted to John Ayre, who conveyed it to a -priest, who sold it to Shavington, a bastard, who by will gave it to — -Waters, who dying without issue it reverted to Shavington’s heir; John -Ditefield afterwards had it, and his son John gave it in marriage to -Thomasine his sister, married to Christopher Puchering, brother to the -lord keeper of that name, and they sold it to John Lease, who pulled it -down, and sold the stones and the ground to divers persons: so that it -seems to have stood a good while after the dissolution, and passed -through a great many hands.—Its site is at present partly the property of -Martin Folkes Rishton, Esq. Joseph Lawrence Esq. and Mr. Thomas Marshall. -For the most part it is now garden ground. - -It was to this very order of mendicants, the Austin friars, or monks, or -Augustinian Eremites, as they are sometimes called, that the famous -Martin Luther belonged before he quitted the church of Rome, and when he -began to oppose the papal corruptions: and it is supposed not to have -been then quite so bad or depraved, as some of the other mendicant -orders, particularly the Dominicans and Franciscans. However that was, -it was, no doubt, bad enough, even in the opinion of Luther himself, for -he soon withdrew from it, as well as from all manner of connection with -the Romish church. It is to be wished it could also be said, that he and -all other descriptions of protestants took special care when they -renounced popery, to retain none of its enslaving and persecuting spirit. -Most of them, however, quite forgot to do that, and so retained and -cherished in their bosoms the very worst part of the religion they had -renounced. - -As to the religious order now under consideration, the _Austin friars_, -or _Hermits of St. Augustin_, we are told that they had for their -founder, pope _Alexander IV._ who, observing that the _Hermits_ were -divided into several societies, some of which followed the maxims of the -famous _William_, others the rule of _St. Augustin_, while others again -were distinguished by different denominations, formed the project of -uniting them all into one religious order, and subjecting them to the -same rule of discipline, even that which bears the name of _St. -Augustin_. This project, we are told, was put in execution in 1256: -{517} so that this order is somewhat younger, or of later origin than any -of the other orders of mendicants; though not much later than the two -preceding ones, for all the three sprung up within the same century.—What -good or benefit the former inhabitants of Lynn might derive from the -erection of this convent in their town, or from the exertions of the -Austin Friars among them, is a question which the present writer is not -fully prepared to answer. The reader, as in the former cases, is left to -think and judge for himself, as he has an undoubted right to do. But -whatever good or ill, advantage or disadvantage, benefit or detriment -might accrue to the inhabitants from the residence of the said four -orders of friars among them, their convents, unquestionably, must have -contributed not a little to give additional grandeur and respectability -to the appearance of the town. Four large and stately monasteries, with -their lofty towers, ranged along the whole town from south to north, must -have given Lynn an appearance, especially from the country, very -different, and far superior to what it can boast of at present. In -short, we may safely say, that it must have appeared before the -reformation, from the circumstances just alluded to, as a place of at -least double the size and double the consequence that it has done since -that period. After all, it is not meant here to disparage the -reformation, or to suggest that it did not prove beneficial to Lynn, as -well as to the kingdom at large.—It is only meant to assert, that this -town, from the great size and number of its monasteries and other -religious houses, must have made a very different, and far more splendid -appearance before the reformation, than it has done since. But we will -here drop the subject, and conclude the present section. - - -SECTION VI. - - -_Of the Friars de Penitentia_, _or brothers of repentance_, _and their -Convent—also the College of Priests—with the Hospital and Church of St. -John in this town_. - -It seems remarkable that out of 1148 monasteries and religious houses, -seized upon by the sovereign and suppressed at the general dissolution, -no less than 79 were in Norfolk, and 10 of them in this town alone; which -must be a large proportion of those of the county, and still larger of -those of the whole kingdom. Norfolk was also distinguished, and is so -still, for its number of parishes, exceeding that of any other county, -even of Yorkshire, though four times its size. This superabundance of -parishes and convents, &c. seems to indicate that its inhabitants were -formerly of an uncommonly devout and religious, or at least superstitious -and sanctimonious cast: which character may be supposed to have belonged -to the people of Lynn as much as to any of the rest. At present a very -large proportion of the inhabitants of Norfolk, especially in country -places, are exceedingly ignorant, boorish and heathenish. Nor do the -generality of the established clergy appear to give themselves the least -concern about this, or express any serious desire to promote the -conversion and civilization of their poor neighbours. The dissenters, -and particularly those of them called Methodists, have done already far -more in this way than the whole body of the national or parochial -priesthood: and they are continually enlarging their scale of operation, -and extending their labours, with great effect, to the most retired and -obscure places, where the divine power of the Gospel and the happy -influence of its moral precepts were hardly ever before felt or -experienced. - -Of the ten houses suppressed in this town at the general dissolution, one -is said to belong to _the friars de Penitentia_. This religious order -appears to have sprang up in the same century with the proceeding ones; -for we are told that it was instituted in 1221, by the famous _St. -Anthony of Padua_, who was born at Lisbon, in 1195, and whose original -name was _Ferrand_. After going through his studies with reputation, he -entered into a monastery of canons regular, of the order of St. Austin, -where he continued two years; when, for the sake of greater solitude, he -retired with the leave of his superior to Coimbra, where he distinguished -himself by his exposition of the scriptures. At this time St. Francis -was living, and some of his order having suffered martyrdom, in -consequence of undertaking to preach to the Mahometans in Africa, they -were so much celebrated on that account, that it excited in Ferrand, as -well as many others, an ardent desire to follow their example, though -they should share the same fate. With the leave of his superior, he -therefore joined this new society; and entering one of their monasteries, -called that of _St. Anthony_, he took their habit and assumed their name. - -Presently after this, his zeal actually carried him to Africa; but he was -obliged to return, in consequence of a disease with which he was seized -upon the coast; but was driven by a tempest to Sicily, where hearing of a -general chapter of his order being to be held at Assisi in Italy, he -repaired to it. Tho’ he was then little known, the provincial of his -order was so much pleased with his appearance, that he took him with him, -and placed him in a convent called _the mount of St. Paul_. After some -months, his superiors procured him holy orders, and sent him, together -with some other priests, to Forli, where he distinguished himself by his -preaching. Being greatly concerned at the progress of heresy then in the -northern parts of Italy, in order the better to prepare himself for -encountering the heretics, he went through a course of theology at -Vercelli, under a famous doctor there; but he soon surpassed him in -knowledge, and was thought equal to any undertaking. - -Being sent by his superiors to undertake the office of guardian to -Limiges in France, in order to the conversion of the heretics in that -place, it happened at one time, that his business as a preacher required -him to be in one place, and his office of guardian in another: and this -was the occasion of the first of the many miracles that his historian -ascribes to him, and it was of a very singular kind: for it is asserted -that he was actually in both places at the same time. After an earnest -prayer for this purpose, he without leaving the pulpit in which he was -preaching on a Good Friday, appeared in the choir, and sung the lesson -which was his part of the service there. At Montpellier also, he once -preached in the dome at the same time that he was singing hallelujah in -the choir of the church. After this his whole life seems to have -consisted of little more than a series of miracles, and many of them of -quite an original and extraordinary kind; so that it must have required -much ingenuity to devise them. {522}—Some of them may be here inserted by -way of sample, and to enable the reader to judge of the probable effect -or consequence of the settlement of Anthony’s disciples, _the friars de -Penitentia_, in this town. - -When Anthony was at one time preaching in a temporary building, -constructed of wood, he apprised his audience that the devil was about to -terrify and hurt them, but that no harm would eventually happen to any of -them. Accordingly while he was preaching, the devil untied the ropes by -which the boards were held together, so that the whole erection came -down. But when it might have been expected that many of the persons -assembled would have been crushed to death, or at least maimed, not one -of them was found to have received the smallest hurt!—Another time a -pious woman, much attached to Anthony, who had a son of a reprobate -character, when she was attending one of his sermons the devil came in -the form of a courier, and delivering a letter informed her that her son -was dead. This news threw her, and the audience in general, into such -disorder, that the congregation was breaking up; when Anthony cried out -that the news was not true, that it was the devil that had brought it, -and that the young man was alive, as they would soon be convinced; -accordingly, while he was speaking he entered the place, and the devil -absconded. - -Something more extraordinary than any of the preceding miracles, was -exhibited at Rome. For being required by the pope to preach to a -congregation, consisting of people of very different countries, assembled -for a crusade, they all heard him speak in their different languages, -though he spoke in Italian only.—But the astonishing miracle exhibited at -Rimini, contributed more to the fame of Anthony than all his other -miracles. Preaching in that city, which abounded with heretics, and the -people refusing to hear him, he went to the sea side, followed by a great -crowd; when, the sea being remarkably calm, he addressed himself to the -fishes; saying, “Since men will not hear me, come you and hearken to what -God will tell you by me.” Immediately on this the sea was covered with -the heads of fishes, which with open mouths fixed their eyes on him; and -notwithstanding their hostility to each other, they mildly and humbly (as -it is said) without moving their fins, or making the least motion in the -water, attended to him. After a discourse of some length, he exhorted -them to praise God; and since they could not do it in words shew some -visible signs of reverence. On this they all bowed their heads, moving -them very gently, and with gestures expressive of humility and devotion, -acknowledged their obligation to God, and signified their apt probation -of what had been addressed to them. The spectators greatly amazed (and -well they might: for who could avoid it?) looked sometimes on the fishes, -and sometimes on the preacher; and being reproved by him for their -infidelity, thus upbraided by the mute fishes, they fell on their knees, -asking his pardon, and promising to live and die in the catholic faith. -He then pronounced a blessing, both on the men and the fishes, and they -departed with great joy. {524} - -Such were some of the numerous miracles which Anthony is said to have -worked in his lifetime, exclusive of others said to have been wrought -afterwards at his grave, and which were perhaps no fewer. Of those who -have heard of these mighty and wonderful works of Anthony, the far -greater part in all ages, even to the present day, have believed the -report, and admitted the reality of the miracles: which, however, will -not establish the fact, that they were actually performed, any more than -the faith of the mahometans in the alleged miracles of their pretended -prophet will establish that fact, or prove that the miracles ascribed to -him did really take place. In each case we have a sad specimen of that -easy and miserable credulity by which poor human nature has often most -wretchedly disgraced herself, and unintentionally aided the cause and -triumphs of imposture. Nor will it follow from the abundance of false -miracles that have been heard of, or because the world has been so often -imposed upon by them, that there never have been any real ones; on the -contrary, all counterfeits seem invariably to imply the existence of what -is real and genuine; and that, it is presumed, may be proved to be the -case here. But this is not a place to enter largely upon this subject. - -Anthony had been some years among the Franciscans before he instituted -the order _de Penitantia_, which was in 1221, when he also fixed at -Padua, where he sometimes preached in the open air to 30,000 persons, who -came to hear him from all the neighbouring towns. His discourses, it is -said, had a wonderful effect in converting prostitutes, delivering -prisoners, reconciling enemies, procuring restitution of usury, remission -of debts, &c. He was indefatigable, and preached every day. Many -persons expressing a desire to embrace the order, he was unwilling to -dissolve so many regular marriages, and dispeople the country: he -therefore gave them a rule, according to which they might serve God in a -similar manner in their houses, living in some measure like monks, but -without austerity.—This is the substance of what we have learnt about -this order. He died in the year above mentioned at the age of 36, and -was canonized the next year. We are told that he was ten years among the -Franciscans, if indeed it can be said that he afterwards properly quitted -them for the friars _de Penitentia_ are accounted a 3rd order of -Franciscans. {525a} We are told that they settled at Lynn before the 5th -of Edward I. and that their house here was dissolved by Henry VIII. -{525b} but where it stood cannot now be ascertained. Parkin seemed -inclined to indentify it with the well known convent of the Grey Friars, -but that idea or supposition seems not at all admissible, as our -apparently most accurate accounts of the religious houses dissolved here -represent that of the friars of this order as quite distinct from the -said convent, and this seems corroborated by Parkin’s own assertion, that -“in 1307, Roger Flegg was vicar general of the order of friars de -Penitentia in England at Lenne.” {526a} From the peculiar constitution -of this order it seems rather probable that its houses or convents might -be neither so large nor yet so numerous as those of most of the other -orders. As that at Lynn might be but small, there may not be much reason -to wonder that its site is not now discoverable; that being also the case -with some others of our smaller religious houses.—With all its profound -and extravagant reverence for its founder, St. Anthony, and its unlimited -credulity, or faith in his pretended miracles, this does not appear to be -the worst of the popish orders, but rather one of the better sort of -them, as it seemed earnestly to set its face against many of the -prevailing vices of the times, which must have somewhat checked the -progress of immorality and licentiousness.—These friars might therefore -be of some use here: but if they were so, and did some good, in partially -checking the progress of vice and immorality, is it not also to be -feared, on the other hand, that they did no less, or rather much more -harm, in checking likewise the progress of virtue and true religion, and -promoting to the utmost of their power an intolerant, persecuting, and -antichristian spirit? {526b} That such was really the fact seems -unquestionable; so that these friars had little room to boast of their -good doings. But we will now quit them, and proceed to - -_The_ COLLEGE. This edifice stands near the Town Hall, and is now -inhabited by Mr. _Toosey_, a respectable merchant. It is by far the most -entire, and best preserved of all the religious houses that were here -dissolved; and were popery again to become predominant among us, this -fabrick might be very easily converted or restored to its original -use.—Parkin gives of it a very odd and confused account, as if it had -been a part of the Priory, though somewhat detached from it—“The cell, or -college of priests (says he) was near the Guildhall, and the prior’s -house was somewhat remote from it, by St. Margaret’s Church.” It does -not seem, however, that it had in fact any connection with the said -priory: and it is certainly a place of much later erection; probably by -no less than 3 or 400 years.—Mackerell also takes some slight notice of -it, and says, “Not far from the church was a certain college, founded by -Mr. _Thomas Thorisby_, as by the inscription carved upon the door still -remain . . . _Magistri_ Thome Thorisby, _Fundatoris hujus loci_.” This -Thomas Thorisby, the munificent founder of this college, was one of the -great men of Lynn in the latter part of the 15th century, and for -sometime after, as appears from our lists of Mayors, among whom his name -occurs three different times; 1st in 1477, again in 1482, and lastly in -1502. That he was a magistrate of a serious and religious character, -seems to admit of no doubt; but how many of his successors, including -those of the present day, have thought the better of him for that, is a -question that appears involved in no small uncertainty. The College is -said to have been founded about the year 1500, and it was dissolved about -30 years after, so that it was not long appropriated to the use for which -it was designed by the founder. It does not appear to whom it went at -the dissolution, nor do we know through how many hands, or how many -different families it has passed, from that to the present time. -Latterly, and for many years, it has been the residence successively of -some of our principal mercantile families, without any material change in -its external appearance. Of its original constitution we have not -obtained any particular information, and the above being the substance of -what we have learnt concerning it, our account of it must be here closed. - -Another House, suppressed here at the general dissolution, was St. John’s -Hospital: of which the information we have been able to obtain is very -imperfect and scanty. Its very site, like that of the friars de -Penitentia, seems no longer discoverable; and yet it was evidently, in -its day, a place of some note and consequence here, and had a chapel, or -church, as it is usually called, attached to it. _Fox_, the -martyrologist, mentions St. John’s church, or the church of the Hospital -of St. John, in this town, as one of the places where the memorable _Sir -William Sautre_, parish priest of St. Margaret’s, when taken up for -heresy in the reign of Henry IV. was obliged to read his recantation. -_Parkin_ takes very little notice of it, except quoting what Fox had -said: and the same is the case with _Mackerell_, with this slight -difference, that he in one place hazards a conjecture, that the site of -this church was the same with that of the old grammar school, which was -taken down some years ago. But if the church stood there, the hospital -itself must also, in all probability, have stood close by, if not -contiguous; and that seems not very likely, in so confined a situation. -We know of no existing record that any way corroborates this conjecture, -unless it be a hint in our tables of memorable events, “That in the year -1506, St. Margaret’s church was suspended, and the christenings were -performed in the charnel belonging to St. John’s chapel:” but it seems -too vague and obscure to establish the point. It is indeed very clear -and certain that there did exist here formerly the Hospital and church of -St. John, and that they were suppressed at the general dissolution, but -as we know no more about them, we must here dismiss the subject. - - -SECTION VII. - - -_Account of St. Mary Magdalen’s Hospital_, _the Lazar Houses_, _St. -Lawrence’s Hospital_, _&c._ - -The Hospital of St. Mary Magdalen was one of the most ancient of those -religious houses that were suppressed here by Henry VIII. It is said to -have been founded by Petrus Capellanus, in the reign of King Stephen, in -honour of St. Mary Magdalen. It consisted of a prior and twelve brethren -and sisters; of whom ten, including the prior were sound, and three -unsound, or leprous; some ecclesiastical, and some secular; who were -bound to perform rites and prayers for the souls of certain men who had -departed this life, _viz._ for the soul of Petrus Capellanus their -founder, the souls of popes, bishops, abbots, priors, kings, queens, and -others, their benefactors; as appears by their ancient book of _obiits_ -and _Orisons_, and by the ancient instrument of articles, which the -brethren and sisters were bound to observe: and all, or most of the lands -given to the said hospital were for the maintaining of prayers for the -dead, as appears by divers deeds and charters, without date, of the first -donations of those lands. {531} - -In Mr. Kings MS. Volume there is a larger account of this ancient -hospital than has been given by Mackerell and Parkin. We have there the -ancient instrument of articles, or the fundamental rules of the -fraternity, in Latin, under XVIII heads: annexed to which is the -following account— - - “This Instrument of Articles was made in the year that Petrus - Capellanus died [A.D. 1174.] and himself consented, with the two - archbishops, for ordaining the same.”—Then follows what has been - given by Mackerell, that “this ancient hospital continued in a - prosperous state from its first foundation about 400 years. But - after the statute of 1st Edward VI. was made, for dissolving all - colleges, chauntries fraternities, &c. this, with the lands &c. came - to, and were invested in the crown, by the said statute. The - fraternity, however, was not then broke up or dispersed, and might, - perhaps, have been still continued, but for the breaking out of what - is called Kett’s rebellion. A party of the rebels were encamped at - Rising: and they attacked Lynn, in hopes of surprising it, but being - repulsed and disappointed, they, on their return, fell upon this - hospital, which they violently entered, and not only robbed the poor - people there, and expelled them out of the house, but took away all - their common stock, and rased their chapel and most part of the - buildings there down to the ground: by means of which barbarous - usage, the said hospital was so impoverished, wasted, and spoiled, - that from thence forward it was quite destitute of brethren and - sisters, and utterly relinquished, saving that the mayor and - burgesses of Lynn maintained some poor people there, and endeavoured - to uphold the said ancient hospital, out of their charitable - disposition, for the purposes aforesaid.” {532} - - “Nevertheless (says the author of the MS. account) some covetous - persons, taking advantage of the depressed state of the said - hospital, procured divers letters patents of concealment, from the - crown; some of the site of the same, and some of other parcels of the - lands and possessions belonging to the said hospital, intending to - convert them to their own private lucre. But the said mayor and - burgesses, (still having a great care that the said lands and - possessions should be preserved for charitable uses) did purchase of - some of the concealers the site of the said hospital, and a great - part of the lands thereunto belonging, and at their great costs and - charges supported and defended the same against all other concealers - and their agents, purposing always to erect anew the said hospital, - and employ the revenues thereof for the sustentation of poor people. - - “But finding both by the advice of the king’s councill [counsel] and - their own, that all the said patents of concealment were defective - and utterly void in law, through many imperfections therein, and that - (notwithstanding the said patents) the scite of the said hospital and - the lands and possessions thereof still remained in the - crown—therefore they made humble suit to the king’s majesty [James - I.] for a grant thereof, and, of his Highness’ gracious favour and - pious inclination to works of charity, they obtained Letters Patents - of grant unto the mayor and aldermen, as well of the scite of the - said hospital, as also of the lands, &c. thereunto belonging, who by - the same are created governors thereof, and made a body corporate for - the defence and maintenance of the said hospital new founded by his - majestie.” - -[An abridgement of those Letters Patents, transcribed from the Latin -copy, is here subjoined, and is as follows. - - “JAMES by the grace of God king of England, &c. to all to whom these - Letters shall come, greeting, &c.—Whereas a certain ancient Hospital - or Almshouse was founded and erected in Gaywood, called the House or - Hospital of St. Mary Magdalen—And whereas divers lands, tenements, - and hereditaments, were given and granted for the maintenance and - relief of divers poor and needy men and women therein for ever—And we - being informed, that certain evil minded men, covetously pursuing - their own private lucre, have endeavoured utterly to demolish the - state of the said Hospital, pretending some defect in the foundation - thereof, or that the same have been dissolved—We favouring the - sustentation of the poor, and such like charitable deeds, do of our - special grace, for us, our heirs and successors, grant all that - right, title, &c. which we have or might have in the premises, fully - and graciously to be conferred and extended towards the establishment - of the said Hospital, for poor and infirm men and women to dwell - therein: and for the causes aforesaid the same shall for ever - hereafter be called by the name of The Hospital of St. Mary Magdalen, - of the foundation of king James, consisting of a Master and Warden - and 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, or 5 poor needy men and women, who shall likewise - be called, The Brethren and Sisters of the said Hospital, from - henceforth for ever.—And for the more effectual performance of this - our grant on our part, We have chosen nominated and appointed our - well beloved Peter Tudman to be the first and present warden, or - master of the said hospital, and to continue in the said office for - and during his natural life, unless for some default, trespass, - misdemeanor, &c. omitted or committed by him, contrary to the - constitutions or ordinances hereafter to be made and ordained, he - shall be from thence removed.—And moreover out of our own especial - grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, We have also chosen, - nominated, &c. our well beloved John Tilney and Avis his wife, Isabel - wife of the said Peter Tudman, John Pillow, Alice Briggs, and William - Mason, to be the first and present brethren and sisters of the said - hospital, there to be relieved and maintained during their natural - lives, unless for some fault or misdemeanor they shall from thence be - removed. - - “And that this our pious and charitable intention may take the better - effect, and that the lands, tenements, goods and chattels, and - hereditaments, towards the maintenance of the said hospital and the - warden or master, and the poor brethren and sisters &c. may the more - effectually be given, granted, enjoyed, possessed and disposed, We - will, and by these Letters Patents for us our heirs and successors of - our like special grace &c. do grant ordain and constitute that the - Mayor of our Burgh of King’s Lynn that now is, or hereafter shall be, - and all the aldermen that now are or hereafter shall be, shall, from - henceforth forever be our Body corporate and politique, in deed, - fact, and name, by the title of The Governors of the lands, - tenements, revenues, possessions, and hereditaments of the Hospital - of St. Mary Magdalen upon the Cawsey between Lynn regis and Gaywood, - of the foundation of James king of England, &c.—And by the said name - of Governors, &c. to be always hereafter so called, termed, and - nominated, for ever: and by the same to have perpetual succession, - and to be both able and capable in law to obtain, receive, have, and - possess the manors, lands, tenements, meadows, pastures, feedings, - rents, reversions, remainders, and all other hereditaments - whatsoever, to them and their successors for ever, as well from us - our heirs, &c. as from any person or persons whatsoever; as also all - goods and chattels for the maintenance and relief of the said - hospital, the warden or master, and the poor brethren and sisters - which shall, from time to time, live and be sustained therein.—And we - do likewise by these presents for us and our heirs &c. grant unto - them and their successors to have a common seal for all matters and - businesses concerning the said hospital &c.—And that they by the name - aforesaid may answer and be answered in any of his majesty’s courts - or elsewhere within this kingdom of England. - - “And we will that whensoever it shall happen, that the said master or - any of the said 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, or 5 of the brethren shall die or be - removed, it shall and may be lawful for the said governors (whereof - the mayor to be always one) within 20 days after, to choose another - in their room—And we will and grant that the said Warden or Master - and his successors shall take his corporal oath on the evangelists - for the due performance of his office, before the mayor for the time - being, in the Guildhall of the said Burgh—And we will and grant that - the said governors, or the greatest part of them (whereof the mayor - to be always one) and their successors with the assent and consent of - the bishop of Norwich for the time being, may make and constitute - such and so many good and wholesome statutes, laws, &c. in writing, - as well concerning the celebration of divine service every day in the - said hospital to the honour of God, as for the government, election, - expulsion, punishment and direction of the said master and poor - there, and also concerning their stipends, salaries, liveries, - habits, and all other necessaries whatsoever, as also concerning the - ordinary, preservation, and disposing of all the lands, tenements - &c.—And also may give and grant to the master and poor there, such - useful things as they shall think fit: and may revoke, change, - determine, augment, alter, and make new the same as they think most - convenient; which said statutes, laws, and ordinances, to be made and - constituted as aforesaid we straitly charge and command to be kept - inviolable, from time to time for ever, yet so as the same be not - contrary to the laws and statutes of this kingdom of England. - - “And further for the continual relief and sustentation of the said - hospital we have given and granted, and by these presents do give and - grant to the said governors all the lordships, manors, messuages, - lands, meadows, pastures, feeding-grounds, liberties, franchises and - hereditaments whatsoever, lying in Gaywood, East Lexham, Dunham, - Narford, West Lexham, Westwinch, and Holkham, in our said county of - Norfolk, or any where elsewhere, which formerly were any part of the - possessions of the said hospital, however before this time called or - reputed, and which had not indeed though not by the law alienated, - bargained and sold by the prior, brethren and sisters of the said - hospital, and of which his Highness from the beginning of his reign - had not taken any yearly profits, revenues, or rents.—And further we - do give and grant unto the said governors, &c. To have, hold, and - enjoy all the aforesaid premisses, together with court-leet, - frank-pledge, liberties, franchises, goods and chattels waved of - felons as well as felo de se, as of all other felons, fugitives, - out-lawries, and taken in exigent, or in any other lawful way, right - or title, they shall be convicted, condemned, extrahur deodands and - all rights, jurisdiction, franchises, liberties, privileges, - commodities, advantages, possessions, emoluments and hereditaments - whatsoever, as fully, freely, and absolutely as any prior, brethren - and sisters, as well sound as sick, ever had, held, or enjoyed - heretofore, &c.—To have, hold, and enjoy all the privileges aforesaid - to the only use and behoof of them the said governors, &c., in free, - pure, and perpetual alms, for all rents, services, claims, and - demands whatsoever, to be rendered, paid, or done to us our heirs &c. - And we do likewise give and grant unto them all and singular, issues, - fines, rents, revenues, annual profits whatsoever, of all and - singular the premises aforesaid, whatsoever due before the grant of - these Letters Patent, or within 60 years last past without giving any - account of the same. And further we, our heirs, &c. will for ever - acquit, exonerate, and keep indemnified to the said governors, &c. - all and singular the premises aforesaid, against us our heirs &c. of - and from coridies, rents, fees, annual pensions, portions and sums of - money whatsoever, &c. - - “And we will and straitly charge our Treasurer, Chancellor, and - Barons of our Exchequer, their heirs and successors, and all other - our Receivers, Auditors, Officers and Ministers whatsoever, upon - producing these our Letters Patents, or the enrollment thereof - without any other Breve or Warrant from us, that they make or cause - to be made to the said governors &c. a full and plenary discharge of - all the corodies, fees &c. whatever, for which these our Letters - Patents shall be to them a sufficient warrant and discharge.—And we - will and grant that these our Letters Patents and the enrollment - thereof shall be in all things as firm, strong and good, sufficient - and effectual in law against us, our heirs &c. in all our courts and - elsewhere within out kingdom of England, without any further - confirmation, licence, or toleration from us or our successors to be - procured or obtained.—Notwithstanding the misnaming, misreciting, or - not reciting the aforesaid premisses by these Letters Patents, Or the - not finding only the office or inquisition of the premisses or any - parcel thereof whereby our title ought to be found before the making - of these our Letters Patents, Or the misreciting or misnaming, or not - reciting or not naming any demise or grant of the premisses or any - part thereof, on record or not on record, or any way whatsoever - before this grant:—Or the misnaming or not naming any village, - hamlet, parish, race, or county, in which the premisses or any part - thereof be:—Or the full, true, and certain mention of the names of - the tenements, farmers, occupiers of the premisses or any part - thereof:—Or any defect in the certainty, account, or declaration of - the true yearly value of the same as aforesaid:—or any other defects - in not naming aright any one tenement, farmer, or occupier &c. or the - statute made in parliament in the first year of the late king Edward - VI. our predecessor, or the statute made in parliament in the 18th - year of the late king Henry VIII. our progenitor. - - “And further we will, straitly charge and command the aforesaid - governors &c. that they expend, convert, and apply all and every the - premisses aforesaid towards the relief and maintenance of the master - and poor of the said hospital, and for the repairition and defence of - all and singular the premisses aforesaid, and to no other use and - purpose whatsoever.—Yet so that express mention be made of the true - yearly value, or certainly of the premisses or any part of them, or - any gifts or grants made before this time by us or any of our - predecessors to the governors aforesaid and their successors, or any - statutes, acts, ordinance, provision or restriction to the contrary - before this had made published or ordained in any thing cause or - matter whatsoever notwithstanding.—In Testimony whereof we have - caused these our Letters to be made Patents. Witness ourself at - Westminster this 22d. day of April in the year of our reign of - England, France, and Ireland the 9th and of Scotland the 44th. - - _Per Breve de privato sigillo_. - - “After the grant aforesaid, the mayor and aldermen endeavoured by all - fair means, to prevail with the concealers and usurpers of the many - lands, &c. to yield and deliver up the quiet possession thereof to - them, the said governors, without suit in law; but not able to - succeed therein, they thereupon exhibited a bill of complaints into - [in] the High Court of Chancery, against those who withheld the same, - and had likewise gotten into their hands sundry Deeds, Evidences, - Writings, Charters, Copies of Court Rolls, and Muniments, concerning - the said Hospital, for about thirty years before the king’s majesty’s - Letters Patents: whose names are as follow, viz. Sir Philip - Woodhouse; Thomas Thoresbie Esq.; Henry Bastard, Gent.; Henry Baker, - Gent.; Thomas Baxter; Robert Anderson; Richard Cross; Jefferie Pell; - Robert Large; Robert Trollop; William Simpson, clerk; Robert Say, - junr; Robert Spence, Gent.; Robert Webster; William Collis, als - Glover:—Who having given in their several answers to the said bill, - an order was made by the court, that the complainants should set down - in writing, the particular lands and fold courses by them claimed, - together with the evidences for proof thereof, that the same belonged - to the said hospital, and how much the defendants have of those lands - in their several possessions, &c. which they did as followeth”— - -[The lands, &c. in question, are then particularly specified and -described, being chiefly in East and West Lexham, and Dunham and Gaywood. -They are denominated “_Lands of the Lepers_, or Spittle lands, pertaining -to the brethren and sisters of the House, _called_ THE SPITTLE, upon the -cawsey between Lynn and Gaywood”—the whole amounting to 305 acres—The -complainants having thus specified their claims, the suit went on.] - - “After divers hearings on both sides, in the high court of Chancery, - for about four years together, the plaintiffs being prepared to move - the lord chancellor with all speed for a decree, and for their costs - and damages, Sir Philip Woodhouse defendant, (who had most of the - lands, &c. in his hands,) solicited and intreated Sir H. Hobart, knt. - and bart. Lord chief justice of the Common Pleas, to hear and - determine the cause between them, which being consented to by the - plaintiffs, his lordship gave his opinion, that the plaintiffs had - right to all the lands and foldcourses, in the boundary before - mentioned, in such manner as they have been claimed by them, - excepting the messuage Warm, and 5 acres thereunto adjoining. And - therefore to prevent further suit and expences on both sides, his - lordship advised Sir Ph. Woodhouse to suffer that which he could not - contradict, viz. that a decree should pass of all the lands and - foldcourses (except as before excepted) for the plaintiffs, as in law - and equity it ought to be: but withal mediated and intreated the - counsel of the plaintiffs, in behalf of the said Sir Ph. that in - regard so much of the lands and fold courses as were in the - possession of Sir Philip, did lye so intermixed with his lands, it - would be a great annoyance to him, and little profit to the - plaintiffs, if the same were severed, that therefore it would please - the plaintiff’s counsel to consent that the plaintiffs, after the - decree passed, should make a lease to him of the premises aforesaid - for 99 years, at the yearly rent of 16_l._ viz. their foldcourses at - East Lexham, being in his possession for 10_l._ per annum, and all - their grounds in West Lexham and great Dunham, also in his possession - at 2_s._ 6_d._ for every acre per annum, and that the said Sir Philip - Woodhouse should be discharged of all the rents, issues, and profits - of the said lands and fold courses, for the time past; whereof the - plaintiff’s counsel agreed, and promised to procure the same, which - conclusion on both sides being made known the next day to the lord - Chancellor, by the plaintiff’s counsel, his lordship upon their - motion, ordered and decreed their possession of the said lands and - foldcourses, unto the plaintiff’s, not having any relation to the - said agreement made before the Lord chief justice, as aforesaid, - saving in the exception before excepted, and in the omitting of - damages and costs, which was promised in the last order. - - “Afterwards, that it, upon the feast day of the decollation of St. - John Baptist, next following, Sir Philip Woodhouse came to Lynn, and - in the presence of John Spence, then Mayor, Thomas Oxburgh Esq. - recorder, the aldermen and the rest of the Society then assembled in - the common council house, the said Sir Philip did bring the draught - of a Lease, (perused by the Lord Chief Justice Hobart), of the - Spittle fold course of East Lexham, and of the lands which, by the - mediation of the said lord chief justice, were to be demised by the - mayor and aldermen to the said Sir Philip, a copy of which being - formally delivered to the said mayor, &c. they caused the same to be - engrossed on a pair of Indentures to that purpose, bearing date 17 - May, 1615, then last past, (upon which day the last order for the - decree was made) which Indentures were openly read, sealed, and - delivered interchangeably in the said council house the said day of - the decollation, being the election day for the succeeding mayor. - The said Sir Ph. sent a fat buck, and gave his honourable promise, - that he and his heirs should every year after, during the time of his - Lease, give a like fat buck to every mayor for the time being towards - their festival upon the said day; which was, for sometime, faithfully - performed.