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prising that we should forget what has ceased to be readily visible. Who could suppose, from a mere hasty glance at the comparatively mean-looking brick tower, and the narrow restricted site of St. Bartholomew, that that very edifice was once the centre, and the centre only, of the splendid church of a splendid monastery—a church which extended its spacious transepts on either side, and sent up a noble tower high into the air, to overlook, and, as it were, to guard, the stately halls, far-extending cloisters, and delightful gardens that surrounded the sacred edifice? Or, again, who would suspect that the site of this extensive establishment (now in a great measure covered with houses), and most probably the entire space of Smithfield, was, prior to the foundation of the former, nothing but a marsh " dunge and fenny," with the exception of a solitary spot of dry land, occupied by the travellers' token of civilization, a gallows? Yet such are the changes that have taken place, and for all that is valuable in them our gratitude is due to the one man to whom we have referred-Rahere.

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The history of the Priory is indeed the history of this single individual; and, a fortunate coincidence, the historical materials we possess are as ample as they are important. Among the manuscripts of the British Museum* is one entirely devoted to the life, character, and doings of Rahere, written evidently shortly after his death by a monk of the establishment, and which, for the details it also gives of the circumstances attending the establishment of a great religious house in the twelfth century, its glimpses into the manners and customs, the modes of thought and feeling of the time—and, above all, for its marked superiority of style to the writings that then generally issued from the cloister-forms perhaps one of the most extraordinary, as it certainly is one of the most interesting, of monastical documents. In consideration of all these circumstances, we shall make no scruple to transcribe largely from the good old monk's papers; valuing them all the more for the impossible but characteristic marvels they detail in matters of faith, as being an additional testimony to their authentic character with regard to matters of fact.

We have said that the manuscript in question was written soon after Rahere's death; its author says he shows that which "they testified to us that sey him, herd hym, and were presente yn his werkys and dedis; of the whiche sume have take their slepe yn Cryiste, and sume of them be zitte alyve, and wytnesseth of that that we shall after say." His motives in the task he had undertaken are thus explained in the outset :+

"For as much that the meritorious and notable operations of famous good and devout fathers in God should be remembered, for instruction of after-comers, to their consolation and increase of devotion; this abbreviated treatise shall commodiously express and declare the wonderful, and of celestial counsel, gracious foundation of our holy place, called the Priory of St. Bartholomew in Smithfield, and of the hospital of old time belonging to the same; with other notabilities expedient to be known; and most specially the glorious and excellent miracles

* Cottonian Collection.

+ We shall not trouble our readers any further with the antiquated spelling. We may also here observe that, in the following account of Rahere and of his foundation, whilst we give throughout the author's language, we take the liberty of occasionally departing from his arrangement, in order to preserve the narrative regular and unbroken, and, for the same reason, of making such omissions as seem advisable.

wrought within them, by the intercessions, suffrages, and merits of the aforesaid benign, faithful, and blessed of God, Apostle Saint Bartholomew."

Rahere, it appears, was a "man sprung and born from low kynage: when he attained the flower of youth he began to haunt the households of noblemen and the palaces of princes; where, under every elbow of them, he spread their cushions, with japes and flatterings delectably anointing their eyes, by this manner to draw to him their friendships. And still he was not content with this, but often haunted the king's palace, and among the noiseful press of that tumultuous court informed himself with polity and cardinal suavity, by the which he might draw to him the hearts of many a one. There in spectacles, in meetings, in plays, and other courtly mockeries and trifles intending, he led forth the business of all the day. This wise to the king and great men, gentle and courteous known, familiar and fellowly he was." The king here referred to is Henry I. Stow says Rahere was "a pleasant-witted gentleman; and therefore in his time called the king's minstrel." To continue: "This manner of living he chose in his beginning, and in this excused his youth. But the inward Seer and merciful God of all, the which out of Mary Magdalen cast out seven fiends, the which to the Fisher gave the Keys of Heaven, mercifully converted this man from the error of his way, and added to him so many gifts of virtue.” Foremost in repentance as he had been in sin, Rahere now "decreed in himself to go to the court of Rome, coveting in so great a labour to do the works of penance. There, at the shrine of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, he, weeping his deeds, prayed to our Lord for remission of them. Those two clear lights of Heaven, two men of mercy, Peter and Paul, he ordained mediators. And while he tarried there, in that mean while, he began to be vexed with grievous sickness; and his dolours little and little taking their increase, he drew to the extreme of life: the which dreading within himself that he had not still for his sins satisfied to God, therefore he supposed that God took vengeance of him for his sins, amongst outlandish people, and deemed the last hour of his death drew him nigh. This remembering inwardly, he shed out as water his heart in the sight of God, and all brake out in tears; that he avowed that if health God would him grant, that he might return to his country, he would make an hospital in recreation of poor men, and to them so there gathered, necessaries minister after his power. And not long after the benign and merciful Lord beheld this weeping man, gave him his health, approved his vow.

