The church-history of Britain from the birth of Jesus Christ until the year M.DC.XLVIII endeavoured by Thomas Fuller.

Church-alterations in the Reign of Queen MARY.

NEw Lady new Laws, Now strange the Metamorphosis in Waltham. Condemn not this our Como-graphie, or description of a Country-Town, as too low and narrow a subject, seeing in some sort the Hi∣storie of Waltham-Church is the Church-History of England, all Parishes in that age being infected alike with superstition. Nor intend I hereby to renew the memorie of Idolatrie, but to revive our gratitude to God for the abolishing thereof, whose numerous trinkets here ensue.

Anno 1554. Mariae primo.

Imprimis, For a Cross with a foot cooper and gilt, twentie five shillings.

Item, For a Cross-staff copper and gilt, nine shillings and four pence.

Item, For a Pax copper and gilt, five shillings.] Greet one another, saith S^ta Paul, with an holy kiss, on which words of the Apostle the Pax had its ori∣ginal. This Ceremony performed in the Primitive times, and Eastern Countries, was afterwards (to prevent wantonness, & to make the more expedition) com∣muted into a new custome, viz. A piece of wood, or metall (with Christ's picture thereon) was made, and solemnly tendred to all people to kiss. This was called the Pax, or Peace, to shew the unity and amity of all there assem∣bled, who (though not immediately) by the Proxie of the Pax kissed one another.

Item, For a pair of Censers copper and gilt, nine shillings and eight pence.] These were pots in the which frankincense was burned, perfuming the Church during Divine Service.

Item, For a Stock of brass for the Holy-water, seven shillings.] Which by the Canon must be of marble, or metall, and in no case of brick,b lest the sacred liquor be suck'd up by the spunginess thereof.

Item, For a Chrismatory of pewter, three shillings four pence.] This was a vessel in which the consecrated oyl, used in Baptisme, Confirmation, and Extreme Vnction, was deposited.

Item, For a yard silver Sarcenet for a cloth for the Sacrament; seven shil∣lings eight pence.] Here some Silkeman or Mercer must satisfie us what this was. The price seems too low for Sarcenet inwoven with silver, and too high for plain Sarcenet of a silver colour.

Item For a Pix of Pewter, two shillings.] This was a Box wherein the Host, or consecrated wafer, was put arid preserved.

Item, For Mary and John that stand in the Rood-left twenty six shillings eight pence.] Christc on the Cross saw his Mother, and the Disciple whom he loved standing by. In apish imitation whereof the Rood (when perfectly made with all the appurtenances thereof) was attended with these two images.

Item, For washing eleven Aubes and as many Head-clothes, six pence.] An Aube, or Albe, was a Priests garment of white linen down to their feet, girded about his middle. The thin matter denoted simplicity; colour, purity; length, (deepd Divinitie) perseverance and the cincture thereof, signified the person wearing it prompt and prepared, for Gods service. Their head-clothes were like our Sergeants Coifes, but close, and not turned up.

Item, For watching the Sepulchre, eight pence.] Thus the price of that service (but a groat in King Henries dayes) was doubled. However, though Popery was restored to its kinde, yet was it not re-estated in its former degree,

in the short Reign of Queen Mary, for we finde no mention of the former six Obits anniversarily performed, the lands-for whose maintenance were alienated in the Reign of King Edward, and the Vicar of the Parish not so charitable as to celebrate these Obits gratis without any reward for the same.

Item, For a Processioner, and a Manual, twenty pence.

Item, For a Corporas-cloth, twelve pence.] This was a linen cloth laid over or under the consecrated Host.

Item, To the Apparitor for the Bishops Book of Articles at the Visitation, six pence.] This Bishop was bloudy Bonner, that corpulent Tyrant, full (as one said) of guts and empty of bowels; who visited his Diocese before it was sick, and made it sick with his Visitation. His Articles were in number thirty seven, and Johna Bale wrote a book against them. The Bishops chief care herein was the setting up of compleat Roods, commonly called (but when without his ear-reach) Bonners Block-almightie. If any refused to provide such blocks for him, let them expect he would procure fagots for them.

Anno 1556. Mariae tertio.

Imprimis, For coles to undermine a piece of the Steeple which stood after the first fall, two shillings.] This Steeple formerly stood in the middle (now East end) of the Church; and, being ruined past possibilitie of repair, fell down of it self, onely a remaining part was blown up by underminers. How quickly can a few destroy what required the age and industry of many in long time to raise and advance?

It soundeth not a little to the praise of this Parish, that neither burthen∣some nor beholding to the Vicinage for a collection, they re-built the Stee∣ple at the West end of the Church, on their own proper cost, enabled there∣unto, partly by their stock in the Church-box, arising from the sale (as is aforesaid) of the goods of the Brotherhood and partly by the voluntary contribution of the Parishioners. This Tower-Steeple is eighty six foot high From the foundation to the battlements, eachb foot whereof (besides the mate∣rials preprovided) costing thirty three shillings four pence the building. Three years passed from the founding to the finishing thereof (every years work discernable by the discolouration of the stones) and the Parish was forced, for the perfecting of the building, to fell their Bells, hanging before in a wooden frame in the Church-yard; so that Waltham, which formerly had Steeple-less-Bells, now had for some years a Bell-less-Steeple.

Notes

• a

  1 Cor 16. 20.
• b

  Durantus de Ritibus Eccles. num. 6. pag. 173.
• c

  John 19. 26. &c.
• d

  Durontus de Rititbus Eccles. num. 9. pag. 316.
• a

  Fox Acts & Mon. pag. 1474.
• b

  The thirty three foot on the top (diff∣culty & dan∣ger of climb∣ing made it the dearer) cost fourty shillings a foot, as ap∣peareth by the Church∣wardens accounts, Anno 1563.