bourhood, if not of that parish, it being a custom long prevalent in this country for the ceremony to take place in the church to which the residence of the bride is attached. A letter from her husband, addressed to her brother, Dr. Langsdale, at Gainsborough, contains the only allusion to her family that is met with; and being one amongst the very few specimens of his epistolary writing on record, is, on that account, here inserted at length. "To my very deare Brother Dr. Langsdale, at "his Apothecaryes House in Gainsborough. "Deare Brother, 66 66 Thy letter was most welcome to me, bringing the happy newes of thy recovery. "I had notice of thy danger, but watched "for this happy relation, and had layd wayte "with Royston to inquire of Mr. Rumbould. “I hope I shall not neede to bid thee be "carefull for the perfecting thy health and "to be feareful of a relapse; though I am "very much, yet thou thyself art more con"cerned in it. But this I will remind thee 66 of, that thou be infinitely to performe to "God all those holy promises which I suppose thou didst make in thy sicknesse; " and remember what thoughts thou hadst "then, and beare them along upon thy spirit "all thy life time; for that which was true then, is so still; and the world is really "as vain a thing, as thou didst then suppose it. I durst not tell thy mother of thy 66 danger (though I heard of it) till at the "same time I told her of thy recovery. "Poore woman! she was troubled and pleased "at the same time; but your letter did de"termine her. I take it kindly that thou "hast writ to Bowman. If I had been in "condition, you should not have beene "troubled with it; but, as it is, thou and I "must be content. Thy mother sends her 66 blessing to her and her little Molly; so "doe I, and my prayers to God for you both. "Your little cozens are your servants, and Of the exemplary manner in which Taylor administered the spiritual concerns of his y This letter is in Taylor's hand writing, MSS. Donat. 4274. Art. 49. in the Brit. Mus. parish, a fair conclusion may be drawn both from his ardent piety and from the way in which he himself speaks of his experience in the conduct of souls. As favourable an impression may be received of the manner in which he regulated the secular affairs of his duty, from the evidence left on the parochial records, whence it appears that he was always present at the election of annual officers and entered many particulars in the books with his own hand. Amongst others of inferior note is the copy of a letter directed to him and the churchwardens from Dr. John Towers, bishop of Peterborough, upon the subject of an organ; for the erection of which an order had been sent to Taylor by Bishop Dee, there having been an instrument of the same kind formerly in the church. The parish had obeyed the order, but were at a loss how to provide a stipend for an organist; and the object of this letter was to give directions to that purpose. But this is not the only instance in which he appears to have promoted decency and regularity in the public service of his church; for in the next page of the book alluded to, с a remarkable entry occurs in his own hand, containing a list of the books, vestments, vessels and furniture belonging to the church; all of which seem to have been new, as the record begins by stating, that on the 10th of May in the year 1639, they were dedicated for the church of Uppingham, by the bishop of Peterborough, in the cathedral church. " During his residence upon his living he lost his son William, who was buried at Uppingham, From their being dedicated, there is reason to suppose they were a gift to the church. Degge, p. 1. c. 12. says, "that a person may give or dedicate goods to God's service in the church, and deliver them into the custody of the churchwardens, and thereby the property is immediately changed." But this does not seem to have been practised, or to be necessary in the ordinary case of their being provided by the churchwardens, at the expence of the parish. In the particular instance now before us their superior costliness bespeaks something more than parochial origin. They are stated as follows. One chalice with a cover silver and gilt; two patins silver and gilt; two pewter flaggons; one diaper napkin for a *corporale; one bible; one book of common prayer; one altar cloth of green silk damask; two altar cloths of diaper; one long cushion of crimson velvet, lined with crimson serge with four great tassels of crimson silk; one short cushion of the same; one tippet of taffety sarcenet; one surplice; two black hoods of serge lined with taffety sar cenet. a Vid. Par. Regist. de Uppingham. * Corporale erit candidum atq. mundum, says Linwood, quia significat sindonem, in quâ Corpus Christi fuit involutum. |