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Chetham.
And here giue me leaue (curteous Reader) to turne backe to this Church situate neare Rochester, onely to set downe a strange buriall in this Church∣yard, thus related by Lambard in his perambulation of Kent.
Although (saith he) I haue not hitherto, at any time, reade any memo∣rable thing recorded in History, touching Chetham it selfe, yet, for so much as I haue often heard (and that constantly reported) a Popish illusion done at that place; and for that also it is as profitable to the keeping vnder of fai∣ned and superstitious religion, to renew to minde the Priestly practises of old time (which are declining to obliuion) as it is pleasant to retaine in memory the monuments and Antiquities of whatsoeuer of other kinde: I thinke it not amisse, to commit faithfully to writing, what I haue receiued credibly by hearing, concerning the Idols, sometime knowne by the names of our Lady, and the Roode of Chetham and Gillingham. It happened (say they) that the dead corps of a man (lost through shipwracke belike) was cast on land in the Parish of Chetham, & being there taken vp, was by some charitable persons committed to honest buriall within their Church∣yard: which thing was no sooner done, but our Lady of Chetham finding her selfe offended therewith, arose by night, and went in person to the house of the Parish-Clerk (which then was in the street, a good distance from the Church) and making a noise at his window, awaked him. This man at the first (as commonly it fareth with men disturbed in their rest) demanded, somewhat roughly, who was there: But when he vnderstood by her owne answer, that it was the Lady of Chetham, he changed his note, and most mildly asked the cause of her comming. She told him, that there was late∣ly buried neare to the place where she was honoured, a sinfull person, which so offended her eye with his gastly grinning, that, vnlesse he were remoued, she could not, but (to the great griefe of good people) withdraw her selfe from that place, and cease her wonted miraculous working in that place amongst them. And therefore she willed him to go with her, to the end that (by his helpe) she might take him vp and cast him againe into the Riuer. The Clerke obeyed, arose and waited on her toward the Church: but the good Lady (not wonted to walke) waxed weary of the labour, and there∣fore was enforced, for very want of breath, to sit downe in a bush by the way, and there to rest her. And this place (forsooth) as also the whole track of their iourney (remaining euer after a greene path) the Towne-dwellers were wont to shew. Now after a while, they go forward againe, and com∣ming to the Churchyard, digged vp the body, and conueyed it to the wa∣ters side, where it was first found.
This done, our Lady shranke againe into her Shrine, and the Clerke packed home to patch vp his broken sleepe, but the corps now eftsoones floated vp and downe the Riuer, as it did before. Which thing being at length espied by them of Gillingham, it was once more taken vp and buri∣ed in their Church-yard. But see what followed vpon it, not onely the Roode of Gillingham (say they) that a while before was busie in bestow∣ing miracles, was now depriued of all that his former vertue: but also the very earth and place, where this carcase was laid, did continually for euer after settle and sinke downeward.