TO [ 577 ] SUPPLEMENT VOLUME XCI. PART II. PART II. Embellished with a View of FOTHERINGHAY CHURCH, BRIDGE, and CASTLE HILL, Northamptonshire; and with Devices on Wooden Seats at TANSOR CHURCH, removed from the Church of Fotheringhay. MR. URBAN, Dec. 1. HE Collegiate Church at Fother nally projected by Edmund of Langley, who began by erecting a choir at the East end of the old parish church. His son, the Duke of York, wished to rebuild the nave; but, dying at Agincourt, his trustees carried his intentions into execution in 1435. The buildings were not completed till the time of Edward IV. who erected the cloister, the windows of which were enriched with splendid painted glass. The remains of the Collegiate Church exhibit an admirable specimen of the architecture of that period. The following account of this beautiful structure is taken from Mr. Bonney's "Historic Notices of Fotheringhay," [reviewed in our last and present Numbers.] "A tower of two stories rises above the West end of the nave. The lower story is square, and is finished with a plain para. pet, ornamented at the angles with octagonal embattled turrets. Upon these were originally placed figures, that were probably the symbols of the four Evangelists; no uncommon ornaments on the towers of Churches. Two of these remain, and seem to represent an angel and a lion, the symbols of St. Matthew and St. Mark. The sides of this part of the tower are pierced with three small and four larger windows, under obtuse angled arches, and divided by plain tracery. The upper story is octagonal, embattled, and adorned at the angles with crotcheted pinnacles. In each of its sides is a lofty window of three lights, elegant tracery, and of more easy curvation than that of the windows in the tower below. "The clere story of the Church is strengthened by ten segments of arches, which spring from the top of the buttresses of the ailes: some of these are fallen into decay and gone. The buttresses are finished with a pinnacle; and between each, is GENT. MAG. Suppl. XCI. PART II. A "At the West end of the Church, beneath the tower, is a spacious entrance, under an arch, within a square moulding, in the centre of a quatrefoil. Above this ornamented at the angles by an escutcheon, is a window of large dimension, divided into fourteen lights, and finished with elegant tracery. There is also a window at the end of the ailes, which projects Westward, so as to be nearly even with the wall of the tower. The entrance under the tower is flanked by two bold and lofty buttresses." "The length of the Church from West to East is eighty-seven feet, including the walls, and the width sixty-eight feet. The height from the floor to the crown of the dome under the tower, which corresponds feet; of the tower, from the floor to the with the height of the nave, is forty-one roof of the octagon, one hundred and three feet four inches; and of the aisles twentyseven feet to the top of the battlement. The height of the windows in the side ailes is seventeen feet; and of the arches that separate the nave from the ailes eighteen feet nine inches. The West door sixteen feet and three inches in width; The North porch is twenty-four feet wide, and the great Western window twenty feet. including the walls. The distance from the door, formerly leading from the Church to the cloister door, twenty feet and a half. The width of the porch and vestry between the Church and cloister twenty feet and a half. The buttresses are three feet five inches and a half in their projection, and one foot and a half in thickness, except the North-eastern and South-eastern buttresses, which formerly belonged to the choir; and they are two feet two inches in thickness, but are of the same projection as the rest." inghay in one of her progresses, she ob "When Queen Elizabeth came to Fother * "Except the window towards the East, in the North aisle, which has only three lights." served served the graves of her ancestors, the Dukes of York, neglected amongst the ruins of the choir. She therefore ordered that their bodies should be removed into the present Church, and deposited on each side the communion-table*; giving directions, at the same time, to her treasurer, that monuments should be erected to their memory. These monuments are a specimen of the bad taste of that age; they are composed of fluted Corinthian columns, supporting a frieze and cornice, ornamented with the falcon and fetterlock; a border of scroll-work, bearing grotesque heads and interlaced with fruit and flowers, surrounds an escutcheon on a tablet surThat on mounted by a ducal coronet. the South side bears France and England quarterly, with a label of five points, for Edward, Duke of York, the founder, who was killed at Agincourt; on the cornice beneath was formerly this inscription Edwardus Dux Eboraci occisus erat anno tertio regni Henrici Quinti, anno Domini 1415'," "On the monument on the North side, which is the counterpart of the other, is France and England quarterly, with a label of five points, impaling a saltire, surmounted by a ducal coronet, for Richard, Duke of York, who was killed at Wakefield, and his Duchess Ciceley, daughter of Ralph Neville, first Earl of Westmorland. On the cornice above the base, were originally these words: Richardus Dux Eboraci obiit mense Januarii anno 270 regni Henrici Sexti, anno D'i 1460. Cicilia Uxor Richardi Ducis Eboraci obiit anno 10mo regni Henrici Septimi, anno Domini 1495.' It is remarkable, that this monument should not also have borne an inscription to the memory of Edmund, Earl of Rutland, killed by Clifford, whose remains were interred in the same grave with those of his father. "Over each of these monuments is a wooden Tablet. That on the South is thus inscribed:- Edward, Duke of York, was slain at the battle of Agincourt in the And on 3d year of Henry the 5th, 1415.' the Northern Tablet is- Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, nephew to Edward, Duke of York, and father to King Edward the 4th, was slain at Wakefield, in the 37th year of Henry the 6th, 1459; and lies buried here with Cicely his wife. Cicely, Duchess of York, was daughter *On opening the graves, the bodies were found inclosed in lead. And round the neck of Cicely was a silver ribbon, with a pardon from Rome, written in a fine Roman hand, as fair and fresh,' as if it had been written says Fuller, yesterday.'