By the Rev. Canon Moberly. 149 
one Mr. Geffe, who as he saith has a grant of the fee of it Eliz. 33, 
but professeth good usage to your lordship, to the poor, aud to my- 
self, that he may have free liberty to seize upon it. But our counsel 
thinks his title weak, and therefore advises rather, because the state 
of it is somewhat doubtful, to crave confirmation of it from the 
king’s majesty, which because the like in like case hath been lately 
obtained with great grace and favour, especially by the motion of 
the Earl of Northampton, for the hospital of Heytesbury, they 
think it will be easy for your honour to procure the same for us, if 
your lordship do like of such a course, whereunto we have no 
argument to move your good honour, but that piety and pity which 
do much adorn your true nobility. The profit of it besides the name 
is small, but the prayers to God for your honour are many. It 
hath stood about four hundred years; my government and cost 
upon the house and the poor have been such as the strictest visitors 
have ever approved. I do only now as duty bindeth acquaint your 
honour with the cause, and shall be ready to go forward in it when 
and howsoever your lordship will appoint; and so rest, of all others 
your honour’s most bounden servant, G. B.” 
Lord Pembroke must have assented to this petition: for we find 
that he applied to Bishop Cotton fora long lease of the patronage 
of the hospital, which the bishop granted him for forty-one years. 
Not for nothing, we may be sure: this was an age when everything 
was bought and sold. 
This having been done Mr. Bigge next visited London, bent on 
bringing about the cession by Tipper and Dawe of their rights in 
the hospital in favour of the new patron, This he effected by com- 
pounding the suit now depending for 100 guineas, on which they 
promised to pass on their right to Lord Pembroke. A note of the 
transaction remains in Bigge’s handwriting, thus ;—“ Dee. 2, 1609, 
I have paid fifty-two pound ten shillings to Mr, Richard Frances at 
his house in Watling Street, London 52 10 0 And fifty-two 
pounds ten shillings to Thomas Hill 
at the same time and place 52 10 0 
a 
TQS: 102 Os? 