"When he would perfect his way that he had begun, in a certain night he saw a vision full of dread and sweetness. It seemed him to be borne up on high of a certain beast, having four feet and two wings, and set him in an high place. And when he, from so great a height, would inflect and bow down his eye to the lower part downward, he beheld a horrible pit, whose beholding impressed in him great dread: for the deepness of the same pit was deeper than any man might attain to see; therefore he (secret knower of his defaults) deemed himself to slide into that cruel a downcast. And therefore (as seemed him inwardly) he fremyshid,* and for dread trembled, and great cries of his mouth proceeded. To whom appeared a certain man, pretending in cheer the majesty of a king, of great beauty and imperial authority, and his eye on him fastened. O man,' he

* Quaked perhaps, from the French verb Frémir.

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said, 'what and how much service shouldest thou give to him that in so great a peril hath brought help to thee?' Anon he answered to this saint, Whatsoever might be of heart and of might, diligently should I give in recompence to my deliverer.' And then, said he, 'I am Bartholomew, the apostle of Jesus Christ, that come to succour thee in thine anguish, and to open to thee the secret mysteries of Heaven. Know me truly, by the will and commandment of the Holy Trinity, and the common favour of the celestial court and council, to have chosen a place in the suburbs of London, at Smithfield, where in mine name thou shalt found a church. This spiritual house Almighty God shall inhabit, and hallow it, and glorify it. Wherefore doubt thee nought; only give thy diligence, and my part shall be to provide necessaries, direct, build, and end this work.' Rahere now came to London, and of his knowledge and friends with great joy was received; with which also, with the barons of London he spake familiarly of these things that were turned and stirred in his heart, and of that was done about him in the way he told it out; and what should be done of this he counselled of them. He took this answer, that none of these might be perfected, but the King were first counselled: namely, since the place godly to him showed was contained within the King's market. In opportune time Rahere addressed him to the King; and nigh him was He in whose hands it was to what he would the King's heart incline and ineffectual these prayers might not be whose author is the apostle, whose gracious hearer is God. Rahere's word therefore was pleasant and acceptable, and when the King had praised the good wit of the man (prudently, as he was witty), granted to the petitioner his kingly favour.

"Then Rahere, omitting nothing of care and diligence, two works of piety began to make-one for the vow he had made, another as to him by precept was enjoined." The place where these great works were to be erected was no common one, having been previously showed to King Edward the Confessor in a revelation:-" the which, in a certain night, when he was bodily sleeping, his heart to God waking, he was warned of this place with an heavenly dream made to him, that God this place had chosen: thereupon this holy King, early arising, came to this place that God had showed him; and to them that about him stood expressed the vision that night made to him, and prophesied this place to be great before God." It was also said that three men of Greece, who came to London, went to this place and worshipped God; " and before them that there were present (and beheld them as simple idiots) they began wonderful things to say and prophesy of this place, saying, 'Wonder not; see us here to worship God, where a full acceptable temple to him shall be builded; and the fame of this place shall attain from the spring of the sun to the going down.'

Rahere had no easy task before him. "For truly the place before his cleansing pretended no hope of goodness. Right unclean it was; and as a marsh, dunge and fenny, with water almost every time abounding; and that that was eminent above the water, dry, was deputed and ordained to be the gallows of thieves, and to the torment of other, that were condemned by judicial authority." What follows is very extraordinary:-"Truly, when Rahere had applied his study to the purgation of this place, and decreed to put his hand to that holy building, he was not ignorant of Satan's wiles, for he made and feigned himself