-Mr. Creuso, who inhabited the College at the same time, gave this account to Henry Peacham. (See Peacham's Complete Gentleman, p. 169.)" to Ralph Neville, first Earl of Westmorland'." DOW The area of the Church is fitted up with long pews of neat wainscot, erected in 1817, under the direction of Thomas Belsey, esq. the present owner of the estate. The old wooden seats were purchased by the Rev. H. K. Bonney; and of some of them are formed the pulpit and desk, which ornament the neighbouring Church of King's Cliffe. Others of these seats are now in the parish church of Tansor. They exhibit a specimen of carved wood - work, which may be ranked among the most beautiful now existing in the kingdom. Their form is that of the old Miserere, or monastic shelving stool, and resembles those which are to be seen in the Church of Beddington, Surrey, an engraving and description of which are given in the 7th vol. of the "Antiquarian and Topographical Cabinet."" Figure A. is from p. 396 of Dallaway's highly-interesting "Inquiries into the Origin and Progress of the Science of Heraldry in England," and exhibits the falcon and fetterlock, the well-known cognizance (connoissance) of the House of York, differing from that represented on the carved seats, in being open instead of closed. Respecting this peculiar badge, I transcribe a curious passage from Dugdale, referred to by Dallaway, at p. 384. His words are as follow. "Edward IV. The falcon on the fetter-lock was the device of his great-grandfather Edmond of Langley, first Duke of York, fifth son to King Edward the Third, who, after the King his father had endowed him with the Castle of Fotheringhay+, which he new built in form and fashion of a fetter-lock, assumed to himself his father's falcon, implying thereby, that he was locked up from the hope and possibility of the kingdom. 46 Upon a time, finding his sons behold. ing this device set upon a window, asked what was Latin for a fetter-lock, whereupon the father said, if you cannot tell me, I will tell you, bic, hæc, hoc, taceatis,' revealing to them his meaning, and advising them to be silent and quiet, as God knoweth what may come to pass. This his great grand-child Edward the Fourth reported, and bore it, and commanded that his yonger son, royal Duke +"i. e. the keep, or highest fortification thereof, according to our venerable chorographer Camden." of PART 11.] On the Burlesque Festivals of Former Ages. of York, should use the device of a fetterlock, but opened, as Roger Wall reporteth." It is, perhaps, worthy of remark, that the cap, which is exquisitely sculptured on one of the seats, contains four feathers. This, therefore, is the true crest of the Prince of Wales, originally that of the King of Bohemia, and adopted after the battle of Cressy by the Black Prince, who slew that monarch with his own hand. With respect to the other devices, I shall be obliged to any of your Correspondents who will favour me with information. C. A. W. ON THE BURLESQUE FESTIVALS OF FORMER AGES. (Concluded from p. 512.) was 579 more liberal description. Thus, say they, was established, during the enlightened reign of Charles VI. the Court or Parliament of Love. The first nobility, as well as the princes of the blood, courted the advantages of initiation; and amongst these licentious companies Ecclesiastics of all denominations may be found. The functions of Advocates and Orators were performed by Poets, and occasionally by Females; the Court being conducted by youthful brides or widows, in whom beauty was less regarded as a qualification than abilities and judgment; and to every lady appertained her knight, who was bound to treat her with attention and respect, a distinction obtained by musical skill, or the ardor of personal attachment. Every Court was governed by the Prince of Love, who claimed as a perquisite the counters substi THE Court of Love of the dig- tuted for the Judges' fees; and com nities observed at Court, in the Senate, and the Church. The female sex, who were not forgotten in the primary institution, and whose right it was to have an equal voice in its discussions, held no situation in this: its members assembled at stated periods, when the wits of the time delivered their insipid pleadings, as a prelude to the plainest amatory discourse, and for the sake of amusing this enlightened society. Their sittings were concluded by a dance, for the uninitiated part of the company, and scenes of debauchery were exhibited on one side of the room, while they devised conspiracies on the other; or, brooding over the atrocities of personal revenge, prepared new horrors for the people, who, ignorant of the purpose of these licentious mysteries, gazed with delight on the splendor of their officers. A few virtuous citizens, disgusted with the luxury, and suspecting the consequence of these festivities, lamented them in privacy and silence*. Such is the picture drawn by the decriers of this usage, but there are others who have left a different, and * Mareschal, IV. 20, 21. posed promiscuously of all ranks, who formed a supreme tribunal, the decrees of which were unalterable. This Parliament, when estimated by a comparison with our customs, possesses an air of rigor, the more imposing as it conceals the greater li centiousness; and