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.

Castle Heningham.

* 1.1Here lieth interred vnder a Tombe of marble and Tuch now ruinous, Iohn de Vere the fift of that Christian name, Earle of Oxford, Lord Bul∣beck, Samford and Scales, and great Chamberlaine of England. Vpon which monument I finde nothing engrauen, but the names of his children which he had by his wife Elizabeth, daughter & heire of Edward Trussell

of Staffordshire knight Banneret. Which were three sonnes and three daughters, namely, Iohn de Vere, the sixth of that Christian name, Earle of Oxford;* 1.2 Aubrey de Vere second sonne; Geffrey Vere the third sonne (Fa∣ther of Iohn Vere of Kirbey Hall, of Sir Francis Vere knight, the great Lea∣der in the Low countries, and of that renowned Souldier, Sir Horatio Vere knight, Lord Baron of Tilbery in this County) Elizabeth, married to Tho∣mas Lord Darcy of Chich: Anne wife to Edmund Lord Sheffield, and Francis, married to Henry Howard Earle of Surrey. This Earle Iohn was knight of the Garter, and Councellour of State to king Henry the eight. Who died here in his Castle at Heueningham the 19. of March, 1539.

Prey for the soul of Dorethy Scroop,* 1.3 dawghter of Richard Scroop, bro∣ther to the Lord Scroop of Bolton.... who.... 1491.

This Dorothie was sister of Elisabeth (the widow of William Lord Beau∣mont, and daughter of Richard Scroope knight) the second wife of Iohn de Vere, the third of that Christian name, Earle of Oxford.

In a parchment Roll without date,* 1.4 belonging to the Earle of Oxford, I find that one Lucia (belike some one of that right honourable house) foun∣ded a Priory in this Parish for blacke veyled Nunnes: Which she dedicated to the holy Grosse, and the blessed Virgine Mary. Of which religious foun∣dation she her selfe was the first Prioresse: whose death was wondrously la∣mented by Agnes, who did next succeed her in that office, and the rest of the Couent: who desire the prayers and suffrages of all the religious houses in England, for her soules health. The forme whereof to transcribe, cannot seeme much impertinent to the subiect I haue in hand, nor tedious to the iudicious Reader.

Anima domine Lucie, prime & Fundatricis Ecclesie Sancte Crucis et Sancte Marie de Heningham,* 1.5 et anime Ricardi et Sare, Galfridi et Dametre, et Helene, et anime omnium defunctorum per miserecordi∣am Dei requiescant in pace. Amen.

Vniuersis sancte Matris Ecclesie filiis ad quos presens scriptum peruenerit: Agnes Ecclesie sancte crucis, & Sancte Marie de Henigeham humilis Mi∣nistra; eiusdemque loci conuentus eternam in Domino salutem. Post imbres lacrimarum, et fletuum innundacionem quam in transitu karissime Matris nostre venerande Lucie prime Priorisse ac fundatricis Domus nostre fudi∣mus: que vocante Domino tertio Idus Iulij, viam vniuerse carnis ingressa, terre debitum humani generis persoluit: manum misimus ad calamum vni∣uersitati vestre scripto denunciantes calamitatem quam patimur: subtracta enim tam felici matre, in hac valle miserie simul & cor nostrum dereliquit nos.ec mirum, cum eadem tot virtutum polleret moribus; tantis gratia∣rum rutilaret honoribus; tot meritorum fragaret odoribus: vt merito illi congruat hoc nomen Lucia, quod est lucis scientia. Recte ideo Lucia dicta, quia nomen beate virginis Lucie sortita, illius pro viribus imitabatur exempla. Illa meritis & precibus fluxum sanguinis in Matre deleuit. Ista in se omnis motus concupiscentie carnalis restringens, fluxum in aliis incontinentie & contaminationis per ariditatem sancte conuersationis & sobrie vite radicitus extirpauit. Illa sponso suo carnalem copulam nutu diuino subtraxit. Ista vt nouimus vinculo Matrimonij septies constricta, consortii virilis ignara; in∣contaminata semper & illesa permansit, & ita de laqueo venantium tempo∣raliter

