beth; and which circumstance, perhaps, rendered necessary those repairs and alterations in the Church intended to have been commemorated by the inscription of that date in the Bailiffs' pew. The principal entrance to the Church is by a handsome south porch,

which bears ample testimony of the relaxed devotion of our days; for, as neither pilgrim nor penitent is to be found loitering in the cloisters or precincts of our holy mansions, waiting for the absolution and benediction of the parish priest, this fine antique porch is deformed and inclosed with fold

Ives who had fled because of religion, now appearing, submitted themselves and recanted the heresies which they held; and being absolved from their excommunication, were put into prison, and afterwards carried faggots." "The vicar of Steukly gave the sacrament to some not confessed, and to some that desired auricular confession he denied it. He was cast into prison, and made a recantation before his parishioners." "It was enjoyned to the parishioners of St. Neots, to re-build all the altars that were before the schism in the church, and that they should set up a rood-loft with the images, and this to be done by a parish rate."

ing doors, and its windows blocked up with tasteless plaster. Churches and church porches were formerly places of resort at festivals, and upon other public occasions, an interesting instance of which may be seen in the following curious command from the Bailiffs in the 16th of Elizabeth, at the time of a general dearth:

66

AN. DOM. 1573.-AN ORDER IN THE TIME OF DEARTH

FROM MR. BAILIFFS FOR THE PORE.

"Gumecest'.

"You that be the pore of this prishe. Whereas certaine of you did make your moune to Mast Bailiffs, that corne and grayne was so deare that you where not able to by either busshell or halfe busshell, and as for pecks of grayne you colde seldom gett any for your money. And as seldom colde you gett either peny wheaten loffe peny howsholde, or two peny wheaten or howshollde loffes for your mony at any of the baker's hands to serve your needs, Wherefore Mast' Bailieffs haith wylled me to gyve you to understand that they have not onely earnestly entreated Mr. Carter, farmer of the psanage, before he went forth, who gave his bailye a commndemet, who doth not deny the same, but that any pore body shall have at all tymes, during the dearth of grayne, as the market doth requyre, either bushell, half bushell, or peck, so long as they have any, but also straightly have charged and comanded all the comon bakers of this towne, upon paine of punyshmet by the body, or fyne to be sett upon their heads, at Mr. Bailieff's disscrecyons, for their contempt in doing the contrary; to have both peny and two-peny wheaten and howsholde breade once or twise every weeke, and to keepe the assysse thereof, as they will answere it

at their parrelle, that the pore may have breade for their mony, and for yt the bakers nor any of them shall make excuse, and say, when the pore come to their howsses for wheaten or howsholde breade, yf you had come when we had yt you myght have had ynoughe; this excuse is thought to be made of them bycause their is lyttle gaine in that kynde of brede, yf they kepe thassize, and so myght Mr. Bailieff's commndemet be made frusstrat and voyed, and the pore people still to lacke suche breade as they have neede of. Wherefore to prevent such excuses of the bakers, Mast' Bailieffs hath further charged and commnded all the comon bakers of this towne, and every of them, upon the paine above named, not only to bake peny and two-peny wheaten and howsholde breade, but also they and every of them shall twise every weeke— that is to say, on towisday and on friday in every weeke, weekelye, so long as the derth of grayne continueth betwene the owres of nyne and twellve of ye clocke in the forenoone on every of ye foresaid ij dayes, and in the Church porche shall sytt, stand, or bee by the space of two owres on every of the foresaid ij daies at the least. And every of the foresaid bakers at the place abovenamed, eche of them having a dozen and a halfe of brede, there to sell to the pore, to say, sixe peny weaten loaves, vj peny howeshold loves, and thre topeny howsholde loaves a pece of every of ye bakers aforesaid, under the paine abovenamed. And if it happen so that the foresaid tewisday or fryday fall upon an holy day, that then all the bakers aforesaide shal be wth their breade upon the afore appointed ij dayes at ye place before-named, by seven of the clocke in ye mornyng, and then and there shall tarry untill viij of the clocke, that is one hole howre. And yf so muche breade as is appointed will not suffize the pore's necessities, then the bakers shall have commñndemēt to

provide more. Mast Bailieffs haith appointed an offycer for every of the daies aforenamed weekly, to see that every of the bakers, namely, as folowith, Robert Evens, the wife of Roger Bushe, Walter Grene, John Chambers, Thomas Fyssher, and Harry Butterman, do kepe the afore appointed dayes, tymes, and places, and the same of every sort of breade aforenamed, provyded that if the pore people doe not fetche the breade away for their mony, on the dayes and betweene the howres above appointed, that then the bakers may have it away, and sell it to any other at their pleasure.

"The first day yt the bakers shall begyne to sell their breade in the Church porche shall be upon tewisday next, and therfore you of the pore that have nede of suche breade may be there at the tyme of the daye afore appointed, and have both wheaten and howseholde breade of all sorts for your mony."

Over this porch is the Record Chamber,' in which all Corporation documents are preserved.

This place appears to have long been, if not always, the Record Chamber, from the following entry in the second year of James 2d. :

"Gumecester alias て "For as much as Mr. Bailiffs and the

Godmanchester. I major part of the Assistants are mett together this nine and twenty of December, 1687, to consult the affairs and concerns of the Burr. aforesaid. Amongst others, have and doe order that Samuel Fox, jun. p'rsent Town Clark, doe upon the 10th day of Jan. next, deliver into the hands of the p'sent Bailiffs, in the Chamber over the porch, all those books and other writings, that any manner of way belong, or which the Town or Burrough has any right too, or concern in, as well books of entryes, or wast books, &c."-Stock Book A. p. 589.

The grant of the manor by King John, and confirmations in subsequent reigns; the Charter of Incorporation by James the 1st, and the enlarged but revoked Charter of James the 2d; the Court Rolls, Stock-books, and Rentals, by which the fee-farm rent has been collected for centuries; are there deposited, as also the surrenders or transfers of property, which are carefully registered.

At the eastern extremity of the chancel, which is repaired by the lessee of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, is a handsome wainscot altar-piece, erected A. D. 1731, the gift of Madam Worley," who was buried in the chancel. In the south wall, near the communion-table, is a double piscina, consisting of carved columns and arches, where probably chalices and other holy vessels were placed, or which may point out the situation where the Guilds celebrated their respective anniversaries. Some of the former Vicars of Godmanchester, and the immediate ancestors of the present Rowley family, are here interred, whose memories are recorded by neat mural entablatures and slabs."

8 The cost of the altar-piece, for materials and workmanship, was £80 17s. Od. The original bill is in the Record Chamber.

h Epitaphs and monumental inscriptions, even in England, are of great antiquity. King Arthur, who instituted the military order of the Knights of the Round Table, and superseded Paganism at York by the establishment of Christianity, died in 542, and his epitaph was inscribed on the inside of his leaden coffin. The next, in point of time, is considered to be that of St. Augustine, who was sent to England by St. Gregory, to assist in con