WAS looking on the fine canopy of the monument to
Urswick when I was aware of an ancient serving-
man standing in the choir with the Percy crescent on
his arm.
He was evidently absorbed in grief, and
was watching the workmen who were closing the
grave of the Lord Percy.

'Have I not seen you in company with Master Cavendish?' said I. 'Yea, surely and forsooth you have,' quoth he,

* On the north side of the chancel, in the wall, is an obtuse arch, ornamented with foliage and Gothic tracery, and beneath is the inscription: 'Christopher Urswyk, Rectore, A. Dom. 1519,' which was two years before his death, and seems to fix the date of rebuilding the church. Urswick's tomb is within the communion rails.-(Extract respecting the old church of St. Augustin at Hackney.) This beautiful tomb and the brass beneath it have been removed to the new church, and are in wonderful preservation. Urswick was buried before the image of St. Augustin, no doubt under the brass. Urswick had, probably, a large share in rebuilding the church. He was almoner to Henry VII. His abilities as a statesman had been evinced in his successful endeavours to promote the union between Henry VII. and Elizabeth of York (the famous union between the Red and White Roses, January 18, 1485). The king employed him in various important negotiations and embassies. He was installed Dean of Windsor in the year 1495, at the same time made Archdeacon of Richmond, in Yorkshire. He refused a bishopric, being content to remain Rector of Hackney, and died October 24, 1521. The old town-hall, near the old tower, is on the site of the church-house which was occupied by him. The arms on his brass have been defaced probably by mischievous persons. It was a custom of the College of Heralds

'and I am only staying here to attend my lord's funeral, when I shall doff this coat and become his servant. Alas! for the glories of Percy,

to send round inspectors to deface arms to which the parties were not entitled, but this is not likely to have been the case with the Urswick arms.

KING RICHARD III.-ACT IV., SCENE 5.

Lord Stanley's House.

Enter LORD STANLEY and SIR CHRISTOPHER URSWICK.
STANLEY. Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from me,
That, in the stye of this most bloody boar,

My son George Stanley is frank'd up in hold;

If I revolt, off goes young George's head;

The fear of that withholds my present aid.

But tell me where is princely Richmond now?

CHRIS. At Pembroke or at Har'fordwest, in Wales.
STAN. What men of name resort to him?

CHRIS. Sir Walter Herbert, a renowned soldier ;
Oxford, redoubted Pembroke, Sir James Blunt,
And Rice ap Thomas, with a valiant crew;

And many other of great name and worth ;

And towards London do they bend their course,

If by the way they be not fought withal.

STAN. Well, hie thee to thy lord; commend me to him;

Tell him, the queen hath heartily consented,

He shall espouse Elizabeth her daughter.
These letters will resolve him of my mind.
Farewell.

(Shakspeare.)

The person who is called Sir Christopher here appears by the Chronicles to have been Christopher Urswick, a bachelor in divinity; and chaplain to the Countess of Richmond, who had intermarried with the Lord Stanley. This priest, the history tells us, frequently went backwards and forwards, unsuspected, on messages betwixt the Countess of Richmond and her husband, and the young Earl of Richmond, whilst he was preparing to make his descent on England. Dr. Johnson has observed that Sir was anciently a title assumed by graduates.

EPITAPH.

Christopherus Vrswicus Regis Henrici septimi Eleemosinarius vir sua ætate clarus, summatibus, atque infimatibus juxta charus. Ad exteros Reges undecies pro patria legatus, Deconatum Eboracensem, Archidiaconatum Richmundie, Decanatum Windesorie habitro vinens reliquit. Episcopatum Norwicensem oblatum recusavit: Magnos honores tota vita speruit: frugali vita contentus, hic vivere, hic mori maluit, plenus annis, obiit ab omnibus desideratus, funeris pompam, etiam Testamento vetuit: hic sepultus carnis resurrectionem, in adventum Christi expectat, obiit

Anno Domini, 1521, 24 Octob.

that I should ever have lived to see this day! My old lord died in 1527, and now this thrice unfortunate son. As if it was not enough to be robbed of his love, and sit on the judgment-seat when she was condemned, he has now lost his brother* and seen, to all appearance, the House of Percy lose all their broad lands-the fair earldom of Northumberland, and all the castles in Yorkshire.'

'My friend,' said I, 'this is not the place for such talk; some of these friars or serving-men may overhear you say a word which they may think is against the king.' While I yet spake, the Bishop of St. Asaph, the Abbot of Stratford,† Sir Ralph Sadler, the Lord Butler (chief mourner), the Lord Borough, Sir Anthony Wingfield, and Richard Cromwell swept out of the church, followed by a numerous company of the four orders of friars and serving-men. 'Hard by,' said I, 'is the Three Cranes, built for the workmen's use while the new church was building. Let us repair thither and continue our talk.' 'Three Cranes!' quoth he, 'I see plenty of herons about here on every pillar of the church, and there are twelve of them-Sir Heron§ hath been a mighty benefactor to this church; why was not the house called the Three Herons ?'

