tinguish the whole classes under his superintendance; this habit consisted of a long gown, with broad sleeves, a fine cloth hood, all of black, under which were white garments; these were girt about the waist by a leathern girdle, with an ivory or bone fastening. This order of Begging Friars was confirmed by several Popes, and so increased, that in a short space of time it had under its control no less than two thousand convents of men and three hundred of women; and they were of such consequence in England, on account of being good disputants upon controversial points, that they are even still recollected at Oxford; one of the acts for obtaining a mastership being called keeping the Augustines.

Their prosperity was their destruction; for one of their provincials and others of the fraternity having laboured by sermons and libels to destroy the eligibility of the progeny of Edward IV. to ascend the throne, and to establish the traiterous claims of Richard III. about the year 1485, they lost the confidence and veneration of the public, which was in a very few years followed by the dissolution of this and all other monastic orders by Henry VIII. to whom it was surrendered, and valued at the small sum of 571.

In the successful cruises made by the English in 1545, about three hundred French ships were taken; Henry converted the conventual churches into warehouses for the several cargoes. The Augustine Friars and Black Friars he filled with herrings and other fish, and the Grey Friars church was filled with wine.*

The site and precincts were afterwards severally disposed of. Part of the spoil was granted to Sir Thomas Wrottesley, 32 Henry VIII. a second portion was given to William Lord St. John, in the next year; another portion was given in 38 Henry VIII. to Sir Richard Rich; and a fourth, by way of exchange, during the same year to Lawrence Hereward and others. The east end of the church, containing the choir, cross aisles, and the remaining parts of this religious house, was granted in the fourth year of the reign of Ed

VOL. III. No. 51.

*Holinshed.

C

ward

ward VI. to the above lord St. John, who had been created earl of Wiltshire, and to his heirs, in soccage.

This earl, afterwards lord treasurer and marquis of Winchester, was descended from a younger branch of the house of Pawlet, of Hinton St. George, in the county of Somerset; and having been improvident in his youth, came to court unprovided with any other property than his wit, "which," says Lloyd, "he trafficked so wisely, and prospered so well, that he got, spent, and left more than any subject since the Conquest. Indeed, he lived in the time of the Dissolution of Abbies, which was the harvest of estates; and it argued idleness if any courtier had his barns empty. He was servant to Henry VII. and for thirty years together treasurer to king Henry VIII. Edward VI. queen Mary and queen Elizabeth: the latter in some sort owed their crowns to his counsel, his policy being the principal defeater of duke Dudley's design to disinherit them.”* By being "the ozier and not the oak," he served four sovereigns of England in mutable times, and lived in the greatest splendor; having arrived at the vast age of ninety-seven, and been a patriarch to one hundred and three persons, he died in 1572, and by his lady, daughter of Sir William Capel lord mayor of London, was the founder of the noble house of Pawlet.

The above marquis erected on the site of the monastery, a noble mansion which he denominated WINCHESTER PLACE. The west end of the conventual church was in 1551 granted to John a Lasco,† for the use of the Germans and other fu

State Worthies.

JOHN A LASCO was uncle to the king of Poland, and some time a bishop of the church of Rome; having been driven from his country for his change of religious opinions, he settled at Embden in East Friesland. He was there chosen preacher to a congregation of Protestants, who, under the terror of persecution, fled with their pastor into England, where they were incorporated by charter of Edward VI. and had also a grant of the church of Austin Friars. These Protestants differed in some modes of worship from the established church. John a Lasco was ordered to quit the kingdom, upon the accession of Mary I. He purchased Erasmus's valuable library of him, when he lay on his deathbed. This divine died in Poland, in 1560. Fox, vol. III. p. 40.

5

gitive

gitive protestants. Part, as we have before noticed,* was converted to a glass-house. The other portion the marquis reserved for the purpose of stowing corn, coals, and various kinds of lumber.

His son and successor, John, marquis of Winchester, sold the noble monuments of the dead, the pavement, and other rich materials which had cost immense sums, for 100. and converted the building into stables for his horses. The steeple was standing in the year 1609, and it was so beautiful that the lord mayor and several respectable citizens petitioned the marquis that it might not be pulled down; but their petition was rejected, and this fine ornament of the city demolished.

