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JOHANNES

De loco frumentario.

Quis jacet hic? Pater ille JOHANNES, nomina magna
Cui WHETHAMSTEDIO parvula villa dedit
Triticia in tumulo signant quoque nomen urista
Vitam res clara, non Monumenta, notant.

The beautiful Monumental Chapel of Abbot RAMRYGE is immediately opposite to that of Whethamsted. The sculpture is extremely fine, and mostly in good preservation; and very sharp; though many of the ornaments are exceedingly minute. The roof is most elegantly sculptured into rich fan-work, with pendents of quatrefoils, and circles of the same. At each end are three large niches, with rich canopies, the insides of which are adorned similarly to the roof, with quatrefoils; and several smaller niches running up between them, with towers in relief over the canopies. Below the niches, is a cornice of foliage, with human and animal heads at the angles: one of the heads has the stem of a vine tendril issuing from his mouth. Beneath the cornice, at each end, are three shields of arms, with Rams for supporters, in bold relief, and wearing collars, on which are the letters RYGE; thus forming rebusses of the Abbot's name: among the arms are those assumed by Ramryge, three eagles on a bend. On each side of the monument is a double range of cinquefoil-headed, narrow arches; the upper arches finely pierced; and below are various minute ornaments in relief, sculptured on the square extremities of an embattled cornice. One of these ornaments has an old man's head and body united to the tail of a fish, and leaning on a crutch: the letters R. Y. G. E. are also repeated in this part. Over the door, that opens into the monument from the Choir, are several small sculptures, as a lion, a dragon, two rams, a shield with the Abbey arms, &c. and in the spandrils of the arch, is a mutilated representation of the Martyrdom of St. Amphibalus. On other parts, are various shields of arms, with flowers, foliage, vine tendrils, &c. together with a shield of the five wounds, and others displaying the instruments of the Crucifixion. On this south side, also, is a double range of niches, with

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canopies richly worked, and terminating pyramidically over the arches between. Round the upper part of the monument, is the inscription SANCTI SPIRITUS ASSIT NOBIS GRATIA; VENI SANCTO SPIRITUS REPTE TUORUM CORDA FIDELIUM ET TUI AMORIS IN EIS IGNEM ACCENDE, AMEN.

In the pavement of the Choir are many slabs in memory of Abbots, and other personages who were interred beneath: some of them display remains of rich Brasses; but the greater part have impressions only, the brasses having been either stolen or destroyed. The most perfect Brass now left, is a full length figure, mitred, in pontificalibus, of Abbot THOMAS DE LA MARE, under a rich canopy, curiously ornamented; round the verge was the following inscription, great part of which is yet remaining:

Hic jacet Dominus Themas, quondam Abbas hujus Monasterii.*

Another Brass displays the figure of a Monk, holding a heart dropping blood between his hands over his breast. From his mouth proceeds a label, with the verse Cor mundum crea in mea Deus: and beneath his feet is this inscription:

Hic jacet frater RDBUREUS BEAMJER. qudm. huj'
Monasterij Monachus qui qdraginta sex annis continius et
ultra ministrabat in divsis officijs maioribus et minoribs covent'
monasterij pscripti Widelics. In Dfficijs Tercij poris Co-
quarij, Reffectorarij, et Inffirmarij, Et in officijs subreffec-
torarij et speru cobent,' pro cui' aia fratres carissimi ffunde'
pces dignemini ad iudicem altissimu pijssimu dnm ihm.
Christu. Ut concedat sibi suor Ueniam peccator, amen.

On another slab is the figure of an Abbot, mitred, beneath a canopy having the Abbey arms in the centre; and over it, a radiated heart, with the word CREDD. At the corners of the slab were the emblems of the Evangelists; and round the verge, was a text from the book of Job, with an animal or flower between each word. Below the feet of the Abbot is inscribed,

Hic

An engraving of this fine Brass has been given in Carter's Specimens of Ancient Sculpture and Painting.

Hic quida terra tegiter, Peccati solvens debitu.

Cui nome no imponiter. In libro Mitae sit coscriptu.