est erepta. Et hoc fecit diuina prudentia, vt nullum preter eum ad∣mitteret amatorem. Ista etiam discreta fuit in silentio vtilis in verbo, vere∣cundia grauis, pudore venerabilis, singulis compassione proxima, pre cunctis contemplatione suspensa; sicque studuit bene agentibus esse per humilitatem socia vt per zelum iusticie delinquentium corrigeret errata. Vnde in titilla∣tione carnis ex ea didicimus habere prudentiam, in aduersitate fortitudinem; in tribulatione patientiam, in desperatione solatium; in periculo refugium, in estu refrigerium, in asperitate lenitatem. Et suit nobis ipsius exemplo lectio fr••quentior, oratio pinguior, & feruentior affectus. Quid multa, tanta efflo∣r•••••• in hac benignissima virgine, & pia matre nostra virtus abstinentie, tan∣ta ieiuniorum & vigiliarum nec non & vestimentorum asperitate, disciplina∣rum que assiduitate corpus suum extenuauit vt fere simul cum Iob sanctissi∣mo, pelli sue consumptis carnibus os suum adhereret. Et hec talis tantaque sub∣lata est, et hec omnia simul. Migrauit autem ad illum qui sibi fructuum deci∣mas persolui voluit, qui etiam Decalogum constituit mandatorum. Misere∣mini igitur nostri, miseremini nostri saltem vos amici nostri; et vobis miseris compatiamini fluentes lacrimas per orationum suffragia desiccantes: quia pi∣um est & saluberrimum pro defunctis exorare vt à peccatis solvantur. Sub∣uenite igitur benigni Monachi, subuenite venerabiles Canonici, & vos sancte virgines, in conspectu Altissimi preces & bostias offerentes, vt ipsius pie mi∣sercatur qui abstergit omnem lacrimam ab oculis Sanctorum, quatenus que ei macule de terrenis contagijs adheserunt, remissionis eius remedio deleantur. Amen.

To this Supplication the religious of all houses answer in this forme.

Titulus Ecclesie Apostolorum Petri & Pauli & sancte Osithe Virginis & Matris de Chich. Anima Domine Lucie Priorisse de Hengeham et anime omnium sidelium defunctorum per Dei miserecordiam requiescant in pace. Amen. Concedimus ei commune beneficium Ecclesie nostre. Oranimus pro ve∣stris, orate pro nostris. Some againe do answer thus: Preter autem commune beneficium et orationes communes Ecclesie nostre, concedimus ei ab vnoquo∣que Sacerdote vnam Missam, inferioris ordinis vnum Psalterium, et diem ipsius obitus in Martyrilogio nostro annotari fecimus. All concluding euer with Oranimus pro vestris, orate pro nostris.

Vnder the picture of the Crucifix, the blessed Virgine, and vpon her portraiture drawne vpon her Tombe, these nicking, nice, allusiue verses were cut and engrauen.

* 1.6Crux bona crux digna lignum super omnia ligna. Me tibi consigna redimens a peste maligna.

* 1.7Stella Maris, candoris ebur speculum Paradysi Fons venie, vite ianua, Virgo vale.

* 1.8Hec Virgo vite mitis super astra locatur. Et sic Lucie lux sine fine datur. Transijt ad superos venerabilis hec Monialis. Vix succedit ei virtutum munere talis. Luci lucie prece lux mediente Marie Luceat eterna, quia floruit vt rosa verna.

Ad lucem Lucia venit sine fine manentem. Et sic quem coluit patrem videt omnipotentem. Tres tibi gemmate lucent Lucia coron••. Insuper aurate dic lector qua ration••. Mater virgo tamen Martir fuit, ergo inu Amen. Cernat ad examen districti Iudicis Amen. Subueniant anime Lucie celica queque Ad quorum laudes dapsilis vrna f••it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Io. Vere Earle of Oxford.
• * 1.2

  In the Cata∣logue of ho∣nour.

  Brooke.
• * 1.3

  Dorothie Scroope.
• * 1.4

  The founda∣tion of a Prio¦rie in Heue∣ningham.
• * 1.5

  Lucie Lady Prioresse of Heningham.
• * 1.6

  Vpon the Crucifi••e.
• * 1.7

  Vpon the ver∣gine Mary.
• * 1.8

  Vpon the image of Lucie.