The following copy of their application expresses the interest which the city took in the preservation of such a respectable relict of antiquity:

Right Honourable, my very good Lord,

THERE hath been offered of late, unto this court, a most just and earnest petition, by divers of the chiefest of the parish of St. Peter the Poor, in London, to move us to be humble suitors unto your lordship in a cause, which is sufficient to speak for itself, with out the mediation of any other, viz. for the repair of the ruinous steeple of the church, some time called The Augustine Friars,' now belonging to the Dutch nation, situate in the same parish of St. Peter the Poor: The fall whereof, which, without speedy prevention, is near at hand, must needs bring with it not only a great deformitie to the whole city, it being for architecture, one of the beautifullest and rarest spectacles thereof, but also a fearful eminent danger to all the inhabitants next adjoining. Your lordship being moved herein, as we understand, a year since, was pleased then to give honourable promises, with hope of present help, but the effects not following according to your honourable intention, we are bould to renew the said suit agayne; eftsoons craving at your lordship's hands a due consideration of so worthy a work, as to help up the house of God; one of the chiefest fountains, from whence hath sprung so great glory to your lordship's most noble descendency of the Pawlets; whose steps your lordship must needs follow, to continue to all posterity, the fame of so bountiful benefactors both to church and common wealth.

So that I trust, we shall have the less need to importune your lordship in so reasonable a suite; first, Bycause it doth principally concern your lordship, being the owner of the greatest part of the said speare, or steeple; but especially by disbursing of a small sum of money, to the value of 50 or 601. your lordship shall do an excellent work, very helpful to many, and most grateful to all, as well English as strangers; who, by this means, shall have cause to magnify to the world this so honourable and charitable an action. And I and my brethren shall much rejoice to be relieved herein by your lordship's most noble disposition, rather than to fly to the last remedy of the law of the land, which in this case hath provided a writ, De Reparatione facienda.

"Thus, hoping as assuredly on your lordship's favour as we pray Incessantlie for your continual felicitie, we humbly take leaves of

Mr. Malcolm, in the third volume of his Londinium Redivivus, has the following observations on the above letter: "In perusing the silly letter written to the marquis of Winchester, proprietor of the demesnes of the monastery in 1600, by the then mayor and aldermen of London, we are at a loss which to wonder at most, the extreme meanness of his lordship, or the want of spirit in the corporation, and the inhabitants of the rich parish of St. Peter le Poor, said by Stow to have been some time (peradventure) a poor parish, but at this present there be many fair houses, possessed by rich merchants and others. Those opulent persons, admiring the beautiful spire of St. Augustine, and observing the decays undermining it, and at the same time dreading the destruction of themselves and their houses by its fall, applied to the marquis to repair it; but a year having elapsed without any thing being done, they solicited the corporation of London, who wrote to the frugal nobleman the letter alJuded to, which begins with a warm eulogium on the beauty of the spire, then reminds him of a promise to restore it, proceeds to say that 50%. or CO. would be sufficient for the purpose, and concludes with a threat to

compel

THE church is now called the Dutch church in Austin Friars, and is served by two ministers, who preach twice every Sunday, and once in the week. They administer the sacrament on the last Sunday of every month, and exchange churches every first Sunday in the month with the Walloon congregation, for their administration of the Eucharist, their own church in Threadneedle Street being too small for them, The ministers have good salaries, and the church provides a sufficient subsistence for their widows.

compel him. Avarice had prompted the marquis to resist at first; but pride taking alarm, he resolved at once to let the steeple fall if it would; and although the Dutch, who possessed the church, might have contributed at least 20%. the city the same sum, and the rich inhabitants of St Peter's, the remainder, penurious misers as they were, they suffered the “beautifulest and rarest spectacle" in London to stand threatening ruin, till that and the whole east end of the church were taken down, to make room for houses "for one man's commodity;" whereby London hath lost so goodly an ornament, and times hereafter may talk more of it." Though we can offer no apology for the avaritious marquis, it will be but just to say, on behalf of the city, &c. that had they attempted to resist the authority of the marquis, when aristocracy was at its height, and opposed his commodity, there is no doubt but he would have exerted all his interest at court to make the city and his neighbourhood uncomfortable; they, therefore, urged more by prudence than inclination, suffered the destruction of the edifice which they could not prevent without litigation and loss.

It