sounded, and yet the seventh seal is not opened. This, I know, is inconsistent with Mede's Analysis of the Book. But, plausible and specious as his scheme is, this, in my opinion, (the reference of all the trumpets to things under the seventh seal,) is not the only circumstance in which it is essentially erroneous.

Í must now break off. I shall despatch this letter to you as soon as I can get a copy taken of it.

I remain, Dear Sir,

GREAT Cressingham possesses none of that peculiar claim on public attention which is founded on an association with names rendered famous in the annals of piety or learning. In reading over the list of its rectors, the Christian finds no name which has become endeared to him in his pursuit of eternal life; the scholar, none made familiar to him in the course of his studies; neither does the churchman recognise any one who hath stood forward to increase the influence or defend the privileges of his church. The only mark of distinction which it has to make it worthy of selection before others, is its peculiar jurisdiction. The powers, privileges, and exemptions which constitute "a peculiar," and which are not precisely the same in all cases, seem to have been originally granted through favour or interest, and certainly without any avowal or expectation that such a transfer of authority would be beneficial to the favoured parish or to the church in general. In their operation they have certainly proved otherwise. A freedom from episcopal control, and from the scrutinising visits of the archdeacon, has often led to neglect both in the services and property of the church, and the abolition of such privileges is recommended in the Report of the ecclesiastical commissioners.

Great Cressingham, in the hundred of South Greenhoe, in the county of Norfolk, takes its name from a little river or creek adjoining, termed by Saxons rpecca. In Domesday book it is accounted for under the lands of William, Bishop of Thetford, the see not being then removed to Norwich. This manor passed from the bishopric during the reign of Stephen, but was again annexed to it; for in the beginning of King John's reign, William, the prior, and the convent of Norwich, granted to John De Grey,

then bishop, the fair and market of Lynn, with all the profits they had by virtue of their lay-fee, &c., in exchange for this lordship. On this exchange, the adowson of the church was excepted, that, with the knights' fees hereunto belonging being reserved to the bishop and his successors-with the episcopal authority he had in other manors belonging to the convent. All this was confirmed by letters patent, 10th of June, 1205. In 1239 it appears that the prior was lord, and 1274 he claimed the assize of bread and ale. In 1283 an extent was made of this lordship, wherein it is recorded that it enjoyed all the liberties which the bishop and prior of Norwich had in their other manors, &c. This manor was always leased out by the priors, and in 1513 Sir Robert Southwell held it, paying 137. 13s. 4d., &c. per annum. The priory and convent of Norwich were constituted a deanery and chapter by Henry VIII. William Castleton, the last prior, was the first dean. The manor still remains in possession of the dean and chapter.

Where the prior and convent had any manors, the bishops usually granted them the spiritual jurisdiction in those places. This jurisdiction, passed and granted by the bishop to the prior and convent, was by them passed and granted to the rector of Great Cressingham. It appears that the original grant was made to the rector on the condition of an annual pension of four marks (2. 13s. 4d.), which pension is still paid. Upon some subsequent disagreement having arisen between the parties, the original grant was confirmed, and the terms of payment fixed, by a deed dated at Heynham, 6th Feb. 1297, by Ralph de Walpoole, then Bishop of Norwich, to Robert de Ffouldon, then rector of the parish. At this time an increase of 2s. was made to the annual pension for some additional privileges, which is still paid. The Pope's Bull to confirm this jurisdiction is among the records of the dean and chapter of Norwich; and as they have a commissary for their peculiars, called "Decanus Mancriorum," so the rector (of Great Cressingham) is Commissarius de Cressingham. He possesses all spiritual jurisdiction within the parish (ommis et omnimoda jurisdictio) is exempted from the authority of archbishop, bishop, archdeacon, chancellor, commissary official, &c. He keeps a Court-Christian, and grants marriage licenses, proves wills, &c., and pays neither synodals or procurations.

Upon the re-establishment of the cathedral church by Edward VI., in a new foundation, the king invested himself with the patronage of this benefice, which had before been in the hands of the bishop, and he regrants it to the incumbents successively, cum omnibus partibus et pertinentiis." The bishop, however, grants institution as to other benefices.

