304 The Fall of the Wiltshire Monasteries. 



had no temptation to be partial to the monastic orders, gives a 

 character uniformly good to the Wiltshire houses, even to those of 

 whom the visitors Laj^on and Legh had given the most damaging 

 accounts. For instance, the Prior of Maiden Bradley, who, 

 according to Layton, had no less than six natural children within 

 the precincts of his monastery, is described as being, with his 

 brethren, " by report of honest conversation." 



A clause had been inserted in the Act of Suppression enabling 

 the King to re-found in perpetuity such of the lesser monasteries 

 as he thought fit ; fifty-two houses thus escaped destruction. In 

 "Wiltshire we find one example — Lacock — which has a grant of 

 " licence to continue " bearing date January 30th, 1537.^ Our 

 opinion of the King's generosity and his zeal in favour of true 

 religion, however, is considerably modified when we find that for 

 " licence to continue " a fine of £300 is paid by Lacock into the 

 Court of Augmentations, the annual revenue of the house being 

 £203 gross, or £168 nett.^ 



The cells, also, of the larger abbeys were for the present spared. 

 Under this head come the two small houses of Poulton and 

 Marlborough St. Margaret, which ranked as cells of the great 

 Gilbertine priory of Sempringham — the order of which Robert, 

 Bishop of Llandaff, was commendatory master. With these ex- 

 ceptions, however, all the houses mentioned in this last report dis- 

 appear, and are only heard of henceforward when the site or part 

 of the lands are granted to some courtier. 



After this there comes — as well there might — a pause ; but 

 neither Henry nor Cromwell in the least abandoned their design of 

 appropriating all the revenues of the monastic orders ; and in April 

 or May, 1539, the obliging Parliament granted to the King aU 

 such houses, of whatever value, as had abeady or should hereafter 

 voluntarily surrender themselves into his hands, or should be for- 

 feited by attainder of the head. This was the legal justification 

 which the King and Cromwell wished for, and so well did they 

 labour in the work of " persuasion " and attainder, that by the 28th 



' Letters and Papers, xii. (i.), g. 311 (42). 

 - Ih., xiii. (ii.), 457, i. (3). 



