DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6886#0292
260 HISTORY OF
Williams obtained his eminent situation in this church by the favour and
protection of Villiers Duke of Buckingham ; and is said to have made Abbot
Islip and Dean Andrews, two of his predecessors, the models of his conduct:
the former, on account of his attention to the buildings of the church ; the latter,
for his encouragement of the school and scholars, as well as his general zeal for
the advancement of learning*.
Soon after he had taken possession of his dignity, he expended four thousand
five hundred pounds, of his own money, in repairing the north-west side of the
church and the front of the chapels in the south-east, which were the most de-
cayed parts of the building, as well as adding statues and other decorations. When,
however, it was falsely and malignantly reported, that a provision had been made
for this expence, by savings from the table allowance of the prebendaries, he pro-
cured an attestation from them, to vindicate his character and acknowledge the
benefaction-f-.
Widmore states, that it was Dean Williams who converted a large empty
room in the east part of the cloisters, which had been the monks' parlour while
the place was a monastery, into a public library, the fitting up of which, and
furnishing it with books, cost him two thousand pounds; besides the benefactions
which his commanding interest and the influence of his high station, had pro-
cured from others^. But whatever advantages or additions the library might
receive from his liberal spirit, the original application of the apartment to that
purpose appears to have taken place during the time of Dean Goodman§.
Islip was the last person who Jiad concerned himself about the buildings of the abbey; and
Racket's testimony respecting the attention which Andrews paid to the instruction a,nd improvement
of the Westminster scholars, has been, already mentioned,
t Appendix, No. XII.
% Widmore's Hist, of West. Abbey, p. 151.
§ First Chapter Book, fol. 223.
Williams obtained his eminent situation in this church by the favour and
protection of Villiers Duke of Buckingham ; and is said to have made Abbot
Islip and Dean Andrews, two of his predecessors, the models of his conduct:
the former, on account of his attention to the buildings of the church ; the latter,
for his encouragement of the school and scholars, as well as his general zeal for
the advancement of learning*.
Soon after he had taken possession of his dignity, he expended four thousand
five hundred pounds, of his own money, in repairing the north-west side of the
church and the front of the chapels in the south-east, which were the most de-
cayed parts of the building, as well as adding statues and other decorations. When,
however, it was falsely and malignantly reported, that a provision had been made
for this expence, by savings from the table allowance of the prebendaries, he pro-
cured an attestation from them, to vindicate his character and acknowledge the
benefaction-f-.
Widmore states, that it was Dean Williams who converted a large empty
room in the east part of the cloisters, which had been the monks' parlour while
the place was a monastery, into a public library, the fitting up of which, and
furnishing it with books, cost him two thousand pounds; besides the benefactions
which his commanding interest and the influence of his high station, had pro-
cured from others^. But whatever advantages or additions the library might
receive from his liberal spirit, the original application of the apartment to that
purpose appears to have taken place during the time of Dean Goodman§.
Islip was the last person who Jiad concerned himself about the buildings of the abbey; and
Racket's testimony respecting the attention which Andrews paid to the instruction a,nd improvement
of the Westminster scholars, has been, already mentioned,
t Appendix, No. XII.
% Widmore's Hist, of West. Abbey, p. 151.
§ First Chapter Book, fol. 223.