we are astonished to behold the Clergy mingling in such assemblies as the Festivals of Love, for want of transporting ourselves back to the times when those usages were consistent with rectitude and purity of soul. In no part of France were these tribunals held so sacred as in Provencet. The celebrity enjoyed by the Parliament of Love, encouraged the institution of similar societies for nearly all the wealthy towns in France vied with each other in aping the manners of the palace. Bruges set the example by establishing the Feast of Foresters; Valenciennes, the Prince of Merriment, and of the Currycomb; Cambrai, the King of Ri balds; Bouchain, the Provost of Hot-heads; Douai, of Asses; Lisle and Tournai, the Prince of Love and of Cuckolds; Lille (near Paris) bore + Bouche, Essai sur l'Histoire du Provence, apud Mareschal, IV. 22. L'Etrille. § Ribauds the exact sense of this word may reasonably be doubted. This festival was probably similar to the Skimmington, mentioned in Hudibras, Part ii. Canto 2. Stowe has condensed it into a few words, in his Survey of London. "1562. Shrove Monday, at Charing Cross, was a man carried of four men; and before him a bagpipe playing, a shawm, and a drum beating, and 20 men with links burning about him. The cause was, his next neighbour's wife beat her husband: it being so ordered, that the next should ride about the place to expose her." Edit. Strype, I. 258. the the palm of extravagance, for, not contented with copying the Court of Love, she instituted two festivals of her own, the Prince of Fools, and King of the Virginals*. To this catalogue of uncouth titles, no account of their ceremonies can be now subjoined; but an idea of their character may be formed, as we learn that they were modelled according to the temper of the provinces where they were established. The Parliament of Love was anterior to them all, and existed when their spirit was forgot ten, its suppression being referred to the seventeenth century +. We shall conclude this account with some particulars of a ceremony now little known, and which may be considered as the last on record. On the 20th of September, 1707, Augustus, Elector of Saxony, having assembled his Court at Dresden, entertained them with an annual diversion of shooting with steel cross-bows, at a wooden bird, on a pole 200 feet in height his Majesty appeared on the ground about 11 o'clock a. m. the burghers of the town being under arms, and the peasantry in their holiday clothes; and after two hours had elapsed, the bird being not yet demolished, he retired to a collation, supported by the Envoys of Germany and Britain. The Envoys of Holland and the Elector Palatine, together with the principal ministers of the Saxon court, were present on the occasion. The collation being ended, the company returned to their sport, and continued till the evening, at which time, part of the bird still remaining, the conclusion was deferred till the next day, when they assembled as before. No less than fifty persons tried their chance, of whom his Majesty and the Imperial Envoy shewed the greatest dexterity; but the substitute of the British minister brought down the last fragment of the bird, and was in consequence saluted KING OF THE SPORTS; on the following day the Envoy was installed, and a poetical address delivered by the orator appointed for this occasion, of which only the concluding lines are extant: "No wonder 'tis that Saxony should grace A Briton thus-she cherishes her race‡ !" * Epinette. + Mareschal, ubi supra. "Anglum Saxoniam tantis ornare triumphis Nil mirum, prolem diligit illa suam." After this oration, the Envoy was invested with a chain of gold, accompanied with several medals, the donation of former Kings, which he delivered, by his Majesty's permission, to his substitute, who was appointed Viceroy for the ensuing year: the Briton was likewise presented with a handsome piece of plate, a pair of colours, and a garland, in commemoration of his deputy's address; and returned in state to his lodgings, escorted by the royal guards, and followed by the burghers and peasants, amongst whom, after they had saluted him with three cheers, he distributed wine and other refreshments. The King was in excellent spirits, and treated the conqueror with a very affable distinction,' observing, that an Elector, au Electress, and an Electoral Prince of Saxony, had been his predecessors in that dignity §.* There is a valuable passage in the works of a modern novelist (how one of his order came by it heaven only knows ||'), which so forcibly illustrates this subject, that we do not hesitate to avail ourselves of it : "Few readers can be ignorant, that at an early period, and during the plenitude of her power, the Church of Rome not only conuived at, but eveu encouraged such saturnalian licenses and that the vulgar, on such occasions, were not only permitted, but encouraged, by a number of gambols, sometimes puerile and ludicrous, sometimes inimoral and profane, and penances imposed on them at other to indemnify themselves for the privations lesque and ridicule, the rites and ceremo seasons. But, of all other topics for burnial of the Church itself were most fre quently resorted to; and strange to say, with the approbation of the Clergy themselves." While the hierarchy flourished in its full glory, the Church of Rome entertained no apprehensions of the enemy she had bred: the Clergy, conscious of their intellectual superiority, did not so much as suspect the laity, and permitted the representation of games which seemed but a temporary amusement. The tendency of these diversions was the slow, but certain alienation of the popular mind from the established religion, nor did they commence opposition till resistance was unavailing. "In this particular, the Catholic Clergy § Gazette, Oct. 6, 1707. were |