—About a year after a Lease was granted by the mayor, &c. - of all those their fold courses, foldage, and sheep pasture in the - town of great Dunham for 250 sheep, to be goeing, fed, and depastured - in and upon all the common, and common pasture fields and amble - grounds there, as well demesnes as otherwise, anciently accustomed, - to Sir Thomas Hogan, Henry Bastard, Henry Barker, Thomas Baxter, - Thomas Burton, for 21 years, from Lady day 1616, for 10_l._ per - annum, free and clear from all manner of quit rents and charges - whatsoever. Both which sheep walks, with the lands thus demised, - were anciently in Lease to the lords of the manor of East Lexham, - from the old hospital, under the yearly rent of 20_s._ 4_d._ as - appears by two ancient rentals, [copies of which are preserved in Mr. - King’s MS. and are here given in the note below. {544}]—The flocks of - the lords of Dunham went and were depastured in and upon the common - of Dunham—as more appeareth by an ancient survey upon oath, both of - the freehold and copyhold tenants, made in the 4th Edward 2. which is - in the hands of Henry Bastard, Gent. now [i.e. about 1724] Lord of - the manor of Great Dunham.” - -[A true copy of which subjoined: it is in Latin, and too long to be -inserted here, as it fills near four folio pages.] - -After some recapitulation, by way of summary, of the above account, the -writer proceeds to treat of the then present state of the hospital (i.e. -now near a 100 years ago) and he observes again, - - “that the house was first granted by the founder for the society of a - prior and 12 men and women, called _brethren and sisters_, by which - last style and title it was again newfounded by the aforesaid Letters - Patents of K. James I. as appears by the 6th paragraph thereof. But - this mixture or medley of sexes being not afterwards well and rightly - approved of, it have been since thought necessary to alter and change - the same {546a} and instead thereof to establish a _sisterhood only_, - consisting of a master and eleven poor widows, {546b} who have - formerly lived well and creditably in the world; but are not usually - admitted under the age of sixty.” {546c} - -The above account was probably taken from the _MS. vellum book_, which -Parkin mentions, {546d} and is supposed still to exist among the town -archives. It appears to have been written in 1617, under the sanction of -the then mayor, recorder, and aldermen, and bears date on St. John’s day -that year, when _John Wallis_ was mayor, _Richard Stonham_, mayor elect, -_Thomas Oxburgh_, recorder, and the following made up the remainder of -the then magistrates, or aldermen, viz. _Thomas Baker_, _Thomas Gibson_, -_John Spence_, _Matthew Clerk_, _John Atkyn_, _Thomas Soame_, _John -Wormell_, _Thomas Leighton_, _William Doughty_, _William Atkyn_, and -_Thomas Gurlyn_.—As these seem to be the persons who had been so active, -a few years before, in recovering the lands belonging to our Magdalen -Hospital, and in promoting the reestablishment and perpetuation of that -charity, their names are worthy of being kept in remembrance; for they -certainly deserved well of their country, and especially of the town of -Lynn. The above law-suit, which they so successfully carried on, appears -to have been one of the most justifiable and commendable of any that this -corporation has ever been engaged or concerned in. Some of our -corporation law-suits in more modern times were, it seems, of a different -character. - -For more than thirty years after the date of king James’ Letters Patents, -and till sometime after the commencement of the civil wars, things went -on well with our Magdalen Hospital, or Gaywood Almshouse. Its subsequent -history, down to some part of the last century, is given by Mackerell, as -follows—{547} - - In the year 1643 this hospital suffered another dissolution, being - purposely burnt down, when the Earl of Manchester came with the - parliament forces to besiege the town of Lynn, at that time - fortified, and standing out for the king, whereby it was then become - utterly dissolved for some time.—But in the year 1649 the corporation - being obliged to build it anew, which is very commodiously done, as - it now appears, with two courts, {548} a chapel, and convenient - apartments for the master, brethren, and sisters to dwell in, it was - thought fit to put up the two following Inscriptions in proper - places, to denote the occasion of this last disaster. The first is - over the arch, upon a square free stone, as you enter into the second - court, [and reads thus.] - - THIS HOSPITAL WAS BURNT DOWN - AT LYNN SIEGE, AND REBUILT - 1649, NATH. MAXEY MAYOR, AND - EDW. ROBINSON Alderman and Treasurer. - - [The other] inscription, with the arms of the corporation in a shield - over it, is engraven on a marble stone, which is affixed over the - portal next the road, [and is as follows.] - - THOMAS RIVET, MAYOR, - ANNO 1650. E. R. - - Thus after divers revolutions we now see it again erected, - established, and committed to the care and management of two of the - elder aldermen of the corporation, chosen and appointed annually from - among the rest of their brethren, the governors, for that purpose, - who with their joint advice and consent, ordain rules and orders for - the better guidance and direction of the society; as may be seen - fairly written in a Table hanging constantly up in the chapel, - whereby every one of the members is obliged to be present to hear - divine service daily read by the Master, after the tolling of the - bell, and not to neglect their duty in attending, (unless upon just - cause to be given to the master) under the penalty, or mulct - prescribed in the said order.—The improvement of the lands and - revenues of the hospital have been so far advanced of late [1724] by - the provident and prudent management of the two last worthy - gentlemen, the two deputed governors thereof, that the poor have now - an addition to their former salaries, of twelve pence per week to the - master, and sixpence to each of the women, or sisters; and it is to - be hoped they may in a little time be yet further advanced. {549}—The - parish church which they are appointed to resort to on Sundays, is - that of Gaywood, in which [parish] this hospital is situated, where - they have a convenient pew, purposely provided for them to sit in: - but they may go to any other church or chapel at Lynn, or elsewhere, - when and as often as they please.—So much shall suffice to have been - spoken of this ancient hospital, being without the walls and limits - of the borough of king’s Lynn, though wholly depending on the - corporation there. {550} - -From the date of the above account (which seems to be brought down to -1737, when Mackerell’s work was published) to the present time, our -information concerning the said hospital is not so correct, particular, -or ample as we could wish.—It appears however, that divers changes have -taken place from time to time since king James’s grant was obtained: -first from a mixed society of brethren and sisters to that of _sisters -only_: at first, it seems, these sisters were to be _all widows_, but -latterly there is said to have been a departure from that plan, and _old -maids_ have been admitted, in some instances, as well as widows; which -seems not at all objectionable. Changes also, of course, there have been -in the weekly allowances of the respective pensioners; but not (at least -during the present reign) in proportion to the changes in the price of -the necessaries of life. Half a Crown a week, which was the allowance a -hundred years ago, was to the full as good as ten or twelve shillings a -week now: and yet the poor women during any part of this long jubilee -reign (when the _shilling_ has sunk in value to _three-pence_, or a -_groat_, at most) never had above five shillings a week, till the -commencement of the present year: Nor had they been long in the receipt -of even so much as five shillings, or more than _four and sixpence_ a -week, which was their stated allowance for sometime till within these -very few years. They must have been, therefore, till this present year, -and during most part of this long reign of boasted prosperity and glory, -in a very unenviable, miserable, ragged, and half starving condition, -although the acting governor was generally a man of fortune: and a late -one immensely so; but they never fared worse than under his inspection, -for his humanity or charity did not appear to be commensurate with his -wealth. In short it is well for these poor pensioners that the acting -government of their house is at present in the hands of a gentleman that -seems determined to do them justice, and promote their comfort and -happiness to the utmost of his power. - -As to the _four Lazar Houses_, or Lepers Hospitals, paid to have been -suppressed here at the general dissolution, it is likely that one of them -was attached to, or connected with our Magdalen Hospital, for it appears -to have been _partly_ founded for unsound or leprous persons. This -therefore may be supposed to have been one of those four suppressed -houses. Of the other three, one was probably at _West Lynn_, one at -_Cowgate_, and the other at _Hardwick_. The disease, for the relief of -those afflicted with which these houses were founded, is said to have -been introduced, or brought from the East into this country, and to -Europe, by the madbrained crusaders, who became many ways a terrible -grievance and pest to their respective countries and nations. It was a -proof, certainly, of the humanity of our countrymen, in those times, that -houses were erected and endowed for the reception and relief of persons -afflicted with so grievous and incurable a disorder. So little do we -know about the order, or economy, or laws of these Lazar Houses, that we -must here necessarily dismiss the subject. - -Of the _Hospital of St. Lawrence_ very little is known, except that it -was one of the four Lazar houses and stood at Hardwick, or _Herdwyk Dam_, -as Parkin calls it. He says - - “that in the 11th of Edward III. Matthew Herlewine conveyed by fine - and trust to Thomas Duraunt, parson of Clenchwarton; William Duraunt - of South Lynn, and John Kervyle of Wygenhale (along with other - possessions) the advowson of the hospital of St. Lawrence at Herdwyk - Dam, together with the rents, homages, services, &c. of the master of - the said hospital, of the prior of Wirmegey, the prior of Westacre, - and of John de Lenn.” - -He also says, that— - - “John Duraunt Esq. granted to Robert Synkclere and Agnes his wife the - hospital, or house of lepars, with the chapel of St. Lawrence situate - on the cawsey of Hardwyke, by Lenne, with the appertenances for their - lives, from the feast of St. Michael in 27 Henry VI. paying to him, - his heirs and assigns, for every brother and sister entering into the - said hospital, and made by the said Robert and Agnes, 20_d._ and it - shall not be lawful for the said John, his heirs &c. to put in or - out, any brother or sister during the lives of the aforesaid Robert - and Agnes.” - -He further informs us, that— - - “in 17 Edward, IV. Edmund Bedingfeld, lord of the manor of Hall - Place, (in the hamlet of Seche Parva, in South Lynn) and in a court - held of the said manor, grants to _John Norris_, {553a} vicar of - South Lynn, the scite of the Hospital of St. Lawrence (which was then - burnt) till it was rebuilt.” {553b} - - - -SECTION VIII. - - -_Of the Red Mount_, _and our Lady’s Chapel there—also her Chapel by the -Bridge which still bears her name—St. Ann’s Chapel_, _with those of St. -Catherine_, _St. Laurence_, _&c._ - -From the particular situation of the Red Mount, (on the _out-side_ of the -town-walls, and within the wet foss which flanked those walls,) there can -be little doubt of its being once a small fortress, or fortified and -castellated place; so that it might without much impropriety be -denominated _a castle_. What will further corroborate this opinion is a -fact noticed among our remarkable or memorable occurrences, that in 1469 -king Edward IV. came to Lynn with a great retinue, and was lodged in this -place; from which it may be very naturally inferred and concluded, that -it was then well fortified; for the king in his then situation, -(retreating before Warwick,) would hardly have been lodged without the -walls in an unfortified place. From the same premises it may be likewise -fairly inferred, that it was also a _large_ and _sumptuous_ -structure—Edward’s numerous retinue requiring it to be of the former -description, and his royal dignity of the latter: had it been _small_ it -could not have accommodated so large a company, and had it been _mean_, -the _king_ would not have been lodged there—{554} But however strong, -large, or sumptuous the edifice on the Red Mount then was, most of it has -long ago disappeared, and the little that now remains is chiefly the -chapel, which was once of considerable celebrity, but is now in a -dilapidated state. Of this curious piece of antiquity, one of the most -remarkable that Lynn can boast of, the following description has lately -appeared in a popular and respectable work, which we have often before -referred to— - - “At the eastern extremity of the town is a curious ancient building, - called THE LADY’S CHAPEL, or _The Red Mount_. It has been - erroneously named a _castle_, but is evidently an ecclesiastical - structure. {555a} It consists of an octagonal wall of red brick and - is constructed on a very singular plan, of which, perhaps, not a - similar example is to be found in the kingdom. Within the exterior - wall is a handsome cruciform chapel, measuring from east to west - seventeen feet seven inches, by fourteen from north to south, and - thirteen in height. The roof is formed of stone, with numerous - groins, &c. and exactly resembles the much admired ceiling of King’s - College Chapel, Cambridge. This curious building is in a dilapidated - state, and it is much feared will soon fall a victim to neglect and - wantonness. Such a singular edifice should be carefully preserved, - and as the expence to effect this would be trivial, it is hoped the - corporation, to whom it belongs, will not neglect it, and thereby - entail on themselves the perpetual reproaches of history, and the - lasting censures of antiquarian record.” {555b} - - [Picture: Our Lady’s Chapel on the Red Mount] - -At what time this notable fabrick was erected, does not appear; but we -may pretty safely conclude that it was at a period subsequent to the -conquest, and perhaps not before the 12th or 13th century. It appears to -have been dissolved, or laid by, at the reformation, and it was defaced, -as Parkin says, before the 3rd of Elizabeth. As there has been little or -no attention bestowed upon it ever since that time, it is no wonder that -it should be now in so ruinous a state. It has been often said that this -place was, in its day, the receptable of the pilgrims, in their way to, -and from Walsingham. If so, it amounts to a pretty good proof, that it -was very capacious, and well endowed, or furnished with ample revenues; -for the pilgrims to Walsingham, like those to Loretto, swarmed on all the -roads that led thither; but on no road more, or perhaps so much as that -through Lynn, as all the devout people from the northern and north -western parts of the kingdom must have passed this way, perhaps by -hundreds at a time. That house must have been both large and wealthy, -that could lodge and entertain such hosts of travellers.—Another reason -for pilgrims frequenting our chapel on the Mount might be, because there -was there also an image of the Virgin, which had attained to some -celebrity; not indeed like that at Walsingham, {556} but evidently beyond -any thing of the kind at Lynn. We may therefore be very sure that the -holy travellers to Walsingham would pay a greater regard to the chapel of -our Lady on the Mount than to any other religions place in this town. It -has been observed before, that the offerings to this image of the Virgin -on the Mount exceeded sometimes the offerings to all our other images and -in all our other religious houses here, numerous as they were. In short, -we may venture to affirm, that in former days no one place in Lynn was of -greater note or celebrity than the Red Mount, and especially our Lady’s -Chapel and Image there. - -Of the _Chapel of our Lady on the Bridge_, we know much less than of that -on the Mount, though our knowledge of the latter also is but very -imperfect. When the former was erected, whether before or after the -other, or why there should be two chapels in this town dedicated to the -Virgin, are questions which we are unable to resolve. They were both -probably more ancient than some of our other religious houses: but they -were dissolved, or laid by at the same time with most of the rest. They -were probably demolished not long after, and this on the bridge much more -entirely than the other. Parkin says, that this chapel was defaced -before the reign of Elizabeth, as appears by an inquisition taken in her -third year. Our Lady’s Gild in Lynn had seemingly some connection with -this chapel, as well as with that on the Mount; but we know too little of -the constitution and circumstances of that ancient fraternity to -pronounce any thing positively on this head. {558} Some small remains of -this chapel, converted into a little dwelling, stood, till very lately, -on the eastern side of the bridge; but when the said bridge was widened, -by order of the paving-act commissioners, those remains were entirely -removed, and there is no longer one stone upon another of that -consecrated and venerated fabrick, or the least sign or indication, -except in the name of the bridge, that such an edifice ever stood -there.—The modern substitutes for this and the other ancient chapels, -here suppressed and demolished, are _four_ very decent and commodious -dissenting meeting houses; one in New Conduit Street, one in Clough Lane, -and two in Broad Street; all, or most of them, at present pretty well -attended. Of each of which a particular account shall be given in the -course of this work. - -Of St. _Ann’s Chapel_ very little is at present known. That it stood -somewhere near St. _Ann’s Fort_, and that the latter took its name from -it, can scarcely be doubted. The stones that are still to be seen in -some of the adjacent walls did once, in all probability, belong to this -ancient consecrated structure. {559} We have, however, no reason to -suppose that it was a very large edifice, but rather one of our smaller -size chapels, like that of _our Lady on the Bridge_, and some others. It -probably stood contiguous to other houses, without any yard, or -burying-ground adjoining; which may be one, and, perhaps, the chief -reason, why its site has so entirely disappeared, so as to baffle, or -render fruitless every attempt to discover the exact spot on which it -stood. All that can now be fairly concluded is, that it must have been -somewhere near the Fort. - -The site of _St. Catherine’s Chapel_ seems to be involved in still -greater uncertainty than even that of St. Ann. By something that the -present writer has somewhere met with, he has been led to think, that -this chapel stood without the East Gates, and at no great distance; but -as he cannot now recollect upon what he founded that opinion, he will not -take upon him here to defend it, or assert that the chapel actually stood -there. Parkin owns that he did not know where it stood, but says that it -was defaced before the 3rd of Elizabeth, as appears by an inquisition -then taken. He also says that it is “mentioned in 1497, and the charity -Gyld of the town of Lenn,” which, as he supposes, may allude to our -houses of lepers. But those houses were probably not under the direction -of any one of the gilds, but rather of a particular religious order, -called _the order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem_; of which, however, we -know not enough to give here a particular account of it. But as to the -chapel in question, Parkin further informs us that “in 5 Richard II. -Henry le Despencer, bishop of Norwich, wrote a letter to Roger Paxman, -mayor, and to the burgesses of Lynn, wherein he desires that they would, -for the love they bore for the bishop, grant part of the _house of St. -Catherine_ to one John Consolif, late servant to his brother, the lord le -Despencer, there to live a solitary life, upon the alms of the good -people; the other part of the house belonging to the archdeacon of -Norwich, being before granted to the said John Consolyf.” {560} This -shews that there was here formerly a House or Hospital, as well as a -Chapel, dedicated to St. Catherine; to which house or hospital, in all -probability, the said chapel belonged: but whether they pertained to our -Lazarettos, or were founded for some other purposes, it is very difficult -now to determine. Beside this chapel of St. Catherine, there was here -another chapel dedicated to her, in the church of the friars preachers, -or Dominicans: {561a} but this was nothing very remarkable, as we had -here also more than one chapel dedicated to the Trinity, as well as to -the blessed virgin, if not likewise to some others. - -The _Chapel of St. Lawrence_, (like those of St. Catherine and St. John) -appears to have belonged to the _Hospital_ of the same name, and -therefore must have stood at Hardwick, contiguous, probably, or very near -to the said hospital. That house being one of our Lazarettos, its use, -or designation is sufficiently obvious. We learn from Parkin, - - “that John Duraunt Esq. in the 27 Henry VI. granted to Robert - Synkclere and Agnes his wife the hospital, or house of lepars, with - the _chapel of St. Lawrence_ situate on the cawsey of Hardwyke, by - Lynn—Also that William Walton, Esq. and Catherine, his wife, daughter - and heiress of the said John Duraunt Esq. conveyed by fine, in - Hillary term, 36th year of the same reign, to Sir Thomas Tudenham, - knight, the _advouson of the chapel of St. Lawrence_, with the manor - of Hall Place, and divers other possessions. {561b} This chapel - seems therefore to have been an endowed place, whose advouson was - deemed an object of no trivial consideration. The hospital to which - it belonged, as well as the rest of our Lazar houses, may be supposed - to have been in some sort of subjection to the master of the order of - St. Lazarus, whose chief residence, or station, appears to have been - at Burton Lazars, in Leicestershire. Parkin mentions a remarkable - deed which he had seen, whereby brother Richard de Sulegrave, knight, - master of the whole order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, and all the - brethren of the said order, dwelling at Burton, by common assent and - council of the whole chapter, grant to Alan de Kele, burgess of Lenn, - his heirs and assigns, a certain piece of land, called Lazar Hill, - lying by the common wall of the said village, containing 7 perches - and 7 feet in breadth, on the north side; and 10 perches and 14 feet, - on the south side; 5 perches and half broad, on the east side; 6 - perches broad in the middle, and 7 on the west side, &c. {562} This - seems, by the names of the witnesses, to have been as early as the - reign of king John. “This piece of land,” (our author adds) “I find - afterwards in the hands of Rd. Spany and John de Teryngton, in the - reign of Richard II.” - -But the present writer is not able to point out this remarkable spot, or -yet to describe the nature and extent of that jurisdiction which the -master and chapter of the order of St. Lazarus had over the Lynn -Lazarettos. - -Most if not all the rest of the smaller chapels were attached to, or -connected with our different churches and convents, of which several -belonged to St. Margaret’s church: we will therefore give here no -separate account of them. Such little chapels and chauntries were pretty -numerous here, and mark the character of the inhabitants, and -particularly the most devout part of them, in those times. There was -here also in former ages, at least one {563a} _hermitage_, or retreat of -an anchoret, and that was at the Crouch, or _Crutch_, as it is now -commonly called. Of this remarkable place, and its adjacent cross, -Parkin gives the following account— - - “The mayor and commonalty petition William (Bateman) bishop of - Norwich, begging his favour towards John Puttock, to admit him as a - hermit, who had, in the bishop’s marsh by Lenn, on the sea shore, in - a certain place, called Lenn Crouch, made a cave there, till he could - build himself a proper mansion; purposing, as he declares, to spend - all his time, by your permission and license, in the service of God - there: and the said John Puttock has there erected a certain - remarkable cross, of great service for all shipping coming that way, - of the height of 110 feet, at his own great cost and charge.” {563b} - -This occurred as long ago as 1349. To our thinking the Crutch must be a -most improper and strange place for a hermitage, where people are -continually passing and repassing, and those, at least many of them, some -of the rudest and most lawless of the whole population. How the hermits -did there in popish times we know not, but we are apt to think that they -would not fare very comfortably there in this protestant age. - - -SECTION IX. - - -_Account of St. James’s Chapel_ (now the Workhouse) _from its first -erection_, _in the twelfth century_, _to the present time_. - -The founder of this chapel, as well as that of St. Nicholas, according to -our best accounts, was WILLIAM TURB, or _Turbus_, alias _De Turba Villa_, -or _Turbeville_, the third bishop of Norwich, who was promoted to that -see in 1146, {564a} in the reign of king Stephen. It was probably built -before the end of that reign, as Parkin refers to a certain charter of -that bishop, which proves that it was in being at the commencement of the -next reign. {564b} Both this of St. James and that of St. Nicholas were -chapels of ease to the church of St. Margaret. These three churches had -in those times abundance of officiating priests, or chaplains. The great -fraternity, called _Trinity Gild_, alone, maintained no less than -_thirteen_; six for St. Margaret’s, _four_ for St. Nicholas’s, and -_three_ for St. James’s. {564c} How many they had besides, does not -appear; but they had, no doubt, several more. This chapel is said to -contain in length five score feet, and in breadth 24 feet; exclusive of -the cross aisle, and a chapel attached to it, dedicated to the Trinity. -The altar of St. Lawrence stood somewhere in this chapel, and, at the -east end of it, an image of our Saviour, to which devout folks were wont -to bring their offerings. A particular division of the town appears to -have been at one time consigned or appropriated to the officiating -services of the chaplains or clergy of this chapel, comprehending, -probably, all on the sides next to it of Damgate, Broadstreet, -Blackboystreet and Codlin lane. St Nicholas’s clergy appear also to have -had appropriated to them another division of the town: hence we find, -that— - - “on Friday before the feast of St. Tiburtius and Valerian, in the - 35th of Edward III. it was ordered by the commonalty, assembled in - the Guild hall, that the clerks of St. James’s in Lynn, for the - future, shall carry the _holy water_ from the East Gate of Lynn, - through all the south part of Damgate, and through the whole street - called Webster’s row; and that the clergy or clerks of St. Nicholas’ - shall likewise carry from the aforesaid gate through all the north - part of the aforesaid street of Damgate.” {565a} - - [Picture: The work-house formerly the Chapel of St. James] - -At the general dissolution this chapel was, it seems, laid by, and shut -up, which appears an odd and unaccountable circumstance, as it had not -any connection with the convents, being merely a parochial place of -worship. We are told that it was pulled down, all but the cross aisle, -in 1549, (by order of the mayor and corporation, it is supposed,) when it -had four bells, which were worth, with the bell of the charnel-house, -CC_l._ We are further told, “that there did also, in the mean time, -belong to the said chapel and charnel-house, stone, iron, and glass, to -the value of one hundred marks: also timber and lead to the value of -300_l._ also plate, jewels, and stock, to the value of 200_l._ also -certain lands and tenements in Lynn, to the yearly value of 5_l._” {565b} -All this property appears to have come into the hands of the mayor and -corporation; not very fairly and honourably, it seems; for we find that -it rather belonged to the Dean and Chapter of Norwich, who, about -seventeen years after, on what occasion does not appear, relinquished -their right and claim to it, by a formal deed to that purpose, a copy of -which is given below. {566a} This was about the year 1566. {566b} From -that period it lay, probably, in ruins till 1581, when it was, at the -expense of the corporation, prepared and made a place for the manufacture -of bays, &c.—How long it was occupied for that purpose is not said; but -we learn that the undertaking did not succeed.—About a century after, in -the year 1682, it was repaired and fitted up, by the liberal benefactions -of the corporation and principal inhabitants, and converted into a -hospital, or workhouse for fitly decayed old men, women, and poor -children; a good endowment and provision being made for their work, -instructions, and maintenance, and for putting the children out to -trades.—On that occasion were made and adopted the following - - “_Rules_, _Ordinances_ and _Statutes_ made and established by the - mayor and burgesses of the burgh of King’s Lynn in the county of - Norfolk, for the good government of the Hospital or Workhouse of St. - James, there erected and founded, and of the children’s being, and to - be placed therein.—_Imprimis_, That the children be instructed in - their duty towards God, and in good manners.—That the master for the - time being shall cause the children every Lord’s day, both in the - forenoon and afternoon, constantly to repair to the parish church of - St. Margaret, diligently to attend divine service and sermons - there.—That some fit person, to be elected by the mayor and - burgesses, shall daily read the prayers and collects appointed for - that purpose in the chapel of the said house, every morning by eight - of the clock, and every evening by four of the clock precisely, all - the children there attending with becoming reverence.—That such - person, after prayers so read at the times aforesaid, shall teach the - children to read for the space of one hour and an half, twice in the - day, by calling together four at a time, and no more, whilst the rest - are at work.—That such person every Sunday, after divine service in - the afternoon, calling all the said children into the chapel, shall - instruct them in the church Catechism appointed for children, for the - space of one hour, concluding with the prayers and collects. - - “ITEM, _For their Recreation and Correction_. That the children be - kept at work between our _Lady_ and _Michaelmas_ from Six of the - clock in the morning till Twelve at noon; and between _Michaelmas_ - and _our Lady_ from Eight till twelve, and in all afternoons from One - to Seven: the time for prayers, reading, and refreshment, excepted. - That on festivals and holy-days observed by the church, and every - Thursday after three in the afternoon, they be allowed reasonable - recreation. That for offences committed, gentle and moderate - chastisement be given; and such as will not thereby be reformed, be - sent to the house of correction, to be there punished. - - “ITEM, _For their Diet_, _Cloaths_, _Firing_, and _necessary - Provisions_. That three days in the week they have once in the day - competent allowance of flesh meat hot, and three other days like - allowance of other hot provision, to be ready at twelve at noon; and - on the other day fit provision; as also a reasonable breakfast and - supper every day of the week. That all sorts of provision, bread, - beer, and meat, and all other victuals, be good, fresh, and - wholesome. That once every year, a month before Christmas, they be - allowed new suits of cloaths of the usual colours, and new shifting, - shoes, and stockings, so often as it shall be necessary and - convenient, and washing allowed them. That out of six chaldron of - coals to be allowed to the master, a convenient fire be kept in the - working-room all the cold season of the year. That such children as - shall appear to be sick, be removed into a room for that purpose; and - if any be infirm, or taken with contagious distempers (such as are - catching) that special care be taken to lodge them apart from the - others. - - “ITEM, _For the Visitation_, _Overseeing_, _Defraying necessary - charges_, and _Regulation of Abuses_. That on the usual day of - electing the corporation officers in every year, the mayor, aldermen, - and common-council, or the major part of them, shall elect and choose - _three_ discreet and fitting persons to be _governors_ of the same - Hospital, or Workhouse, for the year from _Michaelmas_ thence next - ensuing, whose care shall be to inspect and oversee the same, and the - children therein, from time to time; and to order and direct all - expences, charges, payments, and disbursements concerning the same; - and to see and cause all the rules, ordinances, and statutes thereof - to be put in due execution.—That all gifts, benevolences, - contributions, payments, and sums of money whatsoever, now or - hereafter to be made and given to the same Hospital or Workhouse, or - the poor children therein, shall from time to time be paid into the - hands of such governors; and a true account thereof, and of all - expences, charges, payments and disbursements concerning the same, - shall yearly be made and audited on the usual day appointed for - auditing the accompts of the mayor and burgesses.—That a book be - kept, wherein all gifts and benevolences, that have been or shall - hereafter be given to, or bestowed on the said Hospital or Workhouse, - or the poor children therein, shall be fairly registered, to be kept - in the said chapel.—That one other book be kept, wherein the names or - times of placing or removing of all masters and poor children of the - same Hospital or Workhouse shall be entered and recorded.—That a - sufficient chest or box be provided, with two locks, for the reposing - and safe keeping therein the _Deeds of Foundation_, _Endowment_, and - other writings, that do or shall belong thereunto, as also the - _common seal_ of the said Hospital, or Workhouse; one key whereof to - remain with the mayor of this burgh for the time being, the other - with the senior governor thereof.—That the mayor, aldermen, and - common-councilmen, or so many as shall think fit, by appointment of - the mayor for the time being, shall four times in every year, or - oftener if need require, visit the said hospital or workhouse, for - the better encouragement thereof, and discovering abuses that may be - committed contrary to these rules and ordinances.” {570} - - “The first Collection among the inhabitants towards this charitable - design, and preparing this chapel, amounted to the sum of 406_l._ - 1_s._ 6_d._—The Corporation also made an order among themselves, That - every Alderman new elected should pay at his admittance 10_l._ and - every common-council-man 20 nobles, which, to the year ending at Lady - day 1724, amounted to 726_l._ 13_s._ 4_d._ The legacies of persons - deceased (besides other benefactions) given to the same” [up to the - above specified time] “amounted to 90_l._ 0_s._ 0_d._—In all 1222_l._ - 14_s._ 10_d._—They also endowed it with 20_l._ _per annum_.” {571a} - -For some reason, to us unknown, the above order of things did not long -continue. In the course of a few years another revolution took place: -most, if not all the above regulations were repealed, or laid aside, and -the house, by an act of parliament, was consigned to the superintendence -and management of the _Guardians of the Poor_. {571b} That act passed in -1701, the 12th of William III. _For erecting Hospitals and Workhouses in -King’s Lynn_. It contains, as Mackerell observes, the following clause— - - “_The Workhouse_, _founded by the mayor and burgesses_, _called_ St. - James’s Workhouse, _and all lands_, _tenements_, _rents_, _revenues_, - _goods_, _and chattels_, _belonging to the same_, _are by this act - vested and settled in the_ guardians of the poor, and their - successors.” {571c} - -We are further told, that by another clause in this act, it was to -continue in force _only so long as the rates did not exceed what had been -paid towards the __maintenance of the poor_, _for any one of the then -three last years_. {572} That excess, no doubt, took place pretty soon, -though we have not learnt the exact year when it so happened: and yet the -guardians, it seems, long after, and even till very lately, acted under -that same obsolete law; a conduct which may be thought not altogether -justifiable or defensible. But as the proverb says, that “half a loaf is -better than no bread,” so they might judge that an obsolete law was -better than no law. However that was, one would think that they must -cease to be guardians, when the law that constituted them such lost its -authority, or ceased to be in force. - -From the period when the superintendence and management of St. James’s -Hospital were committed to the guardians, it appears to have become the -proper poor house of St. Margaret’s parish, and general workhouse of the -town.