hundred and thirty-four acres of land. The lease is the CHAP. I. property of Lord Holland.

The manor of Levehurst appears to have been in Stockwell, or Lambeth deane, but there is now no trace remaining of it. It is mentioned as early as the eighteenth year of the reign of Edward I. when P. Bernardini, citizen of London, had a grant of free warren in his manor of "Lefhurst," in the parish of Lambeth. In this parish also were three small manors now unknown, called Boddileys, Upgrove, and Scorletts. Of the original palace of Lambeth there is no account Lambeth palace. or description; there is every reason to suppose that it occupied the present site; and some parts of the building now standing are evidently of great antiquity, though it is certain that no part of the Saxon fabric of the Countess Goda is still subsisting. Dr. Ducarel was of opinion, that it might be little better than a common dwelling; but as it was the place of residence of a king's sister, it is most probable that it was an habitation suitable to a person of her elevated rank. Whether this was the building, which is said to have been repaired afterwards by Archbishops Langton and Hubert, is unknown. Archbishop Boniface is generally reputed the founder of the present edifice, as he obtained a bull from Pope Urban IV. to repair the houses at Lamhie, or to build new ones. It was subsequently much enlarged by his successors, particularly Archbishop Chicheley, who built a large portion of the Lollards' tower and great hall; Archbishop Morton, who built the present noble gatehouse about 1490; and Archbishop Bancroft, who founded the library. In the time of the commonwealth, Scott and Hardynge, who had purchased the house and manor of Lambeth, pulled down the great hall and turned the chapel into a dancing room. On

BOOK III. the restoration, Archbishop Juxon rebuilt the great hall, and many improvements have been since gradually made, to render the house more suitable to the domestic comforts of the present age. The present archbishop has commenced a thorough and judicious repair of the entire edifice, under the direction of E. Blore, Esq.

Among the remarkable occurrences connected with this celebrated edifice may be noticed the following:

A. D. 1345. In the nineteenth year of the reign of Edward III. John de Montfort, duke of Brittany, did homage to the king in Lambeth palace.

In 1381, during the insurrection of Wat Tyler, the rebels not only beheaded Archbishop Sudbury, then high chancellor, but a party plundered this palace, and burnt most of the goods, books, registers, and remembrances of chancery. The author of an ancient chronicle, speaking of the manner in which the mob vented their fury on this occasion, says, "Ad manerium suum de Lamhith descendentes, libros, vestes, mappas, et plura alia inibi relicta igne combusserunt, dolia vino referta confregerunt et hauserunt." Sudbury's register book fortunately escaped the devastation, and is still at Lambeth palace.

The damages done by this lawless banditti were repaired in a great measure by Arundel and Chicheley; but much was left for their successors to do, as may be reasonably concluded from the sums of money expended by Morton and Warham. The latter in particular is said to have laid out thirty thousand pounds (a prodigious sum in those days) in repairing and beautifying the archiepiscopal palaces, of which Lambeth, there is little doubt (though not expressly mentioned), was the principal.

Queen Mary is said to have completely furnished

Lambeth palace for the reception of Cardinal Pole at CHAP 1. her own expense, and to have frequently honoured him with their company.

Queen Elizabeth was a frequent visitant to Archbishop Parker; and the confidence she reposed in that prelate induced her to employ him in many affairs of great trust. On his first promotion to the archiepiscopal see, she committed to him in free custody the deprived bishops Tonstal and Thirlby, the one bishop of Durham, thẻ other of Ely, whom to his great credit he entertained most kindly. These were both learned and excellent men, who, although they conscientiously adhered to the old religion, were of mild and tolerant principles. Tonstal survived his confinement but about four months, and dying November 8, 1559, aged eighty-three, was buried in Lambeth church. Thirlby was the archbishop's guest upwards of ten years, and was buried near Bishop Tonstal. Besides the above, was consigned to his keeping Dr. Boxal, late secretary to Queen Mary.

Lambeth palace became the first object of popular fury during the civil war. Archbishop Laud had always been disliked by the Puritans, and was grown particularly obnoxious, from having advised the king to dissolve the parliament. On the 9th of May, 1641, a paper, said to have been written by John Lilbourne, was stuck up at the Old Change, to excite the apprentices to rise and attack the palace of Lambeth. The archbishop had notice of their intention, and fortified his house as well as he could. On the 11th, at midnight, it was beset by about five hundred men, who continued there two hours, but did no other mischief than breaking a few windows.* Whitlock says they

* Vide the author's Hist. of Lambeth, p. 236.

BOOK III. set at liberty some prisoners. Some of the ringleaders were apprehended, and one of them was executed for high treason.

In 1642, an order was made by the house of commons, that some of their members should receive the archbishop's rents, and apply them to the use of the commonwealth. On the 8th of November, Captain Brown, with a party of soldiers, entered Lambeth house, to keep it for the parliament. Soon after the house of commons voted that it should be made a prison, and that Dr. Layton, or Leighton, who had been severely punished by the high commission court, should be appointed the keeper. At first, some of the archbishop's servants were suffered to continue there; but upon a petition of Dr. Leighton's, stating that they made his prisoners unruly, they were removed.* The furniture was sold, and the wood and coal reserved for the soldiers. The archbishop complained that he was not indulged with any of it for his own use at the tower.

Amongst the prisoners confined at Lambeth house during the civil wars were the earls of Chesterfield and Derby, and Sir Thomas Armstrong, who was afterwards executed for being concerned in the duke of Monmouth's rebellion.†

Lambeth house was put up to sale in 1648, and purchased, with the manor, as before noticed, by Thomas Scott and Mathew Hardy. The former was secretary of state to the protector, and one of the persons who sat on the trial of Charles I. for which he was excuted at Charing cross in 1660.

Lambeth house has at various times proved an asylum

* Perfect Diurnal, December 27, 1642.

+ Biographia Britannica.

Cl. 24 Car. pt. 2. No. 1,