assisted, he subsequently "took better hold" as the sequel will declare.

During Edward VI.'s reign he had of course nothing to fear, but on the restoration of Popery by Queen Mary, his village home was no longer a safe asylum. Quitting his family, he wandered into Gloucestershire and the north parts of Wiltshire, associating only with holy men of kindred spirit, and very possibly feeling himself attracted to this district from its having so recently been the missionary field of that prince of Confessors Hugh Latymer, while incumbent of the church of West Kyngton. For some time Maundrell maintained himself by cattle-keeping for the farmers, and by lodging with one John Brydges or some other person at Kingswood: but silence was now become an insupportable burden; he resolved to go home and brave the consequences. Taking Devizes in his way, for the purpose of secretly conferring with a friend named Anthony Clee, the two brethren retired to a garden and there debated the anxious question of open avowal. Clee's exhortations to continued secrecy were founded on the direction given to the early disciples "If they persecute you in one city, flee to another:" the resolution of the martyr, on the other hand, was stimulated by the doom pronounced in Rev. xxi. on "the fearful and unbelieving." Fearful, he had already proved himself to be. In the same spot which had witnessed his former defeat, it was now the time to make aggressive retaliation. In this persuasion he reached his home at Bulkington, where, in concert with two other associates, William Coberly and John Spicer, it was agreed that the very next Sunday and the parish church of Keevil should witness their confession of faith, Sunday came, and with it the procession of an image. The three protestants solemnly adjured the people to abandon such palpable idolatry, addressing themselves especially to Mr. Robert Barksdale the principal man of the parish, but he gave no heed to them. The vicar now ascended the pulpit and commenced reading

his bead-roll preparatory to prayers for the souls in purgatory. Maundrell and his companions raised their voices against the whole affair, declaring that purgatory was nothing but the Pope's pinfold; and this time they were attended to. By command of the priest they were laid in the stocks, and the next day carried to Salisbury and presented before Bishop Capon and Chancellor Geoffrey, who after several private hearings arraigned them publicly in Fisherton Anger Church, the Sheriff Mr. John St. John of Lediard Tregoze being present. The usual questions as to the Sacrament of the Altar, the Pope's supremacy, the use of images, &c., having elicited the usual responses, they were all sentenced to the flames and handed over to the sheriff, whereupon John Spicer spake as follows. "Oh! Master Sheriff, now must you be their butcher, that you also may with them be guilty of innocent blood." On the following day being the 24th of March 1556, they were led out (probably from Fisherton Gaol) a short distance along the Wilton road to a spot where two stakes stood ready to receive them. After making their prayers in silence, and being uncloathed to their shirts, Maundrell was heard to exclaim aloud "Not for all Salisbury" which words were understood to be in reply to the Sheriff's offer of the Queen's pardon if he would recant. Spicer in like manner exclaimed, "This is the joyfullest day that ever I saw." Fire being now applied to the fagots, Maundrell and Spicer were soon consumed, but Coberley's sufferings were protracted by the force of the wind. After the body was thoroughly scorched and the left arm had dropped off, he was perceived resting forward upon his chain, the right hand gently striking the breast and blood issuing from his mouth; and when at length all thought him dead, he once more lifted himself upright. Such was the witness borne by these three Wiltshire yeomen, who, in the language of the martyrologist Foxe, "most constantly gave their bodies to the fire and their souls to the Lord, for testimony of his truth." "Thus" says Mr. Froude, "the

struggle went forward. A forlorn hope of saints led the way up the breach, and paved with their bodies a broad way into the new era; the nation meanwhile unconsciously waiting till the works of the enemy were won, when they might walk safely in and take possession." Froude's History of Henry VIII. ii. 90.

[Spicer and Maundrell are both of them Devizes names. John Spicer was Mayor of the Borough in 1445, and William Spicer was Mayor in 1381 and 1513. Richard Maundrell was Mayor in 1575, and the same name occurs again in 1601 and 1606. Among the Sheriffs of Wilts, Thomas Maundrell of Blacklands served in 1770.]

ECCLESIASTICAL TRUSTEES. Honest Dogberry's complacent declaration in proof of his respectability, that he was "one who hath had losses" seems lately to have come in some danger of being displaced by another claim to distinction, viz., that of having "held leases." And though the alteration thus suggested by Mr. Collier's annotator may not carry much conviction to a modern audience, it certainly would not have been without its weight in the time of Queen Elizabeth, when the extremely responsible and difficult, though at the same time honourable, position of church-leaseholder was well remembered by more parties than one. While the Faith of the nation was undergoing a change, and the King and his nobles were dividing the monastic lands among themselves, churches and church-property were frequently vested in lay-lessees, and subjected to a control from which in many instances they have never yet become emancipated. Some small illustration of the disputes thus engendered is furnished by a letter of complaint still extant, written by Thomas Hall one of the Members of Parliament for the Borough of Devizes in the reign of Mary I.

