interred the remains of Sir George Lisle; the fate of these lament ed friends is thus recorded: UNDER THIS MARBLE LY THE BODIES OF THE TWO MOST VALIANT CAPTAINS SR. CHARLES LVCAS, AND SR. GEORGE LISLE, KNTS. TO THEIR SOVERAIN, WERE ON THE 28th, DAY OF AVGVST, 1648, At a short distance, north-east from St. John's, are the remains of ST. BOTOLPH'S PRIORY, which, like the former, owes its principal demolition to the siege in 1648. This structure is generally reported to have been founded by a monk named Eynulph, or Ernulph, in the beginning of the twelfth century; though some portion of the ruins seems to imply a much anterior date. Ernulph became the first Prior, and placed on his foundation, régular Canons of the order of St. Augustine. This was the earliest establishment of this order in England, as appears from a bull issued by Pope Paschal II. in August 1116. By this bull, Ernulph, his brethren, and successors, were invested with liberty to plant and distribute their members as they judged expedient; and empowered to govern all others by their own rules, having full authority over every other establishment for Augustine Canons in England. These letters are cut very deep into the marble: according to tradition, this was done by the command of Charles the Second, from the following circunstance. George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, who had married the only daughter of General Fairfax, applied to the King for permission to have it erased, as it reflected on the memory of his father-in-law. The King mentioned the request to Lord Lucas, who replied, that, he would readily accede to his Majesty's wish, provided he would permit him to insert in its room, that Sir Charles Lucas, and Sir George Lisle, were barbarously murdered for their loyalty to Charles the First, and that his son, Charles the Second, ordered this memorial of their loyalty to be erased.' The King, struck with the ob servation, is said to have immediately ordered the letters of the original inscription to be engraven as deep as possible. England. It likewise exempted them from every kind of secular and ecclesiastical jurisdiction; and directed that, after the death of Ernulph, the succeeding Priors should be elected by the Canons, and consecrated without fees. The possessions bestowed by the founder, and other benefactors, were increased by Henry the First, who granted the Canons the whole tythes of his demesnes in Hatfield Regis, or Broad-Oak; and confirmed the sergeantry, and lands given by Hugh Fitz-Stephen, on condition that on every Welsh war, they should find a horse of five shillings value, a sack, and a spur, for the King's use, for forty days. The revenues were still further augmented by various donations; and at the period of the Dissolution, their annual amount was estimated at 1341. 12s. 4d. The site and possessions of the Priory were granted by Henry the Eighth, to the Lord Chancellor Audley, but have since passed into various families. Very little of the monastic buildings can now be discovered, the parts that remain having been worked up in the walls of a brewhouse, erected on their site. The PRIORY CHURCH Continued perfect till the time of the siege, it having been parochial as well as conventual: it was then in a great measure destroyed. The contending parties accuse each other of having wantonly occasioned its demolition. Its ruins are extremely interesting to the architectural antiquary, from presenting some curious specimens of brick ornaments, and of interlaced arches, from which the idea of the pointed arch is thought by some to have been conceived. In its original state, the length of this edifice within the walls, was 108 feet; its breadth, including the nave and aisles, nearly forty-four feet. The west front was highly decorated: on this side was the principal entrance, which still remains. The doorway is a fine semicircular retiring arch, having various mouldings constructed with small, thin bricks, and hewn stone, in alternate succession. The mouldings rest on three-quarter columns, of which there were five on each side, each having different capitals, charged with sculptured foliage, and figures of animals. Above the door-way is a double row of interlaced circular arches Pat, 28. Hen. VIII. 4. p. 186, arches of Roman brick, which appear to have extended to each extremity of the front. Above these arches, near the centre, are the remains of a large circular opening, which admitted light into a gallery that formed a passage between two " stately towers" that once stood at the angles of this end of the building. The nave was separated from the aisles by rows of circular columns, five feet and a half in diameter, supporting semi-circular arches. On the north side six of these columns, with their arches, are yet standing; but on the south, two only now remain. Both the columns and arches are principally built with broken Roman bricks, and appear to have been covered with a kind of stucco. The north aisle seems to have been altered, the windows being finished in the pointed style. Several tombs and broken stones, are scattered among the vegetables that are cultivated in the inside; the whole area being appropriated as a garden. At some distance to the east of St. Botolph's, is St. Mary Mag dalen's Hospital, originally founded by Eudo Dapifer, in the reign of Henry the First, for persons afflicted with the leprosy. The endowment was augmented by King Stephen; and Richard the First granted the brethren liberty to hold a two-days fair. In the reign of Edward the First, the tythes of St. John's Abbey, and other revenues belonging to this Hospital, were withheld by Adam de Campes, then Abbot of St. John's; who also craftily obtained. possession of the common seal, and charter, and expelled the brethren; who, however, were reinstated, and had their privileges restored, by order of Parliament. After the suppression of this Hospital, in the reign of Edward the Sixth, its possessions were much dissipated, and the Chapel entirely destroyed; but in the year 1610, it was re-founded, for a Master, and five poor Pensioners, unmarried, under the title of the College or Hospital of King James, and the brethren were incorporated. What is now called the Hospital, consists of a few old buildings, on the north of Magdalen Church. In the church of ST. LEONARD, which is still further to the east, and not very distant from the river, were formerly two Chantries: one of them was founded in the reign of Edward the Fourth, by Peter Barwick, and on the Suppression, valued at 111. Ss. 4d. annually: the other was founded by Edward Harmonsen, about the beginning of the reign of Henry the Seventh; its possessions at the Dissolution were estimated at 51. On the south-west side of Colchester, in St. Mary's Parish, was a Monastery of Crouchid Friars, founded about the year 1244, when that order first came into England. It afterwards underwent several alterations; and, in 1407, became the seat of the rich Guild of St. Helen, with whose possessions four Chantries established here and in the Church of St. Nicholas, were incorporated. Soon after the Dissolution, its revenues were granted to Sir Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor. In 1637, the monastic buildings having been converted into a dwelling-house, were inha bited by Sir Harbottle Grimston; but were partly destroyed during the siege. The remains were fitted up as a workhouse, but have since been entirely taken down. The most considerable Church within the walls, is dedicated to St. James, and appears to have been founded about the reign of Edward the Second, It consists of a body, chancel, and side aisles, with a square tower at the west end. In the south aisle is a monument to Arthur Winsley, Esq. Alderman of the town, who founded Alms-houses for twelve poor persons in St. Botolph's parish. All Saints Church was built before the year 1356: the tower is mostly of flint, having only a small quantity of stonework at the angles. Near the cast gate, in this parish, was a Monastery of Grey Friars, founded in the year 1309, by Robert, Lord Fitz-Walter, who, a short time before his decease, in 1325, is recorded to have assumed the habit of this order. Only some fragments of this house remain, and those are incorporated with other buildings. St. Nicholas Church is partly in ruins, the tower having fallen upon the body and chancel a few years ago, while the workmen, who had been employed to repair it, were absent. In this parish stands the Chapel of St. Helen, so named from its dedication to Helena, the mother of Constantine; and traditionally asserted to have been founded by her. Eudo, founder of St. John's, rebuilt it about the year 1076: it is now repaired in the modern style, and used as a Quakers' Meeting-House. In Trinity Church |