Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

Folkston.

A Towne famous in times past, and much frequented by the English Saxons for religion sake, by reason of a Monastery, which Eauswide the daughter of Eadbald, king of Kent, erected for religious women; of which, she became the first Prioresse. She dedicated her Church to the honour of Saint Peter, and replenished her house with blacke Nunnes: she continued herein Abbesse a long time, and so dyed a vailed Virgin, about the yeare 673. This foundation was long ago swallowed vp with the sea; and ano∣ther built by Iohn Segraue, and Iulian his wife, the daughter and heire of Iohn Sandwich, who was Lord of this Towne, together with Iohn Clinton, in the raigne of king Henry the third, who consecrated this their holy fa∣bricke

to the honour of Saint Peter, and S. Eauswid. Whose reliques they translated, into their new built Church; there they were gloriously en••••••ri∣ned, and she honoured for a Saint. Of whom the credulous common peo∣ple did report many strange wonders: As that shee lengthened a bean•••• of this her religious building three foot, when the Carpenters (missing their measure) had made it so much too short: That shee haled and drew water ouer the hills against nature: That shee forbad certaine rauenous birds the countrey, which before did much hurt thereabouts: That she restored the blinde, cast out the deuill, and healed innumerable folkes of their infirmi¦ties. And therefore after her death, she was by the policie of the Church of Rome, and the Popish Priests, canonized; and by the folly of the com∣mon people (saith Lambard) honoured for a Saint.

And no maruell at all (saith hee) for it was vsuall amongst the Clergie∣men in those dayes, not onely to magnifie their Benefactours of all sorts; but to deifie also so many of them (at the least) as were of noble parentage, knowing that thereby triple commoditie ensued; the first, for as much as by that meanes they assured many great Personages vnto them: secondly, they drew (by the awe of their example) infinite numbers of the common people after them: and lastly, they aduentured the more boldly (vnder those honourable and glorious names and titles) to publish their fained miracles. And this surely was the cause that Sexburga in Shepie, Mildred in Tanet, Etheldred at Elye, Edith at Wilton, and sundrie other such wo∣men of royall bloud in each quarter, were canonized Saints: for generally the Religious of those times were as thankfull to their Benefactours, as euer were the heathen nations to their first Kings and Founders. The one for sanctifying such as did either build them houses, or deuise them Orders; and the other deifying such, as had made them Cities, or prescribed them lawes and gouernment.

This was it that made Saturne, Hercules, Romulus, and others moe, to haue place (in common opinion) with the Gods aboue the starres: and this caused Dunstan, Edgar, Ethelwold, and others, first to bee shrined here in earth, and then to sit amongst the Saints in heauen. This Nunnery was va∣lued at the fatall ouerthrow of all such edifices, at 63. l. 7. s. per annum. It was surrendred 15. Nouemb. 27. H. 8.

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