THE site, and indeed part of the buildings of the present extensive structure were, previous to the dissolution, possessed by the friars minors, otherwise the Franciscans, or Grey Friars, the narrative of whose settling in England is given in general terms by Stowe, in his History of London; but more particularly in his own transcript from the register of this house, made by him in the year 1579, and preserved with his other collections among the Harleian MSS. (544) in the British Museum, as follows: "In the yere of our Lorde 1224 in the tyme of Ho. norius the third pope, anno of kynge Henry the third the 8 the most holy fathar Seint Francis beinge then lyvinge Feria (Feby) 2 the rule of seint Francis was confirmed. After the feaste of owre blyssed lady seint Mary which fell that yere upon the sunday the friers minors first aryved and entered into England at Dovar, to wit 4 pristes and 5 laye men of which 5 of them being lefte at Canterbery did there buiyld the first howse of friers minors that evar was in England. Other fowre of the sayde friers to wit, frier Richard Ungworthe an ynglishe man borne, a priest and prechar and frier Richard Devonshire clerke an englishe man, by order an acolitus yonge man of age. The third was frier Henry Detrinezo a lumbard borne, a laye man. The fowrthe was frier Monachatus, a laye man also. Thes fowre cam to London and lodged at the preching friers, and beinge of them curteysly receyved they cam to meate and meale with them the space of 19 dayes. Afterwards thrwghe helpe of theyre speciall frinds they heyred an house in Cornhyll of John Travers who was then shryve and there in they made litle sels wherein they inhabited, but they had neythar charters nor any privilege to erect any altar nor to selebrate Divyne service in theyre places. At which tyme the devotion of the citizens towards them, and also the numbar of the friers increased, and therefore the citie removyd them from that place to a place in seint Nicholas Shambles, which place John Ewen citizen and mercer of London appropriated unto the Commonaltie of the citie of London, but moste devoutly he apoynted it to the symple use of the friers according to the declaration of the rule. Which sayede John Ewen soon after entered into the order of a laye frier, and lefte unto all faythful people an example of perfecte repentaunce and heavenly devotion anno of kynge Henry the third. Richard Renger than being maior, and master John Travers and Andrew Bokerell shryves." As the brotherhood increased, it became necessary to enlarge their buildings, and accordingly in little better than thirty years, a more spacious and magnificent church was begun to be built. THE WRITING SCHOOL, CHRIST'S HOSPITAL. Several of the monastic buildings, were founded by different benefactors. The principal of these was sir Richard Whittington, who in the year 1429 began a magnificent library, which was finished the following year, and was soon afterwards furnished with books. This library, a part of which still remains, was 129 feet long and thirty-one broad, was completely wainscotted or ceiled, and contained twentyeight desks and eight double wainscot settles. The whole cost of this erection was 5561. 108. four hun. dred pounds of which was the gift of Richard Whittington, and the rest was contributed by one of the brothers, Dr. Thomas Winchelsey, who paid likewise for the writing out of the works of D. Nicholas de Lira, in two volumes, to be chained there, 100 marks. The conduit-head and watercourse had been previously given by one William Taylor, taylor to king Henry III. The revenues of this monastery on the dissolution were valued at 321. 19s. It was surrendered 12th of November 1538. The ancient church, with most of the monastic buildings, were destroyed in the fire of London. The cloisters, with a few other fragments, remain. The church was cruciform and of great extent, being 300 feet in length, eighty-nine feet in breadth, and from the floor to the roof sixty-four feet two inches, and contained several chapels. No order of monks, says Mr. Pennant, seem to have possessed the powers of persuasion equal to these poor friars. They raised vast sums for their buildings among the rich, and there were few of their admirers when they came to die, who did not console themselves with the thoughts of lying within their expiating walls; and if they were particularly wicked, thought themselves secure against the assault of the devil, if their corpse was wrapped in the habit and cowl of a friar. Multitudes therefore of all ranks were crowded in this holy ground. It was honoured with the sepulture of four queens, four duchesses, four countesses, one duke, two earls, eight barons, and thirty-five knights, whose names are mentioned by Stowe, and in all, from the first foundation to the dissolution, 669 persons of quality were here interred. In the choir were nine tombs of alabaster and marble "environed with bars or strikes of iron :" one tomb in the body of the church coped also with iron, and seven score gravestones of marble in divers places. In the month of September 1552, the Grey Friars having been previously prepared for their reception by order of Edward VI. near 400 orphans were admitted upon his charitable foundation here; and on the succeeding Christmas Day in the afternoon, while the lord mayor and aldermen rode to St. Paul's, |