—Of the exact state and regular variations of the poor rates in Lynn -during the first sixty years, and more, after the above act had passed, -we have but little knowledge; but _for the last forty years_ our -information is much more extensive and authentic. During this period our -poor-rates, or what we have raised for the support of the poor, have -increased _tenfold_, and the number of paupers _four_ or _five fold_.—In -1770 these rates amounted to only 976_l._—In 1796 they amounted to -7713_l._—and in 1809 to about, or near 9000_l._ and the whole -expenditure, up to the end of January in the present year, (1810) to the -enormous sum of 10,243_l._ 10_s._ 3_d._—for, after the manner of our -superiors, who sit above at the helm, we manage and contrive that our -outgoings should exceed our income.—The following statements of our -out-door expenditure in two different years, (the first and the last of -the above period,) extracted from Mr. Grisenthwaite’s Remarks, p. 19 and -20, may throw some further light upon this subject. - -Abstract of _Out-door Expenditure_ in 1770, as published by order of the -Court of Guardians. - - No. of families Wards. No. of Cash paid to each - in each ward. persons. ward weekly. - _l._ _s._ _d._ - 30. 1. North End 78 2. 14. 0. - Ward - 6. 2. Kettlewell 9 0. 7. 6. - ditto - 5. 3. Trinity 16 0. 9. 6. - Hall ditto - 5. 4. Jews’ Lane 10 0. 11. 6. - ditto - 13. 5. Paradise 34 l. 6. 0. - ditto - 26. 6. Sedgeford 41 1. 18. 6. - Lane ditto - 19. 7. Stonegate 34 1. 13. 0. - ditto - 20. 8. Chequer 41 1. 6. 6. - ditto - 8. 9. New Conduit 17 0. 11. 6. - ditto - In St. James’s 0. 2. 6. - Workhouse - 131. Total as 280. 10. 19. 6. {573} - establishment - account. - -Abstract of Out-door Expenditure in 1809, as published by order of the -Court (or corporation) of Guardians. - - No. of families Wards. No. of Cash paid to each - in each ward persons. ward weekly. - _l._ _s._ _d._ - 85. North End 172. 9. 19. 9. - Ward - 44. Kettlewell 78. 5. 16. 0. - ditto - 58. Paradise 141. 8. 18. 6. - ditto - 36. Jews’ Lane 99. 5. 10. 6. - ditto - 44. New Conduit 91. 6. 12. 0. - ditto - 58. Chequer 120. 9. 2. 6. - ditto - 33. Trinity Hall 64. 5. 2. 6. - ditto - 76. Sedgeford 158. 10. 9. 6. - Lane ditto - 80. Stonegate 150. 12. 0. 0. - ditto - 514. Weekly 1050. 75. 11. 3. - Allowance - Sick poor 60. 8. 17. 0. - Illegitimate 39. 3. 13. 9. - _Total_. 1149. 88. 1. 9. {574} - -The difference between the latter and the former of the above Statements, -in so short a period, comprehending only a part of the present prosperous -reign, and what some seem to deem the most blessed and glorious part of -if, must be exceedingly remarkable and wonderful. In 1770 the rates of -the town were only 4_s._ in the pound on the rent, raising an annual -revenue of 976_l_; of which 579_l._ were appropriated for the use of the -out door poor, leaving only 397_l._ for the maintenance of the Workhouse -and all other contingent expences. Thus the total expenditure of the -House was then only 397_l_; now it is 3496_l._ 3_s._ 5_d._—Then the total -annual expenditure for both the in-door and out-door poor was only -976_l_; now it is above 10,000_l._ {575a} Of course, the charge for the -maintenance of the poor is now become a very serious matter, and even a -heavy and grievous burden to many of the inhabitants. - -Our poor rates have arrived at their present unexampled height under the -_new_ heaven-born _poor-law_, which was to be the prolific parent of so -many inestimable blessings to the town; not one of which, alas! has yet -been, or is ever likely to be realized. This memorable law, and its -worthy twin-sister, the _paving law_, have been already productive of -incalculable mischief. The vast additional burden which they have -brought upon the inhabitants has lessened the value of houses 15 or 20 -per cent, and multiplied the number of untenanted dwellings to five or -six score, at least. {575b} Nor is it possible at present to calculate -how far the evil will or may extend. For such a town as this to contain -a large and increasing number of empty houses must certainly have a very -dark and unpropitious appearance, and is utterly repugnant to every idea -of our being at present in a flourishing or prosperous condition. {576a} - -When it was made to appear that the poor rates of Lynn amounted to -nearly, if not quite, as much as those of _Hull_ and _Exeter_, places -three times its population, it was impossible to avoid suspecting the -existence of some sad mismanagement, if not also of most foul and -criminal misdoings. The same suspicion was not likely to be lessened, -but rather to issue in full conviction, when it was discovered, that the -maintenance of each pauper in this workhouse, or hospital, costs even -more than that of each pensioner in _Greenwich Hospital_, {576b} and -twice or thrice as much as that of each pauper in some, if not all, of -the most noted and respectable workhouses, or poorhouses in the kingdom. -That the report of these circumstances, with the increasing pressure of -the rates, should excite a spirit of mistrust, inquiry, and investigation -in the town, was no more than what might naturally be expected. It -accordingly did so happen: and the result proved that the previous -suspicious were not groundless. - -In the course of the investigation, _Butcher’s Meat_ appeared to be here -consumed in such unusual quantities {577a} as are utterly irreconcilable -with any and every idea of economy and good management: and in the -article of _Cheese_ the consumption appeared to be still more palpably -disproportionate, unexampled, and excessive; so as to set the wisdom and -competency of our managers in a very unfavourable and unseemly point of -view.—This the reader will easily perceive, when he is told, that it -costs in this house, for cheese alone, between 4 and 5_l._ a week, or -that there is consumed here weekly no less than 1 Cwt. of that article. -That this is out of all proportion to what is usual in other Poor-houses, -will appear from the following statement, extracted from Mr. -Grisenthwaite late publication. {577b} - -At the _Norwich_ Poor-houses, among 1343 persons, during one of the late -years of scarcity, the annual expence for _cheese_ was 135_l._ 2_s._ -5_d._—At _Shrewsbury_, among 274 persons, (in 1801, if we are not -mistaken,) the annual expence for the same article was 56_l._ 2_s._ -4_d._—At _Hull_, in 1808, (number of persons not mentioned, but -doubtless, not fewer than those in our Poor-house,) the annual expence -for the said article was 29_l._ 16_s._—At _Lynn_, the same year, among -200 persons, for that article, 226_l._ 8_s._—At the same town, among -about the same number of persons, for the last year, (1809,) the annual -expence for that very article amounted to the still more enormous sum of -259_l._ 15_s._ 11_d._ {578a}—If we go on at this rate, we shall soon have -3 or 400_l._ a year to pay _for cheese only_, for the use of our -Workhouse; a sum equal to what the whole of that establishment cost -_forty years ago_. {578b} - -The statement here following will shew the respective and total amount of -the expence of the other articles consumed in this house within the last -year, with the proportion they bore to the single article above -specified.—The _Butter_ used in this house for the whole year cost 30_l._ -11_s._ l_d._—The _Milk_ 33_l._ 14_s._ 2_d._—_Potatoes_ 37_l._ -2_s._—_Oatmeal_ and _Peas_ 56_l._ 6_s._ [Total 157_l._ 13_s._ 3_d._] -That the sum total of the expence for the above four, or rather _five_ -articles, should fall short above 100_l._ of what it cost for cheese -only, must surely be very strange: and yet it appears not to be more -strange than true. The whole year’s expence for _Grocery_ was 158_l._ -1_s._ 7_d._—And for _Beer_, 157_l._ 7_s._—Here also it may be thought not -a little remarkable, that the _Grocery_ and even the _Beverage_ used here -should so much fall short of the _Cheese_ as each of them not to amount -to very much above half the expence of that article. Of the two most -important articles, _Flour_ and _Meat_, (the only two which exceeded the -expence of _cheese_!) the former, including _Bread_, cost 1001_l._ 10_s._ -9_d._ {579a}—and the latter, (_Meat_,) cost 1110_l._—_Coals_ cost 134_l._ -5_s._ 10_d._—_Turf_ 9_l._ 3_s._—_Oil_ 8_l._ 4_s._—The total expenditure -of the house for the whole year, including sundry other articles, with -repairs, &c. 3496_l._ 3_s._ 5_d._ {579b}—and with the disbursements to -the out-door pensioners, the entire expenditure, up to the end of last -January, as was before observed, appeared to amount to 10,243_l._ 10_s._ -3_d._: {579c} an enormous sum, surely, for a town that does not contain -11,000 inhabitants, or any manufacture, or even any trade _now_, of much -consequence, except the _coal trade_. Under these circumstances, such a -rapid and vast increase of poor, and of the poor rates, must amount to an -irrefragable proof, that we are now in a state of actual and fast -declension, whatever some people may insinuate, or pretend to the -contrary. But the more evident this declension is, the more incumbent it -must be on those who have the management of our affairs to observe the -utmost economy, and spare as much as possible the industrious and lower -orders of the community, who can so ill bear the burden of additional -charges. Whether they have hitherto ever thought of this, or not, it -seems to be now high time that it should occupy its full share of their -attention. {580a} - -It has also been thought, or rather suspected, that our distributers of -parochial relief do not always distribute or administer that relief with -judgment and discrimination, or even with a scrupulous or due regard to -justice and impartiality: and such statements as the following might be -supposed to afford some colour or countenance to such suspicions— - - “_Weekly allowances_—To a man and wife and 5 children, 2_s._ 6_d._ - To a young woman, aged 24, and one child 2_s._—To a man and wife near - 70 years of age, 1_s._ To a single woman, aged 19, 2_s._ 6_d._—To a - widow, aged 76, 2_s._ To a single woman, aged 31, 2_s._ 6_d._—To a - widow, aged 78, 2_s._ To a single woman, aged 22, 1_s._ 6_d._—To an - aged woman, 102 years old, 2_s._ 6_d._ To a widow, aged 48, 3_s._ - 6_d._—To a widow, aged 38, with 3 children, 3_s._ To a single woman, - aged 36, 2_s._ 6_d._” {580b} - -Such a Statement, which may be taken as a sample, or specimen of our -out-door distributions, has something like partiality, or -inconsiderateness, marked on its very forehead.—“Kisses,” according to -the old adage, “go by favour;” and so, it is to be feared, do our -out-door parochial allowances, in too many instances. But upon this -topic we will not now enlarge, as we may have occasion hereafter to -resume the subject, in the latter part of the work. {581a} - -At this time (July 1810) a revolution, or new arrangement is said to be -actually taking place among our indoor-pensioners, or in the management -of St. James’s Hospital, from which very important benefits are expected -soon to result: and it is much to be wished that the event may correspond -with the present expectations. The household expences have been already, -it seems much reduced, {581b} without the least detriment to the poor -inmates; and we hear, that the plan is to be followed up with the -strictest attention to sound and rigid economy. The present state of the -town certainly requires it, and those who have come forward on this -occasion seem to be very much in earnest; but it remains to be seen how -far our present hopes and expectations will be realized, or whether, -after all, we are not destined to be, in this case, as we have been in -many others, the miserable victims of delusion and disappointment. {581c} - -With very little propriety, especially of late years, has our St. James’s -Hospital been called a _Work_-house: it might full as well, and even -better, have been called a _play_-house; for it is certain that there is -more _play_ than _work_ going on there. Among its 200 pensioners, one -half, at least, may be supposed capable of doing some, and even a great -deal of work: and yet all their earnings during all the last year -amounted to no more than 170_l._ 1_s._ 5_d._ which was at the rate of -_little more than a penny a day_. The work, therefore, done by the -numerous residents in this house is scarcely worth mentioning, except for -the purpose of exhibiting the palpable neglect and mismanagement of the -conductors, and their utter incompetency for the charge which they have -undertaken. As things have stood hitherto, this house has been little -better than a nest of sloth, or an asylum for idleness; where young and -strong paupers are so treated as if it were actually wished and intended -to unfit them, as much as possible, for any future use or employment in -society, or as if their admission here had been meant for their ruin, and -not for their relief and benefit—Care, certainly, ought to be taken, that -the children, and youth, and hale people, in our poor-houses, be inured -to habits of industry, as well as provided with food and raiment; -otherwise, the succour afforded will be most materially defective. - -The foregoing narration, it is presumed, will enable the reader to form a -pretty accurate and adequate idea, of the history of this notable house, -from its first erection, or foundation, in the reign of king Stephen, or -that of his successor, to the present time. At first, as has been shewn, -it was a chapel, or place of worship, of no small consideration in the -town, being little inferior to St. Nicholas’ chapel, or even St. -Margaret’s church, and continued to be so till the reformation, when it -was unaccountably desecrated, and most of it pulled down. After which, -it was appropriated successively to different uses, till it became the -poor-house of St. Margaret’s parish, and the general work-house of the -town, with the annexation, of late years, of extensive new buildings. -This is its state at present: but how long it may so continue, it is -impossible to say, as we can see but little into futurity. How far the -recent change and expected reform will realize or disappoint our hopes, -must be left at present among the mysteries. Time is the only revealer -of such secrets. We will now take our leave of St. James’s Chapel and -Hospital, and proceed to other matters, somewhat less connected with the -affairs of the present generation. - - - -CHAP. VII. - - -Brief biographical notices of the most remarkable or distinguished -personages that appeared among the inhabitants of Lynn, in the -intervening period between the Conquest and the Reformation. - -During the period now under consideration, it is not known that many -eminently distinguished, or very memorable characters appeared among the -inhabitants of this town, full as it was, in the mean time, of -ecclesiastics or priests, and monks or friars of different orders, among -whom was usually confined all the little knowledge and learning that did -then exist in the nation. But though the population of Lynn, during the -said period, did not abound in characters of the above description, yet -it does not appear to have been altogether destitute of them. The names -of several have been preserved, who seem to have made in their day no -mean figure among their most enlightened contemporaries; of whom the -following were, perhaps, the most estimable and worthy of remembrance. - -1. NICHOLAS DE LENNA, or _Nicholas of Lynn_. He was a native of this -town, and flourished in the reign of Edward III. He was educated at -Oxford, where his literary proficiency may be supposed to have been very -considerable, as he afterwards appeared to exceed most of his fellows, -especially in some rare studies and distinguishing departments. To him -is supposed chiefly to apply that observation of _Voltaire_, in his Essay -on Universal History, (vol. 3. pp. 182, 183.) “That the first [in -Europe] who certainly made use of the _compass_ were the English, in the -reign of Edward III.” {586a} _Hackluyt_, in his Voyages, makes -particular and honourable mention of him, observing, that Nicholas de -Lenna, an excellent musician, mathematician, and astrologer, bred at -Oxford, after having applied his studies chiefly to astronomy, by the -help of his Astrolabe, {586b} made six voyages to the North seas, of -which he published an account, in a book entitled “_Inventio Fortunata_ -(_aliter Fortunæ_,) _qui liber incipit a gradu_ 54 _usq_; _ad polum_.” -In the first (which seems to have taken place as early as 1330) he sailed -from Lynn to Iceland, with Company, whom he left on the sea-coast, while -he himself travelled up into the island in search of discoveries. He -presented his charts of the northern seas, at his return, (from his last -voyage, we may suppose) to Edward III, in 1360; and they were afterwards -made use of in the reign of Henry VI, and probably much later. He died -in 1369, and was buried at Lynn. We are told that he was much esteemed -by his celebrated contemporary _Chaucer_, who styled him ‘Frere Nicholas -Linn, a reverend clerke.’ - -Like the great _Roger Bacon_, who lived about half a century before him, -Nicholas belonged to the religious order of _Grey Friars_, or -Franciscans, otherwise called Cordeliers, and minor brethren. {587} One -is apt to forget or overlook, in some measure, the extravagances of the -order, in the contemplation of its being capable of producing, and that -it actually did produce such men as these. As Nicholas is supposed to -have spent the most part of his time at Lynn, among the brethren of his -order, it may very naturally and reasonably be concluded, or supposed, -that the _Grey Friars’ tower_, which is still standing, was often used by -him, as an _observatory_, in the course of his astronomical studies here; -which may suggest no despicable reason for preserving that ancient ruin -from the ravages of time, and keeping it up as long as possible. The -repair which it lately underwent must be creditable to the feelings of -those by whom it was promoted. It may seem somewhat odd and remarkable -that it has stood so long, and still exists, the last and only remain of -our numerous monasteries and conventual towers; (though, perhaps, from -the slightness of its structure, the most unlikely of any of them to -survive;) as if time, or providence had favoured its preservation, by way -of approval of the useful purposes to which it had been once -appropriated, or in honour of the memory of him who so laudably occupied -it, and was so eminent a benefactor to his country. Much stress, -however, is not meant to be laid on these ideas: yet we cannot help -thinking that this supposed, or presumed and probable observatory of our -ancient astronomer and navigator is entitled to some real and lasting -respect from the enlightened part of our population. - -It has been already observed that our worthy and respectable townsman, -the subject of this brief memoir, died in 1369, and was buried here, [in -the church, or dormitory of the Grey Friars, in all probability;] but at -what age, does not appear: yet if his first voyage took place in 1330, as -it is said, he must have lived to be pretty far advanced in years; it -being not probable that he was less than thirty when he set out on that -voyage. Between the first and sixth, or last of his voyages there seem -to have been nearly if not quite thirty years. They were all apparently -voyages of discovery and experiment, and for improvement in the art and -knowledge of navigation, and proved, no doubt, of no small advantage and -benefit to his countrymen. It is much to be wished that a particular -account of them had been preserved, which could not fail of being very -interesting; but as such an account is not known to exist, our wishing -for it must be all vain and useless. Any records which our worthy -voyager might leave behind him have probably perished long ago; but we -have from other sources sufficient proofs that he must have been in his -day an extraordinary man, greatly distinguished as a mathematician and -astronomer, and especially as a navigator. He and the person whose name -next follows may pretty safely be deemed the two most eminent characters -that appeared among our townsmen, during the long period of which we are -now treating, or, perhaps, during any other period. - -2. WILLIAM SAWTRE, or _Salter_, otherwise _Sawtry_, _Chawtrey_ and -_Chatris_, and commonly called _Sir_ William Sawtre, &c. it being usual -in those days, and long after, to prefix that title to the names of a -certain description of ecclesiastics. He is rendered peculiarly -memorable as the English _proto-martyr_; it being generally agreed that -he was the first Englishman that was burnt for his religion. We have no -authority to say of Sautre, as we did of Nicholas, that he was born here. -The place of his birth, as far as we know, has been no where mentioned. -It appears that he took up his residence and settled here, as parish -priest of St. Margaret’s, in the time of bishop _Spencer_, of fighting, -crusading, and persecuting memory; and that he was afterwards suspected -and found to be a _Lollard_ or _Wickliffite_, {590} which meant pretty -much the same with what we call being a _protestant_, but was then -deemed, by the rulers, in church and state, a very grievous offence, and -even a most shocking, pestilent, damnable, and insufferable heresy. The -defection of Sawtre, from the established or national faith, roused his -ecclesiastical superiors, and he was cited to appear before his haughty -and furious diocesan, at his palace of south Helingham; which accordingly -he did, on the last day of April, and the first of May 1399. In the mean -time he appears to have undergone a long and strict examination, in the -chapel belonging to the said episcopal palace, before the bishop, the -archdeacon of Norwich, and divers others, consisting of doctors, divines, -and notaries. It also appears that he was then so far from being ashamed -of the opinions he had espoused, or intimidated by the danger to which -they might expose him, that he did not at all scruple or hesitate to avow -and defend them. This we may be sure, did not please and conciliate his -examiners, or promote and facilitate his acquittal and liberation. - -We are not particularly informed how he was disposed of immediately after -this examination: but it seems pretty certain, that he then became a -close prisoner in some place of confinement within the precincts of the -said episcopal palace. A prison, for reputed heretics and other -delinquents, was formerly considered among the necessary appendages to a -prelatical mansion or residence: and it cannot be supposed, considering -the character of bishop Spencer, but that a very complete one was then to -be found at South Helingham. In a complete episcopal prison there was -usually, it seems, a cell, called _Little-Ease_; which was a small hole, -so constructed, that the person there immured could neither stand -upright, lie straight, sit comfortably, or enjoy any degree of ease: in -short, it was designed as a place of torment, where the sufferer was to -be continually tortured, and deprived, as much as possible, of every -thing that could render his situation in any degree tolerable or -supportable. This diabolically ingenious contrivance could scarcely fail -of answering the purpose of its inventors, as it seems to have been most -admirably adapted for taming, subduing, and breaking the spirits of -reputed heretics and religious free thinkers: few of whom, it is -presumed, could stand such an ordeal, or terrible test, for any length of -time. The romish hierarchy must have been tremendously formidable, when -its prelates had such prisons in their own houses, and were empowered to -confine there any that dissented from the church, or objected to its -tenets and observances. {592} - -That there was such a place of incarceration and torture then attached to -the episcopal palace of South Helingham, seems highly probable; and if -there were, there can be no doubt but that Sawtre was there confined from -the first to the nineteenth day of the month last mentioned.—That he -underwent some very severe treatment, in the meantime, seems morally -certain, as the remarkable change in his conduct, at the close of that -interval, cannot be reasonably or well accounted for on any other ground -or supposition. {593} On the _first_ of May he resolutely avowed and -defended the obnoxious opinions imputed to him, but on the _nineteenth_ -of the same month, the next time he was brought before his judges, he -appeared ready to relinquish them all, and pronounce his recantation. -There is no reason to think that his opinions had now undergone any -change, or that he had become really convinced of their falsity or -untenableness; for he appeared, almost immediately after, to be as fully -persuaded as ever of their truth and importance. It was evidently the -state of his mind that had experienced a change: his fears had got the -better of his firmness, and he no longer possessed that fortitude and -boldness which he had at first displayed. Torturing severities have -often made people deny their principles, and deny, or confess, any thing -that their tormentors required. On this ground (and on no other that we -know of) can we account for Sawtre’s change and subsequent recantation. - -It was determined, by the bishop and his coadjutors, that Sawtre should -publicly pronounce his recantation at different places—in order, perhaps, -the more effectually to expose and humble him, and so prevent his ever -daring again to broach his recanted tenets in these parts. They probably -suspected his sincerity, and were resolved to render their triumph over -him as complete as possible.—The obnoxious things, or enormities laid to -his charge were chiefly and substantially comprised under the following -heads—That the Cross on which Christ suffered was not a fit object of -worship—That it was more reasonable to worship a temporal prince than -that wooden cross—That the worship of angels is unlawful, even more so -than the worship of holy or truly good men—That going on pilgrimage is -useless, and that vows for that purpose are not binding, and that the -money so expended had better be bestowed in alms to the poor—That priests -are more bound to preach the word of God than to say their mattins, or -observe the canonical hours—and that, after the sacramental words are -pronounced, the bread remaineth the same as before, and so does not cease -to be bread, or undergo a transubstantiation.—It was a sad time when -people held these opinions at the risk of their lives! - -On the first two days, as has been already observed, Sawtre openly avowed -the said articles, and boldly defended them; but at his next appearance, -after eighteen days of close confinement and severe sufferings, as we may -reasonably presume, he seemed quite an altered man, ready to retract all -he had before affirmed and maintained: which may be easily accounted for -on the ground before suggested. How many times, or at how many places -the bishop now required and obliged him to publish, or pronounce his -recantation, it is not very easy to discover. We find it to have been -done at South Helingham, and we are assured that it was also done in the -parish churches of _Lynn_ and _Tilney_, and in other places.—_Fox_ has -preserved a curious document relating to this affair, being the bishop’s -account of the whole process, drawn up by order of archbishop Arundel, -and transmitted to him, when Sawtre was taken up the last time, and tried -before him and his clergy, assembled in convocation, at the Chapter House -of St. Paul’s, in February, 1400, as they reckoned, but 1401, according -to our reckoning.—That account, or document is as follows— - - “_Memorandum_, That upon the last day of Aprill, in the yeere of our - Lord 1399, in the 7. indiction, and 10 yeere of the papacie of pope - Boniface the 2. in a certain chamber within the manor-house of the - said bishop of Norwich at South Helingham (where the register of the - said bishop is kept) before the 9. houre, in a certain chapell within - the said manor situate, and the first day of May then next and - immediately insuing, in the foresaid chamber Sir W. Chawtris, parish - priest of the church of S. Margaret in the towne of Lin, appeared - before the bishop of Norwich, in the presence of John de Derlington, - archdeacon of Norwich, doctor of the decrees, frier Walter Disse, and - John Rickinghall, professors in divinity, William Carlton, doctor of - both lawes, and William Friseby, with Hugh Bridham, publike notaries, - and there publikely affirmed and held the conclusions, as before is - specified.—All and singular the premisses the forsaid William - affirmeth upon mature deliberation. And afterwards, to wit, the 19. - day of May in the yeere, indiction, and papacie aforesaid, in the - chappell within the manor-house of the said Henry bishop of Norwich, - situate at South Helingham, the foresaid Sir William revoked and - renounced all and singular the foresaid his conclusions; abjuring and - correcting all such heresies and errors, taking his oath upon a book - before the said Henry, the bishop of Norwich, that from that time - forward he would never preach, affirm, nor hold privily nor apertly, - the foresaid conclusions; and that he would pronounce, according to - the appointment of the said bishop, the foresaid conclusions to be - erroneous and heresies, in the parish churches of Lin and Tilney, and - in other places at the assignment of the said bishop; and further - sware, that he would stand to the ordinance of the said bishop - touching the premisses, in the presence of the discreet and - worshipfull men afore-recited, with divers other moe.—As concerning - the first conclusion, that he said he would not worship the cross &c. - he confessed himself to have erred, and that the article was - erroneous, and submitted himselfe. And as touching the second - article, that he said, he would rather worship a king, &c. he - confessed himself to have erred, and the article to be erroneous, and - submitted himselfe, and soforth of all the rest.—Then next after - this, upon the 25. day of May, in the yeere of our Lord aforesaid, in - the _Church yard of the Chappell of St. James_, within the towne of - Lin, the foresaid William, in the presence of the foresaid bishop and - clergy, and the people of the said towne of Lin standing round about, - publikely declared in the English tongue, the foresaid conclusions to - be erroneous and heresies, as was contained in a certain scrole. - {597} And after this, the 26. day of May, in the yeere above said in - the _Church of the Hospital of S. John’s_, in the towne of Lin, the - said Sir William, before the said bishop sitting as judge, sware and - took his oath upon the holy Evangelists, that he would never after - that time preach openly and publikely the foresaid conclusions, nor - would heare the confessions of any of his subjects of his diocesse of - Norwich without the speciall license of the said bishop, &c. In the - presence of frier John Smermen, M. John Rickinghall doctor of - divinity, W. Carlton doctor of both lawes, and Thomas Bulton officer - of the liberty of Lin aforesaid, with divers others.” {598} - -Such was the account, or statement of his former process against Sawtre, -which bishop Spencer delivered to his metropolitan, Arundel. Not the -least hint is here given, how the reputed heretic had been treated, or -was disposed of, during the interval between his first and last -examination. Had his renunciation of his obnoxious tenets been brought -about by mere argument, or rational persuasion, it would, doubtless, have -been mentioned by way of triumph, or boasting: but having been the effect -of extreme severity or cruel treatment (as was above suggested) it was -very natural to pass it over in silence, for it was not capable of -yielding any manner of credit to the parties concerned, or give them a -plausible pretence to make a merit of it. This silence therefore -evidently and strongly corroborates, if it do not also satisfactorily -establish, what was before advanced or suggested on this head. - -After Sawtre had gone quite through this irksome and humiliating process -of recantation, it might be expected that he would not think of tarrying -much longer in these parts: he, accordingly, appears to have quitted Lynn -shortly after, and obtained the situation of parish-priest, or minister -of _St. Osith_, in London. {599} This would seem to indicate, that his -character was still deemed respectable, and had not suffered so much by -the late event as some might expect. He had also, probably, some good -and powerful friends, who now interested themselves very warmly and -effectually in his behalf. However that was, he really did, as far as we -can discover, obtain the said situation without opposition or difficulty. -But he soon appeared to be so far from having abandoned his former -principles, that he was still, in fact, as much a Lollard and heretic as -ever: and his late miscarriage seems to have operated so as both to -confirm him in those principles and also to arm him with boldness and -courage to maintain them against all gainsayers, and in the face of every -future danger or opposition. - -Like that of the rest of his party, (the Lollards,) Sawtre’s heresy seems -to have been of a twofold nature; partly religious, and partly political; -which must have rendered him doubly odious to the ruling powers: and as -he proved a relapsed, confirmed, and irreclaimable heretic, we need not -wonder that he should be made to feel the whole and overwhelming weight -of their indignation and vengeance. The affairs of this country were -then, as at some subsequent periods, most wretchedly situated. Every -thing, both in church and state, might be said to be lamentably in the -wrong: and Sawtre appears to have been earnestly desirous of having them -thoroughly reformed and rectified. He may therefore be considered, if -not as the Sir _William Jones_, {600} the _Sir Francis Burdett_, or the -_Major Cartwright_, yet, at least, or rather, as the _Christopher Wyvill_ -of that time. Men of that sort, though ever so honest, virtuous, -enlightened, or respectable, are always viewed with an evil eye, and -deemed to be dangerous characters by the interested and unprincipled -agents and abettors of ecclesiastical and political corruption. It is no -wonder, therefore, that a most horrible outcry was raised against this -man throughout the whole camp and borders of those philistines. - -Sawtre had formed an important plan for the benefit of his oppressed -country, and intended to lay it immediately before parliament. The -design got wind, and the high priests, in particular, with archbishop -_Arundel_ at their head, were instantly alarmed, as the project, had it -succeeded, would have deeply affected them: and in order effectually to -frustrate the reformer’s object, they so managed, that the affair should -not go before parliament, but be referred to the _convocation_, which was -then sitting. From that assembly no good could be expected to result. -Patriots and reformers were there objects of utter aversion; and any one -might see that poor Sawtre had no longer any chance of bringing his -project to a successful issue, or even of escaping with his life. He was -accordingly brought before that ecclesiastical tribunal, and the result -will be seen by the sequel. This was about the middle of February 1401, -or 1400, according to their reckoning; for they placed that month near -the close of the year, which, with them, ended on the 25th of March. - -The story of Sawtre is thus introduced by Fox— - - “The next yeere after followed a parliament holden at Westminster:” - [i.e. in 1400; for he has also, like his predecessors, assigned - February to the preceding year:] “in which parliament one William - Sautre, a good man and a faithfull priest, inflamed with zeale of - true religion, required he might be heard for the commodity of the - whole realme. But the matter being smelt before by the bishops, they - obtained that the matter should be referred to the convocation; where - the said William Sautre being brought before the bishops and notaries - thereunto appointed, the convocation was deferred to the Saturday - next ensuing. When Saturday was come, that is to say, the twelfth - day of February, Thomas Arundell archbishop of Canterbury, in the - presence of his councell provinciall, being assembled in the said - chapter-house [i.e. that of St. Paul’s] against one Sir William - Sautre, otherwise called Chatris chaplaine, personally then and there - appearing by the commandment of the aforesaid archbishop of - Canterbury, objected; that the said William before the bishop of - Norwich had once renounced and abjured divers and sundry conclusions - hereticall and erroneous; and that after such abjuration made, he - publicly and privily held, taught, and preached th same conclusions, - or else such like, disagreeing to the catholic faith, and to the - great perill and pernicious example of others. And after this he - caused such like conclusions holden and preached, as is said, by the - said Sir William without renunciation, then and thereto be read unto - the said archbishop, by master Robert Hall, chancellor unto the said - bishop, in a certain scrole written, in tenor of words as - followeth—“Sir William Chatris, otherwise called Sautre, parish - priest of the church of Saint Scithe [Osith] the virgin in London, - publikely and privily doth hold these conclusions under - written—_Imprimis_, he saith, that he will not worship the crosse on - which Christ suffered, but only Christ that suffered upon the - crosse—2. _Item_, That he would sooner worship a temporall king, - than the foresaid woodden crosse—3. _Item_, That he would rather - worship the bodies of the saints than the very crosse of Christ on - which he hung, if it were before him.—4. _Item_, That he would - rather worship a man truly contrite, than the crosse of Christ.—5. - _Item_, That he is bound rather to worship a man that is - predestinate, than an angell of God.—6. _Item_, That if any man - would visit the monuments of Peter and Paul, or go on pilgrimage to - the Tombe of Saint Thomas, or else any whither else, for the - obtaining of any temporall benefit; he a not bound to keep his vow, - but he may distribute the expences of his vow upon the almes of the - poore.