unwise, and outwardly pretended the cheer of an idiot, and began a little while to hide the secretness of his soul. And the more secretly he wrought the more wisely he did his work. Truly, in playing unwise he drew to him the fellowship of children and servants, assembling himself as one of them; and with their use and help, stones and other things profitable to the building lightly he gathered together." Rahere's object in this conduct was, we presume, to avail himself of a kind of superstitious reverence that appears to have been not unfrequently felt for persons of the class to which he made it appear that he belonged. With all his enthusiasm, this must have been a painful time. "He played with them, and from day to day made himself more vile in his own eyes, in so mickle that he pleased the apostle; through whose grace and help he raised up a great frame. And now he was proved not unwise as he we have trowed, but very wise." Rahere, it seems, sought assistance for the accomplishment of his great work by every means in his power, and more particularly by instructing with "cunning of truth," saying "the word of God faithfully in divine churches," and constantly exhorting "the multitude both of clerks and of the laity to follow and fulfil those things that were of charity and alms-deed. And in this wise he compassed his sermon :—that now he stirred his audience to gladness, that all the people applauded him; and incontinent anon he proffered sadness, and so now of their sins, that all the people were compelled unto sighing and weeping. But he truly ever more expressed wholesome doctrine, and after God and faithful sermon preached.” A man like this could not but succeed in whatever he essayed; and accordingly the work "prosperously succeeded, and after the Apostle's word all necessaries flowed unto the hand. The church he made of comely stone-work, tablewise. And an hospital-house, a little longer off from the church by himself he began to edify. The church was founded (as we have taken of our elders) in the month of March 1113. President in the Church of England, William Archbishop of Canterbury, and Richard Bishop of London ;" who "of due law and right" hallowed a part of the adjoining field as a cemetery. "Clerks to live under regular institution" were brought together, and Rahere, of course, was appointed Prior, who ministered unto his fellows "necessaries, not of certain rents, but plenteously of oblations of faithful people." The completion of the work, under such circumstances, evidently excited a large amount of wonder and admiration, not unmixed with a kind of superstitious awe. People "were greatly astonied both of the novelty of the raised frame, and of the founder. Who would trow this place with so sudden a cleansing to be purged, and there to be set up the token of the Cross? And God there to be worshipped, where sometime stood the horrible hanging of thieves? Who should not be astonied there to see construct and builded the honourable building of piety? That should be a sanctuary to them that fled thereto, where sometime was a common offering of condemned people? Who should not marvel it to be haunted?" The writer then finely asks,* "Whose heart lightly should take or admit such a man, not product of gentle blood-not greatly endowed with literature, or of divine kynage?

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"When the Priory began to flourish and its fame spread, Rahere joined to *He has, it will be remembered, previously stated Rahere to be of "low kynage," in the ordinary sense of the words.

him a certain old man, Alfun by name, to whom was sad age, with experience of long time. This same old man not long before had builded the church of St. Giles, at the gate of the city that in English tongue is called Cripplegate; and that good work happily he had ended." Rahere, deeming this man profitable to him, deputed him as his compeer; and from his council and help appears to have derived much encouragement. "It was manner and custom to this Alfun, with ministers of the church to compass and go about the nigh places of the church busily to seek and provide necessaries to the need of the poor men that lay in the hospital; and to them that were hired to the making up of their church." To help Alfun in the performance of this duty St. Bartholomew occasionally honoured him by a miracle, which, doubtless, had an amazing effect in stimulating the charity of the neighbours. If the following miracle was thoroughly believed, wonderful must have been the emulation it produced among the benefactors of the priory. Alfun having applied to a widow, she told him she had but seven measures of malt, and that indeed it was no more than but absolutely necessary for her family's use. She was, however, prevailed on to give one measure. Alfun was no sooner gone than, casting her eyes on the remaining measures, she counted seven still. Thinking herself mistaken, she tried again, and found eight, and so on ad infinitum. No sooner was the receptacle ready than many yearly, with lights and oblations, peaceful vows, and prayers, visited this holy church;" and the fame of cures performed was supported by magnificent festivals; "the year 1148, after the obiit of Harry the First, King of England, the twelfth year, when the golden path of the son reduced to us the desired joys of feastful celebrity, then, with a new solemnity of the blessed Apostle, was illumined with new miracles this holy place. Languishing men, grieved with varying sorrows, softly lay in the church; prostrate beseeching the mercy of God, and the presence of St. Bartholomew."

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But now new troubles arose, and darkened the last hours of Rahere. "Some said he was a deceiver, for cause that in the net of the great fisher evil fishes were mixed with good. Before the hour of his last deliverance his household people were made his enemies, and wicked men wickedness laid to himself. Therefore, with pricking envy, many privately, many also openly, against the servant of God ceased not to grudge, and brought many slanders and threatenings. The good that they might they withdrew and took away; constrained him with wickedness; made weary him with injuries; provoked him with despites, beguiled him with simulated friendships; and some of them broke out into so bold avowedness that they drew amongst themselves a contract of wicked conspiration, what day, sette, and place, the servant of God they might through wiles and subtlety draw to their council with deceit," and so slay him. "But there is no wisdom, there is no cunning, there is no council against God, in whom he (Rahere) cast his thought. When the day came, one of them, partner of so great a wickedness, secretly to himself abhorring so great a sin, before the hour of peril drawing near, showed by order to the servant of God the sum of all their council.". Rahere now went to the King, begging that he "would open the bosom of his pity to them that were desolate," and "restrain the barking rudeness of unfaithful people." The King's answer was the confirmation of his previous grant by a

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