‘ 
110 
he would do his penance, at another that he would commute ; and 
early in November he seemed inclined to settle by giving a 
hundred marks to St. Paul’s,* but a fortnight later he suddenly 
went to London, and on the 19th November, 1637, appealed to 
the Arches Court and there delivered in his own account of the 
whole business. In this he states that the sexton of his parish 
had, whilst making a grave in the aisle of the church, “ digged up” 
a certain sheet of lead, but entirely without inscription, or any 
ground stone over or near it, and wherein a corpse, then all 
consumed to dust, had been, by conjecture, buried some two or 
three hundred years before. The leads of the church being in 
great need of repair, he, being a “ plaine and inexperienced” man, 
with the consent of his brother churchwarden, the minister and 
all the chief parishioners, caused the lead to be employed in such 
necessary repairs, “not converting any part to his own or any 
other use.” He therefore prayed that his cause might either be 
heard or referred to others, and relief granted if his “innocent 
simplicitie” should be justly proved.t The document is under- 
written,—“ I desire Sir John Lambe to peruse this petition and 
to give me an account of ye particulars here suggested.” 
Nov. 19, 1637. . W.. Cac 
This Sir John did accordingly, and eventually the matter was 
sent back to the Bishop for further consideration. As Fort 
had offered to substitute a payment of ten pounds, Sir John 
seems to have considered him as hardly used, and gave him a 
letter, dated 20th Dec., to carry down to Wells, in which he 
suggests that he should be absolved by Christmas. On his 
return Fort went to James Huishe, the Registrar, and offered 
* The King had granted to Laud all such fines towards the completion of 
the then St. Paul’s, and this gave rise to the saying that St. Paul’s was 
built with the sins of the people. 
+ S.P., Vol, ccclxxii., 4. 