—7. _Item_, That every priest and deacon is more bound preach - the word of God, than to say the canonicall houres—8. _Item_, That - alter the pronouncing of the sacramentall words of the body of - Christ, the bread remaineth of the same nature that it was before, - neither doth it cease to be bread.” {603} - -These articles or charges being publicly read and exhibited, the -archbishop then called upon Sawtre to answer to them; but he desired that -he might first have a copy of them, and that sufficient time might be -allowed him to prepare his answer and defence. A Copy was accordingly -delivered to him, and the next Thursday was then fixed upon for him again -to appear before his judges. But on that day, owing, it seems, to the -archbishop’s being then necessarily engaged in the parliament-house, the -business was adjourned till the next morning at eight o’clock. The -convocation, or rather its upper house, being then assembled, Sawtre -appeared again before them, and produced a written defence, and answer to -those articles, which were then publicly read by Robert Hall, before -mentioned. He no longer thought of retracting, as he had done near two -years before, at Lynn and other places. On the contrary, he now openly -avowed his principles, and appeared neither afraid nor ashamed to defend -them. It is therefore, not to be wondered that the writing, or answer, -which he laid before them, and which was now publicly read in their -hearing, proved no way satisfactory or conciliating. - -After the said Robert Hall had read that paper, or answer, aloud, in the -audience of the Convocation, the archbishop, being dissatisfied with the -contents, proceeded to question Sawtre on what he deemed the most -material points, which chiefly related to the doctrine of -transubstantiation. Among his questions were the following—{604} - - “Whether in the Sacrament of the altar, after the pronouncing of the - Sacramentall words, remaineth very materiall bread, or not?—Whether - in the sacrament after the sacramentall words, rightly pronounced of - the priest, the same bread remaineth, which did before the words - pronounced, or not?—Whether the same materiall bread before - consecration, by the sacramentall words of the priest rightly - pronounced, be transubstantiated from the nature of bread into the - very body of Christ, or not?” - -To none of these interrogatories did the prisoner return an orthodox or -satisfactory answer. His answers being therefore deemed insufficient, -and the day, probably, too far gone to finish the examination at that -time, it was thought proper to adjourn the business till the next day. -Of what then occurred Fox gives the following account. - - “Then the said archbishop assigned unto the said Sir William time to - deliberate, and more fully to make his answer till the next day; and - continued this convocation then and there till the morrow. Which - morrow, to wit, the 19th day of February, being come, the foresaid - archbishop of Canterbury, in the said chapter house of St. Paul in - London, before his councell provinciall then and there assembled, - specially asked and examined the same Sir W. Sautre, there personally - present, upon the sacrament of the altar, as before. And the same - Sir William again, in like manner as before, answered. After this - amongst other things the said bishop demanded of the same William, if - the same materiall bread being upon the altar, after the sacramentall - words being of the priest rightly pronounced, is transubstantiated - into the very body of Christ, or not? And the said Sir William said, - he understood not what he meant. Then the said archbishop demanded, - whether that materiall bread being round and white, prepared and - disposed for the sacrament of the body of Christ upon the altar, - wanting nothing that is meet and requisite thereunto, by the virtue - of the sacramentall words being of the priest rightly pronounced, be - altered and changed into the very body of Christ, and ceaseth any - more to be materiall and very bread, or not? Then the said Sir - William, deridingly {605} answering, said he could not tell.” - - “Then consequently the said archbishop demanded, whether he would - stand to the determination of the holy church, or not, which - affirmeth that in the sacrament of the altar, after the words of - consecration being rightly pronounced of the priest, the same bread, - which before in nature was bread, ceaseth any more to be bread? To - this interrogation the said Sir William said, that he would stand to - the determination of the church, where such determination was not - contrary to the will of God. This done, he demanded of him againe, - what his judgement was concerning the sacrament of the altar: who - said and affirmed, that after the words of consecration, by the - priest duly pronounced, there remained very bread, and the same bread - which was before the words spoken.”—This examination commenced at - eight o’clock in the morning, and lasted about three hours: and as - the prisoner would not now retract, or recede from his Lollardism, - and receive what was called _Catholic information_, but chose to - persist, at all events, in his own way of thinking, the archbishop, - as we are told, “by the counsell and assent of his whole covent then - and there present, did promulgate and give sentence by the mouth of - Robert Hall, against the same Sir William, being personally present, - and refusing to revoke his heresies, but constantly defended the - same.” {606} - -After passing the said sentence, an adjournment took place, till the week -after, when the prisoner was again brought before them, two or three -different times. On the Wednesday they read to him bishop Spencer’s -statement of his process against him, near two years before. The -archbishop and divers others now reproached him for holding opinions -which he had before abjured; as if it were a mighty crime for a man, -after having been once so weak as to renounce or abjure the truth, -afterwards to repent and embrace it—or, after having once been so -overseen as to resign the right of private judgment, ever any more to -think of resuming it! As all the stratagems and means they could use -proved now too feeble to shake him from his integrity, or induce him to -sacrifice his conscience to their unrighteous and infernal pleasure, they -resolved he should be forthwith degraded: and a sentence of degradation -{607} was accordingly passed upon him that same day. The execution of -this sentence was deferred till the Friday following; and as the -archbishop could not then attend, owing to his detention in parliament, -it was further deferred till the morrow after. They then proceeded to -business in good earnest, and a most curious process it certainly -was—They first deprived him of his _priest’s order_, next of his -_deacon’s order_, next of his _subdeacon’s order_, then of his _acolyte’s -order_, then of his _exorcist_, or _holy-water-clerk’s order_, then of -his _reader’s order_, then of his _sexton’s order_, and finally, of his -_privilege of clergy_: in token of which his tonsure was erased, a -layman’s cap put on his head, and himself so entirely secularized, or -reduced to the state of a lay person, as if he had never been in orders. - -All this was certainly absurd enough; {608} but as it was also very -curious, we shall here give it more circumstantially, in the words of the -historian so often referred to in these pages— - - Upon Saturday, being the 26th. of February, the said archbishop of - Canterbury sate in the bishop’s seat of the foresaid church of St. - Paul, in London, and solemnly apparelled in his pontificall attire, - sitting with him as his assistants these reverend fathers and - bishops, of London, Lincolne, Hereford, Exeter, _Menevensis & - Roffensis episcopi_, [i.e. the bishops of St. Davids and Rochester] - above mentioned, commanded and caused the said Sir William Sautre, - apparelled in priestly vestments, to be brought and appeare before - him. That done, he declared and expounded in English to all the - clergy and people, there in a great multitude assembled; that all - processe way finished and ended against the said Sir W. Sautre. - Which thing finished, before the pronouncing of the said sentence of - the relapse against the said Sir William, as is premised, he often - then and there recited and read. And for that he saw the said - William in that behalf _nothing abashed_; he proceeded to his - degradation and actual deposition in forme as followeth. - - _In the Name of the Father_, _and of the Son_, _and of the Holy - Ghost_. {610} We Thomas by God’s permission archbishop of - Canterbury, primate of all England, and Legate of the apostolike Sea, - do denounce thee William Sautre, otherwise called Chautris, - _chaplaine fained_, in the habite and apparell of a priest, as an - heretike, and one refallen into heresie, by this our sentence - definitive by councell, assent, and authority to be condemned, and by - conclusion of all our fellow brethren, fellow bishops, prelates - councell provinciall, and of the whole clergy, do degrade and - _deprive thee of thy priestly order_. And in sign of degradation and - actual deposition from thy priestly dignity, for thine - incorrigibility and want of amendment, we take from thee the _patent_ - and _chalice_, and doe deprive thee of all power and authority of - celebrating the masse, and also we pull from thy backe the _casule_, - and take from thee the _vestment_, and deprive thee of all manner of - priestly honour. - - Also, We Thomas, the aforesaid archbishop, by authority, counsell, - and assent, which upon the foresaid William we have, being _deacon - pretensed_, in the habit and apparell of a deacon, having the _New - Testament_ in thy hands, being an heretike, and twice fallen, - condemned by sentence as is aforesaid, do _degrade and put thee from - the order of a deacon_. And in token of this thy degradation and - actuall deposition, we take from thee the book of the _New - Testament_, and the _stole_, and do deprive thee of all authority in - reading of the gospel, and of all and all manner of dignity of a - deacon. - - Also, we Thomas archbishop aforesaid, by authority counsell, and - assent, which over thee the foresaid William we have, being a - _subdeacon pretensed_, in the habit and vestment of a subdeacon, an - heretike, and twice fallen, condemned by sentence, as is aforesaid, - do _degrade and put thee from the order of subdeacon_; and in token - of this thy degradation and actuall deposition, we take from thee the - _albe_ and _maniple_, and do deprive thee of all and all manner of - subdiaconicall dignity. - - Also, We Thomas archbishop aforesaid, by counsell, assent and - authority which we have over thee the foresaid William, an _Acolyte - pretensed_, wearing the habit of an acolyte, and heretike, twice - fallen, by our sentence, as is aforesaid, condemned, doe degrade and - put from thee all order of an acolyte; and in signe and token of this - thy degradation and actuall deposition, we take from thee the - _candlestick_ and _taper_, and also the _urceolum_, and do deprive - thee of all and all manner of dignity of an Acolyte.—Also, We Thomas - archbishop aforesaid, by assent, council, and authority, which upon - thee the foresaid William we have, an _Exorcist __pretensed_, in the - habite of an exorcist or holy water clerke, being an heretike, twice - fallen, and by our sentence, as is aforesaid, condemned, do _degrade - and depose thee from the order of an Exorcist_; and in token of this - thy degradation and actual deposition, we take from thee the _book of - conjurations_, and do deprive thee of all and singular dignity of an - exorcist. - - Also, We Thomas archbishop aforesaid, by assent, counsell, and - authority, as is abovesaid, do degrade and depose thee the foresaid - William, _reader pretensed_, clothed in the habit of a reader, an - herctick, twice fallen, and by our sentence, as aforesaid, condemned, - from the order of a reader: and, in token of this thy degradation and - actual deposition, we take from thee the _book of the divine - lections_ (that is, the book of the church legend) and do deprive - thee of all and singular manner of dignity of such a reader.—Also, We - Thomas archbishop aforesaid, by authority, counsell, and assent, the - which we have, as is aforesaid, doe degrade, and put thee the - foresaid William Sawtre, _Sexton pretensed_, in the habit of a - sexton, and wearing a surplice, being an heretike, twice fallen, by - our sentence definitive condemned, as aforesaid, from the order of a - sexton: and, in token of this thy degradation and actual deposition, - for the causes aforesaid, we take from thee the _keyes of the church - doore_, and thy _surplice_, and do deprive thee of all and singular - manner of commodities of a doore-keeper. - - Also, by the authority of omnipotent God, the Father, Son, and Holy - Ghost, and by our authority, counsell, and assent of our whole - councel provinciall above written, we do degrade thee, and depose - thee, being here personally present before us, from orders, - benefices, priviledges, and habit in the church; and for thy - pertinacy incorrigible we doe degrade thee _before the secular court - of the high constable and marshall of England_, being personally - present; and do depose thee from all and singular _clerkely honours - and dignities whatsoever_, by these writings. Also in token of thy - degradation and deposition, here actually we have _caused thy crowne - and ecclesiasticall tonsure in our presence to be rased away_, and - utterly to be abolished, like unto the form of a secular layman; and - here we do put upon the head of thee, the aforesaid William, the cap - of a lay secular person; beseeching the court aforesaid that they - will receive _favourably_ {613} the said William unto them thus - recommitted. - -Having thus performed their part of this diabolical work, and delivered -the prisoner into the hands of the civil magistrate, “the bishops, not -yet contented, cease not, (says our historian) to call upon the king to -cause him to be brought forth to speedy execution. Whereupon the king, -ready enough, and too much, to gratifie the clergy, and to retaine their -favours, directeth out a terrible decree against the said William Sawtre, -and sent it to the maior and sheriffes of London to be put in execution.” -This terrible decree, or royal warrant for the prisoner’s execution, was -obtained, it seems, on the very day of his degradation, when the -convocation passed their final sentence and gave him up to the civil -power: so that there was here no time lost; and the closing scene, no -doubt, soon ensued. The royal decree, or warrant was as follows: - - “_The decree of our sovereigne Lord the King and his Councell in - parliament_, _against a certain new sprung up heretick_. _To the - maior and sherifs of London_, &c. Whereas the reverend father, - Thomas archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England and legat of - the apostolike sea, by the assent, consent, and councill of other - bishops, and his brethren suffragans, and also of all the whole - clergy within his province or dioces, gathered together in his - provinciall councell, the due order of the law being observed in all - points in this behalfe, has pronounced and declared, by his - definitive sentence, William Sawtre sometime chaplaine, fallen again - into his most damnable heresie, the which before time the said - William had abjured, thereupon to be a most manifest heretick, and - therefore hath decreed that he should be degraded, and hath for the - same cause really degraded him from all prerogative and privilege of - the clergy, decreeing to leave him unto the secular power; and hath - really so left him, according to the laws and canonicall sanctions - set forth in his behalfe, and also that our holy mother the church - hath no further to do in the premisses: We therefore being zealous in - religion, {615a} and reverent lovers of the catholike faith, willing - and minding to maintaine and defend the holy church, and the lawes - and liberties of the same, to root all such errors and heresies out - of our kingdome of England, and with condigne punishment to correct - and punish all heretikes, or such as be convict; provided always that - both according to the law of God and man, and the canonicall - institutions in this behalfe accustomed, such heretikes convict and - condemned in forme aforesaid ought to be burned with fire: We command - you as straitly as we may, or can, firmely enjoyning you that you - cause the said William, being in your custody, in some publike or - open place within the liberties of your city aforesaid (the cause - aforesaid being published unto the people) to be put into the fire, - and there in the same fire really to be burned, to the great horrour - of his offence, and the manifest example of other christians. Fail - not in the execution hereof upon the perill that will fall - thereupon.” {615b} - -This memorable warrant (dated 26th. of February) was, no doubt, speedily -executed: perhaps the very day on which it was issued. The death which -it orders or appoints for the alleged crime of heresy, or to which it -devotes the reputed offender, is supposed to distinguish it from all -other warrants that had ever been issued before by our English monarchs: -at least, there is not known to have been here, previously to this reign, -any law dooming adjudged heretics to the flames. Henry IV. therefore, -stands preeminent among our sovereigns as a promoter of the burning of -those whom the priests pronounced or denominated heretics. It is -remarkable enough that the poor lollards found such an enemy in him, who, -as well as his father, had long affected to be their great patron. But -it was all, probably, nothing but policy: neither father nor son can be -supposed ever to have been real lovers of either liberty or justice. -Henry’s accession to the throne (to which he had no right) disclosed his -true character; and he has been known ever since, as one of the worst of -our princes. Arundel and his brethren helped him to obtain and usurp the -crown, in hopes that he, in return, would help them in such affairs as -this of Sawtre: nor were they disappointed. They favoured his baseness -on that, and he favoured theirs, to the utmost extent of their wishes, on -this and on all similar occasions. - -The execution of Sawtre was the first fruit of the new law for burning -heretics; and it was soon followed by an abundant harvest. The number of -those who were burnt for their religion in England whilst this execrable -law was in force, which was near 300 years, was enormously great. As -Sawtre stands at the head of those memorable confessors, it was thought -requisite to be somewhat particular and circumstantial in our account of -him. The sons of freedom will venerate his memory, while they detest and -execrate that of his crowned and mitred persecutors. Of our crowned -demons none could well exceed _Henry IV._ and of our mitred ones scarce -any ever did or could go beyond _Arundel and Spencer_. For Sawtre to -fall into such hands must truly have been a most sad and pitiable case. -It was like falling among thieves, or into a den of hungry lions. - -It is pretty remarkable that the prisoner’s plan of reform, or intended -application to parliament was not allowed to come at all under the -discussion of the convocation; although they had pretended to take it -under their serious consideration, instead of its going before -parliament. But they knew better than to have done so, and took a much -shorter and surer course to gain their point and effect the reformer’s -ruin, by proceeding simply on a religious ground, and having him tried as -a relapsed heretic. So well did they know their business, and how to -avail themselves of all the advantages belonging to their exalted -situation.—We shall now take our leave of them, and also of William -Sawtre, whose memory we have here endeavoured to rescue from oblivion. -His being so distinguished a character among the then inhabitants of -Lynn, and, especially, his being the English porto-martyr, will, it is -presumed, sufficiently justify and apologize for the unusual length of -this article—and as it exhibits religious bigotry and intolerance in -their native deformity and hatefulness, it may be of use to those -individuals among us, of every denomination, who have not yet made any, -or much progress in the christian virtues of forbearance, candour, and -liberality. - -3. ALAN, _Aleyne_, or _Allen of Lynn_, was, it seems a native of this -town, and contemporary with Sawtre, but a younger man, and long his -survivor, and so represented as flourishing about twenty years later. He -was evidently of a very different cast from him, and never gave himself -the least concern, as far as we know, about the politics of the time, or -the _reform_ of civil or ecclesiastical abuses. Perfectly regardless of -the oppressions of the rulers and the grievances of the people, he -employed his time in poring over the huge volumes of the Fathers and -Schoolmen, and writing indexes to them. We are told he made _indexes_ to -no less than 33 of those authors, among which were Augustin, Anselm, and -Aquinas. Such an employment, though of no real use or benefit to the -community, procured him the honour of being classed among the eminent -men, or literati of that age; and his name has been handed to posterity -as one of the distinguished characters which Lynn has produced. His -skill and industry in making those indexes might, no doubt, deserve -commendation, but can hardly be said to entitle him to any degree of -literary celebrity. He may be said therefore to have acquired more fame -than was fairly his due. But so it has often happened: while the merits -of some have been greatly underrated, those of others, on the contrary, -have been magnified beyond all reason and justice. Alan received his -education at Cambridge, where he obtained the degree of Doctor in -Divinity. He was of the order of Carmelites, or White Friars, and -therefore his residence here must have been at their great house, or -convent in South Lynn. How long he resided there cannot now be said. We -are told that he died about the year 1428, and was buried at Lynn. The -place of his burial, no doubt, was the dormitory of his own convent, -situated on that spot in South Lynn now called the _Friars_. - -4. WILLIAM WALLYS. He was cotemporary with the last, and like him one -of our Lynn friars, but of the augustinian order. He was not, like the -former a mere reader, and maker of indexes, but a real author, and is -said to have written many books; but their titles and contents are no -longer remembered or known. They might be on interesting subjects, and -those subjects might there be handled in a judicious and masterly manner; -or they might not. However that was, and whatever they were, it seems -they have long ago perished, like innumerable other works, no less -valuable and worthy of preservation; and, perhaps, much more so. But his -name, has been preserved, as one of the eminent Lynn men of former times. -How long he resided here, we are not informed; but we are told that he -died in 1421; and we may presume that he was buried in the convent or -dormitory of the Austin friars, which stood behind the house now -inhabited by Mr. Rishton. He must have been eminent in his day, -especially among those of his fraternity, for we are told that he became -_general_ of that order. - -5. JOHN BARET, of _Barret_. He too was a friar, of the same order with -Alan; that of the _Carmelites_. He was a native of this town, and -educated at Cambridge, “when learning (as _Fuller_ says) ran low and -degrees high in that University; so that a Scholar could scarcely be seen -for Doctors; till the university, sensible of the mischief thereof, -appointed Dr. Cranmer (afterwards abp. of Canterbury) to be the examiner -of all candidates in Divinity. Amongst others, he stopt Baret, for his -insufficiency, who then went back to Lynn, and applied himself to -learning with such success, that in a short time he became an admirable -scholar; and commencing doctor, with due applause, lived many years a -painful preacher at Norwich; always making mention of Cranmer as the -means of his happiness.” But we find that he had something of the Vicar -of Bray about him; for it seems he was at first a papist; afterwards, in -the latter part of Henry the eighth’s reign, and that of Edward, a -protestant; again, in that of Mary, a zealous papist; and lastly, in that -of Elizabeth, a staunch protestant. It seems, however, that he died soon -after the commencement of the latter reign: and one would hope that he -died in the true faith.—As to his veering or changing with the times, -where is the impropriety of that? Ought not the ministers of a national -or state religion to be submissive to, or directed by the state, from -which they derive their creed, their revenue, their power, and their -every thing? - -The subjects of the foregoing biographical articles being all -_ecclesiastics_, and all the ecclesiastics of any note that distinguished -Lynn, as far as we know, during the long period of which we have been -treating, it might be expected that we should in the next place give a -list of the eminent _laymen_ that sprung up here in the course of the -same period. But, alas! we look and search for them in vain: hardly can -one be found whose name deserves to be recorded, or remembered by -posterity. William de Bittering, John de Wentworth, Bartholomy Petipas, -and Thomas Miller, four of our ancient aldermen, were perhaps the most -memorable, or notable that can now be discovered. Of two of them -somewhat has been said already, and a sort of promise was made to bring -them again under review; but, upon second thought, they did not appear to -deserve so much further notice as was then intended.—As to - -6. WILLIAM DE BITTERING, we learn that he flourished in the reign of -Edward III. and was chosen mayor of the town four or five different -times; so that he must have been here, in his day, a person of no small -note and influence. The first year of his mayoralty, it seems, was 1351. -He was again chosen, and served the office the ensuing year; so that he -was then mayor two years successively. He is said to have been again -chosen in 1355, but begged to be excused, on the plea that it was -wearisome to be so often in office, and, especially, that he was then -under a vow, to go on pilgrimage to a certain saint: from which it would -seem that he was, in his way, a very religious character. His -resignation was accepted, and _John de Coultshall_, who had served the -year before, was chosen again, and had 20_l_, given him by the commonalty -to take upon him the office for that year. Bittering was again chosen -and served the office in 1358, and again in 1365. The time of his death -does not appear. He was buried in St. Nicholas’ chapel, where his grave -is known by a flat stone of uncommon dimensions, being above ten feet -long and above six broad, and is supposed to be the oldest sepulchral -monument now existing in this town. (Mackerell, 134.) - -7. 8. JOHN DE WENTWORTH and BARTHOLOMY PETIPAS. They are not here -coupled or joined together because they were friends for no two men could -well be further from that, but rather because they were foes, and the -heads of two hostile factions, by which the town was kept in a state of -constant distraction for a great length of time. It seems impossible now -to ascertain the ground, or cause of that deadly animosity which those -two factions, or these two men entertained against each other. -Lollardism, we know, did then much agitate the kingdom, but we cannot say -that it was the occasion of this discord at Lynn. Nor can we say that it -was a mere political broil, or, contest between the partizans of the -episcopal feudal prerogatives and their opponents, though this may seem -more probable, as it appears from pages 365 and 559 of this volume, that -Petipas was on good, and Wentworth on bad terms with the bishop. However -this was, it is pretty evident that these two were mighty men and men of -renown here in those days. - -9. THOMAS MILLER, or _Milner_. He was the leading man among our -ancestors in the reign of Henry VIII. being _governor_ of the town, and -mayor also one time for four successive years; and he served that office -afterwards twice, if not more; so that he was mayor of Lynn six or seven -times, which is not known to have been the case with any other. But what -made him the most memorable was his successful contest, or law-suit with -the bishop, during the former part of his mayoralty, about their -respective claims to have the _Sword_ carried before them. This legal -decision established the mayor’s independence upon the bishop. - -Having now paid our tribute of respect to the memory of our eminent men -of those times, we shall here close this chapter, which brings us down to -the era of the reformation. - - * * * * * - - _End of Part_ III. - - - - -SUPPLEMENT -TO THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL TOUCH. - - - See page 326. - -Since the section on the royal touch has been printed off, a paper has -appeared in the _Monthly Magazine_, under the signature of _I. -Bannantine_, which casts some further light upon that subject. As it is -presumed it will not be unacceptable to the reader, we take the liberty -of inserting here the substance of it.— - - “It does not appear (says that writer) that any of the House of - Brunswick have asserted this royal function; at least, it has not - been publicly announced, as was formerly the practice: but were his - present majesty to resume it, such faith is yet put in the assertion - of a king, that all the courtiers and the great body of the ignorant - multitude would not hesitate to believe its infallibility. The last - sovereign who appears to have exercised this miraculous gift was - queen _Anne_. In the royal gazette of Mar. 12. 1712. appears the - following public notice: “It being her Majesiy’s royal intention to - touch publicly for the Evil the 17th. of this instant March, and so - to continue for sometime, it is her Majesty’s Command, that tickets - be delivered the day before at Whitehall, and that all persons bring - a certificate, signed by the minister and church-wardens of their - respective parishes, that they _never received the royal touch_.” - -He further adds, that _Wiseman_, Sergeant Surgeon to Chas. 2nd, in a -treatise on the Evil, speaks of the _royal touch_ in the following terms: - - “I have myself been frequent eye witness of many hundreds of cures - performed by his majesty’s touch alone, without the assistance of - chirurgery, and those many of them such as had tired out the - endeavours of able chirurgeons before they came thither. It were - endless to relate what I myself have seen, and what I have received - acknowledgement of by Letters, not only from the several parts of the - nation, but also from Ireland, Scotland, Jersey, and Germany.” - -It was the office of Wiseman, as Sergeant Surgeon, to select such -afflicted objects as were proper to be presented for the royal touch.—Is -it possible (I. Bunnantine here exclaims) to desire a more satisfactory -testimony of these miraculous cures, than that of a man of science and -respectability, under whose immediate inspection they were performed, and -who had “himself been a frequent eye-witness of many hundreds of cures -performed by his majesty’s touch alone!”—The late judge Barrington (he -further observes) relates what he heard from an old man, a witness in a -cause, with regard to this miraculous power of healing. - - “He had by his evidence fixed the time of a fact, by queen Anne’s - having been at Oxford, and touched him, whilst a child, for the Evil. - When he had finished his evidence, I had an opportunity of asking - him, whether he really was cured? Upon which he observed, with a - significant smile, that he believed himself never to have had a - complaint that deserved to be considered as the Evil; but that his - parents were poor, and _had no objection to the bit of Gold_.” - -It seems to me (adds the judge) this piece of Gold, that was given to -those who were touched, accounts for the great resort on this occasion, -and the supposed afterwards miraculous cures.—_Gimelli_, the famous -traveller, gives an account of 1600 persons offering themselves to be -cured of the Evil by Lewis xiv. on Easter Sunday, 1686. Gimelli himself -was present at the ceremony: every Frenchman received 15 Souce, and every -foreigner 30. This power of healing assumed by the kings of France -occasioned great resort to Francis I. while prisoner at Madrid, by the -Spaniards, who had not such faith in their own king’s touch. It appears -by a proclamation of Jas. I. Mar. 25, 1617, that the kings of England -would not permit any resort to them for these miraculous cures in the -summer-time. By another proclamation of June 18, 1626 it is ordered that -no one shall apply for this purpose, who does not bring a proper -certificate, that he has never been touched before: the same, it has been -already seen, were the terms on which _queen Anne_ granted her royal -touch.—In a prayer-book printed in 1703, is a form of the Church-service -for the occasion of the royal touch. After the Lord’s Prayer it is -stated, “Then shall the infirm persons, one by one, be presented to the -queen; while the queen is laying her hands upon them and is putting the -Gold about their necks, the chaplain that officiates turning himself to -her majesty shall say these words following: “God give a blessing to this -work and grant that these sick persons on whom the queen lays her bands -may recover through Jesus Christ our Lord!”—After some other prayers, the -chaplain, standing with his face towards those come to be healed, shall -say: “The Almighty God, who is a most strong tower to all them that put -their trust in him, to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the -earth, do bow and obey, be evermore your defence; and make you know and -feel that there is no other name under heaven given to man, and through -whom you may receives health and salvation, but only in the name of our -Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!”—Mo. Mag. Mar. 1810. - - * * * * * - - _END OF VOLUME 1_. - - - - -ERRATA. {626} - - -Page 2, line 3, for _mumerous_ read _numerous_.—p. 9, l. 19, for _its_ r. -_their_.—p 19. last line but two, dele comma after _least_.—p. 31, l. 3. -for _drgree_ r. _degree_—p. 32, for _Section_ II, r. _Section_ I.—p. 79, -l. 13, for _seperated_ r. _separated_—p. 83, l. 9, for _decerned_ r. -_discerned_—p. 85, l. 1, for _sagacions_ r. _sagacious_—p. 106, l. 5, for -_cansideration_ r. consideration—p. 107. l. 28, and 29, for acdingly r. -_accordingly_—p. 134, Note, 1. 3, before _side_ r. _east_—p. 148, l. 14, -for _numbers_ r. _members_—p. 192, l. 3, for _compositions_ r. -_composition_—p. 96, last line for _heterdoxy_ r. _heterodoxy_—p. 200, l. -17, for _vareigata_ r. _variegata_—p. 210. l. 9, after Britain _a period_ -instead of a _comma_—p. 222, l. 4, delete _s_ in _collections_—p. 237, l. -10, for _supremary_ r. _supremacy_—p. 312, last line but one, for _way_ -r. _may_—p. 317, l. 14, for _loose_ r. _lose_—Same p. l. 18, for -_miricles_ r. _miracles_—p. 325, l. 7, for _Susanna_ r. _Joanna_—p. 347 -l. 11, after _Silthestow_ a _comma_—and the next line, for _sincc_ r. -_since_—p. 353, l. 3, for _Fountian_ r. _Fountain_—p. 374. l. 3, for -_pregressive_ r. _progressive_—p. 395, l. 6, from the bottom, after -_some_ r. _of_—p. 400, l. 2, and 14, for _arbitary_ r. _arbitrary_—p. -402, l. 26, for _directiom_ r. _direction_—p. 403, l. 2, for _appelation_ -r. _appellation_—p. 507. l. 3, for _now_ r. _new_—p. 511, note, dele -_them_ in l. 16—same page l. 35 of the note, for _they were_ r. _it -was_—p. 515, l. 12. for _da_ r. _de_—p. 517, l. 3, from bottom, for 1526, -r. 1256—p. 592, note l. 3., _member of_. r. _members and_. - - * * * * * - - _Whittingham_, _Printer_, _Lynn_. - - - - -FOOTNOTES. - - -{1} The exact situation of Lynn, as to its Latitude and Longitude, has -been ascertained with the utmost accuracy by Mr. Walker. He informs the -author, that the Latitude of St. Nicholas’ Chapel, in this town, deduced -from observations with a mural circle made by Mr. Troughton, is 52d. 45m. -25s to North; and its Longitude, by Chronometers, 1m. 35s. in time, East -of Greenwich. - -{2} The original, or British name may pretty safely be concluded to have -been _Wysg_, or _Gwysg_. - -{7} Except, perhaps, about Castlacre. - -{8} Something of the same kind is related of the rivers Thames and -Medway in the reign of Henry I. See Stow, 138. - -{9} His last years were spent at East Dereham in Norfolk, where he -finished his course in 1800. In the north transept of that parish -church, where his remains have been deposited, is a neat monument of -white marble, with the following inscription:— - - In Memory of - - WILLIAM COWPER, ESQUIRE, - - Born in Hertfordshire, 1732: - Buried in this Church, 1800. - - Ye who with warmth the public triumph feel - Of talents dignified by sacred zeal, - Here, to Devotion’s Bard devoutly just, - Pay your fond Tribute due to COWPER’s dust. - England, exulting in his spotless fame, - Ranks with her dearest sons’ his fav’rite name. - Sense, fancy, wit, suffice not all to raise - So clear a title to affection’s praise: - His highest honours to the heart belong: - His virtues form’d the magic of his Song. - -{10} The _Cam_ and the _Larke_ also passed then along with the Ouse by -Wisbeach. - -{11} See _Vancouver’s_ Map, and his _Appendix_, p. 10, where the -original track or course of these rivers appears to have been divided by -a kind of ridge or higher ground from that of the lesser Ouse and Wessey -or the river of Stoke, (sometimes also called Winson and Storke) which -together with the Lenne or Nare seem to have been the only original Lynn -rivers. - -{12} The haven and river of Wisbeach while the Ouse passed that way went -by the name _Wellstream_ and the _Water of Well_, while those of Lynn -went by the name of _Wigenhale Ea_, and the _Water of Wiggenhale_. Vide -MS. late Mr. Partridge’s. - -{16a} Hist. Embank. chap. 37. - -{16b} By an arm of the sea he meant, probably, something similar to what -Lynn Haven is now. - -{16c} A Commission is said to have been issued 21 Edward I. for sending -the _Waters of Well_ by Wisbeach, their ancient outfall; which further -corroborates the idea that _Wellstream_ or _Waters of Well_, was formerly -a name of the Ouse about Wisbeach. - -{18} Elstobb speaks of several efforts having been made to turn the Nene -down to its ancient outfall at Wisbeach; and particularly that— - - “about the year 1490 John Morton, bishop of Ely, and Lord Chancellor - of England, [afterward Archbishop of Canterbury and a Roman Cardinal] - for the better obtaining that end, and for the more effectual - recovery of the outfall at Wisbeach, cut a new river, or drain 14 - miles in length, 14 feet wide, and about 4 feet deep, beginning at - the high grounds, within a mile of Peterborough, and continuing it - down to Guyhorn, an hamlet in Wisbeach parish; and setting down a - sluice across the old river Nene at Standground, turned the waters of - that river down this new cut. This (he adds) with some other works, - said to have been done by him, did for a time make some improvement - in the fens about Wisbeach, so as to make them good sheep pasture, - &c. But this (he further adds) continued not long, being cut too - shallow, and not sufficiently embanked, or kept clear and free from - impediments and obstructions.” - - Elstobb’s Observations, p. 25, 26. - -{19} Bishop Morton was in his time one of the most distinguished -characters in this country. He was a person of deep penetration, -singular address, and sound judgment; and possessed, in the highest -degree, those rare talents that constitute the profound politician and -consummate statesman. He was a warm and determined partisan of the House -of Lancaster. Richard III. rightly considering him as too dangerous a -person to be left at liberty, took care betimes to have him secured. He -was accordingly imprisoned in the castle of _Bracknock_, where he was -committed to the custody of the Duke of Buckingham, then the said king’s -most powerful and confidential adherent. Somehow he managed to seduce -the Duke from his allegiance to Richard, and engage in his scheme in -favour of the Earl of Richmond. The Duke’s ruin soon followed; but -Morton escaped to the continent, where he afterward joined Richmond, and -with him returned to England. After his victory at Bosworth, and -elevation to the throne, Morton became his most confidential servant and -counsellor. He was preferred to be Lord High Chancellor of England, -archbishop of Canterbury, and at last, a Cardinal. He may be presumed to -have been an adviser and promoter of the most important measures of that -reign; of which the depression of the nobles, and elevation of the -commons, were not the least memorable or salutary. He died, before -Empson and Dudley came into employ; so that he had no share in their -malpractices. - -{21a} Kinderley’s Ancient and Present State, 2nd Edit. p. 68. - -{21b} Kinderley, p. 77. - -{22} Badeslade p. 98.