beyond the corner of the Butter Market, the place of sepulture of this house of Friars was discovered.

Such is a description of some of the old localities and buildings of the town. Could we but people the modern streets of Ipswich with the "old familiar” inhabitants of a far-gone era, how strange would seem the change between the past and present. In the days of Edward III, when that monarch resided occasionally at his manor house at Walton, and collected in the port of Orwell the armaments with which he waged war upon, and achieved conquests over his continental foes, stalwart warriors trod the unpaved streets and lanes, and the "old Kay" echoed to the bustle of maritime preparations. Grey, Black, and White Friars took their daily walks in the town, and entering the houses of the poorer inhabitants, preached upon the infallibility of the doctrines professed by them. Houses of timber, with tall gables and carved angle posts stood in the best localities. Merchants and traders followed their daily occupations within, disturbed only by the ordinary duties of the municipality, or the extraordinary exertions they were bound to afford upon the receipt of the King's mandate for "a fifteenth" towards state exigencies. Then each man carried his dagger, and paid "blood-draught" if he wounded his fellow. A club was kept in the shop of every trader for defence, and he was charged to protect his neighbour if attacked. The lanes and streets were lighted by a lanthorn hung upon a pole, and placed at each door. The wife of the ancient Bailiff was escorted home by guards and extra attendants furnished by the general community. The town was surrounded by deep entrenchments, and the fortified wall, if not perfect, stood unbroken in various parts of its circuit.

VISITS OF MONARCHS TO THE TOWN.

PSWICH has frequently been visited by monarchs in early times, and the records of their sojourn are extant in several instances. The connection of the port with the continent, when our kings visited France or the Low countries either on missions of peace or war, caused several to make Ipswich a place of sojourn. Without now specifying earlier monarchs, Edward I was more than once within the town, and when he married his daughter Elizabeth to the Count of Holland, remained here with a splendid court several days. Edward III frequently visited his manor house at Walton, near Felixstow, and as before mentioned, collected his armaments at the "port of Orwell." In later periods, Mary and Elizabeth visited Ipswich, important events happening to each while located in this place. Visits of a minor character have been also made by other sovereigns, of which no particular mention need be given.

John seems to have visited the town in the last year of his reign, 1216; if not at earlier periods.

By the Issues of the Exchequer it is seen that Henry III was within the town in June, 1241, and probably set sail from the port in that year. One of these accounts contains an order of the King, witnessed by the Archbishop of York, dated at Ipswich, to pay Philip de Caumdour forty shillings, in liquidation of twenty-one pence per day, due for the livery of Caumdour, his men, horse, and dogs.

In 1296, Edward I visited the town, and presented his daughter in marriage to the Count of Holland. The ceremony took place in the King's chapel, in the priory of St. Peter and Paul, on the 8th day of January, of the year 1296. Fortunately the local antiquary is not left without a minute record of the event, the entire proceedings down to an exact account of the jewels the royal father bestowed on his fair daughter being preserved in manuscript.

It appears that the ceremony attracted the inhabitants of the circumjacent country to Ipswich, and not only was the town filled with the troops, and court attendants of the lady Elizabeth and the Count, but thousands of persons from the neighbourhood made this place their sojourn. The monasteries also put on their best appearance. New habiliaments were given to the inmates, the furniture of the altars and crucifixes cleaned, and the valuables which the the monks possessed, displayed to the greatest advantage. Minstrels and jongluers attended

Some

* Wardrobe accounts, Add. MSS. 7965, Brit. Mus. time before the local contents of this important MS. were discovered by the author, he possessed a partial transcript, apparently of this volume, containing many entries now given in these pages. They appear to have been gleaned from the general account for the purpose of ascertaining the cost of the marriage in one view, whereas, in the Museum MS., the bridal entries are by no means consecutive.

the marriage in great numbers, and until the feelings of joy were exhausted, the entire population, residents and strangers, followed one course of unbroken feasting and enjoyment.

Edward appears to have entered the town on the 23rd of December, 1296, and his almoner commenced immediately a series of gifts to the poor people amounting in the total to a considerable sum. For instance, an order to defray the expenses of food for five hundred and five poor persons for the Lord's day, and the whole week following, according to ancient custom, and for the food of twenty-three additional poor persons, every day in the week, also according to ancient custom--£4 3s. 3d. was given. For food of three thousand, one hundred and forty poor people, by precept of the King, for the same week, to wit, on the Lord's day, one hundred and forty; on the day of the nativity of our Lord, two hundred; on the day of St. Stephen, seven hundred; on the day of St. John, seven hundred; on the day of the holy Innocents, seven hundred; and on the day of St. Thomas, one hundred-£19 12s. 6d. was paid. Two other sums of £18 10s. 9d., and £11 5s. 9d. were also distributed, the most trifling circumstance operating to the advantage of the recipients. Food to one hundred poor persons was given, because the King did not enter the chapel on a certain day. Indeed, almsgiving appears to have been as much a habit, as an offering of grace and charity, and the monarch does not perform the most trifling act of life without moving in a shower of money, distributed by his almoner among the people who surround him.

On the day of his arrival in the town, he leaves in oblations at his chapel, at Ipswich, viis.

On the 24th of December, the King's oblations

at the great altar in the church of the Priory of St. Peter, were viis.

On the 25th day of December, for oblations in his chapel, within the priory aforesaid—to wit— at the great altar, in the same chapel, viis.; at the great altar, in the church of the same priory, viis. ; and at the cross of, upon the said great altar, viis.

On the same day, in oblations shared at two masses celebrated in the King's chapel, and at high mass celebrated in the great church aforesaid in the presence of the King, and also at mass celebrated in the same church in presence of the Duchess of Brabant* and the lady Elizabeth, by the King's precept, xxis. viiid.

On the 29th of December, Edward gives viis. in oblations, at the altar of St. Thomas, in the church of the same priory.

To the preaching brothers (Friars) of Ipswich, for their food for four days-to wit-for three days, on the 24th of December for the first account, and for the fourth day-to wit-St. Thomas, the martyr's day, in honour of the same day, by the hands of brother John of Wrotham, at Ipswich, 4 marks.

To the Friars minors of the same town, by the hands of brother Peter of Marclesham,† lxjs. iiijd.

To the brothers of Mount Carmel (White Friars) of the same town, for the same, by the hands of brother John of Bongaye, xlivs.†

On the 3rd of January, the King paid in monies,

The King's daughter, Margaret, the wife of John, second Duke of Brabant, who appears to have visited this country, in order to witness the ceremony and accompany her sister to the continent.

Brother of the Friary.