Here lyeth graven under this Stone
Thomas Knowles both Flesh and Bone,
Grocer and Alderman, years forty;
Sheriff and twice Mayor truly.
And (for he should not lye alone,)
Here lyeth with him his good Wife Jone.
They were together sixty Year

And Nineteen Children they had in fear.

Here are prayers every evening at six, and also a sermon preached by six clergymen, who have each an annual sti pend, out of which they pay the reader. This lecture was founded by the contribution of the parish and several other worthy persons.

Opposite St. Antholin's church is a street denominated TOWER ROYAL, from the following circumstance. In antient times, a fortress of remote date and foundation, was erected here, in which, it is reported, king Stephen lodged. In the reign of king Edward I. it was the tenement of Simon Beawmes; but in the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Edward III. according to Froissard, it was called the Royal, in the parish of St. Michael de Pater noster; that monarch in the forty-third year of his reign granted it to his college of St. Stephen, Westminster, by the name of his Inn, called the Royal, in the city of London, of the value of twenty pounds per annum.

That this was a place of great strength is evident from the circumstance of the princess Joan, mother of Richard II. making it a place of retirement, when Wat Tyler's rebels had gained possession of the Tower of London. The Tower Royal at this time was named the Queen's Wardrobe. In the year 1386, Leon III. king of Armenia, having been driven from his realm by the invasion of the Tartars, visited Richard in this palace, and received very considerable gifts from the king of England and the nobility, besides a pension, of 1000l. yearly during his life.

We do not find by what means this mansion reverted to the crown; but it was afterwards granted by Richard III. to his friend and supporter, John, the first duke of Norfolk, and

it is probable that the Tower Royal continued in the possession of his family till the attainder of Thomas, his grandson," in the reign of Henry VIII. after which the palace of the Tower Royal was, in the reign of Elizabeth, converted to stabling for the king's horses, and ultimately divided into tenements, which were consumed by the fire in 1666, though the remembrance of its antient consequence is still preserved in the name.

Nearly opposite Tower Royal is COLLEGE HILL, so called from a religious foundation by Sir Richard Whittington, lord mayor of London, the latter end of the year 1396, 1397, 1406, and 1419; so that he was four times mayor.

This foundation consisted of a college for a master, four fellows, masters of arts, clerks, conducts, choristers, &c. and an alms-house, called God's-house, or hospital, for thirteen poor men. One of these to be tutor, and to have 16d. per week; the other twelve to have 14d. each per week for ever, with other necessary provision, an hutch with three locks, a common seal, &c.

We have before stated that these were to pray for the good estate of Richard Whittington and Alice his wife, their founders; and for Sir William Whittington, knight, and dame Joan, his wife; and for Hugh Fitzwaren, and dame Molde, his wife, the fathers and mothers of the said Richard Whittington, and Alice, his wife; which we think a sufficient proof that Sir Richard Whittington was the descendant of a very respectable and honourable family; and there is a tradition that the family was either from Shropshire or the adjoining counties. The story of his poverty and the cat, therefore can only continue to entertain those who deal in the marvellous and extravagant stories of Jack the Giant Killer, and other narratives of equal importance.

The licence for building this college was first granted by Henry IV. in the eleventh year of his reign; and in the next year, the mayor and commonalty of London granted to Sir Richard a vacant piece of ground, on which he was to build bis college, in the Royal. The foundation was confirmed by Vol. I. p. 92.

P 2

parliament

parliament in the reign of Henry VI. and suppressed by statute of Edward VI. The alms houses, however, still remain X V6 under the patronage of the Mercers' Company. X

VP5894 In the possession of this company are the original ordiinances of this charity, made by Sir Richard's executors; 23 very fairly written. On the first page is a beautiful illu

minated painting of the founder on his death bed, an emaciated form; with his executors, a priest, and others surround. ing the bed. We shall detail the whole, as they are curious:

"To alls the trew people of Cryst, that shalle se or here the things,' which be conteyned within these present Letters, John Coventre, John Carpentre, and William Grove, &c. Executors of the Testament of the worthy and notable Merchant, Richard Whittington, late Citezin and Mercer of the Cite of London, and oftentimes Mayor of the same Cite, sending gretyng in our Lord God everlasting.

"The fervent Desire and besy Intention of a prudent, wyse, and devout Man, shal be to cast before, and make seure of the state and Thende of the short liffe with Dedys of Mercy and Pite; and namely to provyde for such pouer Persons, which grevous Penure and cruel Fortune have oppressed, and be not of power to gete their lyving either by craft, or by any other bodily labour; whereby that, at the Day of the last Judgement, he may take his part with hem that shal be saved. This considering the foresaid worthy and notable Merchant, Richard Whittington, the which, while he leved, had ryght liberal and large Hands to the Needy and Powre People, charged strictly, in his Death bed, us his foresaid Executors, to ordeyne a House of Almes after his Deth, for perpetual Sustentation of such poure people, as is to-fore rehersed: and therupon fully he declared his Wyll unto us. And we wylling after our power to fullfil Thentent of his commendable Wille and holesome Desire in this Part, as we be bound;

"First, yfounded by us, with sufficient Authorite, in the Church of Seint Mighells in the Royolle of London, where the foresaid Richard and Dame Alice, his wife, be biried, a commendable College of certain Prestes and Clerkis, to do every Day divine Service for the aforesaid Richard and Alice.