—Here it ought not to be forgotten that the said -large accession of fresh waters to the Lynn river, while it widened and -deepened the harbour, seems to have proved eventually fatal to a great -part of West or Old Lynn, which (including one of its churches and church -yard) was in time swallowed up by the waters. This, it must be allowed, -was a disastrous event. It is, however, an ill wind (as the proverb -says) that blows nobody good: though the church is gone, the income -remains, which the incumbent still duly receives, for nothing; for it is -a sinecure, and not a very poor one. - -{24a} The Nene, of late years, has been gradually choking up, till it is -at length become, it seems, a mere shallow ditch, filled with mud, and -hardly navigable at any time. Its navigation is become, of course, -inconsiderable and unproductive; to the no small loss and injury of those -unfortunate people, who, in an evil hour, had entrusted their property in -that ill fated concern. Most inexcusable mismanagement is said to have -occasioned this; and much of the blame has been confidently, if not truly -imputed to the abominable inattention and neglect of certain Lynn -Merchants. - -{24b} In p. 4. - -{26a} Badeslade p. 12. - -{26b} In 1645, five or six years before Denver Sluice was erected, Lynn -Haven was in a very good condition. It had two channels, one called the -_East_, the other the _West Channel_, in which the biggest ships, drawing -13 or 14 feet water, sailed up and down on the neap as on the spring -tides. One John Attleson, aged 80, deposed that for 60 years and -upwards, he had known the river Ouse, and all the rivers falling into the -same; and that before the erection of the sluices near Salter’s Lode, all -the rivers were free and open, and received such quantities of water by -the flood from sea, that large barges with from 26 to 30 chalders did -constantly pass with great ease up to Cambridge town.—See Budeslade: also -Elstobb’s Observations, p. 23, 24. - -{30a} Armstrong, it seems, ascribed the silting of Lynn Haven, and of -the river above, to the hundredfoot drain.—See Kinderley p. 29. - -{30b} Hence we hear of manufacturers of Bays, Dyers, Dyehouses, -Falling-mills, Button-makers, and worsted-weavers at Lynn, with some -thousands employed in knitting stockings, &c.—In behalf of the latter, a -petition against the worsted-weavers was presented to parliament in -1689.—See Town Book, No. 10.—Mackerell, about 70 years ago, makes the -population of Lynn to amount to upwards of 20,000—if his estimate was -right, even within 5 or 6,000, (and he published it under the auspices of -the Corporation) the town must have been far more populous than it is at -present. See Mackerell, p. 93.—From the great, and increasing number of -empty houses now in the town, it may be concluded, that its population is -at this time decreasing. The rapid decay of trade, the prospect of an -endless war, and the daily increase of the public burdens, are doubtless -among the causes of this depopulation. Neither the _paving_, nor yet the -_new poor’s rate laws_, are likely to realize the vast benefits promised -or held out by the promoters of them, and fondly expected by many of the -inhabitants. On the contrary, those very Acts are said to be severely -felt by a large portion of the householders, many of whom, it seems, have -already broken up housekeeping, and many more are expected to take the -same course. Upon the whole, it does not seem to appear, either from the -Registers of Births and Burials, or from any other known circumstances or -sources of information, that the population of Lynn, within the last -twenty or thirty years (as generally supposed) has exceeded that of -former periods. This subject, however, shall be reserved for future -consideration. - -{35a} They are still called, _The Roman Banks_. - -{35b} See Badeslade, p. 15. - -{36} See Carte’s History of England, vol. 1, p. 115, 119, 122. - -{49} Philosophical Transactions, No. 481—also Beauties of England, -volume XI, p. 94. - -{53a} Vita Agricola. - -{53b} Compare Dugdale’s maps of this tract in its morassy and improved -states p. 375, 416. - -{54} History of Embanking. - -{60} No, surely, not sufficient proofs that the surface was lower; but -rather, or only, that the country was once dry and woody, and long -remained so: for upon the reasonable supposition of an _Earthquake_, as -was before repeatedly suggested, the probability would be, that the -surface was anciently as high at least, if not higher than at present, -but was considerably lowered by that convulsive event, which would make -way for the violent bursting in of the sea. - -{66} Of this undertaking _Elstobb_ gives the following account— - - “That it was entered into by the Earl, at the earnest request and - importunities of the country in general, who at a numerous sessions - of sewers held at Lynn, January 13, 1630, became humble suitors to - him to undertake the business, which he condescended to comply with, - and accordingly contracted with the commissioners and the country, - and engaged that he would use his best endeavours to _drain_ the said - _marsh_, _fenny_, _waste_ and surrounded _grounds_, in such a manner - as that they should be fit for _meadow_, _pasture_, or _arable_; and - the work to be completed within the compass of _six years_. To the - end the Earl might the more confidently undertake and effect the said - work, and be assured of enjoying the 95,000 acres, as the fruit and - recompence of his labours and charge; and that the country might be - more assured of obtaining a benefit proportionable to the very great - quantity of land they were to part with, it was agreed that 12,000 - acres, part of the 95,000, should be presented to the king, in lieu - of all and every benefit he might claim by a certain law of sewers, - made in the 19th year of king _James_, or by any other law or decree - of sewers, and for his royal _approbation_ and _confirmation_ of the - contract, &c.”—Having described the work in its commencement and - progress, he adds, that having expended about £100,000 these lands - were so benefited that, in about seven years time, from the first - undertaking, viz. in 1637, at a session of sewers held at - Peterborough, October 12, the Level was adjudged to be drained, and - the 95,000 acres were, by six or more commissioners set out for the - Earl, his heirs and assigns.—But it being soon after discovered that - these lands, though benefited, were not perfectly recovered, but in - winter were still subject to inundations, the very next year, 1638, - at a sessions of sewers held at Huntingdon, April 12, the Earl’s - undertaking was adjudged _defective_. The _King_ then taking the - business into his princely consideration, and understanding by an - estimate made by Sir C. Vermuiden, that if this Level of near 400,000 - acres were made _winter-lands_, it would be of extraordinary - advantage, viz. of about £600,000 to the common wealth, his Majesty - determined to become himself the undertaker; and accordingly on July - 18, the same year, he was actually declared undertaker; and was to - have, not only those 95,000 acres, which had been set out for the - Earl of Bedford, but also 57,000 acres more, from the country, it - being his Majesty’s design to make the land good _winter-ground_. - The Earl, in consideration of the costs he had been at, was to have - 40,000 acres out of the 95,000 before granted him.—The King to - manifest his real and earnest purpose of speedily effecting the - business, caused the following works to be done: a bank on the south - side of Morton’s Leam, and another begun on the north side: a - navigable sass at Standground: a new river cut between the stone - sluice, at the Horse-Shoe, and the sea below Wisbeach, sixty feet - broad, and two miles long, with banks on both sides: also a sluice in - the marshes below Tydd, upon the outfall of the _Shire Drain_. But - the King being embroiled in a civil war, the Level lay neglected; and - the country complaining that they had received no benefit by the - draining, they entered upon the 93,000 acres again, which had been - taken from them.” - - Elstobb’s Observations, p. 9 to 12. - -{69} _Estobb_, speaking of the above act, says, that the Governor, -Bailiffs, and Conservators were made _Commissioners of Seven_, for -preservation of the Level, by convenient outfalls to the sea; and they or -any five of them, whereof the governor or any of the bailiffs be two, to -act as commissioners of sewers within the said great level, and of the -works made, or to be made without the said level for conveying the waters -by convenient outfalls to the sea. No other commissioners to meddle. A -governor or bailiff to have 400 acres out of the said 95,000; the -conservater 200; and the commonalty electors 100 acres, to enable them to -vote. Elstobb’s Observations, p. 14. - -{70} See Beauties of England, vol. 2. - -{71} This fund was at first usefully applied, and the channel and -navigation of the Nene considerably improved. The interest of the money -borrowed on the occasion, was also for some years regularly and -punctually paid; so that the river Nene securities, as they were called, -were generally reckoned very good. Of late years, however, the state of -things has greatly altered for the worse: the river has been neglected, -and suffered to be filled up with silt and mud; the navigation impeded; -the interest of the money borrowed between fifteen and twenty years in -arrears, and the creditors gravely told, that there is no money in hand -for them. Their case therefore seems to be without remedy and without -hope; there being, it is to be feared, no prospect of another chance to -restore or improve the said river. What is become of the said fund? - -{73a} See Agricultural Survey of Cambridgeshire. - -{73b} Beauties of England, 2, 18. - -{74} See Beauties of England, 2, 18, 19. - -{79a} In consequence of the late improvements of the Smeeth and adjacent -parts, the reeds are said to have become much more scarce than they used -to be. - -{79b} The small feathers are plucked five times a year, (about Lady day, -Midsummer, Lammas, Michaelmas, and Martinmas,) and the larger feathers -and quills twice. Goslings are not spared; for it is thought that early -plucking tends to increase their succeeding feathers. Some proprietors -are said to have had a stock of a thousand, and even fifteen hundred, or -more, beside the young ones. - -{80a} It has been said, indeed, that mere plucking hurts the fowl but -little, as the owners are careful not to pull until the feathers are -_ripe_; that is, until they are just ready to fall; because if forced -from the skin before, which is known by blood appearing at the roots, -they are of very inferior value. Those plucked after the geese are dead, -are also said not to be so good—see Beauties of England, vol. IX. p. -553. - -{80b} Gough’s Camden.—Also Beauties of England. - -{81} “All this tract (of Marshland) and adjoining fens being little -higher than the level of the sea, or that of the rivers that pass through -the country, was once so exposed to inundations from floods and high -tides, that till dikes and drains were made, it was all one large morass; -and even now, after so much labour and expence, the country is still -liable to be overflowed by extraordinary high tides or floods, or other -casual events. By the evaporation of this water, and especially by that -of the water of the numerous ditches, in which various plants and insects -die and rot, the atmosphere during the latter part of summer and autumn -is filled with moisture, and with putrid and insalutary vapours.—Another -cause of the insalubrity of the atmosphere is an _imperfect ventilation_. -As there are no hills here to direct the winds in streams upon the lower -grounds, the air is apt to stagnate and become unwholesome. An -additional cause of the unhealthiness of this flat and marshy country, -may be the impurity of the water in common use; for this being either -collected from rains, and preserved in cisterns, or drawn from shallow -wells, is, in hot and dry-seasons soon corrupted. This being the case, -the general tendency to putrefaction must be increased by the use of such -water, as well as by the meats, which in a close, hot, and moist air, are -quickly tainted. Several circumstances therefore in this country concur -in summer, not only to relax the solids, but to dispose the humours to -putrefaction; and as the combination of heat and impure moisture is the -great cause of the speedy corruption of animal substances, so it is -observed in every place to produce remitting and intermitting fever.”—See -Pringle’s Observations on Diseases of the army, pp. 2, 3, 4. - -{91} Brief view of the Sufferings and living Testimonies of the Martyrs, -p. 392. - -{93} Milner’s Letters to a Prebendary, No. 4. - -{94a} Challoner’s memoirs of missionary Priests, I. 392, 436. - -{94b} This bishop, whose christian name, as it is called, was -_Lancelot_, seems to have been in his day one of the better sort of the -men of that order, as appears by the following anecdote, related of him -after he had been translated from Ely to Winchester.—Waller, the poet, -being one day at court, while James I. was dining, overheard the -following conversation between his _sacred_ majesty and two of his -bishops, of whom one was Andrews of Winchester, and the other Neale of -Durham. These two prelates, standing behind the king’s chair, were asked -by him, “If he might not take his subjects’ money when he wanted it, -without all the usual formality in parliament?” To which his lordship of -Durham readily answered, “God forbid, sir, but you should; you are the -breath of our nostrils.” The other being silent, James addressed himself -to him, “Well, my lord of Winchester, and what say you?” Andrews -replied, that he was “not competent to judge in parliamentary cases.” -Upon which the king exclaimed, “No evasions, my lord, I expect an -immediate and direct answer to my question!” “Then, sir,” said he, “I -think it lawful for you to take my brother Neale’s money, for he offers -it.”—It is easy to see that there was some difference between these two -bishops, and that the latter was the better man of the two, being by no -means so lost to all shame and decency, or so abject a flatterer of -majesty as the other. Which of them the majority of their successors -have resembled most, may be a point not very easy to determine: nor would -it be, perhaps, of very material consequence. - -{99} History of the Boroughs, Volume 8. - -{100} Hutchesson’s Account—also Beauties of England. - -{101} According to Hutchesson they used to dine at a groat a head: but a -groat then was equal perhaps to two or three shillings of our money. - -{102} In all the adjacent villages the title of _Town-Bailiff_ is given -to the treasurer or manager of their respective charitable -establishments.—Beauties of England. - -{104} Beauties of England, volume 2. - -{105} Hutchesson’s Account of Wisbeach—and Beaut. of Engl. as before. - -{106} The text is footnoted but there is no footnote for it in the -book.—DP. - -{109} See Blackstone’s Commentaries—also Hutchesson’s Account—and the -Beauties of England, as before. - -{110} Beauties of England, as before. - -{112} It is really a ditch or dyke that separates Wisbeach from -Marshland. - -{113} Queen Henrietta, by her numerous indiscretions, contributed -largely to the alienation of the affections of his subjects from the king -her husband; and she suffered very severely in consequence of it. After -her retirement into France, that court, at the head of which was her -nephew Lewis XIV, is said to have been very remiss in administering to -her relief, so as to leave her often in want even of the necessaries of -life. It has been reported that she was in such distress at Paris, in -1643, that she and her infant daughter were obliged to lie in bed, in -their room at the palace of the Louvre, for want of wood to make their -fire with. One time during the Protectorate, as Granger reports, she was -so reduced, that she actually applied to Cromwell for relief, as queen -dowager of England. In 1660, after an absence of many years, she -returned to London, where she seems not to have been treated with much -kindness by her son Charles. In 1665, at the breaking out of the plague, -she again retired to France. From Sir John Reresby’s memoirs it appears, -that she was secretly married (probably about that time) to Henry Jermyn, -earl of St. Albans, who had for many years attended her as chamberlain of -her household, or some such character, and who afterward treated her in a -most unkind and brutal manner. She died in 1669, in her 60th year. - -{114} History of Freebridge, p, 258. - - {116} A single jail, in Alfred’s golden reign, - Could half the nation’s criminals contain. - Fair Justice then, without constraint ador’d, - Held high the steady scale, but deep’d the Sword: - No spies were paid, no special Juries known; - Blest age! but ah! how different from our own! - - _Johnson’s London_. - -{123} See Hughes’s Letters; also Petit. Andr. History of England. 1. -233. - -{126} Particularly as an Hebrician, according to the learned Hugh -Broughton. - -{128a} One Brook, now a dashing orator at or about Burnham, and who also -holds forth sometimes at Lynn, is said to have used the same experiment, -and boasted of it,—and also of having doomed and consigned a certain -neighbouring minister to _eternal torment_, for presuming, forsooth, to -differ from his creed. Master B. is classed among the evangelicals, and -seems to be very much in their spirit. - -{128b} How well he used them upon the poor popish prisoners in the -Tower, whom he there most unmercifully flogged, or rather racked and -tortured, we have seen above (p. 93) from the testimony of Dr. Milner. -Some of the numerous puritan sufferers of that time might, probably, -share from him the same fate; which may account for what Fuller calls his -being _foully belibelled_ by them, in return. After such treatment it -would be very natural for them to think that they had some right as well -as reason to complain: and it might also be natural for him, as well as -for Fuller, to give those complaints the name of _libels_. - -{131} Parkin, 308. - -{132} See Parkin, and Norfolk Tour, 131. - -{134} Walter Coney, Alderman, and four-times mayor of Lynn, in the -fifteenth century, who is supposed to have lived in the corner house at -the bottom of High Street, on the east, fronting the Church.—Further -accounts of the above three families may be found in Blomefield and -Parkin’s History of Norfolk.—☞ To what was before said of _Terrington_ -(Section XIII) it may be here added, that the impropriation of the great -tithes was given by James I. as an augmentation to Lady Margaret’s -professorship of divinity at Cambridge; and that this revenue, or income -has so much increased of late years, as to render that chair the most -lucrative piece of preferment now in the gift of the University.—Here it -may be also noted, in addition to what was before said of _Walpole_ -(Section XI.) that in the year 1727, a person digging there in his garden -found, about three feet beneath the surface, numerous roman bricks, and -an aqueduct formed of earthen pipes, which were twenty inches long, three -inches and three quarters in the bore, and half an inch thick; the one -end diminishing, so as to be inserted in the wider end of the other. -Twenty-six were taken up whole, and distributed among several -antiquaries.—See Beauties of England, v. 11, 289. - -{137} See Beauties of England, vol. XI, and Kent’s View of Agriculture -of Norfolk, p. 40, 41. - -{139} Kent’s General View—and Beauties of England, as before. - -{140a} Kent’s General View—Beauties of England, as before. - -{140b} Ibid. - -{146} Brancaster was one of those forts erected by the Romans along the -Icenian coast, to guard the country against the incursions of the -piratical Saxons, who used to infest this coast long before they obtained -any footing in the country, and while it formed a part of the Roman -Empire. From their frequent hostile visits, this coast was called _the -Saxon shore_. The forts along the coast (the chief of which was -Brancaster,—to which Rising might be a kind of appendage,) were -garrisoned by a strong body of cavalry, called the _Dalmatian horse_, -whose superior, or commander in chief, was denominated the _Count of the -Saxon store_; and sometimes _Branodunensis_, from _Branodunum_, the Roman -or Latin name of Brancaster.—Brancaster is now an obscure village, -exhibiting no vestige of its ancient dignity, except some entrenchments, -or earthworks, the remains of a Roman Camp, including, as Camden says, -some eight acres; which the neighbours call Caster—all whose dimensions, -according to his annotator, agree with the Roman models, in Cesar’s -Commentaries.—See Gibson’s Camden, 391, 398. - -{148} See Norfolk Tour, and Parkin. - -{149} Beauties of England. 7, 505. - -{158} Otherwise _Titherington Hall_. - -{168} See Beauties of England, volume Xl. - -{169} Norfolk Tour. - -{171} Beauties of England as before. - -{177a} The following lines of his, quoted by Lord Teignmouth in his Life -of Sir William Jones, is supposed to be expressive of the manner in which -he distributed, or employed his time. - - “Six hours in sleep, in Law’s grave study Six, - Four spend in prayer, the rest on nature fix.” - -For which Sir William Jones is said to have substituted the following, - - “Six hours to law, to soothing slumber seven, - Ten to the world allot, and _all_ to heaven.” - -{177b} The worshipful kindred of _John Reeves_, and _John Bowles_; alias -the pretended _Antijacobins_, who have been of late years such monstrous -benefactors to this country, and to the world. - -{178} A curious circumstance that attended Sir E. Coke’s second marriage -ought not to pass here unnoticed.—That marriage was solemnized in a -private house, without banns or licence, in consequence of which the -married couple and the officiating clergyman, together with Lord -Burleigh, who was one of the company, were prosecuted in the archbishop’s -Court; but upon their submission, they escaped excommunication, and the -consequent penalties, because, says the record, “they had offended not -out of contumacy, but _through ignorance of the Law in that point_.”—So -then the Lord Chief Justice of England, even Sir Edward Coke, -transgressed the law _through ignorance_. - -{179} Which must have been about as reasonable as the old woman’s advice -to leave off thinking, _for fear of thinking wrong_. - -{189} For the sympathies of his nature and qualities of his heart, see -his Letter to Simon Taylor, in Flower’s Pol. Rev. Mar. 1807, p. xxxvi. - -{192} See the Memoirs of Dr. Priestly, Vol. 1. and also the London -Magazine, for November, 1783. - -{196} The late Mr. Carr, a merchant of Lynn, used to say, that his -father once killed six Bustards at one shot.—They were probably much more -numerous then, than they are now.—A respectable gentleman of Lynn, -however, assures this writer that not many years ago, he saw no less than -eight or ten of them together, in the neighbourhood of Stanhoe. - -{199} The fen-fowlers, with their long guns, make terrible havock among -them, killing sometimes between 20 and 30 at one shot; and of _Coots_ -twice that number; which however, is nothing like the number of -_Starlings_ which they have sometimes slaughtered:—a person of veracity, -who has lived long in the fens, assures this writer, that he knew, an -instance, near Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, of 36 dozens of Starlings -being killed at a single shot, by one _Thomas Hall_. - -{200} Just after their arrival in October, the Woodcocks are said to be -sometimes exceedingly abundant here. - -{201} So called, probably, from the river on whose banks it stands, and -which, it seems, was formerly called _Ey_: so that Sechey may signify, -Sech on the Ey, or on the banks of the river so called.—See _Parkin_. - -{203} Anciently it was called _Downham-hithe_, i.e. Downham-port. -Gibson’s Camden. - -{204} See Norfolk Tour, last Edition, p. 365. Also Description of -England and Wades, volume 6, p. 251. - -{207a} For a further account of Swaffham, see Norfolk Tour: also -Beauties of England, volume, xi. - -{207b} Beauties of England as before. - -{209} Ten single threads of cotton to each of those 18 lamps, make in -all 180: now a street lamp in London, is said to contain 28 single -threads, and if we divide 180 by 28, we shall have 6 3/7: hence the oil -consumed in the Hunston Light-house, is less than that consumed by 7 -London street lamps.—The advantages derived from Mr. Walker’s plan, are, -1. The strength of light may be proportioned to the distance at which it -may be necessary to be seen. 2. It may be maintained at a less expence -than where the light is equally diffused all round the compass. 3. It -requires little attendance. 4. It always appears of the same -magnitude—provided, as was above hinted, the glass be kept clean, and the -lamps in a proper trim—circumstances that must be attended to, and not -neglected.—Here it may be further observed that the improvement of -light-houses is not the only subject that has undergone Mr. W.’s close -and successful investigation. Many papers written by him, have appeared -in Nicholson’s Philosophical Journal, and Tilloch’s Philosophical -Magazine, giving an account of divers useful inventions of his, and new -discoveries is physics, chiefly under the following heads.—1. On a method -of using candles, so as to produce no smoke, nor require snuffing.—2. A -method of obviating the effects of thick wires in transit telescopes. 3. -On the Plumb line and Spirit level. 4. On the vibrations of pendulums in -vacuo. 5. On a standard of light, by which we may compare the strength -of any other light. 6. Description of an apparatus for conducting sound, -and holding conversations at a distance. 7. Description of a new -reflecting quadrant. 8 On the best method of ascertaining the dip of the -horizon at sea. 9. On the methods of observing the longitude at sea. -10. On the phenomenon of the horizontal moon. 11. Description of a new -cometarium. 12. On transit instruments. 13. On vision. 14. Description -of a new optical instrument called a Phantasmascope. 15. Observations on -vision, when objects are seen through a mist. 16. On the power of the -eye, by which it is adjusted to see objects distinctly at different -distances. 17. On the apparent magnitudes of the same object seen under -different circumstances. 18. On deal pendulum rods. 19. On the human -eye: in which many errors of former writers on vision are pointed out, -and the true theory explained. - -{211} It was not till after the erection of these, that the Corporation -of the Trinity House had some Light-houses constructed on similar -principles, which are now in use, and well approved. - -{215} _Catus Dicianus_, as was observed before, was the Roman Procurator -over the province of the _Iceni_ in the reign of Claudius, and perhaps in -that of Nero; and seems to have been, not only the chief cause of -Boadicea’s revolt, by his brutal treatment of her and her daughters, but -also the principal director of the canals, embankments and other works -and improvements then carried on in and about the fens.—See above, Part -I. Chap. 2. Section 1. - -{217a} “The _Triads of the Isle of Britain_, are some of the most -curious and valuable fragments preserved in the Welsh language. They -relate to persons and events, from the earliest times to the beginning of -the seventh century.”—Owen’s preface to the Works of _Llywarch Hen_. - -{217b} Supposed to be the _Aristobulus_ of the New Testament. - -{217c} See British Archæology, lately published: also Owen’s Cambrian -Biography. - -{218} Annal. I. 13. C. 22. - -{219} Before the introduction of Christianity, the prevailing and -established religion of Britain and of Gaul, was Bardism, or Druidism, as -it is more commonly called, of which very different accounts have been -given by different authors. According to our best informed antiquaries -and most competent judges, it was of very remote if not of patriarchal -origin, and exhibited for no short period a most strikingly rational and -venerable appearance. It taught the existence, unity, spirituality, and -benevolence of the Supreme Being; also the doctrine of a future state, of -providence, and the immortality of the soul: but it taught withal the -transmigration of the soul, and even the final salvation of the whole -human race, with other tenets equally grating to an orthodox ear. Its -fundamental object and principle were a diligent search after truth, and -a rigid adherence to justice and peace. The religious Functionaries -never bore arms, nor engaged in any party disputes. They were employed -as heralds in war, and so sacred were their persons considered, in the -office of mediators, that they passed unmolested through hostile -countries, and even appeared in the midst of battle, to arrest the arm of -slaughter, while they executed their missions. So far they appear -singularly dignified and respectable; but this did not always -continue—like the priests of other professions, they, in time, departed -from their original principles, and introduced various degrading changes, -especially among the Gauls. In Britain the system was preserved in -greater purity: hence the first families of Gaul sent their children -hither for education, as Cesar testifies. - -We have often heard Druidism represented as a monstrous and shocking -system: but if it was so, it must have been in its corrupt, and not in -its original state. Even christianity itself, in a corrupt state, -becomes an object equally monstrous and shocking; but that can furnish no -argument against genuine christianity, or the religion of the New -Testament. As to the _human victims_ which the Druids are said to have -offered, they were, it seems, chiefly _malefactors_: in that view we may -be said to have our human victims too, and that in far greater numbers -probably, than those of the Druids. Our executions are very frequent, -and the victims we thus offer up are more numerous than in any other -country we know of. These victims we offer up to law and justice, but -they are very few compared with the myriads upon myriads we have offered -on the altar of injustice, persecution, ambition, and folly. - -{220} Badeslade, §. 3. page 15.—Colonizing was an essential branch of -the Roman policy in conquered countries, and it is likely that such an -important undertaking as that of recovering and improving these fertile -parts, would be by them committed to colonists, such as they might -introduce from Belgium, who must from their habits and employment at -home, be peculiarly rated for the task.—Circumstances also lead us to -think, that the work was begun here, which being nighest the inhabited -parts, seems to have been the right end, where common sense would dictate -that it should commence. - -{221} Salen. Village au bord d’un Marais. Sal, bord; Len, marais. -_Mullet_, _Memoires Sur la langue Celtique_. Tom. 1. p. 136. - -{222a} _Ey_, is also said to have been another of its names. - -{222b} See Gough’s Edition of Camden’s Britannia. - -{225} Henry of Huntingdon, William of Malmsbury, Dugdale, &c. - -{229} The Saxons, as before hinted, were long distinguished from other -nations for their piratical propensities, and predatory adventures, as -well as for the success that generally attended their favourite -operations. It was no wonder, therefore, if their neighbours would by -degrees become attached to similar pursuits: and that it did so happen is -undeniable. “In the ninth century (says a respectable historian) it was -an established custom in the North, that all the _sons of kings_ except -the eldest, should be furnished with ships properly equipped, in order to -carry on the dangerous, but not dishonourable profession of piracy.”—So -reputable was the pursuit, that parents were even anxious to compel their -children into that desperate and detestable occupation. By an -extraordinary enthusiasm for which, they would not suffer their children -to inherit the wealth which they had gained by it. It was their practice -to command their gold, silver, and other property to be buried with them, -[see Turner’s History of the Anglo Saxons, and Edinburgh Review No. 6. p. -368]—Here it may not be improper to observe, that what determined the -Saxons to piratical enterprises was a most daring, singular, and -memorable achievement of a numerous body of their neighbours and allies -the Francs, whom the emperor Probus had transported from their own -country, on the borders of the Rhine, to the distant shores of the -Euxine, with a view of weakening the strength of that warlike nation, -which was so very formidable to the neighbouring Roman provinces. These -exiles, though removed to a country not inferior to their own, could not -bear the idea of seeing their native land no more. There is what may be -called a law of nature, which attaches us to the region where we first -drew our breath, or spent our childish and youthful days, and which makes -it often most painful to think of being for ever separated from it. So -it seems to have been with those exiled Francs. Unable to bear the -thought of a perpetual separation from their kindred and native country, -they seized the earliest opportunity of abandoning their appointed -settlement, and regaining what appeared to them the sweetest blessings of -life. “They possessed themselves of many ships, and formed the -astonishing plan of sailing back to the Rhine. Who were their pilots, or -how they conceived, on their untutored minds, the possibility of a -project so intricate, and, for such barbarians, so sublime, has not been -revealed to us. Its novelty and magnanimity ensured it success. They -ravaged Asia and Greece; not for safety merely, but revenge and plunder -were also their objects. Landing in Sicily, they attacked and ravaged -Syracuse with great slaughter. They carried their triumphant hostility -to several districts of Africa, and sailing adventurously to Europe, they -concluded their insulting and prosperous voyage by reaching in safety -their native shores.”—This amazing enterprise discovered to them and -their neighbours, that from the Roman colonies a rich harvest of spoil -might be gleaned by those who would seek for it at sea. They had -desolated every province almost with impunity; they had plunder to -display, which must have fired the avarice of every needy spectator; they -had acquired skill, which they who joined them might soon inherit; and -perhaps the same adventurers, embarking again with new followers, evinced -by fresh booty the practicability of similar attempts.—The Saxons, then -inhabiting the parts about the Elbe and Heiligoland, are supposed to be -among the first to emulate the exploits of the returned exiles.—Thus -originated that system of piracy by which the northern nations were so -long distinguished, and for which the Saxons were for many ages -deservedly infamous. They became by degrees so powerful and formidable -by sea, like the modern English, that some of the competitors for the -Roman imperial dignity actually formed alliances with them, in order to -insure their own success.—Like ourselves, and perhaps with equal justice, -they seemed to aim at the sovereignty of the ocean: but among all their -deeds of infamy, it is doubtful if any one of them ever exceeded in -baseness and atrocity our own late memorable expedition to Copenhagen, -though conducted by such as made pretension even to piety and evangelism, -which indeed but rendered it the more detestable.—In vain we look to -Algiers and Tunis for more flagitious or fouler deeds. [See _Hellfried’s -Outlines of a Political survey of the English Attack on Denmark_—and for -an account of the expedition of the Francs, and the Saxon and northern -piracies, see _Turner_, as before.] - -{231} Gildas Epistle. § xxiii. - -{232} Henry the Lion, the prime actor in these brutal proceedings, was -another time affronted by the inhabitants of _Bardewic_, one of the -largest cities of Germany, for which he stormed it, and, except nine -churches, left not one stone on another. No wonder that he is said to -have been universally dreaded. He afterward quarrelled with the emperor -Frederic Barbarossa, but there he was overmatched, and expelled from -Germany. He then took refuge with his wife Matilda, at the court of our -Henry II, his father-in-law. He was afterward restored to his hereditary -domains only, Brunswick and Lunenburgh, to which august and illustrious -house he belonged. [Nugent—Petit Andrews.] - -{233} See Nugent’s Hist. of Vandalia: also Monthly Review 35. 174. - -{234a} Gildas, as before, xxiv, xxv. - -{234b} They are mentioned in Domesday, and by many of our topographical -writers, without attempting to account for their origin. Their condition -seemed as abject as that of our modern West India Negroes. We seldom -hear of them after the bloody contest between the rival houses of York -and Lancaster, which proved to them, it seems, a most beneficial contest, -as it occasioned their emancipation, in order the more easily to recruit -the contending armies. As the lust of Henry VIII. proved favourable to -the success of the reformation, so the ambition of those rival houses, -proved, it seems, no less so to the manumission of these poor slaves. - -{236} That this country, in the time of the Romans, contained many -populous, flourishing, and well-built towns, is allowed on all hands; and -that they were mostly overthrown and destroyed by the invading Saxons, is -confirmed by the testimony of Gildas; it may therefore very naturally be -concluded, that the original Lynn was involved in the common fate of its -neighbours.—See Gildas, No. xxiv. - -{238a} Parkin, pp. 69. 115. - -{238b} William of Newburgh.—Gibson’s Camden—Parkin 116. - -{239a} Parkin, 237. - -{239b} Ibid. 69. - -{240} Of those Salt-works the present writer regrets his inability to -give the reader a more particular and satisfactory account; but as he has -hitherto met with nothing that gives him any further light upon the -subject, it must be here dismissed: but it shall be again resumed, in -case any new discovery should be made before the work is completed. Our -topographical writers, as well as our old records, only allege the -existence of numerous salt-works in these parts, without attempting a -description of them, or of the process therein pursued, or even so much -as giving any hints, or intimations, to assist and direct our inquiries. - -{242} Beauties of England, 2. 