DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6914#0184
152
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
" compunctious visitings" of a guilty conscience ; and, in order to make his peace
with Heaven, he judged it necessary to expend a portion of his ill-gotten treasures
in works of charity and devotion. The " weal of his soul " was to be secured by
the chanting of psalms and requiems, the saying of collects, and the perpetual esta-
blishment of masses, anniversaries, and other superstitious ceremonies, blended,
however, with the more useful observances of the distribution of alms to the poor.
For those purposes several Indentures were made between the King and the Abbot
of Westminster, and about twenty others with different religious foundations ; all
which documents are now extant, but not a single agreement respecting the design
or erection of the chapel itself has yet been found. Tradition, rather than historical
evidence, has ascribed the design of this building to Sir Reginald Bray; but that
eminently-gifted knight dietl within a few months after the first stone was laid,
which was on the 24th of January, 1502-3; and, consequently, could have had
very little concern in raising the superstructure, whatever he might have had in
framing the design.64 Alcocke, Bishop of Ely, has also been mentioned, as sharing
with Sir Reginald in " the honour of the design, and in part, erection of this
Chapel ;"65 yet as that prelate died in October, 1500, more than two years before
the building was commenced, the inaccuracy is obvious. In King Henry s Will
(which is now preserved among the exchequer records, in the ancient Chapter-
house at Westminster), the Prior of St. Bartholomew's is expressly called " Master
of the Works," and the " Plat, made for the Chapel," and " signed with our hande,"
is directly referred to in the same instrument, which notices, likewise, the " ymages,
armes, bagies," &c. with which the windows were to be glazed and ornamented,
and which designs were " in picture delivered," to the said Prior.—Nothing is now
known either of the Plat or the Pictures thus mentioned, and even the name of the
Prior, styled 'Master of the Works,'has been questioned and made a subject of
argument. It appears, however, from the Lansdowne manuscript, No. 965, which
was compiled by Bishop Kennet, from the Originalia, that after the death of William
64 Holinshed, who states that the first stone was laid by the hands of Abbot Islip, Sir Reginald Bray,
Dr. Barnes, &c. and divers others, acquaints us, also, that it had " engraven upon it," this " scripture "—
" Ulustrissimus Henricus Septimus rex Anglioe et Francise, et dominus Hibernise, posuit hanc petram, in
honore beatae virginis Marise, 24 die Januarij, anno Domini 1502 : Et anno dicti regis Henrici septimi
decimo octavo."
65 Vide the curious Lithographic Illustrations of the Architecture of this Chapel, by Cottingham, pub-
lished in 1822.
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
" compunctious visitings" of a guilty conscience ; and, in order to make his peace
with Heaven, he judged it necessary to expend a portion of his ill-gotten treasures
in works of charity and devotion. The " weal of his soul " was to be secured by
the chanting of psalms and requiems, the saying of collects, and the perpetual esta-
blishment of masses, anniversaries, and other superstitious ceremonies, blended,
however, with the more useful observances of the distribution of alms to the poor.
For those purposes several Indentures were made between the King and the Abbot
of Westminster, and about twenty others with different religious foundations ; all
which documents are now extant, but not a single agreement respecting the design
or erection of the chapel itself has yet been found. Tradition, rather than historical
evidence, has ascribed the design of this building to Sir Reginald Bray; but that
eminently-gifted knight dietl within a few months after the first stone was laid,
which was on the 24th of January, 1502-3; and, consequently, could have had
very little concern in raising the superstructure, whatever he might have had in
framing the design.64 Alcocke, Bishop of Ely, has also been mentioned, as sharing
with Sir Reginald in " the honour of the design, and in part, erection of this
Chapel ;"65 yet as that prelate died in October, 1500, more than two years before
the building was commenced, the inaccuracy is obvious. In King Henry s Will
(which is now preserved among the exchequer records, in the ancient Chapter-
house at Westminster), the Prior of St. Bartholomew's is expressly called " Master
of the Works," and the " Plat, made for the Chapel," and " signed with our hande,"
is directly referred to in the same instrument, which notices, likewise, the " ymages,
armes, bagies," &c. with which the windows were to be glazed and ornamented,
and which designs were " in picture delivered," to the said Prior.—Nothing is now
known either of the Plat or the Pictures thus mentioned, and even the name of the
Prior, styled 'Master of the Works,'has been questioned and made a subject of
argument. It appears, however, from the Lansdowne manuscript, No. 965, which
was compiled by Bishop Kennet, from the Originalia, that after the death of William
64 Holinshed, who states that the first stone was laid by the hands of Abbot Islip, Sir Reginald Bray,
Dr. Barnes, &c. and divers others, acquaints us, also, that it had " engraven upon it," this " scripture "—
" Ulustrissimus Henricus Septimus rex Anglioe et Francise, et dominus Hibernise, posuit hanc petram, in
honore beatae virginis Marise, 24 die Januarij, anno Domini 1502 : Et anno dicti regis Henrici septimi
decimo octavo."
65 Vide the curious Lithographic Illustrations of the Architecture of this Chapel, by Cottingham, pub-
lished in 1822.