"Unto the Right honourable and my special good lord of Salisbury, deliver this.

"In most humble wise I commend me unto your good lordship." ."most humbly beseeching your honour to stand good

lord unto these my neighbours the bringers hereof; for that they are much misused by certain men of this parish which have been the Churchwardens, that is to say, John Smyth, Edward Haynes, James Travers, John Adlington, John Blandford, and Edward Helear. These aforesaid persons having the custody and bearing of the parish church stock, plate, jewels, and other ornaments, have sold and otherwise consumed from the church and parish by". ."means, within ten years or thereabout, all these parcels following, that is to say; one fair great cross with Mary and John, by estimation well worth £30: one pair of candle-sticks, by estimation, worth £15: five chalices worth £20: two censers worth £20: one great pyx worth £5: two cruets worth 40 shillings: one oil-vat worth £4: one shep [casket?] with a spoon, worth £5: two paxe worth £5: two great bells out of the tower, worth £24: and as much brass and iron as is thought to be worth £10: and the rent of the church, which is by the year £8. All which goods and money is not at this present time in the church stock above £5: but doth remain in their hands abovesaid; and thus hath led the parish forth with fair words, promising to pay it at certain days: but nothing is brought forth. And now of late they have craftily used such days of meeting or reckoning when they are sure that the wealthiest and chieftest of the parish be from home; as they did now upon Monday, being twelfth market at Salisbury, and did know all the chief of the chiefest of the parish to be there, made a reckoning among themselves, and so have shortened the debt as they thought meet for their purpose. These things considered, I humbly beseech your honour to have regard unto these persons [the bearers] for that they be most credible men, and those men as bear more charges in the town to the Queen, and other neccessary charges;-one of them, more than all the company beforewritten. This matter is before Master Chancellor in your court; wherefore I humbly desire you to move Master Chancellor in it. The cause why I write so earnestly is that the parish hath a good opinion in me, thinking that by your good lordship's favour toward me, I may do them some pleasure therein. Thus being overmuch bold with your good lordship, I commit you From the Devizes this present Monday being the 15th of January, by the hand of your poor humble servant. THOMAS HALL.

The Parliament moreover gave to Edward VI. all the Chantry and College lands not possessed by Henry VIII., and all the revenues given for obits, anniversaries, lights in churches, and all guild lands which any fraternity enjoyed on the same account. It is true there was a clause in the Act, directing such lands to be devoted to schools and to preaching (introduced most likely through Cranmer's influence) but it was almost a dead letter. The Chantry lands

of Devizes certainly passed away; and even had they been applied to founding a town school, the result might probably have been no better than what we have witnessed at Marlborough, Trowbridge, and Bradford.

PARISH REGISTERS. The early books of St. John's are missing, but the churchwardens' accounts of St. Mary's are extant from 1499, and exhibit in an interesting and instructive form the ebb and flow of the great Protestant movement. Previous to the Reformation, for instance, we meet with such objects of expense as Paschall and Font tapers, buckram for the canopy on Corpus Christi day, priests' surplices and albes, boards for constructing a sepulchre, midnight watching of the same, a book of the visitation of our Lady, &c., &c. As the reformed faith becomes the law of the land, Thomas Maundrell and others are paid for plucking down altars and removing images; but on Mary's ascension, one Bartlett gets 8d. for re-erecting the great altar, the ten commandments and other Scriptures written on the wall are defaced, the rood loft is re-instated and occupied by effigies of Mary and Joseph. Holy oil, holy-water pots, rochets, and green banners, again crave the offerings of the faithful. Queen Elizabeth ascends, and down comes the rood-loft: the studs off the coats and "the embroidery about our Lady's coat," are all sold off, together with organ pipes, bellows, and candlesticks.

Queen Glizabeth.

"By land and sea a virgin queen I reign,

And spurn to dust both Antichrist and Spain."

Kingsley's Westward ho!

QUEEN Elizabeth's reformation is by all admitted to have

partaken of the "rough and ready" style. As her enemies were well known to be implacable and unscrupulous, her hand fell alike heavy on all who but whispered treason to her supremacy whether in Church or State. In other respects she prudently abstained from vexatious interference

H