'I know not,' I answered; 'probably some mistake of a workman, afterwards continued by those who should know better. Look on every pillar-Herons' arms, a chevron, ermin, between three herons. And here is the tomb of another benefactor to the church, Alis Ryder, see her image carrying a milk-pail, date 1517; and see here this inscription : "Here lyeth Ione Only, the onely most faithful wyf of John Only, of Warwickshire, Esquire, to whose soule the onely Trinity be mercifull, * Sir Thomas Percy, who was executed for his share in the insurrection, termed Pilgrimage of Grace.

† See the notice of the Abbey of Stratford, near Bogh, in the Appendix.

Sir Ralph Sadler, 'eques notæ virtutis,' Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, lived at Hackney. As chancellor he claimed the privilege of nominating the two burgesses in Parliament for the town of Leicester, and was allowed to name one of them. He died March 24, 1587, in his 80th year, after having been a privy councillor forty-one years, and possessed at the time of his death twenty-two manors with several advowsons and other large grants of lands. Sir Walter Scott published his life,

with his letters and State papers.

§ The Herons were Lords of Shacklewell.

Amen. She died in 1525." And here is "Robert Walsingham, Clarke of the Spicery to Henry VIII., who dyed 1522." And see here: "Here lyeth under a fair monument, the body of Xr Urswicke, the King's Almoner, his picture in brasse."'

We now passed out of the church and crossed the street by the church-house. The street was full of a mixed company of the earl's servants, the bishop's, and the abbot's. Presently my new friend was seized hold of by a minstrel who had also the crescent on his arm. 'Whither away, Master Hugh?' quoth the minstrel; 'thou must come up to the manor-house.' The ancient serving-man turned to me with many apologies. 'Nay,' said I; 'go with thy friends, but meet me at the church-tower to-morrow at noon if thou canst. See, I will be sitting on the seat within the porch of the church-house, and I shall be glad to see thee or any friend of Master Cavendish's to crack a bottle at my house after we have had our talk. The serving-men formed in a body with such friends as were known to them and proceeded to the manorhouse, about five furlongs off.

I remained admiring the tower and the splendid masonry which Urswick and Heron had put in the walls, for methinks Urswick must have had as much to do with the building of it as Heron. I turned into the church again, and walked up the nave, admiring the beauty of the windows and pillars. All fresh it looks now,' thought I; 'in a few years there will be many tombs of the nobility lining the walls and perhaps spoiling it. However, Urswick has begun well by putting up such a fine image of St. Augustin by the altar, and such a fine tomb to himself, though the brass was of course added after his death. This church looks intended to last for ever, though I have heard some say that the masonry of the nave is not so good as that in the tower. Sic transit gloria mundi,' quoth I. 'How the old earl would have stared to see the world without an Earl of Northumberland! However, they say the earl has left everything to the crown in case at any time the estate lost by Master Thomas may be rehabilitated.' Saying thus to myself, I strolled along the Hackney Brook after a slight refection at the Mermaid.

'Abbot of Stratford! Abbot of Stratford!' quoth I to myself, 'I

wonder how long the king will leave thee in possession.' I turned back by the Templars House, and, allured by the beauty of the day, strolled down the marshes to the Templars Mills. 'Oh! how lovely is this country, and how favoured by the nobility and gentry, whose houses dot the champaign at frequent intervals.' At this moment I heard loud cries of distress, and perceived a young girl holding out a fishingrod to a man in the stream. 'Bless me, lass!' cried the man, 'it is not deep enough to drown me.' Now though he said this bravely enough, I could see he had stepped unawares, while wading, into a deep hole. I hastened to help the maiden, but the man himself soon struggled

out.

'What, Malise!' quoth I, 'what a strange fish you would make.' 'I humbly hope your honour is well,' quoth Malise. I must hasten home to the manor-house with what fish I have got, as this is a maigre day. See what lovely trout, barbel, and roach the old Lea produces.' All this while the maiden stood by, her eyes filled with tears, and trembling with the shock her nerves had had. 'Who is the girl, Malise?' quoth I. 'She has come with one of the minstrels,' said he, ‘and says she comes not from Northumberland, but from Yorkshire near Ripon, a place called, I think, Wells or Waters.'

The girl burst out laughing. Fountains,' said she. 'My Lord Percy had a good estate there. Yet though it be called Fountains there is a great abbey there, one of the largest in Yorkshire. Faith, my lord that is dead tried to get them a new abbot, but the cardinal was so busy that he could not manage it.' 'Why, what was the matter with the old one?' said Malise. The girl seemed confused, and was silent. 'Ha!' said Malise, 'I see, I see; striking a doe without the king's license.'

'I think I have heard something of that abbot,' said I, 'from my friend, Master Cavendish, and a new abbot might have been an improvement.' 'Talking of new things,' said the girl, they have built a new tower of late to the church at Fountains, but I suppose the new owner will pull it all down.' 'Change upon change,' quoth I; 'I wonder how long the new statue of Augustin will be allowed to remain i' Hackney church. But, Malise, you are wet; allow me to carry some of your load.' 'By no means,' quoth Malise; 'the girl will help me. They were glad