ANTIQUITIES OF OKEHAMPTON. 183 



Their abbey and many another possession of the Cestertians 

 of Ford have long since passed into more secular keeping. When 

 as the Latin rhyme has it — 



" Henricus Octavus sold the lands that God gave us ;" 



At that time, however proper might have been the conversion of 

 these revenues or otherwise, we must still admire the levity with 

 which they were often squandered. A singular instance, if any 

 thing could be called singular, where caprice ruled throughout, 

 is given in one of the old Church historians. Henry was one day 

 at play, at dice, with Sir Miles Partridge, when the king staked 

 Jesus bells, that were " as great and tuneable," says Fuller, " as 

 any in London," for £lOO, and lost them at a cast I Such cheap 

 pennyworths, adds the same writer, were obtained out of the lands 

 of the Church . 



To the Church the piety or the compunction of the Courtenays 

 had made them liberal benefactors. To one of that family we 

 are indebted for the little chapel or chantry of St. James in this 

 town. Gough in his additions to Camden passes it with slight 

 notice; "there is," he says, "a chantry chapel in the market 

 place now in use." It was built, as is indicated by an old record 

 yet existing, as I am informed, in the 10th. Richard II. by Dame 

 Joan Courtenay; who endowed the same with lands for the 

 maintenance of two secular priests to " say mass both at mattins 

 and evensong for the repose of her brother's soul:" these lands 

 were granted by Henry VIII. to the Portreeve of the borough, 

 in whom I believe they are still vested. The tower of this little 

 edifice is of more modern erection ; having been added in 1612, 

 by Henry Trelawney. 



The offices of divine worship, and I know not why it should be 

 heardby any without regret, have, since Cough's day, been discon- 

 tinued in this chapel. But it is still a sanctuary : — the rapacity 

 of the Vlllth Henry and his courtiers, the vandalism of the civil 

 wars, and commerce which in our own day has made the fair hospital 

 of St. Katharine a dock for shipping, have left this unprofaned. 

 May a time return when the Lord's people shall again resort hither 

 — to *^ serve Him with gladness, and enter into his presence with 

 a song." 



The infrequency of Divine service in this chapel was matter of 

 complaint, it appears, so long since as 1631 ; in which year Dr. 

 Joseph, Bishop of Exeter, by mandate, exhorts to a more constant 

 discharge of its duties. 



