ANTIQUITIES: 
stription is still the characteristic, 
and has ever been the principal 
excellence of Scottish poets; on 
whom, though grossly ignotant of 
human nature, the poetical mantle 
of Dunbar and Douglas has suc- 
cessively descended*, 
Extra& from an account of the Col- 
legiate Chapel of St. Stepheny 
Westminster. 
KING William Rufus built the 
royal palace at Westminster; and, 
according to Stow, king Stephen 
erected this religious structure, in 
honour of St. Stephen, the proto- 
maftyr. King Edward I. how- 
ever, seems to have rebuilt this 
chapel ; for, in the 2oth year of 
his reign, the 28th of April, 1292, 
the works of the new chapel began, 
and continued for more than two 
years. An account of the expence 
of these operations is preserved in 
rolls of weekly payments remaining 
in the exchequer, which I have 
been indulged with the perusal of, 
by our learned brother, Craven Ord, 
esq. F. R.S. ‘These curious rolls 
contain thearticles purchased with. 
in the week, and the daily payments 
to each workman of every deno- 
mination. 
The several articles bought are 
stated; then follow the payments 
to workinen. They are too mi- 
nute to be here enumerated, but 
these are apparent—to carpenters 
five pence each per day ;—to other 
workmen three pence halfpenny ; 
—some three pence ;—some two 
pence halfpenny each, 
Although the amount of each 
separate week does not appear to 
[46% 
be much, being in general betweert 
twenty and thirty pounds, yet, from 
the length of time which the works 
continued, the cost of the whole 
must have been very considerable. 
Whether king Edward I. com- 
pleted his designs in beautifying 
this strugture, we are not informed ; 
but if he had, his labours oe 
soon after unfortunately rendered 
abortive; for we are told by a 
very accurate chronicler, Stow— 
‘¢ that on the zgth of March, 1298, 
a vehement fire being kindied in the 
lesser hall of the king’s palace at 
Westminster, the flame thereof be- 
ing driven with the wind, fired the 
monastery adjoining: which, wictt 
the palace were both consumed.’’ 
This disastrous event could not 
be repaired for some time following > 
fer Edward I. being almost cona 
stantly engaged, in the latter part 
of his reign, either inexternal wars, 
or in the conquest of Scotland, 
the prevailing object in the mind 
of that monarch, he cannot be 
supposed to have had either fei. 
sure or wealth to bestow on works 
of art; and the weak and turbulent 
reign of his son. Edward IJ. did 
not allow much time for domestic 
improvements. But early in the 
succeeding reign this building en- 
gaged the, roy al attention; for, on 
the a7th May, 1330, 4 Edw, EEE. 
the eis on this chapel again 
commenced. The comptroller’s rolk 
of the expence of these operations, 
for near three years, is remaining 
in the king’s remembrancer’s office, 
in the exchequer. 
The length of this account will 
not allow of the whole ‘to be here 
inserted; but it is extremely 
curious because it preserves the 
* Other poets of inferior reputation iesciaidd duting this period in Scotland ; 
burit is the purport of this history to record the progressive improvements, not 
the stationary merit of poetry. 
names 