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In the presentation it is described as "Cressingham magna

cam capella Sancti Georgii annexa." St. George's chapel (the foundation of which it is still possible to trace out) stood in a close, called Stone Close, about a mile from the church. This chapel is supposed to have been connected with an hermitage, The pastures adjoining, belonging to the rector, were about 1570 used for as uncealed lands, given to superstitious uses; but it was proved before the Judge of Assize, "that they were given by certaine maydens to the parson of Great Cressingham." Å chartered fair is holden on these lands-which fair belongs to the rector in right of the chapel anciently parochial-and he receives the tolls. Originally, the 1st of August, and latterly the 12th, was the fair-day; and an abuse had been allowed to become a custom of holding a fair on the Sunday preceding the fair-day, and which had got the name of Camp-Sunday. This abuse the present rector has put down; and, to avoid the future desecration of the Sabbath, has fixed the fair-days for the first Wednesday and Thursday in August.

The church is a handsome building, in the style of the perpendicular Gothic, consisting of a nave, north and south aisles, and a chancel. At the west end of the nave is a well-proportioned tower. On minute examination, it seems probable that the chancel was originally the body of a small church. What appear like the foundations of a tower, were discovered on the removal of some earth in the churchyard. The windows themselves, and the pilasters which support the arches, and which are partly worked into the wall, are evident additions to the original building; and it is probable that these alterations were made when the nave and tower were built, to give uniformity to the whole. The date of the additions and alterations seems fixed by the will of Nicholas Engswell, of Swaffham, which bears date 20th of August, 1499, and gives a legacy to the building of the tower. It is impossible to examine this or any other of the many large and beautiful churches which abound in this county, without asking "why such buildings were erected for the worship of a thin and scattered population?" In many parts of Norfolk, from the nature of the soil and the habits of the agriculture of the time, the population could scarcely have reached a fourth part of its present amount; and yet even now, in many villages, the church is far too spacious for the want of the inhabitants; though in this (which is perhaps the case in many others) the population has nearly doubled since 1782. We may offer as a solution of the difficulty-what the date of the erection and enlargement of most of such churches seems to confirm-that at the termination of the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster, many persons, who had escaped the perils of war, hastened to dedicate to the glory of God, and to the honour of their patron saint, some of the property they retained, in fulfilment perhaps

of a vow made in the hour of danger. Much property too would have changed hands, and as is also evidenced by the many castellated mansions of the same date, its new possessors probably dedicated some portion of it to the service of the church, as well as to their own comfort and security.

The nave is divided from the chancel by a wooden screen, adorned with rich carved work. It suffered, however, in common with many far more beautiful specimens of Gothic workmanship, by the barbarous taste so prevalent at the end of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century. It was then painted. About the same time the altar rails and back were renewed in a style little agreeing with that of the building. These proofs of want of taste are removed. A sollar or room for the ringers was put up in the lower part of the steeple at the same time.

The parish register begins in 1557. Few particulars of interest are to be found in it. From a list of rectors, beginning 1237, the following are the only ones the least deserving of notice :

1294.-Sir Hugh de Cressingham, born in this parish, of which he was rector, with several other livings. He was a great pluralist, being likewise prebendary of St. Paul's and other cathedrals. He was also Treasurer of Scotland; and, in the battle of Stirling, was taken by the Scots, and said to have been flayed alive by them. "Among the slain was Cressingham, whose memory was so odious to the Scots, that they flayed his dead body and made saddles and girths of his skin."-Hume's History of England.

1525.-William Barlow, rector by the Pope's dispensation, prior of Bromhill, in Weting, Norfolk; afterwards Bishop of St. Asaphs, St. David's, and Chichester.

1603.-George Mountaigne, S.T.B., Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge; afterwards Dean of Westminster, Bishop of Lincoln, London, and Archbishop of York. He was also Great Almoner to the King.

1622.-Edward Ffranklin, S.T.B., Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge, Chaplain to Lord Chancellor Bacon. In the Rebellion he was ejected out of this and the rectory of Little Cressingham; and in endeavouring to escape from the rebels, the point of a pale in his garden ran into his body, of which wound he died. He left some manuscript books relating to the parish, highly useful to his successors. He was succeeded by Robert Smith, an obscure lecturer of Sudbury, in Suffolk, who was buried 1654.

1698.-Thomas Rowell, M.A., presented by Lord Chancellor Somers.

The following extract from the parish register, as illustrative of the exercise of a power, which, if it could have been retained in the church, and secured against abuse, might have produced the happiest results both to the church itself, and its offending members, is well worthy of insertion :

Thomas Holland and Susan Reader were once asked in the church; but it being found on examination that she was the sister of Catherine, his late wife,

In Suffolk, where there is the same thing, the explanation is, that the cloth trade at that particular time was very flourishing, and the clothiers extremely opulent. All the larger churches of Suffolk were built at this same period, and the history of many of their builders is known. On the splendid church of Lavenham is an inscription, mentioning the names of clothiers who built parts of it. --ED.