contrary to the promise of a prince who had assured his life unto him. 3. Sir Thomas Dockwray is the next (not of all) but in our discovery; a person of much desert, expending himself wholly for the credit and profit of his priory, as who re-edified the church out of its ruin, finishing it anno 1504, as appeareth by the inscription over the gate-house yet remaining. 4. Sir William Weston succeeds, (of whom before,) [and] dissolved this list on the very day of the dissolution of this priory. 5. Sir Thomas Tresham was the first and last of queen Mary's re erection. There goeth a tradition that queen Elizabeth,-in consideration of his good service done to herself in her sister queen Mary, whom he proclaimed, and their titles being shut out of doors together, both were let in again at once, though to take place successively,-allowed him to be called "lord prior" during his life, which was not long, and the matter not much, deriving no power or profit unto him.

Here I purposely omit Sir Richard Shelley, which family I find of remark for worship and antiquity at Michel-Grove in Sussex. He bare a great enmity to queen Elizabeth, especially after she had flatly denied Philip king of Spain (whither Shelley was filed) to consent to his abiding there, and to his quiet receiving his rents out of England. However, the Spanish king employed him in an honourable embassy unto Maximilian, king of the Romans,* wearing the high title of "prior of the Order of St. John's in England;"t a prior without posterior, having none under him to obey his power, nor after him to succeed in his place. We behold him only as the wry-stroke given in by us out of courtesy, when the game was up before.

5. Cecil the present Owner of this Priory.

The site of the priory of St. John's was lately the possession of William earl of Exeter, whose countess, Elizabeth Drury, was very forward to repair. the ruined choir thereof. Dr. Joseph Hall preached at the solemn reconciling thereof, on St. Stephen's day, 1623, taking for his text, "The glory of the latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts," Haggai ii. 9. At this day, though co-arctated, having the side-aisles excluded, (yet so that their upper part is admitted, affording conveniences for attention,) it is one of the best private chapels in England, discreetly embracing the mean of decency betwixt the extremes of slovenly profaneness and gaudy superstition, and belongeth at this present to the truly noble Thomas earl of Elgin.

CAMDEN'S Eliz. anno 1563.

Idem in anno 1560, page 46.

SECTION VI.

TO THOMAS DOCKWRAY, OF BEDFORDSHIRE,
ESQUIRE.

I FIND Sir Thomas Dockwray one of the last lord priors of our English Hospitallers. To say you are descended from him, would fix a stain on your extraction, seeing none might marry who were of his Order.

But this I will say and justify, that you both are descended from the same ancestor, as by authentic records doth most plainly appear.

Besides, some conformity may be seen in your commendable inclinations. He was all for building of a fair church, according to the devotion of those days.* Your bountiful hand hath been a great sharer in advancing of this Church History.

Now, although his stately structure of the strongest stone had the hard hap to be blown up almost as soon as it was ended,+ this of yours (a frailer fabrick, as but of paper walls) may, by God's blessing, have the happiness of a longer continuance.

Į. OF ENGLISH NUNNERIES BEYOND THE SEAS.

1-3. Why no Pensions paid to outed Votaries by Queen Elizabeth. Detained Pensions paid to old Friars and Nuns. Chequer Pay the best of Payments.

THUS were all monks, friars, and nuns, totally routed by the coming-in of queen Elizabeth. I find not that any pensions were allowed to those votaries, who at this time were outed their convents, though large annuities were assigned to such who were ejected their monasteries, colleges, or free chantries, in the reigns of king Henry VIII. and Edward VI. whereof this may seem the reason, because now, caveat ingressor, "he or she might beware who entered an abbey," be it at their own peril, seeing they formerly had so fair a warning; though indeed some of them, who had no friends to help them, were left in no very good condition, and died in much want and distress.

STOW's "Survey of London," page 483.

Idem, ibidem.

But now, in the beginning of this queen's reign, a complaint did arise, that pensions were detained from many ejected out of abbeys in her father's and brother's reign; who, being poor, old, and impotent, and repairing to the queen's officers for their pensions, were, instead of money, paid with ill language and affronts. Her majesty, possessed with the truth hereof, took strict order both that their arrears for the time past should be satisfied, and their annuities for the time to come effectually discharged; which much advanced her honour in pecuniary matters.

Hence grew the proverb, (crossed in the days of her successors,) "As sure as Exchequer-pay." For all who in this queen's reign had sums due unto them from the Treasury, had no other trouble than to tell them there, and take them thence. Thus, it came to pass, that by her maintaining of the Exchequer, the Exchequer maintained her, having money at most-credit all-times, on the reputation of so good a pay-mistress: insomuch that she was not only able to lay down her stake, but also to vie ready silver with the king of Spain, when he, notwithstanding both his Indies, was fain to go on bare board.

47. The only Stump of an old Tree. The Progress of Nuns from Sion to Lisbon. The Revenue and Wealth of the Lisbon Nuns. A Price of Blood their first Portion.

As for popish (religious) persons flying out of England at the coming-in of this queen, our pen shall follow them as fast as it can with convenient speed. We begin with the nuns; partly because the courtesy of England alloweth the first place to the feeblest sex; but chiefly because they seem still to continue an entire body, and, successively, an immortal corporation; being, with the Carthusians, the only stump that remaineth of the huge tree which once overspread and shadowed our whole nation.