"We have founded also, after the Wille abovesaid, a House of Almes for xiii. pouere Folk successively for evermore, to dwell and to be susteined in the same House: Which House is situated,

and

and edified upon a certain soyl, that we bought therefore, late in the Parish of Seynt Mighel abovesaid; that is to say, bytweene the foresaid Church and the Wall, that closeth in the voyd Place, behind the heigh Auter of the same Church, in the south Side, and one great Tenement, that was late the House of the aforesaid Richard Wyhttington, in the north side. And it stretcheth from the dwelling-place of the Master and the Prestis of the College above said. The which also we did late to be now added in the cast Side unto a great voyd Place of our Land. The which by the Help of God we purpose to do be hallowed lawfully for a church yard to the same church within that time in the west side.

"And in the more ful and clere foundation and ordinance, and also Stablyng of the foreseid Almes-house for pouer Men, the Myght of the Fadre, the Wysdom of the Sonne, and the Goodnes of the Holy Ghost, fyrst of al ycalled unto our Help, we procede in this Wyse.

"Fyrst, bith by Lycence, Graunt, and Authorite of the right mighty Prince and Lord King Henry VI. King of England, and of Fraunce, that now is; and also by the Will and Consent of the ryght worthy Lord and Fadre in Cryst, Henry, by the Sufferance of God, Arch-bishop of Canterbury, Primate of al England, and Legate of the See of Rome; of whofe Jurisdiction immediate be the Church and Parrishe abovesaid; and the Graunt and Consent of al and every Man, that had any title or interest in this Partie, before required and had;"

THE ORDINANCES.

"To be twelve pouer Folks alonely of men or women togid, dre; after the said Discretion and good conscience of the Overseers underwrit, and Conservators of the same House, to be provided and admitted.

"The which every Day, when due and convenient Time is, shall pray for evermore, for al the now being alive, and also for the bypast to God; whose Names of great Specialty been expressed in these Statutes under-writ,

"To be one Principal, which shal pass all other in Power and Revenue, and be called Tutor. The Office and Charge of him shal be the Goods of the Almeshouse, which shall come to his Hands, well and truly to minister, The Goods dissevered to gather again tegiddre, to the use of the Almeshouse: And at the

husbandry

husbandry of the same house, in as much as he may goodly over. see, dispose, and ordain; inforcing himself to edifie and nourish Charity and Peace among his Felowes.

"The poor Folks unto the said Tutor evermore shall obey.

"The thirteen poor Fulke to be hable in Conversation, and honest in Living.

"The same House to be called for ever God's-house, or Almeshouse, or the Hospital of Richard Whyttington.

"The Lord Maior to be Overseer of the said Almeshouse, and the Keepers of the Commonalty of the Craft of Mercers to be called for evermore Conservators of the foresaid House.

"The Tutor to have a Place by himself, that is to say, a Cell or little House, with a Chimney and a Prevy, and other Necessaries. In the which he shall lyegge and rest. And that he may aloon and by himself, without Let of any other Persoon, intend to the Contemplation of God, if he woll.

"That the seid Tutor and pouer Folke, whan they be in the aforesaid Houses and Cells, and also in the Cloisters and other places of the foresaid Almeshouses have himself quietlie and pesably without Noise or Disturbance of his Felaws: and that they oc cupy hemself in Prayer or Reading, or in labour of her Hondes, or in some other Occupation, &c.

"Every Tutour and poor Folk, every Day first whan they rise fro their Bedds, kneeling upon their knees, sey a Pater noster and an Ave Maria, with special and herty recommendacion-making of the foresaid Richard Whyttington and Alice, to God, and our blessed Lady Mayden Mary. And other times of the Day, when he may best and most commody have leisure thereto, for the staat of al the souls abovesaid, say three or two sauters of our Lady at the least; that is to say, threies seaven Ave Marias, with fifteen Pater nosters, and three Credes. But if he be letted with Febleness, or any other reasonable Cawse, one in the day at the least, in case it may be; that is to sey, after the Messe, or when Complyn is don, they come togidder within the College about the Tomb of the aforesaid Richard Whyttington and Alice, and they that can sey, shall sey for the soules of the said Richard Whyttington and Alice, and for the soules of al Christen People; this Pfalm de Profendus, with the Versicles and Oriosons, that longeth thereto. And they that can, shal sey three Pater nosters, three Ave Marias, and oone Crede. And after this doon, the Tutour, or oone of the eldest Men of theym, shall sey openly in English, "God have Mercy

on