149. - -{244} _Canute_, one of the greatest and wisest of our kings, next to -_Alfred_, had a mighty veneration for relics, and even employed agents in -foreign countries to purchase and collect them for him. One of these, an -archbishop of Canterbury, called _Agelnoth_, being at Rome, in 1021, -purchased, of the Pope, an arm of St. Austin, bishop of Hippo, for an -hundred talents, or 6000 pound weight of silver, and one talent, or sixty -pound weight of gold. A prodigious sum! greater (says _Granger_) than -the finest statue of antiquity would then have sold for. It may enable -us, as another historian observes, to form some idea of the -unconscionable knavery of the sellers, and the astonishing folly and -superstition of the purchasers of those commodities. Enormous sums were -then expended in the purchase of relics, and the roads between England -and Rome were so crowded with pilgrims, that the very tolls which they -paid were objects of importance to the princes through whose territories -they passed: few Englishmen, as _Henry_ expresses it, imagined they could -get to heaven without paying this compliment to St. Peter, who kept the -keys of the celestial regions.—Such was the wisdom, and such the piety -and christianity of the people of this country in former times, and for -many ages.—Even Alfred, according to _Rapin_, was much attached to -relics, and received, with no small satisfaction and gratitude, those -sent him as presents from the Pope, and from Abel Patriarch of Jerusalem. -His foibles, however, were greatly overbalanced by his great qualities, -good deeds, and shining virtues. - -{246} Or rather Abingdon, in Berks, according to bishop Gibson. - -{247a} Even nowadays, many of our gentry and wealthy people, are very -strict in requiring their domestics and dependents regularly to attend at -some place of worship, while they themselves live in the entire neglect -of it! so that they too may be said to perform religious exercises _by -proxy_. - -{247b} Petit Andrews. - -{249} We regret that the _abolition_ of slavery was _not_ among them. - -{250} The reign of Alfred, however, was certainly distinguished by -numerous and important national benefits: war and internal disorder were -made entirely to cease; learning, and the useful arts, revived and -flourished; wholesome and important regulations were adopted and -introduced, whose salutary effects are still felt; trade and commerce -were much encouraged and extended: in all which, and especially the -latter, Lynn, as may be presumed; must have been greatly interested. -Alfred employed skilful and adventurous mariners, to explore the most -distant northern regions, and (by means of _Ofthere_, supposed to be a -banished Norwegian chief,) actually gained intelligence of the _Dwina_, -on whose banks _Archangel_ stands; a river not again spoken of in -England, till 1553, when _Richard Chanceller_ found his way to the White -Sea. What follows is still more surprising: by means of a correspondence -which Alfred engaged in with Abel, patriarch of Jerusalem, he heard of a -sect of christians who lived in penury on the south eastern coast of -Asia, the present Coromandel; and he chose a spirited priest, named -_Sighelm_, to go and relieve those his oppressed brethren. By what track -or route this gallant adventurer proceeded, any further than Rome, we -know not. It is certain that he reached the end of his journey, -delivered the royal presents, and brought back from India many curious -jewels, some of which were to be seen in the days of William of -Malmsbury, at Sherborne Cathedral, of which see Alfred had made the -fortunate and intrepid Sighelm bishop, after his return. Others of these -jewels are believed still to exist in an old crown, kept in the tower of -London.—After such enterprizes, to celebrate this great prince as the -_inventor of horn-lanthorns_, may be deemed ridiculous; yet nothing can -less merit ridicule: there were then no Clocks in England; Alfred -contrived wax tapers of a proper length, to last one, two, or more hours; -and to prevent the winds from deranging his plans, he defended the taper, -with thin, clear, _horn_. Such were the improved English _time keepers_ -of the 9th century: the merit of which improvement, is due to Alfred; a -merit not inferior, probably, to that of the _Harrisons_ and _Arnolds_ of -modern times.—See Petit Andrews Hist. Gr. Britain. - -{252} It is curious and ludicrous enough to think of the difficulties -that puzzled our celebrated missionary, after his arrival here, and of -which he wrote to Rome for the solution. Of what sort they were, the -reader will be able to judge from the following _queues_ and _answers_; -the former by the said missionary, _saint_ Austin, and the latter by his -infallible holy master, _saint_ Gregory: - - “_Query_. 1. Are cousin germans allowed to marry? _Answer_. This - indulgence was formerly granted by the Roman law; but experience - having shewn that no posterity can come from such marriages, they are - prohibited. _Query_. 2. Is it lawful to baptize a woman with child? - _Answer_. No inconvenience can arise from the practice. _Query_. 3. - How soon after the birth may a child be baptized? _Answer_. - Immediately if necessary. _Query_. 4. How soon may the husband - return to the wife after her delivery? _Answer_. Not till after the - child is weaned. _Query_. 5. How soon after sexual intercourse, is - it lawful for a husband to enter the church? _Answer_. Not till he - has purged himself by prayer and ablution.” - -These nice and delicate queries, with more of the same sort, were -accompanied by others concerning episcopal duties.—With the solution of -these problems, the pope sent Austin the _pall_, (a piece of white -woollen cloth, to be thrown over the shoulders, as a badge of -archiepiscopal dignity;) sundry other ecclesiastical vestments and -utensils, and instructions to erect twelve sees within his province, and -particularly to appoint one at _York_, which, if the country should -become christian, he was to convert into a province, with its suffragan -bishops.—Thus did Austin become the first archbishop of Canterbury, and -thus originated our ecclesiastical establishment, the renowned Church of -England. [Aikin’s Biogr. vol. 1.]—Among other counsels which Austin -received from the pontiff on the above occasion, was an exhortation “not -to be elated with vanity on account of the _miracles_ which he had been -enabled to perform in confirmation of his ministry, but to remember that -this power was given, not for his own sake, but for the sake of those -whose salvation he was appointed to procure.”—Thus we have it from very -high authority, that _the first archbishop of Canterbury was a worker of -miracles_. - -{253} The other orders were the middle and inferior thanes: the former -are said to be the lesser barons, or lords of manors; and the latter made -up the lowest degree of freeholders. Dyde Hist. Tewksbury. 141.—All -others in the Anglo-Saxon community below these thanes, who were the -nobles of those times, are sometimes comprized under the heads of -untitled freemen, and slaves—the latter, constituting the great mass of -the inhabitants, were the property of their lords, like the present -Russian or Bohemian peasantry. - -{254a} Petit Andrews, 1. 83. - -{254b} Henry, and Petit Andrews. - -{257a} Dyde’s History of Tewksbury, 139, 40, 41. - -{257b} See Parkin. - -{257c} “Directly opposite the Irish coast, (says _William of Malmsbury_) -there is a seaport town, called _Bristol_, the inhabitants of which -frequently sail into Ireland, to sell there people whom they had bought -up throughout all England. They expose to sale maidens in a state of -pregnancy, with whom they had made a sort of mock-marriages. There you -might see with grief, fastened together by ropes, whole rows of wretched -beings, of both sexes, of elegant forms, and in the very bloom of youth, -(a sight sufficient to excite pity, even in barbarians,) daily offered -for sale to the first purchaser. Accursed deed! Infamous disgrace! that -men, acting in a manner which brutal instinct alone would have forbidden, -should sell into slavery their relations, nay even their -offspring!”—_Life of Wolstan_, _bishop of Worcester_, B. ii, C. 20.—[see -Edinburgh Review, July, 1808.] - -{259} Petit Andrews Hist. of Great Britain, 1. 84. Another historian -informs us, that the great lords and abbots, among the Anglo-Saxons, -possessed a criminal jurisdiction within their territories, and could -punish or protect without appeal. This power, he says, was in some -measure restrained by the established administration of justice, by the -courts of decennary, the hundred, and the county. In the Anglo-Saxon -courts, the accused was allowed to clear himself by his own oath, and the -concurring oaths of his friends. These were called compurgators, and -sometimes amounted to 300. The practices also of single combat, and the -ordeal, were allowed in doubtful cases; and absurd as they may appear, -the result was deemed complete evidence, for or against the accused, or -suspected person.—The punishment of crimes was not less singular than the -general proofs of guilt. A fine was the customary mode of commuting the -punishment of the blackest offences; and as fines were a source of -revenue, they were fixed with the nicest care, on a graduated scale, -corresponding to the magnitude of the crime. Thus a wound of an inch -long, under the hair, was compounded for with one shilling; a wound of -the like size in the face, with two shillings; and thirty shillings was -the compensation for the loss of an ear; and so on in proportion.—Mavor, -1. 77. - -{260} See Andrews. - -{263} Dr. Henry, and Petit Andrews. - -{268a} Dr. Henry—Petit Andrews.—Another modern historian informs us that -the Saxon pound, as likewise that which was coined for some centuries -after the conquest, was near three times the weight of our present money. -There was (as he says) forty eight shillings in the pound, and a Saxon -shilling was nearly a fifth heavier than ours. Dr. Mayor’s Hist. Engl. -1. 78. - -{268b} The princess _Githa_, daughter, or near relation to king Canute, -and wife of Earl Goodwin, is said to have made a vast fortune by dealing -in slaves; a traffic which then shockingly disgraced this country, as -indeed it has done in our own time. _Bristol_ was then, what _Liverpool_ -has recently been, the chief port to cherish and carry on this detestable -commerce. This northern coast also, from Scotland to the Humber, was -distinguished on the same account. We are told, by William of Malmsbury, -that the Northumbrians used to sell their nearest relations for their own -advantage; and Dr. Henry says, that English Slaves were then, like -cattle, exposed to sale in all the markets of Europe. Many of the -Slave-merchants of that period were _Jews_, who found a good market for -their _English and christian Slaves_ among the Saracens in Spa in and -_Africa_. At Rome also, we read of English slaves being exposed for -sale, as early as the 7th century. It is, moreover, highly probable that -Lynn, and other neighbouring ports were long concerned in the same odious -employment. Even as late as the reign of king _John_, the Irish used to -import many slaves from Bristol. To add to the brutality of this vile -proceeding, the Sellers always took care that the females should be in a -condition which might enable them to demand a higher price from the -purchasers. What put an end, at last, to this horrid traffick, is said -to have been, not the virtue of the English, but the compunction of the -Irish, who were shocked at it, under the idea that certain national -misfortunes which had befallen them were divine judgments, for having -been concerned in so iniquitous a business.—Our unfeeling advocates for -the slave trade, who have so long dishonoured this nation, and are still -in no small numbers among us, are little aware, that time was, when their -own ancestors were in a similar situation with the present inhabitants of -Africa; being liable, like them, to be bought and sold into slavery; and -that other nations actually traded here for Slaves, as we have so long -done in modern times to the coast of _Guinea_.—If they cannot put -themselves in the place of the poor negroes, and feel for them, they -ought, at least, to do so in regard to their own ancestors, and so learn -some degree of justice and humanity, if nothing else can teach them. - -{269} He might have said, _somewhat less_ than a shilling an acre, if, -as some have asserted, the hide comprehended 120 acres. - -{270} Henry iv. 237, 8, 9. - -{274} Henry iv. 234. - -{275} As a proof of the salubrity of Croyland, and the temperance of its -monks in those days, it has been remarked, that when Turketul, who had -been chancellor of England, and one of the greatest warriors and -statesmen of his time, retired from the world, and became abbot of -Croyland, he found five aged monks there, to whom he paid particular -attention. The eldest of them died in 973, in his 169th year: the second -died within the same year, at the age of 142: the third died the neat -year, aged 115; the other two are thought to have been about the same age -as the last. Their names were _Clarenbald_, _Swarling_, _Turgar_, -_Brune_, and _Ajo_.—Croyland is not now remarkable for its salubrity, or -the longevity of its inhabitants. - -{276} Andrews—Mavor—Henry. - -{278} Henry iv. 313. - -{279} I. Walingford, apud Gale, t. 1. p. 536: quoted by Henry. 4. 324. - -{282} Henry, iv. 299. - -{283} Henry, iv. 329. - -{285} _Seven_, however, was not invariably their number, they were -sometimes more and sometimes less. - -{288a} Some, indeed, have seemed rather to doubt if its origin here was -as early as the days of Edward, as Ingulphus, a contemporary writer, -makes no mention of it. Malmsbury, however, who lived not long after, -affirms it; and the Confessor seems as likely as any to have taken the -lead in such a business and become our first practitioner. - -{288b} Owing partly, as it is supposed, to the aguishness of the air, -and partly to other causes, not peculiar to these parts. - -{289} He was also Duke of Wessex, and Earl or Governor of Sussex, -Surrey, Kent, and Essex. - -{290} Carto 1. 416. - -{296} Flower’s Political Review, vol. 1. 299. - -{297} We are apt to deem it a grievous hardship upon the good people of -England, under the Norman princes, to be deprived of the administration -of justice in their own mother tongue, or to have their legal proceedings -all transacted in a strange language, without considering, that the -Welsh, the Irish, and the Scotch Highlanders, are to this day used by our -own government in the same manner; in which nevertheless, we seem to -perceive no great or very material harm, hardship, or impropriety:—so -loth do we often appear to place ourselves in the situation of our -neighbours, and to use them as we would wish to be used by them.—England -must have made a queerish appearance when _law_ was administered in -_French_, and _religion_ in _Latin_, and the people knew no language but -English. - -{299a} “_Ailred_ as well as _Malmsbury_ observe, that the Confessor -cured a young married woman, reduced by the Evil to a deplorable -condition, by stroking the place affected with his hand; upon which she -grew sensibly better, the humour dispersed, the scar wore off, and in a -week’s time the cure was perfected!!”—Carte 1. 357. - -{299b} That Francis touched for the evil is said to be averred by -Servetus, in his 1st edition of Ptolemy’s Geography. Of its success, -indeed, we are told that he appeared far from being a believer, but it -was not the only instance of his unbelief or incredulity. He often -disbelieved what others firmly credited; for which the bloody reformer -Calvin made him pay very dearly, at last, without the gates of Geneva. - -{300a} Nor does it appear that it belonged exclusively to certain -_christian_ potentates; for, long before there were any such, it had been -ascribed to the pagan emperors Vespasian and Hadrian, who are said, by -their touch, to have restored sight to the blind; and the fact seems as -well established as any of the accounts of cures effected by the touch of -our christian and English monarchs. - -{300b} _See Occasional Thoughts on the Power of curing the King’s Evil_, -_ascribed to the Kings of England_—superadded to Werenfel’s Dissertation -upon superstition in natural things. Lond. 1748. - -{301a} Carte, 1. 357. - -{301b} Carte adds, that archbp. _Bradwardine_, Lord Chancellor -_Fortescue_, and other grave authors, give the like testimony in behalf -of the cure, as well as the practice, by that prince’s -successors:—[Richard I, John, Henry III, and the three Edwards, we may -suppose.] Carte, as before. - -{302a} Occasional Thoughts, as before, 58. - -{302b} Ibid. - -{303} Though some, perhaps, would choose to ascribe that gift, virtue, -or power, rather to the _throne_, as the _infallibility of the pope_ has, -by one of our old satirists, been ascribed to the _papal chair_, in some -such lines as the following, - - If the devil himself should get there, - Although he be full of all evil, - Yet such is the virtue in Peter’s old chair, - He would be an infallible devil. - -{304} Occasional Thoughts, as before, p. 60—also New. An. Reg. 13, -[180]—It does not appear, who among Henry’s bishops, or ecclesiastics -drew up this new office for his use: but we find that it went in the -manner and form following—_First_, _the king_, _kneeling_, _shall say_, -“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. -Amen.” _And as soon as he hath said that_, _he shall say_, Give the -blessing. _The chaplain kneeling before the king_, _and having a stole -about his neck_, _shall answer and say_, “The Lord be in your heart, and -in your lips, to confess all your sins. In the name of the Father, and -of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” _Or else he shall say_, -“Christ hear us. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the -Holy Ghost. Amen.” _Then by and by the king shall say_, “I confess to -God, to the blessed virgin _Mary_, to all the saints, and to you, that I -have sinned in thought, word, and deed, through my fault: I pray holy -_Mary_ and all the saints of God to pray for me.” _The chaplain shall -answer and say_, “Almighty God have mercy on you, and pardon you all your -sins, deliver you from all evil, and confirm you in good, and bring you -to everlasting life. Amen. The almighty and merciful Lord grant you -absolution and remission of all your sins, time for repentance and -amendment of life, with the grace and comfort of his holy spirit. Amen.” -_This done the chaplain shall say_, The Lord be with you. _The king -shell answer_, And with thy spirit. _The chaplain_, Part of the Gospel -according to St. Mark. _The king shall answer_, Glory to thee O Lord. -_The chaplain reads the gospel_, “Last he appeared to those eleven as -they sat at the table: and he exprobated their incredulity and hardness -of heart, because they did not believe them that had seen him risen -again. And he said to them: going into the whole world, preach the -Gospel to all creatures. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be -saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned. And them that -believe these signs shall follow: in my name, shall they cast out devils, -they shall speak with new tongues. Serpents shall they take up, and if -they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall impose -hands upon the sick and they shall be whole.” _Which last clause_, (They -shall impose _&c._) _the chaplain repeats as long as the king is handling -the sick person_. _And in the time of repeating the aforesaid words_ -(they shall impose &c.) _the clerk of the closet shall kneel before the -king_, _having the sick person on the right hand_, _and the sick persons -shall also kneel before the king_; _and the king shall lay his hand upon -the sore of the sick person_. _This done the chaplain shall make an end -of the Gospel_. “And so our Lord Jesus, after he spake unto them, was -assumpted into heaven, and sate on the right hand of God. But they going -forth preached every where; our Lord working withal, and confirming the -word with signs which followed.” _Whilst this is reading_, _the -chirurgeon shall lead away the sick person from the king_. _And after -the Gospel the chaplain shall say_, The Lord be with you. _The king -shall answer_, And with thy spirit. _The chaplain_, The beginning of the -Gospel according to St. John. _The king_, Glory to thee O Lord. _The -chaplain then shall say the Gospel following_, [i.e. _the first words of -John’s Gospel_, _ending at verse 9th._] It was the true light which -lightneth every man that cometh into this world. _Which last clause_, -(It was the true light, &c.) _shall be restated so long as the king shall -be crossing the sort of the sick person_, _with an angel of gold noble_, -_and the sick person to have the same angel hang’d about his neck_, _and -to wear it until he be full whole_. _This done_, _the chirurgion shall -lead away the sick person as he did before_, _and then the chaplain shall -make an end of the gospel_ [i.e. read on from verse the 9th, where he -left off before, to the end of verse 14.] _Then the chaplain shall say_, -The Lords name be praised. _The King shall answer_, Now and for ever. -_Then shall the chaplain say this collect following_, _praying for the -sick person or persons_: O Lord hear my prayer. _The king shall answer_. -And let my cry come unto thee. _The chaplain_, Let us pray. “Almighty -and everlasting God, the eternal health of them that believe; graciously -hear us for thy servants for whom we implore the aid of thy mercy, that -their health being restored to them, they may give thee thanks in thy -church, through Christ our Lord. Amen.” - -_This prayer following is to be said secretly_, _after the sick persons -be departed from the king_, _at his pleasure_.—“Almighty God, Ruler and -Lord, by whose goodness the blind see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the -lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and all sick persons are healed of -their infirmities: By whom also alone the gift of healing is given to -mankind and so great a grace, through thine unspeakable goodness toward -this realm, is granted unto the kings thereof, that by the sole -imposition of their hands, a most grievous and filthy disease should be -cured: Mercifully grant that we may give thee thanks therefore, and for -this thy singular benefit conferred on us, not to ourselves, but to thy -name let us daily give glory; and let us always so exercise ourselves in -piety, that we may labour not only diligently to conserve, but every day -more and more to encrease thy grace bestowed upon us: And grant that on -whose bodies soever we have imposed hands in thy name, through this thy -virtue working in them, and through our ministry, may be restored to -their former health, and being confirmed therein, may perpetually with us -give thanks to thee the chief physician and healer of all diseases; and -that henceforth they may so lead their lives, as not their bodies only -from sickness, but their souls also from sin may be perfectly purged and -cured: through our Lord Jesus Christ thy son, who liveth and reigneth -with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.” - -The reader will readily perceive that the above office, or formulary was -entirely of _popish_ manufacture; the king and whole nation being then -papists; but it probably differed not much, if at all, from those used -afterwards by our _protestant_ princes, except in the article of -_invoking_ the _Virgin Mary_ and the _Saints_; in which also consists, -seemingly, the chief difference between the _Romish_ and _English -Liturgies_: in other respects the resemblance is great and striking; -which is not much to be wondered at, as the model of the latter is pretty -well known to have been taken from the former. - -{306} Seward’s Anecdotes, 1, 38. - -{308} Occasional Thoughts, as before, 61. - -{309} So little did those reformers know of the _spirit_ of -christianity; and yet they are still held up, by a numerous and powerful -religious party among us, as patterns of orthodoxy and pure religion: as -if those men, who knew the least of the spirit of Christ, and the -principles of common justice, were most likely to know most of the -doctrines and precepts of the gospel, and be of all men the fittest to -follow; or as if that religion should be the most orthodox, pure, and -estimable, that shews the least of the spirit of the New Testament, and -even allows of intolerance, persecution, and murder. - -{310a} Her conduct, in torturing and burning those whom the deemed -_heretics_, cannot well be thought more diabolical or execrable than that -of her successors _Elizabeth_ and _James_, toward those whom they viewed -in a similar light: the latter _burns_ them, as _Mary_ did, and no less -cruelly and unjustly; and the former imprisoned, tortured, hanged, -embowelled, and quartered them. This was the good queen Bess. Her whole -bench of bishops, all of the right reformed and _evangelical_ stamp, -applauded her deeds. - -{310b} That part of the ceremony, however, appears to have been expunged -in the next reign, and discontinued afterwards till that of James II. -without any diminution of the effect. See Oc. Thoughts, as before, 62. - -{310c} Carte, 1, 357. - -{312a} Carte, 1, 358, note. - -{312b} Athenæum No. 4. - -{317a} This proclamation therefore must have been published and affixed -in some open place at Lynn. - -{317b} See the _Athenæum_ No, 4, p. 360. - -{319} See the _Athenæum_ for April and May 1809. - -{320} Athenæum as before. - -{324} Would not the case have been the same with their descendants of -the present generation, had our three last monarchs thought proper to -continue the practice, or the present sovereign chose to revive it?—How -strikingly was the easy faith of the nation exemplified in the implicit -credit it gave to a late premier’s possessing extraordinary and plenary -ability to heal all the national or political maladies of Britain, of -Europe, and of the world? And had he pretended to a power to cure the -scrofula, or any other bodily complaint, with his _touch_, would it not -have been readily believed by all his numerous admirers, and by the -greatest part of our countrymen? And would not numerous witnesses have -soon appeared, ready to attest the reality and completeness of his -cures?—Circumstances seem evidently to favour these conclusions: nor will -the story of the _Dumb Doctor_, still fresh in every body’s memory, (not -to mention other cases) allow of our making here an exception in favour -of the inhabitants of Lynn. - -For the sake of those readers who live at a distance from Lynn, the -affair here last alluded to may require some explanation. Be it known -therefore, that the empirical Adventurer, called the _Dumb Doctor_, made -his appearance at Lynn about four and twenty years ago; and for a good -while after spent most of his time between this town and Wisbeach. It -was given out that he had been deaf and dumb from his birth, and that he -was a native of New England, or some part of North America, where he had, -somehow, (miraculously, or at least in some very extraordinary and -wonderful manner no doubt) acquired very deep knowledge and skill in the -healing art; and after having performed great and astonishing cures in -his own country, had actually crossed the wide Atlantic out of pure -kindness and compassion to the sick and infirm folk of this kingdom, most -of whose complaints he might be expected capable of removing.—The tale -very generally took with our good townsmen, and numbers of ailing people, -gentle and simple, well-bred and ill-bred, from all quarters, flocked to -the impostor for relief. Not a few of them also declared that they had -actually derived great benefit from his prescriptions.—Thus he went on -very prosperously, till an old acquaintance of his unluckily came to -town, blew him up, and blasted all his hopes. He then suddenly decamped, -and was never since seen or heard of in these parts.—It seems he had -belonged so a company of strolling players, from which honourable -fraternity he had been on some occasion expelled: upon which he took up -the medical profession, pretending to be deaf and dumb, and a native of -North America, as was before stated.—This may serve to shew that with all -our skepticism and infidelity, and our large stock of fancied light and -discernment, learning and refinement, we are by no means so far removed -from the easy faith and blind credulity of our ancestors, or become such -complete proofs against the wiles of imposture, or the specious arts of -daring deceivers, as might be supposed, from our confident, loud, and -boisterous boastings. - -{328} Sullivan’s Lectures on the Feudal System, and Laws of England, p. -180. - -{329a} Blackstone ii. 51, and iv. 411. - -{329b} See Caste 1. 423. - -{330} Sullivan’s Lectures, No. xvii, xviii, and xxviii. - -{331} Leckie’s Historical Survey of the foreign affairs of Great -Britain, Part I, page 57, &c. - -{333} Leckie, as before, p. 66. - -{334} Blackstone iv. 408. Neal Hist. Pur. I. 1. - -{335} Blackstone iv. 409.—Our _Game Laws_ are not only exceedingly -detested, by those of the middle as well as lower orders, throughout the -country, (which constitute the major part of the nation,) but seem also -to be among the most grievous and disgraceful of all our present laws. -In no view can they be deemed respectable or defensible. Nor is the -conduct of our magistrates perhaps ever more unseemly or disreputable -than in the unfeeling, cruel, and relentless rigour with which they put -these vile laws in execution. In nothing probably more than in this does -our present state resemble that of France before the revolution. The -Game Laws there were then intolerably severe and grievous, and enforced -by the magistrates with unrelenting and diabolical rigour; so that they -used to fill even the very Gallies with their hapless victims: all which -recoiled with vengeance upon them and their abettors, the privileged -orders, in the dreadful change which ensued. Those laws no longer exist -in that country: but a recent traveller, (Pinkney,) informs us, “that -though there are now no game laws in France, there is a decency and -moderation in the lower orders, which answer the same purpose. No one -presumes to shoot game, except on land of which he is the proprietor or -tenant.”—No where in England are these laws supposed to be more -grievously felt than in Norfolk; of which a popular and respectable -author of the present day speaks as follows—“What is denominated _Game_ -is very plentiful is this county. The arable lands affording both food -and cover, and the gentry, being particularly attached to the amusement -of sporting, have recourse to the strong arm of the law for its -preservation. This tenacity on the part of the landholders, producing -covetous desires in the tenants, is a strong inducement to poaching, and -the source of numberless disagreements, which too frequently terminate in -suits at law. Hence they are oppressive to one party and disgraceful to -the other. The various statutes, called ‘the Game Laws,’ are justly -deemed the opprobrium of the English code; and in no county perhaps are -those statutes acted upon with greater rigor than they usually are in -Norfolk. The endless litigations upon this despicable point have lately -become the subject of theatrical ridicule; and this county has on the -occasion been made the _butt_ of dramatic satire. “Searchum, get -warrants immediately, for seizing guns, nets, and snares; let every dog -in the parish be collected for hanging to-morrow morning. Give them a -taste for _Norfolk discipline_.” Happy would it be for the country, if -ridicule, as reason has hitherto failed, should be able to induce the -legislature to abrogate laws, which, as they were made to support an -assumed claim, can only be continued in force to protect an usurped -right.” [Beauties of England v. xi. p. 90, &c.] - -It is most disgusting to men of sound and liberal minds to hear with what -complacency, selfgratulation, as well as selfimportance, the magistrates, -at the convivial meetings of the gentry, will be sometimes expatiating on -the rigour of their proceedings against the transgressors of the game -laws, and describing how effectually they curb and keep in awe the -farmers, and trounce to their utter undoing some of the most active among -the lower order of poachers. Such a conduct is nothing less than a -publishing of their own shame, and a boasting of their own misdoings; and -had they expanded and reflecting minds, or any minds at all, they would -blush for such a conduct, and carefully and studiously refrain from it, -as well as from all manner of excess in their proceedings against -poachers, many of whom with their luckless families have been utterly -ruined by them. Some of those ill-fated culprits have perished in -prison, after long and rigorous confinement: one of whom, named -_Saunders_, died miserably in goal, after a _six years_ incarceration, -who probably was as well bred as some of his relentless judges; on which -occasion the following lines were composed: - - “_Epitaph on Nathaniel Saunders_, _gentleman_: - - “Nat! thou’st escap’d just in the nick of time! - Thine was a barbarous and a bloody crime! - How long confin’d?—six years—that’s only fair; - What was his crime? the scoundrel kill’d a hare!” - -{338a} Blackstone, iv. 410. - -{338b} Ibid, 411. - -{340} Not a few of the most high-spirited and warlike withdrew into -foreign parts; some sailed to the Mediterranean, and found at -Constantinople a ready protector in the emperor of the east, who united -them to the Barangi, or battle-ax guards, as some of their countrymen had -been long before. [See Andrews, vol. 1.] - -{341a} Blackstone, vol. 1. Robinson’s Sermon on Slavery, and appendix. -Sullivan’s Lectures, 258. - -{341b} It has been suggested that some vestiges of our ancient vassalage -is discoverable still in the abject state of the bulk of those miscalled -_freemen_, nine out of ten of whom, perhaps, have no will of their own in -the choice of representatives, but implicitly act under the direction of -the modern masters of the town.—The author, however, does not mean to -give the name of _slave-holders_ to the two families that now nominate, -appoint, return, or send our members to parliament. - -{342} The author hopes the reader will excuse the repetition of this -topic: he wishes all the different orders of the community may be -convinced that they are brethren, and that those of the higher orders may -possess the proper feelings towards their inferiors, even of the very -lowest degrees, who though they have not so much at stake in these -perilous times, are yet of the very same species with themselves, and so -must be entitled to their tender and fraternal attentions. - -{343} The same seems also to have been the case in the recent -continental conquests and changes: the lower orders and bulk of the -people appear to be gainers rather than losers by those events: they were -so burdened and oppressed by the old governments, without any hope of -redress, or the least prospect of melioration, that they became at last -quite regardless who should be their rulers, and rather hailed than -deprecated the French emperor’s successes and triumphs; believing, it -seems, that, if he became their master, their condition, as it could not -well be worse, would or might probably be better than what it then was -become under their own native princes, who treated them, not as men, or -beings of the same species with themselves, but rather as beasts of -burden, made only for their use and service; and who were oftentimes -disposed of by them and sold like other cattle. Such was the abject and -degraded state of the lower classes and great body of the people in most -of the regular and old established governments of Europe, before the -French revolution. Had the rulers been wise enough afterwards to -conciliate the good will and esteem, and secure the attachment of the -people, by holding out and granting to them what would be worth -contending for, the French had never been able to over-run every country -and overturn every government as, they have done. Emancipating the -people, and admitting them to the enjoyment of real freedom, would render -them a different race of men, capable of effectually defending their -country; and repelling any hostile attack or invasion. But the -statesmen, directors, and managers of the old governments are not, it -seems, to be convinced of these obvious, salutary, and important truths. -Instead of adopting such a plan, they have too plainly manifested a -disposition to augment rather than diminish the burdens and sufferings of -the people. The consequence was natural, and what might have been -expected. But the managers of the old institutions have not yet begun to -learn wisdom from observation and experience.—Even the pretended patriots -_of Spain_, who have made such fuss about their national liberty and -independence, have shewn as much reluctance as the rest, to ease the -burdens of the people, or ameliorate the condition of the great body of -the nation; and as they seem bent upon perpetuating the old tyranny, and -unwilling to avail themselves of the only step that would give their -resistance any chance of success, their miscarriage and downfal ought to -be viewed without regret. - -{346a} See Carte, and Parkin; also Beauties of England, vol. xi. - -{346b} The business was at least acceded to by bishop Nykke, but the -surrender seems to have been made by his successor bishop Rugg. - -{349} It must be a mistake, and should no doubt be 1039; so that he -filled the see but one year.—See Beauties of England, as before. - -{350} See Beauties of England, vol. xi, where a fuller account is given -of some of these bishops. - -{351} Armstrong’s history of Norfolk, vol. 1. p. 206. - -{358} See Tour of Norfolk, p. 180: also Beauties of England as before. - -{359} Pope Urban promised _the full remission of all their sins_, not -only to everyone who crossed the seas in that quarrel, and personally -engaged in that bloody crusade against the other pope and his adherents, -but also to all who would engage to pay any number of able soldiers -employed on the occasion, and even to all such as would advance any part -of their substance to the general (bp. Spencer,) towards defraying the -expences of the expedition. The pope’s absolution, pronounced by the -said episcopal commander in chief, was expressed as follows— - - “By the authority apostolical, to me in this behalf committed, We - absolve thee A. B. from all thy sins confessed with thy mouth, and - being contrite with thy heart, and whereof thou wouldst be confessed, - if they came into thy memory: and we grant unto thee plenary - remission of all manner of sins, and we promise unto thee thy part of - the reward of all just men, and of everlasting salvation. And as - many privileges as are granted unto them that go to fight for the - Holy Land, we grant onto thee; and of all the prayers and benefits of - the church, the universal synod, as also the holy catholic church we - make thee partaker.”—(See Fox, Vol. 1.) - -{360} There were doubtless many Lynn people in that army; the general -being lord of this town. - -{363} It is somewhat remarkable, that though both Mackerell and Parkin -appear to have made use of that MS Volume, and the former drew most of -his materials from it, for the most part verbatim, yet neither of them -take any notice of those letters, which yet form the most curious part of -the whole volume. - -{365} The documents or papers above referred to, consist of 1. a Letter -from John Wentworth mayor of Lynn to the king (Hon. iv.) dated on St. -Martin’s day 1403, and complaining of the opposite party, as outrageous -persons who committed the most horrid crimes, and proceeded in the most -riotous manner against their opponents, with the intent to spoil and rob -them of their goods, burn their houses, slay and dismember their persons, -&c. It is not the first letter he wrote to his majesty, for he refers to -others of anterior date. Those however are lost, or we might possess a -more correct knowledge of this business. The _second_ of those papers is -a Letter from Petipas, then mayor, to some of his friends, complaining of -Wentworth and his adherents and _assentaunts_ for troubling him in the -discharge of his duty, and requiring them “be bille or be mouthe” [by -letter or by word of mouth] to acquaint his reverend lord of Norwich -[i.e. the bishop] with the affair, and solicit his interference. &c. Its -date is 1413, the first of Henry V.