Another Brass, with a mutilated inscription, displays the figure of SIR ANTHONY GREY, Knt. son and heir apparent to Edmund Lord Grey of Ruthyn, (created by Edward the Fourth, Earl of Kent,) by Catherine, his wife, daughter of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. The Knight is represented with cropt hair, and having plated armour, buckled at the waistband. His gauntlets are jointed at the knuckles; and his knee-pieces are very long and pointed at his elbows is a trefoil ornament; and another between his feet. He has on a sword and dagger; and his head rests on a helmet with an Earl's coronet; the crest appears to be a dragon rising from a tub. He was slain in the second battle of St. Alban's. On a slab in the south aisle, was a figure in a monkish garment, with this inscription beneath the feet:

Memoriale dommyni THDME RUTLDND quondam supporis hui' monasterij qui ex hac luce Migravit xr die mensis Augusti Anno dni Millimo quingentesimo Wicesimo primo cui' gie indu̟l, geat altissim,'

In this aisle also is an altar-tomb, and several inscriptions to the memory of the Maynards, a respectable family of St. Alban's, who represented the Borough in four Parliaments during the reigns of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. They obtained, by marriage, a moiety of the inheritance of the Rowlets, another respectable family of this town, one of whom, as appears from an inscription in the north aisle, was a ' Merchant of the Staple:' he died in 1519. Among other persons of note reported to have been buried in this Church in ancient times, is the celebrated traveller, and native of St. Alban's, Sir John Mandeville; different inscriptions to whose

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*This Brass, as well as several of the others in this Church, has been engraved for Mr. Gough's Sepulchral Monuments. The same elaborate work contains a representation of the monument of Abbot Whethamsted.

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whose memory, have been pencilled on the second column from the west, on the north side of the nave, near which he is said to have been buried.* Weever, however, affirms that he had seen his tomb and epitaph, in the Church of the Guilliammits, in the city of Liege; according to which, he died in November, 1371. The famous Alexander Nequam, another native of St. Alban's, is also recorded to have been buried here; but no memorial now remains to point out the place of his interment. The only monument deserving notice of modern date, is in the transept, against the wall at the north end this was erected in memory of CHRISTOPHER RAWLINSON, Esq. of Cark Hall, in Cartmel, Lancashire, who was descended by the maternal line from Edward the Fourth. He was celebrated for his comprehensive knowledge of Saxon and northern literature; and, while yet at College, published a correct edition of the Great Alfred's version of Boethius de Consolatione Philosopha.' His monument displays a figure of History, sitting on a sarcophagus, in a reclining position, and writing in a book. He died in January, 1732-3, in his fifty-sixth year he was collaterally related to the celebrated antiquary, Dr. Richard Rawlinson.

Robert de Mowbray, the gallant Earl of Northumberland, temp. William Rufus; Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset; Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland; Thomas Clifford, Lord Clifford; Sir William Clynton, Earl of Huntingdon; Sir Walter Sothington, Knt. Reginald, Bishop of Chichester; and Sir William Blythe, Knt, of York; are recorded, with various other persons

* See Weever's Funeral Monuments, 2nd Edit. p. 332; and Chauncy's Herts. p. 471.

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ALEXANDER, cognomento NEQUAM, abbas Cirecestrie literarum scientia clarus: obiit ann, dom. 1217. lit. dom. c. prid. kal. Feb. et sepultus erat apud fanum S. Albani. Cuius anime propitietur altissimus, Amen.' Weever edit. 1767, from Annals de Waverley. MS. in Bibl. Cott.

His Pedigree is inserted in Sandford's Genealogical History.

persons of distinction, to have been also interred in this fabric; but their places of sepulture are not distinguished by any memorial.* Near the present entrance into the south aisle, is a plain altar-tomb of Purbeck marble; the massive upper slab of which is thought to have been an altar-stone, from the five small crosses (+) that are sculptured on the top: to whose memory this was erected is now unknown.

Camden mentions a most beautiful brass Font, wherein the children of the Kings of Scotland used to be baptised,' as belonging to this Church; to which it had been given by Sir Richard Lee, of Sopwell; who, as was recorded by a pompous inscription, 'having recovered it from the flames,' had brought it from Edinburgh. This font was embezzled in the Civil Wars; during which period, also, considerable damage was done to the brasses, and other sepulchral memorials: but the particulars of these dilapidations, as well as all the modern history of the Church from the time of the Reformation, is involved in obscurity, through the destruction of all the old vestry and parish books, which were burnt, with the Rectory House, about the year 1743, when Archdeacon Cole was Rector. The lower part of the Choir is neatly pewed, and has a good gallery, erected in 1715, by William Hale, Esq. of King's Walden, who was then a representative for this Borough. Over the pulpit is a crown, apparently of the time of James the First; and high over the western arch of the tower, on the west side, are the Royal arms of the House of Stuart; these circumstances, combined with the date MDCXXIII. over the verses on St. Alban's Martyrdom, under the window in the south aisle, renders it probable, that the alterations made in the Church, to adapt it to the Protestant form of Worship, were effected during the reign of that King. On one of the piers in the Baptistery, the marks of the more ancient pulpit may clearly be seen. In the seat formerly of the Marlborough family, but now of Earl Spencer, is a good carving of the Marlborough arms.

Many

Beaufort, Percy, and Clifford, were buried in the Chapel of the Virgin; 'En lincali ordine, juxta statum, gradum, et honorem dig

nitatis.'

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