May the reader be pleased to remember, that king Henry V. founded one abbey of nuns at Sion in Middlesex, peopling it with the Bridgettine nuns and friars, and another at Sheen in Surrey over against it, so ordering it that all the day long alternately when the devotions of the one ended, the other should begin, that nothing should interrupt their prayers, though the Thames did divide their persons. Both those convents, dissolved by king Henry VIII. were, as aforesaid, restored by queen Mary, and re-dissolved by queen Elizabeth. The Sion nuns (though Clementia Thresham, a principal amongst them, could not go with them for sickness, dying soon after, and buried at Rushton in Northamptonshire) conveyed their persons and most portable treasure beyond the seas to Zurickzee in Zealand, thence to Mechlin in Brabant, thence to Rouen in Normandy, but

found no certain place of abode till they came to Lisbon in Portugal.

For here they had a daily pension of five crowns from the king of Spain, and wheat more than sufficient whilst Lisbon was his; and I doubt not but the present king of Portugal performeth the same. They have vineyards, olive-fields, corn-grounds, and houses, to the value of four hundred milreas* a year, which was the portion of a Portuguese, (sole heir to her wealthy father,) who, becoming a religious sister in this convent, conveyed her inheritance unto it. So that by their boxes in Indian and Brazilian ships, sale of masses, and other perquisites, they are said yearly to lay up six hundred pounds.

Indeed they began with a good bank; and hereon hangs a story worth reporting. When doctor Lopez, a Jew-Portugal, undertook to poison queen Elizabeth, he would not (to show himself a Jew indeed) do his work till in some sort secured of his wages. The sum promised him was deposited with these nuns, whilst as yet they lived at Rouen in Normandy. But Lopez's design failing, the same halter which bereaved him of life, endowed these nuns with a livelihood. For the king of Spain, either out of scrupulosity not to resume the same into his treasury as the price of blood, or out of liberality, conferred those moneys on the nuns, which since they have well-housewived and increased.

8. Their Confessor and Abbess.

We need not repeat what we have formerly said of the Bridgettine nuns, first founded by Bridget, queen of Sweden, having friars permitted to live under the same roof (though disjoined with walls) for their better consolation. Some thirty years since father Joseph Foster was their confessor, having two other priests and a lay-brother to assist him; whose names I am less careful to insert, because they change them as often as snakes their skins, both what they took at the font, and fetched from their fathers, truly called by what they are not known, and commonly known by what they are not truly called. Elizabeth Preston about that time was abbess, who being outed as in disgrace with father Foster, Barbara Wiseman succeeded in her place.

9. The Anatomy of the Nuns of Lisbon.

Such as desire further satisfaction herein may consult "the Anatomy of the English Nunnery at Lisbon," made by Thomas Robinson, published by authority, and lately reprinted. I confess, it may

• Every milrea is twelve shillings six-pence sterling." page 9.

THOMAS ROBINSON,

seem cruelty to cut up the living, and the best of mortals would winch to purpose if dissected alive. But very much of truth is believed in his discovery, telling us of a grate betwixt those friars and nuns, sometimes so churlish as to divide them, sometimes so charitable as consenting to be drawn up, and so to admit them to a mutual society; so that if the friar calleth, the nun cometh incontinently at his command. I have heard since, that their convent of late hath casually been burned down; which if so, I doubt not but they are able to rebuild it, as gaining more by water, (the gratuities of merchants,) than they have lost by fire.

10, 11. Brussels Nunnery: Their great Wealth.

They are of the Order of St. Benedict, and yet solely under the inspection of the Jesuits; which seems improper, seeing it would sound like truer construction that Benedictine nuns should be subject to Benedictine monks. The truth is, that at the first founding hereof the Jesuitical activity got the start of the Benedictine dulness; and these men of lasting metal (as good at length as at hand) keep the advantage which once they have gotten. Indeed, no nuns come hither but such as are transported by the Jesuits' special recommendation; and therefore it is but equal they should dress and prune the vines of their own planting. I assure you, the place is too costly for my daughter to be entered there; seeing they receive none into their abbey and habit unless she have a thousand pounds or two for her portion.*

The abbey is very rich, having purchased whole manors and lordships in Brabant, with many thousand of pounds at use in the Lombards, and elsewhere; all which the English Jesuits do dispose of. Father Gardiner, and father Walgrave,† aliàs Flower, were, anno 1630, their overseers, being some sixty English damsels under their abbess, then the sister of the (aunt to the present) earl of Northumberland.

12. Cambray Nunnery.

Don Carlos de Colomna, governor of the city and country Cambray for the king of Spain, and sometimes ambassador for England, was so allured with the beauty, or affected with the piety, of our English women, that (as it is generally reported) he gave them a cloister within this city; where now they live, and have an English congregation erected according to the Order of St. Benedict. Lately they had no lands purchased, though possibly since they may be endowed.

LEWIS OWEN'S "Running Register," page 102. Pilgrim," page 72.

"English-Spanish