—The _third_ is from the same, and -seemingly to the same, and written, it is presumed, in 1414, the former -part of which was the latter part of his 2nd year, for he was then mayor -two years successively. The _fourth_ was from _Thomas Hunt_, who became -mayor in the autumn of 1415 to _Johan Spencer_, viscount de Norff. [i.e. -the High Sheriff of the county] and is dated “atte Lenn ye tede day of -the mone of Juylet, ye yere of ye regne of King Henry ye fyft ye ferth:” -which was A.D. 1416. This curious paper complains of _Thomas Felwell_, -goldsmith, who had been indicted for his misdeeds, as an instigator of _a -rysing_ and _ryot_—also of _Thomas Hardell_, and _Thomas Enemethe_, “and -very many of the misdoers resorten and drawen again in counsailles to -Barth. Petipas in sustenance of his p. tie,” &c. It also offers the -said Viscount, or high sheriff, a _present of a young He-Bear_, which -seems a queer circumstance. But what makes this paper of most -importance, is its confirming, along with the other documents, the very -distracted state of the town at that period.—The _fifth_ is addressed “to -the lord bishopp of Norwich” (the above _John de Wakeryng_ it seems.) -“from his owen humblest tenants and devout Bedesmen, the Mayre and good -men of his town of Lenne Bishopp.” Its date is the 9 of March, the 3rd -of Henry V. which seems to answer to A.D. 1415, or 1415–16, and the mayor -was probably the above _Thomas Hunt_.—The _sixth_ and last of those -papers was a royal injunction or mandate from “Henry (VI.) by the Grace -of God king of England and of France and lord of Ireland unto the Mair of -the town of Lenne Byshopp;” and relates chiefly, as was before hinted, to -some irregularity or neglect in the choice of the 24 Jurats, directing -and enjoining that they should be freemen and lawful, and of the most -discreet, sufficient, and _least suspicious_ persons of the said town; -and each of them possessing property in lands and tenements to the amount -of C. S (i.e. one hundred shillings) a year—equal no doubt to more than -100_l._ a year now: also directing that in case any of the 24 Jurats -happened to die in the course of the year, others equally unexceptionable -should be immediately chosen in their room, &c.—As a sample of the style -and orthography of the magistrates of Lynn 400 years ago, and a specimen -of their mode of address to their prelatical lord and master, we shall -here subjoin the mayor and aldermen’s Letter to bishop _Wakeryng_. - - “Worschipfull Lord and reverent fader in God, we commaund us unto - yow, humble thankant yow wt alle oure hertes, of good & graciouse - lordschip yt. yo han schewed to us before yis tyme prayand to yow of - good continunace & revrent fader, for as meche as we han conteyned be - John Thornham yor. servt. yt ye are & will be graciouse lord to us, - therefor as unknowen men, we wryten to yow in our symple manr. - preying yow yt Barth. Petypas, Will Hallyate, Thomas Middleton - taylor, Thomas Barrington goldsmyth, Thomas Monethe, Thomas Beckham, - John Balders, Thomas Littleport, Thomas Hardell, John Blome, Rich. - Baxter, Andrew Fourbe, abide out of yor. towne of lenne unto the tyme - of yor. stalling at Norwich, the whiche schalle not be longe be the - grace of God, atte which tyme we shalle mete with yow & fulliche - declare to yow all manr. of hevynesse ye whiche yay han wroght to us, - & yt. to yor. worschipfull person disclosed & fulliche in hye & in - lowe, put it in govnance of yow & of yor counsayll, & for truly sire - sithen ye. tyme yt. yay wenten out of ye town of Lenne, of whiche ye - shun sone be lord of, be ye grace of God stode never in beter reste & - pees than it hath done sithen that tyme, & yet dothe atte this day, & - be yor. good governance, these persons above wretyn sett an syde, we - tryste in God to have reste & pees for ever more in yor. towne & in - our persons ye shal fynd us as lowly tenants as any that longs to yow - within yor. lordshippes, & wt. our bodyes & our goodes, be as lowly - to yow worschipful and revrend fader in God we preye, ye. holy - trinite: keep yow body and soule, & fullfill your desires as ye can - yor. self devise. Written at Lenne ye IX day of Marche under ye - seall of the office of Mayralty. - - Your owen humblest tenants and devout Bedesmen, - Mayre and good men of your towne of Lenne Bishopp.” - -In this lowly and abject manner did these humblest tenants and devout -beadesmen, the mayor and corporation of Lynn, of that day, approach their -high and mighty lord, bishop Wakeryng. They were indeed his subjects and -vassals, as their predecessors had long been; and they might think that -such cringing conduct became them: but some of them would occasionally -shew a disposition to kick and resist, as had been the ease in bishop -_Spencer’s_ time, and also now, it seems, in the case of _Patipas_, as -well as of _Miller_ afterwards, who is said to have gone to law with the -bishop and cast him. But, in general, corporations, while they are some -of the most unfeeling, relentless, and tyrannical towards their -inferiors, are at the same time some of that most abject and obsequious -of all men towards their superiors and masters: hardly presuming at any -time to have a will of their own. They are as ready to erect statues to -bad as to good kings; and the premier, however corrupt or flagitious, is -pretty surf of being always their lord chancellor, or keeper of their -conscience. - -{370} That year the king and queen, with their eldest son Arthur prince -of Wales, and Margaret countess of Richmond, the king’s mother, visited -Lynn, and were lodged at the Austin monastery, on the site of which Mr. -Rishton’s house now stands. The occasion of this royal visit we know -not. - -{372} See Tour of Norfolk 286, &c. also Beaut. of Engl. as before. - -{377} See Smith’s Inquiry, 2. 101. He also observes that how servile -soever may have been originally the condition of the inhabitants of the -towns, they yet arrived at liberty and independence much earlier than the -occupiers of land in the country. - -{379} Smith, as before, 104. Among the other principal works that -relate to these matters are Madox Firma Burgi, and Brady’s historical -treatise of cities and boroughs. - -{380} See Political Review for December, 1809. - -{381} See Monthly Rev. for August 1805, p. 446. - -{383} Smith, as before, p. 106. - -{384} Smith, as before, p. 108. - -{385} Smith, 110. - -{387} See Mackerell, 223. - -{388} See above, page 366. - -{389} Of the spirit, or principle that dictated the erection of those -statues it may now be safely said, that it was thoroughly vile and -disgraceful.—What better can be said of the spirit that was so -predominant here during Pitt’s administration and execrable reign of -terror, when all honest men who saw, deprecated, and reprobated his -madbrain system were held up to the contempt and derision of every -political coxcomb, and even to the fury of the populace, as Jacobins and -traitors? Time has already done something towards justifying the views -and principles of these persecuted people; and futurity will do them -still ampler justice. The present generation is likely to be now soon -convinced that their politics, which have been so bitterly and violently -decried, were a thousand times more worthy of adoption than those of -their malicious opponents and revilers: and posterity will not fail to -exhibit in their proper colours the extreme folly and wrongheadedness of -the measures that this illfated country has been pursuing for the last -eighteen years and upwards. - -{390} Parkin, 116. - -{391} The Jews were then very numerous in this country, as well as very -opulent, and continued so for no short period. They were generally ill -used, and sometimes underwent the most cruel and base treatment. Yet on -some occasions, they met with different and better usage, and at least -what may be called the appearance of favour and encouragement. The -following instance is not a little remarkable and striking—“It will -hardly be credited, [says Andrews] that, in 1241, Henry III issued writs -to the sheriffs, ordering them to convene a _parliament of Jews_: six -from some towns, and two from others. The writs are now extant. The -Jews were proud of this; but Henry only meant to plunder them.” The last -assertion if probably too true. Henry was just that kind of man. It is -however very little known that he was, beforehand with Bonaparte in -convening a Jewish parliament or Sanhedrim. But the characters of these -two potentates are extremely dissimilar, and so probably were their -motives for convening the Jewish delegates.—In the above mentioned reign -of Richard I. the Jews were most shamefully and cruelly plundered and -massacred here in different places. In the guilt and infamy of those -foul and horrid deeds Lynn appears to have been deeply implicated. The -tragical tale is related by _Parkin_ from William of Newburgh, and by -_Mackerell from_ Hollingshed.—It states that one of the Lynn Jews being -converted to christianity, his brethren were so enraged against him, that -they resolved to kill him whenever they had an opportunity. Having -accordingly met him one day in the street, they instantly fell upon him, -fully intending to execute their bloody purpose, but he escaped out of -their hands, and fled into the next church; they followed him thither, -and breaking open the doors, would have taken him out by force. Crowds -of the inhabitants, with a great number of foreigners, consisting of -mariners and others, who traded here, now came upon them, rescued the -man, and drove them into their own houses. The townsmen refrained from -any further acts of violence, fearful of incurring the displeasure of -their sovereign, who had taken the Jews under his protection; but the -mariners and the other strangers followed them to their own dwellings, -massacred them there, plundered their houses and set them on fire, and -immediately taking shipping, escaped with their spoil.—Of the truth of -some part of this story some doubt may very reasonably be entertained. -It is not very likely that the Jews should act as is here represented -toward their converted brother, as they could not be insensible of the -extreme risk of such a conduct. Nor is it at all probable that the town -rabble should refrain from assisting the strangers in the massacre of the -Jews, or desist from joining them in plundering and burning those unhappy -people’s houses. These may be presumed to be additions to what did then -really happen, and designed for the purpose of exaggerating the conduct -and blackening the character of the poor Jews, as well as throwing the -whole blame and infamy of the most shocking part of the conduct of the -opposite party on those foreign mariners and other strangers who happened -to be then in the town. It was always the manner of the pretended -christians of those days, to impute some previous horrid atrocity to the -Jews, in order to blind people’s eyes, and extenuate their own barbarous -and diabolical treatment of them. Upon the whole the plunder and -massacre of the Jews seem to be that part of the above story which is -unquestionably authentic. But Lynn was not the only place in England -where the Jews were then so treated. The brutal and horrid work began in -London, whence it extended to Lynn and other places, even as far as York, -where it ended in a scene most shockingly tragical; the effects of which -proved fatal to the commercial prosperity of that ancient city.—See -Andrew, 1. 192. - -{392} Parkin, 120 whose authority is Madox’s Hist. of the Exchequer. - -{393a} Parkin, as before. - -{393b} That Lynn was a mayor-town in the reign, or before the death of -JOHN, has been disputed by some; but the fact seems fully ascertained -from the Patent rolls—that king’s letters patents, dated at Devizes, -Wilts, June 7 (1216) in the 18th year of his reign, being addressed to -_the_ MAYOR _and good men of Lenn_. - -{395} See Gibson’s Camden—Parkin—Mackerell, and Tour of Norfolk. - -{396} Carte 1. 340. - -{398} Compare Parkin, Rapin, Carte, and Andrews. - -{399a} See Gibson’s Camden. - -{399b} Parkin, 122. - -{401} Parkin, p. 122. - -{402} Parkin, as before. - -{405a} Parkin 123. - -{405b} See Parkin, as before; who further observes, that Lynn was famous -at that time for importing wine: and it seems that foreign wine was then -very cheap here, compared with what it is at present. Hence Parkin -mentions a pipe of wine as selling here then at 1_l._ 15_s._ and a tun of -wine at 50_s._ These were probably red wine, for he afterwards mentions -a tun of white wine as having been sold for three marks and a half, i.e. -2_l._ 6_s._ 3_d._—The mark being 13_s._ 4_d._—Wine sells here now at a -price above 50 times higher than what it did at that period. Salmon was -an article that appears to have always fetched a high price in those -days; and Parkin, in the place from which these articles have been -extracted, mentions 20_s._ as paid for 5 Salmons sent to the bishop of -Norwich at South Elmham, on Monday before the feast of the purification. -Ten such Salmons were then, it seems, as valuable as a pipe of wine. - -{411} The word Gild, (says Chambers,) is formed from the Saxon _Gildan_, -to pay, became every man was _gildare_, i.e. to pay something towards the -charge and support of the company. - -{412} Annual Review, for 1807, 490. - -{413a} See Jacob’s Law Dictionary, under the word GUILD. - -{413b} Religious persons, clerks, knights and their eldest sons, -excepted. - -{413c} Chamber’s Cyclopædia, under GILD and FRANK _pledge_. - -{415} See Turner’s Hist. of the Anglo-Saxon, 2nd Ed. vol. 2. p. 109, &c. - -{420} Parkin, 134, 5. - -{421a} The Gilds of the common people, or those which had no large -possessions attached to them, were then probably not meddled with, but -suffered to go on as before. Some of them, as we have before seen, -existed in Camden’s time, and perhaps a good while afterwards. - -{421b} St. George’s Hall, after it became the property of the -corporation, was long used as a court-house, to hold the quarter-sessions -for the county. Those sessions have since been removed to the Trinity -Guildhall, now the Town-hall: since which time St. George’s hall has been -converted into a Play-house, and is now during the mart time, and for -sometime after, occupied annually by a company of comedians. - -{423} A word is here left out: _Security_, perhaps. - -{424a} _surety_, perhaps. - -{424b} It probably should be 2_s._ - -{425a} Here is an illegible word: those that follow also are scarcely -intelligible. - -{425b} Our modern clerks are better paid. - -{425c} They had secrets, it seems, which they deemed of much importance; -but it does not appear of what sort they were. - -{426a} Some word or words seem here wanting. - -{426b} This shews that this Gild also had a Hall. - -{426c} Supposing the number of members to be 50, his annual stipend, or -salary amounted to only 25_s._ A chaplain now would expect fifty times -that sum, at least. - -{427} _Hoods_ must have been the word omitted. - -{429} A strange word, whose meaning seems not very easy to ascertain. - -{430} This shews that some of the members of this Gild were poor. - -{431a} This Gild consisted then, it seems, of 50 members. - -{431b} By this it appears that the Corpus Christi Gild had a separate -Hall, but where it stood does not appear. That Gild seems therefore to -have been another of the superior order. - -{431c} It seems by this that the Gild of St. Lawrence also was one of -those of a superior order. - -{432a} The minstrels, it may be supposed, were employed on their public -days, to add to the conviviality, or glee and hilarity of those meetings; -which shews the members were not of an uncheerly cast. Minstrels must -have been then in no small request at Lynn. - -{432b} “A Bill” [of expences relating to the Almshouse, with memoranda.] - - _s._ _d._ -The Alderman’s ffee 3. 4. -Mess [Mass] Pence 6. 8. -For sowing [sewing] blankets & Sheets 0. 8. -A Bucket for the Almeshouse 0. 5. -Straw to the Beds 0. 3. -To Wm. Lister Almes 0. 4. -To Nicholas . . . Almes 0. 8. -To a Mason for a daies work 0. 7. -His man 0. 4. -Shinks 0. 1. -For 3 pair sheets 7. 6. -2 pair ditto 4. 8. -3 Mattrisses 8. 0. -For Mass pence at Oferings 4. 0. -For the Hearth making in ye Kitchen 1. 8. -For a Lanthorn in the middle of the house 0. 7. -For the Bed bottoms 1. 1. - -Paid for the souls of Nicholas Bardeny Prior of Lynn, Wm. Wattlett, John -Dean, and many more, each of them 2s. 6d. - -Robt. Soame gave a Load of Oatstraw for repairing their Beds. - -Ordered that the Keeper ring the Bell at 6 o’clock at night, & there be -prayers daily, & that the Alderman visit the Almeshouse once a month to -see that nothing be amiss. - -{436a} This is the only mention we have met with of _Saint Julian’s -Horn_, the history of which, no doubt, would be very amusing, if it could -be recovered. - -{436b} This shews that even our suffragan bishops assumed the power of -granting indulgences, or licences to sin with impunity, on such -conditions as they chose to prescribe. - -{439a} Parkin, 130. - -{439b} Ibid. 141. - -{440a} Parkin, 142. - -{440b} Those of the Gilds seem to be _the only aldermen_ of Lynn in -those days, see page 395. - -{441} Of St Audrey and her _smock_, and our Lady and her _appearances_ -at Thetford, some account may be found in Martin’s History of that town. -Speaking of the church of St. Audrey, he says, it was of but small -revenue, but that a famous relique made ample amends to the priest for -the smallness of his stipend. He then introduces the following extract -from _Bacon’s Reliques of Rome_, fol. 181.— - - “In Thetford, a Mayor town in Norfolk, there was a parish church, now - destroyed, called St. Audrise. In this church among other reliques, - was a _smock_ of St. Audrise, which was there kept as a great Jewel - and precious Relique. The virtue of that _smock_ was mighty and - manifold, but specially in putting away the toothach and swelling of - the throte: so that the paciente was first of all shriven and hard - masse, and did such oblations as the priest of the church enjoyned.” - -The Vulgar supposed this relique to be so full of sacred virtue, that -they ordered, in their Wills, certain persons to go in pilgrimage to it -for the salvation of their souls. Margaret Whoop, of East Harling, had -the following clause in her Will, which was dated 1501: “I will that -another man go in pilgrimage for me to Thetford, and offer for me to St. -Audrey’s Smock.” See Martin’s Thetford, p. 79.—Nothing is more probable -than that this same smock, in those days, drew many a pilgrim from Lynn -to Thetford. - -Of the blessed Virgin’s _appearances_ to divers persons at Thetford, one -was to a woman who had lost the use of her tongue, but whom she cured the -same time. The person who asserted and recorded this was a monk. The -same monk has prefaced his account of another of the Virgin’s miracles at -Thetford in the following notable and curious manner. - - “I have thought proper to relate a most remarkable miracle, because - of its tendency to exemplify the mercy of _God_, and to exhibit the - praise of _his mother_, and is most worthy of public attention; for - whatever tends to the Glory of God, and relates to his mother, is not - to be concealed or denied, but to be received as matter of - fact.”—[Then comes the marvellous tale—] “William Heddrich, junr. - carpenter, and Isabell his wife, lived in a town of Norfolk, called - Hockham. They had a child 3 years old, who in harvest time was - carried with them into the field, as was customary with peasants who - went to their day labour. On a certain day about sun setting, the - child happened to be sleep, and actually fell into a sound sleep on - the edge of the field where his parents were reaping. In the dusk of - the evening, a man driving his cart along that side of the field - where the child lay, unfortunately the wheel went over the child’s - head, unknown to the driver, and killed him on the spot. The father - of the child was following the cart when the accident happened. He - took the child up in his arms, and finding him dead and besmeared - with his own blood, he made bitter lamentations. He then ran to an - eminent surgeon in the same town, who had healed many who had - laboured under various infirmities, by the sovereign efficacy of his - medicines. After the surgeon had minutely examined the child, he - found no symptoms of life; but he advised the father to carry it - home, and the next day prepare for its funeral. When the father had - heard the opinion of the surgeon, and was convinced that he was - deprived of his child, with heart full of grief he look up the corpse - and went to his house, and delivered it to his wife, that she might - lay it on the bed. Then he assembled his friends and neighbours - together, in order to watch that night, as was customary before a - funeral. Being thus met they devoted themselves to watching, and - with the greatest ardour of devotion prayed to the blessed _mother of - God_, vowing that, if by her intercession the child should be - restored to life, they would go on a pilgrimage naked to the image of - the blessed virgin, in the church of the monks in Thetford, and there - make the usual offering. When they had made an end of their prayers - and vows, about midnight, the child revived. Those that were - present, when they beheld the happy effect of their prayers, praised - and blessed God. And, to perform their vows, they took the child, - and carried it before the image of the blessed virgin, and fulfilled - the obligation they had put themselves under.”—see Appendix to - Martin’s Thetford, p. 83. - -Such were some of the pious and popular tales of other times, in the -parts about Lynn: but before we affect to pity the credulous weakness and -miserable stupidity of our ancestors, who could receive them, let us be -careful that we ourselves are free from similar failings, or from other -failings equally inexcusable and disgraceful. - -{444} The electioners, this year, who chose the Alderman and Scabins, -were 8 persons deputed. - -{445a} What wages! - -{445b} There to play an anteme of our Lady. - -{448} Parkin, 145. - -{449a} Mackerell’s History of Lynn, 254.—what the last expression, -_after the conquest_, means, seems difficult to make out. - -{449b} Of this _Tabernacle_ the author regrets that he can give no -particular account. The above extract is the only record where he has -met with any mention of it.—It was probably a rich shrine enclosing an -image of our Saviour. - -{451} At p. 39 of the said MS. volume, speaking of the people of Lynn, -the writer says, “John de Grey, bishop of Norwich, was their great friend -and benefactor: in 1207 he gave king John a palfrey, in order to have -Duplicates of the Charter which he had obtained for his town of Lynn, it -being owing to this bishop that Lynn ever had a charter, as the original -one of king John now in the custody of that corporation testifies: the -whole, or chief liberties of that town being before that time in the -bishop.” [De Grey confirmed the royal charter against his own -successors.] - -{453} St. Nicholas and St. James. - -{454a} Skivins, Skivini, or Scabini, were the custodes, guardians, -governors, or stewards. - -{454b} Mr. Day’s MS. volume, 48, and Parkin, 148. - -{455a} A sextary was an ancient measure, said to be a pint and half, but -it appears here, from the price &c. to be much more, and was _four -gallons_. - -{455b} _Four Gallons_ of Wine sold then for 10_d._ - -{455c} The word obliterated was probably serta, a coronet [or chaplet.] - -{455d} The skivins were _four_ in number, as appears from a deed of -Thomas bp. of Ely in the 25th of Henry VI. Simon Pigot, Richard Cosyn, -Thomas Benet, and William Pilton, then called therein, custodes sive -scabins, &c. They served, as I take it, in all, two years, the seniors -going off yearly, when two others were chosen &c. they had the charge &c. -as appears, of the goods and effects of the guild.—_Parkin_. - -{457} Ante palmatam. Hence we may perceive the old custom of shaking -hands at an agreement or bargain. [Striking hands is still customary in -some places in making bargains; the buyer holds his hand open, and the -seller strikes it with open hand; whence they are said to have _struck a -bargain_.] - -{459a} Psalm 116. - -{459b} It probably should be _Dirge_. - -{459c} 14th of September. - -{461} Nativus servus—[This seems to do little credit to the feelings, or -to the memory of these rich gild brethren: Why should any sober, -industrious person, though of servile birth, or origin, be thus -disdainfully precluded from partaking of the benefit of their -institution, while he could advance the admission, or entrance money?] - -{462a} Same date. Quere if not Edward, 1. 1279. - -{462b} We have not these meetings any where explained: nor do we well -know in what they were distinguished from those called generals. - -{464} The remainder of the above article, being rather long, and what -would take up too much room in the text, but too curious, perhaps, to be -omitted, is thrown into this note, and is as follows.— - - “And that the said skivins are to take keyage of merchandizes lying - on the key in manner and form following. viz. For every pipe - (dolium) of wine lying on the kay beyond one day 1_d._ and no more - for a week, and so for every week.—_Also_, for every pipe of Wad. - {465a} lying on the kay beyond a day 1_d._ and no more for a week, - and so for every week.—_Also_, for every fardwell called gybe {465b} - of the weight of one pipe or above lying on the kay beyond a day - 1_d._ and no more for a week, and so for every week—And in the same - manner for any other goods or ware of the weight of one pipe of wine - or more lying, &c—Of every ship bringing in goods, or carrying out, - 4_d._ or less according to the discretion of the skivins—_Also_ for - three stones, called Slipstones, lying on the kay beyond a day, a - farthing, and not more for a week, and so for every week.—_Also_, for - two pieces of Lead {465c} lying on the kay above one day a farthing, - and not more for a week, and so for every week—_Also_, for sand, - chalk, clay, stone, tiles, and other things, of the weight of one - load, lying on the kay above a day, an halfpenny, _&c._—_Also_, for - the load of one boat of sand, chalk, &c. lying, &c. a - farthing.—_Also_, for any wares or goods not herein named, according - to the custom the skivins have used.—_Also_, tor every millstone, - lying above a day, an halfpenny, &c.—_Also_, for every last of - Quernstones. {465d} lying on the kay above a day, one penny - &c.—_Also_, for every last of pitch and brimstone lying one day, - 1_d._ and so for every day.—_Also_, for every hawser tyed to the kay, - one penny.—_Also_, The sd. [qu. said] day it is ordered that no bad - persons, nor any spiritual {465e} person, should work upon the kay.” - -{465a} Quere. - -{465b} A grant, pack, or bale of goods? gybe, from Gibbus. - -{465c} Duob. peciis plumbi, probably what are now called piggs. - -{465d} De Quernstonis, small grinding stones for mustard, malt &c. as I -take it: Quern for corn by corruption. - -{465e} Spiritual: it is likely that some of the monks or fryars used to -do sq. - - [These notes are Parkin’s.] - -{466a} This article may be considered as a rule for preserving good -manners at the guild. The prohibition of coming there _barefooted_, is a -plain indication, that it was common then, even for those of the better -sort, to go about ordinarily without shoes and stockings. The case is -very different now: and yet it may be questioned, if we live happier than -they did. The former article contains directions for the conduct of the -brethren and burgesses at Stirbich and other such fairs. - -{466b} The remainder of the account of this guild, in the said MS. -Volume, consists of brief notices, or rather the names of its aldermen at -different periods: [by _Parkin_.] Of which the following is the -substance.— - - Richard Lambert occurs Alderm. 1272. 56. Henry 3. - - Robert de London alderm. occurs 15. Edward I. and 18. Edward I. Wm - de Lyndesey was his deputy. Peter de Thrundeyn chos. ald. on Friday - after the assumpt. of the Virg. M. 18. Ed. I. and occurs also in the - 34. of the said king. - - Simon Fitz Simon occ. ald. 15. § Ed. 2. John de Morton then Mayor - 3rd. time. - - Robt. de Derby, Q. if not ald. 3. Ed. 3. seems to occ. - - Jeff. Drew ald. occ. 27. and 31. Ed. 3. - - Tho. Bottesham occ. ald. 44. Ed. 3. and in 1379. - - Wm. Franceys ald. 14. Ed. 3. - - Hen. Betely occ. ald. tem. Rich. 2. - - Roger Galyon occ. Mayor and Ald. 13. Hen. 4. 25 July. - - John Brunham occ. ald. 7. Hen. 4. 5. and in 3. - - Tho. Hunt occ. ald. 20 June 1 Hen. 6. - - Hen. Thoresby occ. ald. 25. Hen. 6. and 21 Hen. 6. - - Walter Cony ald. 1464. above 14 years, dy’d 29 Sept. 1479. - -{471} _Seche_ is here distinguished from _Sechehythe_. - -{472} Mr. Day’s MS. volume, p. 59, &c. - -{476} How happy it was for them to have betwixt them and God such a -powerful mediator as _saint Francis_! - -{477a} I.e. a halfpenny. - -{477b} All this is very good. - -{477c} The meaning of that word seems difficult to make out. - -{479} This shows that the _mornspechs_ and _generals_ were different -sorts of meetings; but it seems not very clear wherein they were -so.—Quere, if the former were not the religious, and the latter the -convivial meetings. - -{480a} Ob. seems to be here a contraction of _obolus_, and signifies a -_half-penny_. - -{480b} How very different from the present was that time when _three fat -sheep_ sold for _eight shillings_, and _three fatted calves_ for only -_eight shilling and ten pence_! The difference in a great measure may -consist in the comparative value of money, or of the precious metals. -They were then, perhaps, above 20 times more valuable, and less -plentiful, than now. We are told that the Jewish Solomon made silver to -be in Jerusalem as stone, and that it was nothing accounted of in his -days: our own Solomon seems to be in the way to bring things to the same -pass. But this is no sure indication of national prosperity—Solomon’s -subjects, for all the vast influx of wealth, were grievously oppressed -and unhappy, of which his unwise successor felt the sad and fatal -effects.—The dissolution of monasteries, expulsion of the monks, and -introduction of protestantism were long bewailed by many of our country -men, as very serious evils, and the causes of the dearness of provisions, -&c. Their sentiments and feelings they would often express in verse as -well as prose: whence one of our old popular songs had in it these -remarkable expressions— - - “I remember the time, before the monks went hence, - That a bushel of wheat sold for fourteen pence, - And forty eggs a penny—” - -We are also told that about the time when those changes took place, beef -sold at a _half penny_ a pound, and mutton at _three farthings_, and that -butchers then sold _penny pieces_ of beef to the poor, which weighed -2_lb._ & half, and often 3_lb._ and moreover, that 14 such pieces were -sold for shilling.—When the price advanced soon after, it is no wonder -that many would impute it to the late religious changes, or previous -ecclesiastical revolution. - -{480c} Ob. seems to be here a contraction of _obolus_, and signifies a -_half-penny_. - -{485} Our Gilds were somewhat like the navies of our good allies the -Portuguese and Spaniards, where almost every ship bears the name of some -saint or other: but it does not seem that they are at all the better for -that. - -{486} How many _Gild Halls_ there were formerly at Lynn, besides those -of _St. George_ and the _Trinity_, it is now impossible to say: but we -may pretty safely presume that there were several; one of them was -probably that place in Purfleet Street which was a dissenting meeting -house 40 or 50 years ago, and is now occupied as a school room: but we -pretend not to guess to what Gild it belonged. - -{488} Beauties of England, vol. xi, 245. - -{489a} See Parkin 126. - -{489b} We cannot find what church this was. - -{489c} Men were then in England conveyed with the land. - -{490} Parkin as before. - -{491a} Parkin, 129. - -{491b} Eccl. History, 1. 447. Ed. 1774. - -{495} “As the pontiff, (says Mosheim) allowed these four Mendicant -orders the liberty of travelling wherever they thought proper, of -conversing with persons of all ranks, of instructing the youth and the -multitude wherever they went; and, as these monks exhibited, in their -outward appearance and manner of life, more striking marks of gravity and -holiness than were observable in the other monastic societies, they arose -all at once to the very summit of fame, and were regarded with the utmost -esteem and veneration throughout all the countries of Europe. The -enthusiastic attachment to these sanctimonious beggars went so far, that, -as we learn from the most authentic records, several cities were divided, -or cantoned out, into four parts, with a view to these four orders; the -first part was assigned to the Dominicans; the second to the Franciscans; -the third to the Carmelites; and the fourth to the Augustinians. The -people were unwilling to receive the sacraments from any other hands than -those of the Mendicants, to whose churches they crowded to perform their -devotion, while living, and were extremely desirous to deposite there -also their remains after death; all which occasioned grievous complaints -among the ordinary priests, to whom the care of souls was committed, and -who considered themselves as the spiritual guides of the multitude.” -[These Medicants were evidently the Methodists and Evangelical Clergy of -those days, and might, for aught we know, merit the popularity which they -had acquired as much to the full as their successors of the present day.] -“Nor did the influence and credit of the Mendicants end here; for we find -that they were employed, not only in spiritual matters, but also in -temporal and political affairs of the greatest consequence, in composing -the differences of princes, concluding treaties of peace, concerting -alliances, presiding in cabinet councils, governing courts, levying -taxes, and other occupations, not only remote from, but absolutely -inconsistent with, the monastic character and profession.” Mosh. E. H. -iii. 53. - -{498} See Mosheim E. H. ii. 412, &c.—Let us not think of reproaching the -_papists_ for the absurdities of their Carmelites:—Our own _protestant_ -order of _free-masons_ can any day match them in the ridiculous -extravagance of their pretensions to high antiquity, or empty and pompous -boasts of a very remote and dignified origin. Nor were the Carmelites -perhaps in any view less respectable than the said protestant order. - -{499a} Beaut. of Engl. vol. xi. - -{499b} Parkin 151. - -{504} The very extraordinary zeal and enthusiasm exhibited by these -missionary labourers, which amount to a proof of their sincerity, must -have eminently fitted them for such hazardous services, and desperate -undertakings as those above described. Between those adventures of the -_Franciscans_ and some that occur in the early history of that truly -respectable protestant religious order, or party, commonly called -_Quakers_, there appears a very strong and striking resemblance. - -{505} See Mosheim’s Eccl. Hist. iii. 56. Also Priestley’s ii. 233, &c. -whence the above account is chiefly extracted. - -{507} There were then probably several images of the virgin in this -town, all much resorted to; but that in her chapel on the mount, and -this, might be the chief of them. - -{508} In France they were called _Jacobins_, from having obtained the -house of _St. James_, at Paris, for their principal church, or convent; -the identical place, it is supposed, which gave the very same name in our -time to a certain order of politicians, who used to hold their meetings -there, and who seem to have too much resembled their former and stinted -namesakes in the violence and ferociousness of their tempers and -proceedings. - -{511} Dominic now proposed to _unite_ the two orders, but Francis -thought it would be better to keep separate, but in perfect harmony; in -which he was probably right, as they would so be likely to act with the -greater energy.—For some ages these two orders are said to have governed, -with an almost absolute and universal sway, both state and church, filled -the most eminent posts ecclesiastical and civil, taught in the -universities and churches with an authority, before which all opposition -was silent, and maintained the pretended majesty and prerogatives of the -Roman pontiffs against kings, princes, bishops, and heretics, with -incredible ardor and equal success. In short, they were before the -reformation what the Jesuits have been since, and what many, who wear the -mask of religion, are at this very day, even in protestant states.—Much -as Francis and Dominic might wish their two orders to harmonize and -powerfully cooperate, it seems they did not always do so. There were -occasionally some disagreements and disputes between them: one of which -is said to have happened in 1243. The Dominicans insisted “that they -wore a more decent dress:” to which the Franciscans replied, “We have for -the love of God embraced a more austere and humble life, and are -consequently more holy.” “Yes” (rejoined the others) “it is true that -you go barefooted, ill dressed, and girded with a rope; but you are not -forbidden, as we are, to eat flesh meat, even in public, and to make good -cheer.”—It is to be feared that there have been before now, even between -our own protestant sects, in this enlightened country, disputes about -points no less unimportant and frivolous. Another point, of equal moment -with the former, upon which these two rival orders disagreed, and which -occasioned the most bitter contention between them, was what is called -_the immaculate conception of the blessed virgin_, or whether she _was_, -or was _not_ born in original sin. The Dominicans took the affirmative, -and the Franciscans the negative side in this curious controversy. It -was carried on with the utmost rancour, for ages, and the most scandalous -means were sometimes resorted to, by the respective combatants, in order -to obtain an advantage over their opponents. The religious, or rather -the papal world was long divided between those two silly opinions, and -what is worse, it was kept in a state of continual animosity, each side -looking upon the other with perfect hatred. So usefully and commendably -did these holy friars employ their time and their talents, and such -benefactors were they to mankind! - -{512} It is even said that he _died with great marks of piety_: if so, -it is to be hoped that one of those marks was that of repentance, or deep -contrition for his many unworthy deeds; for it is certain that he had -been, in no small degree, a violent man, and a man of blood. He was the -father even of the horrid inquisition, an exciter of murderous crusades -against pretended heretics, and a prime abettor of the shocking -barbarities exercised on the hapless Albigenses.—If he really repented of -these execrable misdeeds, he must have made a more hopeful exit than the -renowned reformer of Geneva, the premeditated murderer of Servetus -appears to have done. - -{513} There is still what may be called a convent in Clough Lane, and -even a convent of preaching brethren, but of a very different sort from -the former, and whose labours, it is hoped, have been of very material -and extensive benefit to a large portion of the community. - -{517} Mosheim as before, vol. 3. - -{522} Priestley’s Gen. Hist. Christian Church, vol. iv. - -{524} See Priestley as before. - -{525a} Priestley, 2. and 4. - -{525b} Beauties of England, vol. xi. - -{526a} Parkin, 152. - -{526b} Very few, perhaps, if any, could be named of our religious -orders, or christian sects but what have done some good in the world, and -as few, probably, that have not also done harm. In estimating the -character of a religious order, sect, or party, we are apt, as it is very -natural, to set the one against the other: in doing which it too often -becomes a matter of doubt, which of the two, the good or the harm, -preponderates, or exceeds in quantity. When that happens, which is much -less seldom than one could wish, it is a sad painful case. In our own -country, at this time, the diversity of religious sects and parties is -very great. Some of them are vastly popular, and others otherwise. Much -do we daily hear of the exemplary zeal, and the laudable, persevering, -and successful exertions of those who assume the name of _orthodox_ and -_evangelical_, both in the establishment and out of it. These reports -seem generally well founded. Much _good_, no doubt, has been done: and -we may venture to add, much _harm_ also. The great error of these -zealous religionists lies in their spirit, or rather in their not knowing -what manner of spirit they are of, which is evidently not the spirit of -Christ. All who cannot pronounce their _Shibboleth_, they teach their -converts to view with an evil eye: and all who go about to do good in the -name of Christ, they are sure to forbid or revile, and so render all -their benevolent endeavours useless, as far as lies in them, _if they -follow them not_, or are not of their party. They may perhaps plead -_apostolical example_, but it is not countenanced, but expressly -condemned by Christ, who enjoins a very different sort of conduct. Until -they therefore think proper to comply with that injunction of his, they -will have no reason to boast of the excellence, or _evangelicalness of_ -their spirit. [see Mark 9.39. Luke 9. 50.] All religious sects and -parties, would do well to consider, that the spirit they are of, is what -always forms the most important and decisive part of their -character.—More of this when we come to the present religious state of -Lynn. - -{531} See Mackerell, 194.—and Parkin, 146. - -{532} Mr. King’s MS.—also Mackerell, 195. - -{544} FOR THE WHOLE YEAR—MAWDLYN, _on the Cawsey between Lynn and -Gaywood_. - - _s._ _d._ -_Imprimis_, Of Mr. Thoresby, for Sayer’s xx. 0. -Marsh -_Item_, Of Nich. Newgate of Holkham, for 5 ii. 6. -acres of meadow in the same town, for a year -_Item_, Of Wm. Clarke of Wotten, for one acre 0. i. -of pasture nigh Holme’s dale in Gaywood: pay -by the year -_Item_, Of Winter and Goodwin, of Rouncton, x. 0. -for 11 acres pasture in Sechie; who pay by -the year -_Item_, Of Robt. Jerviss, for a ffish bale, x. 0. -lying in the north marsh; who payeth by the -year -_Item_, Of Sir Nicholas L’estrange knt. for xxiii. iiij. -two sheep courses and other lands, lying in -West Lexham, East Lexham, and Dunham; who -payeth by the year -_Item_, Of Thomas Brown of Lynn, for a meadow xx. 0. -lying in Gaywood; who payeth every half year, -x_s._ -_Item_, Of Philip Bailie, for 4 acres of xxiiij. 0. -meadow, lying on the west side of Mawdlin, -and pays by the half year, xx_s._ [qu. -xii_s._] -_Item_, Of Robt. Hobbs, now in the tenure of xx. 0. -Mr. Graves, for a meadow lying in Gaywood, -paying quarterly, v_s._ -_Item_, Of Thomas Miller, of Lynn, for a x. 0. -meadow lying on the side of the high way, who -payeth quarterly ii_s._ vi_d._ -_Item_, In the compass of Congham, 7 roods of mod. brasii. -Hebbe land, lying in Congham: pay by the year -one bushel of malt. -_Item_, Of Mr. Fr Bastard, for a close lying xxxiii. iiij. -without Gannock gate, payeth every half year -xvi_s._ viij_d._ -_Item_, Of Robt. Jarvis of Lynn, for a meadow xii. iiij. -next the Lord’s close in Gaywood, paying by -the year - -The following statement from a paper published by _Parkin_, and written, -as he took it, in the reign of Elizabeth, may be here subjoined, as it -may cast some further light on the state of the possessions of this -Hospital at that period— - - “Robert Wylson master of this house, married Isabel, late wife of - Thomas Hesket late master—hath six acres joining to the said house - now in their hands, which is all that they have in occupation in - their own hands.—Also Mr. Thorisbye occupies one marsh lying in - Geywode and Myntlyn, the old rent thereof was 20_s._ _per annum_, at - least, and he is to have of the house for rents belonging to the - manor of Geywode 42_s._ 3_d._ _per annum_.—Mr. Spence occupies one - close lying in Gannock, which is called 10 acres, but in truth is 14 - acres at the least, and he pays but 33_s._ and 4_d._ _per - annum_.—Park of Holme holdeth 11 acres in Sechyth, and pays but - 33_s._ 4_d._ _per annum_, well worth 4_l._ 13_s._ 4_d._ _per - annum_.—Also Mr. Strange hath a fold course and lands in Lexham, - which wont to pay to the said house 23_s._ _per annum_, and by the - space of 80 years hath [remained] unpaid, and by the report of them - that know it, it is well worth 4_l._ _per annum_.—Other lands in - Congham and Creake Abbey, the value whereof is not yet made.—Also - Wrothes of Gaywode holdeth one pigthtle worth 6_s._ _per annum_, and - pays nothing.—_Item_, one close or pigthle lying in Geywode by South - Wotton, hath been let for 8_s._ _per annum_, but now none will give - above 3_s._ or 2_s._ 3_d._ _per annum_.—_Item_, One rede dole in - Geywode containing 8 acres, the old rent is 8_s._—_Item_, Mr. Pell - occupieth 3 acres by the house; the old rent was 10_s._ and now - 20_s._—_Item_, Thomas Gybson of Lynne occupies one close of 3 acres - by the house; the old lent was 20_s._ now 40_s._—_Item_, He occupies - . . . acres lying by Maudelyn Bank, and pays 24_s._ _per annum_, and - it is worth 50_s._—_Item_, two acres by Dersingham Lane, worth 20_s._ - _per annum_, the old rent 10_s._—_Item_, In Geywode fen 3 acres, the - old rent 6_s._ now 15_s._ _per annum_. Roger Lauson has an acre and - a half, old rent 10_s._ now 26_s._ 8_d._ _per annum_.—Six acres lying - by Salters Load; the old rent 10_s._ now 20_s._ _per annum_.—_Item_, - A whole piece there, and pays 4_s._ 6_d._ _per annum_.—_Item_, 5 - acres in Narford, old rent 9_d._ now 3_s._—_Item_, 5 acres in - Hockold, let for 2_s._ _per annum_, worth _5s._”—[_See_ Parkin 148.] - -{546a} We cannot learn when this change look place. - -{546b} A _sisterhood only_, consisting of a _master_, &c. has a somewhat -of an Hibernian sound. - -{546c} Mr. King’s MS. volume. - -{546d} Parkin, 145. - -{547} It is taken from Mr. King’s MS. volume almost verbatim, though not -always in the exact order in which it there stands. - -{548} There are not properly two courts: the space between the portal -and the proper court, consists of two rows of little gardens divided by -the walk, or entrance into the said court. - -{549} At the time referred to above, that is, about 1720, or 1724, the -allowances to the pensioners residing in the said house, were as follows— - - _l._ _s._ _d._ -To the Master of the Hospital, per week 0. 4 6. -To eleven poor widows per week, at 2_s._ 1. 7. 6. -6_d._ each -To the Master yearly, one Chalder and 1. 10. 0. -half of coals -To eleven widows yearly, one Chalder of 11. 0. 0. -coals each -For 15 Sheaves of Sedges to the Master 0. 2. 6. -for kindling -For 10 Sheaves to each of the Sisters (in 0. 18. 4. -all 110) - Total. £96. 14. 10. - -Besides repairs and other contingencies. [See Mr. King’s MS. and -Mackerell.] - -From the above period to the present time, the weekly allowance to the -master and sisters has been gradually advancing, but not in proportion to -the advance in the price of the necessaries of life; at least not so -during the present reign, and especially this latter part of it. For the -last fifty years the weekly allowance of the sisters, has been from 3_s._ -6_d._ of 4_s._ to 5_s._ till the commencement of the present year [1810] -when it was advanced from 5_s._ to 7_s._ and the master’s allowance from -7_s._ to 10_s._—This pleasing change in the situation of these pensioners -has been ascribed to the laudable and humane exertions of the present -acting governor and treasurer, _Edmund Rolfe Elsden Esq._, who is -supposed to have acquitted himself, in this situation, more respectably -and commendably than any of his predecessors, for the last fifty years at -least. Besides advancing the weekly allowance of the pensioners, he has -also put the hospital itself and premises in a state of thorough repair, -at the expence of 400_l._ or more. All this he has been enabled to -accomplish by advancing the rent of the lands according to their present -value: and it is expected that he will be able soon to make an additional -augmentation to the weekly allowance and comforts of the poor pensioners, -whose concerns he so laudably superintends. Till he was appointed to -this situation their condition was very miserable, and every year getting -worse and worse, with little or no hope of amendment. In short, Alderman -Elsden, in the character of acting governor and treasurer of our Magdalen -Hospital, has deserved well, not only of the pensioners of that home, but -also of the public at large. His successors it is hoped will not fail to -profit by his praiseworthy examples and it is to be wished that the -managers of all similar charities would make a point of acting in like -manner. Very different, indeed, by all accounts, has been the conduct of -too many, if not of most of those entrusted with the superintendence and -management of our charitable institutions throughout the kingdom, by -which they have proved themselves utterly unworthy of the confidence -reposed in them, and rendered their very names and memories detestable in -the eyes of all honest men. - -{550} Mackerell, 194, &c. - -{553a} The builder or founder, probably, of the old parsonage house -there, which has the name still over the door: in which case, that house -must have stood between 3 and 400 years. - -{553b} Parkin 164, 165. - -{554} The author of the Norfolk Tour, speaking of the Red Mount, gives -the following account of the said king’s visit to this place— - - “When Edw. IV. and his brother, the duke of Gloster, fled before the - great earl of Warwick, on passing the Washes in Lincolnshire, at an - improper time, they lost their baggage and money; and arriving at - Lynn, October 2. 1470, [other accounts say 1469] lodged one night in - this building, which the historian erroneously calls a _castle_.” - [But the historian was, perhaps, more correct than his corrector.] - -{555a} But though the said chapel is confessedly an ecclesiastical -structure, there might be once about it erections of a military, or -castellated character, which would account for its obtaining the name of -a _castle_. - -{555b} Beauties of England, vol. xi. p. 294. - -{556} “What led to the great celebrity which this place obtained for -centuries, was the widow lady of _Ricoldie Faverches_ founding, about -1061, a small _chapel_ in honour of the virgin Mary, similar to the -Sancta Casa, at Nazareth. Her son confirmed the endowments, made an -additional foundation of a _Priory_ for Augustine canons, and erected a -_conventual church_. At the dissolution, the annual revenues of the -monastery were valued, according to Speed, at 446_l._ 14_s._ 4_d._ That -its wealth should have been immensely great, is not surprising, when the -fame of the image of our Lady of Walsingham is taken into the account; -for it was as much frequented, if not more, than the shrine of St. Thomas -a Becket, at Canterbury. Foreigners of all nations came thither on -pilgrimage; many kings and queens of England also paid their devoirs to -it; so that the number and quality of her devotees appeared to equal -those of the Lady of Loretto, in Italy.—The celebrated Erasmus represents -it as a place of such transcendent splendor as would lead one to suppose -it the seat of the gods. The monks had contrived to persuade many, that -the _galaxy_ in the heavens was a miraculous indication of the _way_ to -this place: hence that was called _Walsingham Way_.”—See Beaut. Engl. xi. -313. - -{558} Having again touched on the subject of the Gilds, the author begs -leave here to correct an inaccuracy or error that escaped him in -mentioning St. Ethelred’s Gild at page 439. It now appears to him that -this fraternity took its name from a female personage, named _St. -Etheldreda_; and he has, since the above page was printed off, observed -the following notice of it in Parkin (134.)—“John Alcock, bishop of Ely, -June 3, 1490, granted 40 days pardon, or indulgence, to all the brethren -and sisters of the guild of St. Etheldreda, in St. Nicholas’s chapel of -Lynn, at the altar of St. Etheldreda the most holy virgin, there founded, -and to all who should hear mass at the said altar, and to all who said -_quinquies_ before the said altar, the Lord’s prayer and the Salutation -_quinquies_. _Reg. Alc. Ep. El._”—So great, in the said bishop’s time, -was the encouragement to enter into St. Etheldreda’s Gild, and to hear -mass at her altar, or say _quinquies_ before it! - -{559} Some have thought that the bishop’s town house stood by the Fort, -and that the said stones might belong to that edifice, which must be a -mistake, as it appears, from old records, that that house stood by St. -Nicholas’s chapel _to the west_, which must be about where Dr. Redferne -or Mr. T. Allen’s house now stands.—That the bishop had a house here in -the time of Henry III. appears, according to Parkin, from _Plita Corona -apd. Lenn_, 41 of that reign. “This same house seems to be alluded to -afterwards, in _Plita Assis. Norw._ 4. Hen. IV. when it was found, that -John Wentworth, mayor of Lenne Episcopi, and the commonalty, had unjustly -disseized Henry, bishop of Norwich, of his free tenement here, 100 acres -of land, and 20 acres of pasture, he being seized of it in right of his -church,” &c. From this it would appear, that Wentworth was not on good -terms with the said bishop, which may account for his competitor, -Pettipas, advising his friends to seek his lordship’s interference; and -it appears from his Letters, that the bishop was favourable to him and, -hostile to Wentworth.—Parkin 155.—also Mr. K’s MS. - -{560} Parkin 141. - -{561a} Parkin, 152. - -{561b} Ib. 165. - -{562} Parkin, 125. - -{563a} The author is sometimes ready to suspect that the two -_anchorages_, mentioned in some of the foregoing pages, were in fact no -other than the lodges or retreats of some anchorets, though he has there -given the word a different explanation. (see p. 507.) - -{563b} Parkin, 142. - -{564a} Beaut. of England, xi. 23. - -{564b} Parkin, 140. - -{564c} See p. 453. - -{565a} Parkin, 140. - -{565b} Parkin, as before. - -{566a} “Be it known unto all men by these presents, that we _John -Salisbury_, dean of the cathedral church of the holy undividable trinity -of Norwich, and chapter of the same church, have remised, released, and -clearly for ever, for us and our successors, quit claim, and do by these -presents remise, release, and quit claim to the mayor of the burgh of -Lynn Regis, and to the burgesses of the same; and also to _Robert -Gervise_ and _John Towers_, all manner of quarrels, trespasses, -variances, controversies, debates, and demands, which we have, and ought -to have, for the _Lead_, _Glass_, _Bells_, _Iron_, _Brass_, _Laten_, -_Timber_ and _Stones_, of the _Chapel of St. James_ in King’s Lynn -aforesaid, for all and every other cause and causes whatsoever, -concerning the same Chapel. In witness whereof to these presents, We the -said Dean and Chapter have set our chapter seal this 8th day of January, -in the 8th year of the reign of Elizabeth, by the grace of God, Queen of -England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. - - REGISTRATOR. - -Sealed and delivered, to the use of the Mayor and Burgesses of King’s -Lynn, and Robert Jervis and John Towers, in the presence of John Debney -of Norwich, David Coytmor, Alexander Auger, and Richard Lasher.” -[Mackerell, 217.] - -{566b} In 1560, five or six years anterior to the date of the above -deed, as we learn from Mackerell, “several gentlemen came to Lynn, and -would have taken the state of St. James’s church, by order of the -Councils Letters, but were opposed and resisted by the corporation.” But -if they actually came by the authority of the privy council, as the above -seems to imply, it must be rather odd that the corporation should venture -to oppose and resist them: but so it is said, see Mackerell 227.—The same -writer says, p. 177, that in 1567 _the pinnacle_ of St. James’s chapel, -(by which we may suppose he meant the _spire_ of it,) “was taken down, -and the steeple built flat.” So that the tower appears to have been left -for some time in its original state, after the chief part of the chapel -had been pulled down. - -{570} Mackerell, 222. - -{571a} Ib. 178. - -{571b} By the above Act, if we are not mistaken, or about the time when -it took place, there was also appropriated, as a further adoption to the -revenue and maintenance of the said house, _four pence per chaldron_ on -all coals imported here by strangers; which is said to amount yearly, one -year with another, to 200_l._ and upwards. [Mackerell, 178.] - -{571c} Mackerell, 178. - -{572} Grisenthwaite’s Remarks. - -{573} The reader will perceive that this is not perfectly correct; but -so it stands in Mr. Grisenthwaite’s Pamphlet. The incorrectness, -however, is trivial, and cannot affect the main subject. It may be -supposed to lie among the separate articles, rather than in the casting -up; but it cannot be rectified without a sight of the original account. - -{574} This statement also is somewhat inaccurate, but not so as to -affect the main subject. The sum total may be presumed to be strictly -correct, whatever slight errors may have crept among the separate -articles, which might be easily rectified by a sight of the original -documents. - -{575a} See Grisenthwaite’s Remarks, p. 21, and the last Account of -Receipts and Disbursements published by the Corporation of Guardians. - -{575b} They were between fire and six score last year, and are supposed -to be more now. This is said to have already occasioned to our Lynn -house-owners a loss of above 1000_l._ a year: of course, they have no -great reason to exult in the goodness of the times, or to boast of the -salutary or beneficial effects of the new poor and paving laws. - -{576a} Lynn, unquestionably, owes much of its present declension to the -new _poor_ and _paving_ laws, which have so greatly added to those -burdens which were already become almost unbearable: they therefore ought -not to have been brought forward at such a time; especially as they were -disapproved by a large proportion of the inhabitants. Though their bad -effects are visible to the most superficial observer, yet that avails -nothing: we are too self-sufficient to be taught by experience, or to let -the remembrance of past errors correct our future conduct. The present -sudden advance, or augmentation of the _water-rent_, at the rate of fifty -per cent, may serve to illustrate this. Under our present circumstances, -this measure must appear exceedingly inconsiderate, unfeeling, and -illtimed. It would not have been disreputable in the managers of this -concern to pay the inhabitants the compliment of explaining to them the -reason of this measure: but, perhaps, they might think that the -inhabitants had no light to know the reason, nor yet the reasonableness -of their exactions. Private householders are to be charged higher than -shopkeepers: this also seems to want explanation. Were we possessed of -the whole secret, it would probably appear that abuses exist in the -management of our waterworks not very dissimilar to those of our -work-house. - -{576b} Grisenthwaite’s Remarks, page 40. - -{577a} _Sixty Stone_ a week, or more, as it is positively reported. - -{577b} Grisenthwaite’s Remarks, p. 41. - -{578a} Account of Receipts and Disbursements of 1809, published by the -Corporation of Guardians. - -{578b} G.’s Remarks, p. 33. - -{579a} One would hardly have expected that the cost of cheese alone, in -a poor-house, would have been more than one fourth of that of both -_bread_ and _four_. - -{579b} Account of Receipts and Disbursements, as before. - -{579c} If any thing has been mistated here, the writer will thank any -one that will apprize him of it; and he will take care to have it -rectified. - -{580a} Let no one suppose, from what has been above said or suggested -that the present writer would wish our poor to be neglected, or treated -unfeelingly. Nothing on earth can be further from his thoughts. Let -them, by all means, be sufficiently attended to, and duly provided for: -but he sees no reason why they should live better than the poor in all -other English work-houses, or even better than what many of those that -contribute towards their support can afford to do; which yet seems to be -actually the case at Lynn, of late years. Much tender attention, -undoubtedly, is due, not only to those of the poor who are entitled to -parochial relief, but also to those of them on whom a contribution beyond -their power is levied towards that relief. Of these there is said to be -now among us no small number. - -{580b} Grisenthwaite’s Remarks p. 24. - -{581a} Its connection with the history of St. James’s Chapel and -Hospital was the sole reason of its being adverted to, or brought forward -in this part of the work. - -{581b} In the article of _Meat_, for instance, the reduction is said to -be from 60 stone, or more, to less than 30. - -{581c} The expectation of the adoption of a thorough economical system, -for our Workhouse, has considerably lowered, with some people, since the -recent appointment of a new collector of poor rates; when a person was -appointed with a salary of 130_l._ a year, although another candidate, of -equally unexceptionable character offered, as it is said, to execute the -office for 50_l._ less. This, indeed, does not seem to be a good omen; -yet we hope it does not augur, or absolutely indicate that things will -still go on after the old sort, so as to admit of such vile and infamous -proceedings as those of the _flour-merchants_, mentioned by Mr. -Grisenthwaite, or that the expenditure of the next and succeeding years -will equal, or nearly equal, that of the last and preceding ones.—No -longer, it is to be hoped, are we to hear of “every thing for the use of -the House being procured of whom and in such quantities as the governor -and master think proper, _at the full current market prices_—or, that -groceries are taken, in small quantities, _at the common retail -rates_—or, that _clothing_ provided for the house _costs upwards of_ 30 -_per Cent. more them it might fairly be afforded at_—or, that _our female -paupers_, on holidays, are to be seen associated, in the vilest -ale-houses, with the very dregs of society, manifesting by their lewdness -of expression, immodest demeanour, and depraved sentiment, an entire -dereliction of every virtuous principle.” This last circumstance must -have actually reduced our poor-house to a _wh—house_! a character which, -sorely it ought no longer to retain; otherwise a great part of our -enormous poor rates will be most infamously misapplied.—It is presumed it -will also be very desirable that _our new collector_ should not -tenaciously imitate every part of the conduct of _his predecessor_; and -especially that of harassing the poorer householders, for default of -prompt or speedy payment, by indiscriminately issuing _summonses_, at the -rate of 2_s._ 4_d._ a piece, and by three and four score at a time. Such -a process must bear very hard upon those luckless people, whose poverty -or inability constitutes perhaps, the whole of their delinquency. To -exact, therefore, an additional 2_s._ 4_d._ from each of them, must have -been, to say the least of it, an unchristian and inhuman deed.—N.B. The -_Collector_ above mentioned, with a salary of 130_l._ a year, is a _new -officer_, as is also the _Registrar_, with a salary of 50_l._ a year. -These twin-brothers are the legitimate offspring of the new poor act. To -the Registrar is supposed to belong, to _chronicle small beer_, &c. and -write summonses: if so, as the defaulters are charged 2_s._ 4_d._ for -each summons, are they not, in fact, paid for _twice over_? - -{586a} Were it, indeed, ascertainable, that it was Nicholas who taught -England and Europe the use of the Compass, Lynn would have great reason -to be proud of him. But the fact is doubtful, if not more than doubtful, -as the same honour has been confidently ascribed to _Flavio Gioia_, a -celebrated mathematician of Amalfi, in Naples, who flourished about 1300, -which was somewhat earlier than the other, and who marked the -_north-point_ in the Compass by a _flower de lis_, in compliment to the -then Neapolitan royal family, which was a branch of that of France. -Still our townsman might have a share, and that perhaps not small, if not -in the discovery itself, yet, at least, in its improvement, or the -application of it to the purposes of navigation. The _Chinese_ are said -to have been acquainted with magnetism and the use of the compass long -before all other nations. - -{586b} The Astrolabe was an instrument formerly in much request, and -still very well spoken of. There were different sorts of instruments -that bore that name. The above was one of those called _sea_-astrolabes, -a description of which may be seen in the works of _Chaucer_, and also in -the Cyclopædias. - -{587} _Bale_, however, classes him among the _Carmelites_; but it seems -to be generally agreed that he was mistaken, and that Nicholas certainly -belonged to the Franciscans, as was said above. Mackerell imputes Bale’s -placing him among the Carmelites to his partiality to them, having -himself been of that fraternity. - -{590} Which may probably indicate, that he had been educated at -_Oxford_, as that university was the great nest, or fountain-head of -Lollardism, which seems not to have been much, if at all countenanced at -Cambridge.—Abp. Arundel with his commissioners visited Cambridge in 1401, -not long, it seems, after the trial and burning of Sautre. . . . One, -and perhaps the chief object of their visit was, to enquire, Whether -there were among its members “any suspected of Lollardism, or any other -heretical pravity.” One solitary Lollard was found out, whose name was -_Peter Harford_, who was ordered to abjure Wickliff’s opinions in full -congregation. (See Mo. Mag. for Oct. 1803, p. 225.) - -{592} Let it not be supposed that the vile prison holes, or places of -torment, above spoken of, and described, were used _only_ by the votaries -of popery, or the roman catholics. Even the member and prelates of the -protestant church of England appear also to have made use of them before -now; and that, too, at what some seem to deem the era of the utmost -evangelical purity of that church—the reign of good queen Bess, as she -has been often called. As to our pretended orthodox and evangelical -sectaries, if they have not followed the above example _literally_, yet -have they made, and still make no scruple of doing it, as we may say, -_metaphorically_ or _figuratively_, at least.—When any one is pronounced -by their petty popes, prelates, priests, exorcists, or consistories, to -be possessed with the demon of heterodoxy or heresy, he is immediately -reviled, defamed, proscribed, and outlawed, at it were, by proclamation; -or pilloried and gibbeted, in their periodical and other publications—in -other words, they do all they can to set every body against him, and -render him odious in the sight of all men, as one who has forfeited the -esteem of his fellow citizens, and is no longer worthy of enjoying the -common rights and comforts of society.—In short, they appear to use all -their efforts and energies to have him effectually secured in a -_Little-Ease_, of a most painful and dismal sort.—If our protestant, -orthodox, and evangelical sects and parties do thus, who can wonder at -the cruelties ascribed to the papists in former times? Instead of -inveighing against the intolerant, persecuting, and antichristian spirit -of popery, as these very people often do, they ought, surely, to consider -how little that spirit differs from their own. While they inveigh or -declaim against the injustice and cruelty of imprisoning, banishing, -hanging, or burning people for their religion, and yet, at the same time, -are in the constant practice of traducing, reviling, defaming, exhibiting -as evil-doers, and treating in the most unkind and injurious manner, -those whom they are pleased to brand with the name of _heretics_, or who -differ from them, they discover the self same spirit with the very worst -of persecutors, and may be compared to the ancient sect called -_Circonelliones_, who would not use the _sword_, because Christ had -forbidden it to _Peter_, but armed themselves with _Clubs_, which they -called _the clubs of Israel_, with which they could break all the bones -in a man’s skin.—See Jones’ Mem. of bishop Horne, 275. - -{593} The act _De Hæretico Comburendo_, did not take place till sometime -after; so that its terrors cannot be supposed to have frightened him to -recantation.—We can think of nothing so likely to have produced that -effect as some intolerably severe private sufferings which he had -undergone during the above mentioned interval. - -{597} That _scrole_ related, it seems, to the _recantation_, of which, -according to Fox, the following was the tenor or _substance_— - - “_Imprimis_, touching the first and second, [articles] where I said - that I would adore rather a temporall prince, and the lively bodies - of the saints, than the wooden crosse whereupon the Lord did hang, I - do revoke and recant the same, as being therein deceived.—To this I - say, that the article is false and erroneous, and by false - information I held it; the which I renounce and ask forgiveness - thereof, and say, that is a precious relique, and that I shall hold - it while I live, and that I sweare here.—I know well that I erred - wrongfully by false information: for I wot well, that a deacon or a - priest is more bound to say his mattens and houres then to preach; - for there he is bounden by right: wherefore I submit me, &c.—Touching - that article, I know right well that I erred by false information. - Wherefore I ask forgiveness.—As concerning vowes, I say that opinion - is false and erroneous, and by false information I held it; for a man - is holden to hold his vow, &c.—To the 7. article I say, that I did it - by authority of priesthood, wherethrough I knowledge well that I have - guilt and trespassed: wherefore I submit me to God and to holy - church, and to you father, swearing that I shall never hold it - more.—To the 8. (article) I say, that I held it by false and wrong - information. But now I know well that it is heresie, and that bread, - anon as the word of the sacrament is said, is no longer bread - materiall, but that it is turned into very Christ’s body; and that I - sweare here.” - -Two more articles were then retracted by him, and pronounced to be _false -and erroneous_, &c. but it does not appear what they were, (see Fox, 1. -674.)—This recantation, throughout, exhibits evident symptoms of a man so -overcome by his fears, or his sufferings, as to be ready to say or do any -that his unfeeling persecutors should prescribe or dictate to him.—He -appeared much more fearless and intrepid, afterwards, when he was taken -up the last time, tried before the arch-bishop and convocation, condemned -and committed to the flames. - -{598} Fox A. and M. 1. 673. - -{599} The Londoners were then distinguished for their partiality to the -Lollards; which may, in some measure, account for the facility with which -Sawtre appears to have obtained the appointment or situation of minister -of St. Osith.—see _Fox_, 670. - -{600} The celebrated Sir William Jones is well known to have been one of -our most earnest and warm friends and advocates of reform. The memorable -Dr. _Johnson_ used to call him, _the most enlightened of the sons of -men_. - -{603} Fox A. and M. 671, 672. - -{604} One circumstance, mentioned as having occurred in the course of -this examination, seems not a little difficult to account for. Fox says, -that Arundel enquired of Sawtre, “Whether he had abjured the foresaid -heresies and errors objected against him before the bishop of Norwich, or -not; or else had revoked and renounced the said or such like conclusions -or articles, or not?” and that the latter answered and affirmed that he -had not. [p. 672.] Also four days after, when the fore-cited process of -the bishop of Norwich was read to him before the convocation, and it was -urged that he had then abjured, among other errors, the heresy, that in -the sacrament of the altar, after the consecration made by the priest, -there still remained material bread, “Whereunto the said William, -answered, smiling, or in mocking wise, and denying that he knew of the -premisses.” [Ib. p. 674.] In all this there is evidently some mystery, -which one knows not how to unravel, except on the supposition, that there -was some material mistake, or designed misrepresentation in the statement -which bishop Spencer sent to the convocation of his process against -Sawtre, and of the tenor of the latter’s retraction, which might, in his -opinion, justify his said denial. - -{605} He might well answer _deridingly_, for such interrogations were -fit only to excite contempt and derision. - -{606} See Fox 673, who gives the following as a copy of the said -sentence— - - “_In the Name of God_, _Amen_. We Thomas by the grace of God - archbishop of Canterbury, primate of England, and Legate of the See - Apostolicall, _by the authority of God almighty_, and blessed Saint - _Peter_ and _Paul_, and of _holy church_, and _by our own authority_, - sitting for tribunall or chiefe judge, _having God alone before our - eyes_, by the counsell and consent of the whole clergie, our fellow - bretheren and suffragans, assistants to us in this present councell - provinciall, by this our sentence definitive do pronounce, decree, - and declare by these presents, thee William Sautre, otherwise colled - Chawtrey, parish priest pretensed, personally appearing before us, in - and upon the crime of heresie, judicially and lawfully convict, as an - heretike, and as an heretike be punished.” - -{607} See Fox, p. 674. where we find a copy of this second sentence, or -sentence of degradation, in the following words . . . - - “_In the Name of God_, _Amen_. Wee Thomas by the grace of God - archbishop of Canterbury, Legate of the See Apostolicall, and - metropolitan of all England, doe find and declare, that thou William - Sautre, otherwise called Chautris, priest, by us with the counsell - and assent of all and singular our fellow brethren and whole clergy, - by this our sentence definitive declared in writing, hast beene for - heresie convict and condemned, and art (being againe fallen into - heresie) to be deposed and degraded by these presents.” - -{608} But its absurdity seems of an opposite cast to that of one our -late parliaments, which undertook to establish the popish doctrine of the -_indelibility of the priestly_, _or clerical character_, than which -neither the above process, nor even transubstantiation itself, can be -more absurd or ridiculous. That such a doctrine should really be -recognised, adopted, and established by the British Senate, now in the -19th century, might have occasioned no small astonishment, had not the -same august body, within the same period, done so many other things -equally strange, marvellous, and disreputable. Should we become -inquisitive, and presume to ask, What is this invisible, mysterious, -indelible something, called character; the episcopal, priestly, or -clerical _character_? some will tell us, that it is a _spiritual power_, -others a _habit_ or _disposition_, others a _spiritual figure_, others a -_sensible metaphorical quality_, others a _real relation_, others a -_fabric of the mind_: by all which, little more, perhaps, can be made -out, or comprehended, than that the advocates or supporters of the -doctrine are much at variance about this character. But however they may -differ in their ideas and definitions of the character itself, they are, -it seems, in perfect agreement as to its indelibility; being all firmly -persuaded, that though a bishop, priest, or deacon, turn heretic; or -schismatic, deist or atheist, he still retains the character; and though -not a christian man, he is still a christian bishop, priest, or deacon: -though he be degraded and excommunicated, he is in respect to the -character still the same. Though he be cut off from the church, he is -still a minister in the church. In such a situation, to perform any of -the sacred functions would be in him a deadly sin, but these would be -equally valid as before. Thus he may not be within the pale of the -church himself, and yet be in the church as a minister of Jesus Christ. -He may openly and solemnly blaspheme God, and abjure the faith of Christ; -he may apostatize to Judaism, to Mahometism, to Paganism, he still -retains the character. He may even become a priest of Jupiter, or a -priest of Baal, and still continue a priest of Jesus Christ. The -character say the Schoolmen, is not cancelled even in the _damned_, but -remains with the wicked to their disgrace and greater confusion; so that -in hell they are the ministers of Jesus Christ, and messengers of the new -covenant!! [see the late Dr. Campbell’s Lectures on Ecclesiastical -History, for a more full and striking view of this subject.] That our -legislature, in sanctioning the said doctrine, did really mean to go the -whole length the Schoolmen did, or adopt all their ideas concerning it, -may, perhaps, admit of some doubt: but after agreeing with them in the -main point, it might be thought hardly worth their while to hesitate -about the smaller matters. Be this as it may, the convocation over which -archbishop Arundel presided, in the process against Sawtre, seem to have -been entirely of a different opinion, both from she Schoolmen and our -said late parliament, on this notable question of clerical indelibility. - -{610} The sentence printed in italics is given in _Latin_ by Fox. - -{613} If there be any one thing more detestable than the rest among the -proceedings of Arundel and his inquisitorial associates, against Sawtre, -it is their affecting to feel for him, or commiserate his case and -recommend him to the _favour_ of the secular power, at the very time when -they were delivering him up as a sheep to the slaughter (or to the -butcher) or as a victim for immediate immolation. They felt no pity for -him, and knew that the magistrate would shew him no favour.—The judges of -the _Inquisition_ also are said always to express much tenderness and -goodwill towards those they condemn to the flames.—Our _protestant and -pretended evangelical sects_, likewise, are often heard to use the -language of kindness and pity towards those whom they have pronounced to -be _heretics_, at the same time they are doing all they can to render -them odious in the eyes of all men, and, deprive them of the kind offices -and good opinion of all their fellow-citizens. - -{615a} Yes, devilishly so. - -{615b} Fox 675. - -{626} The Errata has been applied to this eBook.—DP. - - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF LYNN, VOL. 1 [OF 2]*** - - -******* This file should be named 62365-0.txt or 62365-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/2/3/6/62365 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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